Cold, cold, frigid cold. 12 F outside right now. Alamosa is still at -6 F.
Still looking for warmer places. Maybe over by Las Vegas, NM, since Kirkland AFB has contaminated the greater Albuquerque area. Las Vegas has more precipitation per year than where we are now with average temperatures around 6 F warmer. But that is based on an old model of climate comparison, and as we all know, the climate is changing in unpredictable ways, so may be we will get lucky and the weather will be better all around. Or maybe the cold will follow me wherever I go....
The animals are all hanging in there, huddled in their barns. They come out when the sun shines, and thankfully the wind is not blowing today. The wind takes the temperature even lower with the wind chill thrown in.
We haven't had any eggs from our chickens in over a week. Too cold. Lucky we are learning how to bake Vegan for the kids. We did put lights in all the poultry housing, so maybe they will start laying again.
We are surviving the cold, and this week the forecast calls for higher temps, maybe even a few days marginally above freezing. Can't wait.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
De-humidifying
The de-humidifier is working wonders on our tiny, condensation soaked house! The windows have dried up. The outside walls are no longer wet. Wonderful. Of course, the temperatures have been above freezing, even last night, so that may make a difference. No fear though, we have another week of snow on the way, so we can continue to test the de-humidifier as time goes by.
And, doing more research on the Albuquerque area, it seems Kirkland Air Force Base has been up to its own no good, contaminating the environment for years, and allegedly ruining the water in the aquifer beneath the city. Another one for the US government. People--zero. Won't be moving down there. Let's disband the military already. Oh, yeah, we need them to keep the War on Terror alive and well as the US terrorizes the planet for the limited resources left.
And, doing more research on the Albuquerque area, it seems Kirkland Air Force Base has been up to its own no good, contaminating the environment for years, and allegedly ruining the water in the aquifer beneath the city. Another one for the US government. People--zero. Won't be moving down there. Let's disband the military already. Oh, yeah, we need them to keep the War on Terror alive and well as the US terrorizes the planet for the limited resources left.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
It's bigger than me
As I finish reading Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich, by Duane Elgin, I realize how petty I have been with my self-pity and abhorrence of the cold. I have forgotten myself as I cave to Ego and the whims of being more comfortable.
Our vision for Green Desert Sanctuary began as a means to help our society transition from an economy that is failing, a culture that is floundering and a humanity that is killing itself, to a society, culture and economy that is based on the idea that we are all One. Not only do we all, as living beings, share this planet, but we are all a part of this planet. We are this planet, the bits and pieces that make up the whole. And we must learn to live as such before we do ourselves in.
It doesn't matter where we ultimately end up. The land, the town, the state...is all meaningless if we do not continue our work to help others live more sustainably, more simply and also more ecologically. Our human family has reached a critical turning point where we continue to battle one another in an attempt to secure more resources for our own little selves. Ego is definitely at play in the greater scheme of things.
Richard and I made a decision a few years ago to share our knowledge, our skills and our time with anyone interested in being a part of the changing world. The change is one of learning resiliency as our planet heaves and stretches with the pains of being raped and violated by mankind. The change also seeks to connect to our great Mother Earth and to listen to her, and be willing to sacrifice or give enough of our lives and ourselves that we may begin to heal our blessed Mother Nature so that she will sustain us for many years to come. The change is personal and spiritual as we all come to a higher consciousness that lifts humanity to a higher vibration or higher frequency or higher plane of reality.
As we continue to look for a place to build our spiritual center and our sanctuary of sustainable living, we will continue to give our time and energy to those who want to learn. By no means do we know it all, hardly, but we continue to learn, taking classes as time and finances allow, and we will share that knowledge with anyone interested in joining us in creating resilient communities everywhere.
On a positive note, the temperature actually rose above freezing today. To all of us in northern NM and southern Colorado, that means a whole lot of mud with the thaw, and as I curse the mud, I am ever so thankful for the sun and the warmth on my face as I do my farm chores. Here's to simple living.
Our vision for Green Desert Sanctuary began as a means to help our society transition from an economy that is failing, a culture that is floundering and a humanity that is killing itself, to a society, culture and economy that is based on the idea that we are all One. Not only do we all, as living beings, share this planet, but we are all a part of this planet. We are this planet, the bits and pieces that make up the whole. And we must learn to live as such before we do ourselves in.
It doesn't matter where we ultimately end up. The land, the town, the state...is all meaningless if we do not continue our work to help others live more sustainably, more simply and also more ecologically. Our human family has reached a critical turning point where we continue to battle one another in an attempt to secure more resources for our own little selves. Ego is definitely at play in the greater scheme of things.
Richard and I made a decision a few years ago to share our knowledge, our skills and our time with anyone interested in being a part of the changing world. The change is one of learning resiliency as our planet heaves and stretches with the pains of being raped and violated by mankind. The change also seeks to connect to our great Mother Earth and to listen to her, and be willing to sacrifice or give enough of our lives and ourselves that we may begin to heal our blessed Mother Nature so that she will sustain us for many years to come. The change is personal and spiritual as we all come to a higher consciousness that lifts humanity to a higher vibration or higher frequency or higher plane of reality.
As we continue to look for a place to build our spiritual center and our sanctuary of sustainable living, we will continue to give our time and energy to those who want to learn. By no means do we know it all, hardly, but we continue to learn, taking classes as time and finances allow, and we will share that knowledge with anyone interested in joining us in creating resilient communities everywhere.
On a positive note, the temperature actually rose above freezing today. To all of us in northern NM and southern Colorado, that means a whole lot of mud with the thaw, and as I curse the mud, I am ever so thankful for the sun and the warmth on my face as I do my farm chores. Here's to simple living.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Still cold
It is still freezing cold! Temps have not gotten above 30 F for so long now. I feel trapped in this horrid cold. Our front door freezes shut every night. Richard found my old hair dryer and uses it to melt the ice on the bottom of the door. But then it refreezes and we struggle to get out of the house again. Our windows ice over every night--1/4 to 1/2 inch, and then melt off through the day (if there is sun). I have used every single towel I have here in the house, trying to mop up the melting water.
Last night I forgot to put the heater on in the living room. The main part of the house got down to 60 F overnight. Our bedroom/sunroom gets down to 59 F regularly, even with a heater and foam insulation in the windows. Last night it got down to 56 F.
I wonder what will happen in the house when the outside temps get down to -30 F? We may have to figure out how to get the old wood stove up and functioning. This is a task unto itself as we have to clear the room of furniture and other stuff (our buckets of flour...our pantry) if we want to use it. The stove is way too big for the tiny room it's in. Plus we should really get the chimney cleaned, which is another $150. The chimney has never been cleaned, according to the landlords who have owned this house for ten years or so. I'm afraid to use the stove without cleaning the chimney. I have seen the rubble of houses all around the valley---houses that burned. There is no fire department here, but maybe in Costilla or San Luis, some miles away. Too far to make a difference.
I have to move my birds (parrot and dove) out of the sunroom/bedroom because it's getting too cold in there. I guess they will share some space with the kids in their tiny room.
At least the animals outside are still doing okay, even though the goat barn still needs to be closed in better. We have to go to Santa Fe (or Pueblo) to get some clear Lexon panels for the barn siding. This will allow some light and maybe some heat into the barn. The goats would break any glass we try to use, so we are going to try those panels instead. We have to wait for the weather to warm enough that we can leave our dogs outside while we make the trip, which usually takes a full day, and has us getting back after dark. It is way too cold to leave the dogs out for that amount of time, and I don't want to kennel them for so long either.
Sometimes things just seem so hard, don't they? The cold always makes everything worse. And it's a matter of life and death for some of us, so we just have to keep plugging away, doing what we can with the time and money we have. I suppose things might be different if we lived in a decent house and had a heated barn for the critters. But, we don't.
Moving south seems like a great idea every winter. And then the summer comes and I forget how miserable and cold it is during the winter. I suppose we are blessed in the fact that none of the housing choices we were looking at worked out up here in the San Luis Valley. Maybe the Universe knows better than me, and perhaps my urge to move south of Albuquerque means more than I think. Maybe I should listen to my inner urgings. We worry about water down that way as the Southwest dries up. But at least it is warmer and there is no fracking going on (yet). Plus the livestock taxes are disturbing, so we may have to rethink that too.
Today we are headed to Taos to pay our rent while the bank is still open. That was the agreement, to deposit our check in the landlords' account. I wonder what we do if we can't get there? That seems absurd, doesn't it? But, I hate driving on snow/ice packed roads, especially on mountain roads. The forecast for the next week...freezing fog with periods of sunshine.
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| Bathroom window |
Last night I forgot to put the heater on in the living room. The main part of the house got down to 60 F overnight. Our bedroom/sunroom gets down to 59 F regularly, even with a heater and foam insulation in the windows. Last night it got down to 56 F.
I wonder what will happen in the house when the outside temps get down to -30 F? We may have to figure out how to get the old wood stove up and functioning. This is a task unto itself as we have to clear the room of furniture and other stuff (our buckets of flour...our pantry) if we want to use it. The stove is way too big for the tiny room it's in. Plus we should really get the chimney cleaned, which is another $150. The chimney has never been cleaned, according to the landlords who have owned this house for ten years or so. I'm afraid to use the stove without cleaning the chimney. I have seen the rubble of houses all around the valley---houses that burned. There is no fire department here, but maybe in Costilla or San Luis, some miles away. Too far to make a difference.
I have to move my birds (parrot and dove) out of the sunroom/bedroom because it's getting too cold in there. I guess they will share some space with the kids in their tiny room.
At least the animals outside are still doing okay, even though the goat barn still needs to be closed in better. We have to go to Santa Fe (or Pueblo) to get some clear Lexon panels for the barn siding. This will allow some light and maybe some heat into the barn. The goats would break any glass we try to use, so we are going to try those panels instead. We have to wait for the weather to warm enough that we can leave our dogs outside while we make the trip, which usually takes a full day, and has us getting back after dark. It is way too cold to leave the dogs out for that amount of time, and I don't want to kennel them for so long either.
Sometimes things just seem so hard, don't they? The cold always makes everything worse. And it's a matter of life and death for some of us, so we just have to keep plugging away, doing what we can with the time and money we have. I suppose things might be different if we lived in a decent house and had a heated barn for the critters. But, we don't.
Moving south seems like a great idea every winter. And then the summer comes and I forget how miserable and cold it is during the winter. I suppose we are blessed in the fact that none of the housing choices we were looking at worked out up here in the San Luis Valley. Maybe the Universe knows better than me, and perhaps my urge to move south of Albuquerque means more than I think. Maybe I should listen to my inner urgings. We worry about water down that way as the Southwest dries up. But at least it is warmer and there is no fracking going on (yet). Plus the livestock taxes are disturbing, so we may have to rethink that too.
Today we are headed to Taos to pay our rent while the bank is still open. That was the agreement, to deposit our check in the landlords' account. I wonder what we do if we can't get there? That seems absurd, doesn't it? But, I hate driving on snow/ice packed roads, especially on mountain roads. The forecast for the next week...freezing fog with periods of sunshine.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
We have sun!
It has been rough the past week with little to no sun. Depressing and really cold. The freezing fog has been hanging around for a few days now, making everyone miserable.
Our overnight temperatures were below zero. I think it was -6 F this morning when we got up. All of the animals made it through. And I am so thankful for that!
When the sun shines, it changes everything, doesn't it? Now the world looks winter white and sparkly. But still, the cold makes me look for warmer places to move...every single time. Maybe I should think more on that.
The condensation on our windows is out of control. Even the walls have water on them. It's a big mess. I'm wiping up water with towels, washing and hanging them to dry, which keep the cycle of moisture going, never-ending. The cabinets have water condensing in them. We have ordered a de-humidifier for the house here. Who would have thought we'd need it in this high desert place!
On this Day of Gratitude, I am thankful for shelter for us and the animals. We are all doing the best we can, considering. I am thankful for good health for my family and all of the critters. I am soooo thankful for the sun today! And later this afternoon we will sit down to a feast which includes one of our turkeys, organically raised. I am soooo thankful we stocked up before the storm (will we ever be able to get to town again?). More freezing fog forecast for the next couple of days. I am thankful for heaters and electricity, hot water and warm down comforters.
Happy Day of Gratitude!
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| Winter Wonderland (yesterday) |
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| turkey fence |
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| ice crystals on fence |
Our overnight temperatures were below zero. I think it was -6 F this morning when we got up. All of the animals made it through. And I am so thankful for that!
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| Trees next to pasture (today) |
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| grass |
When the sun shines, it changes everything, doesn't it? Now the world looks winter white and sparkly. But still, the cold makes me look for warmer places to move...every single time. Maybe I should think more on that.
The condensation on our windows is out of control. Even the walls have water on them. It's a big mess. I'm wiping up water with towels, washing and hanging them to dry, which keep the cycle of moisture going, never-ending. The cabinets have water condensing in them. We have ordered a de-humidifier for the house here. Who would have thought we'd need it in this high desert place!
On this Day of Gratitude, I am thankful for shelter for us and the animals. We are all doing the best we can, considering. I am thankful for good health for my family and all of the critters. I am soooo thankful for the sun today! And later this afternoon we will sit down to a feast which includes one of our turkeys, organically raised. I am soooo thankful we stocked up before the storm (will we ever be able to get to town again?). More freezing fog forecast for the next couple of days. I am thankful for heaters and electricity, hot water and warm down comforters.
Happy Day of Gratitude!
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Cold temps in the forecast
Another couple of inches fell last night, but not enough to fully fill the dug out paths Richard made to the various barns, although it is snowing now and the wind is blowing. Drifting is happening and the paths may soon be gone.
The cold is coming fast now. The highs are only reaching about 28 F or so during the day and at night... this Monday it is supposed to get down to 8 F with wind chills down to 0. Richard has been trying to get the billy goats house a little more sheltered. The problem is, he likes to tear up his house. But, the wind is predicted to come from the north, instead of the usual south, and with the wind chills down so low, we have to give Molet more shelter. I think some extra alfalfa for all of them might help them get through the cold. The girls are all getting grain during milking and even Molet gets a little now and then.
We stacked our new load of hay behind the turkey house, which serves to insulate them and keeps the south wind and weather off the hay.
The snow is falling off the roof of the house, and onto the windows of the sunroom/our bedroom. When it falls, it crashes and sounds like the windows are about to come down with it. Horrendous sound. At least that means there is some melting going on. There is a little bit of sun radiating through the mass of clouds that covers our little world now. I haven't seen Ute Mountain for days, just the lower edges, which makes it appear really huge as it fades up into the clouds. Today, when we went out to milk, there was no sign of the mountain at all. The wind is blowing and the snow is coming down again.
There is a slushy cover on the pond. The world is winter white. And cold. This is supposed to last until Tuesday. And then the sun will come back. I miss the sun. It heats my bedroom.
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| path |
The cold is coming fast now. The highs are only reaching about 28 F or so during the day and at night... this Monday it is supposed to get down to 8 F with wind chills down to 0. Richard has been trying to get the billy goats house a little more sheltered. The problem is, he likes to tear up his house. But, the wind is predicted to come from the north, instead of the usual south, and with the wind chills down so low, we have to give Molet more shelter. I think some extra alfalfa for all of them might help them get through the cold. The girls are all getting grain during milking and even Molet gets a little now and then.
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| Milk stanchion |
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| Fairy Dust |
We stacked our new load of hay behind the turkey house, which serves to insulate them and keeps the south wind and weather off the hay.
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| Hay behind the turkey house |
The snow is falling off the roof of the house, and onto the windows of the sunroom/our bedroom. When it falls, it crashes and sounds like the windows are about to come down with it. Horrendous sound. At least that means there is some melting going on. There is a little bit of sun radiating through the mass of clouds that covers our little world now. I haven't seen Ute Mountain for days, just the lower edges, which makes it appear really huge as it fades up into the clouds. Today, when we went out to milk, there was no sign of the mountain at all. The wind is blowing and the snow is coming down again.
There is a slushy cover on the pond. The world is winter white. And cold. This is supposed to last until Tuesday. And then the sun will come back. I miss the sun. It heats my bedroom.
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| pond |
Friday, November 22, 2013
Snow
The snow has arrived.
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About six inches so far.
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| roof of dog house |
It's still snowing. Forecast another 3-5 inches today. High of 31 F.
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| barn |
The animals are all huddled in the barn. The people are all huddled in the house. But we still have to go out to milk the goats. In the snow. That keeps coming down. Glad we made it town before the snow came.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Snow coming
I really don't like snow. Or the cold. But, since I can't figure out a way to get around this, there is only one solution left: prepare.
Richard finished the turkey/rabbit/duck house enough that we could get the turkeys and rabbits in there. The rabbits are still in their old cage until Richard builds them cages on the back wall of the small barn. It is pretty passive solar with windows across the front. Richard even put adobe bricks (that have been sitting out in the weather) on the back wall to absorb heat from the sun shining in the front windows.
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| Front of turkey house |
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| turkeys and rabbits in new barn |
The turkeys seem pretty happy. They have more space now. The rabbits a least are out of the wind and cold. We have not moved the ducks into the house yet. First the yard has to be fenced and covered so the turkeys don't try to fly out. Then there will be more room for everyone to adapt to each other.
Richard is now working on the milking room in the goat barn. It is not finished yet so it looks like we may be milking out in the snow/rain for a little while longer.
We are planning on heading into town before the storm comes to stock up on animal food, hay, and food and supplies for us too. An hour drive is no fun in the snow.
We did pick up a fridge on CL for free. It's now in the garage. It will be a great place for goat milk and cheese. And extra supplies to survive the coming winter.
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