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The Drifter Chronicles
Latvia
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 31 ก.ค. 2018
Going nomadic with my animals.
วีดีโอ
Join me in the early morning light as I prepare fresh pasture for Nico and Neila
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Join me in the early morning light as I prepare fresh pasture for Nico and Neila, milk one of our goats, and cook up a hearty breakfast. Life on the road, one routine at a time. Welcome to another morning in my wandering lifestyle. Today, I’m taking Nico and Neila, my Konik yearlings, out to a fresh pasture. After that, I’ll milk one of my goats and let her graze. I wrap up the morning by cooki...
Ever wondered what it's like to start your day with a goat and a milk pail?
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Ever wondered what it's like to start your day with a goat and a milk pail? Join me as I dive into my morning routine, turning fresh milk into a new adventure every day. ! Today, I'm giving you a glimpse into my daily routine with some hands-on goat milking and a walk to the pasture. There's something grounding about these simple tasks-taking time to connect with nature and these wonderful anim...
Morning Ritual: A Nomad's Breakfast Over the Bucket Stove
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Experience the quiet beauty of a morning routine in the wild as I cook breakfast over a simple bucket stove. This isn’t a step-by-step guide; it’s a glimpse into the soothing sights and sounds of outdoor cooking, perfect for those who find peace in the process.
Introducing the halter to Neila...
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Training a wild spirit takes time, patience, and a little bit of magic. Watch as Neila takes her first steps in halter training! I've been carrying it on my shoulder whenever I enter the grazing area and also all treeta are given through the halter #wildhorse #wildhorses #wildhorsesgracepower #wildhorsesand #wildhorsesandpatience #konik #horse #horses #konie #wildpferd #equestrian #konikpolski ...
Old-School Scything: Providing for My Wild Horses
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Nico and Neila need feeding through the day so, out comes the scythe and I do a bit of swinging.
Catch a glimpse of the horses endearing approach as they embrace a moment of human connection.
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From wild beginnings to gentle moments-Nico and Neila’s approach for a bit of fuss reveals their growing trust. Nico and Neila are yearling Konik horses who arrived in the camp as wild, untamed spirits. These resilient young horses were initially wary of human contact. Over time, through patience and gentle handling, they've begun to trust and connect. Their transformation from wild yearlings t...
Brushing down
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Nico enjoying a brush down and face rub to give a little respite from the dammed flies. Neila also pops in for a quick rub. #equine #horse #horselife
Wild at heart. Showing them the halter and that it contains carrots!
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Getting Nico and Neila used to a halter. For the last few days I've been carrying the halters on my shoulders as I groom the dynamic duo and when not with them the halters are between the water buckets, this evening I sow them that they contain carrots!
Repurposing old cable to improve our electric fence.
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Watch as we transform thick electric cable into custom connectors for our DIY electric fence! Follow along as we repurpose and craft these essential items to keep Nico and Neila safe. Join us on our nomadic journey through Latvia -where every project is an adventure! 🌲 Stay tuned for more DIY and tales from our unconventional lifestyle. #DIY #NomadicLife #ElectricFence #DogLovers #equine #horse...
Wild Hearts: Nico and Neila's Journey
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A seasoned wanderer named Mike has taken on a remarkable mission: to tame and bond with two wild horses, Nico and Neila. Mike invites you to witness the tender moments as these majestic creatures approach him for a fuss. Set against the serene backdrop of nature, this captivating five-minute video offers a glimpse into the trust-building and companionship that define Mike's nomadic life. Join u...
An Englishman homeless in Latvia: The drifters chronicles, working with the wild Koniks.
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So, I managed to get them back but, of course, a week of freedom meant that they were reverting to their wild state. I've given them a week in the new paddock, regular visits with the magical carrots and yesterday I started grooming again. Nico enjoys it, Neila is he hesitant, but if she sees me brushing Nico she lets me start on her. Yes, there are other ways to do this but I am doing it this ...
The Drifter Chronicles: Tales of Adventure with Mike and His Band of Wanderers.
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The Drifter Chronicles: Tales of Adventure with Mike and His Band of Wanderers.
Exciting announcement....new companions...two Koniks
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Exciting announcement....new companions...two Koniks
A disaster as far as travelling was concerned!
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A disaster as far as travelling was concerned!
Simplifying the Journey: Embracing Minimalism on the Road
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Simplifying the Journey: Embracing Minimalism on the Road
Trust your gut instincts. The journey begins.
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Trust your gut instincts. The journey begins.
Moving home... dragging my shelter to a new location.
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Moving home... dragging my shelter to a new location.
Let's start this again! Welcome to my life! ;-)
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Let's start this again! Welcome to my life! ;-)
Daily life: Almost ready for Season Two!
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Daily life: Almost ready for Season Two!
How do you choose campsites Mike? Are you in walking distance to a place to get supplies?
Currently it's a ten km round trip to the local shop or I, walk one kilometre to the local bus stop, spend 3 euros and half a day to go into town. Usually, I will stop en route and pick up supplies for a few days or maybe the week, I prefer buying from local shops that are family run even if they are more expensive, that way I am supporting them and not shareholders and, in my own little way I'm helping keep the corner shop alive for those that use it out of necessity. And, if I stay in an area for a while I build up a rapport and sometimes learn something useful too boot!
@@the-nomad Good info thank you. In the northeast USA there's not a lot of places left like that, or maybe there are but they're very far away from where I am now in the big city.
How did you get the black eye? Looks nasty
Sheer laziness. I was moving the house goats for the land owner and instead of moving the tether I decided to keep the goat chained to the stake. Passing under a pear tree the goat rushed back to grab some fermenting pears and the stake swung round and hit me. Could have been far worse, I'm already blind in the other eye. I will not take any more shortcuts to get jobs done quicker lol. All good now, the swelling has gone down and the bruises are disappearing. They just look like old man bruises now 😉
You are living my dream big brother. Rest and peace
@@kolchakpasha it's a great life 😉
This is fascinating, I’ve never seen a horse being trained using dog training techniques before. I’m really looking forward to seeing this develop. Best of luck to you with it.
@@craigsalter7900 thanks! I'm not expecting it to be plain sailing, these are my first horses and, they came to me as wild so, I'm taking my time and learning as I go as well. I'm using what could be considered the 'gentling' method, basically repetition and positive reinforcement plus a little bribery aided by the magic of carrots 😉
Koniki polskie?
Koniks Ja bet latviski👍
They look at ease with you, which is nice.
@@craigsalter7900The magical qualities of carrots 😉
These horses are really pretty and gentle. 😊 Are you going to provide them a stable or barn, too, instead of this Kind of garage like shelter?
I live on the road and they will be my travelling companions, as well as Jeb and Charlie my canine buddies. However,until we have them trained and ready to get back to our adventures I will be buildings covered open stable for them with a shed next to it where I'll be sleeping. Remember that until last Thursday they had been living wild in the forest.
And the reason the place looks like it does is because every evening Nico gives himself the task of pulling down the stacked (and restacked) wood piles. LOL
Can we look at the wagon ?
Had a few developments so will be updating with cart tour soon.
A game cart would be easier to pull👍
Yeah, agreed but I have to make do with what is available. Been considering my options.
Good luck
Thanks!
Good luck and how are things going?
Thanks. Well, I'm packed and preparing to hit the road. Just need to check the weight of the waggon and see how realistic it is to.pull (and probably reduce my gear even more LOL) but, looking forward to the new journey.
Good to see ya alive and kicking
Oh, definitely kicking! LOL
Where to next Mike?
No set agenda, initially I was planning on Poland, however, there is the lure of staying in Latvia a while longer. I still need to get ponies or oxen and train them, so, by then I might have a goal in mind 🤠
The lid says Strelka (стрелка), Russian for 'arrow'. From the end of the 80s.
Hi, do you have a PayPal or Patreon link so we viewers can help you?
Hey, yeah I have a PayPal account ( PayPal.me/mikesvardo) Also a Patreon channel which currently I am rebooting into a behind the scenes channel. But, generally I direct people to my 'buy me a coffee' page, ko-fi.com/nomadlife , which jas neen a bit like my journal. I'm in the process of rebuilding my social media empire (LOL) with a bit more structure and better planning... hopefully LOL
@@the-nomad Cool, I wish you the best👍🤙
People can be annoying to put it mildly , sorry my friend , good luck
It;s all good John, I'm at a winter camp on the edge of one of Latvia's National forests now, well settled in and preparing to raise funds for a couple of ponies or oxen to pull the waggon and get me back on the road this year :-)
You have such a way with words. ❤ (Y'all read the description) Looking forward to it! Cheers
Good luck pal, look forward not backward, being moved on is just a part of travellers life
Yeah!:-) was pla on moving this coming month anyway cos it's such a toxic environment (people wise)... Just been given a trailer and somewhere to store my additional gear and the goats and chickens. This is a chance to rebuild the lifestyle back to what I want and keep mobile all the time
Your life is beautiful! Freedom and animals, a man needs nothing more. I'm living in a materialistic world surrounded by surface-level people and it's tiring man. May I know where you are from?
Hi, thanks for the comment! I'm.a.Brit but have been living in Latvia for the last seventeen years and I do consider it to b my home. At present i am considering returning to the UK or, alternatively wandering Europe or, possibly even staying in the Baltic States and just drifting around.
❤
if dogs dont go to heaven, send me where they go!
Gud job mike
The suspense is killing me! Did you make it there and back again…
The end of the video shows. Yes, easily but I plan to make a few changes to the design later.
Friend, i completely understand theres a moto i live by . If someone needs to borrow something 2 times its time for them to but it. I got another way around it. Let's take this for example I have a 5x10 utility trailer i have had 3 people ask to borrow it. I told each one of them its currently worth 2,100 U.S dollars if i had to buy one if they destroy it. Bring $2,100 and you can borrow it no exceptions. They never picked it up.
Good luck with the rebuilding
Just need to decide, do I build big enough to carry my gear or reduce my gear to minimum and build small.
I suppose only you know if your well enough to use a handcart. Personally I will be using my horse for mine
If they are malting, or there aren’t enough daylight hours I believe they will stop laying ?
Yeah, when they were dumped on me they were moulting they were in bad shape and I didn't expect anything and daylight wise sunrise is at 0500 and sunset at 2300 so I would have expected them to be laying by now. There is the possibility that they are laying somewhere in the fields cos they are fully free range and one day I might come across a clutch of eggs...sadly, no cockerel so no chicks.
I’m glad to hear you still trying to get the wagon on the road - what’s the plans for the dray animal? A friend of mine has started pulling his with an old tractor…
It's all down to finances at the end. I'm not going to bust a gut trying to achieve the exalted status of income generator here or thru' social media. If it happens then great, if not, no problems. I'm splitting the running gear into two parts, a cart and something that can be attached if necessary or, pulled behind the cart like a trailer. Got the idea from a cart called a Lincolnshire Hemaphrodite. (Nothing gender related or sexual LOL). If I can get hold of a pony or two ( over here about 400 euro each) then great, bull calves cost a lot less but I need to consider issues or crossing borders and necessary vaccinations. Final option is I pull myself. And, if/when the chance arises then get myself an animal to do the work. Like I said, not looking to generate income thru social media but I am going to get back to leatherwork and working with bone and antler to see if I can earn something. Keeping things fluid, although I would like to get in the road for summer, I will let it happen as it unfolds.
Sorry hear to about that hope you stay safe and have a good recovery
Thanks, itš a bit of a bumpy ride but it is giving me the impetus to re-evaluate and restructure my life 🙂
Hope you have a good Xmas pal
Had a stroke the Wednesday before, so it was a quiet one! Anyway, all the best fr the new year and hope you had a good xmas mate! (obviously I am better ;-) )
@@the-nomad thoughts are with you mate, I hope you recover well from the stroke - much respect to you for toughing it out.
I came across from a comment on DW News. I would like to spend more time here, but sound quality is poor and having looked through your vlogs very little explanation about your channel. Taking me too long to dwell an find out. People I am sure would be interested in the lifestyle you promote, but there are so many channels now it is easier to click to the next channel and find what I am looking for. best wishes
Thanks for the insight.Yeah, I understand what youare saying and getting more subscribers would be good but, not my main goal. My income is limited (around 60 euro a month ) so getting top notch equipment isn't going to happen, I make do with what I have and, I'm not into teaching the skills, as you said there are plenty of quality channels doing that, I will never be able to compete, and that isn't what my life is about, it's about living when you slip through the gaps of 'civilisation' . 🙂
@@the-nomadif you do want better sound quality sooner or later you could probably pretty easily do that. Just a small external mic attached to your shirt or something like that wouldn't cost much.
You are very experienced out there how long have you been of the grid
Off grid, about 16 years, homeless this is my 6th year. But I guess that you can add to that my military service which was mostly in the field.
@@the-nomad wow 😮 that is remarkable
@@jo-ih6ur It's a fun way of life
Hoow are you?!The!wow.interesting - 🤚
I'm good, thanks. I have lots of firewood and my shelter is small so it warms up quickly 🙂
Seems like a very peaceful life out there
Yeah, I go at my own pace, much to the frustration of others LOL
Hello Mike. Good to hear from you! There's a fair bit of snow where you are. I'm guessing you're elevated. We haven't seen any in Scotland yet thankfully. Not that I don't like snow but it's the cost of heating when it's cold. Sounds like you have a good bit of food tucked away. That's the main thing. I'm looking at silent generators to power my caravan & may add solar on top. Off grid's my goal but not running into it. Have a lot to learn. Always interesting to hear from you, take care
Hi Ritchie, no, Latvia is a pretty flat lowland country, the highest point is only 300 m above sea level. It''s the location with weather coming from Siberia or the Arctic which causes things to drop to below -20c at thelowest point in winter. But, I have access to plenty of firewood and, although I need to do some major repairs to the woodstove. Joing the hunting collective has been a huge boost to my larder and greatly reduced my spend. with regards to solar, firstly understand your power consumption in watt then don't go for the all inclusive kits, I boutght my solar setup as separate items on eBay, yes from China but that's where it all comes from anyway. I have two large 100 watt panels, a 3000w inverter (for the items that need mains power, such as my laptop) I have a small 200w panel thatI use to top up my batteries and for things that charge thru USB, my batteries are straightforward car batteries that were on offer, I run them in parallel as my inverteris a 12 volt inverter, and they do a great job, even now with grey skies I am getting 13.4 volts (batteries run at 12.7 and can go down to 12.2 without issue, even though I have run them at 11.7 with no ill effects), total cost for all of that as under 200 euro. But as you are in scotland, consider wind generators, there is a 600 watt generator on eBay for 150 euro (last time I checked) but go for a vertical 'barrel\ shaped propellor, as that will take wind from any direction or 'disturbed' winds.
Hi Mike. I've been out of touch for quite a while. I'm glad to see that you are doing well, but sorry to hear about this issue. Please be careful.
Lol...I texted before you finished. Give him a wack on his nose.
@@jacquelineoberlin3737 Tried that, it doesn't work LOL... but, we have an agreed distance and I think his other issue is that he sees me as an apple bending machine :-)
Yeah..... I cry every time a politician makes the decision; the whole world is overwhelmed with sadness these days. It's delightful to have emotion; can you imagine the kind of person you would be if you felt nothing? The greatest challenge in life is dealing with those types of people. Enjoy a good cry and a good cup of coffee, and focus on the challenges of the day; though they may be many, they will satisfy your soul...... 😉
Hello Mike. It sounds like they are casing the joint, if you are familiar with that term. Eating another man's food without permission is a no-no. That's disrespectful. I believe you may be correct about restraining them if need be. Do remain alert during the dark hours and I hope you get this resolved asap. All the best!
I think the stalker is his ram mate!
It's all good, it's the visiting ram that wants all the ewes to himself! I have two dogs that are good alarms if people, deer, geese, cats etc, etc etc get too close and, I do have my walloping stick :-)
Honestly pal? I think your on the verge of a mental breakdown. Why do I think that? Because I’ve been there. How do you avoid it, recover from it, and become mentally strong again? - Radical acceptance of self and situation. No more state of denial or excuses. Have a look into this - en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs it will help you understand the mental path to better times. And remember, people out there value you, your viewers value you and I value you - which is why I took the time to write this.
Oh and that’s not based off this one video, I’ve watched it gradually happening over the course of your channel - wishing I could help prevent it some way
Yeah I did wonder that myself, however, in my defence since I was unablke to access the internet (and specifically the youtube shorts and Instagram) my demeanour has imprioved greatly, no more videos of animals being abandoned etc. Losing income was a positive surprisingly enough! Also, I was unable to purchase my meds (I take aspirin and Lucetam due to thge fact that I have had mini stroke and I have wondered if the damage done has inckuded mood altering.) I'm back on the aspirin now that I have manbaged to 'beat' PayPal and get hold of my cash, plus, working with the local hunting colective on Saturdays is giving me plenty of meat, so my diet has improved dramatically. Thanks for the comment, but I am good, just finished improving the insulation of the waggon and inside temperatures have dramtically increased from -4 to +7c and, tomorrow I will be adding Rockwool sheets that I have acquired so, things will get even better.. But I am good (in all senses LOL) just wanting to move forward with the plan to get back on the road, but of course that isn't going to be easy when my income is mininmal (not a plea for cash LOL) THe vet that helped with Jeb when he got injured has told me of a local animal auction and a few of the hunting collective now usefuil contacts, so come spring I may be on my way to get my draft animal, then it's a whole new stroy. (plus, over the winter, once I've revamped the waggon Iwill be making crafrt items to sell.)
oh, and apologies for the dealy in replying, no funds meant no internet or, more accurate, very limited internet ( I was sneaking into local govt offiuces in the village so I had a power point ot access the free wifi LOL
Missing the love of a good woman? Or a bad one?
LOL, no.... wouldn't really fit in with the lifestyle, I'm thinking it's an imbalance or result of the mini strokes.
Any sign of Jeb?
Hey Leigh, yeah he came back the other day, I posted a belated video. Judging by his actions since returning, and wanting to get out again I'm pretty sure that there's a bitch in season nearby.
Sueltalo por favor
acaba de regresar después de huir durante dos días porque en algún lugar hay una perra en celo, así que no. Estoy con él las 24 horas, los 7 días de la semana, así que estará bien.
So glad to hear that Jeb returned Mike. Birthday week for me too and making good progress. Have a productive weekend, hope the wind and rain stay away. We're being lashed in Scotland today.
Hey, thanks. Just realised that I hadn't posted the video about his return. He came back late in the afternoon and was in good shape. JUdging by his actions since then , there is obviously a bitch in heat somewhere around here and he's keen to go back and see her!
And, belated happy birthday or (pre happy birthday LOL)
Fingers crossed mate - I hope he returns safely
He's back. Sauntered into camp like he owned the place. Now tethered and all fence has been walked and repaired. He's not happy though so I'm guessing there is a bitch in season somewhere.
@@the-nomad he’s bagged off - lucky bugger!
Very sad, but there's still hope, fingers crossed...
Yeah, he's a savvy dog and, we are in the countryside so not a lot if traffic but the lumber lorries are way too fast.
This is bad news fella. I remember when my dog slipped the lead up in the hills I was frantic & spent the entire night searching & calling out. When midnight struck I walked home defeated in tears but the silly bugger only woke me up scratching on the front door at 3am and I was sure he was done for. I hope you get a safe return! Don't know what else to say but thinking of you.
Yeah, still thinking that he will return, just that now I need to concentrate on my jobs.
The horse and cart idea's a good one to get you travelling...
This was my initial plan when I became homeless and, I almost achieved it when I raised and trained Bill my bull. My challenge at the moment is raising the cash, I'm currently living on about sixty euros a month so I have to up my game and start earning. My savings were wiped out last month with the vet fees for Jeb and Charlie and my medical fees when I had my mini strokes. Of course I am impatient to get on the road but with winter coming I also need to make sure I can survive. It's all fun and , I do have coffee :-)