Reflections of katlupe

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - Peaceful Forest Homestead

Monday, December 12, 2011

Kindle Edition Of My Homesteading Journey

Thoughts of a simpler life?

Recently I have added my eBooks to the Kindle store on Amazon. This means they had to be formatted for the kindle. I managed to do it and so far, no complaints. I am hoping it works out, as I like selling there. My book, My Homesteading Journey, of course, is written for "modern homesteaders" in mind. It is my story or journey of how my husband and I came to live here and this lifestyle.

My Homesteading Journey

As anyone who knows me or that is a member of the Homesteading Today forum, I have told many times before, that I did not live this lifestyle before. Growing up we always lived in the country except for the brief time that we lived in Flagler Beach, FL, where we were a mile from the beach. Other than that, we never lived in the city limits. But my parents both worked at jobs and were not into a self-sufficient lifestyle, even though both of them were raised that way.

Our three horses!

Some topics in my book may be of interest to anyone wanting to learn how to become self-reliant in this crazy world. I don't have all the answers. But these are the things that have worked for us. As you know, we don't raise animals for food. We may get a flock of chickens in the future, but that would be the extent of raising animals.

Gardening For Food!

This is a list of some of the topics I have written about in this book:

Homesteading In The Forest
How My Solar Energy System Works
Heating And Cooling Your Home
Heating With Wood
Transportation
How We Got To This Point In Our Lives
Buying Your Homestead
1. Finding The Perfect Realtor
2. Making Your Offer
Foraging For Wild Foods
The Pantry & Root Cellar
Building The Barn

Fencing

Cutting Your Electricity Costs

The Water System

Refrigeration

Buying A Wood Cook stove

Cooking On A Wood Cook Stove

katlupe's Favorite Recipes

The Gardens

Composting

Decorating Your Homestead

To Prepare For Self Sufficiency In Times Of Emergencies

If you purchase my book for your kindle and have any questions about homesteading or any of the topics, please feel free to contact me here. I am planning another more detailed homesteading how to book that will be not so personal. More instructional. Your questions will give me a better scope on what is needed for anyone starting out. And if you purchase my book, I want to give you a big Thank You, right now! I really do appreciate it!!!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Morning Chores During Cold Weather

Cold Winter 2010

On a cold morning, on our Peaceful Forest Homestead, the first one who gets up must open the dampers on the wood stove. Then the first riser gets a fire going in the wood cook stove and gets the coffee pot on. The coffee pot has been prepared the night before. I am not always the first one to get up. My son is an early riser so since he has been staying with us, he gets up and does those chores. If not, either my husband or I do them.

Fire going in wood cook stove!

While the coffee is perking, the first riser will then add wood to the big wood stove. Then replenish the cat's dry food dish. We usually sit and have our coffee and talk about our plans for the day at that time. After coffee, time to get moving.

Horses look forward to breakfast!

Horses being the first on the agenda. In the cold weather, horses need their hay for warmth. Sometimes they won't even touch the feed, knowing that the hay will warm them up. While they are eating is the time when my husband will usually clean the barn. There is one big stall for all three, with a big open door so they can go in and out as they please. The manure from this will be put into our compost pile.

Water drained down, handle up insures flow in cold temps

One of the most important chores on our homestead is priming our pitcher water pump. Since we do not have running water here, we cannot afford to lose the use of our pump. Horses need and want a lot of water in cold weather. Snow is NOT a substitute! After it is primed and running, we take fresh water to the barn, to the house and anywhere else we may need it. On cold days, the handle is put back up and water drained down out of the pipe so it doesn't freeze.

Split firewood - a VERY important chore!

Those are the regular chores we do every single morning. If we need firewood brought in or cut, that is usually done at that time also. Then we come in and check our computers and it is time for breakfast. A routine done every day, keeps your homestead orderly, organized and running smoothly........regardless of how cold it is. What about you? Does your routine vary in cold weather?

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Start Homesteading

Chainsaws are essential to our homestead life!

Learning how to live your life as self-sufficient as possible in this crazy world is not easy. So many people write to me and say they are stuck in the city. Stuck in a job. Stuck in a relationship with someone who does not want to live this way at all. I mean, some people have no desire to take on this life. Especially if they have never been exposed to it at all. If you are wanting to get started though, there are ways to do that without moving or divorcing your spouse and children.

The heart of our homestead!

Do you believe you must buy a home in the country to start the homesteading lifestyle? No! Absolutely not! I have met many homesteaders who live right dab in the middle of the city. Two blogging and homesteading friends who are currently urban homesteaders, thirtyfivebyninety and Viggie Veggies do an awesome job of homesteading in the city. As long as you have some kind of a backyard that you can plant a garden in, you should be able to get started. Starting small is always the best way anyway.

Our food supply at Peaceful Forest!

I have written about beginning homesteading skills many times on this blog. Learn Your Homesteading Skills Slowly, is one. But I still see when I go to my favorite homesteading forum that many "wannabees" do not, or think they cannot, start until they buy their property. That is not the way to do it. You must start now, wherever you are, whatever situation you are in. Learn and research. Discover exactly how you want to live. You do not need to live like the Nearings or Jackie Clay. Pick your own road. It is your homesteading journey, this is My Homesteading Journey!

Canning my garden produce every year builds our food supply!

With the internet you can learn all the skills you need very easily. Put the term in the search engine and find your directions. What could be easier? So many things I do now, I had never done before. You sharpen your skills the more you do them. So get started!

Thursday, December 08, 2011

Capturing The Beauty Of Snow This Morning!

Snow Cover In The Forest This Morning!

Across The Road From Our House!

Our Backyard This Morning!

Looking Out My Window!

The Garden!

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Happenings Around Our Homestead

Patches, absolutely HATES winter!

We have been having the most unusual weather for December here in upstate NY. I am not complaining though! No snow. Not really cold temperatures. In fact, today I am wearing shorts and we let our wood stove go out. We have had some sprinkling of flurries some days, rained last night. Now if it had been cold like usual it would have been snow. No sun to speak of. The cold could come in at any time though.

Took a dinner to my FIL's house in Johnson City, NY

Sunday, we (my husband, son and I all contributed) made a second Thanksgiving dinner. and took it to my father-in-law's house. My brother-in-law lives with his dad, and they were missing a "woman's touch" around the holidays. They don't eat much between the two of them. So that dinner will probably last them a few days. I made double amounts of everything, and we already finished ours'.

Dreaming of starting seeds in 4 months!

I am already planning my garden for spring. Spring is not that far away now. Less than four months! So I will be ordering seeds I need, though I don't need a lot this year. It always seems to help when it turns cold, to plan your garden. Keeps you mood hopeful that the cold will not last.

Into the forest the eagle flew!

Yesterday, my son and I were out in the backyard while I was washing laundry. All of a sudden he was yelling, "look it look it look it!" I looked at where he was looking, and there was a huge eagle flying low between the barn and us. He was so close! I saw his face so clearly. I feel that was a sign of luck for both of us. Especially since it was the first one either of us have ever seen that was not in a zoo. I wish I could have taken a picture of him. He looked exactly like all the pictures you see of eagles............wings spread out, soaring! Awesome!

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