Cole Tyler

Is your diet currently omnivore, vegetarian, or vegan...and why?

Leaves a lot of room for further discussions if desired, but is essentially the core of a person's being/lifestyle - which could also make things a simple yes or no relating to compatibility.

Not sure on how much "community" or at least one that fits your idea of what they might be - but I've recently learned of a place here in Northern Kentucky called Reclaimed Ranch. They are first and formost an animal rescue, but also have setup a wool mill for thier own use and others. I'm excited to check it out for myself!

Also, nearby in the town of Falmouth/Butler Kentucky, is a get together called "WoolFest" ...altho I did hear it's kind of a pop/commercial type vibe but again, I've never personally went to have an opinion on tat matter.

What area are you in, or seeking to go in order to find these opportunities?

Been splitting wood the past 2 days as much as my back would handle, and otherwise buttoning up the place. The wood stove is blazing. Great advice everyone so far, I've definitely stuffed some towels and clothes in the cracks!

I have two 20 pound propane tanks and a burner just in case, and for early morning hours when the fire is low and cold wakes me up.

Theres no electricity here, but I re-upped a good supply of beeswax candles!

I totally should have taken a shower yesterday, because now the "frost" proof hydrant is completely frozen and temps aren't above freezing for over the next week, with nites around 0°F. Good thing it's just me here ;)

I only have 2 gallons of water in containers, so I'll be melting snow if need be. I already bucket compost toilet, so no worries there!

This isn't my first winter, but this will be a tuff week in northeastern KY!

Hopefully I'll be able to get out of my drive in a few days if all this predicted snow falls, I'll go visit a friend for a shower and re-up water if I feel the need...but I got a few new books and a big battery charged to keep the phone going, so hopefully this snow-in will be "fun"!

Good luck all, we are in this together!

This topic is why monks sit in meditation day in and day out for years and years. Soooo many factors, so much emotion, so many possibilities!

Ironically, they must eat to maintain the body and keep the brain working towards some state of spiritual "seeing".

I'm as confused and ignorant as any, yet intuition leads me towards a certain understanding of reciprocity, and limits. As humans, we reach pretty far these days, and can come up with any justification for varying degrees of "right or wrong". I find a hint of contentment in the grey area of that it's all basically right AND wrong.

Planet Earth is as violent as it is peaceful, as is the entire universe. It'll always be this way. Relativity, up down, left right, positive/negative charge, deserts oceans, bright stars black holes etc etc it's all connected equally opposite. We are in somewhat of a conundrum but gifted with awareness and different privlege levels to typically pursue the energy paths we feel drawn to.

How to apply a permaculture comparison in all of this is maybe something like  - a person who crafts thier own dwelling from store bought wood and conventional modern materials, power tools, and online plans vs a person who gathers branches and forms them into a hut, maybe using a sharp stone to cut into desired lengths and thats all. Are they both not carpenters? Which ones "better"? Which one causes more "harm" and to who, or what?

The difference is in your own perception and where that comes from based on a complex web of instilled ideals and personal experience.

I don't do much, the winter is the "refresh/reset" with a little work on my end putting some areas under a layer of raked leaves and/or raked up field and garden debris when weather permits my mood to do so.

Then come spring, maybe a broadforking down the centerline of rows. If I have woodchips I'll spread them in paths as well. Then typically its some light hoeing, mowing, and chop/drop to get started and maintain that weekly thru the growing season and see what pops up and survives of the seeds I sow :)

No plastic tarps, irrigation lines, or bought in ammendments here to fool with, that stuff drove me nuts at my place, I only do all that at the farm I work at ;) But then again we grow waaaaay more stuff waaaaay more "successfully" there than at my feral place!

I have not yet watched your link so unsure what they are doing, but I use a nice app for exactly what you seek.

Pretty sure iNaturalist is what you are looking for! Its free.

I have even found a way by clicking around to get your findings on a list, with the pic you took and suggested identification without publicly mapping it and it's location. Doing it that way (phone location/coordinates off) does lose the public identification and regional feature tho, which can be helpful. Altho I've found the app generated suggestions are very accurate, and it will usually give you a dozen or more to compare to make your own decision.

I avoid electric and hybrid passenger size vehicles at any cost, not permie at all in my opinion. For one, the battery systems are an environmental castasrophe. No electricity to re-charge something like that here where I live anyways.

Besides, nearly all the electricity produced around here comes from coal burning powerplants that are responsible for eating mountains a couple hundred miles east and south of me, ewww.

Plus, good luck trying to diagnose and repair the powertrain on an electric vehicle after they inevitably start acting up some years down the road! All machines do. And let alone the initial cost of even trying to buy a decent one??

Newer stuff is full of so-called enviro-friendly features that compromise reliabilty, and in my opinion actually put more trash into the planet with excess components (typically plastic), modules, and even fluids that are failure and replacement prone...ever pay attention to the trash cans around the diesel pumps and see the big empty plastic jugs of "diesel exhaust fluid" piled around?

I quit my full-time mechanic job over 10 years ago because of the way the auto industry was going, it literally made me become a permie I was in such turmoil over the situation and where I saw things heading.

To me, the best permie vehicles are early 2000's era and prior. Japanese made 4 cylinder gas engine cars, and American made 4x4 gas or diesel V8 trucks. One of each, done!

Mayyyybe an electric motorcycle that friction charged, and/or solar charged that had a removable battery that doubled as a portable power bank would be useful?

Your idea about the heat well is interesting! Made me smile - gave me a nice flowing visual of the warm/cool energy flow in constant motion.

I am skeptical of its affectiveness tho, as you would need some way to essentially trap that warm rising air before it shoots to the sky, and the hole would likely just fill with water, and/or be a potential hazard as a death pit for non-plant life.

Doesn't mean you shouldn't try, as there could be some work-arounds of your idea that may actually lead you to creating some sort of small microclimate area :)