Meet Mrs Bilbo Baggins

[Still Waters]

Her straw and mud hut looks more suited to Bilbo Baggins.

But unlike the wandering hobbit, Oxford University graduate Emma Orbach is staying firmly put.

The 58-year-old has spent the past 13 years living with no electricity in her self-built roundhouse, generating her own power and growing her own food.

http://www.dailymail...elsh-hills.html

[Ealdwita]

300 years ago, she'd have been swinging from the gibbet!

[Bendy Demon]

Interesting, I guess. But this sort of life is not as serene as people would think. Having a huge garden and animals takes up ALL your time and attention, they practically OWN you.

Want to go visit someone? Too bad if you can't find someone to care for your animals and plants.

Home in need of heat? Better get cracking with the wood chopping.

It looks all cute and quaint, especially at night while she strums her harp after a day of back-breaking and mind numbing work.

I mean, sure, she's brave to dump it all to live the "pure" life with no running water and all but when she gets to the point where she cannot do it all then what?

A break from technology is great now and then but...I don't want to go back to the days of bathing once a month and doing my bodily business in a bucket in the woods or having every waking moment taken up by how I am going get food, water or how to fix the roof.

It's nice I suppose..it's just not for me. After a few days of staring at chickens, milking a goat and sifting through mud for a few potatoes and finishing it all with a harp, I would be pretty bored.

[Purplos]

Good for her, if that's what she wants.

But... what the heck does this have to do with Bilbo Baggins?

[little_dreamer]

Interesting, I guess. But this sort of life is not as serene as people would think. Having a huge garden and animals takes up ALL your time and attention, they practically OWN you.

...

Yeah it does seem like a lot of work. Nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there. I like my electricity and heating but I don't overuse them.