The Annual Coping with Winter Thread

[jbeegoode]

Ditto with Nuduke. I'd love to here a running diary of the experience and a few pics from seasons. Heck, start your own thread, "Creating Eden."
Jbee

[eyesup]

That, Alf, sounds like a dream come true. Congrats on the find.
Having the ability to spend unlimited time naked, doing whatever is needed sounds like a paradise.

To reinforce Jbee's request, photos and reports on the progress of "raising" a cabin and all the work to straighten-up the place, would be a wonderful treat.

Duane

[Greenbare Woods]

Snow is piling up on top of snow still left from November.  I could use some "global warming."

Hang in there, Bob!

I saw in the news that the Blackfeet Indian tribe, near Glacier National Park, declared a state of emergency because 4 ft. of snow was dumped in a recent storm.

It has not been normal weather here this winter. Not so much the temps, but more rain and cloudy days than is normal.

Duane

Yes, that is not far to the east of us.  That same storm came through here.  We only got about a foot of new snow though.  It got worse just east of us. 

Bob

[milfmog]

Alf,

Great to see you back on site; I was thinking about one of your exploits the other day (the key in the ice brick that refused to melt) and wondering what you were up to these days.

I'm curious (maybe nosey) but very roughly, what does a 100 acre plot of rough land cost in your neck of the wood? In my part of the UK we'd be looking at around £65,000 for five acres of woodland and even in cheaper regions like South Wales I'd need to front up well north of £30,000 for five acres. plots of 100 acres are almost unimaginable here.

Looking forward to reading your progress reports.

Have fun,


Ian

[eyesup]

That's $81,100 and $37,400 USD respectively for 5 acres. Wow!

Duane

[jbeegoode]

Cheap! 10 acres rock and cactus east of me $180 with well. North $140,000 no well and needs $20,000 just for the driveway grading! Can't grow nothin', great views. Scrub way out of town, no internet, $30,000 water and utilities on 5 acres. More rural less, most likely.

Sunshine seems to cost more than trees?
Jbee

[milfmog]

I should probably note that the prices I quoted above are for locations where there is precisely zero chance of being granted permission to build. A site with potential for building would be vastly more expensive.

Have fun,


Ian.

[eyesup]

To get cheap land here you have to be a fair distance from any town. Which is what I would prefer, but anywhere close to the city and you are talking in excess of 150-200,000 per acre. The assumption is that you will be developing it in order to get a return.

If I wanted to buy land, I would do what Alf did. Get out and away from town.

Duane

[reubenT]

We bought 80 acres for under $20,000.     But that was over 30 years ago.   Rough mountainside in middle TN, 60 miles to the nearest larger city.   I've harvested several thousand dollars worth of trees from it every year since then.  A neighbor had 10 acres behind us originally, (lives 1.5 miles off the main road without line power)    but 17 came available and he bought it.  Then we discovered 20 acres that was in limbo that used to be part of our place.  (got dropped from the survey by incompetent surveyors.)   Since our neighbor offered to pay for a new survey we let him claim it,  but he told me I could have the timber.    So in all us and him ended up with 127 acres.  And I'm quite free to clear and use some of his land for agriculture as I can find time. (what pockets of usable land can be found on the mountainside)     Then there's 1000's of acres of land beyond that I can roam freely. A hunting club leases some from the timber company but they do only limited activity during hunting season, most of that on weekends.   

I've harvested trees a little faster than they grew, so I'm getting low on trees that need harvesting.  My brother and I started a trucking company, I drove 3 months,  that plus helping out with a land clearing project earned us half interest in a nice komatsu track hoe to clear land with.    But when hiring a driver it's not making me any money.  (I'd have to drive the truck myself to get paid and I would rather hang out and work with nature.)   Since I've always loved growing good things I'm fixin to scale it up a bit, try to boost quality with nutrient dense growing methods,  see if I can grow all my own food and enough to sell plenty.   But that involves producing biochar for fertility enhancement.   And that means endless firewood can be used.    So I need a convenient firewood processing machine.   Since I don't really like buying fuel to run things any more than minimal.  And my old 4x4 dodge had a  360 gas guzzler in it.    There's a transformation in progress converting the truck into something a bit different that will run on free fuel while it serves to collect that free fuel to heat house, greenhouse,  and biochar for soil carbon.   And I kind of enjoy roaming around the woods doing things anyway (loosing the fabric whenever possible of course) 

[eyesup]

The clearing of land reminded me that in East Texas, there is a part of the state referred to the Pineywoods and another called The Big Thicket. The names say it all. It's a densely overgrown region and land there is cheap because it is undeveloped. You know, you can't walk anywhere without a machete. If the land has been cleared for use it's more expensive.

Mountain land is tougher to get to and manage Reuben, probably why it so cheap. It sounds like you have managed to take work, pleasure, business and your naturist living philosophy and roll them all into one happy existence.

What a great way to spend a lifetime! I always enjoy reading what your latest projects are and how you manage to do as much as possible naturally.

Duane

[Greenbare Woods]

So here it is the last days of February 2017 and we've got 20F (-5C) and snowing.   We still have snow left from November.  This has been the longest and coldest winter in more than 40 years.   Our weather people say it may warm up a bit in a couple of weeks. 

Last year I started my BBQ season at the end of January.  This year, maybe the end of March.  I've gotten so tired of it and so pale skinned.   Some other places it must be better this year.  Maybe I'll move to Arizona and join JBee in the warm state.   

[nudewalker]

Our weather here continues to be over the top. Friday it was sunny with wind and just above 25C! Saturday we awoke to snow and falling temperatures with wind gusts near 30 MPH. Sunday morning it was sunny but -5C at daybreak. I did get out on Friday to enjoy the relative warmth but was somewhat shocked at my pale appearance also. I sure miss wintering in Florida but this year's plans fell through for a number of reasons. We did toy with the idea of Arizona next year but that's as far as that discussion has gotten so far.

[jbeegoode]

Our weather here continues to be over the top. Friday it was sunny with wind and just above 25C! Saturday we awoke to snow and falling temperatures with wind gusts near 30 MPH. Sunday morning it was sunny but -5C at daybreak. I did get out on Friday to enjoy the relative warmth but was somewhat shocked at my pale appearance also. I sure miss wintering in Florida but this year's plans fell through for a number of reasons. We did toy with the idea of Arizona next year but that's as far as that discussion has gotten so far.

Just think of it as an opportunity to work out any lingering white bunny tails. Speaking of white tails, I took a couple of city dwellers out to Havarock yesterday, when they came out to sweat. They were amazed by the quiet and then, three whitetail deer popped out. The literally had their jaws hanging open, stunned. Then, the javalina took note of us.

So, we have Bob threatening to come to Arizona and now Nudewalker and wife are in contemplation. Could we be having a free range naturist late-winterish gathering manifesting next year? Y'all come! The weather has been wonderful each week and then the weekend chills out and gets wet! This has been consistent, but for two weekends (second Sundays). Well, two o'clock to 5 yesterday was lovely when the sun popped out. Got a rainy day tomorrow and then mid 70F's for a while.
Jbee

[eyesup]

So, we have Bob threatening to come to Arizona and now Nudewalker and wife are in contemplation. Could we be having a free range naturist late-winterish gathering manifesting next year?

We'll need a place big enough to handle several people. Could be nice.

Duane

[ric]

here in somerset weve had a mild winter,  only one or two hard frosts, no snow and moderate amounts of rain.even in january we had several days when it was warm enough to ditch the clothes briefly arround mid day.
parts of the lawn are getting towards needing mowing. reckon ill put it off till march, which will have been a 2 month break....