Vela Creations is an in-depth resource for off grid living. The site documents our research and experiences, hoping that they might help others interested in pursuing this lifestyle. This blog is designed to document our day to day experiences as we build our new, sustainable homestead. If you are interested in seeing more photos and videos, we have a flickr account at the following url: http://flickr.com/photos/35090117@N05/collections/

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

John Clare

"He could not die when trees were green, for he loved the time too well." - John Clare

Parking Terrace

parkingterrace2

We made a series of dry-stacked rock walls, back-filled with compacted dirt, to bring the old recycling area up level with the circle drive. It now allows for two or three level, shaded parking spots.

Terraces are a major part of our property development here, as we live on a hill. Almost everything we do involves digging out or filling in to create level areas. It can sometimes seem like a lot of extra work, but it has its advantages. We hope to one day have the whole 10 acres terraced in one way or another.

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Parking Terrace

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

William Allingham

"Autumn's the mellow time." - William Allingham

Monday, September 28, 2015

Antoine Lavoisier

"Vegetation is the basic instrument the creator uses to set all of nature in motion." - Antoine Lavoisier

Juice and Cider

cider

Last week, we made our first batch of juice of the year. We cut up a crate and a half of apples, which produced 5 gallons of juice. Half of those we froze (or drank) as juice, the other half is bubbling away as it turns into cider.

We have made a few improvements on our juice press, which we will document next time we make juice, now that the idea has been tested. Over the next couple of weeks, we hope to process another 10 gallons or so.

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Juice and Cider

A High School Where College Is Not the Goal - At Randolph Technical High School in Philadelphia, students are learning about carpentry, culinary arts, and auto repair. Has the system given up on them, or has it saved them?

A High School Where College Is Not the Goal - At Randolph Technical High School in Philadelphia, students are learning about carpentry, culinary arts, and auto repair. Has the system given up on them, or has it saved them?

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Arthur Young

"God sleeps in the minerals, awakens in plants, walks in animals, and thinks in man." - Arthur Young

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Francis Bacon

"Nature is often hidden, sometimes overcome, seldom extinguished." - Francis Bacon

Friday, September 25, 2015

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

"No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible." - Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

Recycling bin

recyclingBin

For the past eight years, we have been saving (and even going out and collecting) anything that might one day be useful: PET bottles, glass, metal cans, cardboard, and paper. We had it all stored under a couple of Juniper trees to the south of our circle drive, but we decided to move it all to the workshop.

We made a few compartments, with roofs, to contain the junk and keep the wind from scattering it. Now, whenever we go to the shop to work on a project, we have everything we need close by - tools, materials, parts, and junk. It’s awesome.

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Recycling bin

Thursday, September 24, 2015

H. G. Wells

"Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative." - H. G. Wells

Prickly Pear Wine

wine

To get the actual juice from the tunas, we went through the same steps as we listed in the prickly pear jelly recipe in the Papa’s prickly pear paradise post (before any sugar or pectin are added).

From less than a crate of fruit, we got 10 liters of juice, to which we added 6 cups of sugar (to get 23 brix or 1.095 specific level). We then added 1 packet yeast.

After one week, we siphoned off the bubbling juice into a bottle and added an airlock. After two months total have passed, we will rack it off, making sure there’s no airspace in the bottle. We will then have to rack it off every couple of months until it turns clear.

We have tried it a couple of times, and though the taste is pretty raw (beer-like), it is developing a distinct and interesting flavor. The one true downside though is that you’re supposed to wait a whole year before drinking it.

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Prickly Pear Wine

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Edward Gibbon

"The winds and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators." - Edward Gibbon

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Charles Baudelaire

"Nature... is nothing but the inner voice of self-interest." - Charles Baudelaire

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Matthew Green

"Though pleas'd to see the dolphins play, I mind my compass and my way." - Matthew Green

septamber'15


parking terraces


Saturday, September 19, 2015

Winter's coming, kee


Winter's coming, kee - http://ift.tt/1iXVb8g

Simple Fire charcoal


Simple Fire charcoal - http://ift.tt/1PcHhJw

Integrated food prod


Integrated food prod - http://ift.tt/1PcHht2

My local market sells hardwood charcoal with no additives. Can I crush this up and add it to my soil as a biochar?

My local market sells hardwood charcoal with no additives. Can I crush this up and add it to my soil as a biochar?

Federal Court Deals Major Blow to Pesticide Industry in Attempt to Save the Bees

Federal Court Deals Major Blow to Pesticide Industry in Attempt to Save the Bees

Friday Freebies - Homesteading Edition - Free Resources To Grab

Friday Freebies - Homesteading Edition - Free Resources To Grab

The Perfect Place To Live Off The Grid? What do you think?

The Perfect Place To Live Off The Grid? What do you think?

Spirulina: How to Grow the Best Green SuperFood that has more Protein than Beef Indoors

Spirulina: How to Grow the Best Green SuperFood that has more Protein than Beef Indoors

Vegetable Oil Powered RV & Truck - Diesel to Veggie Oil Conversion Explained

Vegetable Oil Powered RV & Truck - Diesel to Veggie Oil Conversion Explained

Grow and dry Duckwee


Grow and dry Duckwee - http://ift.tt/1QpCzIJ

This is an interesti


This is an interesti - http://ift.tt/1OlGysi

Homemade vodka? wow


Homemade vodka? wow - http://ift.tt/1OlGysa

I need to set one of


I need to set one of - http://ift.tt/1QpCvIX

chicken check up- 9


chicken check up- 9 - http://ift.tt/1QpCzbR

Raising cattle on sm


Raising cattle on sm - http://ift.tt/1OlGA3d

Cement fabric formed


Cement fabric formed - http://ift.tt/1OlGybL

Make your own chicke


Make your own chicke - http://ift.tt/1OlGybF

Colored eggs and chi


Colored eggs and chi - http://ift.tt/1OlGzwm

Cool downspout idea.


Cool downspout idea. - http://ift.tt/1QpCvc7

Friday, September 18, 2015

Sally Ride

"The stars don't look bigger, but they do look brighter." - Sally Ride

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Annie Leibovitz

"I wish that all of nature's magnificence, the emotion of the land, the living energy of place could be photographed." - Annie Leibovitz

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Heraclitus

"Nature is wont to hide herself." - Heraclitus

Monday, September 14, 2015

Nathaniel Hawthorne

"Mountains are earth's undecaying monuments." - Nathaniel Hawthorne

Sunday, September 13, 2015

W. H. Auden

"'Healing,' Papa would tell me, 'is not a science, but the intuitive art of wooing nature.'" - W. H. Auden

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Marcus Aurelius

"What springs from earth dissolves to earth again, and heaven-born things fly to their native seat." - Marcus Aurelius

Friday, September 11, 2015

Mary Shelley

"The very winds whispered in soothing accents, and maternal Nature bade me weep no more." - Mary Shelley

Tadpole Farm

tadpole farm

On our way down to school, we play various games, like I-spy and alphabet games and such. The latest has been a “Who am I?” animal game. You think of an animal, and then the others have to guess what you are by asking questions like “Are you a mammal?”, “Do you live in Africa?”, etc. Nicky is especially enthralled with this game and wants to play it ALL THE TIME.

Anyway, one of the things that came up that they didn’t know about previously was the group Amphibians. We explained the whole metamorphoses between water and land creature, talking about frogs as the example. That was all it took, they decided they had to have some tadpoles. They bugged us continually to go look for some, and so, one day after school, we stopped by the river to hunt for tadpoles.

We caught several, one of which even had legs already. We then set up a little habitat for them at home, with gravel, plants, food and clean water. The kids feed them every day and get to watch any changes. Once they get big enough we will then release them down by the pond.

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Tadpole Farm

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Diogenes

"The sun, too, shines into cesspools and is not polluted." - Diogenes

Mulch

mulch2

We recently cut a bunch of big weeds throughout the forest garden and around the place to make silage for the rabbits. With the weeds gone, the ground was somewhat exposed to the heat, and it has been a very hot and dry August.

mulchSo we decided to cut huge areas of a grass that the rabbits aren’t fond of. We then spread it through the second row of the forest garden and throughout the circle drive. Both places have several new trees planted, and we wanted to make sure that these young trees retained some moisture in between waterings.

Mulch is an absolute miracle for any garden or orchard area. We spread it thick (at least 6”) wherever we have anything important growing, and it truly does wonders for the plants and soil.

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Mulch

Solar Heater on Vela


Solar Heater on Vela - http://ift.tt/1MewnFl

Sprouting informatio


Sprouting informatio - http://ift.tt/1QrdiyB

Quick mead recipe fo


Quick mead recipe fo - http://ift.tt/1MewnFi

Fodder for chickens


Fodder for chickens - http://ift.tt/1Qrdiyz

It's juice season!


It's juice season! - http://ift.tt/1MewkJS

Pretty much no matte


Pretty much no matte - http://ift.tt/1Qrdiyx

Green Roof Construct


Green Roof Construct - http://ift.tt/1MewkJC

How To Dehydrate Sli


How To Dehydrate Sli - http://ift.tt/1QrdfCI

Bottle Walls, recycl


Bottle Walls, recycl - http://ift.tt/1MewkcQ

Coyotes are smart an


Coyotes are smart an - http://ift.tt/1QrdihQ

All of this food wil


All of this food wil - http://ift.tt/1MewkcE

Home Farm Ideas: Chi


Home Farm Ideas: Chi - http://ift.tt/1Qrdfml

Epsom salt really wo


Epsom salt really wo - http://ift.tt/1MewmBj

Homesteaders guide i


Homesteaders guide i - http://ift.tt/1Mewml1

Building an off-grid solar wood drying kiln. Video series: Milling the siding.

Building an off-grid solar wood drying kiln. Video series: Milling the siding.

Honeybee Heists A New Reality In A Time Of Colony Collapse

Honeybee Heists A New Reality In A Time Of Colony Collapse

"Everything I do is online, and I make sure every decision I make is so that I am not stuck in an office." - QUARTERLIVES: Kevin's Story

"Everything I do is online, and I make sure every decision I make is so that I am not stuck in an office." - QUARTERLIVES: Kevin's Story

A self sustainable grid-tie timber frame house series

A self sustainable grid-tie timber frame house series

The simple life: the Mount Gambier mum saying goodbye to consumerism

The simple life: the Mount Gambier mum saying goodbye to consumerism

What refugees bring when they run for their lives.

What refugees bring when they run for their lives.

How to freeze excess milk for long term storage and use throughout the winter.K

How to freeze excess milk for long term storage and use throughout the winter.K

Family Living Off Grid with Just One Solar Panel in Canada - Check out this mini Documentary!

Family Living Off Grid with Just One Solar Panel in Canada - Check out this mini Documentary!

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Fritz Todt

"In places where this beauty has already disappeared, we will reconstruct it." - Fritz Todt

Junkyard

junkyard

Over the years we have collected a lot of “junk”. This includes lumber, metal, PVC, motors, barrels, and much, much more. Basically anything we think we might one day need, we keep. Lots of people would object to this kind of hoarding, but it has been invaluable to us time and time again. Every time we make a prototype of some invention, contraption or doo-hicky, we rummage through our junk-pile and find the things we need, at least to test a theory. It saves us having to go to the city before we even know whether or not an idea will work. Spare parts are saved, just in case we need something and can’t make it to a store.

junkyard2The junkyard was located to one side of our driveway. However, now that we have a workshop that houses all our tools and other materials, we decided to consolidate. We have now moved everything useful around the shop. We still lack a few bits and pieces, but the vast majority is done, and more or less organized. It is also mostly hidden from view, unless you are walking towards the shop.

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Junkyard

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Georg Trakl

"I drank the silence of God from a spring in the woods." - Georg Trakl

Monday, September 7, 2015

Roy Bean

"And Fall, with her yeller harvest moon and the hills growin' brown and golden under a sinkin' sun." - Roy Bean

Roast Muscovy

roastMuscovy

The other day, Abe butchered one of the young Muscovy drakes.

He made himself a poultry kill-cone, to make the nasty part as quick and easy as possible (for both the animals’s and his sakes). It worked really well, and definitely minimized any trauma. He then skinned it, which he said was pretty tricky. Next time, we’ll try plucking it, to be able to compare the two methods.

For our first recipe attempt, we decided to do a traditional roast. We wanted to keep it fairly simple, so that we could really taste the meat and decide what would go well with it. It was very akin to roast beef in both flavor and texture. Leo ate about four helpings!

So far we are extremely impressed with the meat. We have a long learning curve ahead of us, on both the butchering and cooking front, but our experiments promise to be very enjoyable. We have plans for smoking, disco, fruit glazes (especially with prickly pear syrup), and many more.

duckPondThe one thing we noticed about our drake that differed from our expectations is that he didn't have much fat. Muscovies are supposed to have a layer of fat, similar to pork. However, our ducks love to fly, and they also walk back and forth to the pond at the bottom of the property. Maybe the added exercise has affected the meat, as they certainly eat plenty of food, of all kinds (from grain to weeds to viscera), and usually have some left over.

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Roast Muscovy

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Margaret Mead

"We won't have a society if we destroy the environment." - Margaret Mead

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Isaac Bashevis Singer

"What nature delivers to us is never stale. Because what nature creates has eternity in it." - Isaac Bashevis Singer

Friday, September 4, 2015

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

"The Amen of nature is always a flower." - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Inside Garden

insideGarden

The grey water from our shower and sinks goes into two 10 ft long wicking beds inside the house. The water passes through a drainage pipe which has holes in it, and seeps into a gravel bed. There is then high quality soil on top of the gravel bed, which, along with the plants’ roots, wicks up the water.

We used to have cherry tomatoes, New Zealand spinach, rosemary and citronella planted there. However, there were two problems with these choices. Firstly, they all, except for the spinach, grow super tall and cover the whole windows and their beautiful views. Secondly, we had an infestation of white flies. For the past couple of years, I have been constantly battling this pesky little plague. Several times, I thought I had won the fight, only to have them return again.

So, I dug up the whole garden. I then put a thick layer of compost down and covered it. As it heated up, any remaining white fly eggs were (hopefully) killed. I then stirred up the soil and planted some new foliage. We now have thyme, oregano, parsley, basil, and some flowers. None of these grow tall, so we get to keep our views, and I can go and pick the herbs I need while I’m cooking. I still have to go outside for things like sage, rosemary and mint, but that’s OK.

So far, not a single white fly...

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Inside Garden

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