Off-grid living

Never have R and I lived our lives so in tune with Nature. For years we’ve talked of living more closely with the seasons and with the changing moods of the weather, but so much of modern day life deadens or removes the experience, not least electric light. Now, we’re in a mad dash to get things done before the sun goes down, and as the last streaks of light stain the sky, you’re most likely to find us scurrying around making sure we can locate everything we need for the evening ahead. That’s not to say we need much! Our evenings are mostly spent reading and relaxing, and I now have two teetering towers of books by my bed. Getting into bed is the most productive use of warmth, especially with a hot water bottle. Any excuse to work my way through my favourite novels on a cold winter’s evening! The days are steadily lengthening and I never truly noticed these minute changes on a daily basis before.

These beautiful winter days take the breath away – literally! – but the lack of wind means our electricity supply has been erratic at best. Recently we’ve been lucky if we can run the computer for an hour or so each week. But the incredible tranquillity of a windless day more than makes up for it. Just before I sat down to write this (on what’s left of our laptop battery), I popped outside to see the moon. A few weeks after the magical first full moon of the year, the Wolf Moon, the now waxing moon is glowing with its own halo. The sky is littered with stars, I truly don’t think I’ve ever seen so many in my life. Little dots of light are reflected in the pools left by the retreating tide. I can see brightly lit boats strung along the indigo horizon like a glittering necklace – it seems the fishermen are making use of these calm seas. In the stillness, you can hear the gentle lapping of the waves and occasionally a bird-call from the rockpools.

Finally, the winter snap that everyone’s been talking about! Preceded by all those mild days when confused birds burst into spring chatter and bulbs edged experimentally to the surface of the soil, it’s always a bit surprising to have to root through the coats to find a really warm winter one, and a hat, scarf and gloves to boot. R and I have lived without central heating before so we’re accustomed to wrapping up warm indoors as well as out.

We went away with family for a week in January and stayed in a lovely country house in Somerset, complete with hot water on tap, hot baths and showers, a washing machine, electric light, a dishwasher, a stereo system, DVD players, heating…the list of luxuries was endless! And it was perfect to start the new year basking in the warmth of the family; laughing, eating, talking, walking, reading, relaxing and playing games. There was a big storm whilst we were away and we dreaded what we might find upon our return - the house blown away like Dorothy’s in the Wizard of Oz?! Though the friends who were looking after it had assured us all was well, we hardly dared believe them. When we got home, everything was fine. And the best welcome? The cats, all three of them, fluffy and warm and pleased to see us. What better way to stave off the winter’s chill than with a houseful of pets?

After all the home comforts and mod cons the holiday cottage provided, we wondered if it would be difficult to adjust back to our clifftop lifestyle. But one morning of waking to the pink and orange dawn, with the fiery globe of the sun bowling up merrily on the left, and the moon glowing white on the right, soon reminded us what an incredible blessing every day is here.