The City Mouse in the Country

 There is an old saying that goes something like " You can never really own the land, you are only borrowing it from future generations." The exact quote escapes me at the time of this writing.  However the sentiment holds true.   We are considering the possibility of buying our next door neighbors one acre lot. At one time Harvey, who long time readers of this blog know was helpful when we first moved into our home, lived there. However the property and the trailer he lived in where showing signs of falling apart; when he moved unexpectedly the property fell into further disrepair.  For the past year or so, it has simply been empty. Susan and I are considering buying it.   Partly because we can put another trailer on the land to rent if we wish, as the plumbing and electrical wiring is all ready in place and we don't believe the current property is worth saving.  That of course, means tearing the old one down. Rents in our area are actually below the national average an

These last few days have convinced me that I need to get off my proverbial ass and find a work from home position, or failing that; one that only needs me in the office two or three days out of the week. My 2012 Kia Soul (stock photo) The reason is that recently I "threw a rod" in my car.   This is basically the worst type of engine failure possible.  My starter also died at roughly the same time, which means that they can't even turn over the car to try to determine the extent of the damage or what exactly failed.  A new starter won't be in for a week.   Now this type of engine disaster can be fixed but it's going to take anywhere between two to three weeks at minimum even if I can get the parts in a timely manner. Living out in the "boondocks" requires that my wife and I have two cars.  We work in two different parts of the county and two different schedules, so it is just a requirement. There is no public transportation, no car sharing services,

      To be honest I'm not sure how many containers we have growing with various fruits and vegetables growing in them.  I never really did a count, all I know is that my strawberry bushes have little red strawberries on them, that my zucchini is blooming and my tomato plants will soon need to be surround by cages.        I'm hesitant to say that my first garden is successful, but I feel pretty confident that we will soon have green peppers and sprouts on our plates.    I have fresh thyme, basil and parsley just outside our back door; along with cucumbers that are ready to vine up a vertically standing pallet.       Technically this is not my first garden, as my ex-wife Teri and myself planted a more "traditional" tilled garden years ago and produced much the same foodstuffs as I'm growing in containers,  Growing in a container however is a bit easier to manage and certainly makes weeding easier.       Even the dogwood trees I planted seem to be doing well.      

      When I sit down to write something, I do so for two reasons; the first is that yes, I want to remember my thoughts and feeling about a particular moment in time, so in some ways this blog serves as my journal.  The second reason is that I hope to impart some knowledge or information on.  In the hope that you, gentle reader, might learn something new or, more likely, avoid the mistakes I make.        I leave that decision up to you.       Thus, in some ways you can blame our youngest cat, Bobble, for our upcoming spending a lot of money on window's and other home improvements.       Our first winter in Western Pennsylvania was not really that bad.  This year it seemed we had weeks of sub zero temperatures and several feet of snow.  Our house was physically colder.   Now if your wondering why I'm blaming the cat then please read on dear reader.      Bobble was born in the early spring of last year, so he's still a kitten come winter.  A kitten with very sharp claws and

      Even though at the time of this publication no one is asking for a sequel, I thought I would share some simple financial tips that can apply not only to Homesteaders, but anyone really.          A lot of this may sound like common sense, a lot of it may sound obvious.  However you would be surprised at exactly how many people don't take advantage of what's at hand because they are so used to doing things in a certain way that they get trapped.  We feel like we have to work this job, or feel that we have to go to this store or buy that product.       So before I get into this a little background about me, I've been doing financial sales and service for over 25 years and have worked for companies like PNC Bank, New York Life, the IRS and 3M.  That being said, even though I am a licensed Insurance agent, always talk to a local financial advisor in your area.  Nor is this a solicitation for business.     First piece of advice I have for you is that when talking to a fina

      I want to talk about making money on a small homestead.   Yes, it can be done.   Now that being said what the hell do I know about about homesteading or making money?     Actually not much about the first, but quite a bit about the second.   My whole life I've been in banking or financial sales of one sort or another.   Making money really isn't that hard, it's just that what is available is either misunderstood (life insurance for example) or somehow hidden away (ask your banker for rates on a No Penalty CD it's like a savings account but with a higher interest rate).      Sometimes it takes research, sometime it takes time to learn a new skill or just someone to point you in the right direction.     So I thought I would throw out a few ideas that I see mentioned time and time again on various Facebook and Reddit pages dedicated to "homesteading."  How do I make money?       What is actually being said is "I have a beginning and I have a end.  It