The Campfire Trail: December 2 - DIY Homestead

December 2, 2022

Day 427 of the Adventure

We got our kitchen stove installed yesterday and were finally able to cook our first actual meal here in the cabin today. Chicken and pasta on the stovetop and biscuits in the oven. (Yes, they were "womp-um" biscuits....... Don't judge me, we had 'em, we ate 'em!....... they were flaky and delicious!) It may seem like an odd thing, putting up with an unfinished cabin for so long, (6 months so far since we moved here) but it really isn't all that bad. Part of our "Cabin in the Woods" experience is an experiment in creating a self-sufficient lifestyle. Part of that, is taking a step at a time in building of all of it ourselves. Embracing that process is learning to tackle each new addition or improvement a day at a time and being okay with it.

Sure, much of the early projects were frantic, but a lot of that had to do with getting the place minimally livable to begin with. (There was a story behind that) Once that was done, all of the other jobs can be handled as quickly or slowly as we wish. I think it's an important thing to learn too. For those wanting to move away from the hustle and bustle of a fast paced and expensive life, learning the "step at a time" process is crucial. I know very few people who can simply make the move without really any forward planning and preparation. Those than can, at least from a financial point of view, usually aren't that interested in transitioning to a simple, self-sufficient life. That leaves those of the rest of us with the need to plan things out more extensively. Even the process of running the gas lines (see this link) and connecting everything up is a good example of that process. I dedicated a whole day to it, even though it really only required a couple of hours. That left me time for the inevitable "things going wrong" or, like it always is with plumbing, not having that one part you need to get it done. Today was different though. All of the parts were at hand. Mostly because I mocked the entire thing up at the plumbing parts store ahead of time. I even bought one extra piece because I realized I wasn't certain if the fitting in the stove regulator was 3/8" or 1/2". Now I have an extra 3/8' pipe nipple for the next time I need one of those! That's just the way it is on a DIY Homestead.

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Carry On

Adventure Quote: “Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway.” ― Mary Kay Ash

Base Camp Coffee of the Day: Lost in the Fog (Guatemala Decaf)

SNEAK PEEK of our Upcoming OFF-GRID project

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Mountain Craft

Lye Soap Making

Rug Weaving

Making Wooden Buckets (Cooper Craft)

Pottery

Cornmeal Grinding

Blacksmithing

Sassafras Tea Making (Chicks in the Sticks video)