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/

Monday, June 29, 2015

Louis D. Brandeis

"There are no shortcuts in evolution." - Louis D. Brandeis

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Marshall McLuhan

"There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew." - Marshall McLuhan

Family Get-together

We hooked up with Abe's family and got to visit all kinds of cool places.Read More

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Family Get-together

June'15


Saturday, June 27, 2015

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

30 Amazing Downspout


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How to calculate how


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Why Everyone Should


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pedal powered washin


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How to Build a Barn


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Homesteading Resourc


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The Homestead Surviv


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Outdoor Skills: Use


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The Chicken Chick®:


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Raising Tilapia - Ea


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ten-tips-fermenting-


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Food Web on VelaCrea


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This family of four


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Now is the time to d


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Replace Soy with Mea


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Easy Concrete Steppi


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12 Houseplants that


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Funding The Elliott


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I want one of these


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Forest Garden on Vel


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How to Plant Garlic:


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Why succulents? They


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Cut a pool noodle in


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How to Raise Worms U


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How to Grow Mushroom


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Friday, June 26, 2015

Matsuo Basho

"The temple bell stops but I still hear the sound coming out of the flowers." - Matsuo Basho

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Henry David Thoreau

"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root." - Henry David Thoreau

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

William Shakespeare

"Like as the waves make towards the pebbl'd shore, so do our minutes, hasten to their end." - William Shakespeare

Monday, June 22, 2015

Samuel Butler

"Human life is as evanescent as the morning dew or a flash of lightning." - Samuel Butler

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Hosea Ballou

"Energy, like the biblical grain of the mustard-seed, will remove mountains." - Hosea Ballou

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Aldous Huxley

"My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing." - Aldous Huxley

Family Vacation

sinFeroza

Leo was recently selected to represent first grade for his school in a local academic competition. There were nine schools participating and Leo won first prize, of which he was extremely proud. He put in quite a bit of work after school and at the weekends, and the four hour written exam was pretty heavy duty, so we felt we would reward him with a little vacation.

In the past, any trip or vacation we've gone on has been to see family, seeing as they all live so far away. However, for the first time since the kids were born, we decided to visit somewhere purely for the joy of going some place new.

Our destination was the Copper Canyon in Mexico. This area consists of four large canyons (and several smaller ones), each of which rivals the Grand Canyon. Abe and I had made a trip down there just after we were married, and had been blown away by both the culture and scenery. On that occasion we had gone to Creel and visited the canyons closest to it. This time, we decided to go to the much less touristy town of Guachochi.

pineHomestead

On one night we stayed with a friend of ours who has a remote homestead in the high altitude pine forests near to Guachochi. Her place was absolutely beautiful. She has a  series of log cabins, a couple of apple and cherry orchards, chickens, and about 100 resident hummingbirds. It was lovely catching up with her, and the cool climate was very welcome after a hot trip.

plane

We also went up in a small plane to fly through the spectacular Sin Feroza canyon. It's more than a mile deep, interspersed with waterfalls and smaller canyons. The plane ride was fun and certainly gave a unique perspective. The airport even had a tiger, yes a real one, which the kids loved. It lived with a dog, and may have been retired from a circus.

It was a really lovely little vacation, and we definitely hope to do some more exploring in the area when the kids are older and ready for some serious hiking.

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Family Vacation

Friday, June 19, 2015

Ivan Turgenev

"However much you knock at nature's door, she will never answer you in comprehensible words." - Ivan Turgenev

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Edward Young

"Too low they build, who build beneath the stars." - Edward Young

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Werner Heisenberg

"What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning." - Werner Heisenberg

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

"All art is but imitation of nature." - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Monday, June 15, 2015

A. A. Milne

"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them." - A. A. Milne

Vacation-June'15


9 Powerful Habits Minimalists Embrace

9 Powerful Habits Minimalists Embrace

Farm Hacks

Farm Hacks

Scientists and Activists Build Food, Soil and Climate Movement In 21 Nations.

Scientists and Activists Build Food, Soil and Climate Movement In 21 Nations.

30 tasty insect dishes

30 tasty insect dishes

Fun Fort on VelaCrea


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Good tips for growin


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Build this DIY fire


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Grants for Beginning


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cheaper and faster t


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Chispito Wind Genera


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Find out why Monarch


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How to Make a Gallon


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(Over 80) Printable


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Clean and sharpen AN


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Mealworm Farm on Vel


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How to Build a Low-M


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Plant-A-Grams - Rais


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Take preventative me


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Sunday, June 14, 2015

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

"But friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold." - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

James Russell Lowell

"And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days." - James Russell Lowell

Friday, June 12, 2015

William Cowper

"Who loves a garden loves a greenhouse too." - William Cowper

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Sidney Sheldon

"Try to leave the Earth a better place than when you arrived." - Sidney Sheldon

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Napoleon Bonaparte

"Water, air, and cleanness are the chief articles in my pharmacy." - Napoleon Bonaparte

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Walter Hagen

"You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way." - Walter Hagen

Monday, June 8, 2015

Robert Green Ingersoll

"In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences." - Robert Green Ingersoll

Peaches

Peach.jpeg

We planted a few trees up against a wall at the town house last year, to test out the espalier technique (whereby branches span out flat instead of as a canopy). The results so far have been amazing, in that a very young tree already has two ripe fruit on it, weeks ahead of our other peach trees. We're attributing the early ripening to the added heat that the wall stores, and we hope that this thermal mass help protect the trees from the late freezes that can sometimes kill a tree's blossoms.

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Peaches

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Corita Kent

"Flowers grow out of dark moments." - Corita Kent

Workshop’s Organized

workshop

We have finally finished moving all our tools and materials into the workshop, and everything is organized and labelled. It took a while, but it was well worth it, as things are a lot easier to access.

With the work table also completed, we are ready to start on any number of projects that fill up our To-Do list.

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Workshop’s Organized

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