Snow Day in the Desert: Embracing Winter Off-Grid with a Dusting of Snow
Waking up this morning to a snowy landscape in the New Mexico desert was a refreshing surprise. The ground is covered in a beautiful, crisp layer of snow, reminding me of the long Minnesota winters I used to endure. Today’s task: clearing the snow off the solar panels, hoping for even a sliver of sunlight to keep our power running through the night.
### Snow in the Desert vs. Snow in Minnesota
Snow in the desert doesn’t last long. In a day or two, it’ll melt away, and the sun will return to recharge our solar batteries. Unlike the endless winter months back in Minnesota, where snow seemed to settle in for a long stay and freezing temps often meant you’d think twice before braving the outdoors.
### Benefits of Desert Snow
Here in the desert, snow feels more like a treat than a chore. It brings a temporary beauty to the landscape without the drawbacks of prolonged cold or cabin fever that’s hard to shake in places where winter drags on. Once the snow melts, life here returns to normal. No snow shovels gathering dust, no icy roads—just a momentary visit from winter.
### Off-Grid Snow Day Tips
For those living off-grid, snow days do require a bit of preparation. Here are a few tips we follow to stay ready:
1. **Clear Snow from Solar Panels**: Even a small amount of sunlight can make a difference, so we remove as much snow as possible.
2. **Conserve Power**: Cloudy days require us to be mindful of energy use, so we scale back on lights and devices until the sun is back.
3. **Embrace the Cozy Factor**: While we don’t run our propane heater all day, we bundle up and enjoy the cozy, quiet moments a snow day brings.
Winter in the desert may be fleeting, but we’re grateful for these brief, beautiful reminders of snow without the hardships that come with a long, snowy season.
http://www.plateauhamedecolquhoun.com
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#SnowInTheDesert #DesertWinter #OffGridLife #SolarPower #EnergyConservation #WinterWonderland #RVLife #DesertSnow #KaHoonCampground #PlateauHameDeColquhoun #SustainableLiving #EcoFriendlyLiving #MinimalistLife #SolarPanels #CabinFeverFree
Tag: solar panels
Cattle Chaos: Off-Grid Adventures with Solar Panels and Free-Range Herds
**Cattle, Cattle, Everywhere…**
Why do the cattle always feel the need to hang around the solar panels? Seriously, they have acres upon acres of land to graze on, but no… they have to gather right where they can cause the most trouble! Growing up on a dairy farm, I remember the cows roaming the yard freely, grazing peacefully among the flowers and plants. At least, that’s how I remember it—though my parents might have a different story! Maybe I was too young to notice the chaos they caused back then, but these guys? They’re determined to drive us to the loony bin.
Yet, despite the destruction, I can’t bring myself to put up a fence. The open views are just too beautiful. The cattle are welcome here—if only they’d stay away from the solar panels! It’s not even like there’s a buffet of grass around the solar setups. But still, they gather like it’s the hottest spot in town.
Even with all the havoc, watching these cattle brings me back to my childhood. Back then, it was Holsteins wandering the Minnesota fields, and now it’s these stubborn free-range fellows. Nostalgia sure has a funny way of making chaos feel a little less… chaotic.
http://www.plateauhamedecolquhoun.com
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#PlateauHameDeColquhoun, #KaHoonCampground, #KaHoonEventCenter, #SolarPanelProblems, #CattleTrouble, #OffGridLife, #CountryLiving, #RVLife, #TinyHouseLiving, #FreeRangeCattle, #RuralAdventures, #FarmLife, #NoFenceNoProblem, #NatureChallenges, #OpenRangeLiving
Solar 8k Video Premier
Come join us tonight 8pm EST 6pm MST for Premier of our new #YouTube video!
Tiny Living DIY Building Off Grid 8k Solar System
finally through the extensive hemorrhoid of getting the 8k system running…and we thought we had made preparation ‘eh.🤔
artoftinyliving #ModernPioneerism #rvliving #art_of_tiny_living #tinyhouse #lazydaze #southwind #tinyhome #tinyliving #offgrid #offgridliving #fleetwood #tinyhouse #build #airbnb #harvesthost #rvlife #plateau #mesa #plateauhamedecolquhoun #homestead #colquhoun #solarpanels #aimscontroller #panels #boondockerswelcome #hipcamp
Video: Tiny Living: 8k Solar 16 Panel Build In New Mexico Plateau Hame De Colquhoun
Tiny Living: 8k Solar 16 Panel Build In New Mexico Plateau Hame De Colquhoun
artoftinyliving #ModernPioneerism #rvliving #art_of_tiny_living #tinyhouse #lazydaze #southwind #tinyhome #tinyliving #offgrid #offgridliving #fleetwood #tinyhouse #build #solar #solarbuild #rvlife #plateau #mesa #plateauhamedecolquhoun #homestead #colquhoun #daze #modern #panels #pioneer #solarpanels
Solar frames
Solar panel frames are in location and anchored! Next week we’ll start putting panels up and wiring!
#artoftinyliving #modernpioneerism #solarframe #solarpower #solarbuild #offgridhomestead
Solar Frames finished!
Frames for the solar are finished! Got the trailer moved to it’s permanent home and set up the small solar in it’s temporary location.
Location for the new solar frames is empty, next step is to move frames in position, anchor them, then start mounting the panels! Once this is finished we have one more solar setup to build. Luckily next one is only 6 panels and not 16..
#artoftinyliving #modernpioneerism #solarbuild #solarpower #offgridliving #offgridhomestead
Almost finished!
Ground based solar frames are almost finished, only need couple more support boards, (again, that we need to pick up)but its better to over build with the winds in mind. The frame is adjustable, we can move the panels to adjust for angle of the sun…Each frame will hold 4 solar panels.
Next phase is to move the frames in place, then anchor down, and assemble the mountable panels!
#artoftinyliving #modernpioneerism #solarbuild #solarground #solarenergy #solarpower
Ka-Hoon Campground and Event Center 