OVEN MAGIC

 Look what came out of the oven this morning.

Homemade sourdough bread. So delicious and so easy to eat.

It goes in looking like this ..................

Comes out looking like this ..................

MAGIC!!!

And it disappears like MAGIC!

THINKING WINTER; ......................... BUT IT"S ONLY FALL

 When you live off grid you are always aware of the weather and the seasons. Usually we are living in one season but planning for the next. In winter we start planning our gardens, in summer we are cutting wood for winter, in the fall we are getting the summer machines put away and the winter machines tuned and ready for snow plowing and the chainsaws ready for cutting down more trees.  It's a constant stream of new demands and adjustments according to the weather and the seasons. 

There is one demand you can not leave forgotten or neglected even for  one season.......... Firewood

Firewood needs our attention at least two years before we need it, preferably three. Two years gives it time to dry and three is better. Dry firewood burns better with less soot in the chimney and less smoke out of the chimney, all very important for a warm house and a healthy environment. 

These logs were felled last winter and will be bucked, split and stacked over the next 2-3 months.  Then they will sit in the sun, the snow, the rain and the fog and dry until 2023 when we will need them. Some may not get used until 2024 so you can see, they will by then, be perfect firewood.

This is our second stack of logs but they won't be touched until later in January. Like the first stack, they will get their time to dry in the sun before being used which I suspect could be as late as 2025-2026. We will be warm for years to come.

Now that my log-splitter is back, the job of splitting the logs is so much easier. Swinging an axe is fine and doable but the log-splitter allows me to get more done in a day with less pain in the process . At my age, less pain is preferred.

This is the firewood we will burn this winter These seven bins plus other should be sufficient to keep us warm until next April. Our heating season typically runs from October to April with the occasional day in September and May. Then it's time to refill the bins which will allow the wood to dry for another year before their turn comes again.

The firewood you see stacked and drying in the shed will not be used until 2023. By then the bins above will be empty and ready to be refilled as we burn the wood in this shed. This gets repeated until I become too old to do the work. Up here "TOO OLD" is a figure of speech without any definitive number. I know guys in their 80's who still split with an axe and haul the wood in by the armful. They are a hardy bunch. 

I'm glad we have dry firewood as today is damp and cool but we are warm and comfortable by the fire. Mary just threw another log on, so we will be warm throughout the night.

Thanks for stopping by and keeping an eye on us. Stay safe and well.

ALGONQUIN PARK

 Fall has returned and so have we. It's been good to take a break from writing every day but now that we have family scattered around the world it's time to stay in touch and this blog helps.

I won't be writing every day but I will write every week. Thanks for keeping an eye on us and for being patient.

Fall is the best time to be living in Northern Ontario. The days are cooler, no bugs and the leaves are starting to show their best colours. If you are thinking of viewing the fall colours, this weekend would be  a good time to head north.

Yesterday we spent the day in Algonquin Park. Penny enjoyed herself and was well behaved on our hikes. She is such a good dog.

The highway 60 corridor is the most popular way to see the colours in Algonquin Park.  I was surprised how busy it was mid-week and parking spots were hard to find at the most popular hiking trails If you are  coming up for a visit it's best to book your day pass ahead of time through the internet

Thanks again  for keeping an eye on us and stay safe everyone

WE ARE TAKING A HOLIDAY

 

Summer has arrived and we are enjoying time with family and friends. We both have been vaccinated against Covid-19 so we are confident that we can gather in small groups once again.

Owen and Kate have been here the past two weeks and go home tomorrow. I'm sure they will be back before summer disappears.

Yesterday, Tyler came to service the generator. We've had it for nine years and have only needed to change the oil and filters. Yesterday, Tyler adjusted the valves and it is working like new once again.

I think we will take a break from weekly posting until the fall or until something special occurs.

Enjoy the holidays and stay safe everyone.

Thanks for keeping an eye on us.

ANOTHER TANK

 

We have expanded our gardens and need to have more water available Yesterday I installed this tank before it got too hot to work outside

The tank holds 1000 liters and sits on a base of building blocks left over from our construction days

This simple gate valve from a RV holding tank directs the water to the tank or to the ground

It's been  above 30*C the past few days and we need the rain desperately

Time to do a rain dance and see what happens

Stay safe and well everyone and thanks for stopping by

GARDEN UPDATE JUNE 7TH

 

Our gardens are in full production now. Every day we are able to harvest enough greens for my smoothie and our salads. 

Mary planted cabbage and broccoli in the garden and it has already grown over the top.

Yesterday we covered the bed with this shade cloth to give the plants room to grow and keep the cabbage moths out of the garden. It is a simple step to modify our gardens to accompany the growth of our plants as well as the changing weather.

No idea when we will be harvesting cabbage but the plants do look healthy.

Our regular potato patch is full of garlic this year so we are using these bags for potatoes. As the plants grow, Mary adds soil to give the tubers room to grow

Our peanut plants are well protected from the chipmunks and squirrels This hardware cloth allows the rain and sun in  while keeping the critters out

Thanks for keeping  eye on us and stay safe everyone

UNINVITED COMPANY

 

We  never know who will drop by for supper This guy showed up just after 8 last week.

He didn't stay long but we did get a few pictures  It was rather exiting  for all of us

Stay safe and well everyone.