Status report from Dranpa

This is such a busy neighborhood ... (looking east)

And you can enter here ...

Background

We picked this location, in part, due to medical considerations -- i.e., access to health care / clinic /hospital.  None of these are really close but they are accessible and my disabilities have made this a primary concern.  This is not a complaint -- there are many who are much worse off than I am -- but we do have to face the realities; the realities being that I can't do as much as I used to, that I'm largely unemployable and that we have a fixed income.  However, we eat well, the property is paid for and we've been able to make some improvements over the past year such that we're feeling relatively comfortable.

Case in point, we now have two refrigerators and a large freezer (outside of the motorhome/trailer), all obtained through FreeCycle.  The freezer is already pretty well stocked but more coming as we have time to do batch cooking.  So far, the big projects have been ham and beans (my style), a coconut chicken stew (delicious), a pork, pineapple and plantain stew with tomatillos (absolutely wonderful) and we're waiting for a delivery of paper freezer containers so that we can do some more.  (We also have plans to freeze Beef Wellingtons, barbeque, latkes and a variety of soups.)

While we got by through the past winter using our propane generator and inverter systems (although many of our neighbors were without power for a ten day period), we're now hooked into the grid (thanks to Home Depot on Veterans Day) and have the generator and inverters as backups; a much more comfortable arrangement.

And, one of the first things I was able to manage here was a "workshop" (houses the batteries, inverters and power transfer panel) for a dry place to do some tasks regardless of the weather.  Also, Mary now has her "greenhouse" -- a custom shed with a transparent roof and walls even though the intention is not primarily gardening.

However, while I do love it here, the terrain is irregular and the damp climate had mud being tracked in at intervals almost year round.  

Therefore, this was the dream...

Notice particularly what a terrible setting this is?  Almost like an advertisement for motorhome sales, right?  But we live here!

And this became the reality ...

Things are a little distorted in this panoramic composite.  The awning, however, is actually slanted to direct rainwater to a cachement for storage. Under the railing, a 25' string of high-intensity LEDs provides yard lighting (and indirect lighting for the deck) at night.  (Another 102' string runs through the trees along the upper stretch of the drive; both are controlled by wireless remotes.)

At the back (left) the hot tub is under a canopy but, later, will have it's own deck and a transparent roof. Not visible in this photo are the steps (6" high, 14" deep, 48" wide and set at a compound 30º angle to the east -- a bit of engineering carpentry that gives me some measure of satisfaction).

A view from the entry way to the deck (looking west and north).

I don't have to mow the lawn -- an activity I consider an affectation at best -- because I like it just the way it is.  The ferns and ground cover attract deer and many other creatures and I have dozens of trails through the woods.  We've been "transporting" wooly-bears regularly for the past month -- they seem to show up everywhere; very pretty, most orange and black, some white with bright yellow tufts along the back ... and all promising lovely butterflies and moths next year.

The grounds are covered with a dozen varieties of berries (all eatable, some better than others) and I have a chipmunk who is becoming a regular visitor to the new deck.  A mound (just left of center, behind the trees) is supporting fresh garlic and potatoes and I have some herbs coming along -- most important is the mint which I use in quantity in cooking and which people keep warning me "will take over the place!"  Gee, I'm hoping so.

And, at night, we can soak in the hot tub and listen to owls (several varieties), elephant seals (just to the west), coyotes, various night birds and ... and sometimes we just don't know.

For ghosties and ghoulies 
And things that go bump in the night
Good Lord, we thank thee ...

During the day, we have all of these and salamanders (beautiful golden red/brown), garter snakes, strange caterpillars ... an occasional bear ... migrating geese stopping to browse on the tall grass to the west (and yakking up a storm while they do), osprey, eagles, hawks ... and always something/someone different.

Further, as Mary has observed, we don't need to travel anywhere; everywhere comes to us.  A few nights ago, the pineapple express brought us Hawaii on the breeze; last night, it was the first heavy rains of the season while the leaves are beginning to turn and color.  Later, the ground will be beautifully white with snow.  And then spring will come again with the foxglove, fireweed, berry blossoms and all will cycle through with constantly changing variety.

Finally, from inside at my desk, my view to the east (hey, I was bushwacked...)

So, the bottom line is that we're doing okay ... and loving it ...