February 24-26, 2012

Wow, three days at the farm -- what a treat -- and superlative weather for February: 50s Friday, low 20s overnight, and then hitting 60 both Saturday and Sunday. I must say, however, that the wind on Sunday was very annoying since I could not keep my hat on.

Water Onions/Grass Seed

We received a light rain Monday, but you could not tell it. The ground was really dry and I watered the onions (and the grass seed I had spread around the house) each day. We need some spring rains, just not too much.

Tear Down Dog House

Sally has been after me for years to tear down this eye soar, and since I want the metal roof for the Loveable Loo House this was the weekend to do it. The metal roof is in good shape and came off without a problem. It was decked with half inch plywood -- 3 pieces 16 inches wide each. These had roof edge flashing on the sides and top. Only the sheet on the end was deteriorating toward the middle.

I think I will be able to reuse the decking, though I want to add about 5 inches to the depth. (I have a plan to use some metal sheeting to extend the roof -- sheeting that has blown off the barn over the two south facing door rails.)

Whoever built the dog house planned for it staying, because they used lots of nails. There were at least 4 different types/sizes. One had rings along the shaft and they held tight. I either couldn't get them out, or they gave all at once and went flying. I am afraid many are left in the yard/drive. I hope I don't find them in my tires. I pulled out over 100 nails -- they are piled up on the tail gate in the picture. There were even a few screws. Last thing Friday I burned the rotten pieces.

Spray Pond Algae

The spraying I did last week didn't seem to have much effect. I hit the spring and the pond again with the Cutrine Plus, but also another light dose. The water is very clear, which is part of the problem because it allows the sun to reach the bottom. I need to fertilize it.

Loveable Loo House

I'm still just working on the foundation. (You'll see that I'm really just floundering around with the foundation.) I thought I had it laid out like I wanted, with the largest rocks in place. I then scored one of the extra rocks with a chisel and driver, so that I would get a piece to fit in between the others. This actually went very well. After scoring both sides I hit it twice with the sledge hammer and it split right where I wanted. How sweet is that.

I then tried the same thing with a another rock. In the process of scoring it I noticed a rotten chunk of aggregate underneath on one side. Sure enough, this one broke in wild, odd directions. I still was able to get pieces to fill in the gaps and was feeling pretty good about the progress.

To accommodate the rocks, the North/South sides were going to be wider than desired. I was thinking I would lay one sheet of 4x8 siding in between the posts. But out in the wind Sunday I grew very concerned about how I was going to keep the darn thing from blowing over. Plus with the siding not nailed to the posts, it wouldn't provide the stability I wanted. So its back to the drawing board (or scrap paper where I'm doing my sketching).

It looks like I will drop the middle pieces of rock and flip the whole thing around so that it will come out to 48 inches deep and and about 54 inches wide (to accommodate the rocks and roof). I will have to lay that out next trip. I'm also fairly certain I will cement in 4x4 posts to hopefully anchor the house.

Build up Drive to Spring

This is where I am using some of my cedar posts before I give the rest away. I don't know if it will work, but in other places where I have stabilized the erosion process, the rocks and dirt have packed down to a hard surface. I think I took 12 wheel borrow loads from the road to the spring (eroded from the hill above) and dumped them over the posts. Of course eventually the cedars will rot, but I hope they stay in place for several years.

Pull/Cut Trees/Briars below Barn

There are some monster briars growing up into the oak just below the barn. If people are going to be passing through here and admiring the view, I don't want them looking at a briar patch. With my new loppers I cut out most of the trash in one of the pins below the barn. I used the Puller-Bear on some of the trees (the oaks just broke off and it was really only the cedars that came up by the roots), but had to just lop others I couldn't pull up/break off. This is also where I think the field line for the septic system is, so I need to keep the trees cleared out. The areas to the right and left of this pin also need to be addressed in the same manner.

Cut/Haul Downed Pines

There were more downed pine logs (from the ice storm) up the hill from the road in, and they were just laying there. So I cut them up and used them to arrest the hill side road erosion just below the house. (I'd already done this with some other pines, just adding to the effort.)

Wilson Sleek Cell Phone Amplifier

Sally got a new cell phone, and none of the new ones have a jack for an external antennae. So I bought this Wilson Sleek cradle for the phone. You plug an external antennae into it plus 110 or 12 volt power. The deal is though, you have to have blue tooth because you are not suppose to hold it up to your head when you use it. I first tried it with the window suction cup holder for the antennae -- no go. I then ran the new antennae through the window sill and up onto the roof. I got two bars and was able to make a call using my speaker phone. It was good enough. (Now I won't have to take my SIM card out, put in one of Sally's old phones, and use it with the old external antennae.)

Miscellaneous

Cracked some walnuts, made some banana-bran-walnut bread, cleaned the glass on the back door, swept up the dirt Tender and I had been tracking in, and swapped out the shower head (but I am not sure Sally will approve of this one).