It’s hard to believe that we’ve been at Sahalee full-time for just 90 days. It seems so natural, like we’ve been here our whole lives. Our 16 years in Florida now seem very much like a sweet tropical dream- Just a little blip on our personal time travel continuum.
Here are some pics and video of the big happenings around town last weekend during the much-anticipated county fair. ENJOY!!
Amid all the hustle and bustle of paid work and projects on the property, we were pleased to entertain two very good longtime friends Joe and Karin last weekend- Our first official visitors to Sahalee!!
Most of you who know me know that I am a compulsive recycler. I describe it as an addiction because I literally can’t stop myself from picking up recyclables whatever and wherever they are in hopes I’ll be able to reclaim what little value they have left in the post-use waste stream (along with helping to make the planet a little more picturesque and critter-friendly).
Wood-burning stove, check.
Water supply tank, check.
Still working to bring our basic off-grid utilities into service a month after arrival, so here’s an update on how the pieces are coming together.
Many people make trips to ‘town’ to fulfill their basic needs, including entertainment. For us, this trip is not an option. It is a necessity.
After nearly four full weeks of living off-grid, we’re starting to recognize the daily rhythm and truly appreciate our beautifully rustic surroundings. We’re challenging ourselves to stay home for as many days we can, and so far have made it five before needing to go to town for one reason or another. Going thirty days will be a true feat we’re looking forward to accomplishing!!
We’ve done a real good job of highlighting all our successes so far, but I did want to reveal a few of the not-so-joyous frustrations we’ve encountered over the past few weeks to give everyone a true picture of what’s been going on around here.
I confess…
Coming into ‘monsoon season‘ here, we wanted to make sure the yurt was trimmed out appropriately with a stylish and functional rain awning. Ben and I examined a few different places to harvest precious rainwater with this tarp and barrel rigging, but we ultimately decided to kill two birds with one stone, as they say, by creating the front door rain cover AND a catchment all in one.
Monday came and went with little fanfare. Ben and I both woke warmly  to sun streaming inside the yurt. The teakettle went on quickly to start us up for our first day of telecommuting. Power was plentiful and we hungrily gobbled bandwidth on our wi-fi while still in our nightclothes. It was definitely refreshing to be in touch with old office mates and inquisitive colleagues while enjoying the New Mexican mountain splendor.
Sahalee Off Grid 