A Day in the Life

I'm a bit behind in updating the blog. I plan on back-dating a bunch of entries when I can allot a good chunk of time to spend at the local library.

Even though the post below is dated 4/23, it's being posted on June 1st. I plan on adding a bunch more entries to bring everyone up to date.
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Christy and I are in our 3rd week (presently 10th week as of 6/1) living in a tent. Lots of things going on and even more to do.


Some days and nights are better than others. Much, of course, depends on the weather. It's what I'm calling "real living". I'm thoroughly enjoying the temporary discomforts that come with the pleasures. The things that we've taken for granted now take on a new meaning: turning on a faucet has become fetching and boiling water; going to the bathroom now involves sitting on a sawdust toilet; taking a shower means sharing 2.5 gallons of water from a solar shower; bedtime is now when the sun sets.

A typical (or rather a composite average) day consists of:

• starting the tea kettle for our coffee and preparing breakfast - usually oatmeal, cereal, or eggs.
• washing dishes which entails heating a pot of water on our stove.
• working the newly exposed soil, i.e. pulling roots and rocks and amending with compost, boron, lime, chicken manure, etc.
• fetching water from a neighbor down the street in two 5 gallon bottles

Everything we do is labor intensive and so when we're ready for bed we're ready for bed. Sleep is spotty as we're getting used to sleeping outdoors. Lots of wind, rain, snapping of twigs nearby, owls, dogs in the distance, etc. But as the weeks go by we're getting more used to it.

Puravida

The past few days have had their highs and lows (literally and figuratively). We've made some good progress on setting up our living space but it's been hampered by extremely high winds and cold nights. Put up our mailbox, set up the kitchen area, set up our toilet facilities (more details to follow on this).

Some pics of where things stand:

Post-tree clearing

Our living quarters. It looked better

before the tarps went on.

Kitchen area in front and toilet facility in back.

And we're off!

Christy and I departed Charlotte this morning and arrived in Check, Virginia, in Floyd County, by mid-afternoon.

Although this blog is titled "Rick & Christy's Sustainability Adventure", the real adventure begins today. Everything leading up to this point has been in preparation for us living on this land. This is an attempt to live as sustainably as possible. And for the cynics out there - the qualifier is "as possible". When one talks about living sustainably, it's hopefully with the understanding that it's impossible to truly live that way. However, we can live with the intention to be more sustainable or to be more precise - minimize our impact on our environment.

By growing as much of our food, building with sustainable (there's that word again) materials, minimizing our consumption of fossil fuels, and minimizing our waste stream, we hope to achieve this concept of "treading lightly".

After unloading the majority of our belongings in a nearby storage unit we headed for the property where we pitched our tent before nightfall. It was a fairly cool, windy, and rainy day. And so it was quite fortuitous for us that our neighbors, Annie and David, invited us over for a bowl of hot soup. Their presence, as well as other neighbors - Ed, Randy, Ben, and Jay - will certainly be a big help in the coming years. Everyone has been so hospitable and friendly to Christy and me. We're very lucky to have found this community.

With the heavy wind and rain, Christy and I didn't get much sleep. But after a cup of fresh-brewed coffee (french press, of course) and bread with jam we were ready for our first full day.

April Ain't Nobody's Fool!

• A busy day today - our last full day in Charlotte. Christy and I, with the help of Jim, Linda, and Nancy, loaded up the rental truck in preparation for our much anticipated move to Floyd. We'll head out tomorrow morning. It was nice to be able to take our time and not rush, i.e. load the truck, drive 3 hours, and unload. Splitting it up over two days makes for a less harried move.


• One of the many things I'm looking forward to is "setting down some roots". In all of my 50 years, I can't recall living in a single house for more that 4 years - as a child or an adult. I'm ready, so very ready. I want to be a part of a community. A community that's been cultivated over many years. I'm ready, so very ready.
  
• I pulled two April Fools' jokes today. One on my daughter Lindsey: I told her that her younger sister, Lauren (who is providing daycare for Lindsey's daughter in lieu of rent and also working part-time), called me this morning to say that she's moving in with her boyfriend and wouldn't be able to watch Lindsey's daughter anymore. I told her that Lauren didn't want to call Lindsey herself because Lindsey would be too upset. Well, it worked so well that Lindsey started crying because she didn't know who would watch her daughter - my granddaughter. I know, such a mean dad. I really hadn't intended it to go that far. I was just hoping for a "Oh my God! Are serious?!?" Sorry, Lindsey! I know you'll get me back - you always do.
  
• The second one was on my brother Adrian: I told him that our dad said that he's leaving Las Vegas (reminds me of Sheryl Crow, for some reason) and is hoping to rent my brother's second house that has just became vacant. Well, he fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Enough so that he called our dad to inquire. He had a few choice words for me once he realized he'd been had.
  
• Christy and I took her sister, Nancy, out for a festive night of sushi. It was our way of showing appreciation for allowing us to live with her these past few months. It was actually quite enjoyable. We all had a lot of fun.
  
• Well folks! This will be my last post from the lovely state of North Carolina - while living here, that is. There are some good cafes in Asheville, you know. Oh, and of course our families are here as well. So, we'll be back often. However, the next post will come from a cafe somewhere near home in Virginia - I like the sound of that - HOME.