Homesteading - 01

Homesteading: the farming lite lifestyle where you work excessively hard at growing broke while disapproving the secular work you are shackled unto because life is expensive and the bills don't pay themselves. You would think after twenty something years in Information Technology, the only career comparable to active military service, you think I'd be tougher than the heel of Chuck Norris’ boot. Closer to borderline WTF, the latest complaint afflicting the digital age. Winding down a mediocre IT career to start up homesteading in South Africa during a general global downturn while raising special needs children on a single secular income. Isn't it ironic?

I suppose somewhere in my childhood life plan this was my John Conner transition. Going off grid to establish sustainable living with the rest of the humans patiently waiting for Judgement Day, the rise of the machines so I can put all those years of knowledge and experience to stopping the terminators. Here's hoping blog posts survive for us to continue to spread the message. A better quality of people for a better quality of life. Society is doomed. Any redeemable qualities of the human race are quickly diminishing with the shrinking old school analogue freedom being pushed out by the increased intrusion of millennials' technology dependencies on the coming AI. The worst of all third world living reside in Africa, the absolute worst congregate at the southern tip of the continent. I know this because I live in South Africa. Most of the global population doesn't know this, that is unfortunate but of the few who do know, really know, Elon Musk knows. Social media compares him to Hitler when they should compare him to Thanos. A single snap and half of Earth's population land on Mars. My opinion of disdain for the repugnant behavior of people is considered dramatic, exaggerated, unfair and broad swept. Mere observation of the world around me and while some people fight for whatever good might remain in the world the opposed masses continue to exercise despicable human behavior. Their deplorable acts gladly celebrated online. Shame on everyone. South Africa thrives on cock and booze because the country has more liquor stores than schools. Government is a failed state because they are an organization of lie, cheat and steal deliberately keeping the people distracted from their evil with the confusion between civil freedom and utter lawlessness by enabling and facilitating the cock and booze irresponsible mentality. Uneducated people intoxicated, impoverished and pregnant continue to feed the machine of oppression. I ventured into the dangerous unknown of an egg impoverished society on month end Saturday to service the technology dependences of the millennials. It was terrible, I instantly became the focus for animosity which develops in unnecessary conflicts. In my experience as a professional the work gets done because the people don't matter, not understand. I've officially learned how to say “fuck you” in all eleven official languages of South Africa. Still could be worse, not really this is Africa, the worst of the worst. I've learned a few other Africanisms. Always in a rush, never in a hurry is the only African proverb. From there life holds no value with a per second prepaid philosophy of lie, cheat and steal. Arguably the entire African third world is misrepresented to the global community and misunderstood because of it. I'm moving on; the government is evil, nobody really gives a shit and maybe I'll wake up one morning to find the shit show over and the DA finally in charge. Money is the colour of racism, remember that next time a friendly face of the Frontline work force helps you because pushing them to perform is a despicable corporate syndicate hell-bent on maximum profit at the sacrifice of good folk trying to make the world a little less crappy instead of coercing consumers to spend more and get less. Complaining is exhausting and my rising cortisol levels are scaring the grim reaper. Enough of the rat race, the digital age be damned, we're going off grid homesteading. That was thirteen years ago. So how has homesteading been treating you?

I've shared trials and tribulations of starting with pigs, dealing with bat shit crazy neighbors, moving onto vegetable production, dealing with runaway fires; again the bat shit crazy neighbors, buying a goat, starting our duck and chicken production, investing a lot of money only to suffer losses from a devastating power failure; other bat shit crazy neighbors and the government endorsed load shedding. I've put most of that behind me. Our ducks and chickens are healthy,  happy, loveable and delicious when we decide to butcher for our freezer. Our vegetable garden needs some attention before winter and our fruit trees have more surprises than our VAT increase. That's pretty much where we are; raising animals, picking plant things. Passionate, exhausted, slightly demotivated but extremely optimistic and taking it each day as it comes. We're homesteading, we're Nuckfuts.