Sick...

I've been sick, and got sicker catching the GrandBaby's cold. Seein' doctors, gettin' tests done, blah blah blah. Back when I'm feeling better. Looking forward to catching up on my reading here, too!

Ciao...

Been thinking...researching...just messin' around

Wood Stoves

Since I'll be heating my cabin with wood, this is a huge deal...big purchase...and I don't mind spending a bit of money to get the 'right' stove. I want the best bang for my buck, too. Scary purchase...lots of pressure to 'get it right' the first time. So...primary (only) heat source is the first priority. Having a flat top...not those split leveled tops...so I can throw one of my cast iron pots on top for a slow cooked meal, and have room for the cast iron water filled tea pot for humidity is a secondary concern. Also...an oven to play with...eh...not necessary as I'll have a small propane stove/oven for cooking, but would be 'fun'. Finally, I'd like to be able to create a small water heating system hooked into the stove/pipe. I'm likin' the set up for water heater below. That can be done on any stove/pipe though, so that's not part of the decision.

Originally, my plan was to purchase and have installed a Vermont Bun Maker wood stove...without the soapstone surround. I like the idea of a small oven that I can play around with during cold weather stove usage, but the fire box is too small...heating for a max of 5 hours. Now, 5 hours would be enough to tend during daytime, but waking up to a freezing cabin after 6 or 7 hours sleep doesn't quite cut it for me.

 So, I started looking at other wood stoves with larger fire boxes...longer burn times. I've been looking at Vermont Castings stoves. The three I'm looking at are all EPA certified according to the EPA website on wood stoves, are also UL/ULC certified, OMNI (on the Aspen and Resolute models), and CSA Design on the Intrepid. One is catalytic, and the other two are non-catalytic. Catalytic seem to be more environmentally friendly, but have more parts to replace after about a 5 yr period from what I understand. That part of my decision is somewhat in limbo...not sure which way to go in regards to catalytic/non-catalytic.

I like the look of the Aspen (below)...size is a real plus, but it only has a 5 hr burn time @ 18,000 max BTU's. It heats up to 600 sq ft...well within the size of my cabin...but from what I'm reading are best used as supplement heat for a single room, or heat an occasional use cabin...not full-time use. I think I've pretty much decided this one's a no go for me. But it sure is pretty to look at!

Then there's the Intrepid II (below)...a beautiful stove. Catalytic, heats up to 1200 sq ft (overkill for a 560 sq ft cabin), 6 hr burn time @ 27,000 max BTU's, 81% efficient with a 2.1 g/hr. Very environmentally friendly...again, a sorta short burn time, but 6 hrs would be my minimum. Nice big fire box to handle a decent sized log. Matches all my criteria really. And...it's pretty to look at...even comes in different colors if I chose to do a color.

The Resolute Acclaim (below)...another beautiful stove...is non-catalytic, has a whopping 9 hr. burn time @ 40,000 BTU's heating up to 1600 sq ft (again, overkill for my 560 sq ft cabin), 72% efficiency with 3.4 g/hr. Again, very nice to look at, and with different colors. I kinda like the warming shelves on the side, but am not sure there'd be room for that once it's all said and done.

 

All three of these stoves are well within the EPA limits for g/hr...non-catalytic max @ 7.5 g/hr, and catalytic max @ 4.1 g/hr. So...I got that goin' for me. Everything I've read suggests that a small stove (like the Aspen) wouldn't work for full-time use, and that I need a medium sized stove...like the Resolute Acclaim or the Intrepid II. I looked at Jotuls, also...nice stoves...just got better reviews for the Vermont Castings. If there are others out there I'm not finding, I'd sure like to know about them. While I'll talk with a 'dealer' once I'm in NM and ready to decide on/order my stove, I'm wary of a dealer who might want to sell me something that's not really what I need. Paranoid wench!

Still thinkin' on my water heating issue, too. I know I won't be using a traditional water heater, and am leaning toward the on-demand propane fired water heaters, but I worry about the draw on my solar once that's being used. Talking with a solar pro will help me make that decision...when the time comes. This one can ride for now.

I make jewelry...still...just don't sell it these days. Eh...I give it away most of the time. However, I started making larger pieces out of wire and beads...not jewelry, but wall hangings, wind (type) chimes, weaving wire baskets, and the like. Have also been putzin' around making pieces for my fairy garden...houses, fences, doors, gates, furniture, etc. So...just messin' around these days.

Thanks for reading...Ciao!

Posting on other blogs...

I'm frustrated, and can't figure out why my replies on other blogs won't post. My son's not here for the next month...so he can't help me figure it out like he did the last issue.

Here's what happens:

I type a response; click post from Google; click post comment (though does it with preview feature, too), and the post disappears. Poof! Just gone.

Anyone have any suggestions as to why, and where this 'fix' might be? I've poked around trying to find it, but can't. HELP!!!!

Thanks...

House on the hill...

So...this is a smaller version of the Tuffshed cabin I'll be getting for my property. It will have a few custom changes when it's all said and done...like a metal roof (safer fire hazard in NM mountains), a different siding (this beautiful example isn't available in my area), a sliding door on the front...off the porch...rather than a regular door as shown, and a second back door, as well as a few other tweeks. There won't be a loft...not available with this particular model, and I would prefer not to have one anyway. Stairs and graceless me (particularly in the middle of the night) are best not paired. I wanted the higher ceiling in this model because it gives a greater sense of size, and will allow me to do some taller storage units on walls. The 20 x 28 space will be more than large enough for me, Gracie, and the Brat Kat.

 The drawing below is a rough version of what will be done inside. Though not accounted for in this rendition, all the space taken up by wall studs and the like are accounted for in the original plans. I just did this to give an idea of what I'll be doing. Everything has been measured, and re-measured for accurate placement...furniture, appliances, wood stove placement, and cabinets.

I opted for a 6' porch because...well...I like that extension of living space to the outside, and I'm a porch dweller for times of relaxation. The cabin will sit on a cement slab, which will certainly be better than a gravel foundation. Sometime during the 2nd year there will be a small lean-to attached on the side near the back door...room left and allowed for that with window placement, etc. The lean-to will house all the solar electronics...battery bank, inverter, etc...everything that doesn't need to be inside for monitoring purposes.

I'll actually get a solar company out to the property prior to the cabin's placement (and the cement pad, of course) in order to determine best placement for solar panels...and the cabin to accommodate them. I probably won't be putting them on the cabin, but will use stationary mounting poles instead...nothing I need to decide for now.

Thanks for reading! Ciao

Scaling down my life...

I've spent the past few years clearing out the clutter...lots, and lots of clutter. I'm not a hoarder, but I had a couple of collections...always on display...not boxed up and put away...that I got tired of dusting all the time. Pink flamingos, brown stoneware, and colorful 30's and 40's pottery. I used to buy and sell antiques...had a nice booth in one of the local antique stores in Prescott, AZ for a couple of years. So...it was definitely a passion...and I got to make a little money off of it! Anyway...I've given things to my kids, Grands, sibs, and even a couple of my nieces, and friends as a means of getting rid of some things. The rest? It went to a second hand store in Springfield that supports victims of domestic violence.

Some of my pink flamingo collection...had a lot more of both these collections that weren't displayed in this particular house.

Some of the Brownstone and colorful pottery I'd collected over the years, and two of the three dining room pieces.

Even though I've cleaned out a lot of 'stuff', I find I still have too much. Too much to fit into the smallish cabin in which I'll be living. See...I went from about a 2000 sq ft house (where I raised my children) to about an 800 sq ft house (transition home after leaving the ex spousal unit) to a 2700 sq ft house (bought and lived in with my adult daughter and Grandboy) to an 1100 sq ft house (rental in my birth city that allowed me to be closer to family for the past 6 1/2 years). I'm not a mover...not really. I'm a nester by nature, but spent some time after ending a 25 yr marriage trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life...and where. Now that I know...well...I need to get rid of even more stuff!

I gave my too big bedroom outfit to my youngest son...a huge 4 poster bed with a humongous armoire that I couldn't even move once it was placed somewhere. I like to move furniture around rooms...so that was a frustration anyway. Beautiful pieces of furniture, but far too large for my soon to be home. Also gave him my largish L-shaped couch and various other pieces of furniture and miscellaneous doo dads. I also have a dining room set that is a family heirloom...I grew up with it, and love having it. However, it's three very large, simple lines, handmade oak pieces...5' long buffet, 3' wide china cabinet, and a 4' x 4' table with six leaves. That sh**s heavy, too! Sadly, none of my kids wanted it, and the only niece who did doesn't have room. I won't have room for it, but still have it. Can't sell it, though it's worth a small fortune...made in the early 1800's, solid oak...no veneer...beautiful, well-cared for pieces. It came from Sacred Heart rectory...where my Grandmother, Pops, and 4 of my 6 sibs attended school. The dark dents at one end of the table are where they counted the mass offerings every day...coins dented the surface. So it has an interesting provenance...aside from the fact that I was raised eating at the table, and that several of my sibs had it at one point or another before I got it. Why do I still have it? I'm saving it for one of my GrandBabes. I've planned for the space the dining set will take up in my cabin, but it will only be a temporary fit.

Can't seem to download a copy of cabin plans...but anyway...I'm purchasing a TuffShed garage shell with some custom modifications. 20'x28' equaling a total of about 560 square feet. It has 8' sidewalls with a 13'8" ceiling peak. It'll be just large enough to finish off the inside for a small...cozy...liveable space. I have the quote/estimate from the company...so have a basis with which to plan for the finishing work inside. Ultimately, it will be off grid for electricity...all solar...but I'll have the electricity for probably the first two years while I finish the inside. So...cutting down even more on the amount of 'stuff' I have will be very important. I will have as much storage as possible...included in the plans...but 'stuff' has gotta go! I mean...I even gave the majority of my Fiesta ware to my daughter...all but 4 place settings (my favorite colors, of course). I mean...really...why do I need a 9 place setting of dishes, and all the serving/etc stuff that goes with it? chucklin'...I'm gonna get her another place setting so she'll have an even 6, but I just couldn't justify keeping all of it.

Some things I won't be getting rid of, but have plans for them later. Like...I make jewelry, quilt, do pottery, knit, crochet, do needlework...blah blah blah...and have all the 'stuff' that's needed to do those things. Lots of boxes of 'stuff'...that...yes, gets used on a regular basis. But...no place to put it in my 'home' cabin. Plan for later will be to do a very simple, very small 'shell' to finish (like the cabin) where I can put all my 'craft' stuff. I'll keep that super simple...basic electricity as some of my 'tools' need electricity...no water/bath needed...insulation and drywall...paint...small...very small wood stove. And...that's where the dining room set will go. Buffet and china cabinet will make great storage, and the table holds quilts very nicely when they're bein' put together. Perfect solution! Reality is that I don't do much of that stuff during spring, summer, and fall. I'd much rather be...and usually am...outside. I do a LOT of it during the cold months when I hibernate, though.

So...thinking, planning, minimizing even that much more. lol...my kids are like..."Really, Mom! We don't want anymore 'stuff'!" Then they see the boxes of family photos with their names written on them, and have a LOT of fun looking through the photos.

Thanks for reading...ciao!

Dissension...

Most of my family (other than my kids and cousin, Rosie) don't really get this desire to homestead. Ma vehemently refuses to accept that I'm capable, determined, or even that I've thoroughly thought and planned this venture out very carefully. Pops had a small river cabin for vacations, and maintains that I'll get tired of small spaces after awhile...discounting the fact that I don't spend much time indoors Spring through Fall anyway. Honestly? I'd lived away from them for so long...only coming back for visits...that they really don't know me very well...even after living near them again for the past 6+ years.

Siblings want to know if I have the skills...like...sister asking, "Do you know how to use a chainsaw?"

Well...no, I don't, but already have my daughter's fiance set to teach me...as well as giving me input as to which wood tools to purchase. He's very skilled at using them having been raised in Alaska, and spending a tremendous amount of time chainsawing and chopping wood for the family home. chuckles...and he enjoys doing it, too.

Truth? I'm a graceless woman, and know that the use of power tools such as a chainsaw, or sharp chopping tools like axes...aren't meant for my hands on a regular basis. I'm dangerous with power, and sharp pointy tools! Ask my kids...they'll tell ya that for sure.

Then, she asks, "How are you going to move all that wood for winter heat?"

Well...I'm not. I'm not stoopid! I'll hire someone to do the majority of the work for me. Sheesh...I 'do' know my limits. I will, however, learn and practice the skills necessary...just in case I need them. I will load and stack the wood...work alongside whoever does the chainsawing/splitting for me.

She asks, "Do you know how to maintain a wood stove?" (Wood will be my heat source.)

As a matter of fact, yes, I do. I heated one of my homes in AZ with wood, and even cleaned the chimney pipe once a year or more. We bought our wood already chopped and split, and the boy split it further when needed. I know which woods to use that have less creosote build up, and which ones burn hotter...giving off more heat. I'm learning how to plant and manage a wood lot...not something I have direct experience doing, but...am certainly capable of growing things. I even know how to use wood ash for gardening, and how to dispose of it safely...with benefit to my soil.

And so on...throughout any given conversation with any of them.

I think part of the issue with my family having such difficulty accepting this move is that I've never shared this dream with anyone until I finally decided to actively pursue it. It was a dream...one that I hoped to attain one day, but still just a dream. Personal...and held very close to my heart. Oh...I spent hours reading, researching, gathering information, perfecting my gardening skills, learning other skills...composting, keeping my girls (hens), canning, dehydrating, storing what I'd grown, etc. But...I'd never shared with anyone (except my GrandBoy, Trystan) what I wanted to do with all these skill sets and mountains of information I'd gathered. I think a part of me knew they wouldn't understand the desire, the deeply held beliefs, or the need to root myself in a piece of land.

See...I've always been the odd ball in the family. At one time, I was the "black sheep"...deeply troubled, and falling off the edges of the earth. I found my way back...gratefully...and with a lot of help from friends...and have refined, and in some cases defined my life...ethics...morals...values...beliefs...spirituality...etc. I'm the loveable, eccentric "Auntie" to my nieces and nephews, and the fun "Granna" to my GrandBabies. The outspoken, blunt, opinionated sister to my siblings. The difficult child to my parents...seen that way even as an adult. I'm simply "Mom" to my kids. My daughter, Sunshine, sang a song to me with her best friend when I received my Masters'...Bette Midler's Wind Beneath My Wings. That's 'our' song, and the one that rings from my phone when she calls. These days? She's 'my' hero.

The song that plays when Tommy calls is Billy Joel's River of Dreams. He's my poet.

When my oldest son calls, I hear Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven. He's my lost child.

So...I don't try to explain any of this to them anymore. When they have things they want to say, I simply listen...nodding my head...validating their concerns...and go on with my plans. If they don't get it, they won't get it. And that's ok...they don't have to. I do, and that's all that matters.

Means to an end...

Currently, I'm living with my son and his family. I moved here the beginning of November 2013, which was a difficult move for me as I'm so used to living alone. However, there are definite benefits...one of which is the time spent with my son, daughter in law, and the Grands. I know the three oldest ones fairly well...have spent some good one on one time with each of them over the years, but I don't know the youngest as well...he's only (almost) 2. So, I'm getting to know Bumps better, which is definitely a side benefit to this whole trip.

Lt. to Rt.: Ms Gabba Wabba, RoBee, Tommy, Bumps, Dia, and Teeters.

Tommy and Dia are active military...they met while both stationed in Iraq some few years ago. They have a "yours, mine, and ours" situation with my Grands...look at those faces! I just wanna squeeze 'em and pinch 'em! They're stationed in Illinois, and own a gargantuan house that just happens to have a mother in law's quarters. That works for privacy...all 'round.

This move is beneficial to us all. I get to save a large sum of money in a short period of time (as well as my time with the Grands), and they get some much needed help around the house, and with the kids (as well as their time with...ME!). I love to cook...so thoroughly enjoy making meals for them all. Gabba, Teeters and I hang out every day after school...doin' homework, having snacks, and just hangin' out. Tommy was just promoted and placed second in command at his duty station, so there's lots of training away from home, which Dia also experiences within her job. I'm sure my 'role' will change a bit during those training times.

So...saving money. That's what will allow me to do this whole deal the way I want to do it...much sooner than I'd originally planned. I am retired...with a fixed, but comfortable income. Even so... I couldn't save enough...fast enough...to get me onto a property anytime within the next two or three years. Tommy and Dia are making this possible in a much shorter period of time. My original plan with them was to be on the property by end of May 2015, however, I'm looking at ways to make that happen by this Fall...August/September 2014. Now that I have the property, I'm anxious to get up there. Though I don't want to mess up my overall plan by jumping the gun before I'm ready financially, I'm pretty sure I can swing this move a tad earlier than originally expected. The trick will be not to take away from funds for the cabin...getting the well/septic/electric done this Spring as planned...and moving a small RV up there to live in till the cabin is completed. Finding an acceptable RV (meaning...with an arctic package that doesn't cost an arm and a leg) is the key here...the unplanned for element that will get me up there sooner.

I'm hopeful. I've been looking online at available RVs in NM and AZ. I should be able to get a smaller RV that Gracie, Brat Kat and I can live in comfortable till the cabin's ready. Nice thing is that the RV can then be a smallish guest accommodation when family and friends come to visit. I'm ready to start the observation process of my land...figuring out where the water runs during monsoons...looking at and planning sites for outbuildings...getting my garden and orchard started...building another hen house...start raisin' up my Pyr guard pup.

Patience is a virtue...right?