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| Sometimes Life Must Be Pondered |
I've put a lot of thought into where we are lacking as homesteaders and I think our biggest issue is time. For instance, I haven't been on my horse for over a week (That's Just Not Right) ***Edit: Since I began writing this post, I have had some time to ride yipeee!**. Life has changed a bit since the time of the real homestead movement West. Now it's necessary to leave the home to find work... whereas "work" used to consist of living/survival: finding the essentials- food, water, and shelter. That's not to say it's not work to live, quite the opposite really (we experienced this first hand spending our first winter in a travel trailer). Especially in a climate with true seasons, keeping a garden, tending animals, and preparing for winter can consume a day and leave you longing for more hours and energy. Add a full time job, building a house, driving to town, raising youngins and we are left trying to pencil in time for hunting season, pasture fencing, garden fence building, etc. I'm not a big fan of the constant chaos, but we are not afraid of pulling up the old boot straps either.
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| And Sometimes... Life Must be Lived... In Costume |
Outside the home, I have started in on a regular schedule at work (as a bonafide Registered Nurse) . While I still struggle with leaving home so often, the reality is, it's awfully nice to have a paycheck rolling in. Personally, it's been gratifying finally completing SOMETHING, and finding myself in a career that is truly fulfilling for myself as a person and for the opportunity it provides my family. I love caring for others, and while it's a steep learning curve, it's equally satisfying. I'm challenged daily, and amazed every moment by the people who cross your path.... It's the start of something grand, that's for sure.
Back at home, the work continues. Days off are morning to night construction projects, interspersed with cool off sessions in the pool, lake, or whatever cool body of water we can find. A big accomplishment we have made though, in the last few weeks----- the roof rafters. Your average modern home is built with pre-constructed joists; they come in on a big truck, all stacked neatly, bearing with them the amazing metaphor that is a roof-- that which blankets all your family's hopes and dreams. The truck driver places them with a boom type truck, and poof, there you go... a roof.
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| Ridge Beam |
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| Cam Below Ridge Beam |
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| The 1st And Hardest Day of Roof Work |
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| Satisfaction |
'Tis but a figment of our imagination when building was so simple, and your driveway was wide enough to get said truck down. 2016 is a different story. This go round, we are building our own roofing system. Rafters, brackets, and lots and lots of sweat is what our roof is made from.
This would have been a good project to have had a camera crew. Speaking of crew, ours is generally one man, one woman-- apart from several days of family aid-- Praise the Lord for those. Our system looked a bit like this: the top of our house is almost 30 feet in the air. There is a huge ridge beam which spans the entire length of the house (that was another great feat in ancient engineering). Our mission: to get 24' rafters connected to ridge beam and outside wall. Now to the average orange shirt wearing, farmers tanned construction man plus crew and machinery, this probably wouldn't have been too big of a deal, but remember the one man one woman and minimal machinery part? This is how it went: Cam cut and prepared the rafters and got 5-6 ready to hang. then he walked up to the second story, up a ladder to the scaffolding he made that ran within reach of the ridge beam. Meanwhile, I lugged the rafters through the downstairs window and positioned them at a just so angle, and proceeded to hoist them over my head at full arm extension, awkwardly setting the edge on the second story. Then, I'd run up to the second story and haul them up, connect one end to the C-clamp connected to a pully system on the ridge beam. We'd pull that end up to the ridge beam and set the other end on the wall. Repeat times 20 on both sides, plus four end beams, four larger beams, and two dormer window systems.
It took around two weeks, with several set backs, in over 100 degree weather. But, that metaphor of a roof, is in motion---and boy it looks great. There has been several parts to this house that have seemed impossible, but it's truly amazing what IS possible. Cam said even the guys at the local lumber store were impressed that just him and I were doing it--- adding a bit to our street cred around here, and adding much to our unshakable strength as a couple. **A big thanks to our Dad's and Mom's for coming to our assistance though--- you are always there when we really need it.
Well, there you go, a tale of true homesteading. No crews, no boom trucks, and too tired to enjoy the view at times. Four people, all together, working their buns off; lots of mistakes, frustrations, lots of sweat, and many things tacked on to next years to-do list. Trying to remember to take time to enjoy what we moved here for: rides in the mountains, rodeos, lakes, BBQ's with good people, camping, and of course not missing the childhood of those we did this for.
