Walden Dream Part 2

Walden Dream Part 2

ok, to the nitty gritty: What is the Walden Dream about

it is made up of:

Housing:
In the old days, it was about creating your own house, building from scratch, and with the least expensive materials... whatever came to hand, or foot... literally... things haven't changed much since then... the only difference is, that most people want to have a modicum of conveniences, such as inside toilets and running water, with an order of electricity on the side... And Technology has said, sure, we can get it to you, for a price... now 40 years ago, that would have meant HIGH price, but over the years this price has decreased as the World has had to learn to grapple with Global Warming, and the Demise (ok, perhaps prolonged death rattle) of the Fossil Fuel Society, and is dropping yearly... nowadays, we have access to Solar Electric Technologies, Waste Converting Technologies, Home Heating Technologies, that are on a human scale, fit for purpose, in our individual homes... people can chose to go small c conservationist, or go BIG C… or in other words, they can buff up the house hold expense account save a few bucks a month, or go and cut out all ties to the city grid, and save a whole bundle of money, after expenses of course...

Income vs Expenses:

And that is where Income vs Expenses comes in... ‘cause make no mistake, even though these technologies have come down in price, they are still going to cost, and you ain't going to get them by trading all the chestnut jewelry your better half made last winter, or that wheel of Cheddar Cheese... nope, your going to have to have hard cash... and then there is the upkeep... nothing lasts forever... sooooooooo your first going to have to get a bit of money together, and two there is going to have to be some form of yearly income... but how much income and how much expenses... well that will depend on how much technology you want... or how much you want to give up... and how much you can make do for yourself or without...

The Philosophy:

Putting those two together is where the philosophical debate is going to lie... ‘cause when it comes down to it, that is what you will drag your sorry ass to do to get yourself set up... if you don't know the answers to the philosophical questions, when the rubber hits the road, you may find one or t’other of you (if there is a partnership) may be heading down that road to the big city, with a 'I won't be coming back!' sign printed on their tie-dye t-shirt....

The Art of The Possible:

So it all comes down to the art of the possible... and that my friend, is where you will have to determine where you draw the line... what you are willing to do, what you can do, and if that weren't enough, what Mother Nature and the Government is going to allow you to do...

Sure seems a bit daunting doesn't it... makes you want to turn around now and head for that condo in the sky on Bay and Front, and your cozy office in the 34th floor of the tower next door, with your 6 figure salary and the high blood pressure to go with it...

The Walden Dream: Part 1

this dream goes back to my childhood... when I would go up 'The Back' to an old 19th century hunting cabin that had fallen into disrepair... actually all that was wrong with it was that it's cedar shingle roof leaked, the window and door needed replacing, and the logs re-chinking, oh and the floor torn up and replaced... other than that it was in great shape... ;0


ok, more than one kid with 25c a week allowance could handle... but it was a dream that held on through the years... just one of many actually... the aim here, is to bring it into the 21st Century, out of the early 19th century...


for those of you not familiar with Walden, it was the name given by the American philosopher Thoreau, to a book he wrote, about a cabin he built on Walden Pond... he spent 2 years there, surveying the pond, growing beans, writing, and interacting with his environment... the time frame, Early to Mid 19th Century


Walden Pond
"I have spent many an hour, when I was younger, floating over its surface as the zephyr willed, having paddled my boat to the middle, and lying on my back across the seats. In a summer forenoon, dreaming awake, until I was aroused by the boat touching the sand, and I arose to see what shore my fates had impelled me to; days when idleness was the most attractive and productive industry. Many a forenoon have I stolen away, preferring to spend thus the most valued part of the day; for I was rich, if not in money, in sunny hours and summer days, and spent them lavishly;" from the book, Walden, by Henry David Thoreau

he was free to do as he pleased, without neglecting the necessities of survival and the expansion of his mind... and that is the aim... I do not want to build a house that requires a lot of maintenance... ie like a computer... but something that will be "fit for purpose" and "be low maintenance", while dealing with the necessities of survival and having time left over to enjoy those sunny days...

I don't intend on building a shack or shed... this will be a house/cabin, fit for living in, in this climate (Central Canadian Woodlands) and yet 'green' or environmentally friendly to the point that best suits me... there will have to be electricity, and plumbing, but with a mind to the goals set out above... so hang on... and we'll see what the end product is... for even now, I am only faintly seeing the destination....

Schnee Wolfe, September 28th, 2007

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well, a lot has happened in the 10 months since I penned those words... 3 steps forward, 2 back is perhaps best describing the events, without going into detail...

will I get the dream: simple answer is, I don't know

will I keep dreaming: you can bet your pay cheque ;)

so what is happening with this blog, I am going to use it to collect information... specifically to harness it to be a resource for myself, of ways and means to achieve the end... if I make it one day, GREAT!!, if not then I have prepared the ground for others...

Thursday, July 10, 2008