UPDATE: bucket mystery solved: there was a crack in the bottom 😅

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So this is an overflow rain bucket that I keep topped up for the cats (who prefer god's fresh skywater, of course. I even have a little steppy stool for them to sit on so they can comfortably reach the water.).

Yesterday the bucket was topped up, and this morning it's half empty. I *know* that there's no way my 3 cats drank this much water overnight, so who did? Pig? Random dog? Unfortunately I suspect pig 😔. It's been very dry and I imagine the pigs are thirsty. They're so sneaky and quiet! I didn't hear anything last night, and I sleep like 20 feet from this bucket. Gahhh I don't want the pigs to get comfortable sneaking around my place at night 😒

I hope we get some proper rain soon so that they don't come to me for water! It's drizzling right now, but we need *proper* rain. BIG rain. 🙏

#offgrid #JungleLife

My big goal for 2026 is to get a cabin built on my place. I've never had to design a cabin (my current shack sort of came together as different parts were added on over time), never worked with contractors, never tried to get something so complicated done. It's very intimidating (mostly I'm overwhelmed by the options, and scared of paying a lot of $ to get something that ultimately won't feel homey).

The biggest issue is that I'll need some determination. Because the simple desire/drive for having a 'proper cabin' isn't really there. I'm not suffering with my shack. But I guess it would be nice to have a more proper home, where I'm not ashamed to have people over, where my mom could stay when she visits, where I can go 'properly' inside in a hurricane, etc.

The second biggest issue is my fear regarding spending a lot of $ to end up with something that ultimately doesn't fit my needs, or comes out bad, or costs the entirety of my savings. I'm definitely not approaching it from a place of "what a wonderful opportunity!" Or "let's see what we can accomplish!" You know, those things that I've heard about from more mentally/emotionally healthy people. I'm just worried about consequences... consequences of getting bad contractors, or not being able to get a good design, or not liking the space when it's done and not feeling like it's a place where I want to spend time (which would make it all a huge waste of $), or some unknown unknown. I'm just very not confident in my ability to get this done and get it done properly. But I'm trying to imagine myself at the other end of this, happy with a lovely cabin.

Ultimately I have a poor track record of accomplishing things through determination, so this will be a big test, but I've made up my mind. I hope it works out 😔

#goals #resolutions #2026 #offgrid #JungleLife #homestead

We try so hard to create the conditions that our plants want in the hopes that they will thrive, but sometimes what they want is to be in a sun-blasted no-soil environment on the top of some corrugated roof 🤣

Note: I definitely didn't put this orchid up there, but look at how happy it is!

#orchids #flowers #plants #gardening #hawaii #junglelife

a few updates from my place:

* i have made big progress in containing one of my invasive vines (which i posted about here: https://regenerate.social/@mk30/115641462292092095 ). the main section of it is contained in an area that's maybe 15 ft squared. there are other bits of it, but the main section is contained. the goal is to eliminate it entirely.

* i am re-doing the main gutter on my kitchen (it goes to my kitchen's water catchment system). it was not secured properly (basically tied up with cord), so i'm going to try and do it a bit more properly. i've taken it down, thought about how to secure it properly, painted the 2x4 that it will be attached to, and the next step will be to secure the 2x4 under the edge of the roof.

* i am adding an extension onto my solar shed for more dry space. it will also allow me to potentially add more panels to the system. i am using 4x4s for the posts. i got 2 of the 4x4s painted, cut, placed on leveled concrete blocks, and arranged so that metal roof sheets can be tucked right under the current roof (this extension will be on the lower side of the shed). i was about to set up the other 4x4s, but it turns out i only have 1 more! so i painted it and have to get another 4x4 next time i go to town. there was a gutter on the low end of the roof that went to another catchment tank, so i removed that in order for the extension to fit correctly. once the extension is up, i'll add a gutter to what will be the new low end of the roof, and that will go to a new water catchment tank which is one of those 250gal cube water totes. my bf has offered to build me an elevated stand for the cube tote, so this is all leading up to more dry storage space, and a new catchment.

i'd like to maintain momentum on these projects, but i have a final tomorrow and the day after for my wastewater course, so i have to actually study for them! classes are done and my mind is already on break, but i WILL study. and by wednesday afternoon, i'll be on winter break!!

also i have to pack and mail xmas gifts, do laundry, refill water, and take the trash to the transfer station. that should all be today lol.

#offgrid #diy #JungleLife

yesterday i collaborated with @saltphoenix 's teen to get the solar working in his cabin after it had been on the fritz for a long time.

the solar in their main house is working (which is good - i'm all about redundant systems), but the power on the cabin was messed up.

the problem was in the connectors. they had not been set up properly. one of the connectors blew a few days prior and the system stopped working entirely. (see image 2 below)

i had a bag of solar connectors in my shed (see image 4 below), but not the crimper and tightener tool (i have now ordered this kit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKTFRSZ4 ). for the job yesterday, i borrowed the tools from my bf, who also generously showed me how to create connectors using the tools, and was available over the phone to help us troubleshoot.

so the teen and i replaced the blown connector (which was located by @saltphoenix ), but we were still getting nothing off the panels.

so then i went up on the roof and discovered that 1 connector was straight up disconnected because it was trying to connect 2 different types - one side had the kind that snap together (like image 1 below), and the other side was a twist kind. so it just came apart. 🫠 (see image 3 below)

i also noticed that several of the other connectors were mixed and matched like that, and some of them had been incorrectly made (they weren't screwed down fully)...plus the wacky connectors were hot, which is a bad sign. so i replaced all the ones that were mismatched and hot and incorrectly made, and made sure everything was tight and snug. but we still got nothing coming off the panels. i was very sad then.

then we kept testing various connections by putting the multimeter inside the connectors. it turns out i had made 2 of them incorrectly, so they weren't working. so after re-making THOSE, we plugged everything back in, and holy moly, we had power.

anyway, i know that for folks who understand more about solar and who have worked with these systems, this might not seem like a big victory, but there was no one else who was coming to the jungle to help get this kid's power back online, and i'm happy that we were able to combine a lot of teamwork to make it happen. today is a sunny day, so i'll check later to see if the batteries get charged. fingers crossed.

2 noobs - one young and one middle-aged - worked together with borrowed tools, fueled by the delicious farm food made by @saltphoenix (some of which will go to the person who lent the tools but who couldn't be there in person to do the fix). ducks were splashing and quacking around us, mosquitoes were in our faces, the cables got covered in mud, i had to scramble up a ladder while the teen spotted me, we had to consult the internet a couple times, the multimeter played a key role, and we ultimately got a system working again - a system that none of us had set up.

so there's my solarpunk story, and i thank the sun for letting us use some of its power for our lights and computers and other stuff 🌞 ⚡ ❤️

#solarpunk #JungleLife #offgrid #solar

The rainy season has arrived here in East Hawai'i. The plants are happy, and although I can't spend much time in the garden, I'm happy because we were in such a severe drought before the rainy season started. Things were crispy every day (and this is in an environment where we like it to rain most nights).

Anyway, with the rainy season come new patterns of living, with a focus on keeping stuff dry: taking advantage of scraps of sun to hang the towels up and then bringing them back in immediately when it starts to rain. Also: keeping a closer eye on energy use and solar power. But especially: keeping feet dry. I basically wear slippers (flip-flops) all day every day, so just walking to the outhouse or to the garden gets my feet and slippers wet. I'm trying to dry both of them off afterwards.

Why the focus on dry feet? Well, I got a foot fungus a few years ago and I hated it. I didn't even realize what it was at first ... It was just peeling skin on my toes that never healed. It didn't hurt or anything, and it wasn't particularly gross (just peeling skin), but I hated how it never fixed itself the way a cut would (even with liberal application of aloe). Eventually I figured out it was a fungus, got an anti-fungal cream, and started focusing on keeping my feet dry. But even with that, it took a few weeks of applying the fungal cream for it to heal. Which is like...kind of creepy! The organism (which I never directly saw...all I saw was peeling skin) needed to have death cream applied every day for two weeks before it died! So basically that experience made me want to not get The Fungus again.

Slipper type affects this as well! "Fancier" sandals stay wet for longer, meaning that your feet are always in contact with wet shoes. Meanwhile, good ole' plastic Locals brand slippers can be dried with a towel immediately (yes, i have a special foot towel). So if you see people wearing "simple" flip flops, don't assume they're too poor to afford fancier ones.

So friends in tropical wet climates (especially going into the rainy season): May your roofs never leak, may your wood beams remain intact, may your batteries not empty, and may your toesies stay dry!

(And yes, I know I can just wear rain boots, but my feet hate being all cooped up! 🤣)

#hawaii #CountryLiving #offgrid #JungleLife