Integrating New Ideas and Improvements

Welcome back self-sustainers!

I'm returning to work on this blog after a long absence, with the intention of publishing a new post here every Wednesday. 

Those who have followed my Journeys at the IWALLK.blogspot.com blog may recall that part of what I did, while crossing the country twice in the last two years and venturing up the Maine coast this last summer, was to investigate simplified lifestyles and sustainable living.

I was inspired by a great many things in this regard. My head is filled up with new ideas and improvements to my original concepts at this blog back in 2014. I've and really experienced just about every kind of American environment since then. I actually camped in them, learned about the plants and animals, geography and weather patterns. I used the opportunity of all that walking and thinking time to fine tune many aspects of The Five Basics for Human Survival, not only for the Maine project of building up a self sustaining property, but also for the Southeast, Midwest, West, Southwest, and Northwest.

Some alterations to the plans I'd laid out here would change very little. But some changes would need to be significant, even radical. 

The humidity and rainfall, less snow, ground that doesn't freeze, a longer growing season, the different animals and plants of some Southern states; the prairies, loamy soils, overcast falls and winters of Mississippi River basin states; the dry air, mountains, high plateaus, harsh winters, infrequent rainfall of some Western states; the deserts and extreme variations of temperature in some Southwestern states; the constant threat of drought, diversity of plant life, relative lack of wild animals, and unique climates of California; and then the Pacific ocean effect upon temperate rain forests, pockets of heavy rainfall in the Northwestern states... This information is now stored in my brain and ready to influence any promulgation of these all-in-one self sustaining plans to other parts of the country. Every region requires its own kind of attention when it comes to the sustainable living I have in mind.

I also feel like I am still on the right side of history. The last two years have shown that the so-called "tiny house movement" has strengthened significantly. The desire for a simpler and more sustainable life in general is not going away. I find this extremely encouraging.

Let me now go down through the Five Basics for Human Survival, giving some idea about how they have evolved for me...

Water - Besides an outside holding tank, I'm very interested now in having an underground cistern. If it is far enough below the frost line there would be no need to keep the water feeds from freezing. I will study this in more detail and come up with a solid plan for my personal property, but will also explore methods for doing a similar thing in other regions. 

Food - I'm thinking that more indoor growing during the winter might be possible. If LED lighting can be utilized more efficiently, there should be a way to raise and even harvest plants throughout the darker and colder months. I also have some ideas for a very simple aquaculture system which could serve as a way of providing extra protein by raising fish. Additionally, I have grown to appreciate the idea of selecting and growing a large variety of crabapple trees for the land. There are many reasons for this interest in crabapples (which are technically just apples), including their large potential yields, the hardiness of the trees, and the very diverse flavors. I'd also like to add edible flowers and other wild edibles into the mix of what I grow. 

Shelter - I have a much richer architectural set of ideas now for building the house. Also I want to design the house to be more integrated into the land itself, so that the whole property is a four season garden and a shelter. I'd like to use more stone mixed in the structure and around the land, while utilizing more recycled materials for windows, doors and other features. 

Heat - This is probably the biggest change of all. Since visiting a very impressive property in North Carolina this year (please see: A Living Magazine - Day 272 - Homecoming - Wake Forest: Liz and Logan--Self Sustaining Amazement, at the IWALLK blog), I am totally won over to the idea of solar heat collectors and radiant floor heating. It is the cleanest possible heat source. There will still be a wood stove, but I discovered that radiant heating is far too efficient and effective to not be used, especially in a small house design. 

Electricity - When it comes to the photovoltaic side of energy production (solar panels), I also learned from that North Carolina property about the value of redundancy when it comes to solar power. There can be many systems in place (panels, batteries, and outlets) around the yard. Separating these systems prevents a single problem from affecting everything. Electric utilities need not all be in one location.

What I've mentioned above should keep us busy for the next few months. I will continue to look for land if for no other reason than to simply see what's around, how much it costs and how it might be purchased without a mortgage--someday. At the moment, I have no way to save up for it. Still, I am very hopeful that in the next year I will be able to move ahead.

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NOTE: Because of a serious recent health issue, I have never been as poor as I am right now. Writing is my only way of making money until things settle down a bit. I'm locked into doctor's appointments, and trying to find ways to pay for them and medication, not to mention food, and everything else that life as a below-the-poverty-line person requires. Throughout the winter I might be able to secure other means of making money. But I am in serious need of a foot up, just to start the ball rolling.

If you'd like to make a small donation to help support this self-sustaining project, the IWALLK blog, and/or the writing of the associated books related to my Journeys, I would be very grateful. Simply click the PayPal button on this page or at IWALLK if you are interested. One of the hardest things about being thrown down to the ground by a sudden emergency is dealing with the fact that all I had planned had to be thrown away. Starting over again has been a real challenge.

I look forward to getting these blogs rolling again! THANK YOU so much for your interest!