SATURDAY 28 MAY 2016
On Saturday morning we were collected by Tanja's cousin Jason and his wife Emily as we squeezed into the back of the people-mover with their 4 kids.
After a 90-minute drive to Portland's east, we crossed the Hood River toll-bridge and crossed onto the Washington side of the Columbia River, disappearing into the woods shortly after the village of Husum to go and visit Tanja's parents.
Joy and Kent have been living off the grid in a remote section of forest just north of the Columbia River since 1975 - from the point of parking the car, their property is a 20-minute hike in from the nearest road access.
Over the past 41 years, they have established what is to all intents, a self-sufficient way of living.
It was an eye-opening experience to wander around the property for the afternoon and see just how they have made it work by generating all necessary power via a gravity-fed hydro-electric system from a small pond just above the main residence.
From a junction pump at a lower section of the stream, water is pushed uphill under pressure where it drives a rack of 12-volt batteries stored underneath part of the main house generating the required DC power for lighting and refrigeration, with a standard inverter also converting to AC power.
Kent even took us down to see his sawmill which also provides an income by way of logging sections of the Douglas Fir forest that lie on their property.
Food, music and Uno were the main staples of the afternoon after we had completed the Cook's tour and lacquered up with mosquito repellent.
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THE SAWMILL |
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THE TROUT POND |
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A MUSICAL INTERLUDE |
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THE WHOLE GANG..... |
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