Homestead mailing list

[clhw AT infoave.net (clhw)]

Perhaps my original included the fact that I'm tutoring a man who lost his
job because of the demise of the textile industry. He is studying the HVAC
program and hopes to begin, at retirement in about 18 months, a
semi-nomadic lifestyle, on his boat, doing repairs of boat HVAC systems for
extra income. I referred him to your web site and your journal with the RV
travels.

Filling a niche is great for both satisfaction and ability to pick up odd
jobs. I'm sure there are not many tractor repair people. Several years
back, my husband located one guy about 15 miles from us, who worked on our
1950s era JD, one we called a "Johnny Pop-up". He had a waiting list of
customers.

Are you planning a commercial river trip or a private one? About 2 years
ago, I went tubing in the mountains of Georgia. If the tubes had been a bit
smaller, I might have enjoyed it but they were too fat for my short frame
and I was at the mercy of current and rocks. There is tubing and
white-water kyacking and canoing done in NC in the area where "Deliverance"
was filmed. One of the popular floats goes through the Nantahala Forest in
the park where Eric Rudolph hid for 2 (?) years after bombing the clinic in
Atlanta.

It's best to get on the rivers shortly after, but not TOO shortly, a rain
storm. Thus, the water is high enough to cover a lot of the rocks. If you
are on a river too soon after a storm higher up, you have too strong a
stream to battle. If it has been several weeks since rain, the river is
lower and more rocks are exposed.

Maybe we can meet up at a restaurant again when you're in the area.
Lynn

>At 2/23/2008, you wrote:
>
>>It's either my age or there really is a slow, steady increase in the
>>numbers of people, often past "retirement age" who are eking out additional
>>income from a nomadic lifestyle and hugely enjoying doing it.
>
>I enjoy it.  I am currently on an organic farm near Salinas (home of John
>Stienbeck) helping out fixing things.  Over the last week I worked on a
>1948 tractor for a friend in Los Angles then yesterday worked on a late 80s
>tractor here.  This summer I will be sweating away in Missouri Ozark
>humidity building and fixing things, drinking beer, eating pizza, and
>enjoying many hours of conversation.  My hope is to be in North Carolina in
>the fall, I have a shed to finish and I believe someone's husband invited
>me to take a short river trip.
>
>
>
>Don Bowen              Awl Knotted Up                       KI6DIU
>http://www.braingarage.com