Saturday Evening Post…

10:49 am - 42 degrees - raining and windy...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid... sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

Me:  “Jack!  Stop riding your bike in the backyard.  I want the grass to grow and it won’t if you keep riding there.  Tony, can you please make him a bike track somewhere other than the backyard.”

8-yr-old Son:  “But I like riding in the backyard.”

Hubby:  “I’ll go find a spot.” 

Me:  “Jack!  Why are you riding your bike in the backyard?  You and Dad just built a new bike track for you to ride in?!”

8-yr-old Son:  “I like the backyard.”

Me:  “Look around, you have acres of land to ride your bike on.  Stay off the grass in the backyard!  And put on your bike helmet!”

8-yr-old Son:  "My jumps and trails are in the backyard."

Me:  "Go plan out some new jumps and trails over in and around your new bike track... away from the backyard!"

Saturday Evening Post...

4: 39 pm - 40 degrees - overcast...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

Me:  “Babe, when is it going to snow?”
Hubby:  “Forecast says the snow will be here on Thursday.”
Me:  “I am so ready to be snowed in!”
Hubby:  “Really?”
Me:  “Oh yeah!  I want to be snowed in for about a week.  Well as long as you can get in and out if we really need anything from town that is.  Otherwise, I’m past ready to be snowed in!”

Hubby:  (Laughs)

Saturday Evening Post…

5:47 pm - 16 degrees - 35+ mph wind gusts...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

{messaging back and forth}

Me:  “Wind gauge is down.”

Tony:  “What did you do to it?”

Me:  “Nothing!”

Tony:  “You can also measure wind speed by dunking your arm in water, then stand outside with your arm in the air, and time how long it takes to freeze.”

Me:  “Um, I’ll pass!”

Tony:  “Please send video.”

Me:  “Of what?”

Tony:  “Waiting for the water to freeze.”

Me:  “Nope, not doing that!”

Saturday Evening Post…

8:19 pm - 48 degrees - clear night...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you...

{messaging back and forth}

Me:  “Bear just ran across the road in front of my car, 20-25 feet!”

Me:  “Saw 7 deer, 3 elk, 1 bear, and a ton of grouse all in one day!  Love living in the mountains!!”

Mom:  “Did you get any photos?”

Me:  “No.  When I'm outside I usually don't have a camera on me.  When I'm in my rig, most of the animals are so quick I don’t have time to grab a camera before they disappear into the brush.  Need to hook up a dash cam on my rig and constantly keep a camera on me.”

Saturday Evening Post…

10:52 pm - 34 degrees - 37+ mph winds...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

{messaging back and forth}

Tony:  “I hit a bird or something on the gravel road this morning.  Something big and dark hit the windshield.”

Me:  “Big Foot threw something at you!”

Tony:  “Looked almost like a big chunk of bark.  Wasn’t stopping to find out LOL.”

Me:  “Big Foot!!!”

Saturday Evening Post…

7:08 pm - 23 degrees - clear night sky, 52+ mph wind gusts...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

{Messaging back and forth} 

Me:  “Stuck on the mountain due to downed trees.  Someone needs to teach me how to use a chainsaw!!”
Friend #1:  “Get a rope and drag it out of the way.”

Friend #2:  “Move it out of the way.”
Me:  “There’s a total of 4 downed trees, too big to just drag out of the way.  Tony's on his way and is using a chainsaw and tow rope to move them out of the way.”

Brother:  “Don’t you have to carry a chain saw, tire jack and 4 sets of spares already?  Never dull up on the hill.”

Hubby:  “Cutting a tree, hung up on an embankment, under load plus inexperience equals disaster.” 

Saturday Evening Post...

8:07 pm - 33 degrees - cloudy...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

After staying on the mountain for several days we took a trip into town...

5 year-old son:  (crinkling his nose) “Mom, what’s that smell?”

Me:  “Town.”

5 year-old son:  “Town smell stinks!  I like the mountain smell better.”

Me:  “I agree with you little man.  The mountain smells much better than town."

Saturday Evening Post…

7:58 pm - 48 degrees - foggy, drizzling...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

The setting outside our home is beautiful.  It also provides a natural playground for our children, with infinite possibilities for discoveries right outside our doorstep.  Along with the benefits and positive experiences that come with raising children in natural areas, come many moments of anxiety as a parent.  There are more than enough risks and hazards in our natural setting to keep a parent’s imagination active with possibilities of what could go wrong...and I have a pretty darn vivid imagination!

If it’s not raining or too windy, then the kids are outside playing.  As they race to throw on their “mountain clothes” and hurry outside, I’m usually yelling at them to “be careful” and “stay where I can see you”.  It is our belief (or hope) that growing up in a rugged natural environment, our children will start to recognize the hazards and become responsible when they need to.

 

Earlier this week - just got home from picking the kids up from school...

Me:  “Go get changed, then go outside and play.  It’s supposed to start raining in a few days, so enjoy the sun while you can.  I’ll call you when it’s dinner time.”
Kids:  (running to get changed) “Yea!!!”
Me:  (as the kids are racing to get outside) “Be careful!!!  Stay where I can see you!!!”
4-year-old-son:  (stops, walks back to me and starts patting my arm) “Mom, its okay, I’m always careful.  I’m just not when you’re around.  I love you!”  (and races out the door)

Saturday Evening Post…

42 degrees - 11:18 pm - raining...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

This past weekend Tony and Jack went out in search of the perfect Christmas tree.  Two hours later they came home with one.  After I was able to get everything but the top two feet of the tree strung with lights (I need a taller ladder to reach the top of the tree), it was time for the kids to put the ornaments on. 

7-year-old daughter:  “Mom isn’t the tree looking great!”
Me:  “The tree is looking fantastic!  Caitlyn why are there chunks of tree on the ground?”
7-year-old daughter:  “I didn’t do it!”
Me:  “Jack, why are there chunks of tree on the ground?  Um...why do you have scissors in your hand?”
3-year-old son:  “I’m trimming the tree.”
Me:  “What!?  Why are you doing that?  You’re not supposed to be cutting the tree!”
3-year-old son:  “Yes I can!  We’re supposed to be trimming the tree right now!”

Apparently our son had his own idea of what “trimming the Christmas tree” really meant.

Saturday Evening Post…

68 degrees - 8:07 pm - it is finally starting to cool off...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

3-year-old son: (as we’re driving home) “Mom!  Dad drove me down that road yesterday and took me to see the tooter!”

Me:  “The what?”
3-year-old son:  “The tooter!  Dad let me have a ride on it.  It was really fun!”
Me:  “Do you mean the yarder?  The yarder is the logging machine that pulls the trees up the mountain and makes a toot toot sound”
3-year-old son:  (very seriously)  “Mom.  Dad said that we can call it a tooter.”
Me:  “Ooooh, okay.”
3-year-old son:  “Dad drove me down that road yesterday and took me to see the tooter!  Daddy pulled me up on the tooter, and I got to ride it and it was a lot of fun!  I also got to ride the workers excavator.  That’s all.”
Me:  “So Daddy took you to see the loggers working and let you sit and ride in some of their equipment?”
3-year-old son:  (very seriously)  “Mom.  That is what I just said!  When will Santa be here?”
Me:  “Santa will be here in a little over four months.  Why?”
3-year-old son:  “Because I want to ask Santa for a tooter and excavator!”
Me:  (laughs)  “Oh Jack, I love you!”
3-year-old son:  (smiles)  “I love you too Mom!”

Saturday Evening Post…

58 degrees - 8:08pm - blue sky with scattered clouds...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

Hubby:  (9:23 am) “When you’re done, come outside and I’ll let you use the weedeater.”
Me:  “You’re actually going to let me use it?!  I’ll be right out!”
Hubby:  “This is how it works... ... ...”  (goes on to explain how to use a weedeater)
... ... ...
... ... ...
... ... ...
Me:  “Babe!  It died, I think it’s out of gas.”
Hubby:  “Use this gas can... ... ...”  (shows me where the gas can is and how to refill it)
... ... ...
... ... ...
... ... ...
Me:  “Babe!  The string is all gone.  Can you put more on for me?”
Hubby:  “You pop this cover off... ... ...”  (shows me how to resting the weedeater)
... ... ...
... ... ...
... ... ...
(quick lunch break)
... ... ...
... ... ...
... ... ...
Me:  (4:50 pm)  “Babe.  My arms are done.  I cannot weedeat any more.”
Hubby:  “Then stop.  Don’t want to use up all your weedeater fun in one day.”
Me:  “My hands and arms feel funny.  They feel like...”
Hubby:  “...their ringing?”
Me:  “Yeah.  I’ve been at it all day, and it doesn’t even look like I’ve done very much.”
Hubby:  “It’s not the fastest thing out there.  It’s looking good though.  Another full day and you should be all done.”
Me:  “Hmmmm...”

Saturday Evening Post…

67 degrees - 8:20 pm - in a period of the last 45 minutes, it has gone from blue sky with scattered white puffy clouds to windy with solid dark storm clouds...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

Dad:  (sends email with picture of a play fort)  “Jean, do you think the kids would like something like this?”

Me:  (reply email)  “Yea, they would love something like that.”
Dad:  (calls)  “Can you meet me at 11?”
Me:  “Yea.  Why?”
Dad:  “You have to help me pick up that play fort.”
Me:  “Really?!?!  I’ll be there.”

After several hours of unbolting boards, unscrewing boards, loading boards, hauling boards, unloading boards...we now have several piles of boards just ready to be reassembled.  And boy are the kids excited!

Saturday Evening Post…

41 degrees - 6:48am - blue morning sky...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…



3-year-old son: "Mom! Grab your camera! Look what I found! He is going to be my new pet!"
Me: "Oh neat a snake. Did you find him on the rock or did you put him on the rock?"
3-year-old son: (all proud of himself) "I put him on the rock!"
Me: "He is very nice, but you cannot keep him, he has to stay out in the woods." (after I said that the snake lunged at Jack)
3-year-old son: "Wow! He thought I was his dinner or something!"
Me: "See, that's why you cannot keep him!"

Saturday Evening Post…

40 degrees - 11:08 am - sunny and windy...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

{as we are driving home in the snow…}
3-year-old son:  “Deer!”
Me:  “Where?”
3-year-old son:  “Right back there!”
Me:  “Oh I missed it, but good eyes Jack!”
3-year-old son:  (all proud of himself for spotting the deer)  “Thank you Mom!”
Me:  “Your welcome.”
3-year-old son:  “What do you see Mom?”
Me:  “Hmmm… I see snow.”  (trying to keep my eyes on the road because I don’t like driving in the snow)
3-year-old son:  (very serious)  “Good eyes Mom!”
Me:  (laughing)  “Awh, thanks sweetie.”
3-year-old son:  “Your welcome.”

Saturday Evening Post…

37 degrees - 8:26pm - clear...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

3-year-old son:  “Good morning mom!  Can I go outside and play in the snow now?”
Me:  “Not yet Sweets.  We need to have breakfast first.”
3-year-old son:  (very upset little man) “Ahhhh Mom!”
6-year-old daughter:  “Dad said that he would take me for a ride on the snowmobile this morning!”
3-year old son:  “Me too!  I ride the snowbiel too!”
Me:  “No one is doing anything until after they eat breakfast.”
{Pancake Breakfast...}
6-year-old daughter:  (very excited) “Breakfast is over!  It’s time to ride the snowmobile!  I want to go really fast!”
Hubby:  “Jack go stand by the window and you can watch and then it will be your turn next.”
{Tony and Caitlyn out on the snowmobile – got up to 14 mph…}
6-year-old daughter:  “That’s too fast!  Slow down!  I wanna go home!
{Tony and Jack out on the snowmobile – got up to 32 mph…}

3-year-old-son: “Faster Dad!  Faster!”

{What we learned from this morning… Caitlyn can sometimes be a big talker, and Jack has his daddy’s love of machines gene.}

Saturday Evening Post…

53 degrees - 10:09 am - cloudy...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

{Hubby and Me texting back and forth}

Me:  Backsplash for the bathrooms!

Hubby:  Who said you could go to Home Depot unsupervised?
Me:  LOL!  I am at Costco.  :)
Hubby:  That might be worse…
Me:  :)  I love you!

Saturday Evening Post…

33 degrees - 7:34 pm - calm night...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

Me: “What are you doing?”
Hubby:  (on the computer) “Looking at snow plows.  The county says expect up to 10 days of being snowed in before they will get around to plowing our road and the snow blower doesn’t work in this wet, slushy snow.”
Me:  “What are you going to put the snow plow on?”
Hubby:  (smiles) “Not sure yet.”
Me:  (laughing) “Well whatever the snow plow goes on, it cannot be a stick shift, because I am not going to try driving a stick shift up and down the mountain in the snow.”
Hubby:  “Oh, it’s easy!”
Me:  “Ha! You jump into any kind of machine, car, truck, or whatever and drive it like you’ve been doing it forever.”
Hubby:  (laughs) “Oh, I forgot you are vehicle challenged.  Okay no stick shift.”
Me:  (big smile)  “I love you!”

Saturday Evening Post…

34 degrees - 4:16 pm - light rain with a few snow flakes mixed in...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

Hubby:  “We need to get a milk cow.”
Me:  “What?  Why do we need a cow?”
Hubby:  “All survival sources say you need a cow.”
Me:  “But I like 1% milk.”
Hubby:  (laughs) “Where do you think 1% milk comes from?”
Me:  (laughs) “Haha very funny.  It doesn’t come out of the cow as 1% is what I mean.”
Hubby:  “You have to process it.  Skim the fat off and add water.  It can’t be that hard.”
Me:  (laughs) “Can we get an Oreo cow?
Hubby:  “What?  No!  They don’t taste good.  I am partial to Herefords.”
Me:  (laughs) “We will see…”

{Side Note: Just in case you are wondering what an Oreo cow is – it’s a Belted Galloway.  They are a black cow with a broad white belt, hence the nickname Oreo cow.}

Saturday Evening Post…

42 degrees - 8:56 am - clear blue sky...

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

6-year-old daughter:  “Wow Mom, it’s pouring cats and dogs outside!”

2-year-old son:  “Where, where… I don’t see any dogs!”

Me:  “No, no, no Jack.  Caitlyn means that it is raining really hard outside.”

2-year-old son:  “Oh…. hahahaha silly dogs.”

(thunder and lightening start)

2-year-old son:  “Mom the dogs are barking!”

6-year-old daughter:  “That’s not dogs!”

Me:  “Guys, it's just raining really hard and that's thunder and lightening.  No Jack, there are no cats or dogs outside right now.  The sky is just putting on a neat show for us.”

Kids:  “Oohhhh.”

{It’s cute how kids see things differently sometimes.}

Saturday Evening Post…

52 degrees – 12:01 pm – blue sky and very cold outside…

A small glimpse into our lives as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping.  It may be a thought, quote or a conversation; funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true.  We will see if it resonates with you…

Jack and I had just gotten home from dropping Caitlyn off at school.  Time to do the morning chores… refill the firewood and kindling bins, clean up kitchen, make beds, etc…  I told Jack that he could play outside while I was hauling in the firewood, but when I was all done, we both had to go inside.  I just finished bring up the first load of firewood and turn around to see Jack right behind me…

2 year old Son:  “Look Mom, I’m helping!”  (as he is carrying in a piece of firewood)

Me:  (huge proud smile)  “Why yes you are my big helper, thank you so much!  I love you! (and continue to smother him in kisses)

2 year old Son: (blushing and laughing with a huge proud smile)  “Ahhh Mom, your big helper loves you to!”

Me:  (smothers him in more kisses and then head outside to get another load of firewood)

This continued for four more loads of firewood.  I am very easy to please and boy was I pleased when he spent his outside playtime helping me carry in firewood (and I didn’t even ask him to!).