Bret has said for years that he wants to retire at 50. Because he has plans of dying early. Well maybe not plans, but definitely expectations. So we are getting older, by the day obviously. And each day we wondered when we would get there. I homeschool the girls, I take them to their dance classes, and their swim team practices, and their Girl Scouts. We eat dinner together a few times a week like a "good family should". We try to keep a small garden in the back "yard" which if you have been to my house you know is just a patio of cement big enough for a small table, a few chairs and a pot belly grill, we recycle, we try to reuse as often as possible. Freecycle has always been my friend.
But really we want more than waking up, working, and going to sleep each day.
We finally saved enough money. We looked at many properties, but Bret kept coming back to this one. Here is the two of us looking like a Van Gogh painting in what will soon be our new yard. Our cabin will overlook the valley. Bret's goal? Have an amazing place to hunt. My goal, learn how to live with as little as possible help from the outside world.
Here is one of the food plots that the past owner provided us with. We have many deer and turkey that visit the food plots. Bret suggested that this 65 acres is better than any 100 acres he saw anywhere for his hunting purposes.
Already made watering hole for the deer, a must if you want to get them coming your way.
Our dug-out pond. (Tehehe I am calling it a lake.) It is in a valley where water drains naturally, so we expect it to be a full pond by spring's first melt.
My husband is a man of many toys. The bass boat that he was so sure would be worth tons more than the amazing deal he got it for. The tons of music equipment his band days (which was just last year still) the hunting equipment (which is the newest and most expensive so far. I used to laugh that the first deer he killed was THE MOST EXPENSIVE piece of meat we have ever eaten.) The deal stands that all those other toys must go.
We will downsize from our 7,000+ sq ft building to a 1,500 sq ft cabin that we will build. Personally I think that is too much room. I was hoping for 1,000 sq ft. After all, by the time we build and move in, Gaige will be long gone, Brenda will have one foot out the door, and Little Bret will be right behind her. This is my 5 year plan. It will take time to save up to build the house. Absolutely no credit! Off the grid? I don't know if that is possible. How to live off the land with as little help from outside as possible. Can we survive without Pizza Hut and frozen meals, garbage pick-up twice a week, shopping trips 3 times a week, $500.00 gas&electric bills, etc. Can I provide enough food for us to can for the year, will I be able to can that much food, will a garden that big be more work than I can handle, will I be able to talk Bret into an alpaca and/or sheep so I can have yarn? And if so how will I feed THEM? How to wisely use the rainwater? How to everything?? Who will want to read my facebook updates when the only thing to update is the quality of my veggie garden and the lovely time I spent watching the sun go down? Maybe I won't care about facebook by then...
First for our house (building?) Plans to have it sold in a year. We are on our way.
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