tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48483676844404958932024-03-14T00:57:46.779-07:00Dreams By The AcreSharing thoughts in our quest to regain some of the peace and tranquility we knew as children growing up in rural America in a time gone by. I hope you find this narrative both comforting and inspiring. I hope it brings back memories and helps you move closer to your dreams. This is one aspect of my life that has never faltered, never strayed from home. This is a dream come true.Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-4922414267187397412021-09-28T11:45:00.004-07:002021-09-28T12:27:15.214-07:002021 Catchup<p><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">I know, it’s been a long time since I made an entry in our blog. Crazy to think that over 3 years have gone by. Let me recap - My sister died, my mom moved in with us, we built a workshop, we put in a septic system, we are well on our way to building a new house for the 3 of us, I fell off a ladder and got a major concussion, we bought an RV, we had a wreck in our truck and had to replace it, we’ve moved permanently to our property and are living in our RV while we build the house. I’m sure I’ve left off some other major event but for now, that will do.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Where to begin . . . <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">2017, Hurricane Harvey hit Rockport, TX where my family was still living. My dad died the next week so we made plans for my mom and sister to move up here with us. That drug along until 2019 when my sister died suddenly. Mom moved in with us and the house sold about 6 months later just as Covid was hitting full stride. We decided that working from home was nice and that we would rather be out at Point in the woods. December ’20, we sold our house in Arlington and moved out here. We had purchased an RV in the meantime to have some extra room to stay in while we planned and built a new house. Kim and I set up shop in it and mom is staying in the Tiny.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">We built a workshop, 30’x40’, to store the building materials and tools. It will eventually relegate to being a building for the bees, a place to build hives, store bees during the winter, and process honey.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">We also had to put in additional roads and clear a lot of space to build a new house. We decided on a 2 bedroom, 2 bath with an office and laundry room. About 1200 sf plus a screened porch and a front porch. Yes, this is much different from the Tiny (240 sf) that we had built before but we wanted to be in the same house with mom and the extra space will be nice if we need someone to help take care of us as we get older. :)</p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Here are some pics of our progression:</p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">RIP, Missy Merrett 1970-2019.</p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lf3r9iz3L40k41tZ1cciIRhs7smYBo-A7tlGuNoIPeKR9MO44hg6eWzGUVEWleFcNWoUWSIwJdGZP0RbSuuDdQLzte_UNDJrDgWyGVy4JyyhiJ6k2Q-soJbMpFen0q0GdEIkWEv4cykV/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lf3r9iz3L40k41tZ1cciIRhs7smYBo-A7tlGuNoIPeKR9MO44hg6eWzGUVEWleFcNWoUWSIwJdGZP0RbSuuDdQLzte_UNDJrDgWyGVy4JyyhiJ6k2Q-soJbMpFen0q0GdEIkWEv4cykV/w640-h480/DSCN0225.jpg" title="On our new property with our parents in 2013" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Missy (my sister that passed) with our parents on our new property in 2013</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAfTLinJrpI295dFVlNrPhNlXub28wkKyj7jwpT_Thwd5uWhfMJqRk1PVYd1nN3J8dQA0mq7yoVGmFKVIEaiNdePPT4Xgh0CT4WV7bX7jyZ15gMFJkkEdkviEIAKBdk-TIMhXgCLmRNxQ/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAfTLinJrpI295dFVlNrPhNlXub28wkKyj7jwpT_Thwd5uWhfMJqRk1PVYd1nN3J8dQA0mq7yoVGmFKVIEaiNdePPT4Xgh0CT4WV7bX7jyZ15gMFJkkEdkviEIAKBdk-TIMhXgCLmRNxQ/w640-h480/IMG_0244+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"></table><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnBErmAJQPeSlnKfHcmd3Ra-chI_IiWONCy_2yxIYWdoaTiImJHb3EwB7kih6FqWnN7iNp1cJrMV4ZYfBxPrg_VYWTlTKucODcJPR-g6TAxP9eAkcrcKE-f8lSo_pKDgA7-lRfYhSvFXs/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnBErmAJQPeSlnKfHcmd3Ra-chI_IiWONCy_2yxIYWdoaTiImJHb3EwB7kih6FqWnN7iNp1cJrMV4ZYfBxPrg_VYWTlTKucODcJPR-g6TAxP9eAkcrcKE-f8lSo_pKDgA7-lRfYhSvFXs/w640-h480/IMG_0534.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Built a nice raised-bed garden. Later, tore it down when we decided we wanted to put the house there! :( </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESm26LOPIs7TCYvhZHmFKexaTVp3cq2wucSAXdrotlEQKSCW6fu2euwRfqm9yOGjJ67Lof12eRjX5-pEYTAmsHuPeW_dvQ2pvu-GXalIfnmB1thN6nhCtmqqiFP3GwlcjrAdfIQkBTq59/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="1500" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESm26LOPIs7TCYvhZHmFKexaTVp3cq2wucSAXdrotlEQKSCW6fu2euwRfqm9yOGjJ67Lof12eRjX5-pEYTAmsHuPeW_dvQ2pvu-GXalIfnmB1thN6nhCtmqqiFP3GwlcjrAdfIQkBTq59/w640-h264/IMG_5655.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleared the area for the workshop and the house</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8awZmwaFMxs_BaNErgo-Xqcaojj8I0xjz79sLgbWguSSPSIwMF4t_GHQR-LHWbwwd3rzknd3oUOn6guqNEHFnofKZZxCM8eRiaCLTB6lPSwW7gul7NPzTPehaDzVKEYWLp6WInNYmgmO/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8awZmwaFMxs_BaNErgo-Xqcaojj8I0xjz79sLgbWguSSPSIwMF4t_GHQR-LHWbwwd3rzknd3oUOn6guqNEHFnofKZZxCM8eRiaCLTB6lPSwW7gul7NPzTPehaDzVKEYWLp6WInNYmgmO/w640-h480/IMG_5634.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting to clear the brush and trees</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFDdBOnuHCQzk9r1qV-x16FFEHbujZccSiLKMBxn9PIVcbXtFD9Hjk4KR32SyoS4ZAmb1Mxx6bDguLwfEmYGeaO9M3bRKOwMl6Jpdtmhbw-x2lcDwEIQjwVYe_5Rol3YV0KYjbpN14uBl/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1167" data-original-width="2695" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFDdBOnuHCQzk9r1qV-x16FFEHbujZccSiLKMBxn9PIVcbXtFD9Hjk4KR32SyoS4ZAmb1Mxx6bDguLwfEmYGeaO9M3bRKOwMl6Jpdtmhbw-x2lcDwEIQjwVYe_5Rol3YV0KYjbpN14uBl/w640-h278/IMG_5700.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Added roads for the RV, Workshop and the house</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemk5kCnNO4_aacWKk6Syx6JGlxvoCy2MNduwLfibRm8H2YBKK4rzU9jTkxQ8v4lKgT2pAU9warMpbJIDplxz3FFUxs4V3mHPlEqGie9jaUwiiamEcKD1KaYyTK10t5nnnJG3uxuie4HIM/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemk5kCnNO4_aacWKk6Syx6JGlxvoCy2MNduwLfibRm8H2YBKK4rzU9jTkxQ8v4lKgT2pAU9warMpbJIDplxz3FFUxs4V3mHPlEqGie9jaUwiiamEcKD1KaYyTK10t5nnnJG3uxuie4HIM/w640-h480/IMG_5736.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Got the slab poured for the Workshop</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOOF-YOAhTUm_mp9B6jxgszlLezv_ez3GUKEVAzeDodaB24eYVlQoNf4f4c6CsE3Nl9xf64R6CibU2XjFd-eQMu2z48se1nHLyg9RUyLqTHyUK-n_W-P4nxAsd2PVQi9d9cIpEdXhWgEV/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOOF-YOAhTUm_mp9B6jxgszlLezv_ez3GUKEVAzeDodaB24eYVlQoNf4f4c6CsE3Nl9xf64R6CibU2XjFd-eQMu2z48se1nHLyg9RUyLqTHyUK-n_W-P4nxAsd2PVQi9d9cIpEdXhWgEV/w640-h480/IMG_5807.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Workshop built, getting ready to pour the driveway for it</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLpKn253EFMbpg90HMScBBkW6nFUHfVwlFeI7UPCb8PvMtn-KU5QjbdSl9ndmNFaegmyqRmEQ68BNGdJoNu0A_lpDjLPKnHzZu8TJBeNJVEtBxQbReMmx1fXXB_V_AjV8d8IXGUiTNRBl/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLpKn253EFMbpg90HMScBBkW6nFUHfVwlFeI7UPCb8PvMtn-KU5QjbdSl9ndmNFaegmyqRmEQ68BNGdJoNu0A_lpDjLPKnHzZu8TJBeNJVEtBxQbReMmx1fXXB_V_AjV8d8IXGUiTNRBl/w640-h480/IMG_2130.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our new (used) RV<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCwKq2NTPzQR2BQRMBV_j2Dbs9Y_568270fDtD2JeBmNEk4Y45SF63ka-HObPXGUXBt45QvkMbh41TyFWLGbVugIwy1osAW1IQAvR6XfLMlVFWaN72OxH45YHOT3M079G9p4kkvObvUkp/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCwKq2NTPzQR2BQRMBV_j2Dbs9Y_568270fDtD2JeBmNEk4Y45SF63ka-HObPXGUXBt45QvkMbh41TyFWLGbVugIwy1osAW1IQAvR6XfLMlVFWaN72OxH45YHOT3M079G9p4kkvObvUkp/w480-h640/IMG_5002.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had a blow-out on the way home with the RV the day after we bought it. Tore the floor out of the RV as well as some of the kitchen cabinets and water lines. I made sure we were covered on insurance before we took off with the unit. They totaled it and Kim and I decided to keep it and repair it ourselves.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><p></p><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7OCspYEL8kQNw7HFxvETlXo9ssuiHKz9ZyyWo6UzobYlqhpD-AP6c3XKIZLoRD1K7XosjaipDG8VE9EM_AEEtjsq6rj__YF-Vaa-jlP0fekj4wQTV0_eoPumH0qb-sw1BIfDkOUr-Ph0T/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7OCspYEL8kQNw7HFxvETlXo9ssuiHKz9ZyyWo6UzobYlqhpD-AP6c3XKIZLoRD1K7XosjaipDG8VE9EM_AEEtjsq6rj__YF-Vaa-jlP0fekj4wQTV0_eoPumH0qb-sw1BIfDkOUr-Ph0T/w640-h480/IMG_5685.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moved the RV onto the property</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicY2KkQrZQl8gnbA9zY10MoQZyvEYtDfwxWBCO642pnohK-CASbww1n8Seu-LGYwGcXp_GFbq58MLc5__5Oy-nXkQIpOynbzrUWHEI3d1xmmfoUE9-9s-G2XZdgcUFJnhXoKNaY0EPltmu/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicY2KkQrZQl8gnbA9zY10MoQZyvEYtDfwxWBCO642pnohK-CASbww1n8Seu-LGYwGcXp_GFbq58MLc5__5Oy-nXkQIpOynbzrUWHEI3d1xmmfoUE9-9s-G2XZdgcUFJnhXoKNaY0EPltmu/w640-h480/IMG_0096.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wiring electrical outlets around the workshop. Installed 5 10,000 lumen lights as well.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkjvVPsjZcERXCO6cBqHLcRWjVBMZWpA22d6EdsUQ_m3rCVYrQi6ekux0CQQpxujHoLYqdhyphenhyphen4oee00JaX6cLQAvvuWnjvwIGW7S2lD9UHtYxd0hIi8mN3rde1hIkBF99cWYJo8YaOy3qs/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkjvVPsjZcERXCO6cBqHLcRWjVBMZWpA22d6EdsUQ_m3rCVYrQi6ekux0CQQpxujHoLYqdhyphenhyphen4oee00JaX6cLQAvvuWnjvwIGW7S2lD9UHtYxd0hIi8mN3rde1hIkBF99cWYJo8YaOy3qs/w640-h480/IMG_0151.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Covid wipes out grocery stores</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOdQPJ_vf0wl2ZJ5lgALQKoLs_eOR9hXDQDeJAkP1wVseIlmVD0AO9NP-yt74L7L4yAwT3uUx-g18G7ksD1i-2i-qEc8PwZslZXfC2tdP-a3-iY8uDvf_yXXkROayWAilYRVG1c-GSZue/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="1500" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOdQPJ_vf0wl2ZJ5lgALQKoLs_eOR9hXDQDeJAkP1wVseIlmVD0AO9NP-yt74L7L4yAwT3uUx-g18G7ksD1i-2i-qEc8PwZslZXfC2tdP-a3-iY8uDvf_yXXkROayWAilYRVG1c-GSZue/w640-h424/IMG_6155.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Built a work area in the RV to stay home during Covid</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZJPF5TR5isoz5tI0zaAVUT6T2Dzwhb8xHrQpRe-2SOmB4Z5nBsjZs_wOhRULRaNRiHB8To1OL6dtddOmoa5cLmssfyc6fpaIf22t5HhgWQd-UGtGNmEicxwNQCjy6xHWL5X8ES7TiVF9/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZJPF5TR5isoz5tI0zaAVUT6T2Dzwhb8xHrQpRe-2SOmB4Z5nBsjZs_wOhRULRaNRiHB8To1OL6dtddOmoa5cLmssfyc6fpaIf22t5HhgWQd-UGtGNmEicxwNQCjy6xHWL5X8ES7TiVF9/w480-h640/IMG_6536.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cats settled into their new temporary home nicely. :)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJg2RnPeuPhyphenhyphenCUDU4xmgvVzjRahf0xztldRWJWM2sF3AuuuuWCzSxQnPiBpJqwGVYZDv8398SuyQvuNfA1gbTssfXcOQaHVMqwF02Q0WnCqtQmHo-WydDy_1NlDtmSqxBxraG_xJJtXll/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJg2RnPeuPhyphenhyphenCUDU4xmgvVzjRahf0xztldRWJWM2sF3AuuuuWCzSxQnPiBpJqwGVYZDv8398SuyQvuNfA1gbTssfXcOQaHVMqwF02Q0WnCqtQmHo-WydDy_1NlDtmSqxBxraG_xJJtXll/w640-h480/IMG_0120.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View out of the RV from our work area. So happy to be here!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWDTsxGgBIwe4-gwuwGE9mXtvnD_9oyepuJaP7JCkciuudtNC93g6435he3PFDIb055bcn27kWLVOQEwj6jvxeg7RdgLA0NNxZr_dEUKIrEbrm7QUiANG5ZJNnNh9Quw0BZp2yFvHIsyu/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWDTsxGgBIwe4-gwuwGE9mXtvnD_9oyepuJaP7JCkciuudtNC93g6435he3PFDIb055bcn27kWLVOQEwj6jvxeg7RdgLA0NNxZr_dEUKIrEbrm7QUiANG5ZJNnNh9Quw0BZp2yFvHIsyu/w640-h480/IMG_6379.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing with a skid-steer for the day. :)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjck32RKyj6ugVaGQKT1A6bFOkhDU56NNHYe5ohkjbK1ZAibaedetYBZyiJXsqkFxX7Y6AsAFQw-Ytvl-FGVeVNUShdLtoVWgcVhVBF4TyGplsmkoil_uC-JHNbv_zyWFuL71zrEEkLldnG/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjck32RKyj6ugVaGQKT1A6bFOkhDU56NNHYe5ohkjbK1ZAibaedetYBZyiJXsqkFxX7Y6AsAFQw-Ytvl-FGVeVNUShdLtoVWgcVhVBF4TyGplsmkoil_uC-JHNbv_zyWFuL71zrEEkLldnG/w640-h480/IMG_5825.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kim, marking out the foundation location for the new house</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKIjAPOO4gDGmaR8kUYMOWXILbYHTXPZdN0jWh5-Ed6iJW8D4SG_dy97bmYJPNmLtn1c3tQ6RmOyV5ex1bKNcvuJJTL54B0UBms9lbJOa2ifeOVkaPaY0Z5YOGidJZbcFqE_J1JeMvInF/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKIjAPOO4gDGmaR8kUYMOWXILbYHTXPZdN0jWh5-Ed6iJW8D4SG_dy97bmYJPNmLtn1c3tQ6RmOyV5ex1bKNcvuJJTL54B0UBms9lbJOa2ifeOVkaPaY0Z5YOGidJZbcFqE_J1JeMvInF/w640-h480/IMG_0712.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trenching for the foundation</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi030VW1dugtEascTAb5wY1dfgk1tiQ9oYGLo1kd3kOyEWtc5i_Xyc3NcNvVux7_yajTAIYay4q-tTovzvlltruz_b2oTDjF7WmTkyJ_KqCvgRaKzJf-Wz_52IXvsQ14vrSHAHogFRV_c6O/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi030VW1dugtEascTAb5wY1dfgk1tiQ9oYGLo1kd3kOyEWtc5i_Xyc3NcNvVux7_yajTAIYay4q-tTovzvlltruz_b2oTDjF7WmTkyJ_KqCvgRaKzJf-Wz_52IXvsQ14vrSHAHogFRV_c6O/w640-h480/IMG_0153.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just about ready to pour</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijfbTngfOXDqTdzBZ_GMiGQQctbhQkhyKnR74Yer-qY0T0Qr6t8fPEfRH6ZwahyjtngvXd-TGqiWPt2HpZfN5cmOfgdgWP7pnLP7AnLOz7HuAT0dZFl7XlgVimgfpJkP_YnEwOPyJug4T/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijfbTngfOXDqTdzBZ_GMiGQQctbhQkhyKnR74Yer-qY0T0Qr6t8fPEfRH6ZwahyjtngvXd-TGqiWPt2HpZfN5cmOfgdgWP7pnLP7AnLOz7HuAT0dZFl7XlgVimgfpJkP_YnEwOPyJug4T/w640-h480/IMG_0158.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pouring the foundation for the house</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5FBEUCAO5y5vY70qa4CLs5EyESMnkp75mzB2SgIdi3737XFNsAeKN0AfsothEvUrIzKiAzGdRIzvGnF_8411oP1t8oP9PlIx_rqN7gZPW7EwCOcPg0Mojb8V-H3p5ddPY5khh-rhpdgS/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5FBEUCAO5y5vY70qa4CLs5EyESMnkp75mzB2SgIdi3737XFNsAeKN0AfsothEvUrIzKiAzGdRIzvGnF_8411oP1t8oP9PlIx_rqN7gZPW7EwCOcPg0Mojb8V-H3p5ddPY5khh-rhpdgS/w640-h480/IMG_0173.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh load of steel and we get started laying out the rooms</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLffPeskR0Kq4wQyQW6UW0vmxKt-ax-Cu7Bsd57z99BK4tMILAp8JasM5RbGvSvDarhEtZBz_lS4juhIwJnbCraCrZSksyQCmzqeD2qPmMtqdpVRRpy55YeS3-4vmrraPhG7aS-z5smWBb/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLffPeskR0Kq4wQyQW6UW0vmxKt-ax-Cu7Bsd57z99BK4tMILAp8JasM5RbGvSvDarhEtZBz_lS4juhIwJnbCraCrZSksyQCmzqeD2qPmMtqdpVRRpy55YeS3-4vmrraPhG7aS-z5smWBb/w640-h480/IMG_0184.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1st walls up! Really exciting to see it take some form.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgje1Jms1qB8FN7begM8PSsxx3hM4LiVS1it0hR4GI9jLHhCVaAZtAQhDN9GElSi_Amc37whcUyydh5U5fPj-UL76RQV96oJ5VFXnJHQ7zlB99bV84CTWXCLz6CCzqobPCVIPPn-ThNIp/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgje1Jms1qB8FN7begM8PSsxx3hM4LiVS1it0hR4GI9jLHhCVaAZtAQhDN9GElSi_Amc37whcUyydh5U5fPj-UL76RQV96oJ5VFXnJHQ7zlB99bV84CTWXCLz6CCzqobPCVIPPn-ThNIp/w640-h480/IMG_0111.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plumbing crew putting in the septic system</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRJlgB7UgCY0HHyeThEnWhtNRr-kI1VoonaWRMeWHLuIX_TJyVgpgWA-FkTRv87hS3xOcU7YbNVQ0xDo6Fv-eA1GM-4tsSYjiAVCURmnBb5J0cleuyoE2YBSFYsK08K2cyCi-agCCS-kR/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRJlgB7UgCY0HHyeThEnWhtNRr-kI1VoonaWRMeWHLuIX_TJyVgpgWA-FkTRv87hS3xOcU7YbNVQ0xDo6Fv-eA1GM-4tsSYjiAVCURmnBb5J0cleuyoE2YBSFYsK08K2cyCi-agCCS-kR/w640-h480/IMG_0195.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ooops! Not good. Should stay verticle! Kim bruised some ribs but nothing broken. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeaLuFsYkCganvWKoNSY3R66pJnGKIB37W71Ea3_0hIfdoeYNZWppAj5HX90B3elcM8FzyafBl8EhSkl3JU26dn6O2x8giUzRHT_QzWGA5S5reB8FPw75SAimAzObw4CpnR5IfO77T0mB/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeaLuFsYkCganvWKoNSY3R66pJnGKIB37W71Ea3_0hIfdoeYNZWppAj5HX90B3elcM8FzyafBl8EhSkl3JU26dn6O2x8giUzRHT_QzWGA5S5reB8FPw75SAimAzObw4CpnR5IfO77T0mB/w640-h480/IMG_0240+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet the new (used) truck showing off next to mom! Ram 3500 Crewcab with Cummins diesel. Let's keep this one upright! </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQpkBKgXINx2fmlBZNwkFEjg8VfzPB3Seto-b33Lqdk_ivr6jTf5hDfpEWbQ-N5EIh7x3ABXBl46rKe67IXdECAPYSu14hhP6q2RlUsrH28R6oO7GbaZPEBEv34GU1UzV4fX83IRw4ACQ/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQpkBKgXINx2fmlBZNwkFEjg8VfzPB3Seto-b33Lqdk_ivr6jTf5hDfpEWbQ-N5EIh7x3ABXBl46rKe67IXdECAPYSu14hhP6q2RlUsrH28R6oO7GbaZPEBEv34GU1UzV4fX83IRw4ACQ/w480-h640/IMG_6432.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A couple of weeks later, I took a fall off a ladder. I hit my head on the concrete slab for the front porch. 5 months later, I'm still not over the concussion but I have more good days than bad. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Mrcr_5dbo33bqx_xNK0pyq_S5_pYkSqb-0NZ4HNhHbIV9oUabpP6_KsDxDV243zK_CUIMW-nlNFpifz7ORXWuDnP3pW28pks4_RI2xFajOKK_G_Jk7j1ielh6d70PuMQ-FibCzrscPK0/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Mrcr_5dbo33bqx_xNK0pyq_S5_pYkSqb-0NZ4HNhHbIV9oUabpP6_KsDxDV243zK_CUIMW-nlNFpifz7ORXWuDnP3pW28pks4_RI2xFajOKK_G_Jk7j1ielh6d70PuMQ-FibCzrscPK0/w640-h480/IMG_0423+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Progress continues on the house, just slower now</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAGLwWCuuwdZxMNZilDM_S6pbdBVEjh41ynqsWkz1O9X77fZqAEgi253Ow6Z4SiPqS4bUIGoQ-6_yKZlfnxWscXBRrQErSd6yBg-LkNeAxHqTXeNixgqFhAEXe3Kw_rwz97LjFNzP11a2/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAGLwWCuuwdZxMNZilDM_S6pbdBVEjh41ynqsWkz1O9X77fZqAEgi253Ow6Z4SiPqS4bUIGoQ-6_yKZlfnxWscXBRrQErSd6yBg-LkNeAxHqTXeNixgqFhAEXe3Kw_rwz97LjFNzP11a2/w640-h480/IMG_0308.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joaquin (friend from Kung Fu) working on the framing for the screened porch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJRrWaOvlS_80CdM7BsgEn2WXKEo9SLW19lx5E1ubeAaE7SKUcittiqfiq7ehTDBKPhQoWEyN2p5SCNtUhEjxaFVsVerPldLqMKWr9Ctjanzdm_MLg72Vi1yip4NtRs1yzZ2OpmG9bVUB/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJRrWaOvlS_80CdM7BsgEn2WXKEo9SLW19lx5E1ubeAaE7SKUcittiqfiq7ehTDBKPhQoWEyN2p5SCNtUhEjxaFVsVerPldLqMKWr9Ctjanzdm_MLg72Vi1yip4NtRs1yzZ2OpmG9bVUB/w640-h480/IMG_0310.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jerry (neighbor and friend) helping cut steel for the joists</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYOckJ3i4QdineiBRo3UaBU88367P8BTOqp2vxwaAtsPnFG7YLiwmGg_5nK8i5gPt0M2EtB8jRkVCxhyB9vfxPiemybVQ1Nusj80z_0uXyPtzhSAZoCNzS9jZNR_rLJ0VH9Bi4FwP7jMl/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYOckJ3i4QdineiBRo3UaBU88367P8BTOqp2vxwaAtsPnFG7YLiwmGg_5nK8i5gPt0M2EtB8jRkVCxhyB9vfxPiemybVQ1Nusj80z_0uXyPtzhSAZoCNzS9jZNR_rLJ0VH9Bi4FwP7jMl/w480-h640/IMG_6626.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had to replace the instant water heater in the Tiny. Great Rheem unit. Very happy with it!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4IQ0E_6lZKIsUpaoGEFYWfT26TtGf45__FECUi0lW5g8nZqsgslkYGNfhqWbAqi5baI37UGi8LlWLBYx1foovim6csPYRKP2CFHEVmKBSxCxREyK7jqLpxYSjIjkagxnAfiYvhinhGFZ/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4IQ0E_6lZKIsUpaoGEFYWfT26TtGf45__FECUi0lW5g8nZqsgslkYGNfhqWbAqi5baI37UGi8LlWLBYx1foovim6csPYRKP2CFHEVmKBSxCxREyK7jqLpxYSjIjkagxnAfiYvhinhGFZ/w640-h480/IMG_0374.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had to replace the breaker box in the Tiny to accommodate the new water heater. Oh well, good practice for the new house. I'm not an electrician but I think it came out nice! :)</td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigO0VMHVPw8vSMwsaxFQ1Aq2d7ivIaUzQWogjYXfZVHqHegu5shQ2Yd-mu5G6GxpLnbtlGQOEbHjbgbYvq2NAOA3TDwJu-l7hfC_3U5CvF2snQhYIw7TAQKM35mDQLtho2EokJrUbMxsPo/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigO0VMHVPw8vSMwsaxFQ1Aq2d7ivIaUzQWogjYXfZVHqHegu5shQ2Yd-mu5G6GxpLnbtlGQOEbHjbgbYvq2NAOA3TDwJu-l7hfC_3U5CvF2snQhYIw7TAQKM35mDQLtho2EokJrUbMxsPo/w640-h480/IMG_0319.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Used the new truck to help get the replacement AC onto the roof of the RV. It's always something! An hour to get it on the roof. 20 minutes to change it out. Typical! </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4Ib6GlcEUDHVmexoiM3m7lR7wLq7W_Te9SVt00Nem5iuqdT79j865uRkwflsvHt9ioJbCDlNo4ITDccvj5u52GmK_uWFLGXdg7Tt4fUWk4nutGAlQQSQtRAHrNrBItP6WbDxFHMoDsA2/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4Ib6GlcEUDHVmexoiM3m7lR7wLq7W_Te9SVt00Nem5iuqdT79j865uRkwflsvHt9ioJbCDlNo4ITDccvj5u52GmK_uWFLGXdg7Tt4fUWk4nutGAlQQSQtRAHrNrBItP6WbDxFHMoDsA2/w640-h480/IMG_0429+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost finished with the rafters. This has been the hardest part of the build! The house has 10' walls with a 10' attic. A lot of time on ladders but the view is great from up there! lol</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5ozkLP1Mhi0Y6GgD_AM-yqEXQw5vHWneoKoFqYiAjmhQE1uYbRpZfaDlECFmx3rcl7SsotP-Sww77lPUAeDFJU2dHQq7sEgUj64EVlHaycwOmh8RKV9t6L1JUCo_S7IZxLs2mmPO5spD/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5ozkLP1Mhi0Y6GgD_AM-yqEXQw5vHWneoKoFqYiAjmhQE1uYbRpZfaDlECFmx3rcl7SsotP-Sww77lPUAeDFJU2dHQq7sEgUj64EVlHaycwOmh8RKV9t6L1JUCo_S7IZxLs2mmPO5spD/w640-h480/IMG_0430+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the attic area. Getting the supports installed for the rafters. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">That about catches us up. The property has changed a lot. Life has changed a lot. I'm so grateful to have the love and support from my beautiful wife, Kim. I'm grateful to have my mom here with us. I'm grateful that my kids are doing well. We want to remind all of you that life is all about change. Some good and some bad. We all just have to adapt and keep rolling, remembering to help each other along the way. Yes, I promise I will update the blog more often. We've still got lots of work to do on the house so I will keep you up to date. Thanks for the positive thoughts and comments! Be good and stay safe! ~ Jay</p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-985857857303552142019-06-01T13:39:00.000-07:002018-10-26T12:47:35.420-07:00Blog Map & Posts<b><span style="font-size: large;">General Info:</span></b><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/01/why-my-wife-and-i-are-building-tiny-home.html" target="_blank">Why We're Building A Tiny House</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/01/photo-gallery-highlights-of-build-and.html" target="_blank">Photo Gallery</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/05/solar-array-details.html" target="_blank">Solar Array Details</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/01/thoughts-on-heating-cabin.html" target="_blank">Thoughts On Heating the House</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/11/nov-4-building-with-steel.html" target="_blank">Building With Steel</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/10/oct-10-thoughts-on-tiny-house-lifestyle.html" target="_blank">Thoughts On The Tiny House Lifestyle</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/10/oct-24-house-design-article.html" target="_blank">House Design Article</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/11/dont-lose-site-of-your-goal.html" target="_blank">Don't Lose Sight Of Your Goals</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/11/nov-18-financial-reality.html" target="_blank">Financial Reality</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/11/nov-23-tools-and-society.html" target="_blank">Tools & Society</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/12/dec-4-building-shape-determines_4.html" target="_blank">How Your Building Shape Determines Efficiency Of Material Use</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/01/friends-fellow-tiny-house-dwellers.html" target="_blank">Friends & Fellow Tiny House Dwellers</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/08/our-birds.html" target="_blank">Our Birds</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Land Purchase:</span></b><br />
<b><br /></b> <b>2011</b><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2011/01/the-search.html" target="_blank">(Jan 1) The Search</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html" target="_blank">(Aug 7) Deliverance (the movie, not salvation)</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2011/12/end-of-another-year.html" target="_blank">(Dec 31) End of Another Year</a><br />
<br />
<b>2012</b><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2012/11/found-property-on-texasmls.html" target="_blank">(Nov 28) A Great Property To Look At</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2012/11/wow.html" target="_blank">(Nov 28) Eureka!</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2012/11/time-to-show-it-off.html" target="_blank">(Nov 30) Time To Show It Off</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2012/12/well-it-took-few-days-of-wrangling-with.html" target="_blank">(Dec 4) An Offer is Made</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2012/12/done-deal.html" target="_blank">(Dec 6) Done Deal!</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2012/12/scramble-time.html" target="_blank">(Dec 7) Scramble Time</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/03/planning-ahead.html" target="_blank">(Dec 7) Planning Ahead</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2012/12/planning-our-1st-structure.html" target="_blank">(Dec 10) Planning Our First Structure</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2012/12/our-first-major-bump-in-road.html" target="_blank">(Dec 12) Our First Major Bump In The Road</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2012/12/hot-get-em-while-theyre-hot.html" target="_blank">(Dec 13) Get 'em While They're Hot!</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2012/12/title-company-found-lien-on-property.html" target="_blank">(Dec 24) A Rock In The Road</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2012/12/we-signed-new-contract-today-to-extend.html" target="_blank">(Dec 28) Extended Contract</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2012/12/they-actually-found-her.html" target="_blank">(Dec 31) They Actually Found Her</a><br />
<br />
<b>2013</b><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/01/loan-papers.html" target="_blank">(Jan 2) Loan Papers</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/01/we-now-have-address.html" target="_blank">(Jan 2) We Now Have An Address!</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/01/closed.html" target="_blank">(Jan 10) Closed!</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/04/i-came-out-and-spent-day-on-property.html" target="_blank">(Jan 14) The Work Begins</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/01/kim-and-i-came-out-for-day.html" target="_blank">(Jan 19) Here Kitty, Kitty</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/01/snap-crackle-pop.html" target="_blank">(Jan 27) Snap, Crackle, Pop</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/02/howling-good-time.html" target="_blank">(Feb 10) Howling Good Time</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/02/good-to-have-some-help.html" target="_blank">(Feb 16) Good To Have Some Help</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/02/mi-compadre-jorge.html" target="_blank">(Feb 23) Mi Compadre, Jorge</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/02/came-back-with-riley-and-girls-today.html" target="_blank">(Feb 24) Burn, Baby, Burn</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/03/came-out-to-work-today-about-130.html" target="_blank">(Mar 2) Just A Work Day</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/03/yea-spent-our-first-night-at-point.html" target="_blank">(Mar 16) Spring Is Here</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/04/groundwork.html" target="_blank">(Mar 25, 2013) Groundwork</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/03/brought-some-stakes-and-rope-to-mark.html" target="_blank">(Mar 27) X Marks The Spot</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/03/spent-afternoon-out-here-today.html" target="_blank">(Mar 31) Wait A Minute, Mr Postman</a><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Build:</span></b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/09/labor-day-weekend-foundation.html" target="_blank">(Sep 2) Labor Day Weekend - The Foundation</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-deck-is-done.html" target="_blank">(Sep 9) The Deck Is Done</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/11/blog-post.html" target="_blank">(Nov 11) I Love The Fall</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/12/walls-start-to-appear.html" target="_blank">(Dec 15) Walls Start To Appear</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/12/window-framing.html" target="_blank">(Dec 20) Window Framing</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/12/4-corners.html" target="_blank">(Dec 27) 4 Corners</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2013/12/prepping-for-roof.html" target="_blank">(Dec 31) Prepping For Roof</a><br />
<br />
<b>2014</b><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/01/rafter-ahoy.html" target="_blank">(Jan 4) Rafters Ahoy</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/01/capping-rafters.html" target="_blank">(Jan 11) Capping The Rafters</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/01/finishing-roof-frame.html" target="_blank">(Jan 12) Finishing The Roof Frame</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-roofing-begins.html" target="_blank">(Jan 19) The Roofing Begins</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/10/jan-26-siding-begins.html" target="_blank">(Jan 26) Siding Begins</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/02/feb-1-exterior-walls-and-weatherproofing.html" target="_blank">(Feb 1) Exterior Walls And Weatherproofing</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/10/feb-3-via-con-dios-mi-amigo.html" target="_blank">(Feb 3) Via Con Dios, Mi Amigo</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/02/more-and-more-like-house-all-time.html" target="_blank">(Feb 9) Another Side Up</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/02/feb-14-happy-valentines-day-honey.html" target="_blank">(Feb 14) Happy Valentine's Day, Honey</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/02/feb-23-bulding-is-mostly-weatherproof.html" target="_blank">(Feb 23) Building is Mostly Weatherproof</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/02/feb-26-roofing-steel-goes-on.html" target="_blank">(Feb 26) Roofing Steel Goes On</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/10/may-3-siding-going-on.html" target="_blank">(May 3) Siding Goes On</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/10/jul-7-place-to-clean-up-after-hard-days.html" target="_blank">(Jul 7) A Place To Clean Up After A Hard Day's Work</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/10/jul-6-tame-sun.html" target="_blank">(Jul 13) Tame The Sun</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/08/aug-16-electrical-wiring.html" target="_blank">(Aug 16) Electrical Wiring</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/09/lift-em-up-boys.html" target="_blank">(Sep 22) Lift 'em Up, Boys</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/09/more-of-ceiling.html" target="_blank">(Sep 29) Ceiling Almost Done</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/10/ceiling-sheetrocked.html" target="_blank">(Oct 5) Ceiling Sheet Rocked</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/10/oct-14-revised-electric-plan.html" target="_blank">(Oct 14) Revised Electric Plan</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/10/oct-20-calm-and-easy-weekend.html" target="_blank">(Oct 20) Calm And Easy Weekend</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/10/oct-24-house-design-article.html" target="_blank">(Oct 24) House Design Article</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/10/oct-27-bathroom-progress.html" target="_blank">(Oct 27) Bathroom Progress</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/10/oct-27-blueprints.html" target="_blank">(Oct 27) BluePrints</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/11/nov-2-trimming-shower.html" target="_blank">(Nov 2) Trimming The Shower & Enjoying The Woods</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/11/nov-9-shelves-finally.html" target="_blank">(Nov 9) Shelves, Finally!</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/11/nov-22-furry-creatures-and-fall-weather.html" target="_blank">(Nov 22) Furry Creatures & Fall Weather Is Here</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/11/nov-24-bathroom-gets-some-attention.html" target="_blank">(Nov 24) Bathroom Gets Some Attention</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/12/dec-8-peaceful-times-between-cuttings.html" target="_blank">(Dec 8) Peaceful Times Between Cuttings</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2014/12/dec-15-amazing-weather.html" target="_blank">(Dec 15) Amazing Weather & Great Cookout</a><br />
<br />
<b>2015</b><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/01/happy-new-year.html" target="_blank">(Jan 1) Happy New Year!</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/01/jan-4-kitchen-counter-build-and-install.html" target="_blank">(Jan 4) Kitchen Counter Build</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/01/jan-18-drywall-going-up-nicely.html" target="_blank">(Jan 18) Drywall Going Up Nicely</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/01/jan-26-taping-and-bedding.html" target="_blank">(Jan 26) Taping & Bedding</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/02/feb-9-storage-building-frame-goes-up.html" target="_blank">(Feb 9) Storage Building Frame Goes Up</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/02/feb-15-decking-down-on-shed.html" target="_blank">(Feb 15) Decking Down On The Shed</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/02/feb-19-fridge-and-stove-purchased.html" target="_blank">(Feb 19) Fridge & Stove Purchased</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/03/mar-1-major-layout-changes.html" target="_blank">(Mar 1) Major Layout Changes</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/03/mar-6-floor-plan-design-features.html" target="_blank">(Mar 6) Floor Plan Design Features</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/03/mar-15-one-wall-done-on-storage-unit.html" target="_blank">(Mar 15) One Wall Done On Storage Unit</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/03/mar-30-flooring-installed.html" target="_blank">(Mar 30) Flooring Installed</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/04/apr-5-tongue-grove-ceiling.html" target="_blank">(Apr 5) Tongue & Groove Ceiling</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/04/apr-14-cistern-has-arrived.html" target="_blank">(Apr 14) Cistern Has Arrived</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/04/apr-27-really-productive-saturday.html" target="_blank">(Apr 27) Really Productive Saturday</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/05/may-4-kitchen-sink-installed.html" target="_blank">(May 4) Kitchen Sink Installed</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/05/may-15-update-after-rains.html">(May 15) After The Rains</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/05/may-15-i-love-our-new-electric-company.html">(May 15) I Love Our New Electric Company</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/05/may-25-north-wall-sided.html">(May 25) North Wall Sided</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/06/may-31-1st-window-trimmed.html" target="_blank">(May 31) 1st Window Trimmed</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/06/jun-14-bathroom-wall-sided.html" target="_blank">(Jun 14) Bathroom Wall Sided</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/07/jul-6-sleeping-in-style.html" target="_blank">(Jul 6) Sleeping In Style</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/07/jul-19-still-working-on-storage-building.html" target="_blank">(Jul 19) Still Working On The Storage Building</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/08/aug-2-closed-loop-shower-system.html" target="_blank">(Aug 2) Closed-Loop Shower System</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/08/aug-2-cistern-set-in-place.html" target="_blank">(Aug 2) Cistern Set In Place</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/08/aug-16-progress-on-kitchen.html" target="_blank">(Aug 16) Progress On The Kitchen</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/08/aug-23-ikea-furniture-microwave.html" target="_blank">(Aug 23) IKEA Furniture and Microwave</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/sep-7-kitchen-counter-finished.html" target="_blank">(Sep 7) Kitchen Counter Finished</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/sep-13-kitchen-appliance-installed.html" target="_blank">(Sep) 13 Kitchen Appliances Installed</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/sep-20-bathroom-door-hung.html" target="_blank">(Sep 20) Bathroom Door Hung</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/builders-are-people-too.html" target="_blank">(Sep 26) Builders Are People Too!</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/10/oct-18-furniture-additions.html" target="_blank">(Oct 18) Furniture Additions</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/11/nov-25-happy-thanksgiving.html" target="_blank">(Nov 25) Happy Thanksgiving</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/12/dec-6-power-pole-set.html" target="_blank">(Dec 6) Power Pole and Meter Base Set</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/12/dec-22-power-systems.html" target="_blank">(Dec 22) Power System</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/12/dec-22-solar-panels.html" target="_blank">(Dec 22) Solar Panels</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/12/christmas-dec-22.html" target="_blank">(Dec 22) Christmas</a><br />
<br />
<b>2016</b><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/01/dec-3-starting-new-year.html" target="_blank">(Jan 3) Starting the New Year!</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/01/jan-10-bathroom-window.html" target="_blank">(Jan 10) Bathroom Window Framed In</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/01/jan-24-some-progress.html" target="_blank">(Jan 24) Some Progress on Siding</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/04/apr-24-tiny-house-village-at-earth-day.html" target="_blank">(Apr 24) Tiny House Village at Earth Day 2016</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/05/may-2-and-rains-came-down.html" target="_blank">(May 2) And The Rains Came Down</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/05/solar-array-details.html" target="_blank">(May 9) Solar Array Details</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/05/may-15-windows-framed.html" target="_blank">(May 15) Windows Framed</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/05/may-16-composting-toilet-cabinet.html" target="_blank">(May 15) Composting Toilet Bench Built</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/05/may-22-painted-house.html" target="_blank">(May 22) House Painted</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/05/may-30-kitchen-backsplash.html" target="_blank">(May 30) Kitchen Backsplash</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/06/jun-5-cool-breeze.html" target="_blank">(Jun 6) Cool Breeze :)</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/07/jul-4-let-independence-ring.html" target="_blank">(Jul 4) Let Independence Ring</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/07/jul-10-plumbing-toilet.html" target="_blank">(Jul 10) Plumbing The Toilet</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/07/jul-19-free-at-last.html" target="_blank">(Jul 19) Free At Last</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/08/jul-31-roof-finally-finished.html" target="_blank">(Jul 31) Roof Finally Finished</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/09/sep-5-3-yr-anniversary-and-1st-boarder.html" target="_blank">(Aug 5) 3 Year Anniversary and 1st Boarder</a><br />
<br />
<b>2017</b><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2017/02/feb-27-enjoying-new-year.html" target="_blank">(Feb 27) Enjoying the New Year</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2017/03/mar-12-beekeeping-prep.html" target="_blank">(Mar 12) Beekeeping Prep</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2017/04/apr-23-bees-bees-bees.html" target="_blank">(Apr 23) Bees! Bees! Bees!</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2017/12/nov-11-building-front-deck.html" target="_blank">(Nov 11) Building Front Deck</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2018/01/dec-2-laying-water-line.html" target="_blank">(Dec 2) Laying Water Line</a><br />
<br />
<b>2018</b><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2018/01/jan-5-wall-mounted-envi-heater-installed.html" target="_blank">(Jan 5) Wall-Mounted Envi Heater Installed</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2018/01/jan-7-heater-follow-up-and-new-cabinet.html" target="_blank">(Jan 7) Heater Follow-Up and New Cabinet</a><br />
<br />
<br />Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-87382051075619004452019-02-01T11:42:00.000-08:002018-10-26T12:47:16.522-07:00Photo Gallery (Highlights of Build and Property)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just a collection of some of the photos as we went along for those who don't want to peruse my ramblings! :)<br />
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Photos:<br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/land-photos.html" target="_blank">Land</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/frame-and-exterior-photos.html" target="_blank">Frame and Exterior</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/interior-photos.html" target="_blank">Interior</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/bathroom-photos.html" target="_blank">Bath</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/kitchen-photos.html" target="_blank">Kitchen</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/water-system-photos.html" target="_blank">Water System</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/01/power-system-photos.html" target="_blank">Power System</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/storage-building-photos.html" target="_blank">Storage Building</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/cooking.html" target="_blank">Cooking</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/lifestyle-photos.html" target="_blank">Lifestyle</a><br />
<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/wildlife-photos.html" target="_blank">Wildlife</a><br />
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<a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2015/09/misc-photos.html" target="_blank">Misc</a>Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-71244133561183632112018-10-26T12:59:00.001-07:002018-10-26T12:59:05.296-07:00(Oct 1) Harvesting Some Fruits of Our Labor (well, their labor actually!) Thought I had posted this earlier this fall. Sorry for the confusion!<br />
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Just a follow-up to our beekeeping efforts. We harvested honey off of one of our hives this summer. Looks like we'll net about 30 pounds from one hive. At $12/pound, not a bad haul. We've got another large hive to harvest after we're done with this one. We're working on getting the other hives up to this production. They should be ready to start harvesting next Spring. Our goal will be to get up to about 6 productive hives by the end of next year.<br />
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We're really excited that they're doing so well. I was nervous about taking a natural approach (no pesticides, no medicine, no chemicals of any kind) to raising bees. I have 4 hives that are from wild stock, at least they were from swarms that we caught. They may have started out as domestic bees but I don't have any way of knowing. So far, they've been survivors. They're a bit more aggressively defensive than domestic hives that I've been around but I've also found that smoking them and then giving them about 5 minutes to settle down makes a big difference. We'll see next Spring how they compare to the have we have that was from purchased queen stock.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mUXkNzNkAULW-2ni-D7Os10D1KmCiWQ1FzsTqLLZi5uYQeNoyo8mZrXlxvt0gs6bgf_6UIeMQeXvc7PL3VV1uwfLMrdmUA8V4S8iwlfkfGMnxbRjNGhodrhg_Z-XS8abVwxSkQRRoKiJ/s1600/IMG_1078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mUXkNzNkAULW-2ni-D7Os10D1KmCiWQ1FzsTqLLZi5uYQeNoyo8mZrXlxvt0gs6bgf_6UIeMQeXvc7PL3VV1uwfLMrdmUA8V4S8iwlfkfGMnxbRjNGhodrhg_Z-XS8abVwxSkQRRoKiJ/s640/IMG_1078.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original wild swarm that we caught. Look at all of that beautiful virgin comb! :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We're so happy to be members of a local beekeeper's organization (<a href="https://www.tvbees.org/" target="_blank">Trinity Valley Beekeepers Association</a>). They have been instrumental in educating us along the way. Lots of people willing to share knowledge and time to help you along. They're on the Dallas side of the Metroplex. There's also a group in Fort Worth, <a href="http://www.metrobeekeepers.net/" target="_blank">Metro Beekeepers Association</a>, that I've heard lots of good about. The 2 groups are joining up this Fall to host the 1st <a href="https://www.tvbees.org/2018/07/25/dfw-conf/" target="_blank">DFW Area Beekeepers Conference</a>. This should be a great show and we look forward to going.<br />
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Here's a breakdown of how the harvest went:<br />
<br />
Amount of pure raw honey we harvested: 30 lbs<br />
<br />
Amount of bee's wax we harvested: 2 lbs<br />
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Time to harvest and process: 6 hrs<br />
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Lessons learned:<br />
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1. Work the bees in mid-morning, after the foragers have left the hive in search of food but before it gets too hot!<br />
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2. Have a plan for securing the frames of honey and getting them to the processing area. Think the process through from which hives you'll process to how you'll secure the frames without bees. They will follow the frames of honey if you don't secure it. How to transport them if you have to drive? Hint, wax and honey tend to melt in a hot trunk! Be sure it's all in a leakproof container. What are you going to store the honey in after extraction? What are you going to do with it afterward? Bottle it? Keep it for personal consumption? Make Mead? Have some 5-gallon food-grade containers available to store the honey in until you're ready to bottle/distribute. Have several available in case you want to keep the honey from different hives separate.<br />
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3. Honey makes a sticky mess! Best to plan on it getting on everything that you deal with. Harvest in an area that's easy to clean up but closed off to bees that might smell it in the wind as you're working it. The other option is to do the actual processing at night while the bees are tucked in bed. Cooler then also if you don't have the option of an air-conditioned space. <a href="http://texasbeesupply.com/" target="_blank">Texas Bee Supply</a> in Blue Mound (north of McKinney), besides having tons of beekeeping and extraction equipment for sale, also has equipment for rent and a facility (air-conditioned!) to process in. Pretty reasonable rate at $15/hr. The Beekeeper's club that we belong to, Trinity Valley Beekeepers, has equipment to use that's free to members. A family membership is $20/yr - a bargain!<br />
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4. Plan ahead. If you're going to just extract honey, use frames with plastic foundation. They'll hold up to the process better and you can drop them right back into the hives for the bees to start re-filling. Use foundationless frames (the bees draw out their own comb from scratch) if you plan on cutting it out, foundation, honey and all. Knowing what and how you'll harvest in advance will make the process go a lot smoother when you're ready.<br />
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5. Keep logs and notes on everything that you do. Which hive(s) you harvest from. How much you harvested. What time of year. Grade the honey on flavor and color.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAob9bYkqe17XcWVNqljI5x9dSsudVeDfUace5T2jZw_5cc83UqYf3xHK26QkqZJZe_pQvfHt9jfFG1Ay7GUSGqwsmAQJZsigJ2IMfaZnzpYh-rzfhYsq_75K-fhnjOCEqJIZrj99qP_p/s1600/IMG_1772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAob9bYkqe17XcWVNqljI5x9dSsudVeDfUace5T2jZw_5cc83UqYf3xHK26QkqZJZe_pQvfHt9jfFG1Ay7GUSGqwsmAQJZsigJ2IMfaZnzpYh-rzfhYsq_75K-fhnjOCEqJIZrj99qP_p/s640/IMG_1772.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three one pound jars from our 1st harvest. Can't wail 'til next summer to see what we get!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Here's a photo of some of the honey we harvested. We sold out in 3 days and actually couldn't fill all of the orders we got. We felt so bad, we sold it all and didn't end up keeping any for our own use! Had to buy some honey this year. There's some irony there!!Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-46952350016156246862018-01-07T12:35:00.000-08:002018-01-09T12:49:57.091-08:00(Jan 7) Heater Follow-Up and New CabinetHappy to report that the new heater (which had been running for about a week) was working fine when we came to check on the place today. The temperature in the house was pleasant and noticeably warmer than outside. Also, checking our electric service, it looks like the heater was costing us about $1/day to run 24 hours. I left the unit on high since outside temps were in the teens and 20s throughout the week. That burned about 10 KWHrs of power per day at 10¢ per KWHr. Very affordable, especially considering that I could add a couple of solar panels to offset this in the future.<br />
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To celebrate the new IKEA that opened up close to our Arlington house, we picked up a cabinet for our dishes and glasses. We really haven't been happy with storing the plates and bowls under the Berkey water filter and the glasses in a drawer. This will give them a permanent home. I think it looks pretty nice. :) Kim has always loved the green version of this cabinet but we both agreed that the grey would match the decor better.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUU8YQsw2je-RYXsaBO7UkU8vVwrVEK-wD4UW2D0XgoZumD3X3JL2e3OM-xkoMlPfjH5w678oOg_jsaf6KxLp1gCp9-r0zscoMsY27glRkj3Yq04-GTZlY_xonaSa1uDwcyK-MswAez4jn/s1600/Cabinet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUU8YQsw2je-RYXsaBO7UkU8vVwrVEK-wD4UW2D0XgoZumD3X3JL2e3OM-xkoMlPfjH5w678oOg_jsaf6KxLp1gCp9-r0zscoMsY27glRkj3Yq04-GTZlY_xonaSa1uDwcyK-MswAez4jn/s640/Cabinet.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IKEA Display Cabinet with dishes</td></tr>
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Very happy to report that our bees are surviving the winter. I went out back this past week and checked on them when we had a break in the weather. All of the hives are hunkered down and waiting for Spring. Given that we're on month 10 of our 1st year of beekeeping, I'm just really happy to have any alive this far along. :) I'm already planning to set out traps early this Spring to see if we can catch some wild swarms. They're more aggressive than the European bred bees but they seem to have great production and survival skills.<br />
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We will likely also split 1 or 2 of our current hives in early summer, again from the wild caught stock from last year. I will try my hand again at rescuing bees from contacts through the Trinity Valley Beekeepers Association although that venture did not pay off last year. My election to the board as VP of the bee club this year was an unexpected surprise. They really are a great group to be associated with and I'm looking forward to a new year of learning how much I really don't know about bees!<br />
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Hoping for better weather in the coming weeks. I like being out here in the winter, I just don't like it rainy and freezing! The birds have seemed extra appreciative of our feeding efforts this winter. A new feeder stocked with finch food has brought in more birds than ever. What a horrible way to spend a winter day - hanging out with your wife in your Tiny House in the woods, drinking hot tea and watching the birds and squirrels play outside your window. It's a hard life but someone's got to suffer through it. :)Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-46177108958054422642018-01-05T11:58:00.000-08:002018-01-09T12:43:04.647-08:00(Jan 5) Wall-Mounted Envi Heater InstalledIn preparation of getting city water lines run into the house, we decided we needed to have some kind of constant heat available so that the pipes wouldn't freeze and break. Space heaters have such a bad reputation for overheating and catching fire, we thought that a lower powered wall heater would be prudent. Envi brand heaters have been around for a long time and seem to have a good reputation. There are multiple safety features that minimize the risk of a fire. We ordered one and got it installed last week just in time for an arctic blast that sent nighttime temps into the teens and daytime highs into the 20s. Let's take a look!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8e26iVU0y9cORSFLo_B88dZxBKxnTLAgPSA3aPcDZmYIMHfArJC_8e0t2Qe07cT1Cz97N7j5AQLDJ211DNYIjaUU5bPOH2Zq74w2ElLdDXCB2_BfSHUtz59C8KsTE_1rI5dnAM9AKIa99/s1600/envi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="350" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8e26iVU0y9cORSFLo_B88dZxBKxnTLAgPSA3aPcDZmYIMHfArJC_8e0t2Qe07cT1Cz97N7j5AQLDJ211DNYIjaUU5bPOH2Zq74w2ElLdDXCB2_BfSHUtz59C8KsTE_1rI5dnAM9AKIa99/s400/envi.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.eheat.com/categories/Wall-Mounted-Electric-Panel-Heaters/" target="_blank">Envi Wall-Mounted Heater from eheat.com</a></td></tr>
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Installation was very straight forward. The unit comes with a template that you put up against the wall so that you can mark the mounting screw locations. Our biggest challenge was where to mount it and where to get power from. I must say, on my next build, I will be doubling or tripling the number of electrical outlets. You can just never have enough available!<br />
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That said, we decided to mount the heater on the side of the storage cabinet where our bar is located. It's central location to the room would ensure even heat throughout. The power for the lights in that cabinet are supplied by the same outlet under the composting toilet housing that runs the exhaust fan for the toilet. Both the fan and the lights for the cabinet are under 10 watts so there's plenty of juice left for the 475 watt Envi heater.<br />
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The plug for the Envi heater is pretty large so passing it through the cabinet wall required cutting a pretty large hole. The only hole saw I had with me that weekend was 2", larger than I needed but big enough to do the job. We located the hole so that only the bottom crescent would hang below the heater itself, just enough room for the electric cord to fit snug. The balance of the hole would now be hidden behind the unit itself. At 8" off the floor, I doubt that anyone will ever see it tucked up under the unit anyway!<br />
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Cutting through 2 layers of our IKEA cabinet proved to be the biggest challenge with my dull hole saw. I'm afraid that it's seen too many steel studs in it's past. I did manage to get through without catching the cabinet on fire though it was smoking pretty good a couple of times. lol How ironic would that be, to catch the house on fire while installing a safe space heater!<br />
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Attaching the unit to the wall was simple. There are mounting clips that screw into the mounting surface that the unit hangs on. A set screw allows you to secure it to one of the mounting clips so that it can't fall off of the wall. There is also a safety switch inside the unit that a mounting clip activates so that the unit can't operate unless secured in place. One other feature I like is that it has an ambient light sensor that dims the "ON" light at night. Nice touch for those of us that are sensitive to lights poking us in the eyes in the middle of the night. lol<br />
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Once through the outer walls of the cabinet, cutting through the back of the unit and through the wall into the toilet enclosure was much easier. I just had to be careful of placement to make sure I didn't hit a stud in the bathroom wall. The cord for the heater is about 6' long so I had no trouble reaching the outlet once through the wall. I did seal the hole up good around the cord after I passed it through. It wouldn't be pleasant if the toilet odors started creeping into the living room through the cabinet! It's not that our composting toilet doesn't smell, but the 3" exhaust fan does a great job of directing the odor outside and helps dry everything out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPyLDMfOn1hawGFTUSMfeq13oTnKJZ3-2oRH2x-NJorpz0IUwUfDnBUWuLnhJWl7E_pnMmLp0c2dM2DycvNNZOSkeXWnH7k9qf26f18Z40MH__dNOirAMW6cPM-jT0JQrbPfxYBTC_n5Y/s1600/IMG_1568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPyLDMfOn1hawGFTUSMfeq13oTnKJZ3-2oRH2x-NJorpz0IUwUfDnBUWuLnhJWl7E_pnMmLp0c2dM2DycvNNZOSkeXWnH7k9qf26f18Z40MH__dNOirAMW6cPM-jT0JQrbPfxYBTC_n5Y/s640/IMG_1568.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heater mounted on wall of cabinet. Cord goes into the cabinet and through the bathroom wall to get power. </td></tr>
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There was a black unit available but we decided that a $3 can of flat black paint was better than paying $20 extra for EHeat's shiny black unit. Besides, we'll be able to come close to matching the Black/Brown color of the cabinet this way. Never understood why companies make color a factor when setting pricing. If one color is actually more expensive to make, average the cost with the other colors and set your pricing even across the board. It all works out in the end and consumers don't have to wrestle with a pricing decision based on what matches their decor. Just my 2¢ worth.<br />
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I'm heading out to check on the house now. I need to add a thermometer that records highs and lows. That way we can tell if we have the heater (in winter) and the AC (in summer) set at the appropriate temperature for times that we're not there. The heater has a thermostat on it and automatically comes back on after a power failure, just like our AC unit. It does require a power reset if it senses that something has gone wrong and overheats. That way, you know the unit was overheating since it won't turn on as usual. I'll do a follow-up post to fill you in on how it goes. Hope everyone is staying warm!<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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<br />Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-77889742670402671772017-12-02T12:41:00.000-08:002018-01-09T12:42:53.328-08:00(Dec 2) Laying Water LineWell, we came to the conclusion that we were not prepared to use just our water catchment system for all of our water needs. Rather than put in an elaborate pump and filter system and still not have enough water, we decided to go ahead an bite the bullet and hook up to the city water supply. This will involve running a line from the water meter (never used) back 600' to the house. We already have water line laid for the 100' in front of the house. We just need to get the 600' back to tie into it.<br />
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We had rented a trencher from Hooten's (our favorite DIY center) in Emory before when we ran the electrical lines for the solar array. We decided to use them again. $90/day is pretty reasonable but we needed to get there early so we could try to get it back before they closed at 5p. We got it picked up and decided to stop at Y'all Come Back Cafe for a quick breakfast. Always good and always inexpensive!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KTmexDs2OOYrF1WcVCZjLwn7DFTpGFwLKPPs7nwgJk3hmxqHgBtzAF0wH2YQf80UPAYnJNaqsRLMB3IJsqSpFdzB4n8yI1BEM_5HxYZ8LO51f7Gl3ysgqJRAnDp0zAk7Y1r90jfRQoLj/s1600/IMG_1458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KTmexDs2OOYrF1WcVCZjLwn7DFTpGFwLKPPs7nwgJk3hmxqHgBtzAF0wH2YQf80UPAYnJNaqsRLMB3IJsqSpFdzB4n8yI1BEM_5HxYZ8LO51f7Gl3ysgqJRAnDp0zAk7Y1r90jfRQoLj/s640/IMG_1458.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early start to the day. Eating breakfast as the sun comes up!</td></tr>
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We decided to follow the path that the electric company had used to bring the main power line down the road. This way we wouldn't have to cut a new path, just dig up the old one. It had been 2 years but surely it would be softer than virgin soil. This would also save us from having to come up through the woods where I'm sure there are significant roots in the way. No sense risking killing a 100-year-old tree for a water line. The indention was still there in the road from 2 years back so it wasn't a problem to follow. It just looks like I hired a drunk to lay out the path! lol<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eJ4MPqieUJ6sJqDASdh1fD0Zggk5L_uVVfRfxT6auxdGwjankpeDpgpX5pzg2e-WLRrTwX7sy7aiSohN3ZuLVFuBGiJwVmX2k9AjpQxIOE8duX9F9aNzfygTyAr23CkjxmyYEt2q9eVp/s1600/IMG_1462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eJ4MPqieUJ6sJqDASdh1fD0Zggk5L_uVVfRfxT6auxdGwjankpeDpgpX5pzg2e-WLRrTwX7sy7aiSohN3ZuLVFuBGiJwVmX2k9AjpQxIOE8duX9F9aNzfygTyAr23CkjxmyYEt2q9eVp/s640/IMG_1462.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really, I can cut a straight line. I was just following the trench dug before. </td></tr>
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The trencher does a ton of the work but anyone who's ever used one knows that it still takes a lot of effort to coax and wrangle it along the way. We got started by 9a, took a break for lunch and actually finished before 3p. I was shocked. I really worried that we would have to rent it another day. I was exhausted so we decided to wait 'til the next day before we started laying pipe. Just a note, it was just under 4 gallons of gas used for 5 hours of trenching. Not bad!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREKEd29r9gcDnbHG__kITN2XejVgb1k48yUduLMPoTwO9nXMPFMGwukj_81dArO9vqCT-laetqc1X99p2vqHB40H6JB63zk8K2-3TgxAHeCFhfqWwhMp2a3NmFEQ4HDF6_DuywPBnn56I/s1600/IMG_1460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREKEd29r9gcDnbHG__kITN2XejVgb1k48yUduLMPoTwO9nXMPFMGwukj_81dArO9vqCT-laetqc1X99p2vqHB40H6JB63zk8K2-3TgxAHeCFhfqWwhMp2a3NmFEQ4HDF6_DuywPBnn56I/s640/IMG_1460.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As beefy as the trench digger is, it still takes a lot of effort to wrangle and guide it!</td></tr>
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We got the pipe laid out and started gluing together. I decided to run 1 1/4" pipe from the front back to about 2/3 of the way. I reduced to 1" and the last 100' will be 3/4". Several plumbers I've talked to say that this will give us the best option on water flow and pressure that far away. Not a big deal, schedule 40 pipe isn't very expensive, no matter which size you use. We also decided to put in several hose bibs (I used to call them faucets! lol) along the way. We put one up by the meter, 2 along the drive and one by the solar panels to facilitate cleaning them. The 2 along the drive my help accommodate other Tiny Housers some day but that's another story, figured we'd put in the option as long as we had the trencher.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37YV5BA3pu_MkLKJXAzFGWxw9gdX93F8LVhqJ02IwCNOX7r151lJPjqNTy0x7kSKcfAH0VnozP-qJ02yvJ8EwUeAM5eZQY6fYg4d-r3wbNwtPL5hXDlH8_BfOQgC1lGBOIV9OKIRugyVB/s1600/IMG_1463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37YV5BA3pu_MkLKJXAzFGWxw9gdX93F8LVhqJ02IwCNOX7r151lJPjqNTy0x7kSKcfAH0VnozP-qJ02yvJ8EwUeAM5eZQY6fYg4d-r3wbNwtPL5hXDlH8_BfOQgC1lGBOIV9OKIRugyVB/s640/IMG_1463.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trench dug and water lines put together. Just need to pressure test them now before we bury them. </td></tr>
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We hit a snag after fitting the pipe bib offshoots. We had to dig up the meter to get to the pipe access point. Remember, it was installed many years before we purchased the property but never used. The previous owner didn't even know it was there. We got it dug out to find that the pipe extension had rusted off. Uggh. They will have to replace the meter. They were already scheduled to repair a leak between the meter and the road. Guess this project just got bigger for them. We'll have to wait 'til they're done 'til we can hook up and pressure test the system. I want to make sure all of my joints hold before we bury the whole thing. The good news was that the water department offered to bring out a backhoe and bury it all when we are done. Thank you!! I was not looking forward to shoveling dirt back into 600' of trench!<br />
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<br />Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-6716197777317156692017-11-11T09:38:00.000-08:002018-01-09T12:50:14.324-08:00(Nov 11) Building a Front DeckWe’ve lived with the pallets in front of the house for several years now. They were a cheap and easy solution as we allocated money to other projects. As the boards have been eaten away at by the ants and termites, it now becomes a priority. We wanted more than a landing to stand on and wipe our feet off but we didn’t need for it to take over the entire yard. We will expand on it later but likely to the sides. The entrance of the house faces west. I don’t see this as our primary seating area but we wanted it large enough to enjoy a little time in the morning shade. The north side will likely get the largest deck as it will be shaded by the overhanging roof most of the day. It also has a deep view of the property. Let’s get started!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19mWjTK6LZqKf50VFgEj56-DbjdF5RiEDWQAD9qqupx8L32QmLhJWFPDFRkVGn5Wzev12QjIdBgzW23KojnjKDbT4gdQKw3-Nl5hzxvAMIaRUIK-POh77dko23Gpa8EikWdhH1ujQts38/s1600/IMG_3386.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19mWjTK6LZqKf50VFgEj56-DbjdF5RiEDWQAD9qqupx8L32QmLhJWFPDFRkVGn5Wzev12QjIdBgzW23KojnjKDbT4gdQKw3-Nl5hzxvAMIaRUIK-POh77dko23Gpa8EikWdhH1ujQts38/s640/IMG_3386.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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Specs and materials:<br />
12’ x 6’ floating deck with recessed piers<br />
Concrete block piers (14, 12” base, 8” tall, heavy as hell)<br />
2” x 6” pressure treated joists on 24” centers (7 x 12’, actual dimension 1 1/2” x 5 1/2”)<br />
Galvanized flashing covers for the joists (78’)<br />
2” x 6” pressure treated deck boards ( 13 x 12’, actual dimension 1 1/2” x 5 1/2”)<br />
Galvanized joist hangers (14 for interior joists)<br />
3” Treated deck screws (about 250 for the deck boards)<br />
1 1/4” Treated deck screws (108 for the joist hangers)<br />
3 1/4” Galvanized 16p nails (54 to nail the joists to the rim joist)<br />
Construction Adhesive<br />
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Concrete piers should give us a base that will last forever (my forever) and be easy enough to build around. We ended up setting 14 of them for the 12’x6’ deck. We don’t have the height available to put in a beam and joists as the land slopes down towards the house. We also decided to use treated lumber in contrast to the steel frame that we built the house out of. We want it to last a long time but it won’t need to be as permanent. We also decided against attaching the deck to the house. This way we could avoid the construction portion of having to cut and reconfigure the siding on the house to accommodate and attach deck.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtucq0H0B3qa6_qnt844HndDIYxFJL1x2EhoiuM5srr_ifYNB5SgdlLlOvhCjrv-XJFWA_0iwDDlrdgazUcJrqg4WYKQcDjvsa1W8LhzG440h6DqLJu4sP9caxJBn2A3O36bgeJSp3rf6e/s1600/IMG_1434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtucq0H0B3qa6_qnt844HndDIYxFJL1x2EhoiuM5srr_ifYNB5SgdlLlOvhCjrv-XJFWA_0iwDDlrdgazUcJrqg4WYKQcDjvsa1W8LhzG440h6DqLJu4sP9caxJBn2A3O36bgeJSp3rf6e/s640/IMG_1434.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pallets removed and bringing in deck blocks</td></tr>
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Although I don’t expect this to last 100 years, I did want to give it every chance possible. I had seen articles talking about protecting the tops of the joists from water accumulation damage. Where the deck boards meet the joists tends to hold water and will eventually erode the pressure treatment and rot the board out. Several projects I saw used rubber window flashing over the tops of the joists. I knew that the adhesive would eventually fail though and was not sure where that would leave us. I decided to use metal flashing instead. A galvanized steel umbrella over the top of the joist should offer pretty good protection and keep the water from rotting them.<br />
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I went to our local DIY center, Hooten’s, in Emory. I hesitate to call them a hardware store. They do way more than that. They have a full-service metal fabrication operation also. They will build just about anything you desire to your specs in addition to carrying a full line of wood, concrete and steel building materials. Think of it as a Home Depot on steroids. They took some simple 3” wide flashing and folded it to match the 1 1/2” top of the joists while I waited. Great service!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9hKo0nGdVJRPFulX46_0i2usN_qe9FgVZmAOfz0PL1m_3q5Hwu8CVjDcD03riakFn6uShU_MzeFS0oFHDEoeOLVeF9rD3oPhj-kn53EaboDpWtqll7t3ZLxQ3gMgK4HTIu4dovvwruH_/s1600/IMG_1445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9hKo0nGdVJRPFulX46_0i2usN_qe9FgVZmAOfz0PL1m_3q5Hwu8CVjDcD03riakFn6uShU_MzeFS0oFHDEoeOLVeF9rD3oPhj-kn53EaboDpWtqll7t3ZLxQ3gMgK4HTIu4dovvwruH_/s640/IMG_1445.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trimming joist covers to overlap</td></tr>
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I didn’t need to connect the caps to the joists. The deck screws going through them would be plenty. I think they came out pretty nice. The cost was about another $50 on top of the $500 for the rest of the deck materials. An extra 10% to double or triple the life of the deck seemed to be a good investment.<br />
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Laying the deck blocks and getting them level was the hardest part of the project. Each block is nearly 50lbs. We would dig out a location and set the block in to get an initial assessment of position. Then, we had to lift the block out of the hole 3-4 times to raise or lower with additional dirt until it was level. We got quite the workout that day for 2 old fat people. We didn’t want the blocks exposed at the edges of the deck so we set an additional joist at each end about 5” inside the frame. That way the block wouldn’t be proud of the deck on the perimeter but it would still give us good support at the ends of the deck. We also set the inner blocks the same way about 1’ in along the front so they wouldn’t be exposed. Hopefully, you can see that in the photos. Anyway, it explains why there are 2 joists close to each other on the ends. The additional joist member (flush together was to support a perimeter border deck board but we later changed our minds about that design. Too many complications with wet wood.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3btriTMpi13s9AMLIrn_fYJXRypTio4KcLiXSP8hmCfsAdwfvUby6hYzqC9W3p9tStV24AWaeB1oBonbQxOzi0HjdDxV4xpBCwHEJHFlRMZSSdZJuUWTza49EPgyU3UQL6YAqpRgvpRZ/s1600/IMG_1446+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3btriTMpi13s9AMLIrn_fYJXRypTio4KcLiXSP8hmCfsAdwfvUby6hYzqC9W3p9tStV24AWaeB1oBonbQxOzi0HjdDxV4xpBCwHEJHFlRMZSSdZJuUWTza49EPgyU3UQL6YAqpRgvpRZ/s640/IMG_1446+2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joists in place</td></tr>
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We set a block at the entrance of the house to make sure the elevation was correct and then worked out from there. We had to set each block itself level and then raise or lower it to match the original block. We also left a slight slope away from the building of about 1/2” just to make sure water would drain off of the boards away from the house. We filled in much of the space between the blocks with dirt, being careful not to get up to the joist level, to discourage animals from camping under it. No guarantee but it seemed like a reasonable effort.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijli_k_VANpxY6f3fZ-O___hPNLgqn_rAWGw_zwDFUFLRrLJdjyLyy9Q3P1p8m7SFO_sAKnDBkwoX-z-agVKZpTQUr6wDqh14tFEqdr2bJBN6gto00wn-28GaBWKAaxWVqEmAMVoFODnHF/s1600/IMG_1435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijli_k_VANpxY6f3fZ-O___hPNLgqn_rAWGw_zwDFUFLRrLJdjyLyy9Q3P1p8m7SFO_sAKnDBkwoX-z-agVKZpTQUr6wDqh14tFEqdr2bJBN6gto00wn-28GaBWKAaxWVqEmAMVoFODnHF/s640/IMG_1435.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deck blocks in place and leveled</td></tr>
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Next, we built a perimeter frame with our 2x6s and made sure it was square by measuring across the diagonals. We mitered the ends so there would be no butt joints exposed. We used our framing nailer with the 3 1/4” nails to put the frame together along with some construction adhesive. We also picked up some wood preservative to treat the cut ends of the pressure treated members (joists and deck boards). Pressure treating rarely penetrates the entirety of the wood so cutting an end off exposes a vulnerable entry for insects. All I could find was a gallon, again at Hooten’s as HD & Lowe’s have stopped stocking it in the stores, although we barely used a pint. I guess we’ll have a lifetime supply. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpiQPjp06UnZ22a1c_dV2c3ssm5R6CzAxktR8aZnUYyesouZIcX4JKScLN9RX-0bIUN6RDEIRm08mH1tbJxiG9vhn8njuM4iNf8PMUKiLOiXhGEPyJprxWj5zaNB4Vg_Unx1v0f2-K6ku/s1600/IMG_1447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpiQPjp06UnZ22a1c_dV2c3ssm5R6CzAxktR8aZnUYyesouZIcX4JKScLN9RX-0bIUN6RDEIRm08mH1tbJxiG9vhn8njuM4iNf8PMUKiLOiXhGEPyJprxWj5zaNB4Vg_Unx1v0f2-K6ku/s640/IMG_1447.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each joist attached with joist hanger and then nailed from the outside. We had to stand the structure up to nail the backside closest to the house.</td></tr>
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Now we cut the inner joists and laid them in the blocks. We blocked up the perimeter frame and set it level and attached the joists with galvanized joist hangers. We used 1 1/4” deck screws to attach the joist hangers to the frame and nailed the outside frame to the butt ends of the joists with the nails as nails handle sheer forces much better than screws which tend to be brittle when stressed with side forces. Now we capped the entire frame with the water shields I had fabricated and got ready to lay the deck boards. We left about a 1/4” overhang on all sides with the deck boards and had built the frame accordingly. We laid the 12’ 2x6s (uncut) in place one by one and screwed them into place with 3” coated deck screws. The screws didn’t seem to even notice the metal flashing they had to penetrate. Be sure and set the crown of the wood so that it will create a dome on top of the deck boards instead of a cup. Hopefully, this diagram helps.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdififI2w_ns6NQw-8TIF-d37FqkakLdcIR8Cx7pEWX40Yw-iCaCHfpgqrNG1HdMP7PBreODT2O4UK4HonAhkgOBsC1Fq46Jl7OqtQF_rHx18WZYpAwJExHYsT0qzZlLrQeS4DCAib6Je/s1600/Cupping+Wood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="660" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdififI2w_ns6NQw-8TIF-d37FqkakLdcIR8Cx7pEWX40Yw-iCaCHfpgqrNG1HdMP7PBreODT2O4UK4HonAhkgOBsC1Fq46Jl7OqtQF_rHx18WZYpAwJExHYsT0qzZlLrQeS4DCAib6Je/s640/Cupping+Wood.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(borrowed from decksgo.com) Wood wants to flatten out as it's cut from a tree. Look at the end grain to determine which side was the bark side and which was closer to the center of the tree. Put the bark side down (right side of diagram) and the wood will tend to form a dome, letting water drain off the edges. If you put the wood with the bark side up, it will cup and hold water in each deck board. </td></tr>
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We set the straightest board we could find in the 1st position as it would set the pace for the others. We would screw one end of each deck board into place and then use a ratchet strap to pull it tight against the other boards as we went. The wood was still pretty wet from the pressure treatment so we didn’t set any gap. The boards will shrink up just a bit as they dry and leave about a 1/4” gap between the deck boards. We set one end of the deck boards flush as we went and left the other end of the deck jagged as boards are never the exact length from the mill. We’ll let this dry for a month or so and then pop a chalk line and trim them all even with a circular saw, again treating the ends after they’ve been cut.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmQJ41fsZiFffypxMBjqx_30wVRbJAeqhiO3LgdSNnnAPwi7iVsqSumwzzkLwKATCts7tCUB3omhd8_1ppDkQiXqyecN_to8JixDEoLRMWAjTf8OVhbddXZ1b_MY2n8c-BMSfsr72XHDl/s1600/IMG_1448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmQJ41fsZiFffypxMBjqx_30wVRbJAeqhiO3LgdSNnnAPwi7iVsqSumwzzkLwKATCts7tCUB3omhd8_1ppDkQiXqyecN_to8JixDEoLRMWAjTf8OVhbddXZ1b_MY2n8c-BMSfsr72XHDl/s640/IMG_1448.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfkh-byS4CdNl7bOuOZ4gDRixZJZGqbUUOYUmigj2kmAOHESV8NBjfiCAX5wFAj_XyDT7VOcc6aDktUwrpsw0qGfcIgfkgoxl_Xu8TtX7eM4e-pV63LbdQGjJx6_9CzIxUKVW1ZOdyFXa/s1600/IMG_3979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfkh-byS4CdNl7bOuOZ4gDRixZJZGqbUUOYUmigj2kmAOHESV8NBjfiCAX5wFAj_XyDT7VOcc6aDktUwrpsw0qGfcIgfkgoxl_Xu8TtX7eM4e-pV63LbdQGjJx6_9CzIxUKVW1ZOdyFXa/s640/IMG_3979.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished deck. Nice project for 2 days. :)</td></tr>
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I later went back through and finished setting the screws into the deck boards. This burned through 3 batteries on my impact driver. I highly recommend an impact driver instead of a plain drill/screwdriver. You’ll understand why the 1st time you use one to drive long screws. My Porter Cable 20v never hesitated driving the 3” screws. Be sure and wear eye and hearing protection. Driving ~ 400 screws will take its toll.<br />
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Just a note on working with wood. Everything I had done before had been with steel. It is very exact, very straight, very precise in length and depth. Wood is exactly the opposite. It’s warped and bowed and cut to varying lengths and thicknesses. It swells (at different rates) when pressure treated and shrinks as it dries. Screws and nails don’t drive in straight as they have a tendency to follow the grain. Wood tries to arch as it continues to relax after it’s been freed from its tree form. Lots to consider. When I meticulously drew up our plans for this deck, I didn’t take into account that the wood would be thicker and wider due to being wet. I planned on 13 deck boards at 5 1/2” wide. Between the swelling and the fact that they just won’t lay flush against each other, I ended up with an extra 1” hanging off of the edge of the deck closest to the house. The reasonable thing would have been to run that last board through our table saw and trim off the inch. Instead, we hooked the entire deck up to a couple of trees in the yard and pulled it away from the house another inch with ratchet straps. (Incredibly heavy by now) If it don’t fit, get a bigger hammer! lol We were just too lazy to dig the table saw out of the storage building as it was buried with beekeeping supplies at the time. Plan accordingly. Either plan ahead and let your lumber dry for 3 weeks to a month before you start your project OR count on the room necessary for each board to be a bit wider than 5 1/2”.<br />
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We really enjoyed this project and will enjoy the deck even more over the next 30 years. Anything past that's a crap shoot - for us, not the deck. I hope it gives you some insight and helps you understand the factors in building your own simple deck. Best of luck, bless you and have a great holiday!Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-49566533122505740222017-04-23T07:59:00.000-07:002017-05-21T09:22:30.505-07:00(Apr 23) Bees! Bees! Bees!OK, this past couple of weeks has pretty much just been about bees and looking forward to Earthday. We bought a full hive from someone in our bee club. We bought a swarm that someone caught. We caught our own swarm, and now we have 2 more colonies (Nucs) we are buying at the end of this week. Lots of prep time getting the boxes painted, cleaned up and ready for their new occupants. We've also been to several classes this month in prep. My head is swelling with bee knowledge. I look forward to the day that I know what I'm doing, though! We keep coming to conclusions of what we should be doing and then we run it by a seasoned beekeeper only to find out that we're still really green and don't have a clue.<br />
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That's alright! It's what this first year is about. We were told early on that if we managed to keep our bees alive for our first year that it was just a bonus. The real goal is to learn. Learn what the bees need. Learn what not to do. Learn what we should be doing and when to do it.<br />
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After a great weekend of volunteering at the Tiny House Village at Earth Day Texas, we came out to the Tiny to transfer the swarm we had caught to a permanent box. We were absolutely shocked at how busy they had been. They took over our swarm trap about 30 days ago and got after it. We really shouldn't have left them this long I guess. We made a real mess of trying to transfer the comb to the new box. Some of it was 18" deep but we only had room for 11" deep in the new box. I also wasn't prepared for how soft and pliable it was, literally breaking apart in my hand.<br />
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After tearing up most of the comb, we decided to get the rest of the bees in their new hive and just let them get back to doing what they do best. They were pretty upset and my smoker had run out of fuel. I had let Kim wear the full suit and I was only wearing a veil and some gloves. Mistake! Next time, I need at least a full jacket with an integrated veil. I got stung 6-7 times while we were performing the transfer. You just have to work through it and get it finished. I'll be better prepared next time! Count on it!<br />
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Here are some photos of us discovering what's in the swarm trap for the 1st time!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LbeU7xXgWdP1ysJhxQ9UgeekMVMcQQkV8lwA994rSx5CINHce_oByNjbo9OiEp0rPRuYyXsvZHpilzZ1u9la13MDmGzqxyGP-VGehgpfhTzL9LyIY0Xq5gFHXG4tMlBU48wz5AeDHBN8/s1600/IMG_1054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LbeU7xXgWdP1ysJhxQ9UgeekMVMcQQkV8lwA994rSx5CINHce_oByNjbo9OiEp0rPRuYyXsvZHpilzZ1u9la13MDmGzqxyGP-VGehgpfhTzL9LyIY0Xq5gFHXG4tMlBU48wz5AeDHBN8/s640/IMG_1054.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swarm box hanging on the side of a tree at the back of our property for the last month.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XUE1eAPg89mJwgd4NR6HzASg_jsjrUrh_RnVoMyuM-am5hRrIiKjb9Cu_hXc4TDAc1-qTtE3fLyaNSwMDFAYiBEPJbtkfhc3PuFN6xyCoKVSzFmtBaa5i5I5KJJIEItQP8wQ__LSe9rG/s1600/IMG_1075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XUE1eAPg89mJwgd4NR6HzASg_jsjrUrh_RnVoMyuM-am5hRrIiKjb9Cu_hXc4TDAc1-qTtE3fLyaNSwMDFAYiBEPJbtkfhc3PuFN6xyCoKVSzFmtBaa5i5I5KJJIEItQP8wQ__LSe9rG/s640/IMG_1075.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kim, getting ready to open the swarm box</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6Ydqv1IY8jfjbnSFHqraq5ur96NaoR4NQvbuEq9rQ-D9JC0JtP7-6Gwpgb0XMPmApHNNXxjxCkxUTLcQK3_d4g8nzN03L2nDnnGWHH5j3xin32DJG6jgMMOAQxKf1BL1ORU4FbnSYLjQ/s1600/IMG_1077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6Ydqv1IY8jfjbnSFHqraq5ur96NaoR4NQvbuEq9rQ-D9JC0JtP7-6Gwpgb0XMPmApHNNXxjxCkxUTLcQK3_d4g8nzN03L2nDnnGWHH5j3xin32DJG6jgMMOAQxKf1BL1ORU4FbnSYLjQ/s640/IMG_1077.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1st hint that it was really full was that she could barely lift the lid it was so heavy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OrdAXFavkKz5QnMrPUX-lxHDUf-dogrrjil-TVMjx4XTvZqqdk7u_rlXsWSqxUwuX3_muA44yomNUcryhuGRslkvaACR9np-OB4PYwZQsXN-eLN783BkTWmcx0N-j85KNqDSLs7_HHgg/s1600/IMG_1078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OrdAXFavkKz5QnMrPUX-lxHDUf-dogrrjil-TVMjx4XTvZqqdk7u_rlXsWSqxUwuX3_muA44yomNUcryhuGRslkvaACR9np-OB4PYwZQsXN-eLN783BkTWmcx0N-j85KNqDSLs7_HHgg/s640/IMG_1078.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, I'd say they's been busy. That's 18" of comb hanging from the lid!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfEPZ51Qgi-41DsjmT4cs68NnO_oqv4Q9KGY92B5qKCbelt90IeQJSA_F4c2XBMxi3wKdN_oBSDK6okLilmtWNDgjDcuNwSgB7UzaQubsHaH4VIybFfmpRCYoS70pkCFDmbm4QeAJO_8t/s1600/IMG_1079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfEPZ51Qgi-41DsjmT4cs68NnO_oqv4Q9KGY92B5qKCbelt90IeQJSA_F4c2XBMxi3wKdN_oBSDK6okLilmtWNDgjDcuNwSgB7UzaQubsHaH4VIybFfmpRCYoS70pkCFDmbm4QeAJO_8t/s640/IMG_1079.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More hanging in the box still</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMXNUx0g3mhkgXdJZTDAqCwkrmU8izrIp7v6t0uhELlYie4Rgj0rGHWQ75qWGTdh_nj-OLGHP0v8hqiC_H7vBAerxMuP-AfMSTDYpFLhO7wLxNcAYIQlxsBcFrwZaVCArFCsXbES8vfz1/s1600/IMG_1080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMXNUx0g3mhkgXdJZTDAqCwkrmU8izrIp7v6t0uhELlYie4Rgj0rGHWQ75qWGTdh_nj-OLGHP0v8hqiC_H7vBAerxMuP-AfMSTDYpFLhO7wLxNcAYIQlxsBcFrwZaVCArFCsXbES8vfz1/s640/IMG_1080.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a lot of bees!</td></tr>
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I'm guessing we had 8-10 pounds of bees along with another 10-12 pounds of comb with brood, honey and pollen. I need to shorten the swarm box so that they can't draw comb that deep. We're also going to use deep frames with no foundation next time instead of top bar frames. That should facilitate them moving to a deep box much easier.<br />
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I also got new bottom boards with slide in shelves installed in all of our boxes. I think this was the mistake that caused a swarm we had previously caught to leave again. The box they moved into had a regular screened bottom that let in a lot of light. I'm told they really like it dark when they take over a new location as evidenced by they're obvious appreciation of the swarm trap that only had a small slit cut in one side.<br />
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The other thing I added to all of our boxes were trough feeders. These are 1-gallon hanging feeders that go inside of the hive. It lets them better protect the food (sugar water) from other raiding hives as well as allows them to eat throughout the night and continue working. They don't mind the dark and it takes lots of food/fuel for them to produce that much wax. This time of year, they could litterally go through 2 gallons per day per hive. We mix up the syrup at a one-to-one ration (by weight) of water and sugar. A gallon of water weighs 8 pounds. To that we add 8 pounds of sugar. We've been paying about 50¢ per pound for sugar and are looking for a cheaper source. Combined, our hives could go through well over 100 pounds of sugar per week in feeding season!<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ntt_rIoJHA&t=42s" target="_blank">Here's a video on YouTube of us transferring them to the new box.</a> It's not pretty!<br />
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We'll do another follow-up when we get the 2 Nucs this weekend. Hopefully, they'll go a bit smoother. :)<br />
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Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-28475757858181184452017-03-12T11:16:00.000-07:002017-03-15T12:37:59.692-07:00(Mar 12) Beekeeping PrepWe got our 1st bee box painted and ready to receive bees next month. We've been given an adoption date of Apr 28th. :) That's when the 1st wave of bees will be ready for pickup. I'm a bit nervous. Not about keeping bees, about losing bees. I really want to do a good job managing them so that it's a win-win situation. I want the bees to be healthy by natural means as much as I can. I also want the bees to not only survive but be fruitful and multiply. It's kinda scary as I talk to members of our local bee club (<a href="http://www.tvbees.org/" target="_blank">Trinity Valley Beekeeper's Association</a>) and hear about colonies that leave or don't make it at all. There are lots of possible reasons for this and I really want to avoid these scenarios where I have control.<br />
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I think that the bees should be given free reign to manage their own affairs where practical. I want to provide them with a safe environment to raise lots of little bees and store their crops (honey!). I want them to be disease free and manage the pests that are present to a tolerable level. I don't expect them to be completely free of things like varroa mites and hive beetles. This seems impossible these days, even with lots of chemical intervention. I would rather raise bees that are tough and savvy and able to defend their own homes without my drowning them in chemicals that are intended to help them but in the end make them dependent on such.<br />
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There is a proposed change to the statewide management of beekeeping in the state congress as we talk. After much examination and discussion about the content, we have come to the agreement that as it is, it would be worse for Texas beekeepers than the outdated laws that have been on the books since the early 80s. If you want to make a difference in beekeeping here in Texas, please contact you state representatives and senators. Let them know that the proposed bill (<a href="http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/85R/billtext/html/HB01293I.htm" target="_blank">House Bill 1293</a>) is too riddled with ambiguous language and errors. There are proposed changes to this bill but it's uncertain if they can or will make any of those changes in time to get them approved and passed this legislative session. There is a website that has been set up to let beekeepers monitor the progress of this legislation at <a href="http://www.savetexasbeekeepers.org/">www.savetexasbeekeepers.org</a>. Please visit it to understand the issues at hand.<br />
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Any additional support from the public would be greatly appreciated!<br />
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Back to our situation. Here's a stand that we made out of steel that we had left over from building the house. It should provide many years of service for minimal effort and money. :) We built it to support 2 bee hives. One each, centered over the cross braces for support and safety in case the hive slides forward or back. We put a little shelf at each end as a place to rest tools and such. We made it wide enough to be able to pull a box off of a hive and set it in the middle as we work the hive. We set the width based on the need for frame support. The rails are the same width as the supports inside the hive boxes so that we can pull out the frames and hang them from the rails as needed. We left room to be able to put frames on both sides of the box as well. Not a very sophisticated stand but a lot of thought went into it and its use.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMODJH72iorL3xZMYKy55FjSvjwObiHwGJwAttjGhrodzzLAFXnrqpHuXaWy9G1fzbHPP-pU6gupaUMJ_WWD78uRu4aINdRQ0ND0dcqf8sSWWp7-45NGgPdtaHZIie7liPs8A2V8H_Vko/s1600/IMG_0912.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMODJH72iorL3xZMYKy55FjSvjwObiHwGJwAttjGhrodzzLAFXnrqpHuXaWy9G1fzbHPP-pU6gupaUMJ_WWD78uRu4aINdRQ0ND0dcqf8sSWWp7-45NGgPdtaHZIie7liPs8A2V8H_Vko/s640/IMG_0912.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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We will likely build several more as we will need to support 5-6 hives this first season. We can adjust the design as we get some experience. If anyone out there has any beekeeping experience and would like to chime in, we'd love some feedback. We've already had several people ask about our making/selling the stands commercially and would love to hear of any interest.<br />
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Here it is with a hive on it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpkLPRG9p7hGuLRIrFkPpKm1maZ29CvMCA0EQ5VWwIvRXTGUKS2nRWD5eOk8tqEnat5Vn8tQZOUxrrcsMtZMHMlJw0clIn3P52OHK7EzTiiEIUvwj15E7I0UOYR8BhOfpA-D4mj6_Dbk0/s1600/IMG_0913.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpkLPRG9p7hGuLRIrFkPpKm1maZ29CvMCA0EQ5VWwIvRXTGUKS2nRWD5eOk8tqEnat5Vn8tQZOUxrrcsMtZMHMlJw0clIn3P52OHK7EzTiiEIUvwj15E7I0UOYR8BhOfpA-D4mj6_Dbk0/s640/IMG_0913.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Also made some improvements to our bar. We added a glass shelf and are playing with some tiered shelves. Here's an updated photo. :) We are still trying to decide what to line the inside walls with. We've found several nice options but they turned out to be as expensive as the entire cabinet! We'll keep our eyes open and hope something jumps out at us. lol<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bhbg-Gm1LNKvPr0RpskLLAXN9RQaL7Y_3DZuczOoXyZlMnh5Gqcp_7GdyXaRNstwtgdZeefE7eAnxzlFFGLySYWHj9RPxvxivhJiL-4sIGHGMYbtS_pxaEKjsZB9OYpC-b8HpixVvd8V/s1600/IMG_0901.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bhbg-Gm1LNKvPr0RpskLLAXN9RQaL7Y_3DZuczOoXyZlMnh5Gqcp_7GdyXaRNstwtgdZeefE7eAnxzlFFGLySYWHj9RPxvxivhJiL-4sIGHGMYbtS_pxaEKjsZB9OYpC-b8HpixVvd8V/s640/IMG_0901.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
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Just a final note on our electric use so far this year. January ended up at $11.90 in electric use. February wasn't nearly as cold and netted out at $1.10. For March so far, we have a 60¢ credit! :) Our solar panels don't put out huge amounts of power but It seems I've got them sized just right for our current needs. If I had added another panel (and inverter) for $400, I could be enjoying $0 bills - but it would take a long time to make up the extra $400. Better to pay the couple of dollars per month until we find that our use is climbing than be upside down and trying to make up the extra cost of the other panel. I think that makes sense!<br />
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Here's a chart from our electric company on our daily use. The orange bars are the electric use. The black line is the temperature that day. Dips below -0- are where the panels produced more power than we used. Great tool to teach you how to use your power conservatively. :)<br />
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Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-42902618602355300812017-02-26T14:39:00.000-08:002017-03-15T11:22:26.580-07:00(Feb 27) Enjoying the New YearBeen a while since I've posted. Amazing how quickly time flies by. The weather has been unseasonably warm. We've had a number of days in the 80s here in February! We did get down to almost freezing this past weekend though. I will say, it's odd to see mosquitos buzzing around with fur coats on! lol<br />
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We finished (for the most part) our Tiny House this past Fall. We're still going to re-work the water lines coming into the house but that will likely come when we build a pump house. We're OK with bringing in our own water at this point. We pretty much have it down to about 15 gallons per day, including showers. I did re-install the DC pump and a new 12v deep-cycle battery under the sink to have running water there in the kitchen. I keep reminding myself that carrying 40 lb jugs of water is good exercise!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74CMoN9HpKOZ7ZiCY_jT5YwjZU_HGAUgPfOKEDqjBdhF5ZOyWp8Ylud9vHAm-TmgUSBNK3IgPZTuVqy4GDdYepVGFhhlh-kp6VREi5hX2tDio-DVLw5HD2i7sO9FsVEc8lGrqoufPIg9h/s1600/IMG_0743.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74CMoN9HpKOZ7ZiCY_jT5YwjZU_HGAUgPfOKEDqjBdhF5ZOyWp8Ylud9vHAm-TmgUSBNK3IgPZTuVqy4GDdYepVGFhhlh-kp6VREi5hX2tDio-DVLw5HD2i7sO9FsVEc8lGrqoufPIg9h/s640/IMG_0743.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House with the door painted</td></tr>
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We have also changed the storage up a bit in the living area. We took down our metal Elfa shelves and put in another cabinet from IKEA. I know a lot of people really liked the wire baskets but this will be more practical for our daily needs. It fit perfectly in the spot we had and I think it looks great. This unit will serve as a bar and various storage including bedding. It's 96" tall. The 2 sections are now 15" wide and 24" wide. Both are 24" deep. We've still got some lighting and a shelf to install in the bar but it's looking good so far! :) Here are some updated photos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitm5EcN0RDD2zVaNkT0aIgRIdOpLr_Kq_spvhXrDoVtwZ_xiaL8XbYLa7zloag9oq8-FbWU_eFhPJstNyttKJKryj-q38PR-df3DyCph7p4f8T0eNP0CqUj-0Ufd-ahJWXRQRlcvVerwbU/s1600/IMG_0873.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitm5EcN0RDD2zVaNkT0aIgRIdOpLr_Kq_spvhXrDoVtwZ_xiaL8XbYLa7zloag9oq8-FbWU_eFhPJstNyttKJKryj-q38PR-df3DyCph7p4f8T0eNP0CqUj-0Ufd-ahJWXRQRlcvVerwbU/s640/IMG_0873.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking from the door in</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGjwyUSlPiCoemr3rN29o0MAtgnadVFp5ThNu3PCxDt4qsDlvXdO92BMqZOFh6qBFkKn1lrPulh82tGLnGgr87VjtUIAuhaLLERmctDg5cLKE-BHDTjH3wCjqENwexae0lWevVzVTviI3/s1600/IMG_0878.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGjwyUSlPiCoemr3rN29o0MAtgnadVFp5ThNu3PCxDt4qsDlvXdO92BMqZOFh6qBFkKn1lrPulh82tGLnGgr87VjtUIAuhaLLERmctDg5cLKE-BHDTjH3wCjqENwexae0lWevVzVTviI3/s640/IMG_0878.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathroom and cabinet area</td></tr>
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Here's a nice picture of the West wall. Not sure if I had posted once since we re-worked the window and door trim.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwCBNXzVxRQxlfsrmcap8ay3mrzdR3p2gneqprMG8WH-hwkpWCh0niNnkildxjdZetB5utKnO-ICfkw9ugPoba4Ddkzy_-D0SBwUDdphcTHX7Qry9078zm8ee8gfGSXYz48zjZXy2aFVf/s1600/IMG_0894+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwCBNXzVxRQxlfsrmcap8ay3mrzdR3p2gneqprMG8WH-hwkpWCh0niNnkildxjdZetB5utKnO-ICfkw9ugPoba4Ddkzy_-D0SBwUDdphcTHX7Qry9078zm8ee8gfGSXYz48zjZXy2aFVf/s640/IMG_0894+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the kitchen towards the living/sleeping area. </td></tr>
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We went out to an open-house event for the supplier (<a href="http://www.texasbeesupply.com/">Texas Bee Supply</a>) of our honey bees this weekend and picked up our <a href="http://texasbeesupply.com/product/10-frame-complete-hive-kit-combo-wood-frames/">hive kits</a>. Our bees won't be in until late March or April but we're really excited to make some progress. We also got a great tour of their sister company, <a href="http://www.desertcreekhoney.com/">Desert Creek Honey</a>. Amazing the amount of honey that 5000 hives can produce! We were both so impressed with the owner, Mr. Shook, when he came out to our local beekeepers meeting that we were glad to support him in his new business venture of selling beekeeping supplies. It's great too, to find an honest honey supplier in your own area. Many honeys purchased from a grocery store that claimed to be local, raw honey were actually a blend of foreign (mainly Chinese) honey as well as corn syrup, thus negating the health benefit of consuming products with a bit of pollen from your area. The people from Desert Creek Honey were upfront and honest about where all of their honey comes from. You should give them a try. Great products. The creamed jalapeno honey spread is excellent on fresh cornbread!! :) (No, I didn't get as much as one free bottle of honey for my endorsement. I really like the people and their products!)<br />
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Sunday found us painting these and putting the swarm box that we built up in a tree to entice some swarming bees to take up residence. I think Kim and I are both going to enjoy being beekeepers. Everyone we've dealt with so far has been really nice, just like the Tiny House community we've become part of.<br />
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We attended a bee biology class recently, taught by Ryan at the <a href="http://www.tvbees.org/">Trinity Valley Beekeeper's Association</a>. They (the bees) are absolutely fascinating. The queen can lay 2000+ eggs per day for life off of one mating flight but can't feed herself. Female bees do absolutely all of the work in a hive, from the day they hatch 'til the day they die. Male bees (drones) are pretty much good for one thing, breeding to a queen, hopefully from another hive. If successful, they die immediately. If unsuccessful, they are all kicked out of the hive in the fall to starve to death. Since they (the drones) do no other work, it would be impractical for the hive to support them through the winter. After all, the queen can produce more drones at will in the Spring by deciding whether to fertilize the eggs she's laying or not. Fertilized eggs hatch as female workers. Un-fertilized eggs hatch as drones. If the queen slows down her egg production, her daughters gang up on her and either kill her or they conspire to produce a new queen who will do it for them! It's a no-nonsense species. All business, all the time. Something to respect in that. :) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-MOZdZOvhm8GSKLS0hImQhyphenhyphenFNc4-A5VQ5g2o6To3Vj7vI7Gx9-9RJ3N6QYVtYDuOu9bbUKN8y5TYrciT5YJE3MsK8Yc3Qf24OXC3fQiujlHxGGsf9isgumBqgV8Ag_zI0REmFpB23jfq/s1600/Honey+Bee.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-MOZdZOvhm8GSKLS0hImQhyphenhyphenFNc4-A5VQ5g2o6To3Vj7vI7Gx9-9RJ3N6QYVtYDuOu9bbUKN8y5TYrciT5YJE3MsK8Yc3Qf24OXC3fQiujlHxGGsf9isgumBqgV8Ag_zI0REmFpB23jfq/s640/Honey+Bee.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey bee collecting nectar (to make honey) and pollen (to feed baby bees)</td></tr>
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If you find that a swarm of bees has left their hive and taken up in a tree or bush on your property, take the time to call a local bee club. They will likely have someone available to come and rescue the bees. Everyone wins! The bees are very docile at this stage and are easy to handle so there's actually no danger of them attacking you. Their bellies are full of honey and they're just looking for a new home. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swarm of honey bees waiting to decide on where their new home will be!</td></tr>
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We got a nice series of showers on Sunday evening, also. Not sure there is anything better than a Sunday snuggled up with your wife, watching movies and listening to the rain fall on the cabin you built in the woods. I'm very grateful for Kim and all we've accomplished together over the past 10 years. :) Here's to you, Sweetie! <br />
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I'm working on a system to start propagating Chili Pequin pepper plants out on our new property. These are a great little pepper that packs a punch, up to 30x hotter than a Jalapeno. We have a number of plants at our house in Arlington but I've not had any luck in getting them to come up from seed here in the woods. After some research that I should have done in the first place, I find that the seeds have a very tough outer cover and have to get some assistance to germinate. The most popular way is to pass the seeds through a bird. Most likely a Mockingbird. The stomach acid helps thin the casing around the seed as it passes through. Also, they need very warm soil (80°-90°) and very little of it to get started. Preferably less than 1/4" covering them as they germinate. If you come to any of the Tiny House events at our place in the future, remember to ask me. I'll be glad to give you some start seeds. :)<br />
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So - I'm going to get a starter set and soak my pepper seeds in a bleach water solution (preferred method of softening the seeds. You can also use battery acid. NO JOKE!). These guys are tough! They are the only native pepper plant to the United States, growing wild throughout the central and South Texas regions down throughout Mexico, thriving in a mix of sun and shade. Since there are no hybrids, they all have the potential to propagate. They do take a long time each year to get around to their 1st crop, often taking 150 days or more. Thus the reason to start them inside in the winter, if you can keep the soil warm.<br />
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More pics next time of the bee hives and an update on the local deer. We're really hoping that we have a number of fawns this Spring. Most of the does we've seen look pregnant. Very Exciting!! <br />
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See ya then!Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-19096812843572676822016-09-09T13:32:00.004-07:002016-09-20T06:57:06.854-07:00(Sep 5) 3 Yr Anniversary and 1st BoarderAs Labor Day weekend rolled around, we were flooded with memories of our build. This would mark the 3 year anniversary of the weekend that we first started working on the house. I must say, I was pretty pleased with the weather (92°) this weekend compared to 3 years ago when it was over 100°. We've come a long way and are enjoying a lull in the work load. We did get most of the metal roofing put on the storage building this weekend but most of the activity this week had nothing to do with our house, but primarily getting a site ready to accommodate our 1st Tiny House tenant. More on that in a moment. Here are some photos recapping our journey over the past 3 years.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Location picked and started clearing. That's me in the background cutting down trees and brush. I'd cut and Kim would clear.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After clearing the spot we marked it for the foundation.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foundation built and decking started</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deck on and frame built.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheathing, roof and windows installed </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished product! Woo Hoo!!</td></tr>
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I must say, I can feel 3 years of construction in my bones every morning when I get out of bed! lol It's been incredibly fun but a lot of work. I'm really happy to move to another phase where most of our work goes into improving the landscape. I am not a meticulous landscaper. I will never have, nor do I want the manicured urban yard. I don't even own a working lawn mower at this time. I would gladly put up a "Nature Preserve" sign in my yard in Arlington if given the option. That said, I like the "natural" look of woods and meadows. I try to keep a small path cleared to the back of our property here but I definitely don't go out of my way to manicure the forest. The fact that most of the property is covered in huge Oaks and Elms aids me in my desire for a life spent doing something other than riding around on a mower (as some of my neighbors do) for many hours each week. Things just don't grow in the shade like they do in a meadow and that's a good thing. :)<br />
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We made a big decision this month, to allow others in the Tiny House community to move out to our property under a rental agreement. We had agreed in the past to let a friend use our acreage to build his Tiny but we wrestled with the idea of someone living here with us permanently. We broke that ground this weekend when a friend that we met through our Tiny House group here in North Texas was faced with eviction from the location that she had been staying at for the summer. Demere O'Dell has now joined us here in the forest and we couldn't be happier! She's personable and polite and funny and we got a solid warm fuzzy impression that she will be a responsible and fun neighbor.<br />
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She came out to view the property the weekend before and make sure she could stomach the hour+ long drive back to Dallas to work every day. She agreed the land was gorgeous and seemed genuinely excited at the prospect of living a more peaceful life in a remote and heavily wooded forest. :) We made plans to transition her residence over the upcoming holiday weekend. Welcome, Demere! We're thrilled to have you here!<br />
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Our first task was to provide access to the property for a 14' tall vehicle. Hmmm. We ended up bringing out 4 truckloads of road base and shoveling it out along the 750' heavily treed driveway in doses to smooth out the rough spots. Truly didn't take long, about an hour per load including drive time. It's just exhausting when the temps are in the 95°-106° range as it was earlier this month. We also trimmed back a number of limbs that would potentially scratch/damage the Tiny on its journey.<br />
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Next task was to establish a hookup for her 240v/50amp electric service. I decided that to be fair, I would need to measure her electric use, rather than guess each month. I bought and installed a double pole breaker, an RV-style outlet as well as a meter base and meter and did all of the wiring with the appropriate gauge wires. As you may or may not know, 240v service is achieved by providing (2) 120v hot wires accompanied by a single neutral and a single ground. The (2) hot wires must also be in phase with one another. They must come from opposite feed sides of your breaker box. Each side of your breaker box has a line (120v) from the service company coming to it. These are always live and come straight from the meter. When combined, their voltages double to 240v. It's not enough though to just have (2) 120v lines though. They need to compliment each other by working together. If you had (2) 120v breakers that were hooked up to the same feed from the service company, it would typically not work in a 240v appliance since they are considered out-of-phase. There's probably a more complicated explanation of how it all works together but that all you're going to get from me today! lol Anyway, this new life that we lead out here provides me the opportunity to learn something new nearly every day. :) Gotta love it!<br />
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I checked around to find a simple meter but no one had one in stock on the day that I needed it. At ~$70, it wasn't going to be a huge expense, just an inconvenience to have to wait on one to be shipped in. I called around and was super pleased to find a source that had a mechanical meter (as opposed to the new smart meters) that I was offered for free! :) It wasn't going to need to be compliant with the latest building codes or report back to the mother ship (elecdtric company) and besides, I love watching the wheel spin around with use! I miss that with the new meters although I love being able to log in and look at my usage every day. I cleaned it up a bit and reset the meter to zero. Just like new and good to go!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New electric meter for our new renter! </td></tr>
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The outlet is called a 14-50R and it was a pain in the butt to wire but it was much cheaper (about $80 including the meter base and meter!) than the $850+ that an electrician wanted to charge me to provide and install them! Choke! :) I love living in an area where permits and inspections are not required. That said, I read over technical notes for over an hour to make sure that I had a safe/sound plan. I spent 3 hours driving and shopping for the supplies and it took me 2 hours to install and test. A good investment of my time!<br />
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Demere had not been able to use her newly installed mini-split AC since she didn't have access to 240v service at her previous location. She was thrilled (as I was) that it and all of the other electrical features in her Tiny fired right up when we plugged it in. The bad news was that about an hour later, her new AC unit started leaking water inside her house. :( The installer had not been able to test it at its previous location and there was a problem with the drain line that we could not resolve on the spot. Her quiet cool nights would have to wait another couple of days. We loaned her a regular window unit AC until her AC guy can get out to fix the problem. Hey! It's a nice ride through the countryside to get here! Right? :) At least she gets to enjoy the cool. Its just not nearly as quiet. Hopefully he will get it resolved soon.<br />
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Kim spent a good amount of time clearing brush and weed eating the area that would be the new home for <i>The Little Fish</i> as Demere has named her. I cleared the front of the property of the chest-high weeds so that she wouldn't be afraid to pull into our driveway. :) When they arrived, we all took a final walk down the drive and voiced opinions about any potential problems and bottlenecks. An entourage of helpers had come in tow and everyone would have a job to do to make sure this went over without any injuries to the house or its carbon based caretakers. Thanks to Mark, Cory, Rob & Robert as well as Demere's daughter and granddaughter for all of their help!<br />
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Parking the Tiny took a couple of hours to manuever into just the right position, level and get some last minute brush trimming done. It is so darn cute now, sitting there in the woods, glowing softly among the cricket chirps and coyote howls. Life is good! :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's Demere and her caravan driving down our road</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulling down the driveway to its cozy spot in the woods :)</td></tr>
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The good news was that we got all of it done without any major hick ups. We brought out our gas grill and made a mound of grilled burgers, hot dogs and brats. There was very little talking for the next 30 minutes. Sadly, I missed this opportunity to take a group photo and document all of the helpers' presence. You were all appreciated!!<br />
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On a note about nature. This spring saw our first major invasion by wild hogs. They were here on the property on and off for a couple of months, rooting up our road as well as the open woods. We hardly saw a deer for this period and stopped putting out corn in fear that we were just encouraging the hogs to stick around. The swine have long since moved on and now it appears the deer are back in full force. Here are a couple of videos that our trail camera captured behind our house this week. :) First time we've seen spotted fawn here. It was pure pleasure. :)<br />
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<br />Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-2062138822240149112016-08-01T14:26:00.000-07:002016-08-01T14:26:00.091-07:00(Jul 31) Roof Finally Finished<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My hand was finally well enough after surgery to get back on the roof. We had some flashing customized locally and got the last of it put up this weekend. SOOO happy to have this finished. I won't have to get back on the roof until time to do my quarterly sweeping. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5J6lposz4JyctUxnoAWFbVAHSy94G5rJ-2VSNe65ojEqVv1lja8bJrm2dPsnHvkDyYTUxOnbGKvC6xd27d3pxr5vKpJoBtkchc3XLGwuDQIkFhkhDLfUqAh87oUKkDGX2k_sMuSDLPPY/s1600/IMG_0536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5J6lposz4JyctUxnoAWFbVAHSy94G5rJ-2VSNe65ojEqVv1lja8bJrm2dPsnHvkDyYTUxOnbGKvC6xd27d3pxr5vKpJoBtkchc3XLGwuDQIkFhkhDLfUqAh87oUKkDGX2k_sMuSDLPPY/s640/IMG_0536.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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When you're living Tiny, it's hard to get through a week without talking about poop! lol We got our ventilation fan installed in the loo cabinet. Again, I hate cutting holes in a perfectly good floor, but . . . I took a 3" AC fan and built a box around it. This will help channel the air going out as well as give us a good seal against the floor to keep out the bugs and critters.<br />
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Sorry I didn't get a better picture of it. I'll try with the flash next week. It sits directly between the bucket for the solids and the container for the peat moss. There was only about an 1/8th" to spare on either side. :) I'd like to take credit for planning it that way but if you know me, you know better. We stopped in our favorite organization store (<a href="http://www.containerstore.com/welcome.htm" target="_blank">The Container Store</a>) and found the perfect bucket for solid waste. It fit like a glove into the opening we had left over after installing our diverter and pipes. It's 12 gallons so it'll be able to hold a lot more than the 5 gal homer bucket we were using before. It also fits up under the diverter like it was made for it. Good Find! :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bucket for solids in our composting toilet. </td></tr>
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My 2 criteria for replacing our old bucket were a larger capacity and handles. This fit the bill nicely. I'll have a couple of months before I have to commit to a site to start the compost pile. I'll build it up with some landscape timbers before piling it up with poo. lol Once filled, I can stretch some landscape fabric over it to let it cook. We'll leave it for about a year while we start another compost pile. Then, we can plant directly in it - no need to shovel and move it. Just build it in a location that you'll be happy with some landscaping.<br />
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I can't tell you how exciting it is to get down to the last couple of items on our punch list. We'll do some touch-up painting next week as well as add an electrical outlet behind the stove. (I told you I didn't do extensive planning!) There is one there but it's above the top of the stove and we're tired of looking at the extension cord hanging down. I also need to rewire the junction box for the outside lights to try to fix a problem with the LED lights flickering.<br />
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I took off a couple of days with my girls to go to the Texas coast (<a href="http://www.cityofrockport.com/" target="_blank">Rockport</a>) for my mom's 80th birthday. It was a good trip. Went to <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g56476-Port_Aransas_Texas-Vacations.html" target="_blank">Port Aransas</a> to put our toes in the ocean for a bit. We ate fresh seafood every day and brought back lots on top of that. Hard to pass up Red Snapper filets at $6/lb fresh off the boat, especially when they want $24/lb for it here in DFW. Also got lots of shrimp and crab. Still enjoying the gumbo this week! :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-Qd7HvANZHLGoqe3zuB8OzC29GrpDghHxxUdvqOJ-kFQzDF4jrcBGvjked1xIvp4eVes90LKKG3xo3aJrWnK0nZkxY-gbeyGhoNthMAwsFQfgSs_pQP4lAV-Jn8hQEqy6mOnfI7J1uKr/s1600/IMG_0514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-Qd7HvANZHLGoqe3zuB8OzC29GrpDghHxxUdvqOJ-kFQzDF4jrcBGvjked1xIvp4eVes90LKKG3xo3aJrWnK0nZkxY-gbeyGhoNthMAwsFQfgSs_pQP4lAV-Jn8hQEqy6mOnfI7J1uKr/s640/IMG_0514.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the daughters on Padre Island. </td></tr>
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Hard to believe they've pulled multiple 1000+ lb sharks in off of that pier behind us. Amazing that there are hundreds of people swimming and surfing in the area and I've only heard of a couple of shark attacks in the 40 we've been coming here. I swam here many a day when I was living here. <div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny Houses for rent on the road to Padre Island</td></tr>
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We've really enjoyed our bird watching area outside the South window. We set up a seed feeder, a suet cage, multiple hummingbird feeders and a solar powered fountain with a birdbath. The constant flow of birds throughout the day offers instant relaxation and enjoyment. We were graced with some fresh faces over the past couple of weeks. Here were the latest to show off their brilliant colors in our little garden.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Painted Bunting. This is the first year we've seen these. So inspiring!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQCHyMcPaWm7zkuTpPjT7uUSdaSC8Qyk6qmH5JOaSolMDNsyLkAb7VBDl0AeNzhcva81waFfIE6eTsm0UI-D5Mf-nWzv-Vv3fEvH8oyLv1MHuPyF08b0UB4d72n77g6_acG_OHtSYLyb4/s1600/Summer+Tanager+%2528Male%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQCHyMcPaWm7zkuTpPjT7uUSdaSC8Qyk6qmH5JOaSolMDNsyLkAb7VBDl0AeNzhcva81waFfIE6eTsm0UI-D5Mf-nWzv-Vv3fEvH8oyLv1MHuPyF08b0UB4d72n77g6_acG_OHtSYLyb4/s640/Summer+Tanager+%2528Male%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Summer Tanager (male) We saw for just moments last year but we didn't have a fountain up then. Now they're regulars! :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKb7ZzUquoXDVVmrev22vuYNB7LV_5TOaax7SCTLd_paJlDZm0T9RJzVhrrmDoxLQWYJ8YS_08mDgL4Lpr2v3gKu8NeE5zgS3sNnykhd0OQbkhgRr0XknuQlnzfPxERsVNtRAQ1BWp9Q8h/s1600/Summer+Tanager+%2528Female%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKb7ZzUquoXDVVmrev22vuYNB7LV_5TOaax7SCTLd_paJlDZm0T9RJzVhrrmDoxLQWYJ8YS_08mDgL4Lpr2v3gKu8NeE5zgS3sNnykhd0OQbkhgRr0XknuQlnzfPxERsVNtRAQ1BWp9Q8h/s640/Summer+Tanager+%2528Female%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer Tanager (female)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fountain with Summer Tanager getting ready to take a dip! :)</td></tr>
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No, these aren't our photos. Our little bird paradise is completely shaded throughout the day. Combine this with our dark window tint and it's impossible. We've taken literally hundreds of photos but they just won't capture the brilliance without sunlight on them. The window tint is nice in a sense that it allows us to sit inches away from the birds without them seeing us but it does restrict the photos we can take.<br />
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We're going to play with an app for our iPhones I saw. It lets you use one iPhone as a remote control for the camera features of the other iPhone. You set one up in a location that's nice and close, then you sit inside and hit the remote control to take photos when the birds are merely inches away. We should be able to get some nice shots I believe.<br />
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I've created another page here for the blog that shows off the birds that we have entertained here in our little wooded paradise - <a href="http://dreamsbytheacre.blogspot.com/2016/08/our-birds.html" target="_blank">Our Birds</a>.<br />
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My wife, Kim, is so talented. I was a bit skeptical when she volunteered us to make a sign for the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/dfwthe/" target="_blank">DFW Tiny House Enthusiasts</a> to gather 'round at the Jamboree next week in Colorado Springs. I must say, she came through and I couldn't be prouder.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDWCiFqpsfalhlgMiewTytcpg0yw6if5Lf5NY2rac260Q5UyZW33N4tSW5zWWHEx-7D7eZhSXG_YQFh4SD1HH_Bd_BCUeWQBhiHwwuDW44MNkhI3hzbL1J2jqf3gtllYujF4ZuHreqORe/s1600/IMG_0526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDWCiFqpsfalhlgMiewTytcpg0yw6if5Lf5NY2rac260Q5UyZW33N4tSW5zWWHEx-7D7eZhSXG_YQFh4SD1HH_Bd_BCUeWQBhiHwwuDW44MNkhI3hzbL1J2jqf3gtllYujF4ZuHreqORe/s640/IMG_0526.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kim with our new Meetup sign! </td></tr>
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We were having trouble finding someone who could fit the shepherd's hook in their vehicle that was going up on Thursday. We ended up at the metal shop at <a href="http://www.hootensteel.net/" target="_blank">Hooten's Hardware</a> in Emory. Tim, their resident metal guru, took a few minutes and come up with a great solution. He cut the shaft in half and threaded both ends with a die and then married the two halves with a long open ended nut. You can easily take it apart for transport and put it back together at your site. :) Again, great job, Honey!! Look for us when you get to Colorado next week!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxVwEnyPkrjo2sDB1MGYQAe7ZNGzgif70Wqmh8ABmL3BXDBoRgZDtuOGr4GWc7M6Z116shcluSyBUMNzaTwb7meULDHhA-wIl45TEdtwSOPky8m_E5qHzFx9A1XaKmRHD04CssStDimdG/s1600/IMG_0524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxVwEnyPkrjo2sDB1MGYQAe7ZNGzgif70Wqmh8ABmL3BXDBoRgZDtuOGr4GWc7M6Z116shcluSyBUMNzaTwb7meULDHhA-wIl45TEdtwSOPky8m_E5qHzFx9A1XaKmRHD04CssStDimdG/s640/IMG_0524.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here was the kitten, Bella, that was at Hooten's hanging out with her best friend! :) What a sweetie!!</td></tr>
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Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-53866704008826309702016-08-01T13:03:00.001-07:002017-03-17T10:51:41.675-07:00Our BirdsI wanted to have a place that I could post pics of the variety of birds that visit our little paradise in the woods. We see other birds in the neighborhood but these are ones that we have witnessed on our property. We are about an hour east of Dallas in a region they call Post Oak Savannah, just before the piney woods of East Texas. As I've stated elsewhere in our blog, these are not our photos. I've borrowed them for display. Our birdfeeding area is shaded and we've had no luck taking photos. We're just pleased that they grace us with their presence and antics daily. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rZ6MATf7m_UMU_DrrpiSTna5YPIrg4gnDbsoLOe42CZwaax8kZI7GZtkvu3oAftbItPNfhk08zRmfC8fvGM0p_hnCICI2AHOpSuclISRoDwyIVjBlmDhBqovk2tv5m_g7A9raR_dzDBo/s1600/Painted+Bunting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rZ6MATf7m_UMU_DrrpiSTna5YPIrg4gnDbsoLOe42CZwaax8kZI7GZtkvu3oAftbItPNfhk08zRmfC8fvGM0p_hnCICI2AHOpSuclISRoDwyIVjBlmDhBqovk2tv5m_g7A9raR_dzDBo/s640/Painted+Bunting.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painted Bunting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvSvOCUdydtzGeV_Qjxd_NZ9SbITud80xeF_CTILjKmu5v2kPLxmJ0owxs1Gfqvpud-czG_6LITE_R82tiEymsQvPhyqZEXw41fQTRoiay3WSJZDGO2bPIrKTLgelEAxvVBWL8isrVK8M/s1600/Summer+Tanager+%2528Male%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvSvOCUdydtzGeV_Qjxd_NZ9SbITud80xeF_CTILjKmu5v2kPLxmJ0owxs1Gfqvpud-czG_6LITE_R82tiEymsQvPhyqZEXw41fQTRoiay3WSJZDGO2bPIrKTLgelEAxvVBWL8isrVK8M/s640/Summer+Tanager+%2528Male%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer Tanager (male)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OR_L0pgUNMK-FMA8ZeWGr5HI1guwH50GFemoXvJOQq9ohRG0j0wjeq1beWEJGtKl3p1ECiDOlxNzG0VBp9UjCaLVa1QH9Bs35WFEnDXF1zVvHclLwa7EGx7-mHSN0UwsUbNd143nLrRH/s1600/Summer+Tanager+%2528Female%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OR_L0pgUNMK-FMA8ZeWGr5HI1guwH50GFemoXvJOQq9ohRG0j0wjeq1beWEJGtKl3p1ECiDOlxNzG0VBp9UjCaLVa1QH9Bs35WFEnDXF1zVvHclLwa7EGx7-mHSN0UwsUbNd143nLrRH/s640/Summer+Tanager+%2528Female%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer Tanager (female)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlzcy22qvDCCN9gHKreFYU-SLHf_cony9Rh-1qBJwW78x63TMdKo4AKmK1HIkltUeBG1PHggzNGjWr2j4QLIkafGXM6nLP6U07a7U1T9qmBxUeLu0pW_kOZhDYckKdhC0i2kLml9I0ZdF/s1600/American+Crow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlzcy22qvDCCN9gHKreFYU-SLHf_cony9Rh-1qBJwW78x63TMdKo4AKmK1HIkltUeBG1PHggzNGjWr2j4QLIkafGXM6nLP6U07a7U1T9qmBxUeLu0pW_kOZhDYckKdhC0i2kLml9I0ZdF/s640/American+Crow.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Crow</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBxDvkLvOV2sLePwdshBQntieV1DzEPZ07piYazG83na8NLhULZp5ebDTz8sMH2C6DBAkxRnmdMjIflHF90P2_9bcCpGT2Gi7xxouK2fQ1Kx7Ce5o6z1wnJzufT2e6Cm3X8PkscRlWAhM/s1600/Blue+Jay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBxDvkLvOV2sLePwdshBQntieV1DzEPZ07piYazG83na8NLhULZp5ebDTz8sMH2C6DBAkxRnmdMjIflHF90P2_9bcCpGT2Gi7xxouK2fQ1Kx7Ce5o6z1wnJzufT2e6Cm3X8PkscRlWAhM/s640/Blue+Jay.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Jay</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDzgfREBZLPXchQPjtzUVcfl1iOyfbT8E4OMrmwhy7V6RIZNSSsp4geN4OJ5H3evtA7LbNY32HOvJz3jw4mo671jgeiVzo3kAXyXOwzxxOwtl9j850s_C9dFoxlqP_FQJoPaEh9ffh8bT/s1600/Carolina+Chickadee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDzgfREBZLPXchQPjtzUVcfl1iOyfbT8E4OMrmwhy7V6RIZNSSsp4geN4OJ5H3evtA7LbNY32HOvJz3jw4mo671jgeiVzo3kAXyXOwzxxOwtl9j850s_C9dFoxlqP_FQJoPaEh9ffh8bT/s640/Carolina+Chickadee.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carolina Chickadee</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7cxnMX9l8_UaHbFalPdrik_9aKAloeqDlua5SKh-Rzb8wXsUnObTO-fyZjgkfAVhr8zwEBKhEjao1r8F141k7HDKW8CWRgKTjhYB9Wzd2tXcGCtqLu5YU6uUttw1Alf6o1-Z_O17n8nh/s1600/Carolina+Wren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7cxnMX9l8_UaHbFalPdrik_9aKAloeqDlua5SKh-Rzb8wXsUnObTO-fyZjgkfAVhr8zwEBKhEjao1r8F141k7HDKW8CWRgKTjhYB9Wzd2tXcGCtqLu5YU6uUttw1Alf6o1-Z_O17n8nh/s640/Carolina+Wren.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carolina Wren</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWjWvM0lLpMrso_HYT7RyLEboeRJbEFbnr8Vxt3zgqX_BQ6sbj3SaLjmqsRsRAQ-uiZhUIzNxfH2C5LQJZDsi9rVeSKdSGV378Q5LnLWII8n50nyFkSg_NClF6wpthyphenhyphenLX1g3nv9ILuwv0/s1600/Eurasian+Collared+Dove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWjWvM0lLpMrso_HYT7RyLEboeRJbEFbnr8Vxt3zgqX_BQ6sbj3SaLjmqsRsRAQ-uiZhUIzNxfH2C5LQJZDsi9rVeSKdSGV378Q5LnLWII8n50nyFkSg_NClF6wpthyphenhyphenLX1g3nv9ILuwv0/s640/Eurasian+Collared+Dove.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ring-Necked Dove</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfde5ZcevTq_GiHlUHjfFnzgIclalq4De9lfVVgD9WhWxb6ph0YhAzWsHmOR9PbjxdNmXZ8HJXjLb4V9J-sEhIqkP2SyL1Rm5qTaYXMXNi7bgRG6wycTq4l5KpMPllrKMOk2EE3j3rMfGn/s1600/Northern+Cardinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfde5ZcevTq_GiHlUHjfFnzgIclalq4De9lfVVgD9WhWxb6ph0YhAzWsHmOR9PbjxdNmXZ8HJXjLb4V9J-sEhIqkP2SyL1Rm5qTaYXMXNi7bgRG6wycTq4l5KpMPllrKMOk2EE3j3rMfGn/s640/Northern+Cardinal.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Cardinal</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6TGpxsRenWufG5V-PDTbIojymMCscVWrhRaR24OShgMQBZKUu3Kcmdqemfl0hacJLfEWD9dRp9TaV2olqdUL-NX8OLwiWty___JjaSGWHC7B0pximZ_EG_tJGE4LLhL0l7ZsZn1NvFsk/s1600/Red+Tailed+Hawk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6TGpxsRenWufG5V-PDTbIojymMCscVWrhRaR24OShgMQBZKUu3Kcmdqemfl0hacJLfEWD9dRp9TaV2olqdUL-NX8OLwiWty___JjaSGWHC7B0pximZ_EG_tJGE4LLhL0l7ZsZn1NvFsk/s640/Red+Tailed+Hawk.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Tailed Hawk</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuy62-fVSsJ04D_XBd0LpzJoBBCl_6ZZO-QScS8VZIyHD5KmzUuPkZrRlgdE52nSM_OXpRSFmIfCO7P7wGBVHhxaT62M8N7RIH8WYUEhCoY_ahYH3ZIwVkYqsSq-rHH0c0ZcDI_XWl36X2/s1600/Ruby+Throated+Hummingbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuy62-fVSsJ04D_XBd0LpzJoBBCl_6ZZO-QScS8VZIyHD5KmzUuPkZrRlgdE52nSM_OXpRSFmIfCO7P7wGBVHhxaT62M8N7RIH8WYUEhCoY_ahYH3ZIwVkYqsSq-rHH0c0ZcDI_XWl36X2/s640/Ruby+Throated+Hummingbird.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby Throated Humminbird</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBV7-_KF16Oqyd7copOLrd9qCTE3RLEWIynSyR7fZYh5G33KQGlB3qR7OdjB1xhA-dqcboUQI2hkGx0qzg59WqVP5ZTLcVP8mF6_OqOHJeUkwwg-8rvhv8h93rwC9hXiEHthL0_y12QaRK/s1600/Tufted+Titmouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBV7-_KF16Oqyd7copOLrd9qCTE3RLEWIynSyR7fZYh5G33KQGlB3qR7OdjB1xhA-dqcboUQI2hkGx0qzg59WqVP5ZTLcVP8mF6_OqOHJeUkwwg-8rvhv8h93rwC9hXiEHthL0_y12QaRK/s640/Tufted+Titmouse.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tufted Titmouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCrM3Q_H7quA-ck3AlfsfziMhnwHpfvEuNXBQqzjnZLNwyiYiYznpg9FQfeK0hFdmB4tQ5OHIFFic73d5883nhV8-RN1Is-PAmnip9xicuZpi2Ug2S8wXdlWYAep0Th8SJoBXuFToChgG/s1600/White+Throated+Sparrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCrM3Q_H7quA-ck3AlfsfziMhnwHpfvEuNXBQqzjnZLNwyiYiYznpg9FQfeK0hFdmB4tQ5OHIFFic73d5883nhV8-RN1Is-PAmnip9xicuZpi2Ug2S8wXdlWYAep0Th8SJoBXuFToChgG/s640/White+Throated+Sparrow.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Throated Sparrow</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPePS11sBeW7MHkAuawQsQ9_xDM7ZiM6Z2XETO94LRkPzDwogTyFAUf1pC5wyiPSf3V1zTo5Qy60ME8uLdRlFR3JRFrrsdVq8PXRMfmj2J38AGHTJYg9GjbVmZjA4kgggqLmV0Py8HWE2l/s1600/White-Breasted+Nuthatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPePS11sBeW7MHkAuawQsQ9_xDM7ZiM6Z2XETO94LRkPzDwogTyFAUf1pC5wyiPSf3V1zTo5Qy60ME8uLdRlFR3JRFrrsdVq8PXRMfmj2J38AGHTJYg9GjbVmZjA4kgggqLmV0Py8HWE2l/s640/White-Breasted+Nuthatch.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Breasted Nuthatch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFY7OG1tKM2ne9D_Ggeok6VCgcWPCGPO-R9rZgsDhVzuoUu8_WhR8wCj3vCVnf_TAsog5678NPY4IfIpfyhlugxMPjHuRx7ZErOMdZIO3LYZuMewrOnib5zdu7V2yGP1s8MumuY5rmzYaN/s1600/Dark+Eyed+Junco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFY7OG1tKM2ne9D_Ggeok6VCgcWPCGPO-R9rZgsDhVzuoUu8_WhR8wCj3vCVnf_TAsog5678NPY4IfIpfyhlugxMPjHuRx7ZErOMdZIO3LYZuMewrOnib5zdu7V2yGP1s8MumuY5rmzYaN/s640/Dark+Eyed+Junco.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark Eyed Junko</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtL6Z7Wh3uTj5K5uNgr4vwk0wZoyn0fyPOHOVSmQYhsQE_kdL_1cKdaVGBFO9ux2oxIgMjmSYu0DHuP-X5pPn8CNF7YtRN5uEpIZ2O6z8QIyaBCdE-YElrThbAJ8TTHeZqXpMoYV0TANo/s1600/Yellow-Bellied+Sapsucker.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtL6Z7Wh3uTj5K5uNgr4vwk0wZoyn0fyPOHOVSmQYhsQE_kdL_1cKdaVGBFO9ux2oxIgMjmSYu0DHuP-X5pPn8CNF7YtRN5uEpIZ2O6z8QIyaBCdE-YElrThbAJ8TTHeZqXpMoYV0TANo/s640/Yellow-Bellied+Sapsucker.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYOGBO0RKdm8_SQlXYc5V_1Gi9VEmZUdbZu_yOlfsSp0Lhyphenhyphen9YlSx1SDiPEZPl3dgH1HAjOBAnhYdmo0cHXnn5q2JzOWHGNTE6bD1BUTYq5HdUpN4zkNdTR86sj8xP6RWYZOk8L1hnC3fYb/s1600/Ruby-Crowned+Kinglet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYOGBO0RKdm8_SQlXYc5V_1Gi9VEmZUdbZu_yOlfsSp0Lhyphenhyphen9YlSx1SDiPEZPl3dgH1HAjOBAnhYdmo0cHXnn5q2JzOWHGNTE6bD1BUTYq5HdUpN4zkNdTR86sj8xP6RWYZOk8L1hnC3fYb/s640/Ruby-Crowned+Kinglet.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby-Crowned Kinglet</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-bellied Woodpecker</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downy Woodpecker</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Vulture (black head and white wing tips)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turkey Vulture (white along length of wings and red head)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u39BwNF_WemXDoOQT2IwLRe05yYi37G7lrMGyYG6yRlL0vD1xPqYWlgKlNtJWAISZMdEutHa84hK187T6wtMJ8yD_ZU7wZj-eqb3xb4G2V-xyAYJPuUPLC0MJago8WnRpkeAUAb1maR9/s1600/Brown+Thrasher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u39BwNF_WemXDoOQT2IwLRe05yYi37G7lrMGyYG6yRlL0vD1xPqYWlgKlNtJWAISZMdEutHa84hK187T6wtMJ8yD_ZU7wZj-eqb3xb4G2V-xyAYJPuUPLC0MJago8WnRpkeAUAb1maR9/s640/Brown+Thrasher.jpg" width="466" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown Thrasher. About the size of a Blue Jay.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wood Thrush. Very active!</td></tr>
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Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-88398385832229362062016-07-20T14:07:00.000-07:002016-07-20T14:07:10.524-07:00(Jul 19) Free At LastCan't tell you how happy I am to have my cast off! Everything appears to be healing OK. Took 3 hand washings and 2 showers to get that smell off my hand. The cut closed up really nicely. I still can't touch but 2 of my fingers to my palm on that hand but I start PT next week. It seems like forever ago that it happened and still another 2-3 months of rehab to go. :(<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxRFR5fgFfv26GCbk0Qa88O4bv2DKkRjc2Y8PR4BCZx70cSsx8XDBMurhIX8x0mJiKT7yEV5StpzjCcAiBjC0rgmqAzchpr039kGrc-TcEPDkKeOnD7tJ590tCO7_k1v0EhwC6oCNm4Ix/s1600/IMG_0496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxRFR5fgFfv26GCbk0Qa88O4bv2DKkRjc2Y8PR4BCZx70cSsx8XDBMurhIX8x0mJiKT7yEV5StpzjCcAiBjC0rgmqAzchpr039kGrc-TcEPDkKeOnD7tJ590tCO7_k1v0EhwC6oCNm4Ix/s640/IMG_0496.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 weeks after surgery</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 week after surgery</td></tr>
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Last weekend, we worked on the toilet project on Saturday. Made some good progress. We got a hole cut in the deck and the diverter and the seat mounted. I think it's coming along OK. We'll still have to stain and seal the whole thing but it works like a champ!<br />
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Also did some more baking on Saturday night. I've been craving bread pudding so here was yet another. This time I made a chocolate sauce with toasted pecans to put over it along and served it with some vanilla ice cream. Wish I had taken a pic after I dished it up. It was delicious!<br />
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On Sunday, we went to a <a href="http://www.meetup.com/" target="_blank">MeetUp</a> with fellow <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/dfwthe/" target="_blank">DFW Tiny House Enthusiasts</a>. (so exciting that our Facebook group has topped 1100 members for North Texas!) A quick stop at <a href="http://www.beerknurd.com/locations/addison-flying-saucer" target="_blank">The Flying Saucer</a> in Addison with a few of the members to chase a cold beer first. Then we were off to Michelle's, who graciously opened up her home for our meeting to discuss and plan our converging on Colorado next month for the <a href="http://www.tinyhousejamboree.com/" target="_blank">Tiny House Jamboree</a>. :) <br />
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I've been so glad to be involved in such a vibrant and friendly group. With so much violence and anger erupting across the nation over religion, race and politics, it's really nice to be involved in something that transcends all of that. We all (straight, gay, ethnic, Muslim, Christian, Atheist, liberal, conservative) just come together to help each other on a wide variety of projects that we're all passionate about. This has been so much fun! I've never been able to count on this many friends at one time in my life. I want to thank everyone involved for making this time so special. :) <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, that's my Guiness in the foreground! :)</td></tr>
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The Jamboree should be spectacular this year. They've announced that there will be 47 Tiny Houses (all commercially built units) on display this year. That should ease the viewing lines quite a bit compared to the 12 units they had last year. Ample parking, multiple food trucks on-site throughout the event, ability to bring in a cooler. I think this event will be quite special. Counting down the days!<br />
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Next week, we do some touch-up painting and hopefully some wood sealing - window casings, toilet, door jam, etc. I need to re-wire the outdoor lights on the north side as well as glue up the PVC drain pipes for the toilet and the sink. Also need to put in the P-Trap for the shower. Even though I have my cast off, I don't think Kim's going to let me on the roof yet to finish the flashing. Maybe when we get back from Colorado. :) There's always plenty to do in the mean time.Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-10893091547312126122016-07-10T10:36:00.000-07:002016-07-15T12:49:19.278-07:00(Jul 10) Plumbing The ToiletWith my hand still bound up in a cast, I've avoided getting back up on the roof. Instead, this weekend, we turned our attention to plumbing under the house, namely drainage for the composting toilet and the shower. We set out to get the first phase of the toilet ready, the urine diverter. It's an interesting conversation when you spend half the day trying to figure out where you mount this thing to make sure it catches everything for multiple people. Hopefully, we won't have to do too much adjustment after we cut the holes in the deck.<br />
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We knew where we wanted it to be positioned. We just needed to get it there. This involved cutting away some of the frame and grinding the plywood away to accommodate the curved front of the diverter as it rises with the lid.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diverter attached to the cabinet lid. The drain pipe and bucket in place.</td></tr>
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Once we got the position of the diverter set, that set the position for the drain pipe, which in turn determined where it would exit the floor. I got a range of motion of the pipe and confirmed that we weren't going to cut a hole directly above a floor joist. Cutting a hole in your floor is scary enough without the frustration of having to cut a 2nd hole because the 1st was in the wrong spot. We decided to drill a small hole to test the proposed location. I crawled under the house and verified it was right between 2 joists. :) I broke out our new hole saw and bored through the toilet frame, the flooring and both layers of subflooring without a hitch. Nice Saw!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drain pipe exiting the cabinet through the floor</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diverter in position with drain pipe</td></tr>
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Next, we secured the inlet pipe to the plywood wall and made sure the final placement of the diverted was good. We also confirmed that the bucket for solids would fit against up under the lip of the diverter. Just another safety measure to make sure nothing spills past the diverter. we are also on the hunt for the perfect bucket/container. Would love to find something square or rectangular that's tall enough to come up right under the diverter lip. A larger volume would mean we could go longer between emptying it.<br />
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Under the house, we plumbed a drain pipe that we tied into the drain under the kitchen. We left enough pitch to make sure it would flow downhill and out of the pipes. Also had to consider that we wanted the shower to start draining out back with the rest of the grey water. This was a difficult step for me. I had put a lot of thought and effort into proving the functionality of our recirculating shower. This would be the end of that project. :(<br />
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It wasn't that it hadn't worked. It worked fine. We were able to take showers for as long as you liked with only 5 gallons of water used. The reality of it though was that it took a fair amount of effort to set up each shower. I would fill the 5-gallon jug. Then I would turn on the pump that would circulate the water through the filter and the water heater just long enough to get the water to the desired temperature, usually no more than 5-7 minutes. After that, I would turn off the heater and leave the water circulating to take a shower. When done, I would have to dump the jug and start the process over if anyone else needed to bathe. I just couldn't see myself going through all of this every morning as we tried to get ready <span style="background-color: yellow;">to</span> go to work. :( It just wasn't going to be feasible for the long term.<br />
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I have since picked up a water heater (propane) at an auction and will be working on getting it hooked up and running. It won't be as efficient at conserving water but it will be much easier to deal with. I think we can still stay within our consumption goal of 5 gallons per shower. We'll just have to get used to Navy showers where we turn the water on and off throughout the shower for conservation. We just won't get to sit in there and take the 20-30 min showers we hoped to.<br />
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I'll have more pics coming as we hope to finalize everything soon. Have a great weekend!Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-52841569244713957702016-07-06T12:07:00.001-07:002016-07-08T06:47:05.042-07:00 (Jul 4) Let Independence Ring!Well, we've had an interesting couple of weeks. As many know, I had a pretty rough May/June this year. In May, my wife and I were hit by a truck on the way to work and our car was totaled. Luckily, neither of us (Kim was driving) was hurt badly. While dealing with that, I was cut by some metal flashing at Home Depot last month which severed a tendon on my left hand. I'm doing OK after surgery but really hate being in a cast! I can't decide which is worse, the itching or the smell. I don't know how they expect me to build a tiny house in this thing! LOL! (By the way - large zip ties work great for sliding into your cast to get those hard to reach itchy spots!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working on attaching rake to roof</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1QDraRR1e99VfdOKtvK8lDiqEmfK6w9XD7QQekunm09FN7lit6WMS4DNSC2-UiQP-6u0sqnU-iuaSQvK-7mcPI0AkkOJmCZlQihEp5KLlujKkuVV2rnxKLOgb1aqZqU1dz9rdVCLF41F/s1600/IMG_2670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1QDraRR1e99VfdOKtvK8lDiqEmfK6w9XD7QQekunm09FN7lit6WMS4DNSC2-UiQP-6u0sqnU-iuaSQvK-7mcPI0AkkOJmCZlQihEp5KLlujKkuVV2rnxKLOgb1aqZqU1dz9rdVCLF41F/s640/IMG_2670.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cast with <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/2-in-x-1-4-yds-Repair-Wrap-857101004013/204413279" target="_blank">FiberFix patch kit</a> installed after I broke it. A lot like the original cast material. :)<br />
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This week, I upgraded to a version that I can get wet - swim, shower, sweat! It cost me a little extra out of pocket but I think it will be worth it over the next couple of weeks that I'm stuck in this thing. Kim won't let me post pics of the cut or surgery. Hmmmph! Anyway, I did get a new cast on today (after a week) as I broke the other one (cast, not hand) on Friday working on the roof. So here's a pic of where I'm at so far.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pigMcqfw_DY_OAs-WyyXzeuEqUypyDUBLVub_Kp5i1OTDafD5ius3wAi0AWF68cdsJwAqEoI1wHnWKPlpB9EvJLpndH2jcuK-ubEkSHMXT7HK2rJzjSxniElaLVkiKwTWgQovWYFrfTJ/s1600/IMG_0448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pigMcqfw_DY_OAs-WyyXzeuEqUypyDUBLVub_Kp5i1OTDafD5ius3wAi0AWF68cdsJwAqEoI1wHnWKPlpB9EvJLpndH2jcuK-ubEkSHMXT7HK2rJzjSxniElaLVkiKwTWgQovWYFrfTJ/s640/IMG_0448.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New waterproof cast</td></tr>
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Pretty excited to get another phase of our water catchment system completed. My hand is still only about 10% back in action after surgery so we set a light work schedule. Well, that was the plan! I wanted to get the gutter up and draining into our cistern to start rinsing and measuring what we get with the next couple of rains. We headed to Home Depot for supplies. I must admit, I walked by the section of flashing that had attacked me several weeks before with a bit of glare in my eye and a low growl. lol<br />
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As in everything we do, there was some good news and some bad news. The good news – there were some gutter pieces that were lightly damaged, enough for our project. We got those at 70% off. The bad news – they didn't have everything we needed. We would still have to go to another store. People are still amazed that we can fit 10' pieces of lumber and gutter inside our Hyundai Elantra and still shut the trunk. It's been really handy for transporting materials although I'm sure I got a couple of dirty looks as I stood by and watched my wife load the car. Not quite as obvious that my hand is out of commission since I had the bandages and splint off before I got my cast. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBj-uUUmWxlkNqI-ILLN4AmhS-oST7vkQLwRQFPw0vViSdcj2dJ-KsQUoukS-hEQ3zNxuMlR1o8bfx7GjTE0i04geJsAams-6BwTRRyMHfKqJsKvDEhBwFCxAQ6WrKVuKyN1J-sLzU_wRJ/s1600/IMG_0406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBj-uUUmWxlkNqI-ILLN4AmhS-oST7vkQLwRQFPw0vViSdcj2dJ-KsQUoukS-hEQ3zNxuMlR1o8bfx7GjTE0i04geJsAams-6BwTRRyMHfKqJsKvDEhBwFCxAQ6WrKVuKyN1J-sLzU_wRJ/s640/IMG_0406.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gutter installed on south roof</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZsEaSLr2Ma4yTasWqjuX1nvHAIXum8gJbNbznGxAbiF-XCRZoMM7qdd2wZIhoJ9E5JYAtvp2QMSYJPkIDNDCIN_nAPeaSV_mS4JaxaqxtJbGqeef2M7_zTyKPfQDIaxuZnT42OExjesg/s1600/IMG_0408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZsEaSLr2Ma4yTasWqjuX1nvHAIXum8gJbNbznGxAbiF-XCRZoMM7qdd2wZIhoJ9E5JYAtvp2QMSYJPkIDNDCIN_nAPeaSV_mS4JaxaqxtJbGqeef2M7_zTyKPfQDIaxuZnT42OExjesg/s640/IMG_0408.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gutter draining into cistern</td></tr>
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We'll work on a 1st Catch diverter in coming weeks to eliminate the debris washing off the roof. This will be absolutely necessary after seeing what accumulates up there. This week, while installing additional roofing components, I found a sizeable pile of raccoon feces as well as a pretty good splattering of dried blood that had dripped from a branch above. I'm guessing it was from an owl or hawk eating a little woodland snack. We're planning a 20 gallon 1st Catch system. Basically, a large diameter pipe standing beside the building that will give us a rinse when it starts raining. After it fills, the rest of the rainwater will continue on to the cistern. It still won't be perfectly clean but it'll be better than what comes off before.<br />
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I'm so blessed that Kim is both capable and enthusiastic about this life-changing journey we're on. It really makes it a blessing to have a goal that manifests itself into a hobby we both really enjoy doing together. :) You're the best!<br />
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Other projects we've been working on have kept us pretty busy. We got rake (overlapping flashing) on both the east and west sides of the roof. Kim made me get off the roof after I broke my cast. Probably should have waited 'til I had some help up there. Thus the dents from dropping it. Hoping to finish the north side next week. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKO29GXPOcKRtelbCRCx1bxy-lV4Mxse523sUDfOHBresQEMFcfL0L8IcAKc2gbvxjH8G1j1xwOV1Fm0B4LYvYpZoB6sSGZJnXZ2ycIRbs9_kkLwtssuixIGAe5_TucD3Y41HhwvFd8m4k/s1600/IMG_0444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKO29GXPOcKRtelbCRCx1bxy-lV4Mxse523sUDfOHBresQEMFcfL0L8IcAKc2gbvxjH8G1j1xwOV1Fm0B4LYvYpZoB6sSGZJnXZ2ycIRbs9_kkLwtssuixIGAe5_TucD3Y41HhwvFd8m4k/s640/IMG_0444.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West side rake on roof finally!</td></tr>
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We also got a grey water drain pipe in place for our sink. There's plenty of adjustment available to extend the down pipe when we're ready to bury it. We just wanted to get it into place and confirm all was working well before we did so. I caulked the hole good around the pipe while we were working on it. This replaces the heavy and incredibly smelly horse trough that we were using before. Now this just drains downhill to the dry creek bed behind the house. The pee trap under the sink should keep out any smells and critters. We used double elbows to allow the pipe to follow the slope if the land. The 1st elbow lets us point the pipe in the direction we needed to go to avoid trees and such. The 2nd allowed the pipe to angle down at the right pitch. I had to beat them on to the pipe so I won't bother cementing them in place until we're ready to bury them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTb3Z6BnoLqiqQ801pRv2yOgX8lfNgPrDoE-ZlBMloTkVwqByMGVjHlkLjADk7xjqsYtEmIC6ti56jMlZnp7bcAfqUap-eM_hFX3K6KVm0uRkdFBRcEPF9e4n_WJ6tqgJyKYJ7lEiKEtp/s1600/IMG_0445.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTb3Z6BnoLqiqQ801pRv2yOgX8lfNgPrDoE-ZlBMloTkVwqByMGVjHlkLjADk7xjqsYtEmIC6ti56jMlZnp7bcAfqUap-eM_hFX3K6KVm0uRkdFBRcEPF9e4n_WJ6tqgJyKYJ7lEiKEtp/s640/IMG_0445.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrgUrx6YSt7zxfgUGkp1e0czrblzn3UrX2HtoB7JlLBo8vZA4ihsZJh8NilwgySxbWFT725W48yTN2YXMQbV0_CI63pgkM_dNK_rQKnQlVQsAtey74SWt5ppsTPP04gsymxD5Q9GGySwf/s1600/IMG_0446.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrgUrx6YSt7zxfgUGkp1e0czrblzn3UrX2HtoB7JlLBo8vZA4ihsZJh8NilwgySxbWFT725W48yTN2YXMQbV0_CI63pgkM_dNK_rQKnQlVQsAtey74SWt5ppsTPP04gsymxD5Q9GGySwf/s640/IMG_0446.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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Since last time, we also completed the soffit under the north side cantilever roof. The birds will sure miss nesting under here! In addition, we got the outside lights wired and installed a switch for them. Raccoons be warned. I'm going to be watching you now! lol<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKOxDJfch2-LERsJo5SyGnIUqTlWWiAOkH8rQ5kZ7xfPtln7Bp7txMXkfp1lEgKnZVx5JgavAsJiTLLdMjnXgPs295WArnjjU_FvuR600C9F-vQn_nJ9jOf_WL6cBreQy_LahhhZGgO-m/s1600/IMG_0389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKOxDJfch2-LERsJo5SyGnIUqTlWWiAOkH8rQ5kZ7xfPtln7Bp7txMXkfp1lEgKnZVx5JgavAsJiTLLdMjnXgPs295WArnjjU_FvuR600C9F-vQn_nJ9jOf_WL6cBreQy_LahhhZGgO-m/s640/IMG_0389.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hardi soffit installed above north wall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The sliding barn door also got some attention this weekend. It was dragging along the floor just a bit so we pulled it down and shaved some off the bottom. It glides really smoothly now. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoABljhlZpbrwC__87RA1Ffa02UL9XSJf27aoUs0wSm3yqORc6Gi1I2QPafxQpldbbJ6eJy-98XQtAkE3iE-JHidhE6WVDcSU8mx8sG4nXR788_hUXPlljpHSgKH9Ag43hqunFQIgoXss/s1600/IMG_0431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoABljhlZpbrwC__87RA1Ffa02UL9XSJf27aoUs0wSm3yqORc6Gi1I2QPafxQpldbbJ6eJy-98XQtAkE3iE-JHidhE6WVDcSU8mx8sG4nXR788_hUXPlljpHSgKH9Ag43hqunFQIgoXss/s640/IMG_0431.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of bath & kitchen area from living room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Our replacement of painted trim and baseboards also completed on the Monday holiday. We were pretty excited to have it done. I liked the gray we originally used but I think it looks much better in the natural pine tone. It really brightened up the room. The Plinth blocks really worked out well. They let me (with my very limited carpentry skills) smoothly transition the ceiling trim pieces together at corners with varying pitch and angles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQgOLHPBLcGTky59s8Y4tYOSAtFmNjWseUM4pmmthZG0XLvXGc14BRQMj74XHRrfBO4gjXtq5jITnjUWjx51JBqcgmtRL2M-EDDPO7A_YWm0PEdXdtvA7svvMG8puFWKeqQXe6pVdnk-r/s1600/IMG_0420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQgOLHPBLcGTky59s8Y4tYOSAtFmNjWseUM4pmmthZG0XLvXGc14BRQMj74XHRrfBO4gjXtq5jITnjUWjx51JBqcgmtRL2M-EDDPO7A_YWm0PEdXdtvA7svvMG8puFWKeqQXe6pVdnk-r/s640/IMG_0420.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trim work at northwest corner</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4bAdjsZLQpfCKDJ_ITzw2wMYOtX7F_I9pmN4NVwXts1wSpVWTM4tyrZXMZsmo8DD4gm1usoSydcMXXqKWiNQLLe3BZzFlS2nUp4W7icmQzZRd7gilrjP1ETp_bfMxvqY5RVOYfZD4YvI/s1600/IMG_0422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4bAdjsZLQpfCKDJ_ITzw2wMYOtX7F_I9pmN4NVwXts1wSpVWTM4tyrZXMZsmo8DD4gm1usoSydcMXXqKWiNQLLe3BZzFlS2nUp4W7icmQzZRd7gilrjP1ETp_bfMxvqY5RVOYfZD4YvI/s640/IMG_0422.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trim work at southwest corner</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBc_rvH2c3z0prVgq-rz-8dOAhrDQFtWkXXtq6zJ6PACdC6cr73Q073sigimYSHUPqUJ7PTCT3enmnPSBsr2a8NjFWhyphenhyphen8Hp3Qe4PYjR6i_vMyjDjlnVXRh-Oc1_oKdZ2KT9GUnerlSERoH/s1600/IMG_0417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBc_rvH2c3z0prVgq-rz-8dOAhrDQFtWkXXtq6zJ6PACdC6cr73Q073sigimYSHUPqUJ7PTCT3enmnPSBsr2a8NjFWhyphenhyphen8Hp3Qe4PYjR6i_vMyjDjlnVXRh-Oc1_oKdZ2KT9GUnerlSERoH/s640/IMG_0417.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living area trim completed. We are really loving the new ceiling fan!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ioh4RNMJPzTq5OYNVQTxAyskAmsjoSWVvBwpHgsrn3k81uTu_3tqYFZsNqmCdjQulJ4CH-FgV-uE0MRt7ZkJUjfAzXAzcRngiaktrFXVDzawttpeuEhsbM1nTS6sJAggRSsojSOiPPsh/s1600/IMG_0434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ioh4RNMJPzTq5OYNVQTxAyskAmsjoSWVvBwpHgsrn3k81uTu_3tqYFZsNqmCdjQulJ4CH-FgV-uE0MRt7ZkJUjfAzXAzcRngiaktrFXVDzawttpeuEhsbM1nTS6sJAggRSsojSOiPPsh/s640/IMG_0434.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen trim completed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIltEiYCs5Kuu6UTeZNIv7FkdvJ-dWlvkm_jMvaObTkkgebiE5HJAOlzYZff85KYOxkGspHwRH06RD7VoL0AaHPKnPuNJ-FVbG-ayzaJjmhj15NW08XR-isgOtmkZVHNe4rrIiKULRVuaQ/s1600/IMG_0436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIltEiYCs5Kuu6UTeZNIv7FkdvJ-dWlvkm_jMvaObTkkgebiE5HJAOlzYZff85KYOxkGspHwRH06RD7VoL0AaHPKnPuNJ-FVbG-ayzaJjmhj15NW08XR-isgOtmkZVHNe4rrIiKULRVuaQ/s640/IMG_0436.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South kitchen wall trim replaced</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r5eUgT118CP_sk9CDFJEGMivwWFmek_HVvhZ0OD1ziPdTnuOVStzExaKFDz-BnHcMT0-l7eJqbkmJ6Jq_K9Udr02UvrNipksTwvhdRQSEBKekgyQ7KZrVqUZmU0hGhHUo0pL-NgQwG7y/s1600/IMG_2675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r5eUgT118CP_sk9CDFJEGMivwWFmek_HVvhZ0OD1ziPdTnuOVStzExaKFDz-BnHcMT0-l7eJqbkmJ6Jq_K9Udr02UvrNipksTwvhdRQSEBKekgyQ7KZrVqUZmU0hGhHUo0pL-NgQwG7y/s640/IMG_2675.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of Plinth block along ceiling</td></tr>
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I must say, after looking at all of the projects we've completed over these couple of weeks, I'm pretty pleased. Especially considering I've been reduced to one good hand. Kim has really pulled more than her weight lately. Love you, Honey, and thanks for putting up with me!<br />
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Next week, we try once more to complete the roof flashing. We'll also make a run at getting the toilet project advanced. We have to cut out the hole in the top deck, attach the seat/lid, attach the urine diverter, lay out the drain pipe and pee trap (literally) as well as install a vent duct and fan. We'll see. I'm guessing it will take a couple of trips out here to complete but I'll be excited with any progress.<br />
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While I was cooking some steaks over an open fire this holiday weekend and listening to the Cicadas and newly hatched frogs, I was reminded that the woods are warm, sometimes muggy and full of bugs and wildlife. I absolutely love it here! I love the deer, the squirrels, the raccoons and the multitude of wild birds. Everything about it here! I truly hope everyone had a great weekend and holiday!!<br />
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Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-25954344607152568022016-06-06T12:12:00.001-07:002016-06-06T12:32:33.521-07:00(Jun 5) Cool Breeze :)We had not planned on it but we added a ceiling fan this weekend. Lowe's had a really nice prop fan that was in natural wood. Couldn't resist! Now, the hard part was going to be getting electricity to it. We had a switch by the front door that went to a wire that was hanging out under the roof on the north side. We had intended for this to power the north side porch lights but without a way to route a new wire to that switch, we would have to come up with a new plan. We decided to let the existing wire service the fan and we would make other arrangements for the lights.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZVi0RYc4zDJVaDxNUregH1f34Hp_liZj_GvvS4HDCsc-VQNLE1Rru4R1qZ-NvAaoJDGwO9TRYB_vOSD0gyfbYpJe6wgN6CsC-xPqvTWA9WGt59fFvvcGiBjh7iKyMTPgl2HvYiCIEYhx/s1600/IMG_0377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZVi0RYc4zDJVaDxNUregH1f34Hp_liZj_GvvS4HDCsc-VQNLE1Rru4R1qZ-NvAaoJDGwO9TRYB_vOSD0gyfbYpJe6wgN6CsC-xPqvTWA9WGt59fFvvcGiBjh7iKyMTPgl2HvYiCIEYhx/s640/IMG_0377.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New ceiling fan mounted in living room!</td></tr>
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We decided to put the fan in the center of the living area towards the north wall. At 60" its nearly half as wide as the house. We used a circle saw to cut a hole in the ceiling. Yes, I confirmed it was not going to be under a rafter before I got started! lol Then I pushed the wire from the outside down along gap until we could reach it. We set the support box and bracket in place and wired it up. All-in-all, it was pretty simple. It has a super efficient DC motor and is really quiet. I ran some specs on it before we closed in the wiring access.<br />
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Speed Watts<br />
1 1.2<br />
2 2.4<br />
3 4.8<br />
4 9.6<br />
5 14.6<br />
6 23.2<br />
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This means that you could run the fan on Medium (setting 3) 24/7 for a month for about 34¢ (we're at 10¢/KWHr).<br />
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Really nice to feel a cool breeze throughout the day and night. We were able to raise our AC thermostat by several degrees. If we can cut 1-2 hours of AC (750watts) use per day and run a fan (5watts) it will make a huge difference in electric use.<br />
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<br />Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-51194091117210176672016-05-30T08:51:00.000-07:002016-06-02T09:04:50.390-07:00(May 30) Kitchen BacksplashWent to Home Depot over the holiday for some window trim. Ended up picking up a new air compressor on a pretty good sale. We got a Porter Cable portable unit for $99. Our other unit was 15+ years old and maxed out at about 85 lbs of pressure the last couple of times we used it. The new one hits 150 which will be way more than we need even to drive pins into the steel studs. The fact that you can pick it up and easily carry it helps a lot also. If we get half of the life we got out of the other unit, I'll be good with it. Multiple air jacks were a nice feature also. I think this will be a really popular model with the Tiny House community because of it's light weight and small frame.<br />
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While there, we browsed the tile section, still contemplating what to do about the kitchen backsplash. Kim had really been leaning towards subway tile and we found a pattern we could both agree on. Must admit, I was a little nervous since we had not laid tile before. Of course, we had never built a house before either and that didn't stop us.<br />
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Not a huge investment for the tile so even if we messed it up, we could take it out and start over or try something else. We found some sheets of pre-positioned tiles and started gathering materials. Like usual, the supporting cast (tools, supplies, etc) were more expensive than the tiles themselves. We ended up with backer board, tile adhesive, grout, a trowel, spacers, a tile cutter and a sponge. We didn't think about a 2nd trowel for the grout so I put it on with my hand. It was no big deal.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8ffZLfaRoXPuDaqKQy7nmesruufT4ze_i5DfRbcvihoTHyIt7buwV0L0nT3t66e7e-UZXbXVNzOnoRETLgVf1DmssL5JKYEeX4SXfnrgdoIBBXdGt0VjDoxVAermm_26GbruEVf5vAPW/s1600/IMG_2561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8ffZLfaRoXPuDaqKQy7nmesruufT4ze_i5DfRbcvihoTHyIt7buwV0L0nT3t66e7e-UZXbXVNzOnoRETLgVf1DmssL5JKYEeX4SXfnrgdoIBBXdGt0VjDoxVAermm_26GbruEVf5vAPW/s640/IMG_2561.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tile Cutter</td></tr>
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Cutting the backer board to fit the sections around the windows was the 1st step. Hardi board is really durable just a pain to cut.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1MPCfT1BotzLJ1sPOSRdRrztW8ViJNqYirCGVx5Cd3feHLHZSW7vqbjuNy8JMo81ANtFHfbDzmtd4K_lmS5vQ2-7nx_rwA2t-xzRMB4pICodzMXByxrNt5HpOX58vkljkkkUW_E9Ausw/s1600/IMG_0357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1MPCfT1BotzLJ1sPOSRdRrztW8ViJNqYirCGVx5Cd3feHLHZSW7vqbjuNy8JMo81ANtFHfbDzmtd4K_lmS5vQ2-7nx_rwA2t-xzRMB4pICodzMXByxrNt5HpOX58vkljkkkUW_E9Ausw/s640/IMG_0357.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hardi Backer installed on the wall</td></tr>
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After we got the backer board up, we started laying tile. We had picked a tile that came in 1' sheets. This made it easy to set groups of tiles at one time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMofx0sy-Zt8yqIC-s6EJdPCNpnKv1u_Yx9zn4b1uiOC0GPm-zLoqS4vRWG225GB0-EdEKX_CLLWKIB6r4MxGbLqXWyPQtKkSyOULRdMqGwbUo1l-bBJnFs1Qu9VH3sSfP-fnoJVFOxtV7/s1600/FullSizeRender-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMofx0sy-Zt8yqIC-s6EJdPCNpnKv1u_Yx9zn4b1uiOC0GPm-zLoqS4vRWG225GB0-EdEKX_CLLWKIB6r4MxGbLqXWyPQtKkSyOULRdMqGwbUo1l-bBJnFs1Qu9VH3sSfP-fnoJVFOxtV7/s400/FullSizeRender-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Subway tile sheets</td></tr>
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Since it was in an offset pattern, we had to cut odd pieces to fill the 1/2 gaps at the end of the rows. This took some practice but we soon got the procedure down and didn't waste too many in the process. I had forgotten that you're supposed to start tiling along your lowest point first. That way when you come around to the higher spots, you can stay on a straight line. While I was gone to the store, Kim got us off to a great start and we made the corner around the wall without a hitch. It came out great event though the counter tops on the two walls were a bit different. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than know what you're doing! lol<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First section of tile up and glued to the backer board.</td></tr>
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We had to take the bottom section off of the window frame to make room for the tiles underneath. Another case of "things would be a lot easier if we actually had a plan when we started building!" lol The adhesive sets up pretty quickly so you don't want to get ahead of yourself. After you set the tiles in place, they have a tendency to slide down a bit. Spacers helped keep everything where it belonged long enough for the adhesive to set. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Continuing pattern under window</td></tr>
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After we got the square tiles set, we put on cap tiles across the top. We had a sheet of the 1/4" backer left over from a previous project. With this thickness, the top cap tiles leave a little reveal against the other tiles. I liked this look so we went with it. If we had used the 1/2" backer, the top cap would have laid flush. HD didn't carry an inside corner piece so we butted the two corner tops and filled in the gap with grout. We cut a shave off of the window trim piece we removed earlier and replaced it. We then caulked around all of the edges. I think it came out pretty nice for our 1st time. :) </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final kitchen tile work</td></tr>
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After we finished with the tile, we turned our attention to the wall behind the stove. We decided that we would put a metal backer here. We looked for some affordable stainless steel but it eluded us so we chose a sheet of aluminum from Lowe's. We had to cut out sections for the electric outlets and the counter offset. Our cut-off saw with a thin blade made quick work of it. To keep from having to make a long cut along the wardrobe side, we loosened the wardrobe from the wall and slid the sheet metal behind it. (We had attached it to the wall just to make sure it never came crashing down on anyone.) Then just tightened the wardrobe back to the wall. Some construction adhesive on the wall beforehand and screwing the outlet plate back in place secured the sheet metal for good. Not quite as flashy as stainless steel but for $19 I'm not complaining.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheet metal in place behind the stove. It won't be any harder to keep clean than tile, hopefully!</td></tr>
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The next project of the weekend was to replace the trim on the front window. This was the original window that we had built a craftsman trim around last year. We had pre-painted it gray to match the baseboards but after putting up the remaining window trim in the house without paint, we decided we liked it better in the natural wood. So, here we are, tearing out our pretty window to replace it with something even better. Hard to believe we're remodeling before we even move in! LOL<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original window casing. </td></tr>
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The original window probably took us 5-6 hours to plan and install. We had the process down to about an hour on the replacement after having done all of the rest of the house.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New West window casing with natural pine. </td></tr>
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We also got the north and south baseboards laid. Next week, we'll replace the west baseboards as well as the corner trim that was painted. We'll also work on finishing the composting toilet. That should complete the interior work on the 1st edition of the Little House in the Woods.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing the grandson how to use a nail gun. He'll be ready to start on his own Tiny in a few years! :)</td></tr>
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<br />Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-55159035739786691892016-05-23T09:53:00.000-07:002016-05-23T13:38:53.361-07:00(May 22) Painted HouseI don't think I've seen Kim so excited as she was when we painted the house this weekend. "It's all one color!" she exclaimed! I must admit, it was a big milestone. We still have a little work to do on the roof, getting the last of the soffit up and getting the gutter up and plumbed into the cistern but for the most part, the outside is now finished! Woo Hoo! I can't wait to see how the front door comes out next week. Kim picked out a deep maroon color for it to give the house a splash of color.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd forgotten how much "fun" it is to haul a ladder around the house, twice! In our original plan, the house was supposed to be 4' taller at this North side. Glad things worked out like they did!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looks gray but its actually a light green. Just depends on how the light is hitting it at the time. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I need to take down the Christmas lights! LOL</td></tr>
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Also happy to report that our solar panels are finally in full production. It's really exciting seeing billing meter roll back through the week. Hoping we can get enough production through the summer to offset our air conditioner. Even if not, having a $20-$30 electric bill through the summer will pretty amazing. We'll evaluate how much juice we use this year and see if it will be worth adding any additional panels to bring us to Net-Zero. Good to see a plan come to fruition. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our 1st 4 Kilowatt hours produced. I tried to catch it at 1, but I had gone to town to get some supplies and it was at 4 when I returned that afternoon. lol Here's to 30 years of production! </td></tr>
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Hoping we get some work done next week. The forecast actually shows a good chance of rain for the next 12 days straight. :( Can't wait.Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-80761883956372239672016-05-19T07:47:00.002-07:002016-05-19T07:47:29.994-07:00(May 15) Windows FramedAgain, big thanks out to Rob and Cory for coming out and helping this weekend. While Cory and I work working on the Composting Toilet bench, Kim and Rob set out to the task of framing windows. They came out great looking. It also reinforced the thought we had recently that we would leave them their natural wood color. We'll give them a coat of poly to help protect from water and dirt. I love the wood grain and textures.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South living room window. </td></tr>
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We'll coat this one especially good in polyurethane as I'm sure it will take it's share of wine glass spills! :) </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">East kitchen window.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South kitchen window with the island pulled out. This has been one of my favorite features of the kitchen!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South view with the island tucked away.</td></tr>
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<br />Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-71007373519072221682016-05-15T07:33:00.000-07:002016-05-23T09:29:46.253-07:00(May 16) Composting Toilet CabinetI was so grateful and appreciative that our friends, Cory & Rob, came out this weekend to spend time and help on the Tiny build. Cory was tasked putting his very extensive Sketchup talents to work designing a bench for our composting toilet. I love seeing someone do in 5 minutes what it would take me hours to do! :) Here's the build as it progressed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cory, working on the frame</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basic Frame done</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cut the tops out of Maple plywood and started installing hinges. We also installed the porcelain tiles on the front face. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main toilet cavity open </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both doors open. </td></tr>
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Hidden in the shadow, there is an electrical line hanging out of the sheet metal for an exhaust fan. The smaller compartment to the right will be for a materials (peat moss or sawdust) container. If we can't find something to fit the opening, we'll build a box out of plywood. I want to be able to pull the container out and refill it outside as there is a lot of dust kicked up when I do. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toilet lid in place</td></tr>
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We couldn't find enough stainless steel hinges on our trip to town so we will have to work on the side door next time. Next, we will work on placement of the bucket and the urine diverter as well as plumbing to run out to a leech line that will be buried and run down hill from the back of the house.<br />
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Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-69538400679587857962016-05-09T10:40:00.000-07:002016-06-02T08:25:08.412-07:00(May 2016) Solar Array DetailsI've gotten a lot of questions on our solar array. Here are some details including costs as of early 2016.<br />
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There are (6) 260 watt German made panels from Hanwa. They are each tied to a microinverter made by Enphase, model M250. They are Grid-Tie inverters which means that they require you to be hooked up to grid power in order for them to work. If the grid goes down, so do the panels. This ensures that no one working on the power lines down the road gets hurt by the power we're generating and feeding back into the system. Enphase has a trunk cable that will tie all of AC power together into one line. This is not a backup for times when the power goes out. This is a sytem to offset our electric use. Instead of feeding a battery bank, these panels feed our house and the excess power goes into the grid for credits against future use. The cost (and maintenance effort needed) of batteries led us to use grid power. We have a generator for backup power should we need.<br />
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Our Power Company (Farmers Electric Co-Op) has several requirements for grid-tie systems. 1) Must use UL1741 compliant inverters (change DC power from panels to AC so it can feed into your house). This ensures that if the grid goes down, the array turns off. 2) You must have a cut-off box with a lockable external switch installed to shut down the array when needed. 3) You need to install a meter base next to the array. They will provide the meter so that we can monitor how much power is being generated monthly.<br />
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Past that, it's just common sense. I put in a double pole breaker into our breaker box for the incoming 240v power. You must use a double pole breaker, not 2 singles, so that if there is a problem, it will shut down both 120v legs of the incoming power. this also ensures that your 2 120v legs are in phase and will combine to 240v. You should mount this breaker at the far end of the bus bar (opposite of the power company's incoming lines) in your breaker panel to help evenly distribute incoming power. The inverters put out AC power at a higher voltage than the power company lines. This allows the voltage to push back into the power lines and into your house. This power is taken 1st as your appliances need it. If your household demand is higher than your array is producing, then it pulls the remainder from the grid from the power company. If you are making more than you are consuming, this power (since it's a higher voltage) pushes back into the grid and feeds your neighbors houses.<br />
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Since the system requires a bi-directional billing meter, your meter runs backwards as long as you're pushing excess power onto the grid. Thus, the electric company is buying the power that you're generating. Currently, we get full retail value for this excess we make but only against our usage in the current month. They reset the credits on each monthly billing cycle. We never get a refund check for excess power generated but we are getting full retail price for it. I am pushing for them to allow a longer period of credit accumulation, possible 6 months or a year. This would even out the seasons for the consumer. They have been pretty responsive so far to other requests. They earlier dropped the requirement for additional insurance coverage since they also required that the inverters automatically shut down in case of power outages. This meant that there should be no additional risk from the home based solar array.<br />
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System Costs:<br />
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Hanwa Q-Cell 260Watt Panels (6) at $213 ea. (no freight as I picked them up locally)<br />
Enphase M250 Inverters (6) at $158 ea (changes DC power from panel to AC power for house)<br />
Enphase Trunk Cable (6) connections at $20 ea (this is what combines the inverters)<br />
Enphase Trunk Cable Terminator (1) @ $15 (caps off the trunk cable at the end)<br />
Usage Meter Base (1) at $37 (power company provides the actual meter for free)<br />
Midnite Solar Cut-Off Switch (1) @ $185 (provides disconnect of array)<br />
20 Amp breaker Cutoff Switch (1) @ $25<br />
20 Amp Double Pole Breaker for Main Breaker Box (1) $8<br />
Mounting Rack (1) @ $250 (put together myself from Home Depot materials)<br />
Conduit and wiring from panels to breaker box $80<br />
Grounding Rod & #4 bare copper $40<br />
Misc conduit connectors $12<br />
Trencher rental 1 day @ $120 (to bury the wire from the panels to the breaker box 100' away)<br />
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In all, I have about $3,000 into the system. Our electric company is giving us a $1,000 rebate for installing solar since it eases their demand. Nice to have a power company that's not profit-driven! They also gave us a $3,000 credit when we installed our grid power lines and transformer. That would have just about covered the cost of installing overhead lines but I hate them and would have had to cut down some of our gorgeous 60' Oak trees to accomodate. That wasn't going to happen! So, we installed underground service 750' from the road to our meter base. Kim and I ran cabling (additional 100') to the house where we installed another breaker box to feed all of the household circuits. Here, I ran 100 amp service and put in 12 breakers and 250' of 12 gauge wire for our 240 sf house. :) Every outlet, light switch and appliance is on its own breaker. :)<br />
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The solar array generates about 1,500 watts. That's 1.5 KWHrs for every hour that the sun's shining on the array. It gets about 5 hours of direct sunlight now. The Enphase inverters are MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) which allows for varying output from each panel. If one is in the shade, only that one slows down production.<br />
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Right now, we're only at the house part time. That means that it will be generating power for credits on 4-5 days that we're not there. We have propane for our stove and water heater so hopefully our power needs will not exceed what the panels can produce for now. As we're ready to relocate here permanently, we can add additional panels to offset the additional demand. Since all of the wiring and infrastructure are in place, it should be pretty cost effective to expand. Buy a pane, an inverter and trunk cable. No telling what solar panels will cost in the next 3-4 years as they have dropped by half in the past 4 years. Currently we expect a payback in about 5 years of service. The awesome part is being able to put together your own power generating station and know that you control your electric costs for the next 30 years. This should set our electric bill at $15/mo for the rest of our lives. :)<br />
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Here are some pics of the system as we put it together.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDegdAk2_bG1NYtcxxFYPmNUk74kKgqEByo-XqvEjUdA-L-jqDzYc5ogqGm8Xmq_XKYtqV5kukzE4qA1Rw9sFCV1W3MJHfICi8R4gVCN8sEGmdaef9HDu01kdX84N3fU0xz-1Qpjw2lBlI/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDegdAk2_bG1NYtcxxFYPmNUk74kKgqEByo-XqvEjUdA-L-jqDzYc5ogqGm8Xmq_XKYtqV5kukzE4qA1Rw9sFCV1W3MJHfICi8R4gVCN8sEGmdaef9HDu01kdX84N3fU0xz-1Qpjw2lBlI/s640/21.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Built stand out of fencing materials and steel from HD</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panels from front view</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Added meter base for usage meter from power company. Enphase inverters (gray box on under each solar panel)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enphase 250 watt microinverter. One for each panel.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SsEkfNFnOchitOkNGoml97J-NSC102C16x_INsnlnsgOvW1tdD2hbN6V8sR5eJNmvOXpYfaEUfpGgFiya06jwI5pZxAsqO_ugjaYvmbtBlqwTSCFWVk1bcgCzSMVyBuxOkzRlKcLOBRe/s1600/28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SsEkfNFnOchitOkNGoml97J-NSC102C16x_INsnlnsgOvW1tdD2hbN6V8sR5eJNmvOXpYfaEUfpGgFiya06jwI5pZxAsqO_ugjaYvmbtBlqwTSCFWVk1bcgCzSMVyBuxOkzRlKcLOBRe/s640/28.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double Pole breaker in breaker box. (yes, I have a breaker to add to the open slot! :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Billing meter on left. Main Breaker box on top right. Cut-Off switch wired in below. Everything labeled for safety! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRwo6RqN2m7Ue1DdVW7y0-qQkXXVeSmkWi2WiRMNl5zruR-RSaTP6qtyJsiPNyX3TAAUpe2q4PmgURNT3gmI6umTxnasaMoDxYoDEQ8cp9zhitN9hSKUzsCqx9HJypJTucBQyJdbscd8K/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRwo6RqN2m7Ue1DdVW7y0-qQkXXVeSmkWi2WiRMNl5zruR-RSaTP6qtyJsiPNyX3TAAUpe2q4PmgURNT3gmI6umTxnasaMoDxYoDEQ8cp9zhitN9hSKUzsCqx9HJypJTucBQyJdbscd8K/s640/20.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Specs on the Solar panels</td></tr>
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(May 12) Finally got our bi-directional meter and new Net-meter installed from the electric company. Happy to report that our solar array is in full production. :) Very exciting to see your electric meter count backwards.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMz0QyQSCB6SEnIZ9y-aZUFJhPMQM40pGb3W1LsVf1hhG_EW5OSLlZCqyXgSpttRxx8J9UNdd2FBLqkM7K9qW59K9dvVrEkrL3F-QaW6DrYmvMxxsZq33q3JD5ncaRjsyH_R7UhqjPXfUY/s1600/IMG_0312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMz0QyQSCB6SEnIZ9y-aZUFJhPMQM40pGb3W1LsVf1hhG_EW5OSLlZCqyXgSpttRxx8J9UNdd2FBLqkM7K9qW59K9dvVrEkrL3F-QaW6DrYmvMxxsZq33q3JD5ncaRjsyH_R7UhqjPXfUY/s640/IMG_0312.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our 1st 4 Kilowatt hours produced! Cool knowing that we'll be in production for the next 30 years. :) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjH0v6x2R1qhizBKo6pn923V8mftB1WGyRSDPzJtrOy5_cXJT_-ChZ6WkQQ5QIokQ42XsCOoiXENmCkAUcPpcLURBC7whYaZhgAgQGK1dUHhCO8ojUi-VUKbnjf_OG9GD9cYjhcTxCmDJ/s1600/31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjH0v6x2R1qhizBKo6pn923V8mftB1WGyRSDPzJtrOy5_cXJT_-ChZ6WkQQ5QIokQ42XsCOoiXENmCkAUcPpcLURBC7whYaZhgAgQGK1dUHhCO8ojUi-VUKbnjf_OG9GD9cYjhcTxCmDJ/s640/31.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panels with production meter in place.</td></tr>
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<br />Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-424624600336986802016-05-09T08:37:00.001-07:002016-05-09T08:37:30.355-07:00(May 2) And the rains came down!Had hoped to get a lot accomplished this weekend. Didn't work out that way. Friday, I checked the forecast. Showed it was supposed to start raining about 7pm. I got busy that morning and picked up wire and conduit to make the electrical run between the solar panels and the meter/breaker box. By noon, I had the wire laid out and had installed the new meter base as well as wired it into the inverters. I was feeling pretty productive. I decided that I didn't need but a good hour to get the trench dug to lay it all. I went to town and rented a trencher. I got about 20' of the 100' done and I hit a soft spot and the trencher buried up in the mud. No forward, no reverse. About 3 minutes later, literally the bottom of the barrel dropped out. It started pouring rain - 6 hours early. I couldn't get the truck down the drive to help pull it out. It was going to have to wait, at the tune of $160/day. I got to the cabin to change clothes and wait. After 4 hours of non-stop, I decided to take the trailer back to the rental store since I had no way to make it up the driveway to secure it for the night. By now, much of the property was 4" deep in water flooding from across the road. I got back (changed clothes again!) and started supper. Kim arrived about 30 min later. Wide-eyed and wondering what the hell happened. It rained hard for several more hours while we enjoyed a movie. In all about 5" of rain in 8 hours.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnr-GdIqHQOmfF4GnKI6vzcoHiTwdxVpQggHYLVwOvwGTKpdSLSFuu8uc3WLYcUilT2cP87Bpg2jKroS_IHWFz4tOZyNanCr6tZVktlbIdU_jUPbaJhMQBsmj3P6jfRTFJ4VpssWEJ7wps/s1600/IMG_2391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnr-GdIqHQOmfF4GnKI6vzcoHiTwdxVpQggHYLVwOvwGTKpdSLSFuu8uc3WLYcUilT2cP87Bpg2jKroS_IHWFz4tOZyNanCr6tZVktlbIdU_jUPbaJhMQBsmj3P6jfRTFJ4VpssWEJ7wps/s640/IMG_2391.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trencher stuck in the mud!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The good news is that it did stop raining and the water all subsided. I bought an electric winch, took the battery out of the truck and got the trencher out of the mud. :) We also decided that we might as well finish trenching since we had paid for the time. About an hour later, we were done. We hand-dug the areas too soft to risk getting stuck again. I took the trencher back and they felt bad that we had gotten it stuck (not their problem!) and gave me a discount on the rental. I have spent a lot of Money at Hooten's Hardware over the past 4 years since we bought this property and there's a reason I keep going back. They really have great customer service. :) I appreciate you guys!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2gSukh2dZtD9yAE6ksZvtaoH0gNFZ5iGHffFTCXSnZ48fVSHuF5cE02JZMgbnW64xQBPzMLtnd7k36PwoFkLoBXH8oTQU4Mpt9TUTQVl-tOth_GI4rSLMGUazP5GFXtt8nflN-NyI1mz/s1600/IMG_2394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2gSukh2dZtD9yAE6ksZvtaoH0gNFZ5iGHffFTCXSnZ48fVSHuF5cE02JZMgbnW64xQBPzMLtnd7k36PwoFkLoBXH8oTQU4Mpt9TUTQVl-tOth_GI4rSLMGUazP5GFXtt8nflN-NyI1mz/s640/IMG_2394.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Electric Winch mounted to a sturdy Oak :) </td></tr>
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Afterwards, we got all of the conduit glued up and I finished wiring the new meter base and added breaker in the main. All-in-all it went pretty smoothly. I'll be really pumped when we get the new bi-directional meter installed and all of this finally starts paying us back. Weird thinking about a lifetime (mine at least) of free, clean energy. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partially trenched. We finished the rest and laid the conduit that afternoon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cut-Off Box installed and wired.</td></tr>
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<br />Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4848367684440495893.post-33894975977339658412016-04-24T06:27:00.002-07:002016-04-24T06:27:46.952-07:00(Apr 24) Tiny House Village at Earth Day Texas 2016EarthDay Texas 2016. Huge crowds to see the 9 tiny houses on display. BA Norgard with her home <a href="http://www.abedovermyhead.com/" target="_blank">A Bed Over My Head</a>, organized a Tiny Village for the event. Come back tomorrow. I'll add links to their websites. Rushing off for the final day of volunteering for crowd control! :) - Jay and Kim<div>
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Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995089225423665592noreply@blogger.com0