Hello Everyone!
What a misadventure it has been, Staying cooped up, A heating solution that mostly works & Ugh I am just over it!
Alright, it has been a while since I have taken the time to make one of these entries... but alas here I am once again doing what I can to spell out my ponderous thoughts. If nothing else this particular 'adventure' has proven itself to not just be a total 'misadventure' but also a total pain in the butt to get into any sort of meaningful routine in regards to writing about it.
The months (now a little over nine of them) spent living in a tent on an exposed hill... with no privacy or seclusion with bad neighbors to boot... has been a real test of my fortitude in more ways than what I am willing to spell out here. Coming into this thing, I knew that it was all a massive gamble... and ultimately my success or failure to make the place a home would hinge on what sort of neighborhood I found myself in.
I guess that last part is rather self-evident, so I best not start harping on that aspect overly much... or this entry will get way off track and amount to me doing more venting than I really want to commit to. The only real 'silver lining' to it all, is that it has reaffirmed to me just how hellbent some folks actually are upon making other folks (that are not like them) lives as much of a living hell as possible.
The winter has been a bear to get through and I have given up on trying to go on hikes, do any of my usual winter chores (like removing poison ivy while the sap is frozen) or any number of things to just be outside... and not spend all my time cooped up indoors. My main reason for that is because my once 'long fuse' has grown incredibly 'short' as of late... and I just do not trust myself to not react towards other folks harassment of me in a way that would end well.
As much as it sucks to admit it, I think that the only way that I will ever find any kind of 'peace' here is by walling (fencing) the entire place in with a very tall privacy fence. Which is in and of itself not quite enough... because unless I get some big dogs (like boerboels or black Russian terriers) I doubt that even creating privacy would make me feel 'safe' here.
Of course I do not 'live in fear' or any horseshit like that... but I do have a keen sense of self-preservation and know better than to let my guard down considering the kind of folks that I am dealing with. I mean really, all I wanted to do was 'retire' to a little plot of land, live in peace, grow my black locust trees and be left the heck alone to live my life as I see fit.
Anyways, all that jazz aside I have thankfully been staying warm enough using just my recirculating oil heater for heating the tent... but I gotta say that when the temperature gets below twenty-two degrees (-5.5 Celcius) the heater does not quite do the trick even on its highest setting. Since I have had a heck of a time finding a reliable ride to get my propane tanks filled... I have been solely reliant on it and without supplemental heat (on those bitterly cold days and nights) I tend to just layer up in all my warm clothes and huddle close with the dogs to stay warm.
One of my other major challenges has been finances because although using that delivery service for goods (especially drinking water) is a life saver... it is also rather expensive. No complaints there or anything given what a lifeline it is... but between that and not writing it has been an incredible struggle to cover my expenses each month let alone have a semblance of a healthy diet.
Given that I also have multiple bills each month now, I am unsure that even if I were writing each day that I would make enough to cover everything. Not to harp on it too much... but even before this phase of my life my paltry earnings from the writing were... well... paltry!
Well, on that note I think that I have invested enough time here for the moment... and can see that I am just going to start spiraling if I continue on anymore with this entry. I hope that everyone is doing well or something like that. Ta ta for now.
Are you still going to get a shed?
Yes. I got most of the heavy machinery work done to create a flat spot. We could only get one day of work done on it though before weeks of rain and snow hit and turned everything into a mud bog. Been waiting on it to dry up to finish the leveling before moving the building.