Solo Ventures

I love this utoob presenter for the advice he throws out on  avoiding the poverty trap. I now realise that frugality is deep in my bones, when people discuss their efforts to live on a low income I am listening to my tribe.  A gem that Brenton asserted in this episode is: "The System is Evil & will continually find ways to enslave you. Its up to us as individuals to jump before we get crushed too badly, & never stop escaping". I'm paraphrasing here, but i understand this is his sentiment.  Frugal looks like;-     - living out of the mainstream.    - limiting bills eg. rent, fees, licences & registrations.     - spending as little as possible on consumables.    - cooking your own meals.    - catching, hunting, growing, foraging & bartering.    -   do without vehicles or limit their use.     - if you owm somethong look after it, do your own repairs & maintenance.    - try not to rent be a landlord.    - avoid living in property hotspots or th

Over the last week or so it really feels like I've entered retirement. My children have been absent; mia now lives in the midwest with her horses, dog & boyfriend, &y son Joe has been away just a couple of weeks with his dog & mother.  .        Cudi, on holiday . I really missing them both & the animals. I have one dog & a couple of cool cats, but its feeling lonely here. When I'm busy renovating, reading & exercising, there's no problem, but in the quieter moments its pretty blah. I remember years ago after the last of my siblings had left home, when I visited my parents I wondered why the TV & radio were left on, really loudly. Now I understand.  But, its a passing phase, just while I'm waiting to kick into my next life stage. Bring it on.  

Here's a chop idea.  A. Cut the rear guard to mirror the chrome stays B. Place a chopper tail light & reg plate under the (removable) rack area. C. Use rear stay bolt to mount bullet turn indicators.  By then the rear should already be lowered. 

Roadside, windy back road. No Scoob, just sushi rolls & winter sunshine.

This week down on the farm I've been on my own, just two cats, an old dog and a handful of goats for company. I've kind of retired phase two, meaning working for others is no longer my pry-oor-a-tee. What I been doing I'd working hard on the house getting it ready to rent out or sell. Everything downstairs & a quarter of upstairs has been scrubbed, oiled, varnished &/or polished. Then outside all the trim is just about covered with some Mission Brown. I am surprised how well I'm doing & how well its coming along.  I have a bit of a plan, other then just keep going, &/basically that means paint outside when the sun is shining & inside when its not. Pretty soon I's a gunna be finished. Next week I'm running my new scooter out West to housesit for my daughter, check properties to buy & have myself a geek about. Already Zi sniffed out a large body of water under an hour away. I knows it features endless river paddling, I'm jus

Put a few thousand kilo.wtres on the 'new' bike and am loving it immensely. Her speed has literally put more hours ony day. Her comfortable ride leaves me with more energy after a ride. I can't believe that motorcycling can be so good.  

IF I can't find a suitable structure to take over at The Hill, I've a few ideas on how l can schirvry goal.   Step one: I stall a shipping container shed. a) have a slab laid. b) put a shipping container with roller door placed on it. c) put a lockable shed over it.  like this less the furniture, the box opening into the shed, & shed fully enclosed.  Step Two. Build a Tiny Home. The look of this one grabs me. Slightly larger than your typical TH (built 2.4m wide for road transport.  This babe comes as a flat pack & is as cute as a button. Add water tank, solar array & shadey tree. 

The plan; get a big bike to more easily cover the roads from home to out west or down south to the boat.  This arvo I met an old guy, selling his steed. He was becoming less able to ride safely due to arthritis, or a side effect from anticancer drugs. Apparently he also bought the bike three years ago   from a fellow who also had advanced cancer.  The upshot is that the bike is old but hardly used, low mileage & well presented.  Compared to my little 500 single the big vee-twin,is a  highway beast. She quickly & quietly accelerated to 120kph & could have done more. The riding position is relaxed & gwntler on the rider.  While my thumper vibrates across the rev range & jostles nervously about on the road, the new bike is creamy smooth. I hope to collect her tomorrow & will have to restrain myself from beginning to "chopperize" her.  

The source of these beautiful cabin images I cannot offer, but isn't she grand!  I'm imagining that bench by the window would be the epicentre of activities like reading, writing, cooking and drinking coffee. A flat lounge cum day bed. Not sure a fire so large would be necessary, but living without electricity would be interesting. A few LEDs, a battery & solar panels would not impose too much complication, but it does impose a little.  This cabin could be erected on a vacant block, with a large shed workshop erected nearby. There is a quite rundown cottage for sale in a cul de sac going very cheap right now. Its a break from my original plan, a shed with accommodations in it. Perhaps converting the house to a shed with a west facing cabin down the back is an option? Anyway,  dreams are free ... & joyous. 

As each day passes ... I am becoming increasingly keen on making the shift. Depending on whether I sell up or rent this place out, leaving will provide either a regular once or a great deal of spare cash ... which will need to be reinvested so... Anyway, I'll be financially liberated & wont have to keep working at my current job. Out there I have options to; build, repaír & recondition either a shed or house, motorcycles or boats. I also have the choice to travel by bike or boat as well.   Researching housing options ... I fairly quickly realised that options in said small town will be limited. In the past few weeks, nothing new has emerged on the market. Even though there are many abandoned or vacant homes.  Refining my preferences ...  The lack of options has encouraged a certain flexibility in chosing a type of dwelling. One thing is clear, I don't want to live in a house!  Please see why this is below.    How life there may look out there ... The initial motives