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Thank you! I'll be doing the scything again next summer and will get some more footage (unless i find gold in the ground and then I might reconsider buying machines). I look forward to nice homegrown fresh asparagus!

Very happy to hear you enjoy our videos and thanks for the compliments! Those trailers are very handy. It took us two years before we bought one and once we had, we couldn't believe we waited that long. It's so handy. They're actually snowmobile trailers, but of course, you can transport whatever you like in them. Our nearest neighbour is almost 3km away. There are some summer houses in between, but those people only come for about 2-3 months of the year. They are 1,5km away. You can also go the other direction on our dirt road and then you have the next neighbour 19km away. So you can say we're nicely secluded. Town is about a 30min drive, so really not that far, which is quite nice for dropping off the girls at school. We are getting very fit out here indeed! I lost many kilos this first summer...

Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it ☺

She's really at that age now where she wants to help with everything, so thankfully they've got all these outdoor tools for children up here. We even got little snow shovels for her. She loves it! It was real scare with the lambs, cause they just can't tell you what's wrong with them and we've got no experience. So it felt really good to see them get betters slowly. Those warming boxes sound like a really good idea. It would be easier than to transfer them from the sheep barn to our growing room each time. I also hate to separate them from the flock. Caroline is getting better and better at baking, which is a nice skill to have out here and a nice little boost indeed to have in between the chores!

Yeah, it's a lovely story, especially because it came so close to not happening like you say! We also had a rooster from the original flock that was really golden. I had never seen anything like it. Sadly he died quite early on due to an injury he must've gotten from the move to our place.

That's a really good point you make about the hot light bulb, but I think the hay bales might look closer on camera than what they actually are. I had another look, but there's no way for them to hit the bulb, should they fall. But I'm glad you said it and I'm going to go through the sheep barn and make sure no such accident is possible in any other way. The bacon certainly adds a nice layer of flavour and usually I would add herbs, but this Swedish Glögg is like a Christmas wine and has a bunch of spices in it already. It's actually the first time that I cook the potatoes separately and I must say that it was quite nice, but when you cook them in the stew they do get that extra flavour. Happy you like the scenery! I'll certainly keep it in each vlog.

That's a really good point! Hadn't even thought about that. I'll certainly give your suggestion a go to experience the difference. Thank you!

Yes, it's a real shame. It's not much in winter, but last summer there were many blue skies that were turned into hazy ones...

Plenty of those around!

Thank you for the support!

www.plamen.hr/en/Proizvod/71 ☺

Yes there are. I would say we see foxes the most, but the other day we almost drove into an elk and it's child. We also have bears around us, but haven't seen them yet and I saw some Lynx tracks in the snow last week. Glad you joined our channel!

It seems to have helped the white lamb as well, but we found out why she isn't standing (although she does try) and that's because she's got a problem with right hind leg. We'll have more of an update on that in the next vlog hopefully. Amber's a very perceptive girl. She's been like that from when she was a baby, always observing. We're starting to get the flow of homesteading mixed with family life and I think she's feeling that as well and enjoying it more. As one of our subscribers pointed out to me, I was actually quite lucky to be doing it in the cold weather, cause that made the whole ordeal a lot less pungent!! For now it's functional again... Love that you enjoy our content!

Very true statement about the cold weather helping subdue to Septic Tank odor.

Certainly!

It's really going to take it to the next level and hopefully we can catch some cool wildlife as well (I have yet to see a bear!)

Great to hear that you're going to follow us! The nature is stunning here and hopefully with each video we're getting better at capturing it. So far we've been lucky with the snow compared to last year. It started in the first week in October and we finally saw the ground again in May. It felt amazing to actually walk on solid ground again after such a long winter! The snow certainly brings it's challenges, but it's the freezing cold that I'm usually most worried about. Things break that you wouldn't think about and I hate to see our animals suffer, so everyday I'm working on improving their situation, so that they are cozy and happy. Merry Christmas to you too and all the best for 2025!

That's so nice to hear, it was my goal to portray the true reality of homesteading so that it can help others!

Ik heb na deze video alleen wel toch weer Bosch gekocht, want er waren een paar super deals met de black Friday en dat was dan toch goedkoper dan Makita kopen en nieuwe batterijen erbij. Maar goed, als ik opnieuw zou beginnen zou ik met Makita beginnen! hahaha

Ja dat lek was erg jammer. Moet nog altijd water op en neer sjouwen. Ik heb het nog niet gerepareerd dus. Dat komt nog wel. Maar als die het het doet dan zal ik een stuk meer vrije tijd hebben!

Jazeker! Beter dan kantoor werk! hahaha Dat is de OS27 en we hebben heeeel lang nagedacht over of we elektrisch of brandstof wilde. Uiteindelijk hebben we voor brandstof gekozen, want als we ooit een stuk grond vinden met veel bos (wat we nu dus niet hebben, want het bos is van iemand anders) zonder elektriciteit dan kunnen we daar dat ding neerzetten en planken etc. maken. Dat is dan ook makkelijker om te vervoeren dan boomstammen. Maar zeker goedkoop vergeleken bij andere, alhoewel je wel aardig wat dinger erop en eraan moet bijkopen waardoor de prijs snel omhoog gaat. Het is ook goedkoper voor een reden, want je bent er altijd wel wat aan het knutselen en verbeteren. Bedankt voor de tip! Op dit moment gaat er niks in de grond, dus zodra het zomer word gaan wet het allemaal beter doen. Nu wilde we gewoon beginnen zodat we een dak hebben, wat we dus nog steeds niet hebben!

Maar jij hebt dus ook een huis in Zweden?

@@northernhomestead2024 hum ja hihi, Huisje gekocht in september 2023. Maar ik zie er nog steeds tegen op om de lange rit van 1800 kilometer uit Rotterdam alleen te maken. Dus ik heb de woning al ruim 1 jaar geleden gekocht. Terwijl ik nog nooit in Zweden ben geweest 😂. Was altijd al een droom geweest om naar Zweden te gaan. Ik heb alleen mail contact gehad met de makelaar. Nou het geeikte 10% betalen, het rest geld aan de verkoopster van de woning betalen op goed vertrouwen. Papieren en sleutel gekregen en bla bla . Klaar. Land laten meten , bij gemeenten op mijn naam gezet en gelijk de aanvraag land her benoemen op agrarische land omtoveren. Dan hoef je niet allerlij gezeik van papier handel aan te vragen bij gemeenten om wat te bouwen op je land. Klaar is Kees 😁. En nu zit ik nog steeds thuis in Nederland. Had wel dit jaar een groot kosten plaatje om mijn Ford Transit Connect te laten repareren. Koop nooit een auto bij een auto handelaar, is troep.

​@@northernhomestead2024o mijn huisje staat 400 kilometer boven Stockholm en in het midden van het land. ( gemeente ) Niet zo hoog als jullie, bij Lapland?

@@JeroenvanDruten Ja, zuid Lapland. Tot nu toe zeide we Lapland, maar het is zo'n groot gebied, dat ik van nu af aan maar Zuid Lapland ga zeggen, want we hebben nog bossen met hoge bomen en een zomer waar we nog aardig wat kunnen groeien. Alhoewel moet dat snel, want het seizoen is maar van Juni tot ergens in September...

Hallo! Ik ben Nederlands en Caroline is Schots, dus we zijn gemixte familie 😄 Ja dat zou heel leuk zijn als jullie dat willen doen natuurlijk! Ik zie dat jullie al 12 jaar met RUclips bezig zijn, wow! Echte professionals zijn jullie dus. We willen ook graag hetzelfde voor jullie doen, maar zoveel subscribers hebben we nog niet... Hele fijne kerstdagen toegewenst!

A smaller home certainly saves on energy and there's less cleaning, which is probably our favourite advantage! Really happy you enjoyed the tour! It's certainly cozy and that lady of the house is Scottish so that's why she had bare arms as they're used to miserable cold weather 😂

Yes, we heard that the paint is so cheap because it's a by-product of the copper mines. We're jealous of your sauna! Would love to have one of our own!

Dat is een goeie vraag! Bij dit ras groeit hun wol heel snel en toen ik ze kocht zeide ze dat je ze 2 keer per jaar moest scheren. 1 keer in de lente en 1 keer in de herfst. Voor ons Nederlanders is de herfst een lange tijd, maar hier is het misschien alleen September en dan Oktober begint de winter al. En ik had al een gevoel toen ik ze in Oktober ging scheren dat ik een beetje laat was, maar goed, ik deed maar wat de professionals zeide. Ik denk alleen dat die professionals ze al in September scheren en niet half Oktober!! Grote fout en nu zitten we dus met 2 onderkoelde schapen. You live and you learn...

It really is!

Caroline agrees with you. You can see in the video that she thinks I'm crazy lol! But hear me out. I think that the definition of the grid is changing. Like you say, internet and phone access don't make you dependent as it's a choice, but that's changing and in some countries quicker than you think. Take Sweden for example. They've been pushing for a cashless society for a long time here, which is happening in more and more countries, but Sweden is one of the front runners. For now you can still pay with cash in some places, but not many and you can of course pay with your card as well (for now). But to gain access to your bank account you need an app (here the app is called BankID). You don't only need this app to access your bank, but also to file taxes, get government allowances, get your child into pre-school etc. It's still possible to do these things by avoiding the internet (we did in the beginning), but it's getting harder and harder and soon, if you want to be off-grid, you'll also have to be self-sufficient, cause if you don't have internet, you won't have access to anything. So for now I agree with you, in most countries you can still be off-grid and have internet, but I think we're more dependent on the internet than we think and soon, it'll no longer be a choice...

It quickly became mine as well when we moved in!

Yeah, we have to be quick to catch that daylight right now!

A wood moisture meter is actually a really useful thing we should have. Not only for the firewood, but also for the lumber we have. Thanks for the tip! I had to look up what creosote is. It's probably best to have as little as possible of that building up in your chimney...

@@northernhomestead2024 You may want to run a chimney brush down your chimney yearly. I run a chimney brush down my chimney yearly just for safety. The last thing any of us want is a chimney fire.

We actually got the professional chimney sweep to come and do it this year, so that he could let us know if there was anything wrong. So much soot came out of that chimney! According to his opinion it had never been cleaned before and he could tell us some more useful things we needed to know about it, so we can do some necessary repairs this coming summer (add that to the list of projects). I did "inherit" a chimney brush from my dad, so with 2 fires on the go all winter, I might give it two sweeps (is that the correct use of the word?) each year.

Thank you and Merry Christmas to you too!

They're loving it! What's better than edible walls?

Thanks, that's kind of you to say so! I'm still getting used to being on the camera 😁, Caroline

Thanks for watching!

I think you're right. Painting it would probably make the wall look more modern and clash with the old fireplace. That's funny to know about the mirror! It would actually be a shame to get rid of it, because our daughters love playing in front of it and seeing themselves. However, they'll probably get bored of it as they get older...

@@northernhomestead2024 I always paint internal brick walls - prefer the nubbly look to bare brick - it always upsets some people. Just different taste that's all !

@@veronicaroach3667 If I would paint it then I think a darker colour would work there, like a dark red. We'd really only be able to decide once I've cleaned the mortar off and see what we're left with...

That's really cool to hear that you've enjoyed bingewatching our videos! In this first year here everytime I was struggling with something (which has been a lot!) I would think back to sitting in an office which then gave me the energy to keep going. Some things take me 20 times to get right and some things will take me a lifetime, but one thing's for sure, I'll never give up! This lifestyle is too good for that. Making pizzas is a good example actually. I've made that recipe so many times and the first 20 times it just wasn't good. But now I do it like a robot and it's great everytime and I don't sit here sulking about how I miss pizza (one of my greatest fears 😂)

We love your comments! Please don't stop ☺ Really glad you enjoyed the video. I was definitely being honest. I would love to tell our whole story, but I was afraid of it being a boring video, especially because we are new to RUclips and we don't know yet what people like to watch. I'll certainly do another video like it somewhere down the line. Thanks for your support and lovely messages, we really appreciate it 🥰

Yeah, it's taking up a lot of our time and effort to care for them, so we're very happy to see their situation improve and it hopefully not all be for nothing.

Yeah, Caroline did think that all the grease etc. was not helping the problem. I had thought of doing this when building a future extension in which we'll have the new kitchen, but that could be far away into the future and I think I need to do something sooner rather than later. Either way, it'll have to wait till summer, as the ground is now frozen and harder than concrete. Plenty of time to plan for this solution. Thanks for the great advice!!

Awesome! Very cool to have someone from South Africa watching our channel. Hope you enjoy the other videos. Mind you, there's a noticeable difference between the older videos and the later ones (in my honest opinion 😅) Best wishes to you as well and hope you have great Christmas and an even better start to the New Year!

It was a tough one. I skipped lunch that day. Couldn't stomach it 😅I've now put chicken wire in front of the septic line, so hopefully that catches the paper at least. There's more I can do, but right now I don't want to go back in there! Thanks for the tip about the enzymes. I'll have a look into that!

You would be correct 😁

Thank you! Yeah, bargain is the right word for that!

Thank you! In the winter months (from around October to beginning of May) it stays between 0 and 4 degrees celsius and humidity is around 90%, which are both perfect conditions for a root cellar, so we're really lucky with that. Outside temperatures vary quite drastically in the winters. One day it can be around -5 degrees celsius and the next it can be -25. Usually when temperatures drop down below -20, the root cellar seems to drop below 0 degrees, which is a bit too cold, but all our vegetables are in sand and so it doesn't really get affected, unless the cold persists for weeks on end. But then we can just open the door to the root cellar which increases the temperature back to over 0 a little. In our living space we have the temperature usually above 20 degrees when we have the fireplace nice and hot. But the mornings before we've got the fire going it can be about 12 degrees on the really cold nights!

@@northernhomestead2024 tell the truth, how hard is it to peel yourself out from underneath those warm layers in your bed to go start that fire when it’s that cold in the house? I’m sure it’s very hard! Love your story thank you for sharing.

@@stonecrestquilt I normally hope that Caroline gets up before me and gets the fire going 😂 If we're lucky we'll have put on some big logs on the fire later on in the evening, which would leave us some hot coals in morning and all we have to do is chuck on some wood and let the draft start the fire. Thank you for watching!

Thanks for that interesting piece of information. So basically houses got worse after the 80's! Those sound like wonderful memories. We hope to create those here as well!

Mmh, that's interesting. I've never had chickens in my life, so I can't compare, but they are certainly energetic and rather good flyers!

Yes, we really did go far north! The colder climate certainly comes with a lot of challenges, some that we were ready for and a lot that we're learning about as we go. But that's part of the experience that we dreamed of and it sure makes for an exciting experience! We wish you a merry Christmas as well from our cold snowy homestead!

Thanks, will be following your family jorney. Please give my best regards to your wife. Wishing little girls flourish while mum and dad are making their dream life true 🙂😇

@@renata-s5b That's so nice to hear. She sends her regards back! ☺

1-0 for the brick! We do think it looks cozy and all it needs is a clean and some fixing. Cheapest option by far

Thank you! The water pipes are all deep in the ground below the frost level. About 1.5 metres down, so those should never freeze. The cellar shouldn't get too cold either for that, but we can help and keep it more insulated by shoving snow against the house, which we'll do now that we have plenty of snow to go around! Last year we had a week around -40 degrees Fahrenheit (which is also -40 degrees Celsius) and we had no problems whatsoever with the water freezing. Quite amazing. Power failures come about 3 to 4 times a year so far where we are. Luckily enough they never lasted too long. Not more than half a day. And then there's different types of maintenance, which means it goes down for several hours as well, happens also a few times of times a year. They have been a good motivation and reminder each time to go off-grid. It feels really good to reuse stuff indeed. It's great to have had so much left behind by previous owners!!

It’s been around -15 to -20 the last few days and it’s been heating the house no problem. Quite amazing. I really didn’t expect that when we bought it, because it was the cheapest we could find that came with an oven. In the morning we also light the old woodstove to kickstart the day and get the chill out of the house, but then it quickly gets too hot, so we just have the kitchen woodstove run for the rest of the day by itself which keeps a real nice ambient temperature throughout the house. Really glad you enjoyed the tour and that I could provide you with some valuable information. I hope you also find what you’re looking for. Happy house hunting!!