Our version of retirement: Living a childhood dream

Gary O' said:
I came to adore those wee little beasties
They have way of nestling into a crusty heart

finger stroke.jpg


finger food 1.jpg




finger food 6.jpg




finger food 5.jpg


goldie.jpg
Click to expand...
Heh.....found an old video that I'd forgotten about

 
Gary O' said:
And another

A few years ago, I sent this to my bud in SE Alaska
He wanted to see where we were, and how we lived

Click to expand...
I really liked how neat your shop is. Especially liked the well house. That was what I needed on my homestead (previous home) and instead lived with pumping water by hand the whole time I was there. Your set up would have made a difference for sure. Thank you for sharing these!
 
katlupe said:
Especially liked the well house. That was what I needed on my homestead (previous home) and instead lived with pumping water by hand the whole time I was there. Your set up would have made a difference for sure.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I started with the old fashioned hand pump (no well house)
It never kept a prime.
Knew nothing about pumps
Got educated
Rather quickly (winter was coming)
Bought an elect pump
Built the well house with left over materials from building the cabins.
It required a little propane heater (temps -37°F in mid winter)
I wanted to go submersible, but the pipe was too narrow.
Kept a genny in the well house for starting the pump

When we bought that adjacent parcel, we stumbled upon a pipe sticking outa the ground.
Dropped a line with a weight on the end
It got wet at approx 20 ft
It went limp at 40 ft

Somebody told me we needed to have it officially tested before drinking any
An ol' well guy on a homestead forum said 'just give it a taste'
Man, that water!
We could sell it
And a constant 37°F, year round
Rumor has it that there's an underground lake, fed by Crater Lake (Mt Mazama)

Thought it might go dry in late summer
Never an issue

I do miss that water

Thanks for the comment @katlupe
 
Gary O' said:
Yeah, I started with the old fashioned hand pump (no well house)
It never kept a prime.
Knew nothing about pumps
Got educated
Rather quickly (winter was coming)
Bought an elect pump
Built the well house with left over materials from building the cabins.
It required a little propane heater (temps -37°F in mid winter)
I wanted to go submersible, but the pipe was too narrow.
Kept a genny in the well house for starting the pump

When we bought that adjacent parcel, we stumbled upon a pipe sticking outa the ground.
Dropped a line with a weight on the end
It got wet at approx 20 ft
It went limp at 40 ft

Somebody told me we needed to have it officially tested before drinking any
An ol' well guy on a homestead forum said 'just give it a taste'
Man, that water!
We could sell it
And a constant 37°F, year round
Rumor has it that there's an underground lake, fed by Crater Lake (Mt Mazama)

Thought it might go dry in late summer
Never an issue

I do miss that water

Thanks for the comment @katlupe
Click to expand...
Our water was from a shallow well that was right out front, close to the door. It was really good. I never tested it. It never went dry and we used a lot of water. I had three horses and one horse would drink down a 5 gallon bucket every time I brought a pail out. So at least twice a day.

I would put the handle on the pump up after using it (in the cold weather). Then prime it with a half cup of hot or warm water and it would prime after a few pumps. Never had trouble with it. As long as you put the handle of the pump up.
 
katlupe said:
I would put the handle on the pump up after using it (in the cold weather). Then prime it with a half cup of hot or warm water and it would prime after a few pumps. Never had trouble with it. As long as you put the handle of the pump up.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I was headed that direction
We first bought the old-fashioned kind
We were a bit charmed by its looks
It wasn't of decent quality
Bought a good hand pump
Got weary of it
The ol' guy that advised of just tasting not testing, told me to get the elect one.....easy peasy

katlupe said:
I had three horses and one horse would drink down a 5 gallon bucket every time I brought a pail out. So at least twice a day.
Click to expand...
WHOA!!!

We ran a long hose to the garden and wash machine (in the back of the shop)
Never got a pressure tank, so had to run and shut the pump down to turn the water off.
My son, living out there now, between fishing seasons, bought a pressure tank.
Huge difference
 
One thing about living up at the cabin for several years, I got to missing deciduous trees in the fall

I mean, the pines in winter are nice

our back yard in winter.jpg

But, hey, it gets a bit old after six years of nine-month winters

There's plenty of leafy trees in town here
and they all are in their glory right now

tree.jpg

I plan on taking a few pics around town in a day or so
before they lose their luster
(of ones not influenced by power lines)
 
Thinking about the adjacent lot we just bought.....

Considered a greenhouse
Nixed that idea
Too far away from the house and shop
It'd be too tempting for foot traffic to pilfer a few veggies

Thinking now of dumping a load of logs on it
And cutting 'em up for firewood to sell
Firewood is $200-$300 a cord right now, and even more, depending on if it's seasoned and split
Nobodies gonna haul firewood off.....too heavy

Yeah, the greenhouse needs to be within our fence
No need to tempt folks

Cutting wood is good exercise, makes a few bucks, and no gym fees
 
Never fails

This time of year, when the cold coats my bones

I start missing the cabin life

It's the diversity

Out in the cold
Gotta fetch wood, tend the gennys, get water, rake the roofs, blow the snow

if

you care to survive


snow blowing the path.jpg

snow blowing.jpg


snow and ice hell.jpg

there's a jeep under there

typical snow load.jpg
 
and fresh baked bread on the stove

cabin bread.jpg
and
the wood stove itself

warmth
freshly outa the cold

Hands
getting their feeling back

pants
beginning to smoke

inside warm.jpg

inside
looking out

inside.jpg

Get too warm, that iced nog smoothie on the porch is mighty nice


ice nog smoothie.jpg
yeah
adversity.....diversity........resilience

I do miss that
 
Last edited:
Gary I enjoyed your guided, narrated tour of the cabin, etc. All the man toys and guy stuff. Hey, did you ever sing? You have a nice voice.
Thanks for the trip!
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top