The Campfire Trail: September 25 - DIY Homestead

September 25, 2022

Day 359 of the Adventure

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I recently began watching a series of videos called "5 Fires". The premise of it, I believe, is a challenge to get out and engage yourself in nature more. Through that process, there would be a greater sense of freedom, accomplishment, confidence and peace. I can certainly appreciate the emphasis on "Doing" rather than just "Dreaming" about an experience. I believe that it can also apply to moving into a more Self-Sufficient lifestyle. I've often mentioned times when we were a young family when the practice of frugal self-sufficiency made the difference between food on the table or not. Almost all of our life involved living in a town somewhere and not having the ability to spread out on a homestead type of property. Like many, we dreamed of the day we could move onto a piece of land and begin our homestead journey. Our "Homestead" consisted of a back yard garden, a series of rabbit hutches in a lean-to off the back of our tool shed and a wood stove to keep the winter utility bills from eating us alive. Oddly enough, we also purchased a circular sawmill from Foley Bellsaw (some of you may remember those ads) found in the classified ads section in the back of a magazine. We learned to quietly saw lumber in the back yard during hours that wouldn't draw too much attention to ourselves. The early 1980's economy made it hard on a young family to get by without something in our hip pocket to help make ends meet. The garden, rabbits, firewood, woodshop and sawmill all contributed to our effort to gain in self sufficiency.

I believe for those who are experiencing similar challenges today (and who isn't), that a fundamental change of focus could easily make the difference between thriving and simply surviving. Notice I didn't say a radical change of lifestyle, just a fundamental change of focus. A focus on improving self-sufficient abilities and skills within the boundaries of other things that cannot be easily changed. Things like land use ordinances, the dreaded Home Owners Associations and things like the limited size of typical small town or urban back yards. As a beginning family, we felt we had no ability to live a "Homestead Life" on an acreage or farm property, no matter how large or small. Instead, the focus became, how can we accomplish those types of things right where we were. In town, on a small footprint of land, restricted to activities that were "acceptable" to town living. Our gardening activities were normal but went beyond seasonal vegetables to Berry bushes, Asparagus beds, Rhubarb beds in addition to all the typical vegetables. The rabbits were quiet and provided a constant source of meat and garden fertilizer. Our firewood pile was large but neatly kept to not present a nuisance to the neighborhood. I ran the big saw infrequently, mainly just to keep myself supplied with hardwoods for the woodshop. It was portable, but most of the time it was backed in close to the woodshop out of sight and mind of the neighborhood. Our neighborhood strategy consisted of gifting some of our produce, canned goods or jellies and the occasion woodshop project to our neighbors. It worked beautifully for over 15 years and I've never regretted the extra effort we subjected ourselves to in order to take measures forward in self-sufficient living.

All of it worked and worked well. We probably reduced our food bill by a third, our heating bill easily by two thirds and the stress of making ends meet by a lot. I don't even know how to quantify the reduction in the stress factor. The stress of getting by was gradually preplaced with a satisfaction connected to the "Getting By". I even remember the month we installed our wood stove, the gas company sent someone around to make sure our gas meter had not gone bad. Upon discovering that we had installed a wood stove and seeing the monumental pile of firewood we had accumulated, his only response was, "Ah, I see why your meter acts like it quit working!" His exact response was not "Carry On", but it was a "Carry On and have a Great Day" type of response. I believe he recognized that we had taken a step toward self-sufficiency without really speaking those specific words or in those terms. In fact, I got the impression that deep down, he was in approval of it and possibly even in admiration of it. Perhaps even a bit jealous, but that could just be just my imagination.

How this relates to the "5 Fires" series is "Stop Dreaming and Start Doing". Don't be afraid to begin doing something to move yourself towards your dream no matter your current situation or circumstances. Sit by a fire with pen and notepad in hand. Figure out that dream or that thing that you would do for yourself if you would just simply decide to do it for yourself. Begin to imagine and formulate a plan to step up and find ways to begin doing that dream. Doing adds feet and motion to Dreaming. I've always cited a quote that says, "If your dream is not big enough, any excuse will stop you. If your dream is big enough, nothing will stop you"!

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair." ~ Douglas MacArthur

Base Camp Coffee of the Day: Highlander Grogg (Buterscotch/Rum flavors)

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