I have been remiss in my attention to the blog. I have had stuff going on, though little of it has been terribly interesting. My focus has been on getting the day-to-day stuff done around the complex while planning for some big changes in the near future.

We are looking at the possibility of relocating up north to Oregon sometime in or after spring 2016. It sounds like a long time away but it’s a big deal for the family. The wife and boy have always lived locally and nether are big fans of change or the unknown so something like this is really going to mix things up. Like I said, its a big step.

As with any relocation there are a lot of unknowns. One of the major motivators is the reality that I’m getting older and we have never had the luxury of making any real retirement plans or preparations. The chances of being able to retire anywhere locally are slim at best with the cost of living around here. More to the point, since I’m not any younger, it will only get harder to establish a homestead if we wait much longer.

We looked up north because there is land available at a relatively low cost and there is enough flexibility in the building codes that I can reasonably expect to build my own home using natural building materials and techniques. It’s also more likely that there will be the resources we need. Coincidentally I have been doing a lot of studying on these materials and techniques.

I have the skills to homestead a 5+ acre plot and make it work. The idea is to develop the site using permaculture design techniques and establishing a mostly self-sufficient lifestyle. It is completely realistic to expect a five year development cycle to get to a level of resource stability that will allow us to easily live off of less than $500 a month.

The biggest hitch in this plan is to acquire the property. The second obstacle is finding a site that has the resources to make it all work. Water is a must, diverse soil (loam, clay, sand) is almost as important, as is good timber and stone resources.

Once the site is selected and secured, it will take some time to evaluate resources and to thoroughly survey the site and all of its eccentricities. Resources that need time to be gathered or processed will need to be prepared and stored, while other materials are acquired and stored. The process is long and drawn out, but if managed well and planned thoroughly I am confident we will have a well-established homestead in relatively short order.

Right now, everything is still academic.