We had a lot of company this summer. As many as 18 different people in one month. Some stayed and some just visited for a few hours.
Many are just curious about our lifestyle. Some came to see our home and design features and get ideas for their own new home. Most are curious about our solar power.
We live in an area that is considered a vacation paradise for most people. Camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, and gold panning. We also have snowmobiling, skiing, and ice fishing in the winter.
They stayed anywhere from a few hours to five days. We love our friends and family and we get excited when total strangers want to come and see what we have done with our house and property but 18 people in one month can be a challenge for us to keep up with all of our chores and work.
It takes a lot to run our little homestead. We have a big garden in the summer that gets hand watered in order to save water. When veggies are ready for canning then they are ready. They won’t wait for company to leave. Chickens, horses, dogs, and cats have to be fed every day. Cleanup after the same has to occur every day. Wood has to be cut and fences maintained. We maintain all of our equipment. We only have a certain window of opportunity to catch the kind of fish we need for canning. We monitor our solar charging and water pumping systems. It’s all a timing thing and won’t wait for company.
We used to go three blocks for food. Now any trip we make to town is anywhere from 50 to 100 mile round trip and one half to a whole day.
Add to that we own a full time business. Both Laurie and I work there. It is our website Good Ideas For Life located on a computer in our home. It is a new business and takes a lot of work to build it up. Between our work on the website and homestead chores, it is easily full time for both of us seven days a week and between 10 and 12 hours per day.
I’m writing this blog because I want something to show people who want to come and visit. I want them to understand that we love having them but at the same time we have a lot to do and can’t stop to entertain as much as we would like to. We really do want to visit with friends and family and we want them to understand that we are willing to make time for that but it isn’t always possible.
I guess that’s what happens when you live in a small corner of Paradise. Poor us!
Please do come to see us. Just understand we are limited in our hospitality by necessity, not by choice.
Ed and Laurie Essex live off grid in the Okanogan Highlands of Washington State where they operate their website goodideasforlife.com and offgridworks.com.