Mainiac

Hi from central Maine! I am unschooling my 9 year old son, save (notably) okra seed, live in a cordwood masonry house we built with hand tools, love circle dance, cook solely on a woodstove, and am passionate about animal communication as I have sled dogs. Looking for community mates that EARNESTLY love the experiences of living radically simple. I am committed to high standards of backwoods and wilderness ethics after 16 years of living off-grid.
I have been called to help others transition into a simpler life. But I dont have patience for a lot so I am labeling this need for students/potential community mates to be All in: EARTH FIRST !

Hi Sarah. First of all, since this is your intro, welcome to permies(9 months later).

I was just searching for posts about cordwood houses built with hand tools and found your intro post. I’m curious how time consuming and difficult you found it to cut the wood with a handsaw. I’m reading a few of Rob Roy’s books and he seems to feel power tools are the only way to go for cutting the wood. I would prefer to use hand tools for several reasons. I wasn’t discouraged from using hand tools until I read Rob’s opinion. I have no experience with building and I really don’t have any sense of how long it takes to cut all that cordwood.

If anyone else reading this has an opinion, please let me know. I plan to make 12x12ft temporary shelter as my first project.

Hello from a fellow Mainiac Sarah....I am super curious about your okra growing in central Maine!  Sounds fantastic.

Sarah Hazlett wrote: ...... am passionate about animal communication as I have sled dogs.....

No doubt you may have seen this video, but just in case....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihe9zV07Lgk

Hi everyone!
Cutting cordwood in a sawbuck several at once is a project that took many months of mundane physical work. A worthy crosscut saw partner would be sublime! Alas a bucksaw is sufficient.
Putting up more than enough was the challenge, to have evenly aged wood and keep it from the sun to combat shrinkage etc was a difficult problem as the barn was not roofed and mountaintop life didnt afford required shade for curing cordwood.
Dont be discouraged by old timers words of pessimism.  Remembering work as a pleasure and not a chore of drudgery but satisfaction. This is not nostalgia or outdated or impossible or inefficient
This is part of rewilding and embracing the power of tenacity and commitment. This is cherishing the gift economy and serving reciprocity.

Greg Martin wrote:Hello from a fellow Mainiac Sarah....I am super curious about your okra growing in central Maine!  Sounds fantastic.

Hi greg
Do you love okra too?!?!
I have been growing out okra seed from my homeland of Georgia since moving here 7 years ago.
it was after leaving NH, where at least one produce stand sold fresh okra, to find maine lacking in such things.
This being a much delayed response, < thanks in advance for respecting my Luddite tendencies >
Now there is a somali contingent in lewiston area  known as New Roots Cooperative. Their okra is a delight! Trading these seeds in new England is healing and profoundly endearing to our struggle with global weirding.
It is my favorite plant to remind us to reach for the stars, be your weird self because you are uniquely beautiful. Plus i am a sucker for any yellow flowers :)

W. Hazel wrote:

Greg Martin wrote:Hello from a fellow Mainiac Sarah....I am super curious about your okra growing in central Maine!  Sounds fantastic.

Hi greg
Do you love okra too?!?!
I have been growing out okra seed from my homeland of Georgia since moving here 7 years ago.
it was after leaving NH, where at least one produce stand sold fresh okra, to find maine lacking in such things.
This being a much delayed response, < thanks in advance for respecting my Luddite tendencies >
Now there is a somali contingent in lewiston area  known as New Roots Cooperative. Their okra is a delight! Trading these seeds in new England is healing and profoundly endearing to our struggle with global weirding.
It is my favorite plant to remind us to reach for the stars, be your weird self because you are uniquely beautiful. Plus i am a sucker for any yellow flowers :)

I am an okra lover!  Thank you for letting me know about New Roots Cooperative.  I'll check into them.  I love playing with plants from outside our area.  I have figs (either bent to the ground and covered or grown as die back perennials) and citrus (hardy hybrids from years and 1000s of seeds of experimenting) as well as other unusual-to-Maines growing in ground in my forest garden.  Both still experimental here, but I'm pretty optimistic.  

Oh, and I super respect your Luddite tendencies....very cool :)  Glad you joined us up here in Maine!