You know, when I was a kid I had a recurring fantasy. It was downright incessant, if I’m being honest…
Every time I read about some remote, tiny planet or asteroid or Pacific island, I imagined myself setting up an outpost there, just me, nobody to come around telling me to tie my shoes and straighten up.
I was out walking this morning and it occurred to me, out of the blue…
By golly, I did it.
Met Phoebe this morning, out finding tidbits for her babies…
She wants nothing to do with me, and I’m always afraid my noise and activity will scare her away. But I guess I shouldn’t worry: She came back, after all. She got such an early start this year I wonder if she’ll do it again later in the summer. Once she raises this bunch and goes off I am going to extend her shelf a little bit – and this time I’ll leave the nest where it is.
Congratulations, you heretic you!
Man, you really get zero sun on your panels that early in the morning! When do they actually begin to produce to any significant degree?
Surprisingly early. I don’t really understand it myself.
Joel, I can’t tell what kind of bird it is. A sparrow? I built and have several types of bird nests and bat nests around my place, next to my dog they are good neighbors. They don’t bother me and I don’t bother them.
By golly, you sure did, and did it well.
The bird nest is cute, it’s always nice to have them around. When added to the hummingbird show you’ve got, it makes for a pleasant afternoon on the porch just sitting and watching.
Cederq, we decided last year it’s a Phoebe.
Another self-built house in a remote place. Hope the link works.
https://www.facebook.com/123899801661809/videos/460416871169188/
Joel, does Phoebe sing you awake at dawn?
Yes you did. 😁
And the real estate developers arrive in 3, 2, 1……
Congrats, Joel. You’re living our dream. It’s a tough mountain to climb but the view from the top is spectacular.
Joel, have you ever written about your overall results of being out there, and what it took to get there? As a wannabe semi-hermit, I’d really like to know, is it/was it all worth the efforts? I’m about two steps away from chucking the whole thing, and getting lost somewhere where that is still possible.
I wrote a whole (unpublished, alas) book about the overall results, going on five years ago. As to the actual process of getting here, that’s a little more personal and scattered here and there. All in all it’s been so very worth it to me, but I’ve always been kind of a misfit. Also, I could see some locations where I wouldn’t have been nearly as happy. In fact most people who get serious enough about moving here to actually do so, end up regretting it. The Gulch isn’t very extreme as deserts go, but moving to the desert often turns out to be too extreme. So it’s very important to be honest with yourself on that point. I was familiar with deserts before I moved here – even though I won’t claim the Gulch didn’t hold any unpleasant surprises – knew I liked them, and when I first visited this place it sang to me. So I’ve been here over twelve years now and I’m still delighted. But be warned: I’ve seen quite a few people come and go in that time. If you’re drawn to seashore or forest or somesuch, that’s what to look for in a location. Go with what calls to you, and you’re much more likely to end up happy.
Thanks for your comments, Joel. I really wasn’t try to pry anything personal, just looking for vindication from yet another source that my plans aren’t completely futile. You’re right, I wasn’t really planning on desert, but what forests or seashores remain that one can truly do their own thing without spending tons of money and dealing with stupid rules? When I mean doing you own thing, I mean living without HOAs, regulations on where you can put up a shed or grow a garden, avoiding long traffic commutes, despicable city dwellers, a license to breathe, etc. You know, usual stuff. 🙂
I truly love open spaces, but yeah mountain streams and forests rate pretty high. Really hard to find though. The world has gotten very crowded, and expensive too.
Thanks again.