Two weeks of guests right after three weeks of major family trauma. That was stressful and definitely wears on ya a bit. I feel a bit worn. But we also have all the seasonal chores and they are increasingly pressing……because we haven’t done ’em yet! Wood getting, gardening, rebuilding some stairs, building a warm-room for the plumbing, re-establishing a new fire-fighting station. And, natch, all the day-to-day chores and community obligations that come with living OTG. Here we are, dragging our very cute butts into our mid 70’s and we are as busy as feral pigs.
The truth, of course, is a smidge different. The workload described (only partially) above is not what is SSSOOooooooooo much. It is just that we are getting on. It is our capacity to do what we used to do quickly and easily that has diminished. This is just aging-in-place OTG.
How does one actually do that? Well, firstly, we work little bits at a time. Two straight hours is a ‘shift’. I built a deck that hangs on the side of a huge rocky outcropping so as to allow Sally safe passage over there as she gets older. That deck is less than 10 x 10. It has taken me a week just to frame it in. And then I need to build the stairs for that deck. So a little deck will take a lot of time. More than it should.
We have 30 to 40 logs to still bring up (the engine crapped out and required attention). But we’ll do that in 6 to 8 logs a day….starting soon. No, I really mean it! Soon! That log-haul number is enough work for one day. More than 8 logs-a-day will likely cause one of us an injury.
The warm room is required to get through cold winters without having to shut down the water system. That too-frequent ‘frozen’ week with water totes is getting annoying. And that project starts with more lumber. And that lumber has not even been ordered yet. It’s June already!
A surprise addition to the never-ending chore list came from our community’s increased awareness of forest fire vulnerability. That lead to a community plan-of-sorts. That plan allowed us to do a bulk purchase for some fire-fighting equipment (FFE). That FFE needs to to be housed, insulated, organized, powered and some of it has to be placed around the property. That is a chore and a half.
And so it goes….and I only mentioned maybe 25% of all that we have to get done.
Which actually means: we will be lucky to get 25% of all that needs doing finished.
Sheesh.
Am I complaining? Not really. That stuff is mostly interesting. That stuff keeps us fitter than I would be if still living in the cul-de-sac. That stuff eliminates even a hint of boredom. And that stuff simply NNNEEEEEDDS doing. I mean, there really is no choice, no one to hire, no help coming. This is necessary stuff. Somehow, the demands of the necessary are more tolerable than are the demands of the optional. Yes, grasshopper, you may quote me on that.
I mention all that because, well, I feel a bit inadequate. Joe Biden, who is older than me, managed to pass 350 new laws into place these past two years. And he did that while boosting the US economy, supporting a war by proxy in Ukraine and facing down maniacal Maga morons. Mind you, we both seem to fall down at the same rate. But, otherwise, Joe is showing me up.
I also mention that because, well, the US police force is not highly regarded for their intelligence, education or even their familiarity with their own laws (see Clarence Thomas). Not every authority figure is well read (see Republicans). And Joe just added 350 new laws! I dunno….do they really need a whole lotta new laws now? Or might it be better for everyone if the majority of the people and the police just managed to obey, say, the most important 100? Jus’ sayin….
Our Off the Grid Home 
Physical labour as you get older and have more aches and pains……
President Biden doesnt have to worry, he has someone that will do everything he needs.
Mind you.
The stress of the 24/7 Presidency…..he can have it.
No Woofers to help out this year?
LikeLike
For us, Wfers are best getting in the firewood. Other than that, we are being hosts more than employers. That was good for a long time. Paying it back from when we were young and traveling. But now it is too much work and expense. We dropped our hosting during the Covid times.
LikeLike
I know its not your favorite thing, but going to Southern Arizona for 6 months will give you 4 months of summer wood gathering back. I took a long time to this observation. 4 cords, 4 months if one takes in the weather, tides, wind and procrastination! I will spend my 6 months down in the warmth 6-10c low nights to 20-30c high days walking, biking, snoring and finally having some wine, seems a nice plan. In your case, no building a warm room for plumbing, no(minimum wood gathering (for those chilly Oct and April/ May days)). Its mini Canada down there in the long term BLM lands, so lots of people to meet if you wish and lots and lots of space if you (me) do not want that?
LikeLike
As usual, you make a good point. I confess to a reluctance, however. Firstly, I hate the GOP and the way they have gone these past twenty or so years. There are still many good conservative Republicans who seem to lack a spine right now and I know some that are not full of evil and hate and bigotry. But they also seem invisible these days. Secondly, ‘Zona is kinda dull. Been there many times. It’s a highway culture. Highways, malls, guns and air conditioners. Mind you, a second adventure for Charlie and Nancy might get written – nothing else to do, really. I have been looking for an alternative destination. Baja? I still want Argentina but am loathe to travel that far and, anyway, Sal and the dogs are pretty close still. No where to put ’em for two months. Don’ wanna take ’em on a plane. I am caught between a cold place and a hairy one….still thinking…
LikeLike
You could buy, rent a nice moho take some wood tools, rock hound tools. My old unit has a 454 gas so 8 miles per gallon(25 liters per 100k). Still only 2000.00ish in fuel return. Cheap enough for a 6 month getaway. Dogs would enjoy the trip. I’m going slow with frequent stops on BLM land
??why are you anonymous today?
LikeLike
I’m in hiding….? No. Sometimes I answer with my Kobo and it screws up my identity. Makes me ‘anonymous’. The Moho option is definitely do-able. ‘Cause we’ve done it. And we may do it again sometime. But renting is not an option and I am NOT buying right now. Still, we may go in the old Pathy…drive hell-bent for Phoenix and just stay there. We may. I just can’t get excited about it. So, I am looking at options.
LikeLike
Mendoza!
LikeLike
John’s brother, Josh?
LikeLike
Having dogs complicates things a bit. We just got back from a 5-day trip to UK with our 2 dogs. Drove by car and found a god hotel that allowed the dogs (they even got a sausage each morning for breakfast). Bu having our dogs means that we have adopted our ways of travelling (it’s like having little children all over again…but lot’s of love, so would miss them for any money in the world)!
LikeLike
I am very pleased with and fond of our two goofy dogs. Great company when OTG. But they are not happy and there is no room for them in a more civilized world like a city. Our dogs don’t ‘get’ traffic and crowds. So, what to do? Lots of OTG folks have dogs and we all have that same problem (most of us have large-medium and up sized dogs). So we can and do spell each other off. I have dog-sat half a dozen pooches over the years. Three or four days max. But, if we go away for the winter, that’s asking too much. My daughter will take them but that’s our only option and she’s a busy, working person too. With her own alpha dog. So….. mo-ho’ing in Mexico or the southern states used to be the answer…..now…well, the jury is out…but I’d say NO right now. Bit of a dilemma……….
LikeLike