Living off Social Security

[perchie.girl]

Sorry totally off topic but as a non American I find your geographical areas (particularly the odd ones that I'm reading in your avatars like 'high desert' just fascinating!!!) Sorry back to my lurking on this thread

quite OK.... One thing to remember.... Desert can be cold too.... it all has to do with precipitation... San Diego is the only place other than the mediterranean that had a Mediterranian Climate.... Yet go inland and the humitidy drops ... Even Alaska has a desert.... I was stunned to find that out.

We have a few low deserts too. Below sea level.... just around the top of the Sea of cortez there is a mountain range that blocks off the ocean ... The Colorado goes to the east of that... But the desert in that area has places that are fifty feet below sea level or more.

The mighty Colorado River once had steam ships... stern wheelers travel from the Sea of Cortez to Yuma Arizona and a bit beyond.... Now the river falls short of the ocean by several feet. Not from Drought.... But from Consumption....

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

and also some of our states are big with all sort of climates. For instance San Diego County which is part of California is approximately the size of Ireland.

All of California Oregon Washington are on the Pacific Rim... Rim of fire.... COLD oceans Which means new mountants... sharp and jagged.... Lots of rumbling and tumbling.... Some spits of lava and the occasional Hot water well. Nevada up around Carson City and Reno have many properties that have both hot water and cold water wells.

Very interesting stuff Geology.

deb

 

[PouleChick]

Where I live in south central Wyoming, we're considered high desert. Pretty stark, lots of scrub brush, lots of open area, some cactus, trees are mainly limited to water sources (like a river or a town). Lots of wildlife like antelope, deer, badgers, raccoons, hawks, eagles and beaver in the rivers. Dry and windy in the summer, cold and windy in the winter.

In other words, probably a lot different from SW France!

Sounds pretty amazing! And so much wildlife even though it is pretty limited wildlife and vegetation wise. Yes not like SW France - ir rained 6 months solid here last winter!!

quite OK.... One thing to remember.... Desert can be cold too.... it all has to do with precipitation... San Diego is the only place other than the mediterranean that had a Mediterranian Climate.... Yet go inland and the humitidy drops ... Even Alaska has a desert.... I was stunned to find that out.

We have a few low deserts too. Below sea level.... just around the top of the Sea of cortez there is a mountain range that blocks off the ocean ... The Colorado goes to the east of that... But the desert in that area has places that are fifty feet below sea level or more.

The mighty Colorado River once had steam ships... stern wheelers travel from the Sea of Cortez to Yuma Arizona and a bit beyond.... Now the river falls short of the ocean by several feet. Not from Drought.... But from Consumption....

Yes I did know that about the cold nights - when I was growing up we had some farms on the edge of the 'outback' as we call in in Oz so pretty much dessert and it was the same - hugely hot in the day and the nights freezing! Wow isn't that sad - I didn't realise that had happened

and also some of our states are big with all sort of climates. For instance San Diego County which is part of California is approximately the size of Ireland.

All of California Oregon Washington are on the Pacific Rim... Rim of fire.... COLD oceans Which means new mountants... sharp and jagged.... Lots of rumbling and tumbling.... Some spits of lava and the occasional Hot water well. Nevada up around Carson City and Reno have many properties that have both hot water and cold water wells.

Very interesting stuff Geology.

It sure is interesting! The size thing is crazy, even as an Aussie I dont' think I really have my head around how big the states is! And for Europeans even worse! When we owned 6 farms whne I was a kid (including the ones outback) I went on a trip to the UK and we added up all the sizes and it came out about the size of Belgium - a fact which was meant to help people 'get' the sizes but just ended up freaking them out .

Wow that would be soooo awesome having hot and cold springs

 

[R2elk]

I read many of the studies... Technical and and personal... the consensus was the danger has been mitigated... in phase two or three which happend about thirty years ago. I have to go right now but I will dig up the info ....

The studies are bought and paid for by the wind turbine companies and the power companies. I know the results that I see with my own eyes on a daily basis. Prior to them putting in wind turbines across the road from me, I was all for wind power. Now I am dead set against it. The part about killing birds is nothing compared to all the other harm they cause all kinds of wildlife.

The only benefit I get from the wind farm near me is that previously thousands of starlings would swoop down on my property from the direction of the windmills. Now they will not come close to the windmills.

 

[wyoDreamer]

@R2elk i haven't read the studies, but a friend who owned the homestead (house and 20 acres of land) next to one of the wind farms in Eastern Wyoming said that the thing he noticed most - besides the shadows from the blades, was the increase in numbers of fox and coyote. They were all going to the wind farm area every night and returning to their hidey-holes in the morning very well fed. Big litters of pups every year also.

 

[R2elk]

@R2elk i haven't read the studies, but a friend who owned the homestead (house and 20 acres of land) next to one of the wind farms in Eastern Wyoming said that the thing he noticed most - besides the shadows from the blades, was the increase in numbers of fox and coyote. They were all going to the wind farm area every night and returning to their hidey-holes in the morning very well fed. Big litters of pups every year also.

I haven't noticed that here. What I have noticed is a complete lack of wildlife in the area. The valley they put the windmills in, used to be a prime hunting area in the fall and winter for eagles hunting jackrabbits. I never see any birds in the area at any time now.

The south facing hillside was a wintering area for a herd of antelope. There have not been any antelope there since the windmills were installed. The south facing hillside next to the windmill area that gets the moving shadows used to be full of mule deer. I have not seen any deer on that hillside in years.

 

[perchie.girl]

Ok lets back up here a little... I am talking a single windmill for my own power consumption. I dont want anything more than I can consume. and or store.

That along with solar panels and low consumption electronic devices. If I were starting fresh as a young person Ideally I would choose Earth ship construction...

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Oh and for what its worth I was part of a design team for the wind farm in Tehachape... Back in the late seventies. Cannon Wind farm.

Anything we humans do just by our presence effects the ecology.

deb

 

[wild chick]

Another High Desert follower here, in my 60's, always looking for more ways to be frugal. I'm 6400' feet in elevation in southern New Mexico. I'm pretty good at most things mentioned, but also looking for ideas for cash flow. Does anyone here actually make a profit (however small) on their chickens or other livestock? More income than outgo? The dang electric company won't take eggs in trade. I don't have the $ to install solar!

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

The south facing hillside was a wintering area for a herd of antelope. There have not been any antelope there since the windmills were installed. The south facing hillside next to the windmill area that gets the moving shadows used to be full of mule deer. I have not seen any deer on that hillside in years.

I bet they don't like the infrasound generated by those things..