Back On Grid

6am. I’m drinking my coffee out on the patio and it’s noisy. I’m not use to so much commotion in the morning, much less all day. Kingsbury is so quiet, it’s loud.  The morning air is so still, you can faintly hear the wind turbines …whoom, whoom, whoom, off in the distance. Not the case this morning. Cars zooming by, aircraft over head, sirens blaring, annoying exhaust systems blasting by. Continously. Even the birds seem extra loud. I’m not in Kingsbury anymore, Folks.  I’m in Orlando.  Busy, busy, busy Orlando. Life here is so much different from where we live. Anything you could possibly need is around the corner, conveniently close by, with five options. Even then, you still don’t have to go. I had groceries delivered to the doorstep today! Here, everyday amenities are at hand. Lights at the flick of a switch. Running water to shower, flush, do dishes, wash hands and do laundry. That’s all a fairytale in Kingsbury.  At least at the Schoolhouse.

Our typical day starts early.  Like 3:30am early. Jesse gets up, lights the gas lights and starts the gas stove to brew the coffee, in our old faithful Coleman drip, which takes an agonizing 20 minutes. Therefore, my butt’s still in bed and rolls out half hour later or so. I’m one of those humans that functions after the minimum 2 cups (x-large oversized mug that is).  This morning, I turned on the Keurig and boom. Ready. Magical.  Getting in the shower this morning was just a turn of the knob and climbing in. Not at our house. It’s a routine.  Heat the water (if there’s not a pot on the heater already), start the propane heater in the shower area, set up the shower (which I’ll explain that another day). During the colder months I have to keep my shower caddy where it won’t freeze, so I have to remember to grab that before I get in.  Have you ever washed up with half frozen body wash and shampoo? It’s invigorating to say the least.  Not highly suggested.

Last night Kenz, our daughter, went to dinner. She mentioned it being 20 minutes away, as though it was far.  Ummm…the closest town, with a business, is a minimum 15 minutes for us.  I can drive to the grocery store and not see another vehicle until I get 4 towns over. For someone who detests shopping of any sort, the drive to the small grocery store makes it well worth it.  As I approach the town, I can see the range of the western mountains, which are beautiful anytime of year. Here, it’s just cars and buildings. Strip mall after strip mall. This one particular morning, I was coming over the hill and the town below was engulfed in fog.  I had to pull over and take a picture (below)  I’d never seen it look so ominous, but beautiful. I also always wonder to myself if this will be the day. The day I see a moose.  I haven’t seen one on that stretch of road in years. The girls always said that moose either hid from me or tried to kill me. I think they’re on to something. I’ve had a few close encounters. In AND out of the vehicle. If Orlando had moose, they’d be the least of my concerns.  People drive insanely here.  What’s the hurry?? Get to that red light and sit there for 5 minutes??  We don’t have red lights or stop signs.  We do have one whole Yield sign, that I just noticed. It had only been there for 3 months.  Ooops.

We love our quiet life on the hill. For years it was the place I would go to regroup and ground myself.  Take a breather from all the craziness of life.  I’d sit and listen to the quiet. I’d read. Ponder my thoughts. Scan the fields for critters. Breath in the clean air. Take an afternoon nap on the sunbeam flooded couch. I’d just be. I still do all those things and I appreciate the fact I can.  I love living a simple life that has slowed down.  Granted we haul our water from the spring, haul wood and have a few extra steps to daily tasks, but it makes us mindful of what we’re doing.  We’re also more mindful about waste and only using what we need.  We had an unusually hot summer and the natural spring stopped running. Our other water source is at our daughters houses so we had to plan ahead and not be wasteful of what we had on hand.  October finally brought a fair amount of rain and the spring came back to life. Mother Nature came through once again.

I remember a handful of times when we’d lose power at the house, I’d want to go to the Schoolhouse. It was just easier to pack a bag of clothes and food. We didn’t have to depend on “the grid”. We had everything we needed, lights, heat, fridge, the ability to cook, a water source and a useable bathroom. Simple simplicity. So when I return to the hills in a few weeks, I will happily quarantine, as I keep myself entertained decorating for the Holiday’s.