Save That Nail
The saying, "save that nail," has come to symbolize our attitude towards sustainability at the cabin. When we first got our cabin, we were true city-folk. But living off the grid for several years has changed our ways.
It was such an important concept for us to learn that Wayne devoted a whole chapter to "save that nail" in his first Coastal BC Stories book, Up the Lake. You can take a look here. Everything we need up the lake has to get there by boat, and everything that needs to be discarded has to go down the same way. So you can see, recycling and reusing is really important for us beyond the economic and environmental savings.
Saving nails and reusing construction materials is also important to our good friend John who is constructing our new bathroom addition. Here are nails he's salvaged for reuse. Construction has slowed due to rain. But our roofing arrived today, so things should get going again. For now, my new compost toilet is residing in the kitchen (unused of course). -- Margy
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Very cool! I know a couple who built a home on the lower Sunshine Coast 40 years ago when they 'didn't have two nickels to rub together' and she often tells me how they saved every little thing... within reason.
ReplyDeleteThe boat in/boat out process sure cures one of silly purchases, doesn't it?
Please join bigpacific.org - it's free - and tell your stories about life on the Coast there too, and promote your book! (Goes for Powell River Books, too).
Oooh, this post is close to my heart! I spend every evening going round the barge picking up nails, screws etc that my hubbie has dropped. I put them back in their boxes ready for the next day. He drives me spare with his devil may care attitude towards nails and screws yet other things he is so careful about reusing and recycling. I am very envious of your compost loo, they are soooo expensive here.
ReplyDeleteThanks Laurie - I am already listed in the Powell River "extras" section but I'll check out the stories section.
ReplyDeleteFran - The compost toilet wasn't cheap here either, but it was the only solution for us on the float. There are no pump outs here on the lake and climbing four flights of stairs up the hill to the outhouse was always a pain, especially in winter.
Margy