And now, for the rest of the story...

In my line of work I do get a chance to talk to some rather different people, but the ones I really like to give a whammy to are the normal folks. I was talking to this couple the other day, that was complaining on the drive into Home Depot. When I informed them of my drive, we started talking about living of the grid.

Now I'm no expert on the subject but I do have an intimate knowledge on the basic workings. For starters, it's expensive, very expensive. Not only does it cost a lot more in gas to live outside of a town; but add to that the extra cost of gasoline to run the generators, propane for the refrigerator, hot water heater, stove, BBQ, heater, and backup generator and there is a significant investment. Don't forget the water you need to haul in, and trash you haul out. I always forget that stuff!

So that takes care of the immediate concerns, now keep in mind the need for batteries (12v and others), wood, and anything you may need right away. First aid, personal hygiene products, pet food, Etc. point is, out this far from town (not that many miles, but time, wear and tear on the cars can become an issue!) you need to be self sufficient; and I think we can agree that, that is not one of our societies strong suits!

Second, living off the grid is not carefree! Don't listen to those granola eating, sandal wearing, tree huggers! Life out here has a lot of concerns. Road conditions, weather, battery life, water supply, and the rest of the supplies you need to have to survive are a constant worry. The minute you let your guard down, you'll find yourself in the shower running out of water! (not saying that has happened to me! Yet.)

So why do it?

Simple, it is a beautiful place to live. There are less distractions on a day to day basis. I don't deal with noisy neighbors, dogs barking (unless they're mine) cars driving fast down the street, or kids tearing things up. I guess for me it is nice to know there is life away from the TV.

And when all is said and done, life should be an adventure worth living, and damn it, we're living an adventure!