@@affordabledesertliving3487 Thank you Don! Looks like YT promoted the heck out of your "devastated after surveying my property" video! LOL! 94k views! Why are the comments turned off tho?
@@CringePanda After being scolded literally dozens of times for not doing a survey before I purchased the land I simply got weary of it. There were markers on the property so I believed I could find the rest. I was wrong. I mean yes mention it a couple of times but dozens of times with no end in sight? I absolutely love reading the comments to my videos. Constructive thoughts and suggestions are great. But it appeared that people just enjoyed attacking and ridiculing. I have no patience for that and it's NEVER going to happen ad naseum on my channel.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 Don, I found 4 acres for sale on the street above yours but it's going for twice as much as you paid for it! It's not worth the current price, is it? I'm curious. I guess what I'm asking is, if yours had cost twice as much, would you have passed on it? Thank you and blessings!
My late grandmother had quite a few hummingbird feeders and as a kid me and my siblings would be on the front porch watching them with her right after breakfast.
Don, re: the filter on the tank: I would add a 55-gal barrel under the downspout(s) with the pipe(s) to the tank coming back out of the top. You would trap a lot of material and reduce the times between taking filters out. When the barrel(s) gets a good bit of deposit, switch in a new one and empty the sediment for use on one of your future projects. You might also consider tapping into the line before it goes into the tank for gardening or utility uses. Also please consider flat roofs: it would be good to avoid having to run two gutters when one could serve as well. Your trunk safety stop wouldn't be as effective for me: I'd forget to put it in place more often than not (even when being severely penalized for my absent-mindedness). Yet I'm sure glad it's working for you, and it's such an easy & handy device. Kudos!
Sean thanks for your indepth thoughts on my tank set up. Really appeciate you taking the time to watch the vid. Yep the old used backpack tent makes an effective trunk lid stopper until I get it all repaired.
Try putting the raisins in the pot when you put the water in to heat up. If you let it boil for a few minutes, you will rehydrate the raisins & they will plump up. Check out some of the older videos from "Handeeman" when he first started living in his tiny house & the rain water catchment system he built.
Wow cooking tips and off-grid info. LOL. Larry yes indeed I have watched Handeeman for years. He was my first source of information about living here and a major force behind my decision to move here.
I use raisins boiled in milk and regular cheap rice, to make a milk soup, served with cinnamon and sugar. Kids love it, it adds alot of flavor when you let it simmer for a while. Def comfort food.
That’s how I make my oatmeal except one tablespoon of honey with raisins is plenty (I also like add ground flaxseed as it creates a very smooth texture)
Congratulations on the great progress Don! I bet Mom was never mad at you. I like the choice in tanks too. Low profile and very serviceable. Your filmmaking is really nice Don. Looking forward to the upcoming videos 👍
Bill thank you very very much for such great comments about my videos. I’m really encouraged by that. As you know I love yours as well. And yes my mom was very sweet and rarely got mad at me. I would love to have you and Yvonne over for a visit. Not just a polite comment but Genuine invitation. I promise I wouldn’t offer you guys oatmeal. LOL
I've been looking at rural land in Arizona. I'm 3 minutes in to your video and already subscribed. Some rural land, a little house in the desert, and old Toyota. You're my kinda people.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 we really understand what you’re up against making a place solo. There were two of us during much of the infrastructure build and know the amount of effort it requires. Good luck!
If you have enough power (maybe solar) and run air conditioner in your house, you can get water from that and also cool your house at the same time. Just make sure you run the water through a reverse osmosis to remove possible contamination.
Larry thanks so much for your concern for my wounds. LOL. Yes Neosporin and being diligent to apply it was the key. I dont even think I will have a scar even though that has never been much of a concern. Yep it will be a few months away before I finish the inside. So so much to do first! Thanks for watching!
I love this man! My fiancé and I want to buy land eventually and live off grid. We are both born and raised in the desert of Nevada and always have an internal battle if we should stay in the desert or move to the woods. I love feeding the birds as well! I’m always making new hummingbird nectar. Great job on the channel. Keep up the great work!
Awesome, I love hummingbirds and enjoy watching them, when they’re around.. and last time was in Divide, Colorado at the kitchen window of the Ranch house.. boy I missed that a lot 👩🏻🦳☕️♥️🏡⛰
Looked like our breakfasts came outta same boxes and honey jar. Simplicity💡 Berkey and their ‘knockoffs’ are “water life savers”, 🤔🤣 Your ‘frugal lifestyle” is refreshing. ‘Retired’ about 16 years past, never looked back, and every step has been ‘contented’, as Paul said in Phillipians.
Do you have a hight point on your property. If so you could build a say 50' by 50' room 3ft off the ground. Put corrugated panels on it with gutters at the bottom and let the rain fill your take no sweat.
I have been looking at movie to az and living off the grid.. man o man am I happy I have found you! Thank you for your amazing videos a lot of information… see you next time
Here in Chino Valley, Az we see many trucks with water tanks in the back. Our town has a public place to fill them. The reason is so many wells drilled north of us have toooo high a level or arsenic. I do belive in Rainwater Haresting. During monsoon season a lot of water. If you have a large enough storage tank. It would work without treatment for such needs as flushing to toilets, watering plants. Have a good filter system and you would drink or cook with it.
Joseph the plan is to have A SUBSTANTIAL amount of rainwater harvesting surface in the future. With enough I wont need to order water hardly, or perhaps none, at all.
This is a great idea I thought you always had to build a well I'm looking at Arizona and New Mexico to live off the grid that makes a big difference thank you
I am thinking of having a 55 gallon drum mounted on a stand just above roof height to pump water up to in order to make use of gravity feed for the house. I wonder if that will work. Thoughts anyone? Thanks for the informative and entertaining video.
From my experience 55 gallons wont last very long. I would suggest a ground tank and having water pumped to your home that way. Like I and many others are doing. Best of luck on your water journey!
@@affordabledesertliving3487 I meant pump from a main ground tank to the drum. My question is would that be enuf pressure from the roof height of 10 ft or so to feed the house? Higher? I have some other ideas to save water that I hope will allow me to keep my usage at 8-10 gallons per day average for the house such as a recirculating filtering shower and then routing the final gray water for flushing an RV toilet that only uses about a quart per flush and my little 7 gallon per use washing machine. Stole some ideas from the RV Nomads like a foot pump at the sink to meter water usage. My outside plan is massive and another story. Sorry, I was trying to be too brief to permit clarity and now it is too much.
Thanks for showing all of this stuff. I'd love to do something similar someday, not sure on the timing, and it's really inspiring to see your journey one step at a time.
We Luv our hummers! But ours are so scrappy!!! Only at last feeding of the day - will they share the feeder. I saw one fly straight into our big picture window and drop, so I ran out there and it was laying there, a bunch of feathers laying beside it, and the tongue was outside the beak! I picked it up and started praying and saying: you will live and not die, for 5 minutes, praying healing. It's tongue went back in...so I kept it up and its eyes opened. I held it for warmth and I took some sugar water in my other hand and dipped its beak in that, to stimulate its digestion. It responded! It sat in my hand for a few minutes and then I moved my hand up and down to get it to use its wings. It finally flew away! And a few days later, sitting in my chair by window, I looked out and a hummer was at the feeder and it flew from feeder to near where I was, like it was looking at me! So I stood up and walked over to window, as it hovered there looking at me🤯😭❤😍🥰
Jane what a lovely story of your hummer adventure! You did everything correct and saved a tiny hummers life. By the way the BEST book I have ever read on hummingbirds is this one: www.amazon.com/Fastest-Things-Wings-Hummingbirds-Hollywood/dp/0544705378/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+fastest+thing+on+wings&qid=1634185479&sr=8-1 I couldnt put it down. I learned things about hummers I never knew and I have been a bird researcher for many years.
Great progress Don !!! I look forward to your videos every week and I was already missing your adventures !! Have you been traveling to follow your birds? It's already summer so stay hydrated!!
Don, I used Kanmar for all my gutters. Very affordable. They come out and extrude them right at your property. At least that's what they did for me. I will use them again for my porch that I've recently added on. Love harvesting! I have a 1600 gal. Tank and 12 , 60 gal barrels with spigots linked together.! We have plentyI hope we get some good rains this summer! Good for you!
Your videos are easy to understand, simple, and I enjoy how you make it seem so easy, well kind of right. Looks like a great life I think we are living in the last days as the bible puts it not to get all doom and gloom but I truly need this type of life. I miss the pre-cell phone era. Anyhow we are going forward and will sell our home we are thinking of northern AZ because we are mountain folks but I guess we will go where the good Lord guides us.
Thanks for all of the kind comments about the videos RWP. Being a Canadian I really resent snow and ice so avoided Northern AZ for that reason. A word of advice would be to thoroughly check county permitting, size of buildings that are permitted etc. for an off-grid home/cabin etc before you purchase anything. Hope it works out well for you folks.
That carport shed I found on FB market place a couple weeks ago myself and decided to make it my first structure while I build my cabin...it will eventually become a workshop or guest quarters. Still hoping to get down to AZ by end of summer to start. Really enjoy your videos..thanks for sharing.
That sounds like a wise move on your part. Definitely a great structure to have up and ready to use. Thanks so much for your lovely comments so glad you enjoy my videos
Very happy for you getting your new water catchment device, I spike with Rick from Oasis and he’s a super nice guy, and so very helpful, I intend getting one I think I’ll look at one your size, I had asked him for a bigger one and it was past my budget... if I could ask, how much was your size one, I understand it might be confidential between you and Rick and that’s okay ... I’ll call him again another day ... You look as happy as a sand piper at you new home, ty for your video share ... hope you have a wonderful week 🌺🌞🌺
AliaYah Tova. Thanks for all of your wonderful comments. I lucked out and my tank was an old model so cheaper than the onest that are for sale currently. Mine is 1200 gallons and I paid aproximately $1200.00 for it.
Donna that’s a excellent question. Neighbors who have lived here for years have told me they’ve never lost anything. It’s rural and friendly here. Of course everyone owns firearms. But again no story from any of my neighbors of being bothered.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 thank you Don. My cousin and his wife and I are going to be coming soon to look for land. I have 8 more days left to teach and then I will be retired. I’m getting very excited to find our property. I really appreciate how you explain with a lot of details. Thank you
Donna I do my best to explain things with those in mind who might be watching. I know when I tried to learn about being here years ago I needed all the detail that was Available.
Warren very logical question. Actually I will have an electric pump and pressure tank system to bring water into the cottage. All happens down the road a bit.
I ran across your videos a few times while making my purchase of land 6 acres in elfrida I appreciate your information and inspiration. I'm sorry in this video to hear about your loss You've inspired me even more to get out of Colorado in which I built an off-grid home up here It's time for me to move on. I look forward to creating what I've created appear down there plus It seems like it may be a little easier on a flat instead of building on the side of a mountain through straight rock at 8,700 FT elevation Have a great summer my friend
Wow Don!!! So much to catch up on. How much did I love about this video! Seeing my calendar on your wall was the BEST!!! And how about those fairies. I liked the part if it’s not good enough for you to drink then it’s not good enough for the hummingbirds, good job taking care of those fairies!!!!!
Bec your lovely calendar is still on my wall. Hopefully soon I will not just be staring at insulation but have a nice painted wall to hang the calendar on. That’s the goal anyway. It looks like you’re really enjoying the videos which of course makes me absolutely delighted.
Don your videos are so well filmed and edited that it feels like I’m watching a show on the big T.V. but it’s even better! So enjoyable to watch. I want to see them all so you will find me commenting on old videos as I move through them. 😃😃
@@rebeccasansonvandyk5664 wow thats high praise Bec! I am so delighted you are enjoying them! Oh and comment as much as you like! It's so rewarding I find when other folks mention they enjoyed them!
Thanks for making great content Don! Great work catching that rain water! Every drop counts. I have a much smaller tank that I'm in the process of setting up. No where near done. There's a vid on my channel.
HI Edison thanks so much for all of your encouragement. I checked out your tank install. Looks like you got a good deal on it for sure! The good thing about youtube there are so many great resources that we can use to learn about rainwater harvesting. All the best and thanks again!
Wallace it kind of does look like one doesnt it? Nope it will be a surprise for a later video. But all that to say it wasnt built for human use. But for wildlife. Thats the only hint I will give right now...
Looks like you have an asphalt roof on your cottage. You might consider having a metal roof installed over that to keep gravel out of your water catchment system. Also you could put a filter in before the water goes underground to help keep the underground pipes clear. Just a thought! Wishing you the best of times and always much to be grateful for!!
Hi James. If you study the video you will see its a galvalume steel roof. Excellent and safe for catchment. I also have a filter at the bottom of the gutter to keep crud and insects from going in. Thanks for watching.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 We bought a piece of property on the west side of Hereford but are up north for a while for medical issues.hope to be living there soon. When we do get relocated I’d like to meet you, get together over a grilled piece of meat or something equally inviting! Wishing you safety and always much to be fateful for!!
Now that I have the funds, I’m retired I’m looking back at your videos, I’m hunting for a property around Sierra Vista . Hope you find yourself in great health Don’
And the county that you're in I believe has very deep Wells. I have a piece of property and Coconino county and I was told the water level was over a 1000' deep
KMF. It really depends on where you live in the County. Some have water that is only down 100 ft. Others much deeper. But as I mentioned it came down to cost. It doesnt make sense to spend thousands of dollars when one is 66 years of age.
I enjoy watching how you build up your place and I’m thinking of a cabin built myself here in Colorado; I left my native state and relocated here in Colorado ♥️⛰be 3yr and renting apartment an have roomies... I DK if want to continue with....
For additional surface collection we're going with some homemade car ports. With multiple carports each under $1,000 and each under 200 sq ft we can leverage the allowances under Cochise County rules to build them without permitting or other such issues. The ultimate plan is to have our
Now I am super super intrigued by this. Can you kindly mention the source for carports under $1000.00? I am already hoping to construct a 20x50 car port in the future for catchment. Would love to know more Ghost. Also thanks a ton for watching my channel!
@@ghosttheoremproductions5469 I solidified my garage tent with 3 ft Re-bar pounded into the ground all the way righty through each metal foot of the tent frame. That took care of even the most powerful winds here. Thanks for all of this great info!
Don Glad to hear from you. You inspire so many. Even younger people. Glad to see the homestead is growing and doing great. Stay cool my friend. You look great and happy. Something about having water really helps. I lived without running water for 4 months in the summer, I didn’t think to use 5 gallon containers . I used 1 gallon. The tank and fresh water make all the difference.
Great to hear from you as well Forty FourRobo. I seem to have lots of younger folks as subscribers which is super! Yep 1 full year of 5 gallon containers. I enjoy not having to slop them into my corolla and when they cracked there was water all over the car interior etc. LOL. Yep the tank is a major blessing for sure!
Well done. Water - another big piece of the puzzle. Thanks. And that Berkey Filter - many of us learned about that from Little House On The Road. Looks like a game-changer for off grid living. Onward and...!
I was catching rain water in couple of old boats work pretty good. Use it for bathing and dishes also for plants. I've moved from a one acre place to a 4.4 acre homestead. It has water and electricity. But also has and old well. I'm gonna continue to harvest rain water tho I'm a senior also . I'm still in the process of moving everything. So probably for next month or so I'm gonna depend on the utilities. But I'm also just a couple miles from the Tennessee river where I catch my yearly supply of fish. This moving business got my fish supply down sence i hadn't fish as much. I tell you what with building materials at a all time high makes setting up a new place more expensive. I intend on getting some goats and chickens. But materials for shelters for animals is crazy right now. I was living in a 10 x20 cabin now I got about 4 times the space. I feel like a Hollywood movie star. With all the luxury of running water and indoors plumbing. But got to get back on being frugal for sure. I had fix worm beds for fishing bait at the other location . They were saving me about 20 bucks a week on bait. Fishing with recreational equipment poles and such. I was catching 30 plus pounds of catfish a week. Supper market prices about 7 dollars a pound. Besides catching my food having a great time doing it as well . I've done a little homesteading over the course of my life . So I've had a lot of trial and area all ready. It's hard to raise animals for the cheaper than purchasing meat at the store . Feed is expensive. Unless you live way out in the back country it's not visible. Chickens yes it's not cheaper to raise but what's a homestead with out chicken's. Goat's will eat any thing that grows. I recommend trapping for supplement once you get the hang of it you can have wild meat every day if you choose. Cost of hobby homesteading is not and option in your senior year's on a fixed income . If you can replace substance for cheaper at home or the same cost. Yes I'm for it . But having animals just to look at it's not visible on my income anyway. I've been threw desert years back its beautiful . Enjoy what we have left . I'm rooting for you.
Eddie Owsley. Lots of good information in your post. I wish you well in your off-grid adventure as well. Yes long ago I determined that it was cheaper to purchase what I needed at Safeway rather than endure the cost of feed. Also I had aviary birds years ago and you are pretty much tied down when you have livestock. Not my focus at this time in life. Looks like your cabin is the same size as mine. All the best!
Nice video! Thank you for talking about the cost of water. For lots of us watching besides.watching for enjoyment we are looking at price. That tells us can I afford to do it. Like insulation, is it cheaper just to pit the rolls of fiberglass pink stuff up or the spray stuff. Sheds, what can I expect to pay for a shed, land what does that cost? Without that info we can not determine if it is affordable or not. So thank you for letting us know the price for water.
Storage man thanks so much for watching and I’m glad the video was helpful for you to decide what price these things cost. My other videos with insulation etc. also provide the cost. Thanks for your support have a super day
Hi.Great to see you are constantly updating and making good Progress's with your little patch of paradise. I really look forward to all of your post's. Carry enjoying and living my dream.ATB.
Hi from two other off grid seniors! Love watching your videos! Is there a way to do a humming bird feeded that is protected from the wind? No wind protection here. Want to set up bird baths but need shade hmmm. We still need to make our water catchment systems. Our excuse is we haven't had a good rain for a few years. So many projects! Great life we are living!
Blissful Acres thank you for such lovely comments! So delighted you are enjoying the videos. Here is the tip to remember for hummer feeders. Hummingbirds are quite comfortable navigating blowing in the wind flowers. So naturally blowing in the wind hummer feeders are fine too. The one you see me place on the mesquite in this video blows all over the place all of the time. I have a heavy colored electric wire as a hook to hang it from. Yep water catchment and other projects take time thats for sure! I am thankful for my progress but always feel I am playing catchup.
Thanks RitaRichardson. Today we had a serious rainstorm and since my rainwater harvesting setup is functional now I just had to run out in the pouring rain and press my ear to the tank to hear all of the water gurgling as it trickled into the tank!
Humming birds are lovely and fun to watch !!!
They definitely brighten up my yard!
Yeeeeeeeeessssss!!! Big hugs to my favorite Off Grid Senior!
I must say I really look forward to your fun and lovely comments Panda. Thanks for being so fun and loyal!
@@affordabledesertliving3487 Thank you Don! Looks like YT promoted the heck out of your "devastated after surveying my property" video! LOL! 94k views! Why are the comments turned off tho?
@@CringePanda After being scolded literally dozens of times for not doing a survey before I purchased the land I simply got weary of it. There were markers on the property so I believed I could find the rest. I was wrong. I mean yes mention it a couple of times but dozens of times with no end in sight? I absolutely love reading the comments to my videos. Constructive thoughts and suggestions are great. But it appeared that people just enjoyed attacking and ridiculing. I have no patience for that and it's NEVER going to happen ad naseum on my channel.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 I understand! I ban trolls from my channel every day (although I'm done making videos until next year!)
@@affordabledesertliving3487 Don, I found 4 acres for sale on the street above yours but it's going for twice as much as you paid for it! It's not worth the current price, is it? I'm curious. I guess what I'm asking is, if yours had cost twice as much, would you have passed on it? Thank you and blessings!
Thank you young man for sharing your life off grid.
and thank you Ken Harper for being so faithful to watch the vids!
My late grandmother had quite a few hummingbird feeders and as a kid me and my siblings would be on the front porch watching them with her right after breakfast.
Hummers are absolutely facinating mike mathews! Thanks for sharing your story.
Happy and "ALONE." Brother James
Don, re: the filter on the tank: I would add a 55-gal barrel under the downspout(s) with the pipe(s) to the tank coming back out of the top. You would trap a lot of material and reduce the times between taking filters out. When the barrel(s) gets a good bit of deposit, switch in a new one and empty the sediment for use on one of your future projects. You might also consider tapping into the line before it goes into the tank for gardening or utility uses.
Also please consider flat roofs: it would be good to avoid having to run two gutters when one could serve as well.
Your trunk safety stop wouldn't be as effective for me: I'd forget to put it in place more often than not (even when being severely penalized for my absent-mindedness). Yet I'm sure glad it's working for you, and it's such an easy & handy device. Kudos!
Sean thanks for your indepth thoughts on my tank set up. Really appeciate you taking the time to watch the vid. Yep the old used backpack tent makes an effective trunk lid stopper until I get it all repaired.
Yes, a shed (single slanted) roof can be easier than a peaked roof for water catchment, and to reduce install costs.
Hope you are smiling all this week. Have a great day!
Yep smiling and putting up more gutters for rainwater catchment!
Try putting the raisins in the pot when you put the water in to heat up. If you let it boil for a few minutes, you will rehydrate the raisins & they will plump up. Check out some of the older videos from "Handeeman" when he first started living in his tiny house & the rain water catchment system he built.
I saw his water catchment system and the incredible amount he can stock!!
Wow cooking tips and off-grid info. LOL. Larry yes indeed I have watched Handeeman for years. He was my first source of information about living here and a major force behind my decision to move here.
I use raisins boiled in milk and regular cheap rice, to make a milk soup, served with cinnamon and sugar. Kids love it, it adds alot of flavor when you let it simmer for a while. Def comfort food.
You have a wonderful sense of humor which is certainly needed in that dry environment. Kudos to you!
Thanks so much Linda! I am so so fortunate to be here.
Excellent video, You are second to none. Hope one day I will meet with you
Abid Ali thanks for all of your encouraging comments and for watching!
When it dried up, the natives moved to Santa Fe and Pueblo areas.
That’s how I make my oatmeal except one tablespoon of honey with raisins is plenty (I also like add ground flaxseed as it creates a very smooth texture)
hmm. Never tried flaxseed. Thanks for the tip.
Congratulations on the great progress Don! I bet Mom was never mad at you. I like the choice in tanks too. Low profile and very serviceable. Your filmmaking is really nice Don. Looking forward to the upcoming videos 👍
Bill thank you very very much for such great comments about my videos. I’m really encouraged by that. As you know I love yours as well. And yes my mom was very sweet and rarely got mad at me. I would love to have you and Yvonne over for a visit. Not just a polite comment but Genuine invitation. I promise I wouldn’t offer you guys oatmeal. LOL
I've been looking at rural land in Arizona. I'm 3 minutes in to your video and already subscribed. Some rural land, a little house in the desert, and old Toyota. You're my kinda people.
Thanks very much and delighted you are here.
Kudos to your ability, and tenacity , to take on a challenge like this !
flexjay87 I just love your comments to be honest. So full of encouragement! Many thanks!
Glad to see you have healed so quickly! That cut looked nasty!
Brandon thanks so much for your care and concern. Yes I am a solid believer of Neosporin now!
Well done on your progress !!!
Thanks very much!
I'm glad to see you're back on the air Don!
Thanks for your encouragement Tim! and so glad you are watching my videos!
Do on you brought back memories from 17 years ago when we first bought our place here in N Arizona. Nice tank! Much more convenient. Take care.
Thanks for all your super comments I really appreciate them
@@affordabledesertliving3487 we really understand what you’re up against making a place solo. There were two of us during much of the infrastructure build and know the amount of effort it requires. Good luck!
Yes definitely would be easier with two people. But I really love the solo adventure to be honest
@@affordabledesertliving3487 as long as both have immediately useful skills! We've known too many folks with a lack of basic work skills ,,,
Dew catchers are also another option since a desert gets moisture at night
I’m glad I found your channel. Thank you. I hope you’re doing well
Wish I could visit such a place, it’s always interesting to me for some reason. I’m here in the us, but we don’t have these back in my home country
Delighted you are interested in the videos. Thanks for watching!
If you have enough power (maybe solar) and run air conditioner in your house, you can get water from that and also cool your house at the same time. Just make sure you run the water through a reverse osmosis to remove possible contamination.
Thanks for watching BBQ!
Hi Don! Nice video. I'm glad to see that your forehead has healed. I'm looking forward to seeing how you finish off the interior of your cabin.
Larry thanks so much for your concern for my wounds. LOL. Yes Neosporin and being diligent to apply it was the key. I dont even think I will have a scar even though that has never been much of a concern. Yep it will be a few months away before I finish the inside. So so much to do first! Thanks for watching!
That oat meal looks so good.
Hope you have a grate day too
Thank you! You too!
I love this man! My fiancé and I want to buy land eventually and live off grid. We are both born and raised in the desert of Nevada and always have an internal battle if we should stay in the desert or move to the woods. I love feeding the birds as well! I’m always making new hummingbird nectar. Great job on the channel. Keep up the great work!
Thanks so much for watching and I hope you get to live your dreams!
We used to live near you. May all your projects go well.
I eat oatmeal most mornings with chocolate & peanut butter.
oooh that does sound good! I might be as big as my water tank though if I kept that up. LOL.
Sounds yummy 😋!
You are living large, Don. Congratulations.
Yes large and affordable! No end to adventures! Thanks for watching Bob!
❤love watching you and your videos thanks for sharing 👍
Thank you for such great comments. It’s so fantastic to see people enjoy my journey here
Nice to see your current project with your water harvesting! 🤣 Don't let that trunk sneak up on you! Take care my friend!
Thanks for watching Sylvia! Yes I am super cautious of the trunk LOL. Will get it repaired when I can.
Thanks for sharing love watching the progress.
Michael thanks a ton for watching all of these videos! It makes it so rewarding when folks comment.
Thank you sir I appreciate your video very much!!!
MrMoto289. Your so welcome. I enjoy producing them.
I admire what you have done. Freedom to be on your own. I wish to visit you someday when I am in Phoenix Az
Awesome, I love hummingbirds and enjoy watching them, when they’re around.. and last time was in Divide, Colorado at the kitchen window of the Ranch house.. boy I missed that a lot 👩🏻🦳☕️♥️🏡⛰
I have had as many as 5 different species of hummers on my feeder at once. This is the hummer capitol of North America.
I grew up in Cochise county just outside of Pirtleville!
Just a gem of a county Maria! Thanks for watching!
Looked like our breakfasts came outta same boxes and honey jar. Simplicity💡
Berkey and their ‘knockoffs’ are “water life savers”, 🤔🤣
Your ‘frugal lifestyle” is refreshing. ‘Retired’ about 16 years past, never looked back, and every step has been ‘contented’, as Paul said in Phillipians.
Thanks a zillion for watching Tomas! Yep Paul was an amazing example!
Water catchment is on the list this year. Might not get it all installed but starting with one roof slope is good.
Little by little bit by bit is the way to go Sand Hollow Homestead. All the best for your install!
Do you have a hight point on your property. If so you could build a say 50' by 50' room 3ft off the ground. Put corrugated panels on it with gutters at the bottom and let the rain fill your take no sweat.
Larry Handeeman the famous off-grid young youtuber has done that. Unfortunately my land is relatively flat. Thanks for watching!
I swear there's an algorithm out there that produces thumbs down ratings...who could not like this? Great job! Looking to do the same myself
Anthony. This is one of the loveliest things anyone has ever said about this video. Thanks so much! and thanks for watching!
Nice to see you are doing OK. Take care
Thanks James. Always great to see you here.
I have been looking at movie to az and living off the grid.. man o man am I happy I have found you! Thank you for your amazing videos a lot of information… see you next time
Glad it is helpful Gabe!
Extensive double-blind clinical trials suggest that this channel is effective in treating depression and anxiety.
At least it works for me 😊
What an absolute lovely thing to say. That really warms my heart and makes me so thankful that my channel could help folks in anyway.
Love your personality.
Wow what a sweet and lovely thing to say. Thanks so very much!
Great job Don take care, Mike
Thank you so much Mike I sure appreciate your support
Here in Chino Valley, Az we see many trucks with water tanks in the back. Our town has a public place to fill them. The reason is so many wells drilled north of us have toooo high a level or arsenic. I do belive in Rainwater Haresting. During monsoon season a lot of water. If you have a large enough storage tank. It would work without treatment for such needs as flushing to toilets, watering plants. Have a good filter system and you would drink or cook with it.
Joseph the plan is to have A SUBSTANTIAL amount of rainwater harvesting surface in the future. With enough I wont need to order water hardly, or perhaps none, at all.
This is a great idea I thought you always had to build a well I'm looking at Arizona and New Mexico to live off the grid that makes a big difference thank you
Yes I literally was listening to water rushing into my tank this evening because of a welcome nice big storm that moved in. Thanks for watching!
So, now I know where that daily energy is come from…. Honey for breakfast 😁.
Living the life 🙋🏼
Yes such a blessed dude for sure Kim Kevan!
Like the video. Good to see you again.
Hi Desert Dog. Glad you like the vid and thanks for watching!
I am thinking of having a 55 gallon drum mounted on a stand just above roof height to pump water up to in order to make use of gravity feed for the house. I wonder if that will work. Thoughts anyone? Thanks for the informative and entertaining video.
From my experience 55 gallons wont last very long. I would suggest a ground tank and having water pumped to your home that way. Like I and many others are doing. Best of luck on your water journey!
@@affordabledesertliving3487 I meant pump from a main ground tank to the drum. My question is would that be enuf pressure from the roof height of 10 ft or so to feed the house? Higher? I have some other ideas to save water that I hope will allow me to keep my usage at 8-10 gallons per day average for the house such as a recirculating filtering shower and then routing the final gray water for flushing an RV toilet that only uses about a quart per flush and my little 7 gallon per use washing machine. Stole some ideas from the RV Nomads like a foot pump at the sink to meter water usage. My outside plan is massive and another story. Sorry, I was trying to be too brief to permit clarity and now it is too much.
Nice place
Thanks Very much for such affirming comments
Thanks for showing all of this stuff. I'd love to do something similar someday, not sure on the timing, and it's really inspiring to see your journey one step at a time.
dper1112 many thanks for the encouragement and watching my vids!
We Luv our hummers! But ours are so scrappy!!! Only at last feeding of the day - will they share the feeder. I saw one fly straight into our big picture window and drop, so I ran out there and it was laying there, a bunch of feathers laying beside it, and the tongue was outside the beak! I picked it up and started praying and saying: you will live and not die, for 5 minutes, praying healing. It's tongue went back in...so I kept it up and its eyes opened. I held it for warmth and I took some sugar water in my other hand and dipped its beak in that, to stimulate its digestion. It responded! It sat in my hand for a few minutes and then I moved my hand up and down to get it to use its wings. It finally flew away! And a few days later, sitting in my chair by window, I looked out and a hummer was at the feeder and it flew from feeder to near where I was, like it was looking at me! So I stood up and walked over to window, as it hovered there looking at me🤯😭❤😍🥰
Jane what a lovely story of your hummer adventure! You did everything correct and saved a tiny hummers life. By the way the BEST book I have ever read on hummingbirds is this one: www.amazon.com/Fastest-Things-Wings-Hummingbirds-Hollywood/dp/0544705378/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+fastest+thing+on+wings&qid=1634185479&sr=8-1
I couldnt put it down. I learned things about hummers I never knew and I have been a bird researcher for many years.
Great progress Don !!! I look forward to your videos every week and I was already missing your adventures !! Have you been traveling to follow your birds? It's already summer so stay hydrated!!
Yes I have. I spent several days in the Chirichua Mountains 1:45 min from here. I took a long a birding client/friend. We saw some fantastic birds!
Don, I used Kanmar for all my gutters. Very affordable. They come out and extrude them right at your property. At least that's what they did for me. I will use them again for my porch that I've recently added on.
Love harvesting! I have a 1600 gal. Tank and 12 , 60 gal barrels with spigots linked together.! We have plentyI hope we get some good rains this summer!
Good for you!
Great tip for gutter company. Thank you so much.
Your videos are easy to understand, simple, and I enjoy how you make it seem so easy, well kind of right. Looks like a great life I think we are living in the last days as the bible puts it not to get all doom and gloom but I truly need this type of life. I miss the pre-cell phone era. Anyhow we are going forward and will sell our home we are thinking of northern AZ because we are mountain folks but I guess we will go where the good Lord guides us.
Thanks for all of the kind comments about the videos RWP. Being a Canadian I really resent snow and ice so avoided Northern AZ for that reason. A word of advice would be to thoroughly check county permitting, size of buildings that are permitted etc. for an off-grid home/cabin etc before you purchase anything. Hope it works out well for you folks.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 10'4, thank you for the advice.
That carport shed I found on FB market place a couple weeks ago myself and decided to make it my first structure while I build my cabin...it will eventually become a workshop or guest quarters. Still hoping to get down to AZ by end of summer to start. Really enjoy your videos..thanks for sharing.
That sounds like a wise move on your part. Definitely a great structure to have up and ready to use. Thanks so much for your lovely comments so glad you enjoy my videos
Very happy for you getting your new water catchment device, I spike with Rick from Oasis and he’s a super nice guy, and so very helpful, I intend getting one I think I’ll look at one your size, I had asked him for a bigger one and it was past my budget... if I could ask, how much was your size one, I understand it might be confidential between you and Rick and that’s okay ... I’ll call him again another day ...
You look as happy as a sand piper at you new home, ty for your video share ... hope you have a wonderful week 🌺🌞🌺
AliaYah Tova. Thanks for all of your wonderful comments. I lucked out and my tank was an old model so cheaper than the onest that are for sale currently. Mine is 1200 gallons and I paid aproximately $1200.00 for it.
Thankyou so much Don..🌞🌵🌞
Have a great week, stay cool 😎
Will do. Thanks
Sir, I'm thoroughly enjoying your channel.
I am delighted you stopped by CC May! Thanks!
@@affordabledesertliving3487 ever consider a tiny woodstove? ua-cam.com/video/FHsrQHhA4XI/v-deo.html
I enjoy your videos. Good information. Thank you.
Thanks so much Donna! Glad its helpful.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 Don are there any problems with vandals in your area?
Donna that’s a excellent question. Neighbors who have lived here for years have told me they’ve never lost anything. It’s rural and friendly here. Of course everyone owns firearms. But again no story from any of my neighbors of being bothered.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 thank you Don. My cousin and his wife and I are going to be coming soon to look for land. I have 8 more days left to teach and then I will be retired. I’m getting very excited to find our property. I really appreciate how you explain with a lot of details. Thank you
Donna I do my best to explain things with those in mind who might be watching. I know when I tried to learn about being here years ago I needed all the detail that was Available.
Have you considered building an off ground platform for the water tank? Only high enough as to have gravity fed water into house.
I saw a youtuber called "Handeeman" do that. He collects lots of water!!!
Warren very logical question. Actually I will have an electric pump and pressure tank system to bring water into the cottage. All happens down the road a bit.
I ran across your videos a few times while making my purchase of land 6 acres in elfrida
I appreciate your information and inspiration.
I'm sorry in this video to hear about your loss
You've inspired me even more to get out of Colorado in which I built an off-grid home up here
It's time for me to move on.
I look forward to creating what I've created appear down there plus It seems like it may be a little easier on a flat instead of building on the side of a mountain through straight rock at 8,700 FT elevation
Have a great summer my friend
Thanks very much for the kind summer wishes and all the best in carrying out your dreams for off grid living.
God bless you and keep safe ✝️🇺🇸
Thanks so much Jim for watching and your kind blessings. And you as well.
thumbs up don keep those video's coming ty
Thanks for watching them Common Man. Tons more coming!
Wow Don!!! So much to catch up on. How much did I love about this video! Seeing my calendar on your wall was the BEST!!! And how about those fairies. I liked the part if it’s not good enough for you to drink then it’s not good enough for the hummingbirds, good job taking care of those fairies!!!!!
Bec your lovely calendar is still on my wall. Hopefully soon I will not just be staring at insulation but have a nice painted wall to hang the calendar on. That’s the goal anyway. It looks like you’re really enjoying the videos which of course makes me absolutely delighted.
Don your videos are so well filmed and edited that it feels like I’m watching a show on the big T.V. but it’s even better! So enjoyable to watch. I want to see them all so you will find me commenting on old videos as I move through them. 😃😃
@@rebeccasansonvandyk5664 wow thats high praise Bec! I am so delighted you are enjoying them! Oh and comment as much as you like! It's so rewarding I find when other folks mention they enjoyed them!
Thanks for making great content Don! Great work catching that rain water! Every drop counts. I have a much smaller tank that I'm in the process of setting up. No where near done. There's a vid on my channel.
HI Edison thanks so much for all of your encouragement. I checked out your tank install. Looks like you got a good deal on it for sure! The good thing about youtube there are so many great resources that we can use to learn about rainwater harvesting. All the best and thanks again!
Thanks from Apache county!
Totally welcome.
Nice fire pit. just pointing this out
Wallace it kind of does look like one doesnt it? Nope it will be a surprise for a later video. But all that to say it wasnt built for human use. But for wildlife. Thats the only hint I will give right now...
Looks like you have an asphalt roof on your cottage. You might consider having a metal roof installed over that to keep gravel out of your water catchment system. Also you could put a filter in before the water goes underground to help keep the underground pipes clear. Just a thought! Wishing you the best of times and always much to be grateful for!!
Hi James. If you study the video you will see its a galvalume steel roof. Excellent and safe for catchment. I also have a filter at the bottom of the gutter to keep crud and insects from going in. Thanks for watching.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 We bought a piece of property on the west side of Hereford but are up north for a while for medical issues.hope to be living there soon. When we do get relocated I’d like to meet you, get together over a grilled piece of meat or something equally inviting! Wishing you safety and always much to be fateful for!!
I enjoyed your video, we are working on figuring out our own water solutions right now.
Sounds like you have a plan! Hope it all turns out good.
Thanks Jon for all your encouragement and watching my videos I love having you here
Liked what u said about mother being in heaven, so i subscribed!
Thanks very much for subscribing Historic RV Nelson. My mum was a super kind soul and who is now in the presence of God knowing incredible joy.
Thank you for the video. You are for real
Your so welcome Emily! Thanks so much for coming by and watching!
Now that I have the funds, I’m retired I’m looking back at your videos, I’m hunting for a property around Sierra Vista . Hope you find yourself in great health Don’
Doing super here Oscar. Thanks for watching.
And the county that you're in I believe has very deep Wells. I have a piece of property and Coconino county and I was told the water level was over a 1000' deep
KMF. It really depends on where you live in the County. Some have water that is only down 100 ft. Others much deeper. But as I mentioned it came down to cost. It doesnt make sense to spend thousands of dollars when one is 66 years of age.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 yes I agree. I would love a rainwater catchment system
A man with a mission...
No question.
Simple beautiful life❤️❤️
Thanks for watching Shaanz 2.0
I enjoy watching how you build up your place and I’m thinking of a cabin built myself here in Colorado; I left my native state and relocated here in Colorado ♥️⛰be 3yr and renting apartment an have roomies... I DK if want to continue with....
Companionship is a great thing about roomates etc. But both living off grid alone and living urban have their advantages and disadvantages.
I just found your channel and have decided to subscribe and see where this journey takes you. Best of luck to you.
Thanks so much. So far I am super blessed and super busy!
Awesome cousin ❤😊
Thanks for watching Patti! Hope your doing okay there.
Hi Don.
Hi Mike. Hope your well.
Looks like a well-educated choice. Looking good
Zoey Jaxon what a wonderful comment! Thanks for watching the vid!
@@affordabledesertliving3487 I look forward to every one of them.
@@ZOEYLLWP so encouraging thank you!
Great video
Thanks Leo!
Amen~!
For additional surface collection we're going with some homemade car ports. With multiple carports each under $1,000 and each under 200 sq ft we can leverage the allowances under Cochise County rules to build them without permitting or other such issues. The ultimate plan is to have our
Now I am super super intrigued by this. Can you kindly mention the source for carports under $1000.00? I am already hoping to construct a 20x50 car port in the future for catchment. Would love to know more Ghost. Also thanks a ton for watching my channel!
@@affordabledesertliving3487 - The only way to build carports at that price is to design and build your own. You could still go cheap per
@@ghosttheoremproductions5469 I solidified my garage tent with 3 ft Re-bar pounded into the ground all the way righty through each metal foot of the tent frame. That took care of even the most powerful winds here. Thanks for all of this great info!
Don
Glad to hear from you. You inspire so many. Even younger people. Glad to see the homestead is growing and doing great. Stay cool my friend. You look great and happy. Something about having water really helps. I lived without running water for 4 months in the summer, I didn’t think to use 5 gallon containers . I used 1 gallon. The tank and fresh water make all the difference.
Great to hear from you as well Forty FourRobo. I seem to have lots of younger folks as subscribers which is super! Yep 1 full year of 5 gallon containers. I enjoy not having to slop them into my corolla and when they cracked there was water all over the car interior etc. LOL. Yep the tank is a major blessing for sure!
Nicely done friend.
Many thanks BCB Ministries. Appreciate you being here.
Can't wait to see rain catchment videos 😊
Let’s pray for a serious monsoon this year. I’m excited to
Well done.
Water - another big piece of the puzzle.
Thanks.
And that Berkey Filter - many of us learned about that from Little House On The Road. Looks like a game-changer for off grid living.
Onward and...!
hg2 Thank you so much for such great encouragement! So uplifting to read all of these kind and supportive comments like yours.
Good video. I love hummingbirds>
They are indeed amazing arent they?
@@affordabledesertliving3487 , yes they are.
I was catching rain water in couple of old boats work pretty good. Use it for bathing and dishes also for plants. I've moved from a one acre place to a 4.4 acre homestead. It has water and electricity. But also has and old well. I'm gonna continue to harvest rain water tho I'm a senior also . I'm still in the process of moving everything. So probably for next month or so I'm gonna depend on the utilities. But I'm also just a couple miles from the Tennessee river where I catch my yearly supply of fish. This moving business got my fish supply down sence i hadn't fish as much. I tell you what with building materials at a all time high makes setting up a new place more expensive. I intend on getting some goats and chickens. But materials for shelters for animals is crazy right now. I was living in a 10 x20 cabin now I got about 4 times the space. I feel like a Hollywood movie star. With all the luxury of running water and indoors plumbing. But got to get back on being frugal for sure. I had fix worm beds for fishing bait at the other location . They were saving me about 20 bucks a week on bait. Fishing with recreational equipment poles and such. I was catching 30 plus pounds of catfish a week. Supper market prices about 7 dollars a pound. Besides catching my food having a great time doing it as well . I've done a little homesteading over the course of my life . So I've had a lot of trial and area all ready. It's hard to raise animals for the cheaper than purchasing meat at the store . Feed is expensive. Unless you live way out in the back country it's not visible. Chickens yes it's not cheaper to raise but what's a homestead with out chicken's. Goat's will eat any thing that grows. I recommend trapping for supplement once you get the hang of it you can have wild meat every day if you choose. Cost of hobby homesteading is not and option in your senior year's on a fixed income . If you can replace substance for cheaper at home or the same cost. Yes I'm for it . But having animals just to look at it's not visible on my income anyway. I've been threw desert years back its beautiful . Enjoy what we have left . I'm rooting for you.
Eddie Owsley. Lots of good information in your post. I wish you well in your off-grid adventure as well. Yes long ago I determined that it was cheaper to purchase what I needed at Safeway rather than endure the cost of feed. Also I had aviary birds years ago and you are pretty much tied down when you have livestock. Not my focus at this time in life. Looks like your cabin is the same size as mine. All the best!
Haven't seen a new video in a while, I hope your safe and well.
Hi Robert. Thanks so much for watching. Another one coming up asap. Cheers!
Nice video! Thank you for talking about the cost of water. For lots of us watching besides.watching for enjoyment we are looking at price. That tells us can I afford to do it. Like insulation, is it cheaper just to pit the rolls of fiberglass pink stuff up or the spray stuff. Sheds, what can I expect to pay for a shed, land what does that cost? Without that info we can not determine if it is affordable or not. So thank you for letting us know the price for water.
Storage man thanks so much for watching and I’m glad the video was helpful for you to decide what price these things cost. My other videos with insulation etc. also provide the cost. Thanks for your support have a super day
Your videos are so inspiring!
Thanks a ton DottiAnn! That really warms me through and through.
Hi.Great to see you are constantly updating and making good Progress's with your little patch of paradise. I really look forward to all of your post's. Carry enjoying and living my dream.ATB.
Graeme so delighted you come by and check things out. Reading the comments from subscribers is one of the most fun things I get to do.
Hi from two other off grid seniors! Love watching your videos! Is there a way to do a humming bird feeded that is protected from the wind? No wind protection here. Want to set up bird baths but need shade hmmm. We still need to make our water catchment systems. Our excuse is we haven't had a good rain for a few years. So many projects! Great life we are living!
Blissful Acres thank you for such lovely comments! So delighted you are enjoying the videos. Here is the tip to remember for hummer feeders. Hummingbirds are quite comfortable navigating blowing in the wind flowers. So naturally blowing in the wind hummer feeders are fine too. The one you see me place on the mesquite in this video blows all over the place all of the time. I have a heavy colored electric wire as a hook to hang it from. Yep water catchment and other projects take time thats for sure! I am thankful for my progress but always feel I am playing catchup.
Sweet set-up.
Hi Ronny Graves. Yeah I really love my tank.
All your videos are good
That's high praise Herb. Many thanks!
I love it! Awsome set up.
Thanks RitaRichardson. Today we had a serious rainstorm and since my rainwater harvesting setup is functional now I just had to run out in the pouring rain and press my ear to the tank to hear all of the water gurgling as it trickled into the tank!
Try some almond butter in your oatmeal Don with honey of course!..Its great stuff and good for ya.
Rob that sounds delicious!
Nice to see your water arrangement. Thank you for showing it!
Your entirely welcome Helene! So glad you came by to check things out.