Snow and Mud

Snow comes, melts, and becomes mud. Not just any mud, but this deep, slick, gawd-awful stuff that simply doesn't seem to dry out. My friends tell me that it actually bubbles up to the top...making it that much worse.

Part of my drive, and the path to my coop and run.

Slight incline I slide down each time I try to walk this area...see the slide mid picture.

Gracie doesn't care if it's mud or snow when it's time to play with Wilson.

 When I have to go anywhere, which isn't too often, I leave on the freeze. Driving through the mud is much easier when it's frozen. Sadly, I can't see well enough to drive after dark, so I can't come home on a freeze. I can drive in snow and ice, but this mud? It's terrifying! No control at all when the slide starts. I can actually be moving forward, and sliding sideways off the road at the same time. How the hell is that possible? lol

Gracie loves running in the snow, and will throw it at me with her snout!

I believe we got about 8" of snow this storm.

Behind my cabin.

Icicles on the shed.

Icicles on the cabin porch. These are pointing in towards the porch because snow is melting on the roof.

Beside my cabin.

I enjoy the snow. Gracie plays in it with great abandon! Me? I wander a bit, but have to be really careful...can't see the terrain under the snow, and falling becomes a very real possibility.

I brought the three baby chicks home. Two Buff Orpingtons, and a Black Australorp.

The babies inside the coop.

Eggs I found behind the big girls' temporary shelter.

The broody hen that sits on these eggs.

The chickens are doing well in the snow, and bitter cold. I brought home the younger hens, and have them separated from the big girls. I purposely chose breeds that would weather cold well...and they are. I give them a bit of cracked corn and millet at night to help keep them warm through the night. The two oldest are still laying eggs ...daily...through the cold weather, but have become quite possessive of them. They moved their nest to an area I can't access without climbing under the coop in the mud. One is quite broody, and sits on them throughout the day and night. I'm not pulling the eggs out at the moment, but will in the next day or so...on a freeze.

Snow, mud, and more snow...the cycle just continues as we wait for the next storm to hit.

Thanks for reading...

Losses...

I was going to post about the mud pit my property has become with all the rain, and about 6" of melting snow, but wanted to acknowledge two really wonderful men.

This has been a sad 3 weeks now. I've lost two male cousins to sudden, unexpected deaths...both due to heart issues. One comes from my Father's side of the family...the other my Mother's. They left behind spouses, children, Grandchildren, many other family members, and friends. Both Bobby and Doug were about 12 years older than me, and though I didn't know them as well as the cousins I grew up with in close proximity, I did know them. They'll be missed.

Bobby

Bobby was my Aunt Ursie and Uncle Topper's only son (my Dad's sister...both preceded Bobby), and they lived in IN...I grew up in IL. They visited us from time to time, and we went to see them a time or two when I was young. Best of all? During my travels over the years, along with my children, we would stop to visit Bobby and his family in TX, so my children got to know Bobby (and his children), as well. That continuity of family relationships is such an awesome thing.

Bobby was a teacher, scientist, geologist, and all 'round good guy. He encouraged so many of his students with a love of science, and that would include my youngest son. Tommy was very interested in geology and paleontology at a young age, and Bobby turned him onto finding fossils, and gave him a real dinosaur bone and fossilized shark's tooth for his collection. They taught my kids and I how to play the card game "Spoons", which my daughter Sunshine excelled at!! It's an aggressive game...Sunshine broke one of the kitchen table chairs. Visiting with Bobby and his family are some of the more memorable family visits my kids remember.

Doug

Doug was my Aunt Donna's oldest son (my Mom's older sister), and they lived in CA. That was a good long distance to encourage very many visits...particularly when Aunt Donna had 10 children, and there were 6 kids in my family. However, Aunt Donna and Mom's brother, my Uncle Mike, was close in age with Doug...they spent a lot of time together. As a teen, Uncle Mike even lived in CA with the Clan (as they lovingly call themselves) for a year or so. Uncle Mike is crushed with Doug's passing...as are the rest of Doug's immediate family.

I remember Doug mostly in connection with his siblings during our visits to their CA home. I traveled a lot with my kids when they were young, and we made several trips to CA to visit Aunt Donna and family. It was important to me that my kids know ALL of their family...even those further away. So, during our visits, the Clan would plan a weekend gathering so we could spend time together. Doug was always so full of life, and humor! A funnier man I've never met. He always kept us in stitches with his jokes, and pranks on his siblings and children. He was well loved, and respected by everyone who knew him...a man of strong principles with family at the center of his life.

These were strong, moral men with incredible family ties. They'll be missed.

Ciao...

Overwhelmed...

Sunday I finally had a nice day here at home where I could get part of the roof on the hen house completed. I covered it with tar paper, and then with flashing around the edges. I used 6" flashing for a little overhang in order to somewhat shield the vent that runs around the top of the coop. Hopefully, that'll cut down on rain and snow that might get inside while still allowing for the vent to do its job venting.

Yesterday saw no work done here at home as I was traipsing around one of the closer towns (60 miles away) for medical tests, and some shopping. Long day...late getting home.

We're possibly expecting our first snow up here...tomorrow night through Thursday. I need to get the roof on, but am not feeling up to it. I fell in the shower/tub Sunday, and hurt my back when it hit the faucet. After yesterday's drive, I'm stiff and really sore. I'll get up there and do the roof anyway, or my work on Sunday will be for naught.

I also start that nasty colonoscopy prep today...through Friday when I have the test.

So many things to do before winter hits hard:

- enclose chicken run with 4' chicken wire
- get water running inside, which includes ordering the water tank, pump, and paraphernalia needed for installation, and having the work done around my friend's schedual
- install septic (hole will be dug this week), and toilet, and pick up the barrels, and other supplies needed for this job
- install shower and kitchen sink/counter
- put up some kind of skirting around the bottom of the cabin to help with heat coming from underneath
- talk to the local fella about hauling water to my place...again...to make sure he's still willing to top my water off along with his
-  I have several medical tests scheduled within the next couple of weeks, and will have stretches of time where I won't be able to do things :-(

My well was dug quite some time ago. The driller finally got ahold of me 2 1/2 weeks ago to let me know he was sending all the paperwork to me, and we discussed the well pump again...my needs, etc...to determine what he would be installing. Still haven't received the paperwork and/or estimate for the well pump. So, I've decided to go with my original plan to install a fresh water RV tank inside (won't freeze) with RV inlet running out of the cabin to allow tank to be filled, a small SHURflo pump, and water heater. I'd already purchased a 19 gallon electric water heater to be used in here, so I won't purchase an on demand to go with this system as originally planned. Will just have to watch my water use carefully.

That doesn't mean that I won't install my well pump. It just means I'm done dealing with this guy, and will put that on hold till next Spring/Summer.

I've had so many situations like this where I've had to shift and change plans because it's so difficult getting work done up here. I feel I rely too heavily on a couple of friends up here to help me get this stuff done, but there's no other way to finish meeting basic needs right now.

I'm feeling quite overwhelmed at the moment, but know this will pass as I scratch off each job completed. With that said, I'm out to finish the hen house roof today. It's just life on life's terms.

ciao...

Welllllll...

I was going to work on the hen house/run today, but it's raining again. Yesterday would have been a perfect day for this work, but I had to spend the day in Grants yesterday...doing laundry, grocery shopping, running other errands. Any activity that takes me off property has to be done on dry days, too...and I wasn't prepared for the rain today. As a matter of fact, I didn't think it was supposed to rain today at all.

So, I'm taking a quiet day today. Just chillin' here at home with the critters.

I picked up an indoor/outdoor thermometer yesterday, and am monitoring the temp while using my oil-filled radiator heater. Wood stove not installed yet, and heat (when needed) is currently being supplied by this little heater. I ran it last night for a couple of hours, and warmed the cabin up to 73 degrees, after which I turned the heater off. Turned on my heated mattress pad about an hour before bed, then to low when I laid down for sleep. Woke up to a 60 degree temp inside, and 40 degrees outside. It felt colder with the dampness outside permeating the interior...though I was quite toasty while sleeping. So I turned the little heater on along with the ceiling fan on low (winter usage to push heat down with no cooling effect) to take the chill off.

It's a very comfortable, steady 68 degrees in here now, 46 degrees outside. I'll have to do a little documentation of times and temps to see how long it takes, but it seems to do the trick so far.

I have a small 2300 watt generator for power outages, but I don't believe it'll handle the heater on a high setting (1500 watts) along with the compact fridge, and cell phone amplifier/booster (the only phone access I have up here). So, I'll have to test it out on lower settings as well to be sure I won't be without heat when it gets cold.

I'd never used an electric heater of any type prior to this, and feel very cautious/nervous about doing so now. I haven't had to leave it on at night thus far, but imagine there will come a time when I'll have to at some point. That makes me nervous because of my critters. With the small space inside, I worry about them knocking it over at night, and creating a fire hazard. They've shown no interest in it so far, and haven't even come close to disturbing it in any way, but the caution is still there.

And that's my day for today! Well...I think I'll make some fresh bread today.

Ciao...

Realities of tiny house living

I bought my property about 2 years ago now, and moved up here this May. I decided to build my guest cabin first so that I could spend some time observing the property during the seasons in order to develop the property responsibly. The property is sloped...goes from 7200' elevation to 7400' elevation bottom to top. So there are some run off issues that have to be dealt with using trenches and berms. So far, my driveway onto the property has held up pretty well, and we've had a few sustained, heavy rains up here. I'm fairly confident that it will do fine in the long run, however, I'll have some gravel brought in when all the heavy equipment work is completed.

The guest cabin is a Weather King cabin shell...side porch model...12' x 24', which is 288 sq. ft. total. Taking off the 4' x 8 ' porch from inside measurements comes out to about a 256 sq. ft. living space. I did two upgrades to the build: 2" x 6" walls (for better insulating), 2 extra windows...double paned...again, for better energy efficiency. There is no loft (I don't like the look of the loft style, and I'm too old to be climbing up and down ladders in the middle of the night!), so this cabin is limited to the actual floor space.

Moving the cabin onto my property.

The cabin in its permanent place.

Rough insides with initial move-in.

The curtained area is the bath area with the kitchen to the left. The handsome fella is my almost 14 yr. old GrandBoy.

Initial kitchen area.

For short periods of time, guests will be fine. For me, my 3 yr. old German Shepherd Gracie, and 3 cats, the space is definitely tight...particularly in the kitchen area when they all want to be under foot! The reality of living in such a small space with animals is quite a challenge. Paring down belongings isn't so difficult, but walking around can be tricky at times. Scary even!

KiKi (left) and Tippy (right)

Gracie

Tippy and Bandito (top)

The fine art of learning to share!

The finer art of learning to share!

I'll have to be creative in storage options while living in this cabin once it's completed...nearly there. Built in shelves will make a world of difference. The insulation, wiring, plumbing, and dry wall are completed, though I still need to drywall mud the screws and mud/tape the seams...then paint. I'll have a small wood stove installed, and have already had the fire-roc installed where it will be placed...along with spacers, and some kind of stone/brick backing and floor. Basically, I'm winter ready except for the wood stove. That's on hold for now, and I'm using one of those oil-filled radiator heaters when needed to take the chill off.

Small toaster oven, 800 watt microwave, 2-burner cast iron top electric stove, electric kettle, and my favorite secondhand find for storage.

Tiny, compact refrigerator (a problem as I like to cook/bake, and store the leftovers). There won't be a door on the bathroom...takes up too much floor space. I'll hang a nice curtain there when the painting is all done.

Temporary storage. This corner is where the small wood stove will be placed.

Sleeping area. Bed is a wooden futon frame that turns into a couch. However, I simply leave it down as a bed.

Let there be light! Great sale find at Home Depot...porch light cost was only about $13.

Insulation in the walls is R19...ceiling is R30. I wanted it to be comfortable winter and summer...coldest and hottest times of year. Finding a small wood stove that won't break the bank (this is, ultimately, my guest cabin...not my permanent house) has been difficult, but I think I found one.

Anyway...for me? The real challenge is moving around a small space with my animals. I've stepped on more tails than I care to count! Gracie has to be involved in every move I make...so she challenges me at every turn. I can manage storage...that'll be the easy part. Living in a small space with my critters? Not so easy at times.

Ciao

Rain, rain go away!

It's been rainy since last weekend. Aside from making a mess of the main road out of here, my driveway (around 300' or so) is a mud pit, and going anywhere is a tad...well...not safe (nearly slid off the side of the road down the hill), I can't work outside finishing up the hen house and run. I really don't have much more to do: cover roof with tar paper, edge with flashing, then put the roof on...easy peasy. The run already has the posts cemented in place, so all I need to do is put up the chicken wire, and fashion a simple gate into the run. I've decided to wait till Spring to whitewash the inside. I'm running out of time before 'real' winter weather hits.

My friend and I went to Albuquerque for a play day hittin' second hand stores, and to pick up more chicks. She found a lady in Albuquerque who breeds chicks all year long...has quite the set up there. Rose got 6 Buff Orpingtons, and I got 2 Buffs and one black Australorp. They're all 3 weeks old now, so Rose is keeping them in her house in my dogs old wire kennel. All 9 chicks fit just fine, and are growing fast...feathering out already. We're feeding non-GMO feed, fresh fruit/veggie scraps, and baby chick grit. They're flourishing! Sooooo...I need the room for them to all roam once they can be put outside. I know it'll be awhile just yet, but I need them secure for the winter. Next time I run up to Rose's, I'll snap some pics and post them.

Been going to doctor appointments this and last week...just establishing myself as a patient, but have some tests coming up that will put me away from home for a day here and there. The dreaded colonoscopy is one of them. Now...how does that relate to homesteading, alternative living, etc? Well...colonoscopy prep is just plain nasty...a thorough colon clean out. You get my drift? Well, I have a very simple composting toilet system...chuckles...a 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat using coco-coir (coconut fibers).

The toilet is in the corner with white bucket next to it containing the coco-coir.

 I started off using sawdust but stopped when I found a Child of the Earth bug in my sawdust. They're not poisonous, but can make a stink, and give a nasty, painful bite. Yeah...not goin' there...thank you very much.

I'm telling you...the head on this thing was nearly the size of a small marble! I'm not having anything like that near my bum...lemme tell ya! One of my former students is off grid using a composting toilet, and he told me about the coco-coir...ordered...been using for a few weeks now. It's not quite as good at masking odors as the sawdust, but does the job well enough.

Anyway...using my little composting set up while doing the prep for the colonoscopy isn't ideal by any stretch of the imagination. I'll probably stay at the Bunkhouse, which has running water, regular toilet, etc. It'll be easier to deal with the prep that needs to be done.

I'm older than probably most people doing what I'm doing. I'll be 57 yrs. old next month, so I'll be dealing with things like this that the younger homesteaders aren't dealing with when using alternative systems within their homes. And...I'm single...so am doing this by myself as well. I also have some health issues that need to be considered.

Me (left) with my sisters...Middle sister, Jeanette, in the middle...Baby sis, Niecey, on the right.

Me...hosing down the GrandBabies :) in my Ma's front yard.

I'll be honest...I didn't think about this type of situation during my planning. I did consider the health issues, but didn't think a composting toilet would be an issue. Unfortunately, it is. As a result, I've decided to put in a simple septic system with a low flow toilet. Though this is my guest cabin, I'll be living in it till either next Spring or Spring 2017. It will cost less money to do this than to install a quality composting toilet, and finances are critical at this point...so have to be considered. I also had to consider guests, and their ability/willingness to deal with a composting toilet system responsibly, and the fact that my son and his family will eventually inhabit this cabin during visits...6 people using a composting toilet would be a nightmare.

Is this a compromise I'm comfortable with when considering earth friendly concerns? Yes and no. Yes, because it's more practical given my age, health issues, and guests who'll be staying in this cabin. No, because I'm not so clear on the long term consequences to the soil when one uses a septic system...even a simple, smaller one.

So...learning, learning, learning. I'm still waiting for the well driller to install my well pump, and have called several others for estimates. I'm fairly certain that it won't get done before winter hits hard...probably not till next Spring. It's all good...frustrating at times...tedious at others (particularly with dishwashing and showers), but doable none-the-less. All part of the process...yes?

Ciao

 

Hen House II

So...my son and I built the hen house, and I've been working on finishing it. I got really sick with bronchitis and a sinus infection...put me down for a couple weeks, so I've been playing catch up with work on the coop.

I used an oil based Kilz on it to protect the wood. That stuff is amazing! Dried, it left a sort of rubbery textured coating on the outside walls.

Trim and edging completed.

Trim and edging.

All done!

Kilz all done.

Time to add the color! My daughter in law, Dia, decided it should be turquoise...so...turquoise it is!

Trim and didn't need to edge as the roller covered that beautifully.

Coop painted!

Window covering and lid to nest boxes. It'll be roofed with the roofing material, so isn't completely painted...just edged.

All done...ready to apply wire at the top around the vent area.

 So...the blue tarped structure in front of the hen house is/was the chicks temporary structure. I used things on hand to set it up in June...a large dog enclosure surrounded with chicken wire buried about a foot to stop digging predators, chicken wire across the top, and tarped for shade. I placed a smallish pet carrier inside for some type of housing for the two hens, and space for them and their food and water.

Well...it was seriously in the way while all of this work was being completed...so I took a day to enclose underneath the coop. Moving the chicks was the most difficult part...lol...the larger one is a tad aggressive...snot! But they were moved so I could take down the initial temporary structure, and finish work on their permanent home.

Chicks under the coop.

Enclosure under coop.

Happy chickies!

Tarped construction taken apart and straw placed in compost.

I decided that I need to get some flashing, roofing paper, and canned insulation before putting the roof on top. Have to drive 2 hrs to closest Home Depot or Lowe's, and haven't had a chance to do that just yet...maybe this weekend. Once that's acquired and in place, I can put roof on top of coop, whitewash (I found a simple, safe lime wash to use) the inside. It has to be secure from rain/snow before I whitewash...so...figuring out when to do each step is critical. Then I can enclose the run, and cut the chicks loose.

Currently, I only have the two Rhode Island Reds...my first...*whispers* I don't like them. I got three of them the end of May, but lost one of the chicks early on. I prefer Wyandottes, Buff Orpingtons, and Australorps. I'll acquire some pullets this month...once the run is completed, and a few more next Spring.

I've been feeding them a non-GMO feed, and I have to say these are the healthiest chickens I've ever had!

Thanks for reading...

Ciao

Chicken Coop

When my son and his family came for a visit in August, they gifted me with work days...asking what I wanted done. lol...Really? Anything at all, they replied. Really? lol...Ok then. I want to build my hen house, line the drive with stones (tons and tons all around the property), and have a trench dug on one side of top drive area.

We worked our butts off, and man, oh man did they kick it! Tommy and I (with some help from dil Dia) built the hen house. It's very similar to the one I had in Illinois, but on a larger scale.
 

My handsome son getting ready to cut the wood.

We worked all of one day, and part of another to do all this, but it got done! They literally saved me...easily?...a month or more of work doing it all by myself. Needless to say, I was thrilled, and beyond grateful for their help.

Prep work: I dug the holes, and Tommy and I cemented the the 4"x4" base posts in place.

Beginning building the coop on stilts!

Tommy adding walls to the coop.

The finished coop with temp chick quarters in front (covered by tarp).

I have some water run-off issues when it rains. Mostly it's pretty minor, but with a 200' slope top to bottom of my property, there are bound to be a few problem areas. The driveway is one of those areas. So, I'm hoping the stones, and trenches dug here will help with some of that as it crosses the driveway.

Beautiful job lining part of the drive with stones...kind of between upper and lower drive areas.

More stone work!

Thankfully, I have a LOT of stones on my property!

At the curve on lower half of drive.

Upper drive trench.

We all worked hard, and got a lot done. Even my 3 yr. old GrandBoy dug trenches (aka holes), and moved rocks! The kids were troopers!

A restful moment in the shade.

Chillin'.

 It was a fun day.

Ciao