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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2013 12:05:58 GMT -5
I've lived for a longish time with as few square feet of house as I can manage. The fun in a house is the people in it, not the furniture.
My first trial at living off-grid was at the 'last left in America' , on the way to Sherbrook in Quebec.
My little cabin was no more than 100 yards from the border, Set smack in the middle of the great yellow bog, in the Northeast Kingdom, of Vermont.
When it snowed it was almost always followed by enough of a gale to shed most of the snow off of branches. The following night (or nights) it could become cold, sometimes deadly cold in the - 40°F range.
On a still night, at minus degree's you could hear the turpentine freeze and explode in the bigger pine trees.
It was all quite comforting with a nice hot fire in the stove, I miss it still almost forty years gone.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2013 11:00:12 GMT -5
I always do better with trees as neighbors, than people.
Mostly trees speak quietly and don't trouble human neighbors.
Garrison Keillor said of Minnesotan north-woods: "You shouldn't come unless your prepared to stay".
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2013 0:34:56 GMT -5
A seed feeder and a suet ball, make the best entertainment perched right near a window.
Juncos are the Jay of the mid-west. Noisy, fat bullies. The little titmice and nuthatch work around their bigger brethren.
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Post by marielouise on Jan 17, 2013 15:45:45 GMT -5
word pictures you make lovely word pictures . fleeting images happliy flowing thru my mind while sitting in my nice warm house ---aaahhh !
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2013 16:45:13 GMT -5
Our dog in those years was a Lab mix, he had a great deep bark. It was my habbit in those years to toss the first breakfast hot-cake out on the snow. As it was often too brown or too blond.
Boomer the dog was sure that breakfast offering was his. The neighboring blue jayes were equally certain that hot-cake was theirs. Breakfast battles could go on for up to an hour...
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Post by LinFL on Jan 17, 2013 17:10:44 GMT -5
I can picture that scene now. You have a way with brevity that paints the scene while causing the reader to fill in the details with his/her imagination. Nicely done.
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Post by marielouise on Jan 18, 2013 0:30:02 GMT -5
aahh yes them blue jays can get a mite bossy and greedy. haaa love watching birds they do have personality.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2013 7:24:20 GMT -5
One day I had a visitor. Almost any visitor was welcome. On those years the gulf between on and off-grid was a chasm hard to span. Or even to countenance.
Water was drawn from the stream, and hauled to a solar shower or heated by kettle and poured into a horse trough-tub.
Its comfort was deemed pretty cold to a city-visitor. I missed my departed visitor as sincerely as I welcomed him.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2013 7:46:29 GMT -5
Thaw could come in the great yellow bog. Some springs crept up with a small rise in dead cow (black turn) creek, Others were presaged by a rainy nor'easter.
Dead cow would rage with a rainy spring! Mortals would camp out at Jeff & Turtle's till the water went down.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2013 12:35:30 GMT -5
About now sugar houses all across the northeast are belching steam through their little gables as syrup is cooked off.
Now a days the old spiggot and pail has been replaced with a syphon line to the holding tank(s). Even the most modern electrolysis system still needs a blazing fire to cook the last of the water off.
Its a warm job with snow all about.
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Post by circumspice on Mar 3, 2013 2:13:40 GMT -5
Coppice does have a way with words. He waxes poetic & evokes sentiments long forgotten. I love to read his posts. :-)
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2013 14:28:28 GMT -5
I've lived near to a highway or rail road bed for all my life. The passage of heavy machinery has comforted me, not filled me with a sense of loss. I am kind of stunned these past few days by the passage of a good friend of mine. I find I must plagarise Libby Cotton to express that feeling of remorse at parting.
Freight train, freight train goin' so fast, Freight train, freight train goin' so fast, Please don't tell which train I'm on, So they won't know where I've gone.
When I'm dead and in my grave No more good times here I'll crave Place the stones at my head and feet And tell them I've gone to sleep
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2013 14:56:24 GMT -5
I cut my hair Sunday, as part of setting aside. I have been out a couple times today, the breeze is brisk and trees are still abed. Its not yet time for renewal. I'll go out again tomorrow.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2013 7:16:43 GMT -5
"You, you mean I can't carry you around, and hug you, and squeeze you, and call you George"? Not not to mention I'm huge old fat and white haired.
"No silly, I'm not a rabbit"; said the seedling during Saturday morning cartoons.
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2013 10:25:22 GMT -5
In the autumn I dug out a space to become a hot bed the next spring. For a backing I built a little log cabin style lean which had a front initially of a tarp. I could just get into this space on my hands and knees.
Sod blocks edged the cut out space to get into this frame.
I filled it in the spring with manure and stripped off the tarp leaving only its underskin of plastic front.
Only then did the borrowers show up. They didn't pay any attention to plants a growing in the frame. But would haul in and out via access unseen, bits of shiney things or smaller trinkets and toys. The march of things like formula nipples continued till plant out. Once the inner plastic skin came off nothing else came or went...
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2013 12:31:15 GMT -5
Talk of Apple Jack dredges up memories of Old-Boys clubs I have encountered over the years. Very often there would be some kind of lubrication.
Next door to the Company House on Barnstead Parade was where I bumped into my last OBC. Next door to us was the parsonage (for the vacant congegational church in the parade) the Missus who lived there passed away and all the old boys were having a wake out of sight of the parsonage at the firehouse.
Mike and I were both scolded for our naivity. We knew she used to watch our house closely, but we missed her reason. She was extreemly obliging and hoped we would A. Have orgies. And B. invite her...
Well, we missed it.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2014 14:44:51 GMT -5
I'm not sure I blend in with critters better than I do people. I've always been a square peg inna round-holed world.
Today is quiet the house is empty and only Kringle the old tom-cat and I are in residence. Its been a lot of Christmas' ago that he was adopted by my MIL. I don't think he gone blind yet, but is starting to show arthritis on overcast days. Holly is off being social to Kringles' disgust. he'll settle for catnip treats from me in her absence.
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Post by garrett on Feb 24, 2014 10:57:50 GMT -5
copp you got a gift ........smiles
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