survival-off-the-grid

[survival-off-the-grid]

We need a miracle. By we, I mean you and me.

Of course I don’t know what your needs are but I’m confident that there’s a very real need either physical or spiritual in your life. If you are blessed to the point that you have no needs, then please believe for the miracle the world needs. A miracle is something that is beyond coincidence and outside the natural. I have seen financial miracles happen where thosands of dollars were provided at…

[survival-off-the-grid]

This is no ordinary size Bobcat

Bobcat in our yard! This is a picture of a very large bobcar that killed one of my guineas. We are making a concerted effort to trap him, he came back 3 times in the same night.about and hour apart. Not only am I concerned about the chickens, I’m also concerned about the small dog that we have. He looks like a mountain lion but he’s got a short tail. He jumped up about 8 feet and snatched a…

[survival-off-the-grid]

Ant Problems? Don't want to use chemicals?

Ants Ants, and especially fire ants, are a huge problem in the southern United States. I have had success with Orthese in the yard and areas where chemicals can be used. Other areas like your garden aren’t so easy. Though unorthodox, this might be a possible solution. If you have multiple mounds, take a shovel full out of the one mound and put it into the other mound. It is helpful if you have…

[survival-off-the-grid]

Inverters from China

[survival-off-the-grid]

Building a Semi-Raised Bed

[survival-off-the-grid]

Splitting Kindling

If you have ever split kindling, you know it can be tedious and dangerous for the fingers. Here’s a dvice my wife gave me as a gift and I really enjoy using it. In the past, I have used axes machetes, and hatchets to split kindling but it is always difficult to get the wood to sit upright and hit it at the same time especially when it gets smaller. I love my fingers and want to keep all of…

[survival-off-the-grid]

My Chickens Are Growing Up / DIY 2 Gallon Feeders

My Chickens Are Growing Up / DIY 2 Gallon Feeders

Chickens at 2 months We bought them as day old chicks. Now they are looking like real chickens with feathers and a cute little crest on their heads. The amount of food they eat has been progressively increasing. Initially, I made a feeder for them out of a gallon water jug. I didn’t want an open container they could walk in, scratch the feed out and leave droppings in. By cutting 1 inch holes…

[survival-off-the-grid]

Pollinators

Butterfly I love gardening and all thre concepts that make it work. Butterflies, bees and other insects are pollinators and a big part of having a successful garden. Butterflies approach a flower to get nectar and in the process get pollen all over their feet. When they go to another flower they shake off some of that pollen and pick up new pollen. When the right pollen gets to a plant, it…

[survival-off-the-grid]

Thanksgiving

As I think about this holiday my mind goes back to the early pilgrims. They surely had a very hard year! Settling in a new country, building a house, clearing a forest, planting a crop, all with no power tools. I don’t know how they did it. I have gotten a tiny taste of what it must have been like as I have spent the last two years building a house and a homestead to go with it. I’m nowhere near…

[survival-off-the-grid]

Fire starter/composting/brush cleaning

Talk about multitasking here we go. There are several ways to clear brushthat are easier than the method I’m going to explain, but this way I accomplish 3 different things at the same time. For instance, it would be easy to set fire to the woods and burn the brush. it would also be easy to bush hog all the brush. With these two ways you don’t end up with compost or fire starter. If you have acres…

[survival-off-the-grid]

Livestock....

Livestock….

Chickens We have been building on this homestead for over a year and a half. So far we have 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a livingroom, a kitchen and a courtyard, all mostly complete. We also have a regular garden plus 4 raised beds. Our small orchard consists of 2 peach trees, an apple tree, a dozen blueberries and a couple of almond trees. A well, septic system and a hot tub all powered by solar.…

[survival-off-the-grid]

Planting in the Fall

Planting in the Fall

daylilies Now is the time to plant bulbs etc. for next year. I have these beautiful triple day lilies that really need to be separated and replanted. I have found that using an auger really speeds up planting times for bulbs as well as other small plants. Here’s a great deal on a 4″ X 12″…

[survival-off-the-grid]

I'm not really a Prepper but I was a Boy Scout

I’m not really a Prepper but I was a Boy Scout

The Boy Scout motto was “Be prepared”. I have no idea where this economy is going in the next couple of years but I am concerned that it is going in a bad direction at this moment. We canned a fair amout of food from the garden this summer but not enough to last a year. Freezing food is good but I have lost everything in our freezer several times in the past. For that reason, I want a better…

[survival-off-the-grid]

Buyer Beware of Sungold products!

Buyer Beware of Sungold products!

Sungold inverter I bought a Sungold 10 kilowatt inverter on July 2nd. It arrived on October 4th! I installed it in just a couple of days and started using it. An error light came on and I couldn’t figure our why. The setting for fault codes to display is not even discussed in the owners manual. I’m sure it is something simple like a setting so I called Sungold to see if they could walk me…

[survival-off-the-grid]

Love that Leather

Don’t you love it when you’re walking in the mall and suddenly you smell the smell of leather and even though you didn’t see the sign you know that there is a leather shop somewhere.nearby. Not only do i love the smell of leather I love the feel of leather and I love the durability of leather. There are so many things to like about leather but there’s one thing that a hunter should realize about…

[survival-off-the-grid]

50 Years is a Long Time

50 years and now off grid! Who you think?

This week my wife and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. It was all done off grid. We have been living off grid less than two years now. Our guests for the celebration came from Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. 40 guests braved dirt roads, crossing creeks and getting lost just to come to a little place where we enjoy our lives in peace and quiet. I think most of them came so…

[survival-off-the-grid]

Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do or do without!

Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do or do without!

A few years ago my wife got me a tshirt with that slogan on it and it really expressed a lot about who I am. My parents went through the Great Depression and raised their nine children like they were still in a state of lack. Nothing was ever thrown away, it was just used up. If you didn’t have what you wanted you made do with what you had. Because kids grow so fast, we got a new pair of shoes…