No fluff. No meandering whooosywhatsit. No naval gazing. No standup philosophy. No electronic frontier. Work well… and you’ll be treated well. Work badly…. and you will dye (with no apologies to that gloriously overacted movie, Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country). What are PN and TS tackling… RIGHT now?
DREADFUL DIARY – UPDATED AS WE (RE)LEARN X, Y, AND Z!
27/01/2026. LIFE ON THE FARM = fact. PHYSICAL EXHAUSTION. Every fucking muscle hurts right now. And this is with us pacing ourselves. TS worked herself ragged trying to clear off snow-covered PV panels. PN lost his mind trying to clear out the lower parking lot so that the SNOWKAT wouldn’t lose its footing. The sunsets are spectacular on the snow covered ground. I became a right pissy shithead today and needed a time-out. BOTH SPOUSES are sore. We don’t have the disposable income to pick up a snow-blowing, firewood-splitting, wood-chipping Kubota tractor ((((and that zero percent down financing is NOT free money — kicking the financial burden 24-48 months down the road isn’t the answer for 2 private contractors)))).
22/01/2026. LIFE ON THE FARM = FUEL STORAGE, PREDICTING FUEL INVENTORY AND FUEL DEPENDENCE. We overestimated our fuel pellet inventory. About a 45 pound bag in the hopper. We planned on buying 20-25 bags this weekend at Owen Sound. Cold environmental conditions are increasing our heating needs. Infloor heating, while superior to forced air, demand pellets!
The truck’s stuck in the icy muck… and we need more fuel tomorrow! If we can’t get pellets, we can switch over to electric power. With that mediocre-quality ComboMax buffer tank-water-heater.
LESSON = have redundant fuel sources. Propane, wood pellets, photovoltaic panels. A 1-fuel household is stupid.
Another fact: wood pellets are NOT ALL EQUAL QUALITY. Hardwood pellets are superior burning than softwood. But softwood’s cheap and the profit margins are high. LESSON = plan ahead, and still expect to screw up.
20/01/2026. TODAYS LESSONS = GASOLINE QUALITY, OPERATOR ERROR, GETTING THE TRUCK STUCK IN THE ICY-SNOWY-MUCK, DELAYED GRATIFICATION, EMERGENCY EXITS, AND GRATITUDE. Today’s format: audio bits from the homefront!
20/01/2026. FACT = OFF-GRID POWER SOURCES ARE NOT PERFECT AND CAN STRESS OUT ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. Our Schneider Electric inverters, while 2022-2023 era models are excellent quality; however, they do not provide perfect alternating current to the house, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That’s not possible. All of our uninterrupted power supplies can detect micro-volt surges in the power lines, and thus attempt to filter it out. I know this because of the following evidence (that we experience daily):
- our LED house lighting in the great hall flicker whenever we run high-load appliances, like the microwave.
- the UPS in the study has electrical relays that clatter and click whenever we run high-draw loads.
- The LED bedside lights pulse when we have their dimmer switches pushed down low (((eventually, we replaced the LED bulbs with incandescent bulbs — their inherent resistance smooths out the flickering))).
- the control board and on our Thermo 2000 ComboMax buffer tank is experiencing error signals, that cannot be reliably replicated!
- That’s bullshit and it makes it very difficult to troubleshoot and repair.
- It’s NOT a high priority yet. And the buffer tank is NOT mission critical.
- Our German-made Froeling wood pellet boiler is our primary heat source and can run independently of the Canadian-made buffer tank. ComboMax MIGHT BE a poor choice for our installation! We need evidence.
- To future ComboMax, Biothermic, and Thermo 2000 Ltd. customers = if your electrical power supply is off grid, DO YOUR RESEARCH. ARE THE PRODUCTS ABLE TO TOLERATE RUNNING ON OFF-GRID POWER SYSTEMS?
SILVER LINING = IF YOU NURTURE RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR TRADESPEOPLE, BASE DECISIONS ON EVIDENCE, DON’T BE AN ASSHOLE, ASSUME ALL PARTIES ARE TRYING TO ACT IN GOOD FAITH… then, PROBLEMS CAN BE FIXED. STAY TUNED…
19/01/2026. FACT = KEEP THE SAFETY PATHS CLEAR = SNOW REMOVAL. Fact = with TS convalescing after catching my rhinovirus, I had to do a teeny tiny % of the clearing she does. FACT = I barely completed it.
18/01/26. BEWARE WHAT HIDES BENEATH. Fact = ice sheets can linger under accumulation. The powder will act as an insulator reducing sublimation.
Ah, and recovering from a sinus infection reduces one’s cardiovascular stamina. Fuck. I’ll need a 2nd day to remove this icy crap!
17/01/2026. LIFE OFF GRID = ELECTRICITY AS A PUBLIC UTILITY? = Our rock farm has an electrical supply that’s online providing us reliable alternating current ~95% of the time. If we were still living in the GTA, that reliability would be closer to ~99.5% of the time. I took power security for granted. NOT ANY MORE. Our perception is different. AGGRAVATION & COMPLACENCY = the moment TS does any kitchen-craft or I run around with a high-current-drawing power tool, we MUST watch our system’s available direct current voltage (VDC).
If it dips below +50VDC, we ask each other (i) did the AGS [automatic generator startup] module trigger the GENERAC or (ii) does 1 of us have to fire up the generator manually? Oh yes, and REMEMBER to turn the AGS from *manual-ON to *automatic after several hours. And document our fuel usage. FACT = since we’re offgrid, we are paying close attention to the outside environmental conditions. FACT = air temperature (both inside & outside) + cloud cover + wind speed/direction + time of day + homestead electrical-loads AND duration = affect PV-panel performance!
FACT = while it’s really, REALLLLLLLLY tempting to just leave the propane generator on 24/7, that’s cost prohibitive. I want to limit how many dinosaur bones we burn. Besides, the tanker truck struggles getting up/down our snow covered driveway. FACT = despite me having the man-flu, I need to help TS do some snow clearing TODAY.
14/01/2026. CATS AND FURNITURE. If the salesman-upholstery-dude says his fabric is pet and husband proof, call his bluff!
TS and I wanted to believe the FABULOUS salesman and his claims that it resists claws. Well…. He lied. And he made the sale and we were able to rehabilitate Laurel Amalia’s favourite sofa and loveseat.
12/01/2026. PREPARING PLYWOOD PANELS for painting. FACT = use a proper broom to sweep away the sawdust and particles… not your spouse’s fire-engine red 2010 Canada Winter Olympics mitts that were left unused in the glove box. FACT = the lithium batteries used by DeWalt power tools have a set lifespan. The “starter battery pack” included in our first cordless drill won’t hold a charge anymore. I purchased it about 1.5 years ago; however, I now understand why Canadian Tire was selling the kits at a discount. The included battery was manufactured in 2021. Ah ha! LESSON LEARNED = lithium batteries are consumables and have finite lifespan.
QUESTION = how long will the DeWalt’s power heads last? In my case, I have a reciprocating saw, a 14″ radial saw, and a brushless drill. BATTERY MANAGEMENT FACT = These 3 tools share batteries. I have three of the larger 20V XR Lithium Ion 5Ah packs (double the size of the stock pack), that I rotate from tool to tool. And I have one of DeWalt’s fast chargers.
12/01/2026. HUMIDITY RECYCLING. Don’t blow it outside. FACT = we had excess moisture in our house as the strawbale and plaster dried out and cured. We ran 2 floor dehumidifiers until last Fall. MOVING INTO YEAR 2 = Now, we live in ~45%RH and the cats crackle when petted. It’s time to recover bathroom shower moisture.
11/01/2026. OFF-GRID FACT. A sudden melt, followed by a snow squall makes for stressful ice-encrusted snow clearing. In less than 24 hours, we went from +12C weather, that was followed by rainstorms, a plunging thermometer, and we are now at -5C with icy blue skies.
TS spent the entire session digging out the snow that I pulled down. She dug, and she dug, and she dug pathways to all the outbuildings. Her gloves froze solid and we were both experiencing plenty of cardiovascular stress. Great for our hearts and both of our arms and shoulders are wet-noodles. Woof.
08/01/2026. FARM FACT. FUEL LOGISTICS. You can instruct your propane tanker to deliver MONDAY… dispatch will smile and nod. And drop by with the propane early. At least they didn’t try to back down that slippery slope!
LIFE OFF GRID = POTABLE WATER SAFETY. It’s up to us to ensure our drinking water is safe to use. Nobody’s going to tell us…. eeeerrrrr, yeah. ya gotta boil yer water, eh… there’zzz a boil water advisory, ya know. Eh. Nope. We have to test our well water and treat it.
Read the fucking manual before attempting this simple household chore. And be ready for buckets of water, eh. ..
Ultraviolet water sterilization. I love it. I need it. I won’t try to defeat the electronic’s count-down feature.
Sediment filter (OR ELEMENT, might be ceramic?). It’s capturing the sediment, NOT harmful bacteria. Nor is it capturing any dissolved toxic metals. We’re >2 kilometres from the nearest grass field. And there’s no cattle farms anywhere near us (I love meat, hate the shit).
Water softener system. Our system’s loaded with thin diameter piping and mineral precipitation would play holy havoc with it.
07/01/2026. LIFE ON THE FARM. Pro tip… leave a sled and warning cones at the top of the driveway. Melting snow accumulation is slicker than snot on a sheet of hockey rink plexiglass (eww)!
06/01/2025… I gotta stop procrastinating and go outside to help TS clear away wet slushy snow. FACT = snow clearing a backbreaking work. DO NOT OVERDO IT. My right hip’s IT bands are screaming bloody murder. TS aches all over. Don’t let anybody fool you about homesteading be airy-fairy-nice-nice activity. It ain’t.
FACT = online reviews need to be monitored, especially if there’s negative or disparaging posts about a local tradesperson. Design Electric, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada (((1095 1st Ave W unit #3, Owen Sound, ON N4K 4K7))))). My link and I urge you share it around: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5d6e5nrQL8ZW3zXDA…..
06/01/2025. Life off grid is NOT safe and care-free. We do all kinds of hare-brained schemes here in the woods. STAY SAFE AND CONNECTED OUTSIDE ON THE FARM = Carry walkie talkie radios outside when doing chores. Unless TS and I are working side-by-side, this has got to be done. If I have a cardiac event, twist & break ankle on a mini-karsk, get propositioned by the local bears to play Uker, or nick myself with an axe, I need to call for help. Cell phone coverage is spotty on the Bruce Peninsula, my iWatch’s walkie-talkie feature just isn’t robust enough, and it would take 1/2h for an ambulance to reach our property — in the summer!…
Happy 2026. And remember folks, practice safe sex with volcano demonstrations!
03/01/2026… ug. Life on the farm = lesson Farmer Neem learned last year = and he’s sure as shit ensuring it gets done for 2026. SCRAPE AWAY icy buildup and slush off snow blower mechanicals… after… every… single… blowing-session. Don’t get lazy and say, “meh, it’ll drip dry overnight”. Honey, it won’t and definitely not when the overnight temperature plummets to minus 15 Celsius. The gasoline motor melts snow overspray, that dribbles into the gear and belt housing connecting the flywheel to the auger drive system, AND THEN REFREEZES. Cub Cadet does not make the drain holes large or plentiful enough to allow complete drainage (good reasons why-not; more holes means more access points for fingers and contamination)…..
…The Cub Cadet snowblower belt-drive is designed to not rip fingers off, unlike the PTO drive shaft on a Kubota tractor. This is why THERE ARE WARNING STICKERS ALL OVER THE POWER-TAKE-OFF DRIVES ON TRACTORS. Hell, the hydraulic actuators on other tractor accessories have enough crushing strength to mangle body parts. Translation: read-the-fucking-manual on power tools and get training for someone who ya trust.
Lesson from off grid: you gotta be willing to do the work. And you need to pay attention to what you are doing! The following videos highlight snow clearing, removal tool maintenance, power shed housekeeping, vehicle preparation.
03/01/2026 until 04/01/2026… and every couple of days now! We’re clearing up to 60 cm of powdery white stuff off the pathways, around the building skirt, around GENNY-Generac (the generator), the torpedo, and to the outbuildings and ground-mounted photovoltaic panel.
…and digging. And digging. Life on the farm. Life off-grid = one has to carve out pathways from the door to the critical outbuildings’ access hatches. And that does not ever begin to address the metric fuckton of snow piled up on the metal roofs and glass electrical panels! Those pretty accumulations on top of the rain gutters? Yeah, those turn into ice dams and can rip the fuckers right off during the next snow melt.
BCB&B, neemtree, bdb, and blog 