Peaceful Forest Homestead
Halloween is always the day I try to make sure our house is set for winter. Our house still has the old, wavy type windows, which are not energy efficient. Until we can replace them, I staple plastic sheeting to the window frames to keep out the cold as much as possible. It is a job I think that is worth the trouble. In our living room, our big wood stove will keep us very warm, but at night when we bank it back it gets cold. I hear wind blowing at night in the winter often. So best to prepare for those cold nights. Nobody likes to be cold!
Our load of logs!
Saturday, I posted about the load of logs we got for our firewood supply. That is a feeling of security for us! My husband is glad he will not have to cut any more trees down on our property. We had the load dropped not too far from the front door that opens into our living room. Now he can cut and split the wood close by, and not have to transport it too far to the house. Carrying it to the house in the cold days of winter is no fun. It is best to locate a spot near the door that is closest to the room the wood stove is in.
Providing heat, hot water and cooking!
We were right in the middle of our winter preparations when Hurricane Sandy hit. We just kept right on with what we were doing. Being prepared, whether for winter coming, or a hurricane, we just keep going. I read at Natural News about people living without power for an extended period of time. He listed all the things most people have never had to live without. Some of those things, I live without daily, and some I have now, but could easily live without if I had to. Things like heat, we provide ourselves by using wood stoves for cooking and heating anyway.
Not much sun this time of the year!
Our solar system does not provide much electric if there is no sunshine. To charge our batteries, we have to use the generator and that takes gasoline. In the near future, we are planning on adding some more solar panels to the array on the barn roof. The other addition is to finish hooking up our wind turbine. The wind turbine will charge the batteries during the winter when we get a good amount of wind. Using both, sun and wind will definitely increase our power!
Our meter helps keep track of how much power we use!
As the executor of my father's will, I am working on selling my father's property and settling up any hospital bills he may have left. When that is done, I will concentrate my time on making some changes on our house. I am trying to make it as energy efficient and organized as I possibly can. Making everything as easy as I can, for both, my husband and I.
Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole
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so hopefully, it wouldn't blow away. It is full of the furniture we got from my father's house and I am kind of sentimental about it. We bought the shed to store the furniture until my son gets his new place and then he will take the furniture. My husband also has some things in there that he doesn't want to lose. So we really did not want any damage to the shed or the contents.
