Another New Foal & Andy Update

 

Welcome little friend! I am not really sure what this little guys name is just yet, but he is a sweet one! His Mom, Ellie, has been carefully watching over him as his first few days were a bit difficult. His right rear leg/foot was turned outward a bit at birth and both rear legs were pretty weak to where he wasn't standing on his hoof rather more the back of  his calf. 

Took just a few days and he is just fine now & having a little fun!

He is as cute as they get and has a very sweet personality! 

Andy is doing very well also! He is full of attitude and energy which makes him loads of fun for Heidi and Dad to train! 

Hope you enjoyed the quick update! The next post is a Taj mod! About time eh?! 

New somewhat furry Baby!

This cute little critter is a new addition at the Thomas Morgan Ranch, (also known as Dad's place). He was born on Tuesday, April 24th and was quickly dubbed "Atlantis Crossing". We call him "Andy" for short and he is apparently a bit of a ham! Tongue out at the camera! 

Research & Planning

This is the fun part! With probably at least two years of scrimping & saving to afford land, Heidi and I have lots of time to plan and research and dream! The simple picture above is a product of my thoughts lately. The layout and details are way off from what the likely end result will be, but some of the basic pieces are there. I really am getting into the idea of "Auquaponics"! Healthy, nummy fishies and organic vegetables from one efficient system, whats not to love?!! 

The dome greenhouse is another concept I have been digging into as I really think it is the perfect home for a nice AP system. That funny looking grid thingy on the right is an idea I have been wanting to experiment with for capturing the heat of compost to heat water. That isn't an original idea as many people are doing it successfully already, but it is something I want to try on a very small scale to see if it will work for helping heat the greenhouse in winter. We have many sources of compost here to experiment with, perhaps even this summer. Should be interesting!

Wind power is another topic that will likely see some "pre-land" experimenting. Dad's ranch may just end up a bit greener if he is up for it! Combined with solar(PV etc) and conservation, I really believe we can comfortably go without any connection to the grid on the future homestead. 

I realize I haven't mentioned much about the main living quarters & "docking station". Both are topics for future posts for sure! I will say that so far, cob construction is in the lead but nothing is decided yet of course.  I better also say that this post is mostly about some of my ideas, Heidi supports them but also has a ton of really great plans of her own for our future home.  

When it all comes down to it though, planning is fun, but none of us knows what will happen tomorrow. Having something to reach for is good for the spirit though! Now I really just need to get into shape!

Driving Change

Most folks that know Heidi and I well, know how much we enjoy Taj and the nomadic lifestyle. So why are we now, at least partially, changing direction? Coronal Mass Ejection? Peak Oil? The threat of economic meltdown? Angry Birds perhaps? 

Nah...None of the above. After facing our own dire health predictions for 40 some years, doomsday scenarios don't really get us too excited. Besides, we both believe "To live is Christ, to die is gain" 

Really, it is very much for the same reasons we both love VanTramping. We want to do as much as possible to live in simple, self sustainable ways but even a bit beyond that. We want to do whatever we can to help others in that same quest. We both believe that going for a complete and efficient off-grid style homestead will give us the best chance to accomplish those goals. 

This blog is still very much about VanTramping too. I expect at least half of what we blog about in the future to be very relevant to the nomadic lifestyle. From the tons of mods I still have planned for Taj to the ideas that can function in either mode(stationary or mobile), we will always share information relevant to life on the road. 

Realistically, it will likely take us two years or so to save enough to acquire the amount of land we want.(2.5 to 5 acres) In the meantime, lots of fun research and experimenting!. Solar & wind power generation, dome greenhouse, aquaponics, and a bunch more projects could get built ahead of time if things work out well. 

Perhaps one of the best reasons driving change is the overwhelming feeling that it is the right direction for us. The more we think about it, the more it just makes sense.   

      

Heidi Won!

To say that leaves poor Taj a bit concerned is far beyond an understatement! Terrified would be much closer! There has always been the threat of chickens looming, but not being one to only go half way, my Sweet Heidi has upped her game and added a miniature cow!  Well, as one who is easily sucked in by cute little animal faces and my precious wife, I completely caved. 

Sorry Taj, Deal with it! Okay, just kidding, there will not be cows tied to Taj's bumper or chickens driving (Go ahead, I left that door wide open). There is however a new plan! A major change actually, and it is one that has been coming for some time. 

Us road loving VanTramps are going to start looking for a little piece of land here on the Olympic Peninsula to do an off-grid something or other...Not sure what exactly that will end up being quite yet, but likely at least a "docking station" for Taj and maybe an outdoor kitchen (firebrick oven), possibly a craft studio and or maybe even a cabin. We are just in planning stages and saving up so who knows what the final result will be. I do know that Taj will be a continuous part of it and the modding and fun will continue. 

For the blog, it just means there will be a wider variety of topics shared. A lot more homesteading, gardening and off-grid type topics. Also, of course at some point, cute little cow pictures and chickens too. You will probably start to see more of our hearts and beliefs being shared as well, I hope that doesn't scare anyone away, we are the same, just feeling like we have been holding back a lot that matters to us. 

On that note, assuming no mass exodus by our readers, we will share more of our plans/goals soon!

Still Here!

We are still here that is! I am not so sure about the Glines Canyon Dam shown above though. They have finally been working to remove it in recent months. As part of the Elwha River Restoration, it is a very cool project that I may write more about in the future.

Ever had one of those days where you wake up and wonder what in the world you are doing? I had one of them a few weeks back. It has been building for a while, but for some reason, something clicked that day and it all came together in my head.  I had been in a bit of a holding pattern or perhaps even a "funk" of sorts.

I am pretty sure it is just that I am interested in so many various things that I lose focus. One of those things affected of course, has been the blog. No writer's block or lack of material, rather the opposite. I always have a ton of topics in my head. How does a person decide? I keep getting stuck at the part about catching a tiger by it's toe. There is never any info on how to catch him by the toe or where he gets $50 to pay even once, much less every day... 

Pretty sure I could sneak up on that sleepy little guy, but I really doubt he can cover the payment. And in any case, I couldn't force myself to wake him.

 I have never wanted to make this a daily blog where I feel compelled to share the dull stuff like what we eat every day or give a daily weather update. Not that I think there is anything wrong with sharing that stuff in a blog, it's just not my style I guess. I value the time of our readers here and will always do my best to hopefully share something worthy of that time. So on that note, as in the past, I won't be doing daily posts, but I do plan to get back at it on a much more consistent level.  I also have some new and hopefully interesting topics to share! Lots of mods in the works, some new plans, a new fun skill/hobby and a bunch more stuff I have always wanted to talk about. 

Thanks for sticking with us during my extended break! I will do my best to make sure it was worth your patience :) 

Finding Gold

 If you squint a little, maybe stick out your tongue and tip your head to the left, you will see there is a little gold in the bottom of that pan. A very little gold... This was found in a previous prospecting trip from a few years back.(the horrible picture is from then too). 

There are some really great things about gold prospecting as a hobby that fits very well with the VanTramping lifestyle! 

1) It is peaceful and entertaining. - Sitting beside a bubbling creek, slowly swirling away the layers of lighter material until you can see if the glimmer of gold shows up in the bottom of your pan.

2) Gold often is found in some of the most beautiful areas and that just happens to fit with our preferred surroundings!

3) You can make a little income from it. - You need a bit more than what I have above, and you likely won't get wealthy from it, but the price of gold is up there(about $1700 a troy ounce now) and it shows no signs of going down.

4) You don't need much equipment. - A good gold pan, small shovel,  and a snuffer bottle is enough to get started.

There are many prospecting clubs out there to join which gives you access to their gold claims which many can be parked on or near, overnight. A couple good examples are:

http://www.washingtonprospectors.org 

and of course

http://www.goldprospectors.org

Over the years, I have hunted gold with various methods including metal detectors, highbankers, gas powered dredges and more. They all work well, but I am finally settled down to just using a small 2' sluice box and basic panning gear. I really enjoy the more relaxed, simple and quiet way it works out. 

Right now, we have our gear packed neatly in Taj's storage areas, but in the near future, I would like to get a small framed backpack and configure it all so it can be grabbed quickly. 

Prospecting is definitely a fun hobby! I am always curious how many of our friends on the road enjoy it too!