Four Walls Against the Wind

This year, instead of viewing movies where plants are the stars, we're reading some "homesteading" books to celebrate how resourceful and innovative people are, whether they are living off the land, pioneering something new, or choosing an alternative way to live. This ties into our theme for 2022, "homesteading in the city". Plants may not be the stars in these books, but I'm pretty they'll make an appearance.

Our first book is Four Walls Against the Wind: Finding our Alaska Dream, by Marge Hermans Osborn (Virtualbookworm.com Publishing Inc., 2009). In 1994, Marge and Tom Osborne set out on an adventure to build their dream cabin on a remote island in Southeast Alaska. Over a period of twelve years they held down jobs in Juneau, and spent every free minute building a sawmill, cabin, and workshop, and an infrastructure that came to include a wind-powered electrical and battery system, compostable toilets, and inside plumbing (with both cold and hot water). Five or six neighbors provided companionship, dinner and cocktail parties, and support. A container garden provided potatoes, rhubarb, and greens. 

The book is written as a series of journal entries, organized into chapters that reflect process from preparing the land, to building the cabin, to settling in and enjoying life in the wild. Osborn is a gifted storyteller, weaving keen observations about nature and wildlife, with challenges from bears and inclement weather, and thoughts about following your dreams. The black and white photo gallery provides an added dimension. Osborn writes about their transformation, from wanting a small cabin with pristine wilderness, to desiring more room in which to live and work, and a balance of nature, sustainability and conveniences. I recommend this book for anyone interested in a vicarious homesteading experience! 

Learn more:

• Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, by Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon. Published by Pojar, Jim (COM)/ MacKinnon, Andy (COM), 2004.
• Reflections: A Pioneer Alaskan's Personal History from the Gold Rush of '89 to 1980, by Lazette M. Ohman. New York / Los Angeles / Chicago, Vantage Press, 1988. 
• Southeast Alaska's Natural World, by Robert H. Armstrong, Marge Hermans. Todd Communications, Anchorage Alaska, 2004.
• The Humanure Handbook, by Joe Jenkins, Chelsea Green Publishing, 2019 (4th edition).
• The Sibley Guide to Birds, by David Allen Sibley. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 2009.