Non Electric Homestead McMinn County (sale, wedding, moving)

[Pam& Bill]

Forest Breath,
The new addition is adorable with those blue eyes! The picture of the interior of your house looks so cozy! Hope your foot mends quickly.
While I enjoy reading your updates and look forward to them, you make me feel like I need a nap.
Pam

[Forest Breath]

The bees
In the late 1990’s I was fascinated when my ex, Tom, introduced me to honey bees. A swarm landed in out backyard. Tom had kept bees his entire life up in New York. He was thrilled to have bees back in his life again. I watched from the safety of the sliding glass door as he placed a plastic trash can below the tree, tapped the limb, let the huge swarm of bees fall into the trash can and placed a board of it. The next morning we called around to find an empty hive and bought one from an old man at the foot of the mountain. I watched again as he lifted the board and discovered they had already started making a new home. He lowered the board onto the hive and they lived happily until the move. Tom was not about to leave those bees behind so he duct taped a small board across the entry slot and put them in the back of a pick-up and off they went to our new home.

The bees suffered no ill effects from the move. Tom would go out and talk to them, re-assure them and make sure all was fine. He would walk into the house sometimes with a bee on his hand saying “look at this”. As time went by I got less scared of the bees and more attached to them. Tom eventually moved back to New York and the bees grew from one small hive to 4. We never robbed the honey, never bothered them, let them do their thing, provided lots of flowers and vegetable plants for them to use and we had a happy relationship. Sometimes the bees would swarm and I could not get them. I always felt bad that I had to lose some of them.

After 7 years at their new home, another move took place. This was the final move. I had purchased 22 acres of prime farm land with my fiancé’ Chris. The land was right beside where we were renting. Moving a small farm took longer than expected and we were not able to get the bees. The ex-landlord was not thrilled with out move and locked the gate on us. My bees were locked away from me, back in the woods behind my old home. I felt horrible, like I had lost my best friend or was neglecting a child or something. One night, it was about 2am and I could not sleep. I kept thinking about the bees and wondering, worrying that the ex-landlord had killed them and destroyed the hives. I made my way across my property in the dark, under the fence and through the dark woods to the hives. I could hear them as I got closer, a low hum from inside the hives. I had mixed feelings, happiness that they were still there, sadness that I was so close t them and could not take them HOME with me.

I sat down beside the hives in the dark and devised the plan. I explained the move and how I bought the land. I told them where the new house was we had built, explained it has no electricity or indoor plumbing and how to get there. I told them I had the birdfeeders all out front and would soon have a box set up. I would rub the box with peach tree leaves, like I had seen Tom do, and would put it in between my new home and their hives. I spent almost 30 minutes talking calmly to the bees.

The next day, I discovered a honey bee on my hummingbird feeder. The day after there were more. They were emptying the feeder every day. Within a few days, I reached up to get the feeder, to refill it, and about 75-100 honey bees covered my hand as I took the feeder down. Now there are hundreds eating from the feeder and Chris put up a second feeder yesterday. He also made the new box yesterday. We did not have proper materials and such, but he did his best and it looks good. I rubbed it with peach tree leaves last night and he put it in the middle of the flying line between the hives and the hummingbird feeders.

Now we wait. Will they come to the new box? Did they really hear me? Understand me? How did they suddenly know where I was and show up after my 2am visit? Did they just follow my smell? Were they waiting on an invitation?

I went from being terrified of those bees, watching behind the safety of a glass door, to my heart breaking from missing them so much. I caught myself the other day with one on my hand saying, “Chris, look at this.” I nap in the hammock and let them land on my arms and legs and just watch in amazement and talk to them as long as they desire to investigate my skin. I love those bees.

Will they accept my invitation to make a new home in the makeshift hive? Do they know I will put out honey for them this Winter? Do they know I have NO clue what I am doing and all I want is for them to have a safe home and pollinate the garden? Time will tell I guess….

But if they move into that box I know that my bond with these silly bees will just grow stronger than ever and there will be a LOT more questions to answer!

[Pam& Bill]

Hello Forest Breath!
You amaze me and I hope the bees decide to come to you.
All the best to you,
Pam

[Forest Breath]

If they come to that new box....as makeshift and such as it is....I will have amazed myself. ROFL!

I tell ya, this whole thing has been such an experience. I have had minor thoughts of doubt the past few days. The weather is so hot, there is so much we have to get done before Winter and only 2 of us to do it. Jimmy is too sick to help, a lot of our free time is going to him right now, well deserved I might add. But, we have a LOT of stuff that has to be done in the next few months and I am beginning to think my dream was bigger than what reality could accept.

The heat is tough to deal with on some evenings. So bad that on a lot of days, we have to just come to a stand still at 3pm and not start back until about 7pm. The shade makes it bearable. But it is still tough, and frustrating when you know you need to roof the porch, put siding on the house, insulate the place, install a wood heater, cut wood, finish the Spring, insulate the water containers before Winter, get the wood floor down, finish the root cellar, smoke the pork, can more food, plus take care of all the every day things that take a lot longer to accomplish because of the lifestyle. I also had thoughts the other day that it was MY dream and am I being unfair to Chris and the grandkids.

I still have no regrets and the good far outweighs the bad in the whole picture. I love the home, the design, the one room, the oil lamps, my old sink, the outhouse, the entire homestead. But I am beginning to stress and wory a bit that Winter will be here soon and we will NOT be ready. I just wonder how we will handle that and the little curves Winter throws at us.

[Pam& Bill]

Aw Hon, you know it will be ok.You are doing what I was doing about packing. Don't let it all overwhelm you, you have plenty of time before winter sets in. Just look at it as one project at a time. All the things will get built, sided painted and floored and smoked. Besides I bet once the cooler fall weather comes you'll be like the energizer bunny and no stopping you.
I have been thinking of you in this awful heat and humidity though.
Push any doubts and negative voices out of your head. This is your first year and of course it will be difficult to adjust. Just think of the future when you won't have all the things to get built. What you are doing is living a dream and the lifestyle you have chosen is one well worth the price. You will get it all done.
Pam

Originally Posted by Forest Breath

If they come to that new box....as makeshift and such as it is....I will have amazed myself. ROFL!

I tell ya, this whole thing has been such an experience. I have had minor thoughts of doubt the past few days. The weather is so hot, there is so much we have to get done before Winter and only 2 of us to do it. Jimmy is too sick to help, a lot of our free time is going to him right now, well deserved I might add. But, we have a LOT of stuff that has to be done in the next few months and I am beginning to think my dream was bigger than what reality could accept.

The heat is tough to deal with on some evenings. So bad that on a lot of days, we have to just come to a stand still at 3pm and not start back until about 7pm. The shade makes it bearable. But it is still tough, and frustrating when you know you need to roof the porch, put siding on the house, insulate the place, install a wood heater, cut wood, finish the Spring, insulate the water containers before Winter, get the wood floor down, finish the root cellar, smoke the pork, can more food, plus take care of all the every day things that take a lot longer to accomplish because of the lifestyle. I also had thoughts the other day that it was MY dream and am I being unfair to Chris and the grandkids.

I still have no regrets and the good far outweighs the bad in the whole picture. I love the home, the design, the one room, the oil lamps, my old sink, the outhouse, the entire homestead. But I am beginning to stress and wory a bit that Winter will be here soon and we will NOT be ready. I just wonder how we will handle that and the little curves Winter throws at us.

[1967hammer]

Forest Breath,

Don't worry about it being "your dream" and that you are being unfair to Chris and the grandkids. You are giving them one of the greatest gifts that they will ever receive. They can go ANYWHERE and live like the rest of us, bound by our possessions and so far removed from nature that we panic when the power goes out You are exposing them to a way of life that is truly natural and self sustaining. My hat is off to you.

I fondly remember visiting my Great Grandpa who lived in a one room house that he built in the hills of PA. He was in his 90's and he still raised/butchered his own hogs and grew his own tobacco. He even showed me his still that he had back in the woods! He was quite amused when he found out (after I went back home) that I was a police officer. He told our relatives "good thing he didn't try to bust up my still. Kin or not, I would have had to whup that young pup". I was never really knew if he was kidding or not. I had a great deal of respect for his "I can take care of myself" attitude.

I only wish that I lived closer to you guys so that I could come over and lend a hand with some of the projects. Good luck with your bees. I hope they come home to you.

[txgoddesschild]

No homestead has ever been completed. There is always something to be done. That is the nature of this type of undertaking. But the rewards are so great living this way. This is a seasonal lifestyle. There will be hard times and there will be lean times. Such is the life of a pioneer. But the rewards, such as a bee crawling on you to say hi is not something everyone gets to experience. Cooler days will come. That is a nice thing about Tn, it does have four seasons. Be patient, all things have their time and place. my thoughts and good wishes are with you all.

[siennaoconnor]

Ohhhhhhhhhhh a cute little siamese kitty . Lucky you, they have hearts of gold and are truly more sensitive and feel deeper than most other cats.
Soooo now I think I need to have bees too ... just what I need more critters to take care of .......... lol

Love your story . Thanks for sharing,
Sienna

[Forest Breath]

I appreciate the encouraging words more than any of you would ever imagine. It is so easy to second guess decisions one has made, especially at times of stress and trust me.....these are times of stress with Jimmy so ill and the heat so very bad right now.

Luckily we got that porch roof done this past weekend and my goodness it has made a big difference in the house being cool. It was at least 10 degrees cooler the first day. It is nice having supper on the front porch, playing cards of an evening and such as well. I am so thankful that is done.

Money is tight and well....we are just poor hillbillies to be honest. We are in the transition of paying the past of the phone, utility bills and such. Antoher few months the money will be tight, but after that we should start seeing some benefit money wise form our decision. We have done the best we can do up to this point with the house and despite a few mistakes and less than perfect this and that....we are so happy with the way the house is turning out. Every night we go to bed happy and grateful and wake up each morning greeting the sun with grace and appreciation. We love our life, poor or not.

We are going to start getting the siding for the house in the next week or so and are also starting the insulation inside. I slowly work on the hardwood floor and when I get some batteries charged for my digital camera, I will take more inside pics. We are starting the root cellar today....and cutting Winter wood....every day! I also have to get a smokehouse built in the next few months. I will update more later....

my greatest joy so far....

taking my bath on the back porch every evening.....it is heavenly!


Part of the front porch...we still like the railing. The railing wil be cedar poles as well.


Perrin loves the Rhode Island Reds

[Pam& Bill]

Hey Forest Breath,

Sure money is tight right now, but look what you and Chris have started to insure your future. The rest of us will struggle to pay utilitie bills that continue to soar higher and higher. You'll have your home and land secure. You are in the win win situation.Don't second guess yourself and steal from your joy in what you are doing. I admire you greatly.
Pam