Going Off Grid in East Tennessee; The Story and Chat Thread (Jackson: codes, cost)

[gemkeeper]

Younglisa, I try to check in on your progress every week or so, but am always amazed at how much you have accomplished since my last visit.

You have quite a team working there side by side. I wish we could all cooperate and put that kind of work ethic into our tasks. I know that I would get a lot more done - and, with a bit more quality, also!!

Keep up the good work and thanks so much for sharing this experience with all of us. It is, indeed, an inspiration to the most skilled and least skilled of us.

[ylisa7]

Good Morning Everyone,

I am writing early for Mike's mother's birthday. The family is getting together today on Long Island for her birthday and checking out this forum. Happy Birthday Mom.

Chapter 14

Thursday-
Today we had to go back to our other property and work on the lawn mower. The blades need to be sharpened.
Check out Mike's homemade ramps, from left over posts and wood.


After that Mike got his haircut which was long overdue. We are so busy doing so many things that sometimes the little things get overlooked. When we got back home we started working on the sheet rock around the 2nd bedroom door . It took a lot of small pieces which means a lot of measuring and cutting. We got the sheet rock up on one side and realized we never tested the door to make sure it fits. Well that was one of our dumber moments. Sure enough the door was off but only about 1/2". Thankfully we were able to fix it without too much trouble. Lesson remembered.


We also took my first batch of cabinets out of the box to check them out.



Tomorrow we are going to get the rest.

As usual it poured again that afternoon just enough to make a muddy mess. It will be so nice when all the grass is grown in and all the dirt is covered. Of course, I just put the clothes out to dry. Oh well now they have an extra rinse.

Later that evening we saw a bunch of deer on the back hill. Mike took some pictures unfortunately my camera doesn't take really good telephoto shots.

Here are a couple of deer. Sorry they are blurry.


We also got some pictures of turkey the other morning.


This is our view after the rain.


Friday-
We went to Lowe's to get the rest of my kitchen cabinets and it's a good thing we went. We found out that Lowe's is discontinuing my cabinets and they were all put on clearance. Awesome. We got the rest of the cabinets and came home. When we opened all the boxes my sink base had some damage. We also realized we needed 2 more 12" upper cabinets because the lower and upper corner cabinets aren't made the same size. I called up Lowe's to find out if they have anymore and thankfully they have just the right amount. I asked the girl to hold them. Now Mike and I are panicked to get back to Lowe's because if they really don't have the cabinets we would be in trouble.
We get to Lowe's and the girl I spoke to was great. She had all the "correct" cabinets on a pallet with my name on them. After running all day we finally got back home with all my cabinets and we did "awesome". I got 17 kitchen cabinets which were normally $2600.00 for only $1425.00. I am thrilled with that.

Here are all my cabinets.


That took so much time that we didn't get anything else done today, but my grass is growing. Woo Hoo.


Saturday-
Today we promised to help Mike's daughter, Nicole, with her bathroom remodel. We loaded up the car with a bunch of tools and headed to her house. Mike got the mirror off her wall which broke into a hundred little pieces. We helped her disconnect her old vanity and the plumbing. Then the fun part. We all put her new vanity in place and installed the wood on top. Nicole is doing her own tile counter top. She still has to hook up the sink, paint, and do the floor but that's for another day. It sounds easy but again another job that took longer than expected. It took about 4-5 hours and we got paid with brownies. Yum.

Nicole was afraid I would bring my camera and she was nervous about what I would say on line. So here it is. Nicole, your father and I love you and we are both very proud of you. See that wasn't so bad.

We got home and later that night Mike decided we should move the building. You know, the 3000 pound shipping container. Yeah right! Let me tell you this fascinating little story.

Mike wants to move the container to the back along our fence so it will be out of our way and we can finish planting all of our seed. OK, that sounds good but how? First we have to take everything out of the building.

So we put some stuff on the trailer.




And some on the ground.



Oh good, now we look like "Sanford and Son". I told Mike "I really don't think we can move this building". Mike says "we can do it- yes we can" (OK Bob the Builder let's do it). Mike hooks the building with a chain to the tractor and starts to pull.


OK not too bad but he's not getting far. He has to move and re-hook. Now he starts to pull again. Oh yeah "the wheels are now off the ground".


I can already tell this is going to be a long night. I offer to help by using the jeep to help push the building while Mike pulls. After about an hour he agrees to this. We did this once about 8 years ago using 2 trucks with a wood shed and we ended up going through the side of the shed. That was fun. So this time we are being very careful. We put a really thick rubber mat between the building and the jeep bumper. I get in the car to give it a small push while Mike lifts and pulls the building with the tractor. This works but it is a very slow process. We are getting closer.


Finally we get the building in place. Now we have to put the corners up on block and level it. We got the front 2 corners and 1 back corner on block. It's getting too dark and we still have to get "everything" back inside the building. We use the jeep headlights so we can see and we finally get about 95% of the stuff back into the building. Now it's 9:30 at night. We go inside to grab something to eat because of course we missed dinner, again.

Well at least you can't say our life is boring. That's all for now. I will write again Thursday. Oh yeah we are still on "M&L Power".

Lisa and Mike

[hiknapster]

Happy Birthday, Mike's Mom!

Thanks for the update, although I am now going to have that "Bob the Builder" song in my head all day.

[Tek_Freek]

Originally Posted by YourSisterSusan

Mike and Lisa,

Just wanted to let you know that David passed along your "work in progress" to your sisters. I am enjoying watching both of you -- such hard workers. Where did you learn to do this????? Tomorrow is Mom's 75th Birthday, and I am going to bring my laptop so she and Daddy can view your progress first hand. Like so many of the other bloggers, I am enjoying your diary and photos. I am truly impressed!

Love,
Susan

Welcome YourSistersusan! We are all amazed at what your brother and his wife are doing. Most are exhausted at the end of her posts and certainly we enjoy her writing.

After she's finished and has had a rest you should encourage her to write this adventure as a book and get it published.

Tek

[scottv]

ha, that deer pic looks like an impressionist painting...cool pic actually.

[Grizzlybear34]

Originally Posted by scottv

ha, that deer pic looks like an impressionist painting...cool pic actually.

That's the same thought I had!

[Sunnydee]

Originally Posted by scottv

ha, that deer pic looks like an impressionist painting...cool pic actually.

I have to agree. That's one of my favorite pictures.

Lisa and Mike, have a great week! We're all anxious for the next chapter.

[ylisa7]

Good Morning Everyone. I have to check in this morning because I usually write a story today. For those of you that don't already know I posted a chapter yesterday morning instead for Mike's Mother's Birthday. It's a few posts back on this page.

Thank you all again for your responses. I'm glad you guys like the picture of the deer. Last night we saw about a dozen but of course "no camera".

Jeanne61-
Mike is absolutely fantastic. It's simply amazing how mechanical and talented he is and he doesn't know how to work the washing machine ha,ha. He also stays out of the kitchen because, one he says I keep moving things around and two it's my domain. He'll also, every once in a while, tell me it's "woman's work". Jokingly of course because then I have to hit him and remind him that I do a lot of "man's work". Does he want me to stop?

It all evens out because he really is fantastic and I love him dearly. He's my best friend.



"My Internet Service"
Some of you have shown an interest in my satellite Internet so I'll give you the run down. I have a "portable" satellite dish and a modem that hooks to my lap top which is what we needed because we are living and traveling in the motorhome. It allows me to have Internet anywhere. I used to have a Verizon air card but I couldn't get Internet in this part of TN so that was useless to me. I bought my dish from Maxwell Satellite and yes I own it. My Internet provider is Hughes-net and my monthly service plan is $59.99 per month. They also have a $69 and $79 plan. My plan works great for what I need.
Hughes-net also sell the dishes, for a lot less, but they aren't portable.

Have a great day,

Lisa

[bgarrett]

This is what the wiring looks like from the outside.


tell mike to put a drip loop on these wires.
He'll be real impressed with your knowledge

drip loop - definition of drip loop by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

[beemerchef]

Wow... one of my reader's send me your link!!! I have not read the whole thing yet but will... Well! are a couple years behind you or maybe somewhere in the middle... Spirit and I have been traveling for two years now and was giftet 10 acres neat Big Bend, Texas, all weather accessible road and 3/4 mile off the main road... Same as you, no water, no electric or sewer...
It will be our winter hang out and continue to travel the rest of the time...
But... it is only Spirit and I and there is a 23' RV that will have the solar with portable panels. The rest, as I have never even used a hammer... will built... funky... rock house maybe? who knows... bales of hay?
I like that shipping container, I looked at 40 footers... they want $2500 just to deliver... that is out!
Anyhow... come and visit some day... no gates... no fences!!!
Will follow and read your work...
Be well... Ara & Spirit

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