We have finally settled in reasonably well and are slowly working towards building our new lives, careers and future family here in Tucson. 5 months in, and we're making progress. Jan-April weather was just incredible here, and then it just got plain hot, pretty much 105+ everyday for the last 45+ days, but learning to live with it. Thought we'd update the blog, we have several fun projects we're working on that may be worth mentioning.
I've got a great worm bin going, Christina is deligently composting, we're trying to get a garden going (challenging), building rainwater harvesting systems, tree planting, a turtle habitat, future gutter gardens, slow sand filter project and add to that keeping up exercising: running, golfing, tennis, basketball, cycling, yoga, weights, as well as trying to eat healthy each week keeps us pretty busy, but focusing on the good things in life. Christina is doing a good job leaning me more vegetarian each month, and I can proudly say we don't actually purchase meat that enters our home at this point (just occassionally some fish). I fail pretty regularly if I don't plan lunch, but making progress there as well.
We both have jobs, so the bills get paid and life is moving forward just fine. It's been far more difficult to adjust back to Western culture than I anticipated, it was way easier to leave it than to come back to it (more on that in another blog). We're taking the initiative and trying to do some semi-local travel as well, to begin our excursion of the western states more (one reason for moving here). We've visited good old friends Jared and Ashley Bradley in beautiful San Diego, went camping at Lake Pleasant outside Phoenix and made it to Sedona, AZ to see the painted desert so far. Hopefully lots more to come.
We have a great small home here in Tucson, just enough, keeping with our minimalist theme, the less space we have, the less we'll buy and fill up, so we're using the backyard as project central and spending some time on apocalypse (self-sufficient) planning as well. Gun range practice, general prepping and being a good boy scout type stuff, it's interesting and good practical stuff to learn. Makes for engaged reading, learning and all around clean fun :)
Here's a few pics from our recent time here and we'll be choosing some projects and filling in the details real soon.
New Blog-First up....Worm Bin
I've got a great worm bin going, Christina is deligently composting, we're trying to get a garden going (challenging), building rainwater harvesting systems, tree planting, a turtle habitat, future gutter gardens, slow sand filter project and add to that keeping up exercising: running, golfing, tennis, basketball, cycling, yoga, weights, as well as trying to eat healthy each week keeps us pretty busy, but focusing on the good things in life. Christina is doing a good job leaning me more vegetarian each month, and I can proudly say we don't actually purchase meat that enters our home at this point (just occassionally some fish). I fail pretty regularly if I don't plan lunch, but making progress there as well.
We both have jobs, so the bills get paid and life is moving forward just fine. It's been far more difficult to adjust back to Western culture than I anticipated, it was way easier to leave it than to come back to it (more on that in another blog). We're taking the initiative and trying to do some semi-local travel as well, to begin our excursion of the western states more (one reason for moving here). We've visited good old friends Jared and Ashley Bradley in beautiful San Diego, went camping at Lake Pleasant outside Phoenix and made it to Sedona, AZ to see the painted desert so far. Hopefully lots more to come.
We have a great small home here in Tucson, just enough, keeping with our minimalist theme, the less space we have, the less we'll buy and fill up, so we're using the backyard as project central and spending some time on apocalypse (self-sufficient) planning as well. Gun range practice, general prepping and being a good boy scout type stuff, it's interesting and good practical stuff to learn. Makes for engaged reading, learning and all around clean fun :)
Here's a few pics from our recent time here and we'll be choosing some projects and filling in the details real soon.
New Blog-First up....Worm Bin
