Opal-Lia Palmer

Nic Trib wrote:I'm not sure if this has been talked about much before, but I have an interest in homesteading in the NW. Specifically the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Does anyone have any experience here? If so what are some things I would need to take into account when in comes to gardening or raising animals if I decide to move out there from the east coast?

The " Inland Pacific Northwest" is different climate than the PNW. And elevation and micro climates in specific areas vary greatly from place to place. Just in Idaho for example the north and south even east vary greatly in climate. In Montana, The east is completely different climate than the NW, and SW  of Montana. I have lived and traveled to most of those areas I listed. A place to have a rough start of climate and weather is by city and zip code/county even is bestplaces.net. https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/montana/missoula. Also try the Inland Northwest Permaculture Guild for advice as well. https://www.facebook.com/people/Inland-Northwest-Permaculture-Guild/100064342972968/
good luck on your adventure.

Opal-Lia Palmer wrote:

Opal-Lia Palmer wrote:Update.
I have moved an hour from the 1.5 acre property. Bought 15 acres with a creek and lots of trees. Beautiful place with wonderful neighbors at the end of a dead end country road. Top of the mountain. 3,000 feet elevation near Priest River Idaho. Would love to have others join. Build a earth friendly home here on the land. collect rain water and solar /off grid etc. Yurts etc, simple living at its best connect with nature and like minded friends  

Spring will be here before we know it, who wants to join? Email me opal.althoff@gmail.com. Then lets meet on Zoom or Skype

Loving it here at the new land. We could not do another winter in a camper so we gave in and shopped for a home we bought this 15 acre land with a berm house on it in Oct 2022. It has the potential to be a great community land, we are settling in nicely and would love for the right people to join us. The 15 acres is amazing, lots of forest and backs up to 100 of acres of private logging which was logged around 5 years ago. Frogs croaking at night in the creek, quite peaceful days that " smell like a campground" says my daughter. We love it here and can't wait for our new community family to join us soon.

Alicia Reed wrote:I do live very near to you however and would love to meet up sometime.


I am interested in earth based spiritual practices. I lean more toward being an omnist (there is a bit of truth in all religions). I do feel pulled to celebrate nature and the moons, solstices, etc, but our methods are simple and still sort of undefined. I would like to do more.

I have been curious about reducing my anxiety and excessive inhibitions but not sure that is the right course of action and would never want to make a lifestyle  of it.

Hi Alicia, I picked out these things from your post to comment on.

We should meet up sometime soon. I homeschool fulltime as well, we should get the kids together, email me and I can get you my number and or video chat opal.althoff@gmail.com

We can definitely do more spiritual practices.,...... I loved holding ritual and celebrating our mother earth.

Reducing anxiety can be helped with CBD oil/extract, non psychoactive, no high just calmer less anxiety, I have heard. I know lots of people who It works well for that. I use it for PMS myself.  
Hope to speak soon.

Trinity Outpost wrote:Thanks everyone for being brave to share your fears and failures, regrets and grief. I think its safe to say we all have every categorize checked there.
i have enjoyed hearing some of the same thoughts that i have had at times when you sew seeds and compost but its still up to nature which seeds bloom.
and yes to be honest many of the seeds i planted to nourish me and my community composted apart of me for better and for worse.

i feel so privileged everyday but a longing to connect more....
in 2017 i recruited my first caretaker, snatched her up from some pot farms in humboldt where despite being profitable is ok ill just say it its a misogynistic environment to down play it even really. Young and eager to start her own permie haven she had been WWOOFing since she was a teenager and quickly had our farm filled with helpers and oh yeah it got real messy at times and I wasnt sure how well community would turn out as you all know most of them take what is given freely and move along. This girl liked to travel a lot and often left her lofty dreams in my hands as she rode off into the sunset with her 2 dogs. young people right...well long story short she has a history of heroin abuse and came across some certainly laced with fentanyl and departed in 2021.

It has been really hard to express how all along us teaching and sharing with others really got under my skin. Ive lost a lot of friends to drugs and suicide. But this person was my sister on this earth and she shared herself so free and was so shinning. Its what makes it such a tragic thing she was a real artist anarchist and defense of ecology a tree stander and all of the best things and many of the worst. 2023 Now im left tilling the dirt and i feel her ghost here playing her guitar and howling at the moon.

Sending hugs and love, I think sometimes the brightest lights burn out the fastest. Or whatever that saying is..... it can be so true for some of the shiniest "shinning" people.

I am truly frightened by all I have just read. I read the whole thread, mostly with my jaw dropped. AI is a scary thing in my opinion. We will lose ourselves, our humanity, our connections. Yikes, very disturbing reading your thoughts on all this Josh. I want to give you a hug. AI can't do that.

Drew Berggren wrote:Hi, my name is Andrew berggren. I'm seeking refuge from a hard life and from a harsh world. I've been studying permaculture for over 5 years now , and I am pretty disenchanted in this modern world. I have my own vehicle and am willing to travel anywhere that I can get to with my vehicle and dogs. I would even be willing to give up the vehicle if necessary. However it would make it hard to bring much belongings. I've had a very tragic life , and I'm exhausted. Dreaming about permaculture makes me happy but I want it to be more than just dreaming. Im ready to live it. I have an associates of science in agriculture and have taken like 5 PDCs. I'm 27. Hard working. I am a burn survivor and I could really use a place to belong . I am an entrepreneur and love to dream up ideas. Please someone hear me out and talk to me. I prefer to live on a farm where it is good weather , but honestly at this point I don't care where I go. Any where that I'm able to escape the rat race and rest my tired soul would be wonderful. I have a lot of love to give to the world and enjoy working hard towards things I believe in. I just can't do this all on my own anymore and I need some support. I hope someone gets what I'm trying to express and gives me a chance.
Thanks for reading.
You can email at drew.berggren95@gmail.com if you can help or have any suggestions. Thank you

If community interest you, check out my post here. I have felt the same way as you for a long time. Trying to build something wonderful. Live on 15 quiet acres but only 15 min's from a small town and 30 min from a medium town both really chill. Property is up a mountain at the end of the road surround by peace andd quiet away from the rat race.  Check out my post to see what the idea is. Hope you find the right place, the place of your dreams.

John F Dean wrote:I just spoke with one of the few people I know that I would designate as a friend. He has two cancerous masses in his colon.  I am an RN, I know the medical backstory, but it simply is not good news.  

I am so sorry, sending healing energy to your friend and you. <3

I'm so lost. Disconnected. I am trying to find my way back it will just take time and I won't ever be the same woman I was. Some of you know I lost Darryl my 20 year friend and husband July 2021. I found his lifeless body after he took his own life. That moment I was in complete shock and jumped out of my body, but I didn't realize I did that till now. I'm only now noticing I'm lost and trying to find my way back to self. A month after his sudden death I packed up and took my 2 children on an adventure. I couldn't stay in that house, I couldn't go in that room. I had PTSD, nightmares, I didn't sleep or eat much. I needed an escape. We hit the road and drove to Montana from Southern CA. I left and for the first time ever on one of my road trips I had this huge lump of fear in me I never had before, I realized my safety net back home ( darryl) was gone. Who would I call to vent, who would I call if I was stranded, who would I call if I needed help? He was my solid ground. Sadly not one person/ family or friend checked on me that entire 4 months when I first left. 4 months later we returned home packed our belongings and moved over 1,000 miles away from the only city I had ever called home in my whole 41 years on earth. I had always wanted to move just not like that. Over a year later I am so isolated from friends, family and the community I once had, it's hard. I love where I live, great healing is on its way and new beginnings some day in the distant future when the universe sees it to be time. But man shit sucks at the moment and it has since that day. I am so tired of being strong and to be the only one to take care of it all. The last year my 11 year old daughters health has taken a u-turn and she is seriously disabled she has some sudden nuro-muscular condition that was triggered somehow and can barely walk or do anything for herself, she can't get herself dressed or put her own shoes on. It's only a matter of time before a wheel chair is needed. My now 16 year old son spent Thanksgiving, his 16th birthday and Christmas all in 2022 in a hospital for his trauma and suicidal thoughts. We have all lost so much and now our family is torn apart and it is just my daughter and I in the house. We didn't celebrate any holiday's this past 2022, It was just a sad reminder of what/who wasn't here..... Family. Icing on the cake when I thought 2023 was a new start, new hope, my Dad suddenly died 9 days into the New Year. I am an optimistic, strong, bad ass warrior and a survivor and I know I will make it, but sometimes I want to be soft and vulnerable and would love someone to take care of me for a change. Being strong all the time is so hard! But I am journaling today to anyone who will listen cause I needed to say/share this truth. I am not ok, but I will be.  ❤

Jane Mulberry wrote:It's so hard dealing with such huge losses, especially when you're in a new community and haven't formed bonds there yet! Praying for you.
Are there any local groups who share your spiritual beliefs you may be able to get some support from? Just not feeling so alone as you handle all this will help. Permies are sending you love and hope and prayers, but having someone there physically you can sit and have a cup of coffee with and let yourself cry on their shoulder is what we're hardwired to need.

Thanks for the prayers they are much appreciated and I am grateful. I know and I pray for (in person support) all the time. Friends would be lovely. Being Pagan/Wiccan we don't have public spaces to offer support, Its all kind of quiet and secret but believe me I have tried. I have a post on here trying to build a like minded community/village. Some day my dreams will become a reality. But friends sooner than later would be nice
 

Opal-Lia Palmer wrote:Update.
I have moved an hour from the 1.5 acre property. Bought 15 acres with a creek and lots of trees. Beautiful place with wonderful neighbors at the end of a dead end country road. Top of the mountain. 3,000 feet elevation near Priest River Idaho. Would love to have others join. Build a earth friendly home here on the land. collect rain water and solar /off grid etc. Yurts etc, simple living at its best connect with nature and like minded friends  

Spring will be here before we know it, who wants to join? Email me opal.althoff@gmail.com. Then lets meet on Zoom or Skype