Coyotes, Sourdough & Mesquite Wood | Nevada Homesteading-Living sustainably, saving money, and finding peace in the middle of everyday responsibilities.

 

Coyotes at 6 AM, Sourdough Orders & Chopping Mesquite Wood: Our Southern Nevada Homesteading Journey

Y'all, out here in Southern Nevada, it's NO JOKE! 😂🌵

One minute, you're protecting your chickens from coyotes. The next, you're preparing sourdough starter orders. And before you know it, you're heading into the Nevada desert to gather mesquite wood because those floors in the house are COLD!

And mind you, we're still working our nine-to-fives, going to school, and handling everyday responsibilities.

Welcome to our little homesteading journey in Pahrump, Nevada, where we're learning that living a softer life doesn't necessarily mean doing less. Sometimes, it means learning to do things differently.

🐺 6 AM: Coyotes at Our Chicken Coop Door!

Imagine waking up at six in the morning to discover coyotes surrounding your chicken coop.

Well, that's how our day started!

Living in the Nevada desert means sharing the environment with wildlife. Coyotes are part of the natural landscape, but when you're raising backyard chickens, they can become a serious concern.

Our chickens aren't just pets. They're part of our journey toward becoming more self-sufficient.

Raising chickens can help families:

• Produce fresh eggs at home.

• Learn more about food sustainability.

• Reduce dependence on grocery stores.

• Teach younger generations responsibility.

• Develop practical homesteading skills.

One thing we're learning: Protecting your flock requires preparation.

A secure coop, predator-resistant fencing, properly installed hardware cloth, and reliable door locks are important. Coyotes can dig, climb, and exploit weak spots.

Motion-activated lighting and cameras may help us monitor activity, but they aren't substitutes for a secure enclosure.

And yes, we're learning as we go!

🍞 Midday: Another $6 Sourdough Starter Order!

After dealing with our early-morning wildlife visitors, it was time to switch gears.

We received another order for our homemade sourdough starter!

Now, this is one of my favorite parts of our homesteading journey because it combines two things I enjoy: making things from scratch and creating additional income.

Our sourdough starter sells for just $6 and includes feeding and care instructions.

Why sourdough?

Sourdough starter is a living culture of wild yeast and beneficial bacteria. With regular feeding and proper care, it can be maintained for years.

You can use sourdough starter to make bread, pancakes, waffles, pizza dough, crackers, and other homemade treats.

And here's another benefit: Learning to bake at home can reduce food expenses, depending on your ingredients and energy costs.

Turning Hobbies Into Income

This is also an example of how everyday hobbies can become small business opportunities.

You don't necessarily need a storefront or thousands of dollars to begin exploring ways to earn money from something you already enjoy.

Whether it's baking, gardening, sewing, composting, or making handmade products, your skills may have value to someone else.

Of course, check applicable cottage-food regulations and food safety requirements before selling homemade food products.

💜 Interested in our sourdough starter?

Visit Softer Life Beyond Trauma to explore our products and resources.

🔥 Those Floors Are COLD! Time to Gather Mesquite Wood

Now, let's talk about these chilly mornings and evenings!

Walking across hard floors when the temperatures drop will make you start thinking about alternative ways to heat your home.

And with electricity and heating expenses adding up, we're looking for practical ways to save money.

So, off to the Nevada desert we went!

Our mission? Gather and chop some mesquite wood.

Why Mesquite Wood?

Mesquite is a dense hardwood that can produce long-lasting heat when properly seasoned and burned in a suitable wood-burning appliance.

Some benefits include:

• High heat output compared with many softer woods.

• Long-lasting coals.

• Potential savings when firewood is legally and safely collected.

• Opportunities to make use of local natural resources.

But here's something important: Free wood isn't necessarily free to collect.

There are transportation expenses, equipment costs, physical labor, and safety considerations.

Before gathering firewood on public land, verify land ownership, permit requirements, collection restrictions, and current fire regulations. Dead wood isn't automatically available for removal.

Also, burn only properly seasoned, untreated wood in an approved, maintained fireplace or wood stove. Use a carbon monoxide detector and have the chimney inspected.

We're learning that sustainability also means being responsible with our environment.

🌵 What Homesteading in Southern Nevada Is Teaching Us

Living in the desert presents some interesting challenges.

We have extreme summer heat, chilly winter nights, limited rainfall, wildlife, and sometimes strong winds.

But we also have opportunities to become more resourceful.

We're exploring ways to grow food, raise chickens, compost, bake from scratch, conserve resources, and reduce unnecessary expenses.

Not everything works the first time.

Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we spend more time researching than actually doing the work!

But every experience teaches us something.

Five Ways We're Working Toward Self-Sufficiency

1. Raising backyard chickens

Fresh eggs, food security, and learning how to care for animals.

2. Making homemade sourdough starter

Learning traditional baking skills while creating a small income opportunity.

3. Gathering firewood responsibly

Exploring ways to manage heating expenses during colder months.

4. Composting and gardening

Turning appropriate kitchen scraps and yard materials into resources for healthier soil.

5. Sharing what we learn

Helping other families discover practical ways to save money, simplify their lives, and become more sustainable.

You don't have to own acres of land or live completely off-grid to begin homesteading.

You can start with a small garden, a compost bin, homemade bread, or learning to preserve food.

Start where you are, with what you have.

💜 Working Nine-to-Fives, Going to School, and Still Making It Happen 

Ahh, wow!

And mind you, all this is happening while we're working our regular jobs, attending school, managing family responsibilities, and trying to find time to rest.

Some days, it feels like there aren't enough hours.

But here's what I'm discovering:

Building a sustainable lifestyle isn't about doing everything at once. It's about making small changes that support your long-term goals.

We don't have to become experts overnight.

We can learn one skill at a time.

And we can give ourselves permission to slow down when necessary.

Because what's the point of working toward a softer life if we're exhausting ourselves trying to get there?

🌱 A Softer Life Is About More Than Saving Money

When I think about why we're doing all of this, it goes beyond reducing our monthly expenses.

It's about learning new skills.

It's about spending meaningful time with family.

It's about creating opportunities.

It's about having more control over how we use our resources.

And most importantly, it's about finding moments of peace in a world filled with uncertainty.

One day it's coyotes.

The next day it's sourdough starter orders.

And somewhere in between, we're out in the desert gathering firewood!

That's life.

Messy, unpredictable, sometimes exhausting, but filled with opportunities to grow.

💬 Let's Talk About Your Homesteading Journey!

I'd love to hear from you!

Are you growing vegetables, raising chickens, baking homemade bread, composting, or finding creative ways to reduce your household expenses?

What's ONE thing you're doing to become more self-sufficient?

Share your experiences in the comments. Your ideas might help another family get started!

💜 Explore Softer Life Beyond Trauma

At Softer Life Beyond Trauma, LLC, our mission is to help individuals heal and get organized during uncertain times.

Explore our resources, products, and services designed to help you simplify life and build a more sustainable future.

🌐 www.SofterLifeBeyondTrauma.com

Need help exploring your next steps?

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---

Veronica~

People Heal. Simplify Life. Live Softer. 💜

Softer Life Beyond Trauma, LLC

www.SofterLifeBeyondTrauma.com

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