Survival Beyond the City Limits

City is key here. City. What once could be considered a big town is now a real city - Austin.
I've somewhat fallen out of love with it.
Here's why - just because people say something doesn't make it so.

Cool Things to Do That I Won't Do Anymore

1. The Trail of Lights - What a complete hassle. Crowded. Impossible to get to unless you find a bus lot and stand in line to wait for a bus that may or may  not be able to take you there. 
2.  SoCo - Douchy at best. That's all I have to say about that.
3. Canoeing or kayaking on Town... err... Ladybird Lake - People soup. What in the world is relaxing about a thousand people on SUPs or in kayaks?
4. Restaurant Institutions - There are a handful of old school restaurants left in Austin. I don't know if the new competition has made it O.K to offer mediocre service and food, or if they're at the end of their lifespan. I'm not naming names, but I've lost my warm fuzzy with them.
5. Hiking the Greenbelt - For starters, how do I find a parking space to do this? And if I can't park, how the heck many people are jabbering about on the trail? Nameste, y'all.

Refining Small Town Life

I started this blog because I love the country. I love our cabin. Frankly, I love Fayette County. It's rural, for sure, but there's something different about it. 

1. Culture for my fancy self - Festival Institute, Shakespeare at Winedale, The Painted Churches, and elegant shopping.
2. Kolaches -  Battling it out for the best kolaches anywhere! On the west side of the county and making a strong appearance on the very northeast corner of the county... Weikels! On the east side of the county, with a slight edge due to a speed limit drop to 55mph, Hruskas! On the south side of the county, perfectly positioned to fortify tourist on the Painted Churches tour, Original Kountry Bakery!
3. The Sunrise - No alarm clock needed. Always spectacular.
4. The Sunset - Shut your mouth. Put that phone up. 
5. The People - My mother used to say that the Czech people will open their door to anyone. They're welcoming and friendly. And that is true. They're progressive in their thinking, and that's why Fayette County is so vibrant and wonderful. 

Coming Soon

In the spring, people will flood to Fayette County for the bi-annual Antique Fair. It will be crazy big to the point of input overload. Then the wildflowers will bloom. Then the MS150 bike tour will make an overnight at the fair grounds. 

As summer sets in, Festival Institute will come alive with its summer classical music festival. Shakespear at Winedale will do plays for the people. The summer will come to a close with the Fayette County Fair.

I'm leaving so many festivals and cultural institutions out of this, but it's a blog, and people have a shorter attention span when reading a blog. 

I'm looking forward to the day we can turn our cabin into a guesthouse because we have finally made the permanent move. 

Let's Get Back on Track - Creating a Rural Getaway

Let's get back to talk about the sun.

I get off the subject quite often. I originally created this blog to share our country getaway experience. I often feel that I don't have much to share. Actually, there are plenty of things to write about when we make an effort to actually GO to the country. I've been making a few trips lately. I love this time of year. While there, I successfully created a small solar power system!

This looks pretty trashy, but I'm not one to go all out and spend a bunch of money on something until I know it's actually going to work. 

1. This set up includes one 100W 12V monocrystaline solar panel. Monocrystaline panels are more efficient than polycrystaline. However, they are bit more expensive, and maybe not necessary for a weekend set up. 

2. Two 75AH deep cycle batteries. They're inside the cooler to keep the temperature constant, and to protect them. They are lead acid batteries, and they do require maintenance. Some schools of thought say they last longer. The upside to maintaining them is price. They cost less than gel batteries.

3. 30 Amp charge controller. It's inside the cooler, too. I attached it to the side. It's connected to the solar panel, and the batteries. The batteries are wired in parallel (I'll get into that in a later post). The charge controller regulates the flow of power from the solar panel. Once the batteries are charged, it goes into a "float" mode and acts to trickle charge the batteries and keep them topped off. 

4. 1,100 watt power inverter. I connect this to the batteries when I'm ready for power. It converts direct current power to alternating current. Your household electric is alternating current. So DC to AC power. The inverter has two places to plug in an extension cord. I run that from the cabin to the cooler, and viola! Power!

5. A cheap cooler makes a great place to store batteries. You don't have to feel bad about drilling holes in it to run your cables. Mine has wheels because I might want to move this system around, and the batteries weight about 48 pounds a piece. So, you could call my little system "portable."

Realistic Power Expectations

Let me say up front that this system is not a final solution to having the comforts of all things electric. It runs a box fan all night. I would probably run a small heater, but I think I'll stick to propane heaters for now. It runs lights, keeps a computer powered, and charges phones.

It will not run the window unit. It will not reliably run a small refrigerator. To do these things, I need more batteries. Extra panels would charge more batteries faster. Right now, I don't need all that. I just like the idea of having some quick power and a few comforts.

Turnkey cost of this system is around $500. The panel and charge controller cost around $175. The inverter was close to $100. Batteries run around $95 a piece (on the cheap side). The cooler was $40. Heavy gauge extension cords are $50. I also have my backup generator. A night of air conditioning costs around $20 in propane. The generator will run the window unit. However, Tammy is right when she says this is all still cheaper than a hotel.

And I'm learning something new. Heck. I'm even thinking of going to a prepper convention to see what other neat things I can try. Rainwater collection is definitely in my future.

Also, I have a sanitary, smell free composting toilet set up, too. I use old ash from campfires or brush burns, and I mix it with hay and wood shavings. Works pretty well along with a little outdoor washing station. I'm telling you. A 2-gallon sprayer will give an efficient and effective shower while saving lots of water. And I have water left over for hand washing and washing dishes.

Our plan is to get out to the land this weekend and try out some of my handy work.