THE LAND

Many people have heard of my sister's way of life...living off the grid.... here are some pictures to add to the mix. Kristin's gardening boxes in front of their future home site, Gavin and Ella's treehouse (VERY cool, just needs the yellow slide installed), their workshop in which they currently reside, the infamous yurt, their orchard (apple trees, blueberry and plum bushes) and trails that they developed which explore all 80 acres of this gorgeous terrain. Keith has been learning about cedar timber framing and is making them a timber garage for storage this month. The garage will be located in between their workshop and the site where their dream home will eventually be built (see first picture). The trees have all been cleared and the plans for their home will be a reality, hopefully in the coming years. In the meantime, their 16x24 workshop is home - it is very organized and very home-y. My sister said something to me this trip that I think will stay with me always...she said that her way of life is often referred to as the 'simple life' but that there is nothing simple about their life. They haul in their fresh water in buckets from a local artesian well. Then, they haul OUT their waste water. This ensures that they control exactly how much water they use. They have a compost-able toilet inside the workshop that requires daily maintenance but is very user friendly. Eventually, an outhouse will be built near their home site. They have chickens, which lay enough eggs for them to live on. And gardens which produce fruits and veggies galore. They also have a couple solar panels as well, which provide a few hours of lighting inside the workshop at night. They mostly use oil lamps and their wood burning stove for light and heat.

I knew in my head how they lived but now that I have experienced it first hand, I am in awe.