Outdoor Living

 

The first few weeks saw Royce and Kylie settle into a routine - of sorts. "Breakfast in bed", as Royce jokingly called it, followed by tidying up camp and Kylie brainstorming to-do's in her ever-present notebook.

They took a trip into the small village of Finchwick that first week to purchase fishing rods. Royce couldn't wait to try them out, so after having lunch at the pub, they went to the falls to give it a go. They each managed to catch a trout, which meant supper that night was fresh-caught fish!

Kylie reveled in this new, outdoor life. She would walk the property and the land around it, making friends with local wildlife...

... and finding plants (and tips from the local gardeners!) at the community garden just down the hill from their place.

Nights were warm, so sleeping outdoors under moonbeams was magical. But Royce new they'd soon need to get that roof fixed so they could move indoors. Henford-on-Bagley never really got full-on winter, due to it's geographic location, but nights would get cooler, and he didn't want his bride shivering in her sleeping bag!

Thus they made a plan: do a lot of fishing and sell almost everything to the local food market to raise funds for the roof.

They laughed and joked and called each fish they caught a silly name. The time spent fishing was fun, for the most part, but there were also times when the bugs were bad or the clouds let loose. Still, they soldiered on, knowing there wasn't really a "Plan B".

Finally, they had enough money to hire a roofing company! They celebrated with a marshmallow roast around their campfire. Only a short time now and they could be inside!

News that the local contractor had been hired by the couple spread quickly. Neighbours came by to visit. Kylie and Royce showed them their home with enthusiasm, explaining their plans. But the looks on their faces told the Renfields that their neighbours had their doubts!

"Damn fools, these kids!" Tom Watson, the farmer just to the west of them mumbled. "Damn fools!" He shook his head in disbelief.

But Kylie and Royce were undaunted. Royce had been learning a lot about woodworking, so while the construction crew stabilized the upper floor and fixed the roof, he took on some smaller projects, like putting up a laundry clothes line and fencing the chicken coop.

It felt great to be able to do laundry without hanging clothes all over the branches of nearby trees!

And Kylie was thrilled to be able to start her little flock of chickens. She even played peek-a-boo with them.

Although the especially wee ones still managed to sneak through small openings to wander the wide, wide world! It took a little while to find all the little spots they could escape and patch up the older part of the fence.

However, most of their days were spent clearing out the ground floor of the old home. While roofers worked above them, Royce and Kylie dragged out rotten beam remnants, old furniture and appliances, and leaves and other trash that had accumulated. Then they scrubbed floors and walls, as best they could. It was grueling work, and sleeping on the hard ground each night hardly seemed like a reward.

Finally the day came - a trip to the Finchwick Village Council Hall confirmed that inspection had passed on the roof and upper floor beams. They were free to move inside the house!

"Tonight, we'll spend the first night in our new home!" Royce said, kissing his sweetie tenderly.

"Oh good," sighed Kylie. "It's cold today, and my whole body aches. I'm so tired, Royce!"

Royce never heard Kylie complain, so he took that seriously and treated her to a hearty meal at the pub, lingering by the fireplace on the comfortable couch as long as he dared. But soon her eyes were drooping, so they walked home, hand in hand.

They'd put a second-hand rung down on the dirt floor. Wasn't much to look at, but it was surprisingly soft for an old rug. Royce tucked Kylie into her sleeping bag and then stayed up late cleaning out the old fireplace before building a roaring fire to last the night.

They had no power or running water, but they now had a roof - an actual roof! - over their heads, and a nice warm fire. Royce couldn't help but feel a huge sense of accomplishment as he let his exhausted body finally rest.

Next step - a garden!

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Author's Note

I'll kind of miss this sleeping outside stuff!

But it was good to finally get to the landmark of "building the roof" - which was really just a monetary goal I'd created for myself to make it more realistic. It's been quite a slog living without a shower, with only a "special bush" and a community outhouse all the way down the hill, and with just a campfire to cook over.

Also, I don't have real seasons in my game, it's summer all year 'round (using a mod), so they never really actually get "cold" nights, and it won't snow! I decided Henford-on-Bagley is somehow blessed with rather non-distinct seasons. But they do get wind, and cooler days and nights, so it kind of fits.

As you can see above, the garden needs a lot of work. I determined that every time they reach a certain amount of money with fishing, they could clear one or two 8x8 squares of land. Or maybe it was 16x16 - I can't remember, but I did it gradually, in any case! LOL Gardening would be cheaper than buying and feeding an animal, so that is where they are headed next. Into the dirt they go!