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Off the Grid Continued
We used to reside in suburbia with a multitude of modern conveniences, but city existence was like a microwave burrito from 7-11: easy and convenient but lacking in nourishment and flavor, full of artificial ingredients. I miss it like a bad rash, especially the PG&E (electric company) bills! Now the air is clean and quiet. While watching the seasons change we try to co-exist with our natural surroundings.
We adopted to minimalism and survival necessities mainly by traveling and backpacking throughout the Western US and Hawaiian Islands. Toting your possessions on your back gives you a crash course in bare essentials. The better part of the last four years we’ve spent camping, traveling and being modern pioneers. I like to jest that we’re born again Amish!
Although living in the woods helps to reduce colds, we still inevitably get sick. This is practically the only thing that slows us down. Our CF care center is a butt-breaking and costly 7 hour drive away!
About once a week a venture to town is required, 45 miles away, for spplies, errands, email and socializing. A small emergency clinic and helicopter are nearby and a cell phone call away. A local general practitioner handles our minor health needs. Tree and I still rely on the usual meds and shots for our CF, diabetes and related quirks, but compliment with medicinal herbs in moderation.
I begrudgingly went into the hospital for a clean-out and surgery this spring, delaying our gardens for a few weeks. With a little diligence, we now have fine organic produce growing. It’s healthier, especially these days, to be aware of where your food came from and what methods were used in its farming. Nine meat chickens are fattening for the freezer. Five guinea hens will soon be free range to hunt the pesky critters like ticks, scorpions, grasshoppers and rattlesnakes. The birds also patrol the garden for insects. We hope to begin building owr dwellings soon from recycled materials, straw, stone and wood.
It’s a simple life, yet profound. I find a sense of security in choosing to limit my reliance on modern technology. Leaving alight footprint is not only good for the earth, but also for our souls. I walk with my daughter through the meadow of wildflowers and cool forest, munching on clover blossoms and chasing bugs. Crickets and frogs sing me to sleep with the babble of the seasonal brook in harmony. The sky buldges with stars and I slip into slumber with a sense of peace and fulfillment, counting my blessings like sheep. The great H.D. Thoreau sums it up best – “A man is rich in proportion to the things he can do without”.
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