Dreamer Living off Social Security

perchie.girl

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Jan 6, 2014
Messages
93
Reaction score
35
Points
77
Location
San Diego High Desert
I am not new here but forgot I signed up some time ago....

I write volumes when I am going...

1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
I am In San Diego County My land is in the high desert. Climate is Hot and dry in the summer and Cold and dry in the winter... Its located almost equidistant between the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific ocean... Where you can feel the earth breathe

2. How many people are in your family? Marital status?
Four in my family total... four Generations. At this moment I live with my Grandmother who is 102. My mom lives five minutes away and she is 84. My Son Fresh out of college lives here for the meantime. I have never been married.

When I go home I will be by myself.

3. How would you define self sufficiency?
Self sufficiency is where you dont depend on others for your needs.

4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed?

I would Write, Craft, Build things, Care for my animals, Enjoy the sun and the wind. And listen to the sounds of the desert. The snap of the Bird of paradise mesquite as it sheds its seeds and shoots them out and away... The puppy sound of a Road runner as it searches for a mate. The squabbling of the Quail.... Scurry of a lizard... The High tension sizzle of a Rattle snake surprised in its hide out.
Oh wait I do that already.

5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to?
Never have... But would love to build an earthship right in this location.



6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet?

Weld yes. Steel only Mig, TIG Stick... I can only cut using Oxy... I have to say I can stick it together but a welder I am not... I have only welded for creating steel sculptures.

7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient?
Family. Growing up in the heart of the cold war.

8 Cloth or paper?
Oh that sooo depends....



9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more?
My house and land are paid for. When I live there I could live off social security. Alone. I have very few needs. I heat the house with a pot belly stove. pump water from my well. Eat chicken eggs. When I move back I want to install Solar for the well and a windmill for backup.



10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient?
Medical care. transportation.... Diet variety... entertainment



11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs?
I know how and plan on it.



12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world?
IN the future and science. I am a science fiction writer. and a futurist

13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi?
I can drive a two axel... not well but I can.

14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?
I am a jewelry artist. And a retired engineer. I could teach drafting and have wanted to for some time.

15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?
Yes... only limitations are roosters. CF is big in Mexico so they limit roosters to x amount per acre. With eighteen acres I am good for about ten. ::Snort:: Most I have ever had was about six... with adoptees.

16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood?
Both.

17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?
Sigh Here we are limited by rainfall. or well production. Annual rain fall is about nine inches per year ... my well is at at 450 feet, and a low producter... But I would love to set up a grey water system downstream from the Tilapia tanks. And the aquaponics



18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?
LOL.... Net... out of the Aquaponics tanks

19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country?
I have 18 acres that cannot be split... free and clear. In the County.

20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL?
Hehh? I would be a novice at self sufficiency till the day I pass



21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?
Repurposing,

22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take?
Right now I would love to take a silver smithing class along with gemology.



23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet?

Dont have the patience for good wood work... But I can really appreciate people who do. I can Build the necessary shelters and structures for the animals. I can drawup a design and build it.
I am much better at careful demolition. I took a wall and old furnace out of the house.

24. Are you interested in herbal medicine?
Very and understand that it takes years to learn to use herbals well

25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be?
Exactly where I am.

26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
heating but I only burn about half a cord a year. I use propane for cooking.

27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be?

Now there is a question that has me stumped. While I do Write science fiction... and enjoy the Superhero movies.... but MY ideal of a super hero are the Fire Fighters, the Police, The Military... The man next door that lends you a hand.... my Dad...RIP.

28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency?
interested but only politely



29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs?
I love to cook With good ingredients.

30. What was your MOS?
???? I am so Acronymically Challenged

31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?
Forage for greens when they grow. yucca pods can be cooked like squash.

32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient?
I wont buy it if I can make it.

33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live?
My own...

34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy?
Plans for multiple energy creating strategies... Energy conservation, Energy creation, Energy usage...



35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England?
::Snort::



36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to?
Not yet, I would



37. In what do you trust?
Myself, and the people I know. I will never be an Isolationist because we humans need other humans.



38. Do you make things yourself to save money?
Yes and to make it better

39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending?

the less you have the more creative you get about making it stretch
 

wyoDreamer

Super Self-Sufficient
Joined
Sep 29, 2014
Messages
1,798
Reaction score
2,443
Points
267
@perchie.girl Nice to see you here!
Looking forward to reading your adventures.

I have moments where I wish I were single and living as I want to live. Having a DH, whom I love tremendously, also means that I have to compromise my wants sometimes. He is an engineer and his way is always best, cough-cough-gag!
Sometimes, when he takes over one of my projects to "help", I feel like strangling him instead of smiling sweetly.
 

perchie.girl

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Jan 6, 2014
Messages
93
Reaction score
35
Points
77
Location
San Diego High Desert
this is the type of windmill I want to ad to my Energy farm portion....
I want to build a vertical axis windmill or two. they arent quite as efficient but they take up less space and the generator portion can be at ground level for maintenence.
this one is 100-400 Watts... Enough to power my well pump.
shopping


my Dad was an engineer for a carbon fiber manufacturer... He was hired on contract for them to design windmills for their own wind farm project. Mr Basso developed the technology to create carbon fiber Tennis Raquets then sold the process to Dow Corning. He made a boat load of money.... so He wanted to get involved with the bigger end of the spectrum. Dads experience was with Air foils and Prop blades...

Sow when the project was in full bloom and they were starting production Dad hired me as a detail drafts man. The fab shop would be ready to make a new part it was up to me to draw it up so they could do it.

I learned alot about Windmill Trials and tribulations during that time. OUrs was one of the first to lead the wind instead of trail the wind. and because of that they had a lower failure rate than other windmills. So the design sold and Mr. Basso invested and he got richer.... LOL.

Ours also had a generator housing that was servicible from inside. You had to climb up a sixty foot tube to enter the housing.... I got to design the tube...

The ones I want are Not so big... Maybe the Airfoil structure would be six feet tall.... Support structure would be about seven feet tall. Then the footings designed for Dynamic loading would probably be about four to six feet deep depending on Soil base.

deb
 

perchie.girl

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Jan 6, 2014
Messages
93
Reaction score
35
Points
77
Location
San Diego High Desert
Thanks. Yeah, I know that Tilapia would be a no-go here in Maine. The lake where I go swimming actually had a school of Crappie that hung out under the swimming float. Have never eaten one. I'd like to even set up a bath tub system to play with the technology this summer. I have the perfect location: a low retaining wall with flower bed at the top, and just the right height to put a bath tub under it for the fish, with the grow beds above.

But, I think it would be wise to start small, with a tiny system. Have already ordered my water test kit, and have plenty of experience cycling fish tanks with ammonia.
If its outside make sure you put a racoon proof strucutre on top... Little Bas... erds love to fish... Cray fish are an excellent choice for clean up duty as long as the fish arent too small. They love to get out of the water though... dig dens along the banks... Very interesting to watch.

Oh and Duck weed Can be bought online and is an excellent forage for your fish Chickens love it too. You can eat it as well as Horses goats and sheep...

deb
 

frustratedearthmother

Sustainability Master
Joined
Mar 10, 2012
Messages
20,564
Reaction score
22,796
Points
453
Location
USDA 9a
You can get some pretty good sized wethers that can be trained to pack - but I love the idea of a mini donkey! Very sturdy little critters!

Sorry, I have no knowledge on Llamas...
 
Top