Rowan's Tiny Home

*UPDATE- to see recent changes made to the rainwater collection system see THIS post. It has been a long time posting because, well, Willow and I have just been enjoying living. Exiting yet another long and very cold winter, the house has stayed snug despite a cat door that has decided to stick in the open position during subzero evenings. This year I estimate that I used less than a cord of wood for heating, and found that temperatures rarely dropped below 60 degrees, even first thing in the morning.  I have received a few requests for more information on the plumbing so here you go.  As of yet, the shower is still not hooked up, so it is sponge bathing using a pitcher and water heated in a kettle on the stove and then mixed into a two gallon bucket of cold water. Laundry is done in small batches in a 5 gallon bucket with a plunger.  These two 'piglets' hold about 70 gallons combined. An insulated plywood box then covers the sand filled area. The tank...

Spring is here and I have been celebrating by not being on the computer, so apologies for the lack of updates. While there is still much to do on the house, I have been enjoying the other aspects of life- the reasons why building the house was so appealing in the first place. Spring began with my trying my hand at sugaring. Tree identification during winter turned out to be not as easy as I originally thought, and accidentally tapped some ash (although no sap, so the harvest was safe- and yes, please enjoy the pun). I did ultimately find 3 new trees, and I think a few more for next year. I went low tech with a fire pit out back this year, although I think I'll try making a barrel stove for next year since my teaching schedule conflicted some with the needs of the sap boiling process. Still, was able to produce almost a gallon of syrup this year, and had a reason to enjoy the brisk beginnings of spring outdoors. The harvest after one was already given away. The ga...

I went with a great suggestion my brother gave me, which was to use tin ceiling panels as the heat shield for the stove, although it was a little flimsy, and so had to back with a sheet of aluminum. The stove is sitting on a floating steel shelf, so that wood and newspaper can fit underneath. After a few nights of unbearable heat and open windows, I've gotten used to the routine. On sunny days, though, the sunlight through the windows is enough to heat the whole house. I have yet to see my breath when waking up or coming back from work. Maybe it won't be the same in February, but this little stove has been doing more than I had ever hoped. Under-counter shelving next to the stove. The trunk I have been lugging around with me for over 7 years finally has a home. It slides out from under the bookcase and then the front flips open to reveal the drawers.  I was actually surprised how simple in was to make these shelves. Just ran vertical, and then diagonal cuts o...

Now that school has started up again, it is back to working in short spurts when I get home, usually still in a skirt and smock. I was originally thinking that moving in before things were finished might be a bad idea - that it would just make things take longer or that it would be uncomfortable without certain utilities set up yet. What I have found, however, is that instead of seeing things as missing, this backwards process has been making me grateful for each convenience that is added.  Every new step is like a present.  My aunt and uncle who were visiting in the beginning of September helped put together the compost bins from used pallets. The center area will eventually have a roof with rain water collection to a barrel. The left side will be used for wood this winter and then be converted to a compost bin when the wood shed is built next summer. I have also finally had the pleasure of emptying the buckets, without any issues. This retrofitted water storage...