Operation Free Bird Alaska

OK HERE IS A SNEEK PEEK INTO THE BIG NEWS! A PREVIEW OF THINGS TO COME!

Ok so....We moved to Alaska for a fresh start after things in Arizona started to deteriorate. Ken couldn't find work, we lost the beautiful custom home that we made ourselves. All prospects of moving to New Mexico (like we had planned) were swept away like dust off the high desert. We had few options. Living in a travel trailer at my grandmother's with the county breathing down our backs telling us we had to leave. After some sweet talkimg from Trapper about all that Alaska had to offer we finally gave into the idea of the frozen north. Trapper had 48 acres near Manley Hot Springs that he wanted to return to. He offered that we could move up as well and he put the land in a warrenty deed, with myself and all my siblings listed on it. So, with our last bit of savings and money from selling stuff off we made the big move. Then Ken and Trapper built our duplex cabin. Trapper got phone and internet set up and at first we had open access. After we got all moved into the house Trapper went back to AZ for the winter. While he was gone we kept his side and the battery bank from freezing. We had to make some adjustments such as bringing the large battery bank inside and running off the small bank in order to keep things from freezing without spending a small fortune on gas in the generator. He returned in February and things started to change. We no longer had access to phone or internet unless we asked permission. Aside from the building of the house we haven't asked Trapper for anything. We have provided our own food in addition to the items donated from new friends. We were buying fuel to run the generator etc... Ken started working odd jobs then got a steady job driving bus for the Manley Village Council. Village Express, No thats not Ken in the picture. Here is were we commence OFBA. Our plan for a fresh start didn't include being under someone elses authority. Now that we have the means (though limited) we are taking the needed steps toward our independance.

Phase 1 OFBA: POWER - Here is were we start getting our own power set up. We already had a generator what we needed to start were batteries, a charger and an inverter. We started with 8 new batteries and a Xantrex inverter/charger. Our luck though we got a bum inverter and we are still working on getting it replaced. The battery bank however is working well with a small 750W inverter and a Carquest battery charger. Down the road we will be adding solar panels as we can afford it.



Phase 2 OFBA: Communication - We now have our own internet Hughesnet set up complete with a Magic Jack phone. All powered by our very own power supply. No more asking permission to make contact with the outside world. The Hughesnet is crazy expensive but the Magic Jack is really cheap so it kinds balances out.

Phase 3 OFBA:  Comming Soon ;) Detailes of this step are still to come as we are not 100% sure what to wrap into this phase. I can say as part of it we are building a large storage shed/work shop 10'x16'. That way Ken has his own enclosed area to store his tools and work on the Many projects that will be comming up.

I would not list any of these phases as complete as they will be under modification as time and funding allow. More details are still to come on all phases.

Planting: My little starter garden is doing well now that I have planted my starts in bigger pots. I have some tomatoes, pumpkins, onions and beets that are doing well. I will plant more according to the planting schedule.

Blessings to all our friends, family and readers,

Sarah Sue