Living on a generator.

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

Durning daylight hours, it’s not so bad. Rarely are we in the house when the sun rises. The boys and I watch the sun rise at the top of our ridge, as we wait for their bus. The fog slowly sinking into our holler, husband sleeping through it all. The sky lightens, and things get going. I heat water for laundry, but with the dampness down here, it takes two to three days for the clothes to dry. I have two massive clothes lines, and use Small Farm Girl’s facilities to wash school clothes. It doesn’t really matter what Husband and I may smell like, but the boys need to be clean. 

We flush the toilet with a bucket of water. This is a huge upgrade from the hole in the ground we used the first week. We use a solar shower, except the days I can snag Small Farm Girl’s. I am trying not to over stay my welcome with her (she will make some kind of sweet comment then tell me to get over it when she reads that). We are amazingly alike. So that makes it easier. I told her we could never stay upset with each other because of it. Once we think about it, we would realize that, darnit, I would have done the same thing! I will admit, I love having her as a neighbor. Within a week, we had a huge amount of blackmail material on each other. 

Back to living on a generator. 

Ice cream never hardens. No actual running water. We use buckets from the creek for laundry and toilet flushing. We have several 5 gallon water containers that I have fresh, filtered water in for hygiene and dishes, as well as cooking. Besides the solar shower, it gets warm enough that the boys play in the creek. They at least can knock some of the dirt off then. As I said though, I make sure that they have clean showers, even though they might take place outside. 

We did take a trip to the electric co-op. With the solar taking so long, we were getting a bit frustrated. We need electricity for a few things. I have no idea what the guy was thinking when he placed this house where he has. The co-op will only do 1,000 ft free. The rest will cost us. And cost us a pretty penny. None of my pennies are pretty by the way. They also needed the deed. I had the deed for two plots of land, but not the land with the cabin. It should have arrived a month ago. It should be on the way now. Nothing the co-op could do without the deed.  Not even come out to measure. We measured where we could. 2,000 ft from top pole to house. Co-op would come through tree line if need be. That makes me a bit uneasy. Coming from Kansas with little amount of trees, I suddenly feel like the Lorax here in Kentucky.

Luckily I talked with the solar guy, and a freight company. Solar items start arriving today and throughout the week. I am stoked! Once the solar is up and running I will review it for you, telling you all that nitty gritty stuff. 

Mornings are a bit difficult without power. I get up at 530 am, with no light. The flashlight is my only companion as I get coffee brewing and breakfast ready. Large wakes, and gets the generator going, that usually wakes the other two up. With only one light going, we have our food, get dressed and preform morning rituals. Once the sun rises, the generator goes off. Around lunch time, the generator comes back to life to keep the fridge cold. Night is easy. It gets dark just before the younger boys bed time. The generator comes on, so the evening rituals may be preformed, and electronics charged. Then off it goes for the boys to sleep. We have the outside solar lamps bright indoors for Husband and I to see. Luckily they stay lit until 5am, so any midnight bathroom runs can happen without issue. 

I guess it isn’t too awful. We have our routine. It just would be easier with actual full time power. It’s on its way. Patients is key. Normalcy is in our future.