# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > General Homesteading >  Finally did it... Now what?

## Tootsiepop254

Finally off grid! Well, sort of lol.

Beginning of the month the City Boy Husband and I moved to a place in Oak Run, CA. Unfinished house, with an old cabin on 1.75 acres. We happily moved ourselves, horses, birds and milk goats up into the mountains of Shasta county - and made every mistake in the book so far.

The move left us broke, so no generator. There is no well on the property, so we've been relying on rainwater collection for the critters and washwater. Finally figured out the wood stoves lol. 

Our first day there, dropped off the horses and worldly possessions, went back for the rest of the animals (chickens, muscovey ducks and milk goats) and our stuff got stolen. Sheriff says if we don't have documents proving ownership we can't get it back (where are the armed men to help me get my property back). Sigh.

Perhaps the biggest sin... CBH and I are both driving small cars. My exploder is sitting in mom's backyard with a blown radiator awaiting taxes.

We DO have propane. Anyone want to come help us get this place in order? LOL.

Missed y'all, my cell service is limited to in town trips so I'm hit or miss.

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## hunter63

Welcome to the Great Adventure........Congratulations.
Think about how your fore-fathers (or is the four fathers) loaded everything in a wagon and headed out over 2000 miles to reach the promised land....(or in some cases... a whole ocean) 

Advice.....dig in a hack away at it....and try to laugh at your mistakes.

Try not to kill each other......some day you are gonna laugh.......
Beer helps.

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## Tootsiepop254

Yes. Self imposed timeouts have been mandatory. The well is being dug by hand (seriously?). The house is grandfathered before permits (ssh). Eventually we'll be solar. But my first priority is the well. If you're off grid, how did you do yours?

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## nell67

They are not mistakes, they are learning experiences, unless you didn't learn anything, then it could be called a mistake. Sounds like you are learning to get by with what you have.

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## hunter63

I was "on grid" before anything was there.....and that was the first of many battles.
My way of thinking.....much easier to build with power tools...I like primitive, but not stupid.

So, I was told I had to have a dwelling before elect service....BUT needed the electric to build???

Saw some power poles up the road with a meter and a box...So asked about those.

Lady at the power company says, "Oh those are seasonal sites"

"Well, That's what I want!"

Sheesh.

Anyway, started slow, paid for stuff as we went along.....and are still working on it.

Did look into off grid, power really ju.st needed for pump  and luxuries, light, refrig., TV, radio...etc.
Found out we had a neighbor that was off grid (on now)...turned out the first for the Co-op a Dr. just up the hill.
They didn't want to deal with the connections etc....another story.

Anyway they did a power audit to determine about the amount of required power....and pointed out that it's much cheaper to conserve energy, than manufacture it.
Sooo, new windows and insulation is our current project....

BTW my avatar is the cabin...."The Place"

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## kyratshooter

I never heard of a sheriff demanding receipts before he will investigate a home burglary?

There is some other factor involved.  

If it were KY or TN I would say he knew exactly who had broken in and did not want to arrest his nephew.

Take pictures of your stuff from now on.

And try your best to avoid messin' with sasquatch. Every pothead in that area has seen him at least twice.

I have done a dry build, completely off grid one time.  The build using generators was not bad but the lack of water sources was a pain.  I did have a spring and I dug a holding pool and installed a pump, but life in your area, hauling water for livestock??

No thanks, not even for a week or two.

I actually bought the place I am in now, with a house I did not want, just because it had electric hooked up, water and septic system in operation.

I am too old to be hauling water in and s*#t out.

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## Tootsiepop254

Oh it's known who did it. Yeah he was looking to get out of it before he even showed up. Sasquatch is welcome here, even though we have no pot for him. There WILL be a well soon. Not soon enough, but soon lol.

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## kyratshooter

Keep in mind that if they will not investigate a burglary now they will also not investigate more serious crimes latter.

In other words, you have no law enforcement and absolutely no expectation of protection.

You are no longer in the five minute response time area and, if you were, you do not have a phone. 

And now you know that the riff-raff feels well protected in your area.

What happens when you look out the window and realize that is not sasquatch staring back at you?

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## tundrabadger

> Oh it's known who did it. Yeah he was looking to get out of it before he even showed up. Sasquatch is welcome here, even though we have no pot for him. There WILL be a well soon. Not soon enough, but soon lol.


I'm sure sasquatch  can find his sticky somewhere else easily enough in that neck of the woods.   


Do you have good solid locks?  With thieves in the neighbourhood,  some deadbolts should probably be high on your list of priorities.   Maybe a dog.  Gun might not be a bad idea either,  but ideally you don't want to need to use it.  


Otherwise,  congrats!   Sounds like you have one hell of a setup there, one that will only get better with time.

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## Tootsiepop254

> Keep in mind that if they will not investigate a burglary now they will also not investigate more serious crimes latter.
> 
> In other words, you have no law enforcement and absolutely no expectation of protection.
> 
> You are no longer in the five minute response time area and, if you were, you do not have a phone. 
> 
> And now you know that the riff-raff feels well protected in your area.
> 
> What happens when you look out the window and realize that is not sasquatch staring back at you?


I'm counting on that. I hope they come back, honestly (i have a little bit of a temper). 
I have a gun, I know how to use it and be safe with it, and the people who taught me ran through drills simulating human targets. 
Nobody better be peeping through my windows, sasquatch or not.
And yes, new locks and the dogs are stationed at the back door.


Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

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## Tootsiepop254

> I'm sure sasquatch  can find his sticky somewhere else easily enough in that neck of the woods.   
> 
> 
> Otherwise,  congrats!   Sounds like you have one hell of a setup there, one that will only get better with time.


Thanks! I love it here. Harder for sure (especially during the initial learning curve), but better!

Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

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## 1stimestar

Congratulations!  Sorry about your stuff, hope it wasn't anything too painful to lose.  Check the local pawn shops.  Check in the nearest town for bulk water supply.  Most towns have it but it may not be well known.  I haul my water in 5 gallon jugs but we have a really nice water supply place that is like an unattended gas station.  Be patient with yourselves and know that someday, this is going to be your sweet spot on this earth.  Good luck!

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