Gonzo’s COVIDventure Continues (Part 1 of Finding a New Home)

2020 proved to be one of the most adventurous years of my life and 2021 is certainly holding its own.

In 2020, Gonzo and I left Colorado on a wonderful, cross-country adventure after I decided to defy Colorado’s mask mandate and to quit my job over it. The lockdowns had brought my business to a grinding halt so neither source of income existed anymore.

Fortunately, I was able to sell my business for almost nothing, but it was enough to get me across the country into the Live Free or Die state.

Gonzo and I landed in New Hampshire and rented an adorable carriage house on my cousin’s beautiful property for almost a year. I soon found a job on a farm and hoped that it would keep me off the radar for any ridiculous mandates that might eventually come down the line.

My hunch was right. The genocide jab was soon mandated by the Biden Regime and many healthcare workers in NH were ordered to be injected with an experimental drug by October 1st or lose their jobs. My cousin was one of those and he decided to choose life instead of compliance. This pushed him to start his own practice and he needed the carriage house to do that.

I had to find a new home by October 1st and had less than 2 months to do it.

Rental properties were scarce as many other people were also fleeing their blue states and escaping to red ones. Everything that WAS available to rent would not allow Gonzo.

There were several opportunities for me to have a great place to live, IF I gave Gonzo away. I was even offered a property management job where I could be paid to live in someone’s beautiful home…but without Gonzo.

Many people Gonzo loved had bailed on him in the past, leaving him heartbroken and confused. I promised that sweet baby on several occasions that I would never abandon him, like the others had. It was looking like that might mean becoming homeless, but I was intent on NOT breaking that doggie’s heart.

God always provides for me at the very last minute and I knew He would not forget about Gonzo and me. Sometimes, though, His idea of providing is not even close to what my idea is. This was one of those times.

About a week before I had to move, I had still not found anywhere to live. I was wondering if I might be soon living out of a storage unit.

Knowing my plight, my boss offered to let me store my things at a little cabin she has on her property until I found something. The cabin has no electricity or running water, but having already considered the possibility of living out of a storage unit until a rental was available, I asked if I could stay there until I found something.

She agreed to rent the cabin to me! God provided at the last minute again!

The sights and sounds here are amazing. As I write this by the warm glow candlelight, I am listening to a chorus of geese making their way south. They sure have lots of stories…gossiping geese! Yesterday, it was coyotes partying until all hours of the night.

In the daytime, when I look out the door, I see this…..

In the nighttime, I see this….

I feel like I’m living in a fairytale. So many of the stories I read growing up would take my imagination to a wonderland like this with wild forests, babbling brooks, hidden treasures in the woods, and beautiful barns and churches.

Even the trees seem to be changing colors right in front of my eyes as Fall takes over the countryside. On clear nights, the sky sparkles like fireflies suspended in time. I’m sure I can see Jupiter’s moons dancing around it and I feel as though I’m almost close enough to touch the stars and planets.

I am so blessed and Gonzo is in doggie Heaven! I watched him spend hours today playing chase with a chipmunk in a woodpile. I’ve never seen him so happy!

God prepared us for things we didn’t even know were coming. Over the summer, I had a strange feeling the well water I was drinking was making me feel bad. I began buying gallon jugs of water to drink and would fill them back up to store after I finished them. By the time I moved to the water-free Adventure Cabin, I had over 50 gallons of water stored and ready.

I am not lacking for anything and my feeling crappy turned out to be because I wasn’t drinking enough water.

While living without electricity or running water might sound like torture to some, this is an unbelievable adventure for Gonzo and me. What a great opportunity to test out my survival equipment in a non-emergent situation!

We are having so much fun basically camping, but I also get to see what works and what I’m lacking if there ever IS a societal collapse. I thought I was prepared, but have found a few things I need that I would not have thought of:

1) A good pair of slippers! Yeah, I would not have guessed that to be a survival need, but I have just ordered a pair from MyPillow.com and can’t wait to have them make life better and feet warmer. (You can always get discount codes for them at frankspeech.com)

2) Lots of paper towels. Wiping things takes the place of rinsing in a lot of instances and the used paper towels can also be used in building the fire later.

3) A manual coffee grinder. I will argue that coffee is certainly needed for survival and freshly ground can’t be beat.

4) Metal coffee cups! I cracked two of my favorite coffee cups not realizing just how cold they were when I poured something hot into them.

I am also finding what items I already had that I would highly recommend to others.

1) Luci solar lights. These guys are inflatable so they are portable and easily charged. They have been invaluable!

2) The Jackery Explorer 1000 generator is great for just one person and a dog. This generator can be charged by an electrical outlet, 2 solar panels, or you can plug it in to your car charger.

If you have to charge it by solar panels, prepare to have a couple of extra Jackerys on hand and charged since it is the excruciatingly slowest way to go. At 1% charge for every ten minutes, It will take about 3 days to charge the thing using only the sun. An electrical outlet from a solar powered house charges it at 4% every ten minutes and you can still charge it at night or when it’s cloudy. The car charger is somewhere in between.

The Jackery 1000 is not going to run a refrigerator and a space heater quickly drains it, but it will charge your phone or computer and will keep your hair looking like you are still a respectable member of society.

3) This is not an item, but having friends and a community has been so valuable. I have been so blessed with friends offering literally everything I was lacking. In a real emergency, resources and talents will need to be pooled. My help has come from both conservatives and liberals, so don’t be a turd and alienate your friends.

4) Most importantly, Faith! I know I never have to worry about anything even when I can’t see how to get through what’s next.

God is even taking care of us during this supply chain disruption. I went to the hardware store where manager Mike told me there was a 2 canister limit per person on propane. I asked why and he said, “There is a national shortage.”

Me: “Of course there is.” and I then explained that my eye roll was at Biden and not him. Fortunately, he laughed.

As I was getting my propane ration from the clerk, Mike asked, “How many do you need?” I told him as many as possible, since I did not have electricity. He immediately told the clerk to give me whatever I needed. I ended up with a case of propane and the realization that God is never in short supply of anything. Seek His Kingdom first and “all these things shall be added unto you.” He is good!!

So, Gonzo and I are having a blast! He will never be abandoned again and I will never have to regret choosing convenience over loyalty and responsibility. That dog is loved!

We are still looking for a warm home before winter hits so please keep us in your prayers.

Part 2 - What's Next? What's Waiting Just Around the Corner?