Grrrls Need a Privacy Tent!!
It was a fun and admittedly funny Sunday at Freedom Acres! It started with Loren (Freedom Acres’ Head Gardener as she recently labeled herself … I think of her more like a Gardening Guru LOL) visiting the property. It is so great to be able to spend time with her … she brings so much light to the property. Her mission was to do some measuring of the land we will start the raised beds in. We have some raised beds to build!!!
She had not seen the latest additions: the Well, the Septic System and the Athie the JEEP! So after Gracie lost her mind being all excited to see her and greeting her, we took a little tour in Athie. We bumped and bounced along and Lauren got to see the whole property, just as I did the first time, from the JEEP. It was so much fun.
I had not been to the property myself since Hurricane Idalia so I wasn’t sure what we would find. I feel so blessed … Idalia had taken a turn NE and missed us. I have been sending my prayers for the folks in the panhandle that she did hit. But, Freedom Acres was unscathed. Yes, there were some branches down … but that kinda happens even in heavy rains … not much at all and there was no flooding or even standing water on the property. So, as Loren, Gracie and I rode along I hopped out and moved a few branches but it was really clear driving.
Good news is that the rains did help fill up more of the rainwater collection tank. There was about a foot more water in the tank … I would guess about 30 more gallons. Loren got to see that too …. this will be great starting water for the gardens and we know we can build other systems and fine tune things has we go.
Loren had given me a wish list of seeds to buy and I had my own wish list that included all kinds of fun flower seeds to attract butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. Let’s not forget the multiple packets of lavender seeds. Oh and artichoke seeds. I keep getting a hit to plant artichokes. I received them so got to be all proud of them with Loren.
Now mind you, Lauren knows what she is doing …. I am like a new visitor to the planet. I am learning as fast as I can but the sum total of all I know could fit on the head of a pin. I am busy learning, learning, learning … seasons, soils, temperatures, water, the moon, etc. I am like a sponge trying to absorb it all.
So, I was just proud to have gotten my first box of seed packets … not that I have never bought seeds before to try the random growing challenge, but this was a BOX of seed packets. I had bought a box of seeds and a Moon planting calendar. We shared and chatted as she got her measurements and then she was off to another friend’s farm. AND, Loren was kind enough to bring me some made-by-her-hands vegan veggie soup. I didn’t get to try it until I got home & it was delicious!!! So grateful.
After she left Gracie & I rode around and cleaned up some more branches and tended to the work for the day. The biggest adventure of the day, after Loren left, was to pitch a new kind of tent. Now, if you have been with me a few minutes you might recall that just recently I spent the first night on the property in a tent that installed in the Jeep bed. I was not doing that this Sunday. This tent was not to sleep in. This was a special tent. It was designed for what I am calling: a privacy tent.
What, you might ask, is a privacy tent??? Wellll … obviously it is a tent to have privacy in LOL. It is a tent that keeps things private that you want private. No, not to write encrypted messages in … although I guess you could do that to. It is a tent where you can go to the bathroom or take a shower! And why would you need that??? Can’t you just use the woods??? Yep, guess you could BUT, as I discovered the night I stayed on the property, you might not want to be wandering into the woods to do that particularly if it is dark out. And forget about showers if you don’t have something set up for it. Let’s face it … this Grrrl wants some privacy for these things. AND if anyone else might be wanting to stay here, particularly before I get buildings delivered and plumbing hooked up, they might want privacy too.
So, I put up the G4FREE privacy tent. It was so cool. has zip windows on each side, a zip door and little mesh bags on the sides that can hold toilet paper, soap, etc.. In the top is a Velcro opening that an outdoor shower hose can be run through. I got it all put together and staked it down from all four corners. Then I put in my new portable Camco camping toilet. Viola!!! All set now! Confession: I did not try it, yet … but it is there now. I am secretly preparing in case I might need to live on the property before my home shipping container gets delivered and hooked up to water & the septic LOL.
I brought another waterproof storage container with me and checked the container I had left on the property, before the storm, under a tarp. All was good and I moved a few things from container to container. I am slowly beginning to bring things to leave on the property like shovels, small tools and containers of water, etc. I tightened everything up again and re-staked the tarp down again.
I have created a BIG game for myself in terms of getting things complete so I can live on the property. Here is the hit list of what still needs to get done (mostly in this order):
1) Get Duke Power engineer on the property to determine where they can put the power pole.
2) Get overall permit, for the shipping container home and separate storage shipping container submitted to the county.
3) Get concrete slab foundation laid for storage shipping container and concrete piers/columns for home shipping container installed.
4) Get both separate containers delivered.
5) Get electrician to install electric station and take power from power pole to electric station and from there to connect to the well and the shipping container home.
6) Get internet/satellite service.
7) Get plumber to hook up well and septic system to the home.
8) Install basic appliances and furniture, etc. in the shipping container home.
If I can at least get through #6 I can move on the property comfortably (In part thanks to the new privacy tent LOL). I can even do it if I have up through #4 done – I could use my solar generator for a little while and my wireless phone as a internet hotspot.
It is funny how each step along the way I get more clear what I need to live vs what I want to live. It all becomes so interesting how few needs I really have. A shelter over my head, food, water and a way to work so that I can keep paying for all of this work to continue to get done.
As for work, I have had my own businesses for the past 20 years and what I currently do is life and business coaching. It is all done by phone and my clients are all over the world. I seem to have good cell service on the property (thus the ability to use my phone as a hotspot). For my client base outside of the US I mostly use WhatsApp … that is where the additional internet service comes in handy for WiFi … but I guess I could figure that out too with solar generator and panels to hook up to. I have stopped questioning if can make things happen … I now just go straight to how I will do it, preferably with as little interruption to my work as possible. I have a strong background in technology, with both a creative and engineering brain, which helps.
Truth is: I have worked completely by phone for way over a decade, I have coached from cars, trains, airplanes and have traveled to various countries, for extended periods of time, and been in many situations that have been less than ideal by 1st world country standards and always managed to keep coaching. It will all work out!! It always has. So I will figure this out too!
As usual, I have posted videos of this whole adventure on the Freedom Acres YouTube Channel. This week there are videos of the privacy tent, a tour of the property by jeep post hurricane, an update on the rainwater collection tank and naturally Gracie is continuing to make guest appearances in various videos. Feel free check them out by clicking HERE. Also, feel free to subscribe and you can get notified when new videos go up! 🙂
This week I am back to moving the various pieces still left to manage. It will be similar to the last few weeks: I will get the power company moving and get the engineers scheduled and be able to get estimates for the power pole to get installed and get that work scheduled. We will also get the overall permit in for the shipping container home and the storage shipping container which will enable me to meet a contractor on the property next Sunday to get determinations about the concrete foundations we need for those shipping containers and get that work scheduled early next week. I never know how fast or slow things will go. I keep trusting the Universe and now I am playing my game to be living on the property by 10/7/23. Please do keep sending good MoJo to Freedom Acres and Gracie and I for all of the continued progress. It is so much appreciated!!! I send you love and freedom til the next week!!
