Diving for Treasure

Sometimes there just isn't enough food on a homestead. Luckily we've discovered some great shopping places that fit the aprentice's budget.


Pictured here is a treasure trove behind a bakery called Stick Boy. Though you wouldn't believe it, their cinamon rolls are to die for- even day old.



Another favorite is behind the Food Lion. Last week we scored a whole case of tomatoes, various produce, some potato chips, and even a new vegatable peeler.



Arthur, Brianna, and Brett diving for goodies

Take a look around

The most common questions I get out here regard my living arrangemnet. Do I live out of a tent or in some dorms, etc?



Fortunatly I am spoiled with a great place to stay. Its more settled than a tent and more peacefull than a community room. Allow me to take you on a short tour of my one room cabin.




The main room with sleeping bay on right
Carving a figure in my doorway
While my place is less than 150 sq. ft, it feels massive with its high ceiling and open entry. The addition of a small sleeping bay frees up extra floor space where a bed usually goes.

Flame broiled burgers are pretty easy around here
Instead of having individual kitchens, we all share a community kitchen. This works out great since wood cook stoves take more time we can all help out a little.

Taking her child

Killing an animal is easy when you don’t have attachment. When you haven’t hand fed her you can carelessly detach and follow through. But as I laid Annie's sickly kid down in the shade I struggled for bravery.

Desperate bleating for her dead mother encouraged me to drag my blade deeply across her throat. The popping tendons and spurting blood combined with her choked yelps destroyed me.

Holding her dying body I hoped to comfort her death and my decision. She didn’t die immediately. I felt her thrash about for what felt like hours, though I’m later told it was a quick death.

Danielle and I skinning the baby
With the dead animal in my hands I worried and worried if I had done the right thing. That’s when my friend Danielle inspired my confidence by confirming the need of ending her suffering.

Before beginning she surprised me when I asked her to leave and not watch, with defiant eyes she boldly stated that she could handle it and wished to learn. Having the moral support was great. And it established a bond that is hard to achieve in the city.

After composing myself I joined the group in making use of the two animals. The skins are getting processed. The horns will be built into knife handles and the meat used to feed our dogs. In this way Annie and her baby have returned from loss to enhance our lives in natures cyclical way.

Loosing Annie

After weeks of nurturing our sick goat Annie, I woke up this morning to a surprise. I usually love surprises, but when I looked into her stall I wasn't pleased. She seemed in an awkward position, she didn't lift her head to greet me. When I bent down to inspect her I recognized her eyes were fixed and lifeless. And then I felt the stiffness.

The signs were apparent. But, I wasn't willing to accept it. A moment later I noticed hoards of flies buzzing around us. With my head hung low I stared. And I stared some more. What happened?

Matthew expertly demonstrates how to efficiently skin a large animal
I didn't feel comfortable eating the animal I've unsuccessfully tended to a slow death, and it seemed wasteful to bury her with the abundant needs of a poor ranch. To honor her life and utilize her potential we decided to make use of her as best we could.

We carried her body to a tree and tied her for ‘processing’- the term irritates me, a euphemism to avoid the discomfort of death. Read More