Lucy and I left New York City yesterday headed for Ashford, Connecticut to meet Cuzin John. En-route we stopped in my third Portland in the United States. This was Portland, Connecticut rather than Portland, Maine or Portland, Oregon.
We arrived in Ashford around 4:30pm to visit Cuzin John. I met Cuzin Bob at a blueberry farm in Maine last week. Cuzin Bob suggested I’d enjoy meeting Cuzin John and told me a little about his place. John lives on 30 acres of land in north eastern Connecticut. They’re almost totally “off the grid” here. Solar and wind power, on-site sewage, well water. Most of their food is grown here on the land. It’s an amazing place.
I’ve learned lots about solar power, batteries, the pros and cons of wires, and more. I’m grateful to Cuzin Bob for the introduction and Cuzin John for his hospitality. I’ll write more on these topics in the future.
This afternoon we’re heading for Boston to stay with Emma and her merry band of roommates. We’ll probably head back towards New York City on Friday.
I just stepped outside and snapped some pics. Here’s a shot of the house nestling in the trees.
Tthe solar array that powers the whole house year round, with a minimal assistance from a wind turbine.
Now the front of the house with Lucy reading on the deck. On the right hand side of this picture you can see the solar water heating that provides all the hot water in summer and pre-heats the water in the darker months. To the left of that is a small gate with an outdoor shower where I washed this morning. Then the left most part of the house is a screen room, see the last picture below.
Here’s the view from behind Lucy looking out at the garden over the deck. The vegetable garden is the first enclosure and the second is the vineyard.
Here’s the inside of the screen room. The windows are insect screens rather than glass, so the breeze blows gently through the whole room. It feels like it would be a wonderful place to sit in the summertime.
