Self Reliant Living...

6:35pm - 56 degrees - scattered clouds...

Here's the thing... I'm a bit of a worrier. I find that when I'm worried about something, being able to take a positive, substantive action, makes me feel like I'm a bit more in control. This is true when preparing for the harsh upcoming Winter season. This is true when preparing for natural disasters - both small and large. It's true when dealing with any medial issues. And it's true when fretting about the economy. With the world in a bit of a turmoil these days, it seems that there's a lot of worrying going on, and not just in my own head.

With the rising costs (which everyone is feeling the pinch) I started wondering about the people who survived the Great Depression. My grandparents were teenagers during that time, and I've listened to their stories. But I still wonder... in hindsight, how would they have prepared themselves for such a tough time. If their parents, my great-grandparents, had known what was coming, what would they have done differently? What did they wish for in the midst of their survival efforts? What would they have deemed mandatory survival needs?

I'm a voracious reader... and once I'm interested in something I seek out every resource I can find to learn everything I can about a topic. And maybe I've been reading too many apocalyptic novels lately, but these are questions that are concerning to me.

These days, we're so conditioned to jump in the car and run to the store whenever we need (or want!) something. What would our world look like if you weren't able to do that as often, or possibly not at all? 

In this day and age, we also heavily rely on the internet. During a power outage, or when the internet is down, you can't Google, or ask Alexa, how to do something, or look something up. That's why it is essential to have physical resources to turn to when digital isn't an option. 

Being prepared for when times are tough is an exercise in self-reliant living. Getting through tough times - whether it is nature related or man-made related - will be easier if you have skills. Knowledge is power, especially when the unexpected happens.

Here are some invaluable books you'll want on your shelf to get you started... 

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival

Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 

SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition

The Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual

The Survival Medicine Handbook

The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 2nd Edition

Ultimate Guide: Wiring, 9th Edition

When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes

Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook

...then you can continue to add to your collection - cook books, gardening and wild edibles specific to the region you live in, bread making books, animal husbandry, general food preservation, herbalism books - really the list could go on and on.

I would absolutely love book recommendations, and I encourage you to let me know your favorites in the comments below. 

Getting Ready For Winter – Cleaning The Chimney...

6:04 pm - 46 degrees - foggy, raining...

Sunday was the last day of dry weather before the rain came, and with it more cold temperatures.  Even though we've already had a week of cold temps, Tony didn't want to use the fireplace until we had had a good day of rain.  Everything has been too dry and the fire danger lever has been too high to take any chances.

We heat our home with a wood stove from roughly around September until May.  This ends up being one long continuous burning season.

Having a wood burning fireplace definitely has its ups and downs.  The warm glow of a fireplace is one of nature’s simple gifts... if you can ignore the mess and hassle that come with their daily operation.

Though creosote inevitably builds up over time inside the chimney and chimney cap which can become a very serious fire hazard, by using only properly split and seasoned firewood, you can slow the creosote accumulation.  If at all possible, try to steer clear of the slow, smoky, smoldering fires; these tend to create creosote rather quickly.  Clean, hot burning fires are the ones that generate the least amount of creosote.

There is no one-size-fits-all rule when it comes to how often you should clean out your chimney.  We just happen to do it at the end of every summer, right before the cold season hits - Tony climbs up our steep metal roof to clean out the chimney and chimney cap (which is 34 feet up in the air) - something that we feel MUST be done before we can safely use the fireplace.

Mountain Chores...

3:42 pm - 40 degrees - raining...

Yesterday we had a break from the wind and rain.  It was in the mid-40s, that’s winter t-shirt weather up here; basically it was the perfect day to spend outside and do a little outside spring cleaning.  

We still have patches of snow here and there, but the majority of it has melted away.  So yesterday I started to rake all the small rocks that were tossed into the yard from the snow blower back onto the driveway.  One bad side effect of using the snow blower on a gravel road are all the rocks that are tossed up to 16+ feet into the yard.  There are so many little rocks in the yard that unfortunately it doesn’t even look like I did anything there yesterday. 

We also spent a good portion of the day picking up and burning most of the fallen and broken tree branches from around our main driveway.  Tony walked around with a pole saw cutting off the broken branches from the trees.  He got a little side tracked and started limbing the trees up, so we had quite a pile of branches and twigs to burn. 

The kids decided to take a break from all the yardwork to sneak in some bow and arrow practice.

By the end of the day, everyone was tired as we sat around our bonfire to roast some hot dogs and marshmallows.  All in all, it was a good productive day.

Spring Is Here...

1012 am - 38 degrees - overcast, windy, raining... 

...even if it’s only symbolically.  Yesterday marked the spring equinox, it signaled the end of the astronomical winter in the northern hemisphere.  Yet the signs of winter are still hanging on.  This morning it was 36 degrees outside and we still have very large patches of dirty snow all over the place.

On a dreary, cold, windy, rainy day like today, I find myself longing for any sign that spring, and warmer temperatures, may be nearing.  I’ve already started day dreaming about the warmer days, the start of everything turning green, the fading of the winter, what we’re going to plant in our garden, firing up the grill, hanging out with family and friends around a roaring bonfire and 9pm sunsets!

Even with the chilly temperatures and the slowly melting snow, there are a few small signs that spring is truly on its way, from the new huckleberry buds to the tiny green onion sprouts in our mini herb garden.

The wildlife are also coming out of hiding.  I haven't heard the little drummers yet (aka Ruffed Grouse) but we're starting to see them more and more.  Soon enough we should start hearing that unusual mating call; the courting ritual of the forest birds, that strangely enough you feel more than hear.  It's an unmistakable "thump...... thump...... thump... whir-r-r-r-r-r!" of a male ruffed grouse "drumming".

The Ups And Downs Of Life...

11:32 am - 42 degrees - raining, foggy...

I haven’t posted in just over a month and there’s a pretty good reason for that...

On Valentine’s Day, our computer crashed, or rather the hard drive did.  We lost all our photos, videos and most of everything else since I only had a very small portion of it backed up.  I was pretty upset.  It was not a good day.  But lessons were learned.

I was also in the middle of our Girl Scout cookie season – yes I’m a Girl Scout troop leader to 25 amazing girls.  Cookie season is already an insane whirlwind, and without a computer it just made it that much more interesting... not it a good way.

2 of the 5 vehicles we needed to haul our troop's 375 cases of cookies.

Caitlyn out working a cookie booth.  It was cold out!

And that whirlwind of craziness was topped off with snow, snow, a little bit of rain, and oh yeah, more snow. 

 

Clearing off the road so we can get through.

Snow and fog.

  

We always keep a handsaw in our rigs
so we can clear the road when needed.

Breaking trail on the county road as we head down the mountain.
Have to get the kids to school some way.

Because we have gotten so much snow this winter, Tony has spent a lot of time in the tractor blowing off the driveway and part of the county road.  Because he does this, we haven't had any real problems getting on and off the mountain.

Blowing off the county road...

...until we met the county plow guy!

Last Monday, while we were all in town, we got 16" of new snow.  So when we tried to get home, we got stuck on the last tight corner on the driveway... well, I got stuck, then Tony got stuck trying to get me out.  

Tony was going to try towing me up, but then he got stuck.

Tony and Caitlyn hiked home, while Jack and I stayed with the rigs and busted into a box of Girl Scout cookies (what else are you going to do when you're stuck in the snow?).  

I managed to rock my rig back and forth enough to get unstuck, before Tony came back with the tractor and towed his truck up while Jack steered - he didn't want to put his chains on.  I don't blame him, I don't like putting my chains on either, they're a pain!  In fact, in order for me to put chains on, I have to be completely stuck-stuck and unable to move at all. 

The last seven miles of our drive home that night only took about 2 hours or so, but we finally made it home.  And Tony once again jumped into the tractor to go blow off the driveway.

Snowy sunset.

Fast forward to today, and we once again have a working computer, I just finish the final cookie season reports (YEA!!!), the last several days of rain has helped to melt out the driveway and life is calming down again... and just in time for the next round of heavy snowfall which is due to start tomorrow.

I'm ready to be snowed in again.  No winter cabin fever here!  Guess where I'm going to be... yup, curled up on the couch with a book!  

Spotted a used book sale the other morning while
running errands and I got all this for $6.50!

Winter Storm...

12:08 pm - 32 degrees - snowing...

We’re in the middle of another winter storm that will carry through till tomorrow night.  The weather forecast is all over the map so they’re saying we could get anywhere from 1 foot to 4 feet of snow before this storm is over.

We’re currently just over 8” of new snow which is also known as Cascade Concrete.  This type of snow got its name because it is characteristic of the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest, and we get it quite often.  It is a wet, heavy and often sticky snow, which makes doing anything like walking, snowshoeing, driving, skiing, snowboarding, sledding, literally anything, very difficult and you’re bound to get soaking wet doing it!

  

He's having trouble getting his sled to work...

...but that doesn't stop him.
It's snowing, he's soaking wet and this little polar bear is having a blast!

This is the kind of snow that is horrible to drive in.  You can be in 4-wheel drive, with new studded snow tires with chains and you will still be spinning your tires.  Glad we don’t have to go anywhere today.

Driving Home - In Hyperspeed...

9:06 am - 25 degrees - 32+ mph wind gusts...

Our area was hit hard this month when about a foot of snow fell on the metro area in a 24 hour period - that usually only happens about once a decade.  The snow moved out and the colder air moved in and kept the winter scenery around.  Schools, businesses and most activity in the area was either halted by the snow or severely reduced as a white blanket draped the metro area and surrounding communities.

Most commuters weren’t prepared for the snow storm causing abandoned vehicles and a lot of accidents.  A week later and freeways are clear, main roads still have icy patches and side roads are covered in packed snow.

With all this crazy weather that we have been getting lately, several of our friends have made videos of portions of their commute.  They wanted to see what our commute home was like so here it is...

Winter Mountain Chores -- Clearing The Driveway

6:46 pm - 17 degrees - clear night, 54+ mph wind gusts...

It is definitely a work in progress as I'm learning how to take and edit videos.  Today I learned that I don't have any video editing software on my computer, so I put together this video on my phone - downside, the resolution isn't that great.  But hey, I edited my first video!  Yea!

Here's a clip of Tony blowing off the driveway.  We have lost track of how many hours he has spent in the tractor this season, but it is a LOT!

Snow Day #8...

1:40 pm - 21 degrees - overcast, 33+ mph wind gusts...

A blanket of fluffy white snow, sparkling snowflakes, moonlit nights, twinkling starry skies... 

...sounds pretty dreamy until reality strikes.  The kids are on day Snow Day #8 and winter just started!

Actually it’s not that bad.  Yes, the kids miss their friends at school and Tony has had to take more days off work for snow removal than he planned... but, we haven’t caught that nasty bit of cabin fever yet!! 

We have just over 4 feet of snow and there have been patches of gorgeous weather so the kids have spent a lot of their time playing outside, sledding, building forts, having snowball fights with the occasional snowmobile ride.  

When the wind gets a little too brutal or the cold starts seeping in, it drives everyone back inside where we’ve been playing a lot of games, and doing a lot of baking.  When tempers start to flare everyone goes off to their own corners of the house to stick their nose in a book, watch a movie, or play in their rooms. 

 

Labyrinth - fun game that everyone can play and enjoy.

Nertz!!!  I love this game so much that I taught the kids how to play.
It's like Solitaire but everyone's playing at the same time.
Caitlyn is getting pretty good, and Jack still needs a little help.

Sequence - Caitlyn and I really like this game,
but Jack can only stand about one round at a time.

So far so good considering we haven’t left the mountain since last Tuesday and they don’t go back to school until this coming Tuesday!

Another Snow Day...

11:47 am - 29 degrees - snowing...

It's another snow day for us (5th one I think). Tony left the house early this morning to blow off the snow/freezing rain/snow that came with the latest winter storm over the weekend.

Just over two hours in the tractor this morning and he's only been able to do one pass about a half mile long down the driveway.  The snow is deep and very heavy and he's sliding around on the icy layer that he hasn't been able to break through yet.  He broke a couple shear pins so he had to come home and grab some more.  Now he's off again to finish blowing the driveway.

The temps have warmed up a bit and the water line to our wash machine has finally thawed out.  It's been frozen for well over a week now.  So I'm busy doing laundry and cleaning house while Tony's clearing the driveway and the kids are playing.  Just a normal winter day on the mountain.  

A Simple Trip To Town...

5:33 pm - 14 degrees - windy...

...isn’t so simple – especially in the winter time. 

When we have a lot of snow, each trip to town has to be planned out.  Extra time is needed to unbury, scrape off, and warm up the rig and extra time is needed to slowly (and hopefully safely) make our way down the mountain.

During the winter months, the drive down the curvy mountain road (that’s skirting the edge in numerous areas with no guard rail or anything to stop the rig from going over) can be extremely nerve wracking, especially when you are supposed to be driving straight and all of a sudden your rig slips sideways due to ice or super slushy snow, sliding towards that 100+ foot drop-off.  At least there is currently a built-up wall of snow on the edge of the cliff that gives me a small false sense of security.

Besides the nerve wracking drive itself, there is always the very real possibility of getting stuck (it's happened a few times).  So when there is snow on the ground (regardless if it’s an inch or a foot), before I ever head out, I always make sure that I have a snow shovel, tire chains, extra food, blankets, snow shoes, and snow gear for everyone in the car.  This year I even added a few travel games to help the kids beat the boredom of being stuck.  It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

This mornings adventure took us just over 2 hours to make the 30 minute drive to school.

  

The wind was blowing so hard, the snow was blowing back into the road.

Clearing snow drifts on the county road.

Over the past several days it has been very windy causing a lot of snow drifts to form on the road.  After last night's 62+ mph wind gusts (all night long and into the morning) Tony jumped in the tractor and slowly started clearing the snow drifts on the county road as we followed behind for a few miles.

Due to the extreme wind, in addition to the big snow drifts, there were also a lot of downed branches and trees.

Some of the smaller trees and branches the kids and I were able to move.

Some were too big for us, but thankfully two wonderful loggers were able to clear the road for us!

Our trip came to another halt with this downed tree that also took some lines with it.
But the two wonderful loggers once again showed up and cleared this one also!

When we finally do make it off the mountain and into town, I try to have all my errands done as quickly as possible so I have time to make it back up the mountain with plenty of daylight to spare; just in case we get stuck or have to put chains on.