End Of The Year Letter

We just got your Christmas card. So much has happened this year, that I figured an email would be a better response. 

Rahn and I moved the trailer last March we were renting to some family land that Rahn's sister Karen transferred to us. It was quite the rodeo! 

About 45 miles and $1,200, we got it to the property.

The house mover dropped it into a ditch when the trailer tongue collapsed. It took about a week for him to come back with a skid steer to drag it around and into place.  Another week, and he came back again to get it leveled and up on piers. 

During this time, we were working in town for a few days at a time, and came home one night to discover that the house had been burglarized.  It was heart-breaking, but friends did get my antique sewing machine and my custom-made spinning wheel replaced.

We got grid electric hooked up in the middle of April. Rahn has been working on getting stairs and porches built. 

Over the summer, we worked on a number of handyman jobs away from the house. 

The projects here at "Art-Ternative Life Farm" are many and varied. We started with meat rabbits, I plan to build a very large garden for next year. Eventually, we expect it to cover our acre of property, and hope to get the adjoining half acre as well.

The rabbit kits are just too stinkin' cute. We've agreed that only the breeding stock gets named, though.

Rahn started an addition to the house for my art and weaving studio for my birthday on December 5th. He had to pause the same day, as he needs to get some plumbing done for our rainwater harvesting system before he blocks access to that part of the underside of the house. 

Another birthday present was this vintage sewing machine. With a manufacture date of 1972, it's the newest of my little collection. The eldest is a 1924 Singer treadle, and the 1957 and 1962 Singers fill in the middle. I'll be doing a lot of sewing for sale on Amazon handmade page, as well as my AmedaDesigns FB page.

I have lots of spinning, knitting, painting, wood-burning, jewelry, and other projects going. I'm looking forward to having a more organized space to work in! 

Rahn's youngest sister gave him a boat that need some work done on it. Since Lake Texoma is so close, we hope to have it ready to go into the water by this spring. 

Meanwhile, he's doing a fair bit of smoking on "da Beast" a smoker converted from a restaurant vent hood.  

We're planning to add ducks to the homestead this spring, and figure that we'll doing our best to at least get our ducks in a group, even if we can't get them in a row. 

All our best, Ameda and Rahn

Projects Coming Up and Lists

by Ameda Holmes

It seems to be quite ordinary to have multiple projects going at once. Whether it has to do with the multiplicity of chores that need to be done on a developing homestead, updating and repairing clothing, decor changes to the living spaces, improving organization, and creating items for sale, the project list sometimes seems to be getting longer as items are completed.

This doesn't bother me at all. The production measured against my project list is quite satisfying. I did discover that I do have to create lists in order to keep from getting overwhelmed and confused. While I have received dismissive comments to the effect that the detail in my lists is unnecessary, I have found the detail is not only satisfying as it gets checked off, but needful actions don't get overlooked.

There is a daily chore list where individual items just get a checkmark as completed. Making the bed, feeding animals, doing dishes, taking out trash, etc.

A weekly list includes items such as dealing with leftovers. For example, freezing meals for the next week, making stew from left over meats and veggies. Baking bread, any cleaning and organizing projects, and mending, laundry & putting clothes away. With the guys working on remodeling and painting projects away from the homestead during the week, there is a need for portable meals to avoid additional expense.

A monthly list consists of the bills and due dates. While not actually projects, this is a very important part of our household organization. It is also where we schedule spending for materials and equipment.

While most of the homestead construction projects are on the shoulders and strength of the male half of this partnership, I do have input on appearance, priority and problem-solving. I also have some personal projects that are within my strength and energy level. This is a longer term list, as the time / money / energy equation gets continually updated.

A few items on the current list include:
Porch / greenhouse / dining room on the west side of the house. The entry stairs and first 8'x10' porch are mostly completed, though the white fabric awning needs to be replaced with a roof. The awning got taken down this week, though the new roof needs some purchased materials before it can go up.
We have a pile of reclaimed corrugated plastic roofing for this, and hopefully we have enough for the greenhouse as well.

A 16'x16' deck / porch on the east side of the house that will eventually (hopefully this winter) get enclosed for my studio space.

An enclosed storage room under the south end of the house. The house mover left the several-hundred-pound trailer tongue under this area. Rahn got help to manhandle this out around the tie-down straps and help to dig out the sand to level the area prior to it getting enclosed.

A much larger rabbitry needs to be constructed to protect the bunnies from predators and extremes of weather. We lost bunnies to both this summer.

The current cages did get moved to where the new rabbitry will get constructed, and a start was made on the construction. More to be done here as well.

The garden:
First iteration of the garden is going to be in 5 gallon buckets enclosed by half-pallet sides. Most of the soil here is composed of sandstone gravel and clay. Very low in organic matter, so buckets of amended soil as we get larger amounts of compost made will do for now. We can get a nearly unlimited number of free pallets and buckets, and plan to get a chipper to chop up brush in the future.

I'll be planting some radishes and cabbage in a couple planters today.

When I was living in an apartment in Irving I had a successful container garden. The containers here at the homestead will be much larger.

Eventually most of the property will have gardens. Food is the first priority, of course. Some of the plants I want to grow for fiber and dye are quite decorative and will be sited with an eye towards enhancing the overall appearance of the property. I also want to get some wild blackberry starts to plant along the edges of the property, some fruit trees, and perhaps some nut trees.

The "Making" list has sub-headings of clothing, household, and trade goods. This is probably the largest list, though the homestead construction projects are individually larger items. This is also the list that gets longer as I work on items. I have a quirk where I'm working on a project, and a variant occurs to me. I'll put it on the list and write down any details that pop up.

A couple examples of this:
I was knitting one of my favorite edgings on the lace wristers I was finishing. It occurred to me that I could use some of my acrylic yarn stash and knit panels to be mounted in reclaimed wood frames as fencing for the front yard. There was a FB post a few years ago where a knitter in the Shetland Isles made a fence around her garden using fishing net cord and over-sized needles. She used the same edging pattern as I was currently knitting.

Another variant of this was a project I did a few years ago as display panels. The panels I did then didn't survive the multiple moves of the years between then and now, but I plan to get some of these done this week. Reclaimed lumber frames, and twine to make dream-catcher centers.

Other "Making" projects include clothing for both of us. I currently have several historical re-enactment items cut out that just need sewing.

I am also cutting up a number of old pairs of jeans and piecing them into fabric to be used for covers for furniture and a cowboy duster.

Reclaimed denim is also a great resource for the trade goods list. Little bags, medium bags, quilts, wall hangings, are all on the list to be done.

Then there is my sizable stash of fabrics, yarn, jewelry supplies, and the creativity that gets splattered around my work space.

An on-going item on the "making" list is regular time spent spinning yarns to be used in future projects. I can sometimes get some production done as part of public spinning demonstrations. Honestly, there is a lot more explaining of the process than actual spinning happening.

Rain Water Harvesting

Fall rains will be arriving in north Texas soon.

As a beginning for figuring how much rainwater can be captured, one inch of rainfall can produce 0.62 gallons per square foot of collection (roof) area.

A 1,000 square foot roof with a 1 inch rainfall would produce 620 gallons. That seems like quite a bit of water, and the weight of that much water is 2.5 tons.
However, most households go through that much water in only a few days to a week. Laundry, lawn & garden watering, baths, toilets use the largest amount of water, with potable water usage being much less.

In practice, the actual harvested amount will be lower depending on several factors. Heavy rain events can lead to water cascading over the rain gutters, or fail to drain into tanks because gutters and pipes can't handle the amount. Some water is lost to first flush systems, or when tanks become full, water simply overflows the system.

As a more practical figure, 75% of the potential amount is a good estimate.

If I plug in our roof square footage, 1,072 square feet x 0.62 gallons per one inch of rain, by 0.75 to account for the loss factor, that comes out as 498.5 gallons.

While we currently don't have sufficient storage for our water needs, this area averages 41 inches of moisture per year. That figures out to a potentional 20,438 gallons!

The tank in the image was designed to be only decorative, we're working with the idea of having functional versions

Our plans include using a number of 50 gallon food grade barrels with equalizing plumbing so they fill and empty in unison. Some will be installed under the house to protect them from temperature extremes.

With a good filtering system, we plan to be independent of the water companies.

How do you make sure the water you harvest and store is clean?

Make sure junk never gets into the storage.

Starts with the roof itself.

This trailer is old and the roof has quite a bit of rust. We were thinking of dealing with it with more filtration, but we came up with a better idea.

We'll be coating the roof with three 18' x 24' tarps. At $99 each from Amazon, we'll have several benefits.

The tarps will keep the rust from the roof from getting into the rainwater in the first place.

We can get tarps as we can afford them. The first one will go over the north end of the house. Rahn already has one 20 foot section of gutter on the back side of the house, and he'll put another 20 foot section on the front when he gets the tarp put up.

The tarps are white, so we'll have less heat gain during the summer heat.

The tarps will keep the roof from rusting out further, giving us needed breathing space until the roof needs to be replaced. It's not leaking YET but I wouldn't count on the roof metal lasting another year at this point. We're estimating that the tarps will give us at least another two years.

The house is 67 feet long, so the second tarp will go over the south end of the house, leaving only 19 feet of the center to be covered by the third, giving plenty of overlap.

With the tarps keeping the rust out of the rainwater, the next part of keeping the water in the storage clean is what is called a "first flush" system. Basically, this diverts the first bit of water - including dust and bird droppings - into a side pipe and then lets the bulk of the rainwater into the storage tanks. It's simple to build out of bits and pieces of PVC pipe, and Rahn is working on that today.

After the first flush fills up, the water will come down the downspout. Before it hits the tank, It goes through a home made filter. Poly fiber, charcoal and gravel ensure that the water going into the storage is as clean as we can get it, and keeps mosquitoes from gaining access.

To prevent the growth of algae, we're keeping sunlight from the barrels. Some of the barrels are the blue poly, and wouldn't be susceptible to algae growth, but we do have a couple white barrels.

The barrels will be sited on the north end of the house on an elevated stand, and Rahn plans to enclose them with a protective box. This will improve the appearance of the set up as well as keep the barrels from any weather damage.

The barrels will be connected with a manifold that lets them fill and drain in unison, and can be expanded with more barrels to keep our water storage ahead of our needs.

There are a number of very good resources online.
This PDF is one of the best I've found. http://www.twdb.texas.gov/…/RainwaterHarvestingManual_3rded…
And this one from Texas A&M is also a big help.
https://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/
It also includes links to quite a few useful publications.

Here is an affiliate link to the tarps we are using on the roof: 18 foot by 24 foot tarp )

Batch Cooking

I did a batch cooking run over the last couple days.

The guys will be away from the homestead for a few days at a time as they are working on remodeling jobs.

In order to keep costs down and provide them with something other than burgers to survive on, I concentrated on things that could be turned into soups and sandwiches. Another consideration was that they would need some real fuel for the heavy work.

I put 10 pounds of chicken leg quarters into the slow cookers, layered them up with spices and enough water to cover. 

The smoked pork roast from last weekend went into a stock pot to simmer the meat off the bone.

Then a dozen eggs got hard boiled.

Once everything was cooked, the chicken and pork got deboned.

Some of the chicken went into chicken mushroom and rice soup. Chicken stock, rice, canned mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup and whole milk. Spices were a little garlic salt, black pepper and oregano.

The rest of the chicken was shredded. I'll make chicken salad, some chicken with hard boiled eggs, and some egg salad.

Some of the pork got put together with some beans and pork stock in one of the now-empty slow cookers. This pork and beans will be cowboy beans with the addition of some more black pepper, garlic, onion, and a couple spoonfuls of tomato paste.

The rest of the pork will get shredded for pulled pork sandwiches.

The two half gallon containers of stock - one pork, one chicken - are in the fridge to let the fat rise to the top. I'll skim the fat off and freeze it separately, then I'll put the stock in plastic bags to freeze in smaller quantities.

The stock will see use in chicken vegetable soup, cream of chicken soup, tomato soup, beef and barley, souped-up mushroom rice, and much more.

(By the way, a cup of hot broth before bed helps one fall asleep faster and improves quality of sleep.)

I'll go the to grocery store tomorrow for some cornmeal, flour, and a tortilla press. The guys have asked for some home made tortillas. I'll also make some fresh bread.

Beginning With Meat Rabbits

"Speckles" has been a good mother, and the bunnies are healthy and growing quickly. At three weeks old, they are too stinkin' cute!



We started with five rabbits. A black adult male that we named Rex, the white and black female in the picture above, a smaller black male, and two smaller black females.

Speckles had her first bunnies shortly after we moved onto the property. Four kits - two solid black, and two white and black - were the result. All four are active and growing quickly.

Rex managed to escape through a gap in his cage. It's rather amusing to have him hopping outside the house, sunning himself like a cat, and turning his wiggling nose up at Rahn's attempts to entice him into giving up his freedom!

The problem with allowing Rex to stay running loose is two-fold. He can't get into the cages with the females for his breeding duties. Then there is the problem with at least one feral dog.

The feral dog got one of the black females out of her cage, killed and ate her.

This may not seem like a large loss, but when a single breeding doe can produce thirty offspring a year at five pounds of edible meat each, this loss is substantial.

The cages were moved under the house for more protection, and an actual rabbit coop is high on the priority list.

What constitutes an "Art-ternative Life?"

"Art-ternative" is a riff on Alternative.

By using this made-up word, the intent is to convey a committment to creating beauty in ways that are different and unexpected. Solutions to everyday problems will frequently be outside-the-box, and will be a combination of creativity, innovation, and an aversion to simply throwing money at the problem.

Traditional solutions to the needs of a home - water, shelter, food sources, utilities - will usually be rejected in favor of solutions that are more environmentally conscious, more esthetic, less expensive and more cool.

While others may have pre-packaged their solutions to these problems in their attempts to make their incomes, these may or may not be the best fit for a different situation. Re-inventing the wheel in these instances is not necessarily a bad thing.

Re-inventing income sources to allow for a more creative lifestyle is definitely part of the plans. Diversified income streams allow for unexpected disasters, changing circumstances, and the intent to follow individual passions.

The Basics

The location for Art-ernative Life Farm is a small family property in north Texas. One of the key things to remember in all the following discussions is the fact that this rural county has very few building and zoning restrictions. Keep in mind that many of the solutions that fit in this specific locale may not be possible or legal elsewhere!

The property is approximately three-quarters of an acre in size, triangularly shaped with rural roads around it. The ground is composed of limestone gravel and sand with very little topsoil. There are a few oak and red cedar trees scattered on the property, with a couple that are standing dead that will need to be cut down.

Local information states that there is a very good quality aquifer accessible only about twenty feet down. This will figure in future plans.

State regulations require a problematic permitting process for septic systems on small properties. It turns out that composting systems are not only permitted, but encouraged!

There are two different county water companies, but getting a water meter put in is ridiculously expensive. Over $2,500 for the meter, and approximately $1,000 for installation. Add to this a monthly bill, and this becomes even more unattractive.

There is a county co-op for electric supply, with rates that are reasonable. We are in the initial process of getting hooked up to supplied electric, but are also planning on developing solar and wind generation back ups.

The electric co-op does not have provision for buy-backs of home generated electricity, so our system will be stand-alone to pick up some of our electric needs. This will be developed in stages as funds allow, with the aim of eventually deleting the grid tie.

Plans and Decisions

The house was moved to the property in late March, 2019. This was NOT a simple process!
The first try to move the house ran into a problem with the ground being far too soggy to get the house jacked up and onto the wheels. After about a week, tires were mounted onto the wheels, and the house was pulled out and to the family property.



Getting the house located on the property was a major disaster. When the truck pulled onto the property, it went downhill too far. When the truck driver tried to back the house up into place, the trailer tounge folded and collapsed.



The trailer was nose down in the ditch for a few days. Walking inside the house was awkward due to the severe tilt.

The house mover came back with a skid loader and pulled the house out of the ditch and around to where it needed to be located.



It was then nearly a week before he came back out and leveled the trailer.

During this part of the process, the window on that end of the trailer was broken. Somewhere during all this, the trailer was tweaked, paint cracked, and door frames were warped.

Once the house was finally leveled, one end of the house is nearly six feet off the ground, and the other only about two feet. Storage spaces are being developed under the house.

With the easily accessible aquifer, a hand dug well may figure into future plans. For now, however, hauling water will be the first solution while a rain water catchment system is developed. There are sources locally for IBC totes and 50 gallon poly drums, and the YouTube videos on the subject are numerous and detailed.

One aspect of this kind of off-grid water handling is the option to do a radiant heated floor instead of the ludicrously inefficient central heat and air currently in use.

The heating source currently planned is a simple wood stove referred to as a Rocket Stove. A copper pipe wrapped around the wood stove chimney can heat a large amount of water fairly quickly. Moving the water through the system can be easily accomplished with a 12 volt water pump

If the water barrels for the radiant heating are buried under the house, geothermal cooling in the summer is a simple matter. The same 12 volt water pump can circulate the cold water through the radiant floor pipes.

A second wood burning rocket stove will be tasked with the heating of household water.

Most cooking will be using a propane grill or over a campfire until an outdoor kitchen can be developed. Plans include a pizza / bread oven, smoker, large wood-fired brick cooker with openings for canning pots, and a dehydrator built into the side.

Sun-Mar is probably the best known composting toilet manufacturer out there. This is probably the one time that simply paying the money is the best option. A composting system like Sun-Mar's costs 75% less than a standard septic system.

Solar and wind power is a likely option. Many YouTube videos on DIY solar systems are out there. There are eBay and Amazon sellers with great prices on solar panels, and Northern Tool has a number of options for charge controllers and inverters.


House Upgrades

The mobile home was built in 1985, and has not had any proper repairs done - EVER!

The plumbing is a psychotic mess, with multiple patches and continuing leaks. This will need to be completely re-done with new pipe.

There are multiple spots where leaking pipes have destroyed the sub-floor, and this will all need to be properly patched and supported.

Some new fixtures will be added in this process. The awkward, somewhat dangerous "garden tub" will likely be replaced with a jetted soaking tub. The plan is to filter and re-use the water like an outdoor Jacuzzi.

The half bath will be enlarged and remodeled and a shower will be added.

The particle board vanities will be replaced with home made solid wood pieces of art, and sinks appropriate to the upgrade will be installed.

The sad linoleum tile floors will be removed, and waterproof vinyl plank flooring installed. The choice of flooring has been made. A greyish pickled wood look for the master bath, kitchen and utility room, and a maple look for the half bath. Both choices look and feel like wood plank without the possible water damage drawbacks.

The only good thing about the existing waste handling is that it already separates the grey water from black waste. Grey water will be handled with filtration beds with non-food plants. This will include fiber plants such as cotton, flax for linen, dye plants, and several types of gourds. County regulations allow for grey water to be handled on the property, as long as it does not run off the property or into the drainage ditches around the property. This is not the case everywhere!

It is apparent that there is very little if any insulation. Monthly electric bills in the former locale were up to $300. While a great deal of this issue is the ridiculously inefficient central heat and air, if the temperature differential cannot be maintained, the money spent on environmental control is mostly wasted!

The ancient siding will be removed, along with what little degraded insulation remains. This will also gain access to the old wiring and any needed upgrades and repairs will be handled. The walls will be studded out to allow much more insulation to be installed, any holes will be repaired, and new siding will be installed.

The rusted metal roof will be replaced and will be set up for rainwater catchment. The size and configuration of the water storage tanks will depend on funds and materials availability. The videos on YouTube engender loads of ideas that may work well. This is another area that may or may not be legal in other counties or states.

Plans exist for bump-out additions to the master bedroom for an art studio, and to the kitchen area for a dining room. The existing dining room area will be re-vamped into a pantry with layers of rolling shelves for dense storage of food. A nearly-full-perimeter deck will surround the house with a greenhouse on the west side of the house, and a screened in area on the east side accessible for the feline horde to enjoy.

Food Sources

The plans for primary proteins include meat rabbits, ducks for meat and eggs, and fishing from the nearby creeks, Lake Texoma, and the Red River.



"Speckles" has been a good mother, and the bunnies are healthy and growing quickly. At three weeks old, they are too stinkin' cute!



Ducks will be purchased soon, and fishing will be added as soon as gear is replaced.

A large garden is planned for vegetables, and fruits will be planted as soon as funds allow.