Yesterday was howling winds, pouring rain and 55°. It’s the beginning of December. In Maine!! Our yard looks like the end of March or April. I had to pull my husband’s work van out of the mud, with the side by side, this morning at 4:30. Did I miss a season? I returned from sunny Florida a few days ago.  The last time I saw the sun was on the plane above the clouds. As we were descending, there was a thick blanket of white and then grey. Grey, gloomy skies. Blahh. I’m not only feeling it, but our solar power is too. Hoping for an appearance today as it’s still early.

Up on the hill we don’t need power of any sort. Everything that is a necessity runs off propane; i.e cooking stove, fridge, heaters and lights. With time, came the extra power sources that has made home even more comfortable.

Over the years we’ve picked up a few items here and there. My parents,  who are avid campers, also helped us out with some pretty great holiday gifts. When the girls were younger, they had gotten us a battery pack/ car booster for Christmas. The girls were able to plug their portable DVD player in and watch a movie as they snuggled down into their beds. Another Christmas, I got Jesse a portable solar generator. Even though it came with a small solar panel , it could also be charged by simply plugging into an outlet. We kept it charged at all times, it was nice to have on hand when we lost power at the house. At the Schoolhouse, we use it to run the fan on the propane heater, to push the hot air and to charge phones or other battery packs.

Since we have all propane, we could get a propane generator, but our gas Honda 2200 runs everything we need for those creature comforts. Living in a small space, we don’t have much.

With two dogs (one being a St. Bernard/Newfoundland) and four cats (3 long haired), being able to vacuum is a must for me. Even before we lived here, I would use my father’s Honda 2000, and vacuum every few weeks. I’m slightly OCD and a neat freak. Okay..a bit more than slight. But being able to vacuum was one of the biggest things for me. Sweeping just doesn’t cut it. All that does is shift hair around and drive me batty.

Last November, we purchased our own generator. The portable and quiet Honda 2200watt. We ran that all winter, somedays, all day. Especially when we were both quarantined for 3 weeks last March. Since we don’t have a service panel, we ran an extension cord into the house from the woodshed with a surge protector power strip. (Note: Generator was put outside away from doors and windows while in use) It ran the holiday lights (indoor and out), our 2 lamps (with LED bulbs), 36inch television, tv antenna, Scentsy burner, Roku and of course the vacuum (while vacuuming, I do shut all other electronics off). We’re also able to run other small appliances and charge up battery packs and rechargeable batteries, such as the one we have for our shower head (if you missed that blog, read Don’t worry…We’re not dirty Hillbillies).o

Then it was time to get some solar lights. Good ones that lit up the entire yard. Taking the dogs out at night or early morning can be a bit eerie.  Especially knowing what could be lurking just a few feet away in the pitch dark.  Sometimes it’s so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face.  We grabbed a few Brink’s motion detector spot lights and installed those. So much better then a headlamp!! I even got one to put IN the woodshed.  I hung the charging panel outside and installed the motion light inside.  When I open the door…boom…the light comes on (. No more holding the flashlight while trying to get wood.

You can find so many handy gadgets that are solar and battery now. From outdoor lights, string lights, generators, radios (we have a hand crank radio) to reading lights. My parents got me a nice solar clamp reading light for Christmas probably 10 years ago. It still works. I just leave it in a window when I’m not using it to recharge. Our kitchen is dark over the sink and in the corner by the fridge. I use to find dishes that weren’t completely clean or we were struggling to find things in the fridge. We found a 2 pack of 70 lumens LED battery operated lights that brighten up the darkest corners. Dishes are now clean! The best part…. we were able to mount them on the ceiling and they came with a remote.  We also use other handheld LED lights, with convenient switches. It’s actually looks like a large light switch with a magnet. Getting up in the middle of the night, half asleep,struggling to find the “on” button  on a lantern is not fun. With the tin walls, the magnet holds the switch to the walls. Super convenient when coming into a dark house at night.

This summer we invested in some solar. One panel with 4 batteries.  This meant no more going outside, at night, in a blizzard to shut the generator off. It is now just a flick of the switch inside. On a super sunny day, the batteries charge up in no time. However, cloudy, nasty days like the past 3 days, it needs a little help. So we do run the generator for a few hours to fully recharge.  Late morning we’ll start the generator (that’s usually when I vacuum anyways) and again in the evening. Right now I have at least 10 sets of holiday lights (non LED), so I run the generator for them, as to not fully drain the batteries. To make turning the holiday light on and off easier for myself, I plugged them all into their own power strip. Much easier than unplugging each individual cord.

Routine and habit seem to be the key to keeping everything up and running.  Being mindful of turning things off to not waste energy and remembering to charge things while the generator is running. While in Florida,  I found myself walking through the house turning off lights in empty rooms. Numerous times.

Come mornings, I just flick the switch and there’s still enough stored power to watch the morning news while drinking my coffee. I sit in the gas light glow until the sun rises…and Thankfully it did.

One of the first questions I’m asked is “How do you shower?” or told “I couldn’t go without showering” with a look of disgust. Seriously? I shower. Regularly. I’m cleaner than some individuals who have indoor plumbing. Believe me. I spend 97 percent of my time getting head to toe filthy. I’d look like Pigpen from the Peanuts, with a dirty aura, if I didn’t shower.

The Schoolhouse has zero plumbing. None. Before we moved here we took “Horse baths”. The girls were little, so instead of calling it a”whores bath”, we went with horse. Sounded better for little ears. Years passed before they knew the actual term. We’d heat the water up in kettles and pots on the gas stove that we got from the natural spring and spread a towel out on the floor. Taking turns, we’d wash our hair over the cast iron farmers sink ,that was piped outside, followed by a sponge bath wipe down. It worked for long weekends or extended stays. Needless to say, a hot shower always felt amazing once we returned to the house.

The year before we moved, we remodeled our bathroom at the house. It was much needed and a project I dumped my time and heart into. Being a 100 year old house, nothing was level, nothing was square and it had a dormer (which was a bitch to trim out!). I loved the end results. Compared to what it previously looked like, it felt like a spa. Then we moved. No more pretty bathroom. For the first few days I took the old faithful “horse bath”. I had to brainstorm quickly. I could only “horse bath” for so long. I needed to be able to fully wash and rinse myself without soaking the wood floors. With a whole lot of online searching I found a large galvanized washtub and a rechargeable battery operated showerhead. I was pretty ecstatic when they arrived. Once charged, the battery attaches to a cord, the other end of the cord screws into the top of a submersible pump. The pump then pushes the water through a tube that has a showerhead connected. Voila…a shower. I was impressed. Surprisingly, the pressure was good too. I continued to shower in the kitchen standing in the washtub and trying not to spray water everywhere. I needed a shower curtain. How was I going to do that so it was moveable and not in the way? Where would I put it?? We only have so much room.

Being an old Schoolhouse, there are attached outhouses. Girls side and Boys side. Both are, as I say, double pot or 2 seaters. Yes, two people can go simultaneously. (I have friends who think it’s the bestest thing ever.) The back wall of the main building has two doors that lead to the outhouses, which are connected by a breezeway that has a high partition to separate the sides. Since we only need one outhouse for 2 of us we used the other side for storage. I decided to use the breezeway on the storage side for our shower area. It was perfect since there was already a ventless propane heater hanging on the wall to warm up the space. I then bought a swinging arm shower curtain rod, that folds flat against the wall when not in use and two shower curtains. One curtain I hung along the wall with each end attached to the rod, then I hung the second as you normally would across the front. When I set the large galvanized tub on the floor and close the curtain, it’s entirely encased. Problem solved. My 3 gallon pot that I heat water up in sets on the bureau and the showerhead hangs from the curtain arm over head. The on/ off switch for the pump, is also hung on the arm, so water isn’t wasted while I wash. Yes, taking a shower with continuously running water is great, but you need to be able to carry the tub out to dump it. Maneuvering through doorways, over and around animals and furniture can get tricky. 3 gallons is plenty. When I’m done, I hang the bucket up and push back the curtain. It’s not beautiful, but it does the job.

During the warmer months I prefer showering outside. I use to use a shower bag, just around the back of the house, but they were a pain in the butt and HEAVY! Plus the pressure sucked and it was just all around awkward. I’d rather take a “horse bath”. I figured this summer I’d build a platform and continue using the pot and battery showerhead. Then I decided to hang a shower curtain on one side for more privacy. Well, the hill is windy and showering with a blowing curtain is not only annoying but pointless. Even after I tacked the bottom down. Nope. Not working for me. My gears got going again, at this point in the summer, pressure treated lumber and plywood was through the roof and hard to find. I decided to go with galvanized roofing for the sides. Super affordable for the lower grade stuff. Using the platform I already had, I built the body frame out of left over lumber we had from laying the wood shed floor. Within a few hours and some paint, it was done. Showering outside is the most freeing feeling and as back to Nature as you can get.

The battery operated showerhead was a game changer. Not just for us, but our big old 140 lb dog, Willa. Being a St. Bernard/Newfoundland she has a thick under coat and tends to get smelly during the warmer months, she literally sweats. Plus being mostly white, she tends to look gross. Half a bottle of shampoo and five gallons of water later, out on the lawn, she’s clean and not happy. But I am. I’m telling you, good pressure to get through that coat!!

We didn’t want to screw around with tankless water heaters. We didn’t want to try figuring out how or even where we could do a shower stall indoors and worry about how to drain it out. Nor did we want to worry about moisture issues. The set up we have works quite well. Next spring we will set up a rain barrel system to collect water during the warmer months and continue doing what we’re doing. Hopefully we’ll get rain, unlike this past year.

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.

It’s November 10th, 7am and 50°.  A strange occurrence for Kingsbury, especially on the Hill. Weather that I don’t take for granted. These days are far and few from here on out. I guess it’s just following the rest of the years crazy pattern.  Summer was abnormally warm, with dead air. We almost always have a breeze (If it’s windy elsewhere, it’s hurricane winds here). The breeze is perfect in the spring, aka black fly season, it helps keep them at bay and not such an annoyance, plus drys up the mud. In the summer it lessens the feel of the humid air. That wasn’t the case this year. Then it turned cold. Quick. No happy medium to prepare our bodies. We had a stretch of cold weather in early October, that felt like November, and the wind returned with a bitter bite.  Thought for sure winter was here to stay, apparently not. By the look of the Wooly Bear Caterpillars brown bands, they are predicting a mild winter.  I translate that to less snow, more ice.  I prefer more snow. For now, I’ll appreciate this Indian Summer. More so, since we are DONE WINTERIZING!! 

Last year, at this time, we were unpacking and figuring out what to do with our belongings in 400sq ft.  At the same time, buttoning up the house that has zero insulation.  None. We’d stayed here in the winter months during the girls school vacations and weekends in the past.  The most we had ever done was put plastic sheeting on the windows or wool blankets during the really cold snaps and make sure everyone had warm bedding. The plastic was only done once on the main windows and never again. I couldn’t stand not being able to see outside. We did continue to cover the windows in the breezeways since we’d only walk past them to go to the outhouse or woodshed.  We decided we were going to do all that we could to keep the house cozy. We knew it was going to be a long winter on the Hill.

We purchased plexiglass for the four huge 8×4 single pane windows.  When we ordered them we had them cut to size and holes predrilled.   I bought numerous rolls of foam weather stripping and stuck it to the glass around the edges. Careful not to crack the plexiglass, we used screws with washers to attach to the outside window frames.   We no longer had drafts and the shades didn’t move.  I need to get on the ball and order some for the smaller kitchen windows.  It made a huge difference and they never fogged up or built up condensation. You never would have known they were there.

The Schoolhouse sits on cement footings and has a crawlspace.   On the east and west side of the foundation there are these creepy little windows (all I can think of is It) to allow the air to circulate.   I built screens this spring for the warmer months and in the late fall I covered them with insulation board.  We banked the house with plastic once again this year.  Once snow starts flying I shovel the snow around the foundation.   I personally don’t like using hay.  I don’t want mice getting cozy close to home and bagged leaves would be blown away (the wind here is that strong).  With area rugs and wool socks, your feet stay warm.

I’m curious to see what difference the woodshed makes this year.  The woodshed is attached by a breezeway (both just up on blocks) and the door is old.  Very old.  Last year I hung the wool blankets (since we didn’t need them for the windows) over the door.  I double layered!  Right up until this summer, the woodshed had a dirt floor.  You always knocked from the inside and said hello before you entered. With only one window and half of that covered with boards, it was pretty dark, even on a sunny day, you never knew what might have made it’s way in. This spring we emptied the woodshed and layed a floor.  Due to Covid 19, pressure treated was impossible to get your hands on, we opted for 2×6 hemlock and painted the stringers with an oil based paint. Underneath, a moisture barrier was layed down to prevent rotting, using heavy plastic. Once the ply wood was layed for the floor, all seams were caulked and insulation was blown into crevices and gaps, then painted. I do know that by putting the floor in, it made a huge difference with the little critters getting in.  I’d lay in bed at night and hear scurrying and scratching over head or in the walls.  I haven’t since and neither have the cats.

Speaking of mice.  If they can get in, obviously the cold air can too.  Over the years I have caulked or used canned insulation to fill gaps and holes.  When our gas range, an old Vulcan, died and needed to be changed out there was a hole in the floor from tubing years ago.  The only thing I had on hand was a beer bottle cap and caulking.   Macgyver here, tapped the cap in with a hammer and caulked over it. No more hole and one less entrance for mice. Fit like a glove. With 4 indoor cats, mice aren’t an issue anymore.  Every once in awhile one will get in and it turns into a wee morning hours game.

Just like any other Mainer, we burn wood.  It’s not our main source of heat, so we only get 3 cords for the season and still have plenty left in the spring.  Our main source is propane, as are the lights, fridge and cookstove .  We do use an old wood cookstove in the cooler months not only to cook, but to take the chill out of the air.  Wood has a different heat and comfort then any other source. Years ago we had a wood heating stove.  I hated it. I’d wake up with sweating palms and knee caps, gasping for cooler air.  All windows and doors would be flung open regardless of the temperature outside.  The propane heater can be regulated and adjusted as needed and with the tin walls and ceiling, the house heats beautifully. Best part, you don’t have to screw around starting a fire in the morning or evening. Instant heat. 

When we first mentioned staying in Kingsbury, we were told it’s a whole other world. This was not news to us, as we’ve stayed here throughout the year in all seasons. One of our daughters was convinced we’d freeze. Then again, she lives in Florida and thinks 40° is cold now. I figured since we just finished preparing for winter, I’d share our tricks on how we stay warm and cozy in an 1830’s Schoolhouse. We’ll see what Old Man Winter has in store. For now, I will continue to enjoy this beautiful November weather, high of 74° at noon, on the Hill.  Ridiculousness. But I’ll take it!

The Schoolhouse came back to life in 1956, when Jesse’s grandparents, Arlie and Effie, purchased the 1830’s building from the Plantation.  For years they used it as a seasonal home, staying throughout the summer right up to Thanksgiving, where they hosted dinner for the growing family.   Years went by, age came along.  Arlie passed away and Effie’s visits became fewer and fewer due to declining health.  Although, at one point, a ramp was put up to get her in when she was able to visit.  She truly loved the Old Schoolhouse. Eventually,  the old building would just sit empty, with bits and pieces of their lives scattered about and tucked in drawers and it began showing its age as well.

The first time I stepped foot into the old building,  I fell in love.  The tin walls, ceilings…unbelievable.  Dark hard wood floors and large windows that let in the afternoon sun..Cozy.  The coat room turned into a galley kitchen with its farm sink..Quaint.  And best of all…the chaulk boards…Amazing. It was covered in names of people who have been there to visit over the years. (That has remained a rule of the house)

After sitting vacant for 13 years, we decided it needed some love and attention.   Fresh paint, endless replacement of glass panes, removal of the contents of drawers, since the mice had been living there quite comfortably for sometime, were just the beginning.   For 16 years, here and there, we’ve put our hearts into the Schoolhouse.   Replacing rotting sills, leaky roofs, a leaking front door that was rotting the wood floor, where water and snow just sat.  More glass panes and even an entire window, that a porcupine had chewed to get out when it got trapped in the outhouse  (that’s another story in it self).

July 2019, Jesse and I discussed selling  our family home and downsizing.  Once the girls all grew and moved out, it felt far too large and empty. That same week we listed the house and it sold in just as few months.  The idea of packing up that house was daunting.   STUFF. SO. MUCH. STUFF.

This is where my first tips of my blogs come in….

Downsizing & Simplifying

Since the Schoolhouse had been our 2nd home for the past 16 years, we actually had to go through two houses.  It wasn’t easy deciding what would stay, be stored or go. And believe me, a lot went. GONE. By gone, I mean: definitely trash, donated, given away or sold.  The easiest part was letting go of anything electric.  Being off-grid you can only run so much off a 2200 watt generator. And it’s SO freeing and cleansing!! Look at it as a fresh start.

• Boxes and totes: boxes are used for items ‘going’ or for transport.   Totes are ideal for storage.   They hold their shape, have locking lids, and stack beautifully.  Much easier to label than a cardboard box too.
• Start in one room. I started in our kitchen.   Cabinet are a never ending abyss. The stuff that accumulates is ridiculous.   I didn’t even know I had 2 blenders.  And…I found spices that dated out 6 years prior.  Throw expired foods. And…Why do we need 30 glasses? Or 3 crockpots?  I’m not a caterer! Keep only what you actually use and need.  Your favorite nesting mixing bowls, your pyrex cookware, what ever suits your fancy.  Chances being if you haven’t used it in year, you DON’T NEED IT. Same thing happens in bathrooms. Out dated sunscreen and makeup, 6 bottles of shampoo under the sink, 4 hair brushes.  We accumulate STUFF.  Keep only what you need.  The things you use daily.
• Choosing what to keep for decor/ knick knacks.  I’m not a knick knack person.   Unless it has meaning. Just something else to dust. One of the first trips I made was with my prize possessions.  My few Willow Tree and Pixies figures, canvases of the grandkids and gnomes.  Living in 400 square feet, you only have so much space.  Especially when one entire wall is all windows. If it has sentimental meaning, makes you happy and you haven’t had it packed off in some closet, forgetting you even had it, by all means keep it.  If you forgot about it, you probably don’t need it.
• Look at the space you actually have.   Our house had numerous rooms. We moved to One room. Think about the furniture.  Does this piece function?  Can it be repurposed?  Will it even fit? When it came time to move the large pieces we used a truck with a landscaping trailer and an SUV. One trip.  Out of our entire house, that was all we had left. 
• We tend to hold on to useless things. Even broken things. Thinking someday down the road it will be fixed and serve purpose. Be real…chances are it won’t. I personally used a tip from one of our daughters when she moved. If it’s been packed up for years and you don’t know what’s in it, you clearly haven’t used it or missed it. Send it…

It may sound harsh and maybe insensitive, but downsizing and simplifying does take will power. Once you’ve plowed through all the stuff, that is literally just that, you feel accomplished.