27 Comments

Not sure if you have compressed air, and you may be aware of this. Cleaning rabbits,I would cut a small slit inside back leg, put air nozzle in, small shot of air, waa laa, hide was totally loose. Used to raise New Zealand’s, excellent for the table.

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I do have air in the summer, does it affect the hide much? I tan them

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What kind of animal tracks or markings are evident in the snow, in the areas that you travel this winter?

Do you get any human visitors in the winter, friends or backroad explorers?

Glen

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Hi Glen!

This winter has had a lot more tracks than the past. There are always lots of snowshoe hare, however this year I’m noticing more grouse. The deer and wolves seem to have moved lower where the snow isn’t so deep, we came across the remains of a whitetail taken down by wolves. I’ve noticed some long-legged cloven hoofed tracks trudging through the deeper snow nearby.

The neighbour came by once on a snowmobile - but he didn’t have a pleasant ride so I don’t think he’ll be back! Other than that no one comes up in the snow. The first winter some guys on snow bikes appeared over a snow berm. I hadn’t seen anyone other than Curt in months and just stood there, and as quickly as they appeared they were gone again!

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Love reading your news letters. Amy, we’re amazed at how well you both have survived off the grid.

You have a nice comfortable house, and much needed water shed. You both have sure made so many improvements and still have plans for more. We think of you both often❤️❤️

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Awe wow, thank you so much Alida! 🥰 I’m amazed by how much more comfortable this winter has been. Thank you for your kind words! 💗 💐 🌲

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NL from Instagram asks:

Winter time activities??

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Oh man! Snowmobiling, snowshoeing, GT-ing, Cutting firewood, Crafts, Books

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BBH for Instagram asks:

How many rabbits have you harvested?

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Over 40, it’s getting easier, slowly

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TTG from Instagram Asks:

How much land do you have/use?

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50 acres

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BS from Instagram Asks:

What are your long term goals for the property?

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Hmm, it’s an evolving thing but- Self Reliance and fun!

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RJC from Instagram Asks:

How long you been in that cabin?

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This is my third winter.

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R.C on Facebook Asks:

So, how do you support yourself financially?

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I’m a tradesman -I worked in the oil sands for a decade and pinched pennies

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T.G. on Facebook Asks:

That's very awesome, congratulations. Are you using solar panels for power? How much insulation did you use? How hard was it to get the container to your property?

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Thanks! Yep small solar array, 8 bags of R14 mineral wool insulation, and pretty hard! It took a week to clear the forest service road enough for a driver to tow it up!

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D.M. On Facebook Asks:

Any condensation issues with the container home in cold weather?

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None, surprisingly. There are vents built into the container walls that I left open to the insulation for that reason and I think that not having a shower inside helps a ton.

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What kind of woodstove do you use to heat the container and how long is your burn time

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I did not notice, but I did not keep the hides, works on squirrels also, best to try on one , then see.

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How long did it take for you to get self-sufficient on your homestead? Not necessarily to where you are now but to where you felt comfortable that if need be you could survive completely independent.

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That's a great question Rick! I could probably write a whole post about it -

I'd have to say that I'm not completely self-sufficient in the traditional sense yet. My gardens are still lacking and I buy animal feed.

That said, I do feel that I could survive completely independently if need be. It was last summer - when I had an epiphany. The greenhouse had begun to thrive, and since we used wild soil - it was full of 'weeds'. After weeding it a few times I realized that the weeds were ALL edible. Not only that but, lambsquarters is choice and tastes just like spinach! (if not a bit yummier). It was then that I realized that I can absolutely feed myself and the critters on what's already here.

I'm very much looking forward to what I'll find this summer.

Thanks for the awesome question!

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Very interesting and true on how much of nature (aka weeds and such) we treat as a nuisance that can be useful. From what I have seen from your posts I have no doubt you could survive on your own if needed. Is your goal to become completely self sufficient? I don't think it's an impossible task but not sure where you draw the line in that definition. At some point you will have to buy or at least trade for some things that are just impractical to make. Maybe I'm just getting into semantics to much, but being able to be completely independent sounds like a great place to be for me. Basically being able to survive on your own and produce enough that you can buy/sell/trade for things you need or want. It sounds like you're at this point or at least very close, which is a very impressive feat. Looking forward to seeing more updates.

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