I had not planned to do movie reviews on the blog, but I've realized that there are some movies, and even tv shows, that fit into the theme of the blog and deserve to be mentioned. The first of those movies, which I recently watched for the first time, is Into the Wild, starring Emile Hirsch and directed by Sean Penn. Please note that this review does contain spoilers, so if you've not seen it yet, and plan to do so, you might not want to continue reading.
The film is an adaptation of Jon Krakauer's book, also called Into the Wild, which details the real-life wanderings of Chris McCandless and his eventual demise in the Alaskan Wilderness. I have yet to read the book, so don't know if the film is true to it or not. After having seen the movie, though, I have every intention of also reading the book.
It is likely that many are already familiar with the story of Chris McCandless, but for those, like myself before seeing the movie, who are not, I will provide a brief summary, as portrayed in the film. After becoming unhappy with the society in which he lived, including the materialist mindset of his parents, McCandless decided to take a journey to find himself. After graduating from college he donated the remainder of his college fund, which he was suppose to use for law school, to charity, and hit the road. Knowing that his parents would try to stop him, he told no one of his plans, including his sister, who narrates parts the movie that focus on how his family deals with his absence.
Along the way, McCandless abandons his car, after it was caught in a flash flood. He continues his journey by hitchhiking and train-hopping his way across the country. Deciding that it is unwise to use his real name, he eventually adopts the alias of Alexander Supertramp. Along the way he meets several people whom he forms connections with, sometimes temporary, sometimes longer term. Throughout his travels, Alex, as he is now calling himself, tells those he meets about his plans for a grand Alaskan adventure. After two years of this lifestyle, he eventually makes his way to Alaska, and journeys, with meager supplies, into the wilderness.
Shortly after hiking into the wilderness he finds an abandoned bus, where he sets up camp. He lives here for the next four months, living off the land and a small amount of food he packed in with him. As food more and more scarce, he becomes increasingly frustrated with this situation. This leads him to mistakenly eat a toxic plant, which leaves him in a weakened state, and eventually leads to his demise. The film ends with a shot of McCandless' body lying in the bus.
There is much debate as to what actually caused McCandless death. The author of the book made some assumptions, based on the journals that were left behind. Many people question those assumptions. There is also a lot of controversy regarding the positive portrayal of McCandless in general. It seems that many, especially those experienced with living in the Alaskan bush, feel that his lack of preparation was foolhardy, irresponsible, and some even claim suicidal.
Personally, I feel a strong connection to McCandless, at least as portrayed in the movie. His sense of unhappiness with the focus of society on unimportant things, such as material possessions, is something that I feel myself. I could never, however, leave my family behind and live such a spontaneous life. I have a great deal of admiration, though, for those who can, especially when doing so in search of themselves.
This film also makes me think about the how we have become so reliant on technology, that people have questioned McCandless' sanity for daring to go into the wilderness without a compass or map. There was a time when humans roamed North America with nothing more than primitive tools and instincts. As those primitive tools have been replaced by more technologically advanced ones, the instincts have been replaced with, well I'm not quite sure what. I believe that McCandless set out to prove, to himself, that he could make it without the luxuries of modern society. I feel that the negative reactions to his attempt may have proved as much or more than his death. I suppose those questions about his sanity are similar to the questions that arise anytime someone voluntarily gives up modern conveniences, whether off-grid homesteaders or minimalists living in an apartment in the city.
I believe that Chris McCandless was far from insane. In fact, I think he was one of the few people able to see through the curtain of modern society, and focus on what is really authentic and true. I like to think of these people as visionaries, who are able to see a better future in which humans begin to regain our connection with nature, and ability to live cooperatively within it, rather than fighting against it as we do now. I have to wonder if the life that McCandless lived during time on the road and in the wilderness might not have been a better life than many of us live over a period of decades.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Thursday, September 12, 2013
09/12/13
As you can probably guess, most of my free time this week has been spent spreading gravel. I've managed to get them all spread, but still need to do a bit of work with smoothing out a few places. Eventually I will need to get a few more hauled because there was one section of the driveway that didn't get any because I ran out.
Andrea helped me for a while Tuesday evening by running the RTV. I was using the tractor to load the RTV bed with gravel, then we'd take it to the end of the driveway and dump them. Eventually I decided it might be just as quick to carry them in the bucket of the tractor, though, so switched to that approach. I worked until after dark, using the headlights of the tractor on the last couple of loads.
I didn't go to the office on Wednesday, so hoped to make a lot of progress on spreading the gravel after work. Unfortunately, though, we had some storms move through in the late afternoon, with some spotty rain throughout the rest of the evening. I suppose I could have worked in the rain, so chose not to.
I was afraid that today was going to be a repeat of Wednesday, when it began raining around 3:00 pm. Luckily, though, by the time I was ready to go out it had stopped raining. Even though it was wet out, I wanted to work, so went out anyway. About an hour in, it started raining. I tried to keep working, but the rain picked up quickly, so I gave in and went into the house. It quit raining fairly quickly, though, and I was back outside maybe 30 minutes later. As the gravel pile grew smaller I decided to try to finish the job, since we're having visitors both tomorrow and Saturday. I worked until after dark again, but managed to finish. Unfortunately by the time I finished I couldn't see well enough to know how good of a job I did in a few spots, but I'm sure it'll do until I can work on it again.
Andrea helped me for a while Tuesday evening by running the RTV. I was using the tractor to load the RTV bed with gravel, then we'd take it to the end of the driveway and dump them. Eventually I decided it might be just as quick to carry them in the bucket of the tractor, though, so switched to that approach. I worked until after dark, using the headlights of the tractor on the last couple of loads.
I didn't go to the office on Wednesday, so hoped to make a lot of progress on spreading the gravel after work. Unfortunately, though, we had some storms move through in the late afternoon, with some spotty rain throughout the rest of the evening. I suppose I could have worked in the rain, so chose not to.
I was afraid that today was going to be a repeat of Wednesday, when it began raining around 3:00 pm. Luckily, though, by the time I was ready to go out it had stopped raining. Even though it was wet out, I wanted to work, so went out anyway. About an hour in, it started raining. I tried to keep working, but the rain picked up quickly, so I gave in and went into the house. It quit raining fairly quickly, though, and I was back outside maybe 30 minutes later. As the gravel pile grew smaller I decided to try to finish the job, since we're having visitors both tomorrow and Saturday. I worked until after dark again, but managed to finish. Unfortunately by the time I finished I couldn't see well enough to know how good of a job I did in a few spots, but I'm sure it'll do until I can work on it again.
Monday, September 9, 2013
09/09/13
As expected, the gravel were delivered this morning. They got here at just past 8:00 AM, and now there is a bit more than 26 ton of gravel in a pile in the driveway. Technically they aren't all piled up, since I did spread some this evening, but I'll get to that.
In preparation for spreading the gravel I went out at lunch and fueled up the tractor and hooked it to the box blade. I had a bit of extra time before lunch was ready, so decided to go ahead and spread a few to work out how high I wanted the box blade set, etc.
I headed out immediately after work and began spreading gravel. My initial focus was the area where we park, and the area between where we turn at the trailer, which we've decided to go ahead and gravel. Unfortunately, while doing this I had a bit of an accident. Our trailer has some trim on the end that sticks out about a foot, and is about a foot wide. It was damaged when we bought the trailer, and I had been considering removing it entirely. I got a headstart on that today, when a was too close to the trailer when turning and the bucket hit the trim and partially tore it off.
At first I thought I might go ahead and take it on down, but it was just an hour until dark, so I decided to wait on that. The downspout had been attached to the trim, and it was torn loose and partially pulled down the butter on that end, so I reattached the gutter, and while I was up there, cleaned it out a bit. Hopefully that will be enough until this weekend, when my Dad will be visiting and I can get him to help me tear the trim on out.
In preparation for spreading the gravel I went out at lunch and fueled up the tractor and hooked it to the box blade. I had a bit of extra time before lunch was ready, so decided to go ahead and spread a few to work out how high I wanted the box blade set, etc.
I headed out immediately after work and began spreading gravel. My initial focus was the area where we park, and the area between where we turn at the trailer, which we've decided to go ahead and gravel. Unfortunately, while doing this I had a bit of an accident. Our trailer has some trim on the end that sticks out about a foot, and is about a foot wide. It was damaged when we bought the trailer, and I had been considering removing it entirely. I got a headstart on that today, when a was too close to the trailer when turning and the bucket hit the trim and partially tore it off.
At first I thought I might go ahead and take it on down, but it was just an hour until dark, so I decided to wait on that. The downspout had been attached to the trim, and it was torn loose and partially pulled down the butter on that end, so I reattached the gutter, and while I was up there, cleaned it out a bit. Hopefully that will be enough until this weekend, when my Dad will be visiting and I can get him to help me tear the trim on out.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
09/08/13
I had a very productive weekend, probably the most productive one I've had in quite some time. I did run into some problems on Sunday, and wasn't feeling well due to allergies, but overall it was good.
On Friday Andrea called the local quarry and ordered a load of gravel. They should be delivered tomorrow morning, which is much quicker than I expected. After work I hooked to the mower and mowed around the garden. This included clearing the area I want to prep for drying logs as I cut trees this fall, as well as the area around the one tree I cut earlier in the week.
Nearly all day Saturday was spent mowing. I mowed across the road, adjusting the mower to its lowest setting, which I had never done before over there, so I would have more clippings to collect. I then mowed the yard. While mowing the yard I discovered a yellow jackets nest, but unfortunately was not stung. After that was done I decided to drag the mower over to the old house and mow around it. I don't mow there often because it requires moving the mower to the front of the RTV so I can better maneuver it, which takes longer. My parents have decided to build a cabin out there, though, which means we'll be tearing down the old house finally. They are coming down next weekend, and I know they'll want to go out there and look around, so I wanted to get it mowed ahead of time. I barely finished before dark, although this was partly because I ran the RTV out gas and had to ask Andrea to bring me some.
I wasn't feeling well when I got up on Sunday, so it took a while for me to get motivated to get out. I needed to wait for the grass to dry anyway, so it didn't really put me behind. I used the lawn sweeper to collect the grass clippings from the yard. There weren't as many as the previous time I had mowed, but the grass was nearly as tall, so that is to be expected. After finishing the yard I drug the lawn sweeper across the road to the area I had cut short for clippings. I gathered quite a few, but in the process damaged the sweeper. I had to literally drag it back home, because the wheels would not turn. Once I got it home I spent thirty minutes untangling weeds and vines from around the axle, then parked it.
By this point I was hot, tired, not feeling well, and frustrated, so I went in. I spent most of the afternoon being unproductive, until finally going back out once the sun started going down. I collected the clippings from the yard and hauled to the garden where I applied them to the previously mulched area which was starting to have a few weeds sprout. Andrea rode over with me during one of the trips and picked a few tomatoes. While she was picking tomatoes I fixed the long-handled tool carrier on the RTV, which had come loose a few days before when Andrea pulled under the shed with a rake in the carrier. Fortunately the zip tie I used to mount it are the weak point, so they broke, leaving nothing else damaged. I had picked up a new pack of zip ties when in London on Wednesday, and it only took a few moments to re-secure everything. Afterwards I moved some things that were stacked at the end of the trailer, in preparation for receiving the gravel tomorrow.
On Friday Andrea called the local quarry and ordered a load of gravel. They should be delivered tomorrow morning, which is much quicker than I expected. After work I hooked to the mower and mowed around the garden. This included clearing the area I want to prep for drying logs as I cut trees this fall, as well as the area around the one tree I cut earlier in the week.
Nearly all day Saturday was spent mowing. I mowed across the road, adjusting the mower to its lowest setting, which I had never done before over there, so I would have more clippings to collect. I then mowed the yard. While mowing the yard I discovered a yellow jackets nest, but unfortunately was not stung. After that was done I decided to drag the mower over to the old house and mow around it. I don't mow there often because it requires moving the mower to the front of the RTV so I can better maneuver it, which takes longer. My parents have decided to build a cabin out there, though, which means we'll be tearing down the old house finally. They are coming down next weekend, and I know they'll want to go out there and look around, so I wanted to get it mowed ahead of time. I barely finished before dark, although this was partly because I ran the RTV out gas and had to ask Andrea to bring me some.
I wasn't feeling well when I got up on Sunday, so it took a while for me to get motivated to get out. I needed to wait for the grass to dry anyway, so it didn't really put me behind. I used the lawn sweeper to collect the grass clippings from the yard. There weren't as many as the previous time I had mowed, but the grass was nearly as tall, so that is to be expected. After finishing the yard I drug the lawn sweeper across the road to the area I had cut short for clippings. I gathered quite a few, but in the process damaged the sweeper. I had to literally drag it back home, because the wheels would not turn. Once I got it home I spent thirty minutes untangling weeds and vines from around the axle, then parked it.
By this point I was hot, tired, not feeling well, and frustrated, so I went in. I spent most of the afternoon being unproductive, until finally going back out once the sun started going down. I collected the clippings from the yard and hauled to the garden where I applied them to the previously mulched area which was starting to have a few weeds sprout. Andrea rode over with me during one of the trips and picked a few tomatoes. While she was picking tomatoes I fixed the long-handled tool carrier on the RTV, which had come loose a few days before when Andrea pulled under the shed with a rake in the carrier. Fortunately the zip tie I used to mount it are the weak point, so they broke, leaving nothing else damaged. I had picked up a new pack of zip ties when in London on Wednesday, and it only took a few moments to re-secure everything. Afterwards I moved some things that were stacked at the end of the trailer, in preparation for receiving the gravel tomorrow.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Composting Motivation from the Field to Fork Festival
When I signed up for the Urban Composting workshop at the 2013 Field to Fork Festival I knew that the focus would be primarily for those in situations unlike mine. Clearly I'm not in an urban environment, but I reasoned that composting is the same regardless of location, and as long as the focus was on the act of composting, and not how to disguise backyard bins, etc, then I should learn something. I'm glad that I chose to attend, as I not only learned some useful tips, but more importantly, was motivated by the workshop leader to step up my composting routine.
The gentleman leading the workshop explained that he included things normally on the 'do not compost' list, with no ill effects, such as meat, dairy, and oils. In addition to this he talked about the lengths he goes to in search of material to add to his compost, including collecting material from around his office which he takes home daily. Surely, I thought, I could do the same.
Over the past month and a half I've found myself more active in seeking out item to compost. I've noticed small things which were being trashed before, which I'm now adding, such as oil soaked paper towels used to oil the grate of the grill. We also bought a bucket for collecting liquids from the kitchen, which is now being regularly added to the compost. This includes water used for boiling foods such as pasta or corn, as well as water used for washing vegetables, etc. While the compost may not always need the additional liquid, there are bits of organic material in this water, along with starches, etc that are beneficial to the pile.
I've also started bringing home things like boxes and paper bags from fast food restaurants, including pizza boxes, to tear up and add to the compost. Clearly it would be better, for other reasons, including health and finances, if I wasn't accumulating such items, but when I do, I figure I might as well put them to good use rather than let them end up in the landfill.
While the things I've mentioned are just small steps, they are also the type of changes that are easy to implement and keep going. Whether its energy conservation or composting, small steps add up over time, making them well worth the effort. I'm thankful for the motivation received from the workshop to undertake these changes.
The gentleman leading the workshop explained that he included things normally on the 'do not compost' list, with no ill effects, such as meat, dairy, and oils. In addition to this he talked about the lengths he goes to in search of material to add to his compost, including collecting material from around his office which he takes home daily. Surely, I thought, I could do the same.
Over the past month and a half I've found myself more active in seeking out item to compost. I've noticed small things which were being trashed before, which I'm now adding, such as oil soaked paper towels used to oil the grate of the grill. We also bought a bucket for collecting liquids from the kitchen, which is now being regularly added to the compost. This includes water used for boiling foods such as pasta or corn, as well as water used for washing vegetables, etc. While the compost may not always need the additional liquid, there are bits of organic material in this water, along with starches, etc that are beneficial to the pile.
I've also started bringing home things like boxes and paper bags from fast food restaurants, including pizza boxes, to tear up and add to the compost. Clearly it would be better, for other reasons, including health and finances, if I wasn't accumulating such items, but when I do, I figure I might as well put them to good use rather than let them end up in the landfill.
While the things I've mentioned are just small steps, they are also the type of changes that are easy to implement and keep going. Whether its energy conservation or composting, small steps add up over time, making them well worth the effort. I'm thankful for the motivation received from the workshop to undertake these changes.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
09/05/13
I was more productive today, so thought it was worth writing an update to celebrate the fact. I went over to the garden immediately after work to tackle a couple of projects. First was to drag a grape vine out of a tree that has been getting in my way. I had tried doing it by hand a couple of times, with no luck. This time I hooked the brush grubber to it, and then to the RTV and it was a simple matter to pull it down. I should probably go around one day and drag out any others that are giving me problems.
After taking care of the grape vine I started up the chainsaw. There was one small tree in particular that I wanted to mow. It was preventing me from mowing an additional 4-6 foot wide section in one area, where I hope to start seasoning some logs that I'll be cutting. Once this was cut, since I had the saw out, I decided to work on a tree at the corner of the garden that I've cut limbs out of before. Once this was cut and drug away I started cutting up the stump, but didn't get finished. I was getting pretty worn out, because for some reason running a chainsaw does this to me, and I was also expecting Andrea to arrive home soon. When I ran out of gas, I decided to just call it a day rather than filling up and trying to finish the job. Apparently I had missed seeing Andrea drive by, because she was waiting at the creek to meet me when I pull up to the crossing.
After taking care of the grape vine I started up the chainsaw. There was one small tree in particular that I wanted to mow. It was preventing me from mowing an additional 4-6 foot wide section in one area, where I hope to start seasoning some logs that I'll be cutting. Once this was cut, since I had the saw out, I decided to work on a tree at the corner of the garden that I've cut limbs out of before. Once this was cut and drug away I started cutting up the stump, but didn't get finished. I was getting pretty worn out, because for some reason running a chainsaw does this to me, and I was also expecting Andrea to arrive home soon. When I ran out of gas, I decided to just call it a day rather than filling up and trying to finish the job. Apparently I had missed seeing Andrea drive by, because she was waiting at the creek to meet me when I pull up to the crossing.
Book Review - A Way of Life Less Common
I discovered author Anna Hess, and her blog, The Walden Effect, by responding to her search for people to be interviewed for her book Trailersteading. Since then I have read, and reviewed, several of Anna's ebooks, and her lone print book, The Weekend Homesteader. Due to the way in which I discovered Anna, I was very interested to see that she, and partner Mark, had similarly been profiled in A Way of Life Less Common: Modern Day Pioneers Volume One by Christine Dixon. I eagerly ordered a copy of the book, and put it at the very top of my reading list.
Since finishing the book I've been giving it a lot of thought, in preparation for writing this review. I even went so far as to ask for some feedback on the Homestead Library group on Earthineer, to see if others shared some of my concerns.
The book is uniquely formatted, in that it consists almost entirely of the text from interviews. There is a one page preface, and each couple or individual is introduced with a short summary, of a paragraph or two, but that is the extent to which the author lends her voice to the book. Not only is the rest of book made up entirely of interview questions and answers, but it appears that these were presented as-is, with little or no editing. I say this because there are situations in which the same information will be discussed multiple times in the same interview, because the info was given in the answer to one question, then another question was asked afterwards relating to that already given information. It seems this may be the result of a set of predefined interview questions being given, rather than the questions being adjusted based on the previous responses.
The people interviewed for the book come from a wide range of backgrounds, and are now living in a wide variety of locations and situations. I found that I did not really connect with most of those interviewed, however. Take, for example, the lady who mentioned her Lexus twice during the interview. I think its great that people are able to have nice things if they can afford it, but specifically referring to the car as a Lexus, twice, in a short interview, gives the perception that the car, and the status it provides, is of great importance. That isn't the type of "modern day pioneer" that I am likely to look to for inspiration.
The interview that really bothered me, though, was the one with the couple who finished their cabin on credit. I'm not against the use of credit; we financed both our property and the tractor. However, this couple specifically stated that they weren't worried about their credit score, since they intended to live a cash only lifestyle. Because they weren't concerned about their credit score, they maxed out multiple credit cards with no intention of paying back the loans. In fact, based on their account of the situation, they called the banks and informed them that they were broke and would not be paying them, and then it seems, washed their hands of the situation.
Personally, I find this behavior to be morally questionable, at best. I realize that readers of the book are, for the most part, adults who are free to make their own choices. However, I was very surprised that the author offered no commentary on this. The inclusion of this information in the book, without commentary, could give the impression that the author considers such actions to be acceptable, or even encourages them. I don't know if the author actually feels this way or not, since she doesn't tell us one way or another in the book. I find it to be irresponsible, though, to use this as an example of a successful approach to homesteading.
In the end I found that, for me, there were more negatives than positives with this book. I thought that the idea was a good one, and if the information had of been presented in more of a narrative format, it would have been better. Since the author added no material herself, I think that it would be better to just visit the blogs, websites, etc of those featured in the book, as one could likely learn more about their journeys, without the expense of buying the book.
Edit: After receiving a comment from Linda, of the couple who used credit cards to finish their cabin, I felt compelled to add note to the review. It appears that the circumstances surrounding the decision not to pay off the cards was quite different than it appeared from the quotes in the book, and that it was unforeseen circumstances which caused them to be unable to pay. If the original intent was to pay off the cards, this changes the situation dramatically.
Since finishing the book I've been giving it a lot of thought, in preparation for writing this review. I even went so far as to ask for some feedback on the Homestead Library group on Earthineer, to see if others shared some of my concerns.
The book is uniquely formatted, in that it consists almost entirely of the text from interviews. There is a one page preface, and each couple or individual is introduced with a short summary, of a paragraph or two, but that is the extent to which the author lends her voice to the book. Not only is the rest of book made up entirely of interview questions and answers, but it appears that these were presented as-is, with little or no editing. I say this because there are situations in which the same information will be discussed multiple times in the same interview, because the info was given in the answer to one question, then another question was asked afterwards relating to that already given information. It seems this may be the result of a set of predefined interview questions being given, rather than the questions being adjusted based on the previous responses.
The people interviewed for the book come from a wide range of backgrounds, and are now living in a wide variety of locations and situations. I found that I did not really connect with most of those interviewed, however. Take, for example, the lady who mentioned her Lexus twice during the interview. I think its great that people are able to have nice things if they can afford it, but specifically referring to the car as a Lexus, twice, in a short interview, gives the perception that the car, and the status it provides, is of great importance. That isn't the type of "modern day pioneer" that I am likely to look to for inspiration.
The interview that really bothered me, though, was the one with the couple who finished their cabin on credit. I'm not against the use of credit; we financed both our property and the tractor. However, this couple specifically stated that they weren't worried about their credit score, since they intended to live a cash only lifestyle. Because they weren't concerned about their credit score, they maxed out multiple credit cards with no intention of paying back the loans. In fact, based on their account of the situation, they called the banks and informed them that they were broke and would not be paying them, and then it seems, washed their hands of the situation.
Personally, I find this behavior to be morally questionable, at best. I realize that readers of the book are, for the most part, adults who are free to make their own choices. However, I was very surprised that the author offered no commentary on this. The inclusion of this information in the book, without commentary, could give the impression that the author considers such actions to be acceptable, or even encourages them. I don't know if the author actually feels this way or not, since she doesn't tell us one way or another in the book. I find it to be irresponsible, though, to use this as an example of a successful approach to homesteading.
In the end I found that, for me, there were more negatives than positives with this book. I thought that the idea was a good one, and if the information had of been presented in more of a narrative format, it would have been better. Since the author added no material herself, I think that it would be better to just visit the blogs, websites, etc of those featured in the book, as one could likely learn more about their journeys, without the expense of buying the book.
Edit: After receiving a comment from Linda, of the couple who used credit cards to finish their cabin, I felt compelled to add note to the review. It appears that the circumstances surrounding the decision not to pay off the cards was quite different than it appeared from the quotes in the book, and that it was unforeseen circumstances which caused them to be unable to pay. If the original intent was to pay off the cards, this changes the situation dramatically.
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