Today I woke up tired and slightly frustrated, after yet another night where I was woken up several times by the barking and howling dog of my neighbor.
The night before, I woke up dozens of times ( hardly slept ) due to having my niece and nephew over ( for a sleepover ) and them sleeping and me lying awake, as per usual haha!
Those two kids make so many noises ( during the day and ) during the night; grinding their teeth, rolling around, talking in their sleep, snoring etc. and I am a light sleeper who is very much used to sleeping alone, so you do the maths ;<)
And as an added bonus, the night before that, I didn't sleep great ( and that's an understatement ) due to the constant noise made by a compressor, a machine on the outside of my house/ bathroom that has to do with the water system, as well as an annoying beeping of the solar system ( apparently running empty ).
I only learnt about the running empty part of the solar system the next day. As mentioned before, I found out that the compressor had become detached and after I tried to re-attach it, which didn't really work, it started leaking water ( I had emptied a couple of watering cans of creek water in the empty watering tanks on the hill above my house, in order to run a test ), so I decided to turn the 'poor' and now useless machine off, after having discovered an ON-OFF switch on the side.
Soon after that, I ran out of electricity, immediately after I started up one single machine inside of the house, early morning.
So now I found myself without electricity, without running water and thus without water in the kitchen taps, the bathroom ( toilet, washing basin, shower/ bath tap ).
I forgot to tell that I ran out of water the night before. In fact, late at night, just before bed, I noticed that there was no water coming out of the taps.
Oh how I love off-grid life, away from the comforts of the city!
As most people do ( myself included ), I tried to fix things myself, first.
I knew that I needed to run the generator to get the electricity to work and/ or refill the water tanks with water from the creek at the edge of my land. But, by now you can probably almost guess this, I also found myself out of petrol ( to run the generator with ) and I don't drive a car/ the nearest gas station is miles away.
They say challenges come in groups of 3
and I like a good challenge.
Experiencing a smoking and heavily vibrating generator ( I was using it for the first time and decided to switch it off after a minute or two ) and not being able to be at 3 places at once ( at the pump near the creek, next to the generator and at the water tanks on the hill at the back of the house ), I asked for some long distance help: messaging the previous tenants/ friends of mine. I also decided to inform my twin sister who lives nearby and has a boyfriend who is quite the handy man, with the knowledge that they would visit the next day ( to drop the kids off for their sleep-over ).
Meanwhile, I patiently waited for the sun to shine enough on the solar panels to at least get the electricity ( inside of the house ) to run again. That wish was granted at the end of the afternoon. It still wasn't enough/ sufficient power to get the generator to run ( although I tried for a minute, as mentioned before, before I found out about the low fuel ), this time of year. It might be sunny and warmer than average but it's still Winter, out here in Portugal.
I now had to wait a day for petrol and to hopefully get my compressor fixed, before I could enjoy the comfort of ( warm and ) running water, inside the house and, in all honesty, that was alright.
I had already waited for a handful of days for a new gas bottle to heat my water, prior to this ( hence my recent Bathing like a King - Having Dates with Nuts post ) and struggled with my wood burner, so I could endure this little hickup too.
In other words: buckets of creek water, to flush the toilet with and to be boiled on my gas stove for washing my face, doing the dishes, etc.
not the toilet water
and hand-washing my underwear at that same spring that is bordering my land would have to make do until then.
I would surely survive, right?
and please don't call me Shirley
TO BE CONVINUED...
Haha yes you'll survive. I love those kinds of challenges. I tell ya what though, I hate generators. They are always breaking it seems and they are noisier than snoring children!
I don't like generators at all either or, in fact, anything noise that slurps gasoline ( sorry if I insult your 'baby on wheels' now ;<)
Hahaha yes you'd hate the Land Rover then!! Environmentally, though, keeping a 50 year old car on the road has less drain on the planet than a new Tesla.
Not really. I think your Landrover is pretty cool. I merely meant machines without wheels.
Also, I don't care about Teslas. And let's be honest, electric/ solar powered/ 'green'/ hybrid etc is just the new industry/ money making model.
YEah you bet it is. Lithium mining will be the new oil.
Sure seems like it and they are ( probably ) about to do it in this area, in Portugal, too.
lol. I'm sorry for your travails, but they sure do make a good story!!!
Hopefully you've gotten everything functioning again.
I had terrible trouble sleeping recently. I tried everything. Everything I tell ya! I switched up my diet. I stopped going out in the evenings. I took epsom salt baths before bed. I took vitamin D. I took a homeopathic remedy, I stopped smoking pot. It just kept getting worse.
Until someone suggested I try a sound machine. It worked beautifully. You probably have one on your phone, that works without cell service. I got seven solid hours last night. I'm a different person.
If noise is what wakes you up, it really could be helpful for you.
As you might have already seen, things have been fixed and are up and running and I am actually sleeping better. It might have helped that I talked to my neighbor about her dog keeping me up at night, too ;<)
Believe me, I have decades of experience with sleep (issues) too but I am doing a lot better, lately. Noises are my main concerns, these days. Sleeping with sound on does not really work for me ( or is it noise cancelling sound? )
Glad the sound machine worked for you!
Oh my Vincent this is quite a rough change in your lifestyle...It can definetely help you build resilience and nerves of steel. Isn't interesting how seeing on Youtube the lives of people going offgrid makes us think that it could be quite nice and bohemian? Then all of this issues appear. I know from multiple people that living in a house, no matter if it is offgrid or not, comes with a bucket of problems. The bigger the house the more issues. I just hope that somehow it will work out for you!
No worries, this is not the first time I live off grid in Portugal, although the previous time was semi-off grid ( water from the mains, solar for electricity and with a semi-functioning washing machine haha! )
Also, I don't think in problems but in challenges.
All these distractions are great for the mind, make me stress out less about other often non-trivial issues and the ongoing drama in the world at large ;<)
Sending a hug!
Oh so you are experienced! It is a great attitude to look at things as challenges!
Hugs🤗
It was before my year in the city ( 1 - 3 years ago ).
I guess I wrote less about these things, back then,
although I blogged about my attempt at growing vegetables, a couple of times ;<)
I think that a life lived closer to nature is better than a life in the crowded cities. The quality of the air, the possibility to keep animals or grow veggies, the sights of nature, these are all a balm for the soul
Looks like you are doing a great job at surviving, yes:)
...but maybe you could switch soon from broken things to inspired writing next to the fire place? (because I think that would work great in an off grid house as well:))
Not the worst of ideas.
I might answer that question soon.
In fact, perhaps it's already happening but I do like my cliffhangers haha!
🤗
Vince, it was just a call to go to your old place and ask for a hot shower...
Hahaha!
I guess the 'call' got lost in translation.
Your mind control didn't work , vrother ;<)
You got to get used to the new sounds that now surround you. That can take a littke while, but you will.
Sounds like you are being forced to really get to know the land and house and what it takes to live there and look at ya, you are doing it obstacles and all. Us learning alongside it all.
Big hug Vincent, you got this xxxxx
You get it and I am definitely 'getting there' ;<)
More on that in today's writing.
I am also sleeping better, after having told my neighbor about her dog keeping me awake at night and her understanding me and taking it inside of the house, a little earlier, at night.
You'd surely survive! ngl that off grid life is a fantasy of mine but I know I probably couldn't really survive without electricity for long🤣
I wasn't really aware of that.
I am sure you can change that fantasy in reality, one day
and believe me, you can survive without electricity for way longer than you think.
It makes you more aware of your own energy and power ;<)
Off the grid life is interesting though it's not without it's challenges. But I would say you are doing a fine job handling the challenges. Since water and electricity are one of the two important needs of a modern home I would say being without them is difficult. Hopefully you will have electricity and water soon enough and also get some good night's sleep. Thanks for sharing your experience and have a nice day.
The answers to your question can be found in my latest post ( written earlier today ). Thanks for your thoughtful comment!
I kinda miss that life now haha. I'm sure you'll live! This is nothing new to you. ;)
Wasn't aware you lived that kind of life. Thought you lived on an island/ near the beach or are you talking about a more distant past?
And yes, I am still alive and kicking ;<)
🤗
I mean on an island with inconsistent power and water. Maybe your situation is better or I am not sure lol.
Great to hear! :D
I so much believe you will continue to survive. You are a strong man. Hope you always have time to rest also as that is very important
Thank you! I am sleeping better already. And cheers for calling me a strong man, I don't get that compliment very often but I know I am ;<)
The place is awesome just like huts shown in horror movies. You had faced challanges in this place but thinkable how people live in old time in such difficult challenges like with out electricity and water.
I have seen a lot of horror movies so I know what you mean haha! but, in all honesty, most of the horror is happening in cities, these days and I am happy to be here and not afraid at all.
I faced my challenges and dealt with them ( see my latest post )
Not having a wonderful sleep can be very annoying and one can even develop headache cos of that. I wonder how loud the machine noise will be. Anyway, I hope you have electricity soon so you’d be able to have a good sleep
Check the update in today's post and yes, I am sleeping ( a bit ) better and definitely deeper, just dreaming very actively, it seems.
It always quite affect my day most of the time if I have planned to have a quality rest during the night but my sleep is always interrupted
In that case you can relate. I am sleeping better already. I told the neighbor that her (barking) dog bothered me at night and she's now taking her inside earlier at night.
The weekend is always special and when one goes to such a beautiful place and the weather is good, the beauty of the day increases and our mind relaxes a lot.
Beautiful weather sure helps but it doesn't fix the problems, they need to be fixed manually and with the mind ;<)
oh, it really makes you frustrated if you have not been able to sleep for the past 3 days, I can feel your feeling. I have suffered from this from time to time. Your neighbour should do something about their dog, so he don't bark at night.
I talked with my neighbor, she now takes her dog inside before I go to bed. It makes a huge difference.
A good sleep is necessary for good health, otherwise a person starts having a headache
#hive #posh
Headaches are the least of problems, it can lead to all kinds of illnesses and dis ease. I have had difficulty sleeping for many, many years but I am getting better at it and I always find a way. Sleeping better already, the last couple of nights.
When there is a headache, the whole body does not work
Hahaha...talking in the sleep.. I think this happens with all kid 🤣
My son also some time laughs, sometimes playing and talking and most time kicking 😜 in the sleep :-)