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Thread: Hello from Texas

  1. #1
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    Default Hello from Texas

    North Central TX (NW of Ft. Worth) to be a bit more exact.

    I am a 50 something female with a significant other of almost a decade.

    Currently, I am blessed at being able to stay at home and do things here on the small farm. We raise Nubian Dairy Goats (that means 1-2X/day milkings as we do bottle/bucket raise). We also have horse (I used to teach English and western horsemanship), chickens, guineas, dogs & cats. We have had bees and plan on resuming that come spring. At one time I raised rabbits, but have not had any for a number of yeas, and due to dietary followings of my S/O, have mixed emotions of resuming the raising of them (he currently would not eat). We also work at gardening (raised beds, no-till and as organic as possible).

    When I did work....... I have drove truck (18-wheeler) hauling both OTR (over the road) and local (including oil field). Also have done the typical jobs of secretary, fast food, waitress and newspapers while I was in college in the 80's.

    Many could not live the way we do. We have NO indoor plumbing and NO air conditioning (remember we survive triple digit heat!). We do have electricity (sadly on the grid right now). In the winter, we heat our simple dirt floor cabin with wood. We also use a 1920's vintage wood burning cook stove! Currently, we are working on building a bath house which we will hook up to the well. We love using grey water and will also be able to connect a flush toilet to the existing (currently unused) septic. This will give us the LUXARY of having a shower!

    We do can and dehydrate many things. We also believe in being able to take care of ourselves should we have to. As of the present, many things we could survive at some level of comfort for at least a while. We do have holes in our preps, but I do not think that is uncommon.


  2. #2
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome.....
    Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
    Evoking the 50 year old rule...
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    Senior Member Pennsylvania Mike's Avatar
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    Hello and welcome from Virginia.

  4. #4
    Alaska, The Madness! 1stimestar's Avatar
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    Welcome from Alaska. Glad to have you here. Now we can be the north and south outhouse using girls club lol.
    Why do I live in Alaska? Because I can.

    Alaska, the Madness! Bloggity Stories of the North Country

    "Building Codes, Alaskans don't need no stinking Building Codes." Sourdough

    Yes, I have wifi in my outhouse!

  5. #5
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Hello and welcome.
    Can't Means Won't

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Welcome home.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by 1stimestar View Post
    Welcome from Alaska. Glad to have you here. Now we can be the north and south outhouse using girls club lol.
    LOL!!!!!!! Let me guess...... we are founding members?

  8. #8
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    Thank you to all who have welcomed me!

  9. #9
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    Welcome to Wilderness-Survival. I am from your general region. But my wife and kids prefer more reliance on the hardware store etc. and keep me busy fixing things... lol.

    Please share what y'all are learning about the "simpler" life.

    My "rabbit farm" near my primary home consists of the ones that eat the neighbor's landscape then wander into my yard... The supply seems to be endless. Tastes a bit like dark meat chicken thighs. Wife and kids will NOT eat it! They eat Chic-Fil-A, endless drain on checking account...

  10. #10
    Senior Member MrFixIt's Avatar
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    Welcome from GA! Sounds like you are going to fit right in!
    When all else fails, read the directions, and beware the Chihuahuacabra!

  11. #11
    Alaska, The Madness! 1stimestar's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tami/TX View Post
    LOL!!!!!!! Let me guess...... we are founding members?
    Lol, yep. That's ok, we're exclusive.
    Why do I live in Alaska? Because I can.

    Alaska, the Madness! Bloggity Stories of the North Country

    "Building Codes, Alaskans don't need no stinking Building Codes." Sourdough

    Yes, I have wifi in my outhouse!

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by TXyakr View Post
    Welcome to Wilderness-Survival. I am from your general region. But my wife and kids prefer more reliance on the hardware store etc. and keep me busy fixing things... lol.

    Please share what y'all are learning about the "simpler" life.

    My "rabbit farm" near my primary home consists of the ones that eat the neighbor's landscape then wander into my yard... The supply seems to be endless. Tastes a bit like dark meat chicken thighs. Wife and kids will NOT eat it! They eat Chic-Fil-A, endless drain on checking account...
    I don't see a lot of rabbits here...... nothing like I did when I lived in Colorado.........

    Used to travel a lot....... I see that you travel..... Used to go from CA to GA to SC and back to CA every week...... Driving. Sometimes we would go other places. I think the only state of mainland I have not been to is Maine.

    We do have a lot of reliance right now on the hardware store as well..... As we try to fix and do things. Always more jobs on a small farm than there is time or money to do.

    One of the biggest things for simpler is to think ahead a bit. Don't wait for an ice storm (yes, they are real in TX!) to get in the firewood. This winter, we would like to pull out the grain mill and start baking some REAL bread!

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by MrFixIt View Post
    Welcome from GA! Sounds like you are going to fit right in!
    Now...... Your signature line hits home. We can all relate to the first part. As to the second part...... Not to many years ago, less than 10 miles away, on a golf course, the body of a critter was found........ Still no confirmation that I know of as to what it was, but the headlines and all where calling it a "Chihuahuacabra"...... I remember the fear some folks had!

  14. #14

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    Welcome, I used to live in Slocum. Thanks for joining us.

  15. #15
    Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tami/TX View Post
    North Central TX (NW of Ft. Worth) to be a bit more exact.
    How far northwest? I'm in Stephenville, and I design solar arrays and battery racks for on and off grid systems. Depending on your power provider, the best thing to do might be to stay on the grid and take advantage of their solar incentives while building out a good solar system, then switch to an off grid inverter and batteries once you've got plenty of solar to meet your needs.

    Solar well pumps are also a big item for the area, mostly replacing windmills on livestock wells, but you could easily use one to keep an elevated cistern full so you have water pressure available for the shower, or use it to charge a pressure tank and just accept only having pressurized water when the sun is shining.

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