The Campfire Trail: November 17 - DIY Homestead - Frosty Mornings in the Backwoods

November 17, 2022

Day 412 of the Adventure

Our Frosty Mountain Neighbor at 6:00am

It feels like colder weather is just getting here early this year. Maybe it's my imagination or maybe it's the fact that I'm personally managing the source of heat so it's just more noticeable. Not that the cabin temps are cold. No, they are actually quite warm and cozy. In fact, I'm actually enjoying the warmer inside temps more this year than ever. I always have gotten very tired of always being right on the cutting edge of being too cold. For the past few years at the various resorts where we've lived, trying to manage the cost of heating in the Winter has been a challenge. One that's always seemed to leave us keeping the thermostat adjusted lower than I would prefer. It's been a long time since we've used wood heat and I had forgotten how nice it is. To take the whole idea of a wood stove a step further, it's serving dual roles as a soup warmer as well. We've already utilized its flat top for simmering soups and stews many times. Last night it was Oyster Stew, one of our favorite cold season meals. There's nothing quite like the aroma of soup simmering on the wood stove in the corner of the cabin all day. Always ready to ladle up a bowl to take the chill off when returning in from the cold outdoors.

Every little detail of Cabin Life reminds us of one more reason this has been such an appropriate choice for us. Besides trying to lay out a model for self-sufficient life, we both have always loved camping and time spent in the outdoors. Our Camp Run-Amuck is bringing both of those lifestyles together. It's almost like we are on a perpetual camp out, only with many of the modern conveniences of home. Yes, the cabin and surrounding area still need a lot of completion work done to them, but the atmosphere of the outdoors and woods makes some of those inconveniences tolerable. It's a fair trade-off for now. As we continue to whittle away at those tasks, perhaps by Springtime, we'll be in a better position to simply enjoy life..........