Off The Beaten Path

Leaps and Bounds

The last month has been a long year. A lot has happened.

We have the firewood here (but not stacked yet)

We have begun the process of rebuilding the greenhouse. We started by taking the steel, plastic and tarping off the tent structure, and then setting the new walls up outside the the existing frame. Once those were secured against wind, we disassembled the tent frame entirely. As of right now we have 3 of the 5 walls (one internal, 4 external) framed. It would’ve been 4, but a 4×4 got dropped on the ladder (no one was on it at the time), and it got bent out of safe usage. New ladder to be acquired this week.

Deconstruction before reconstruction can begin. Make a mess to fix a mess.
Side walls went up on the windiest day day in a month. Also, 8 ft 6 is really really high.
Front end framed and solidified. Just the back end and the middle left to do.

On the biggest front, we have a house-build shale pad! I finally managed to get a hold of someone who could get it done right away. On the 30th of August, the dozer, roller and trucks moved in. It was a noisy, shaky, chaotic day, but the build site is hard-packed, well-draining, good-quality shale. It has rained a few times since then, and puddles do not form. Next year, we can pursue the concrete slab foundation.

Everything staked off for the footprint. The job came together about a week faster than expected, so the area hadnt been entirely emptied yet at this point, as you can see. It was all moved out in time, though.
When a dozer goes by literally inches from the house, you notice. This driver was great. Not only did he have to deal with the existing wall, he had to maneuver around the pump as well. He excelled.
All done. Quite a difference from the dog-hole-riddled area before. You can see the demarcation line between what is relocated topsoil and what is structural shale.

As of right now, the only planting I still have to do is 2 catalpa trees, 2 kousa dogwood trees and 4 honeylocust. I also need to move/ground-plant my apios and horseradish, and I need to lift and mound the few surviving Jerusalem Artichokes, so they dont just all die next spring in the wet. This week, I also have bulbs for Camassia and hair alliums arriving.

Beginning the ‘greening’ process of the new “back yard” where the topsoil was dozed to. This is a smallish shrub/flower garden using the last of this year’s plantings, and the peach trees will go in off to the right and left of this next spring

On the Great Washing Machine Project, there have been delays. Most notably, the construction adhesive I have is absolute rubbish, and the steel is SUPER hard to drill through. I broke my last correctly-sized drillbit the other day and new ones are needed. I have also had a terrible time trying to get the right size of bushings. Twice, so far, the wrong size. Hopefully, 3rd is the charm, especially as I actually used a caliper this time. The wood pieces are all varnished ready, and the two side braces are attached. Once I have the drill bit, it will be time to add the front and back plates and form the actual trough.

We’re back to school this past week, also, which is always a challenge – getting used to the routine of schoolbooks again while still trying to fit in all the things.

All in all, we’re making progress, and that feels good. We spent all last summer more or less spinning our wheels while I recovered from childbirth and we saved up money. It feels good to have something solid to point to and say “we got this accomplished this year. We’re moving toward the dream.”

Karen

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