I posted a lengthy article about our off-the-grid utilities earlier. In that article I said we'd need to add some additional PV charging capacity in order to be able to live at the cabin full-time. 

It has been quite a journey and taken all summer long, but last week we made significant progress. (I say "we", but all the work is being done by Burnham & Sun, a PV specialist from Fort Collins.)

First, earlier this summer the new batteries did get installed. We now have 12 batteries instead of 8, and since they are new we should have significantly more storage capacity.

Our new solar panels are finally installed!

And, at the end of last week, the new PV panels were finally installed. It has been a nightmare trying to locate contractors to do the excavation work, trenching and concrete work needed. The front range of Colorado is undergoing a huge growth spurt and contractors are simply not interested in small jobs that are two hours away. Sam at Burham & Sun finally got some people to do the work and  the panels are mounted. This week, she will lay the conduit and cables, wire the panels into a charge controller and hook them up to the batteries.

The next step in our need for additional power is to re-install the wind turbine. I bet that will be an interesting adventure, too.

Yesterday, Lynne and I took a nice afternoon dip in the pool. And, later, after dark, swam a few laps in the wonderfully warm water. Tomorrow, the pool will be closed for the season. The pool heater has allowed us to swim earlier in the year and extend the season by a few weeks. The outside temperature was "cool", maybe in the mid-60s, and the pool was 84 degrees. It was like swimming in a bathtub. A fire in the firepit, some s'mores, lit tiki torches and a splash (or two) of rye whiskey also helped make it a great evening.

It is a bit sad to think that it may have been the last swim for us in the pool (the "bitter" part). With some luck, we'll get the house sold before opening the pool next year (sometime around Memorial Day). That's the "sweet" part. 

Lynne has characterized our lives together into several big chapters: the "Expat" chapter, the "Colorado/Cabin" chapter and the "New Jersey" Chapter. She may have different names, but I think she is right. We spent about 1/3 of our 30+ years together working in Europe. First in Germany, then The Netherlands, and finally in France. Then about 1/3 living and working in Northern Colorado where we enjoyed our mountain land and built our "off the grid" cabin. Finally, the past ten years in New Jersey, which has been a fun work and life experience. 

A subchapter of the New Jersey experience is having "Mia" our 2010 Mazda Miata. 

Mia is now gone. I sold her earlier this week. It was just not a practical car for the muddy, washboard roads we'll drive while living at the cabin. And, it sure didn't make sense to keep her in storage over another winter. So, while I got a bit less than I think she was worth, she is gone. 

I'm sad. I'll miss commuting to work on the winding NJ backroads, and weekend drives with Lynne. But, all chapters must end, and it was time. 

Well, it's official. We are taking the house off the market for the winter. We are resigned to staying here until spring arrives. It breaks our hearts, but we give up. We are now late enough into the year that it would compromise our winter at the cabin. We really don't want to make the move too late to have certain things in place (shed, all-terrain vehicle, possible winter mudroom, washer/dryer) and things that would need to be done such as creating a store of firewood and a myriad of other things. We don't want to go into our very first winter there unprepared, especially if it's going to be a snowy one.

We don't seem to have any luck selling anything. We've had Mia (our Miata) up for sale since the beginning of August. We had one taker but he backed out of the deal at the last minute. We think the wifey put her foot down and said no. We've had low-ball offers but don't feel the need to take them up.

So we'll hunker down and ride out the winter. In doing so we will have more money for retirement and the house mortgage will be paid down even more, allowing us to possibly lower the price even more to move it. We'll have more time to pack boxes. More time to think and plan. More time to dream.

Damn.

At first, it may seem to you that this post is about getting mail at the cabin. It is, but it is also about establishing legal residency in Colorado, and having a way to prove it. This is likely to be the first post in a series on this topic.

Here is the story (as we currently understand it): while we have a legal address in Colorado (it is 100 Hidden Meadows Lane, Red Feather Lakes, CO, 80545), there is no mail service to this address. 

Truth is, Red Feather Lakes is only a few miles away "as the crow flies", but anywhere from two hours to four hours to drive there depending upon the season and which roads are open. 

So, mail sent to our legal address will be returned. Or, so the story goes.

Most residents of the area establish an alternate mailing address using the Laramie, WY post office. The process is simple, although we have yet to test it: plant a mail box next to others located at the Wooden Shoe Ranch (which is about 5 miles into Wyoming). Place a letter in that mail box addressed to the Post Master of the Laramie, Wyoming post office. In that letter, ask that mail addressed to "100 Hidden Meadows Ln, Sand Creek Park CO, Laramie, WY, 87020" be delivered to this mail box. And, according to the story from neighbors, junk mail will start arriving within days.

This seems like a reasonable solution. We only have to drive 10 or 11 miles to send and get mail. (By the way, when the roads are open UPS will deliver to our door!)

There are serious problems with this strategy though, and to learn what they are, click through to "More ..."

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