Winter Storm Nadia is Naughty.

I remember years ago in first grade our school taking two vacation days in February to celebrate the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln, February 12, and President George Washington, February 21st.  We would work on crafts centered around both presidents and display them the entire month of February.  Today, schools celebrate Presidents' Day, which complete …

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Ready for Winter and a string of bad luck

These past few months have been full of various trials with our vehicles. Our cars have reached that age in which we have to choose to repair them or sell them. It seems like nothing is going right, but despite all that has happened, I am grateful for my wife, son, our homestead, and the …

Autumn in North Idaho

My wife and I were blessed to take a date day and see autumn in it's full glory.  No plans, just drive and see where it would take us.  We followed the trees to my favorite spot in downtown Sandpoint.  The colors were brilliant, the sky crystal blue and the lake pristine.  Here's a video …

Snow Throwing the Roof & Wife’s Surprise

Our derelict cabin left by the original owners of our property has been slowly disintegrating with each winter.  One section almost collapsed, and in the past, I did a video in which I hand shoveled the roof to prevent the cabins creaking demise.  It was hard work, and I couldn't physically do it again without …

Man vs. Snowplow (Season 3, Episode 2)

For those who have watched the war wage on between me and my used snowplow, this is perhaps the armistice between us.  This year, I did not mess around with the motor and pump assembly.  I purchased a “new” rebuilt Meyer E47 standard assembly.  This has made a world of difference.  The plow system is …

Snow Storm Hits and the Solar Panels Quit

During the winter gray skies and snow defeat our solar panels' power production.  This is the time of year we rely heavily upon our backup generator once the battery bank is spent. Removing snow from the panels, isn’t too bad, but if left undone it can become a real problem if the snow melts into …

Why Live Off the Grid?

The two main reasons we began to consider living off the grid were the constant rise in the cost of electricity and the storms that seemed to knock out our service each year. Living off grid didn't start to become an option until we lived on the Oregon Coast and lived through the Great Coastal …

S’more Indoor

During the summer months, there is nothing like sitting outside surrounded by tiki torches with a fire in the center to roast all beef hot dogs for dinner and marshmallows for dessert.  As the hour gets later and the sun sets, the treetops are softly lit by the glow of the fire.  Our son is …

Tankless Water Heater Install & Northwest Fires are Affecting our Solar Panels

It seems this summer, that firewood and the tankless water heater were the majority of my progress.  The weeks have passed by rapidly.  Family has come to visit and days have been filled with which project to do next. Having the tankless water heater working has been a blessing. After a long day working in …

Macbeth, Mud Bogging our Driveway, and the Solution

Strange title I know.  My wife and I wanted to communicate the craziness of mud season in Northern Idaho.  I decided that reading the "Tomorrow Speech" from Macbeth was a great way to express our mud bogging adventure. "It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing..." If I …