The Campfire Trail: October 2 - DIY Homestead

October 2, 2022

Day 367 of the Adventure

It's Sunday morning and the chill in the air is irresistible. I'm still waiting for the sun to break over the hill and through the trees. Even though I have a nice fire going, my hands are protected from it behind the computer and they are cold enough to barely function. For those who love Autumn, these are the mornings that we wait for all year. As we begin our second year down in the backwoods, I'm excited to be able to enjoy the slower pace this Fall. Last year as we started this adventure, we felt a lot of pressure to get some very basic tasks accomplished. Now, with the property being livable, that pressure has mostly diminished. Yes, there are still plenty of outdoors projects to do, hopefully before it gets too cold. Mostly though, if we can get the siding on the cabin and utility building and the interior wall boards finished, (we're doing that outside before we install them inside) we'll be ready for Winter.

I'd also like to talk a little about the whole Do-It-Yourself idea on your Homestead or Off-Grid project. I continually see people mention that they are not good in certain do-it-yourself areas. Whether that's building structures, gardening, canning, starting with livestock of some kind, figuring out energy sources or simply getting started with making the move to a more self-sufficient life. I believe it's critically important to your success to start thinking in terms of doing things yourself. Part of that has to do with learning and doing specific skills. Perhaps the more important part is developing the mindset that tells you, "Not matter what the challenge, I can figure it out". That kind of attitude will make the difference between always being intimidated by the unknown, or possessing the confidence that you can figure out a way to get through it. Yes, it involves learning curves, but those are good. (even though I personally dis-like learning curves) Dis-like or not, learning to do new things has served me well over the years. Don't fear the Do-It-Yourself approach when preparing to tackle a new challenge in life.

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “Always believe in yourself and always stretch yourself beyond your limits. Your life is worth a lot more than you think because you are capable of accomplishing more than you know. You have more potential than you think, but you will never know your full potential unless you keep challenging yourself and pushing beyond your own self imposed limits.” ― Roy T. Bennett

Base Camp Coffee of the Day: B52 (Kahlua/Irish Cream/Amaretto flavors)

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