A big snowstorm hit us on Sunday, dropping 8 inches of heavy snow. It knocked down a few smaller trees on our driveway and covered our solar panels and internet satellite dish on the roof. We had to run our generator during and just after the snowfall, when we needed to, but we had no internet as it involves someone climbing out the upstairs bedroom window and walking across the porch roof to sweep off the dish. Not something you want to do when it’s snowing heavily!
Will got the old plow truck running, as it hadn’t even been started since early last spring. He took off, plowing the mile and a half driveway while I finished washing off the pints of hominy I had canned. He didn’t come back. But I figured he was just making several passes in and out from David’s driveway to the road. Finally, here he comes, walking! Oh oh. Yep, the truck had died, shoving up a bank of heavy, wet snow. And the battery was not strong enough to restart the truck. Hey, his doctor said to get more exercise, right?
We drove the car out and he jumped the battery. The plowing went fine after that. Now it’s just making paths to the chicken coop etc. He got the satellite dish swept off this morning, so I could do my blog. I got the chickens fed and watered and we’re pretty much back to normal.
It’s lucky we got the cows and horses all hayed as we knew we were about to get a storm. Now it’s supposed to get cold, with a high of below zero, with wind. You don’t even want to know the windchill temperatures. Getting in lots of firewood today, for sure! — Jackie
Is David going to look after you two after you can’t take care of yourselves any longer? I’m thinking about our daughter and fam who’ve moved on to our mountain. Got a couple of kids, and is now a stay at home mom. Looking for more to do, especially to make money, since the two of them aren’t making much together, so has set her eyes on insisting cleaning my house for pay, from now on. I kinda don’t like the imposing, but my husband wants to help them out. Course I have to babysit now. I’m still growing up at age 68. The Lord is doing a major work in my heart; I’m not too cooperative.
Love those jars of hominy! I have never tried to make that. Something to think about for next year maybe. We have had only snow flurries so far, but it has been cold. This morning I have 14 degrees above 0, and the wind is blowing. Not my favorite weather, however, I don’t have to be getting my drive cleared out from the snow. I’m glad the plow truck was easily fixed. It would be a lot more work to have to put a blade on a tractor and blade your drive. I’m sure you and Will would just take it in stride and deal with it. Isn’t it a wonderful feeling to not worry about the power grid going down or being able to stay warm in bad weather. It is worth the work to be self sufficient! Sending prayers for a blessed week.
I included the topic of self-sufficiency, self-reliance (including the Lord, of course) and breathing a sigh of relief going into the new year with more freedom, in my Christmas newsletter to friends and family. Yes, it is a wonderful feeling. And I agree with you, it’s also a wonderful feeling not to worry about the power grid going down–we are off-grid. When the neighborhood power goes off or is turned off by the power company in this area, we look down at night onto the neighborhood and see darkness over the neighborhood; few have generators. It’s so telling.
Gorgeous picture of your home in the snow!!! I love it!!!
You and Will are just the bestest!!!
I respect and admire you two so much. I used to think I wanted to be your next door neighbor, but I oould not hanndle that much snow!!
That’s a beautiful scene, Jackie! I can almost hear ‘”Walking in a winter wonderland” playing in the background. Your seasons change so fast. It doesn’t seem that long ago at all that y’all were rushing to bring in the last squash and pumpkins, trying to beat the first snow.
I’m glad the truck problem was just electrical and not having to haul the truck out of a deep ditch! I’m just amazed it started right up after sitting so long. Good truck! They don’t make them like that any more.
Those are pretty jars of hominy! And good eatin’ too. Some chopped onion, a little bacon grease and hominy all running around in a skillet until the onions are browned make a tasty side dish indeed. :)
I think it’s vehicles previous 1985 that are most desirable to avoid the ones with technology that aren’t fixable by the everyday car owner individual any longer. My husband is a great mechanic, but not on tech motors of vehicles.
Beautiful winter pictures! Much nicer looking at them from the warmth and comfort of my house instead of hiking the mile and a half driveway with snow up to your knees. The hominy looks great! I have never seen a recipe for that but I will. Our Starlink internet receiver has electric in it of course and it warms the panel. I saw a large red tailed hawk sitting out there last winter, keeping it’s feet warm, and looking pretty proud of himself.
Take care and have a Merry Christmas.
Dear Jackie,
I really enjoy hearing and seeing about your lifestyle. And I especially love the snow pictures. I grew up spending time with my grandparents on their farm. Plowing fields with mules, everything by hand & I remember having outside toilets, chamber pots, chicken coops, and a smoke house. Of course, there was no electricity, but we had a hand pump in the kitchen for water. That was classified as indoor water at the time! I think that most folks would do well without a lot of modern facilities. If you’re a teen and have a lot of chores, just to make do, I doubt you would have time being bored or robbing folks. Plus, you get a lot of self-esteem and purpose when you are working with the adults to make a home/farm. However, its all in your own perspective, when I brought my grandfather to my house in the city, he thought it was “plumb nasty” that we had a bathroom off from the kitchen. He said toilets should not be near where you cook your food.
Stay warm!
When you’re living a subsistence life, you are working just to stay alive. My grandchildren are without a nice bit of land to work on. Their parents insist on living in a residential area. They are not busy, but are bored and getting into a lot of trouble, that is so disheartening to their parents who try and work so hard at work, and on their family, making the children accountable. Shoulda, woulda, coulda a piece of land.
Basically, *your* “grid” was down, but you were prepared! Having grown up in SW Colorado, I miss seeing the snow in many ways. Here where I am (TX) I have seen only 1-2 “real” snows in 28 years…… Most of the time it is just an inch or so of “white snot” (that I refuse to drive in!) that makes all the store shelves get empty.
Your hominy looks so good. Is it hard to do? I’ve never tried to do it.
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