OFF GRID ~ usually refers to living in a self-sufficient manner without reliance on one or more public utilities.

Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.
John Muir

 Around the same time each month, millions of Americans go to their mailboxes seeking the comforts of a handwritten letter or their favorite magazine only to be greeted by white envelopes with miniature cellophane windows. We're all familiar with these mailers -- power, water, gas and telephone bills, all conspiring to take your hard-earned money. to date i t's impossible to get an accurate count of exactly how many people in the United States live off-grid.But there are many looing for an exit off that HUGE HAMSTER WHEEL WE ARE ON.

little cabin in the woods. not very mid century, but really cute for pictures.

I feel like this is what my tiny house would end up looking like if I built it myself.

The
"Next Generation"
Solar Home
Building underground....@  

http://solar.world.org/solar/undergroundwalls

 Why more people are choosing to live life unplugged. People who want to get away from today's consumerist society, living off-grid can be an attractive option. living off the land, producing your own food and energy and getting away from the consumption economy that drives so many of our decisions. For more and more people, off-grid living has become the way to go. Although statistics on Americans who choose to take this route are hard to come by, trends suggest that the number is increasing. Some people do it to be self-reliant or more in touch with nature. Many go off-grid to step away from society. In this economy many do it because it is the most financially viable option possible they feel. Many Third World citizens have never had the chance to go on the grid, current estimates are that 1.7 billion people live off-grid worldwide.  Off-the-grid homes are autonomous; they do not rely on municipal water supply, sewer, natural gas, electrical power grid, or similar utility services. A true off-grid house is able to operate completely independently of all traditional public utility services. 

 

Spaceless: Hidden furniture for small spaces Furniture for 

THE DOWN SIZED LIFESTYLE

http://www.busyboo.com/2011/09/19/small-spaces-spaceless/

 

 

I go to nature to be  soothed and healed, and to have my senses
      put in order.   
                                                                      - John Burroughs

Reason number 3 that I need my own lake. (Reason 1 to get a tiny house boat to spend my weekends living in. Reason 2 to make my own tiny pirate ship to read and write in)

If spring came but once a century instead of once a year, or
       burst forth with the sound of an earthquake and not in
       silence, what wonder and expectation there would be
       in all the hearts to behold the miraculous change.
                                                                 
 - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

You have to be pretty committed to the environment to move

off the grid. Disconnecting from government-regulated electricity,  water, sewer, gas and phone services would be an enormous --

and difficult --A major life change for most people.For some, the idea of doing without municipal services is a nightmare. it’s not just a matter of snipping the wires. It requires resourcefulness and the ability to adapt to an unfamiliar way of life. Living off the grid means it’s just you and nature existing harmoniously side-by-side and for the few, it’s the culmination of a long-held dream. If you currently live in a home that depends upon the energy grid, it’s not just a matter of snipping the wires. I have started this blog  hoping many will add their stories  as to why they feel the need to get off the Grid. Others, I am hoping will come forward with their experience, and stories of how they got off the grid and offer their expertise to those seeking to make this move. This is the gathering, here is where I wish to connect people looking for ideas, to learn how to make the move, the best places to move. I am hoping to find intentional communities that seek people and people who are seeking communities. This is where I hope like minded people excited about living off the grid can come together to share. Share anything with Off The Grid lifestyles, Homesteading, Organic growing, Natural Medicines  ect , ect,.  The Floor is an open  forum so please feel free to share ,I am excited at the prospect of meeting you all. In between my writings and comments you shall be viewing my collection of tiny houses, little houses, cabins galore and just random housing of all shapes and sizes I have found and have dreamed of or imagined someday building or buying and perhaps managing to buy land and live far from the maddening crowd. 

Tiny house in Atlanta, Georgia based on the Tumbleweed Fencl with cedar shake shingles, concrete counter tops and poplar and walnut wood interior. Built by Barred Owl Builders and Pav from Owl Creek. C LOTS MORE @ http://tinyhouseswoon.com/georgia-tiny-house/ AND A BLOG HERE @ http://pavandkate.blogspot.com/2012/09/tumbleweed-traveling.html

ENJOY ♥

 

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under
    trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water,
    or watching the clouds float across the sky is by no means
    a waste of time.
                                                                                    
- J. Lubbuck

Tiny Log Faced Cabin With Loft Come visit

 @ http://tinyhouselistings.com/tiny-log-faced-cabin-with-loft/

The Wedge, a small cabin by WheelHaus

 Small house designs with big impact

 More Information @ http://smallhousebliss.com/2012/11/

Homes made out of glass bottles WOW!

I am a 23 year old young man lookin for an intentional community I have basic survival skills meaning I can fish and grow produce I also have basic skills in carpentry and I am seriously interested in living off the land I am tired of being considered a piece of property for I am a living human being born free of this world I would like to know of an intentional community independent and free of government reign please contact me at jeremiah993@yahoo.com

Living off the grid allows you to get away from the hustle and bustle

Live Simple, I also am in my early 50's and have full 

responsibility of caring for my mentally disabled sister. 

I am looking to start a community of like minded people

 in SW WI. Lets chat email me at offgridlife4me@hotmail.com

If you think this type of lifestyle is right for you, make the transition

                Learn about several communities around the United States where people live independent of any utility connections in sustainable, self-sufficient villages.   Off-the-grid communities: 5 places carving a sustainable path 

                                                Homesteading Today. It Is Still Possible ?
Homesteading today. Is it possible? Talk about homesteading these days, and most people think of living off the land and being self-sufficient. But is it still possible to earn free land from the government by proving you can live there, just like people did a century ago? @ http://www.organic-gardening-and-homesteading.com/homesteading_today.html

Small starter or recreational cabin on the county road.

 

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
Lao Tzu

Go Off the Grid for a while a day,  a weekend and in time stretch it out for a month. Who knows, maybe it’ll become contagious and we’ll all sleep a little better in the days ahead. Perhaps by going OTG we might actually bless others and in some way , freeing them to follow our lead.  Perhaps we’ll all have more of the abundant life, and leave more footprints on the narrow road we so long to travel…

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

I wanted to live deep... ~ Henry David Thoreau

Photo Credit: ©RoJo Images - Licensed For Use

 

A peek inside

Have you gone off the grid?
When I say off the grid, I mean truly disconnecting from all things electronic. There would be no way to check email, Tweet, make a phone call or see what your Facebook friends are having for dinner.
We all talk about going “off the grid.” I see people mention it on Twitter all the time – “I went off the grid for 2 days and it was so great.”But I’m talking about more than one or two days. I’m talking about no exceptions, no electronics, no digital contact for an extended period of time. I believe it is, and will be extreme difficult for most to go cold turkey especially weaning ourselves off of our electronic addictions.

 Tiny Cottage Kitchen...

I love kitchens! I want my tiny house to center around my kitchen--I want it to be the social hub. Or rather, I want my tiny house to be one big kitchen. Love what these folks had to say: "Nothing we own is so precious that it can’t get dinged or scratched..."

Small Cozy Dream Home

Add caption

 I ran into this interesting article and I feel it is a worthy share @ http://www.kludgymom.com/off-the-grid/

 

Is living off the Grid now a crime?

 Apparently living off the grid, off the land, and without government assistance is now a crime that can land you in jail, and cause you to lose your home.Government officials across the country are forming so called “nuisance abatement teams” to intimidate people into giving up their land, or conforming to the governments demands and hooking back into the grid. Counties across the country are actually jailing people for living the way they want to live.

I was alerted to this video by a reader, and was troubled and sickened by what the poor people in the California Desert are being forced to deal with. From being threatened with jail time if they don’t hook back into the grid, to being thrown in jail because the county didn’t like the look of their homes, the people in the deserts of Los Angeles County are being terrorized by their government.  <http://youtu.be/yw3RiMdS7sE>

Off-grid living is a lifestyle where more can be less. Off-grid homes powered by solar energy can operate just like normal, grid-connected homes. During sunny days, the solar cells will provide all the power needed and, when it's cloudy or during the night, the house runs on batteries. When you have unusually high power requirements, or for extended periods of heavy cloud, a backup generator kicks in.