Tales from beyond the grid
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Around the property: Moving from spring into summer
Our modest patch of land is actually a sanctuary for a number of endangered species. The nighthawks are back for the third year running, spinning and…
Jun 4
•
Charles Mandel
8
5
May 2023
Woodstack: the festival; back to the Annapolis Valley; and more
My adventures this time included a visit to The Noodle Guy in the Valley. Love the funky space and colours. Woodstack: Peace, love and stacking wood…
May 21
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Charles Mandel
5
10
The off-grid news; local architect, international architecture; and more
A luxury off-grid trailer - but you’ll pay for it Living Vehicle is a luxury off-grid trailer. A team of LEED-accredited professionals and architects…
May 8
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Charles Mandel
4
2
April 2023
Leaving the grid; and a trip to the Valley with a visit to The Rice Bowl
Solar lights at our property at sunset. Leaving the grid is a subversive and revolutionary act. It might not seem like it, but the banks don’t want you…
Apr 30
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Charles Mandel
10
7
Making an off-grid move sounds easy, but you can’t bank on it
Our off-grid home. [Editor’s note: I first published this opinion piece in the National Observer, January 29, 2021. In terms of obtaining a mortgage for…
Apr 16
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Charles Mandel
9
11
Sheila's brush; Nova Scotia coastal protection not in sight any time soon; dining at the Knot Pub; and more
A brush with winter Mabel sticks her nose in the picture (L) while Farley goes: “Really? Snow? Again?” The past couple of weeks in Nova Scotia Sheila…
Apr 1
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Charles Mandel
8
March 2023
Our wild marsh; our neglected shoreline; and other odds and ends in March
This morning as I stacked split wood on the outdoor pile for next winter, I noticed something that I don’t believe I had in previous springs. It was…
Mar 25
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Charles Mandel
5
12
The rite of spring, part four; general stores; and what constitutes a po'boy sandwich
This is…spring? It could be Sheila’s Brush, the traditional snow following Saint Patrick’s Day, but it landed two days early. After silence, the birds…
Mar 18
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Charles Mandel
11
10
Extended off-grid news edition:
The off-grid reader: an occasional column on off-grid news and views
Mar 11
•
Charles Mandel
13
17
Buying an off-grid home: Not a turn-key experience; local love, and more
New cabinet front. In the background, you can see the previous open style. Now the dishes are closed off, preventing dust, animal dander and so forth…
Mar 4
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Charles Mandel
9
9
February 2023
Things you need off-grid; snow day, and local love
A bow saw is an indispensable tool for the off-gridder. Beyond what the shape of your off-grid home might look like, where it’s located, and all those…
Feb 25
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Charles Mandel
13
19
Walking: An off-grid workout; local love, and more
Return of the lane Of course, many of you are familiar with the “lane” that leads back to our place. A former logging road slightly more than two…
Feb 18
•
Charles Mandel
15
11
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