report from Kentucky ridgetop

okay, I'll tell you a secret.

I'm trying to buy 6 acres of ridgetop in Kentucky which has the shell of a house on it. I'm so excited, but I can't tell the people around me until it's a done deal.

It's all scrub and early growth woods, and the deer will make it a complete challenge to get anything established, but I'm already visualizing the bit of heaven it will be. I'm exploring the possiblity of installing a "Constructed Wetland" for waste water processing. I've already got many of the species that are recommended for it - Irises and Daylily in particular.

(added the top bit from another thread, just to have continuity of the story.)

this next part was written March 5, 2011
I walked the property more thoroughly today. The house is not at the very top - there is still a steep rise to the west, so is sheltered from the worst winds. It is perched on the only truly flat area, perhaps 70 to 80 feet wide. Just 10 feet east, the land drops more quickly, but it's not as steep as I first thought. I was able to walk all the way down and back up without difficulties. It's just full of brambles (now where did I put those goats?!)

The view is spectacular to the east. Except for that first drop, it is all wooded and you can see to the next ridgeline, where Daniel Boone National Forest begins. There is only one other dwelling visible during the day, waaay out thetaway. I went out tonight, and that ridgeline is prettily dotted with occassional residential lights. I haven't walked to the bottom - I understand it gets pretty steep with some outcrops that are called cliffs, but are probably less than they sound. The property has been logged maybe 50 years ago or so. Which is good - The re-growth won't be big enough for serious logging again during my lifetime. The owner of the larger tract cuts a lot of firewood year-round.

The woods appear to be oak (white and scarlet, I think)-beech mix, with lots of scrubby undergrowth still. We also have young pines and some fruit trees.

Tomorrow the surveyor will be out for a first look, and I'll have a better idea of what 6 acres covers. Also plans to meet with someone who will install a water line and a septic system.

This will be a "vacation home" (I don't take vacations - though I might join in the Cotswolds endeavor) until it's paid for, and then a low cost semi-retirement home; so work will progress slowly. My daughter lives in the community, and she and I will work on it together.

We have a couple of photos which I'll try to upload at Webshots, but they don't at all do justice - and it may be the eye of the beholder.

Now thát looks like a plan. What a huge project this is and how very exciting to own your very own ridgetop. I'm looking forward to see how you get on. Good luck!

Super! How many rooms?

Looks like you could do all kinds of things with landscaping!

Are you a button collector, 2wonderY?

buttons - yes. You too? I see we have several passions in common. Do you go to any button shows?

The house has only 2 rooms, but the dimensions downstairs are 28 by 36 feet, and 14 by 36 upstairs. I'll probably leave it mostly open, building bookshelves on the exterior wall everywhere there isn't a door or window. :)

I'm not a formal collector, I just like them. I've only been to one button show; in fact, that was the only one I've ever heard of in my area (which is strange).

Your hedgehog button is darling!

ETA: P.S. You are the only other person I've ever met who has any of the "Common Man" books!

Update

The surveyor sent me a preliminary sketch, and he got it slightly wrong. Instead of a rectangle reaching from the top of the ridge and running parallel with the sides of the house and heading east downslope, he took a shortcut and made it wedge shaped with the narrow part towards the best view. So he's going back out to correct it. I hope it doesn't delay closing, which we were hoping to schedule for Friday.

I've ordered a camping toilet to be delivered this week, because I hope to spend the weekend there and get a better feel for my next steps.

My daughter has been charged with finding a camera so that I can deliver pictoral reports. The seller says that the woods are stuuded with Redbud trees,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cercis_canadensis
and it should be spectacular when they bloom in the next few weeks.

We closed on the sale Friday - I know, April Fool's Day. At least it'll be easy to remember.

I had hoped to spend a night or two in the house, but it got very cold again, and I had my granddaughter with me (no heat or water or electricity yet), so we were satisfied to set up the bedroom for next visit, sat on the deck for a bit, and then hiked the property some more.

Look at the beautiful ornamental plum tree at the corner of my acres!

Congratulations!

Yes, congrats! :o)

Another beautiful weekend spent under my daughter's house - we're almost done insulating. I was able to dash out to the ridgetop briefly and savor the view, which just keeps getting better.
I've posted a few new pictures here:

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2209312860034813942deMzHq?vhost=home-a...

As you can see, I'll have to focus on insulating my house before I can think of exterior work. That's alright - gives me time to plan.

I met a woman at church who is committed to educating about alternative technologies. I'm just about convinced to collect my roof rainwater to a cistern, build a composting toilet, and pipe my grey water to the gardens.

Does anyone here have any experience with these alternatives?

Gee, it's been 6 weeks since I posted an update. I have been there almost every weekend, but until last weekend, had been frustrated with the heavy rains. The weather finally turned, and I got gravel poured on the driveway. YAY! Now the excavation equipment can come on.

Kentucky law is not particularly advanced in the sanitation sector. Odd, because there are so many people using new and advanced methods there. I've been informed that I need to install a traditional septic tank and leach field and plumb a flush toilet inside. That is all before I can get an electric permit. Now, they can't make me use the toilet. I have an easy design for a composting unit to put in place after all of the inspections.

So, I paid my fees, dug my soil inspection holes, and the plumbing inspector has been out. He is very helpful, and doesn't say what he is not allowed to say, but we understand each other.

As I mentioned on another thread, I've got the blackberries just around the house under control; I've installed a 55 gallon rain barrel (which is WHY it stopped raining, finally, you see); and I've taken out most of the tentative seperation walls inside.

I picked up a bathtub at the Habitat ReStore AND a whole gob of fiberglass insulation. I insulated the inside bedroom wall which backs up to attic storage space and I'm shifting fixtures around in the bathroom space trying to decide how I want it to lay. I'm not good with deciding on paper. I have to actually try it out and live in it first.

I'll be beefing up the exterior walls to 6 inch thickness, so that I can super-insulate. Lumber is really cheap here! It will cost me $40 to do the downstairs. And then I will start roughing in plumbing and electric.

I'll get some pictures posted later today.

This all sounds so exciting. I love projects like these.

oh, and next time you get a chance I'd love to see photos of the area now that everything will be leafed out!

Here's my first really awesome sunset:

I had a good weekend. The ReStore had more insulation donated, and, since I've made friends there, they notified me while it was still on the truck. I bought it (47 bale sized garbage bags full) and wheedled a delivery that day. I spent a day and a half sorting the insulation and installing what I could. I've spent approximately $200, and 3/4ths of the house is insulated. While I had them driving out, I combed the store for other large materials - got some osb board, cement board and an 8 foot countertop.

blackberries. I didn't take a close look until the berries started coming on:


I've grubbed out all of the weeds from under the deck (which were growing up through the floorboards) and laid cardboard and carpet scraps for temporary mulch. I'll be hauling in recycled glass mulch from the Richmond recycling plant for a more permanent fix.

Here is a picture of the approach to the house



please admire the gravelled driveway.

oh, very nice drive! Very nice entrance area also. Some beautiful flowers will be there soon, I predict. I am jealous!

It's gorgeous! I love the pictures. It will be great seeing the updates. Thanks for sharing.

Oh, raspberries, they are my favorite to.

eta that Jessie is saying raspberries because that's what I misidentified the blackberries. I wouldn't fight them so hard if they were raspberries!

June 28, 2011

No flowers until next year. There will be entirely too much excavation going on this summer. The septic tank and field will be sited just beyond the deck. The cistern will be at the left corner of the house. I'm hoping to get a pond out of this deal, as well. Instead of piping the cistern overflow to go directly over the hill, I'm going to ask my excavator to gouge out a hollow near the cistern first. I'll have to be ready with a lining. And we'll be placing some of the soil along the front of the house in an effort to make the drainage swale more definite in the middle of the front yard. Right now, water just runs across the yard and down the crawlspace block. That crawlspace wall stays damp inside.

My power line is going to be buried, too. You can just see the support guy wire of the electric pole beyond the apple tree on the right.

I've got my plumbing layout firmed up, and will start installing next weekend. My roof has THREE LEAKS!!! I'm trying to get some advice or a contractor. And the insulation shook out to enough for 100 percent of the walls and 80% of the ceilings.

I decided on my first bookcase project. The upstairs stairwell is framed to be closed in with a wall. I'm taking it all out and building 10 feet of 36 inch high shelves. *grin*

Nice!

Yay! bookcases are easily as important as your drainage field. One can live with a leaking roof, if one has really good books to read and keep one's mind of the drip drip drip. (joke)

I am excited to see pictures of your place as you make progress.

I don't know if I mentioned this to you, but I built a cabin in the woods around 2002, and indeed, the bookshelves were slotted in along with the rest of the priorities (water, heating, roadway). :) It is fun to watch you make your little retreat come to life.

22> One can't live with a leaky roof!!! The books might get wet!!!

Oh, Jessie! Do you have pictures posted somewhere?

I do have some pictures {of course, who are you kidding :)!} I'll dig them out of the digital black pit and post them up here for you.

The excavator had said he had lots of work piling up because of the wet spring, not to expect him till late in the month and he would give me a week's notice so I could take vacation. He called last Tuesday evening to tell me he was ready to dig the next morning. I talked him into waiting another day so I could get there. We were still not quite agreeing on placement of the various holes.
Thursday the septic tank and line were dug and installed. The cistern was placed, and the power line trenched. Since the equipment was there, I asked for a pond. You know - a garden pond. Well, these guys dig ponds all the time, but they think farm pond. It turned out to be more than 4 times the size I had hoped, and twice as deep.
Friday it drizzled, but the Sanitarian approved the septic system and gave me the precious paper that allows me to get electric hook-up. While the backhoe operator ditched the driveway and covered the septic, the boss gave me his expert help installing the electric and phone conduits and connecting the septic to the house.
I tried to live with the bigger pond, but it was desperately too big - a hazard and a mudhole in the making. Luckily, my good man had left his equipment till Monday morning, and he kindly filled in the farm pond for me and dug me a nice sedate garden pond of dimensions 6 x 14 x 2 feet deep.
The really nice side effect of all of this churning of the soil is that the sod is broken up and aerated. If I can get my act together, I can plant some trees and other stuff before it hardens again. Work work work!!!!

the sewer line excavation:


oh, and the berries ARE black. bummer

Blackberry pie is very good too! It's not all bad!

Looks like you are making great progress. Did you ever read any of the Beverley Nichols books where he talks about making a pond?

No, but I'll have to now!

I'll see if I can figure out which ones they were. I always enjoy his books!

I'm headed back to Kentucky this evening with my rake. The septic field meadow needs raked down to a smoother finish before the grasses start growing again.
It's probably going to stay hot, so I plan to work slowly. No electric service yet, so I think I'll be sleeping in town, after cool showers.
I'd like to find a pool liner too, and lay it out soon.
And then there is the plumbing and electric wiring to work on....

It was abominally hot through the weekend. I got very little done on my site. I worked in town with my daughter and her friends getting the last of the dirt out of her crawlspace - (digging down to 18 inches to satisfy the mortgage lender.)

I went to church Saturday evening and was able to put in a few hours Sunday morning before it got too wretched. I moved some barrows full of dirt, filling in where the soil was already settling around the cistern. I smoothed the sides and bottom of the pond. Should I put down a layer of sand before I lay the liner?

I had stopped at the local farm supply store looking for pond liner. The proprietor, who actually does have a cluster of rockers (and a wood fire in season) for his ole buddies, recommended buying some pigs to wallow in the bottom of the pond. He guaranteed that would seal it better'n'anythin'.

That is hysterical. I can see them now...wallowing in joy! But they also are known to root around...might undo all the "sealing" they accomplish. Tricky. I hope you get a chance to sit in a rocker next to the stove sometime soon.

I think those rockers are reserved. They have to be 'earned.' Will work on it.

Nothing big worked as I had hoped this weekend. But a few small things did. More soil settlement to be addressed. Luckily, there is still a pile nearby from the pond excavation.

I had hoped to get the cistern connected. But before I can fill it, I need to drill two holes, one from inside. Our battery powered tools are not up to the task. so my SIL (to be) built the structure needed for temporary electrical service. We still need parts mounted, waiting for the specifications the power company requires.

So I bought some flexible drain line to direct rainwater over the hill. I didn't have time to prepare the pond for water yet either. I think I'm going to use glass mulch from the recycling place to smooth the bottom. It is not sharp - tumbled enough to be used as path gravel and easier on bare feet than regular gravel.

My favorite go-to guy wasn't working at Lowe's this weekend, so I was kinda guessing at what I needed, and will have to return most of my purchases.

Our weather seems to be moderating somewhat. But the horseflies are zooming around looking for trouble. I seemed to have a poison ivy rash at the beginning of the weekend, so I took my herbicide sprayer out and took me some revenge. (note: poison ivy is the only plant I target. Everything else gets dug or pulled up.) My lower timber road is heavily infested at ground and understory level.

The next two months are interrupted with weddings and grand-daughter's B-day party. I crave time to be out there.

I no longer have land to clear, or develop, but yesterday I did go "weeding" at my rental house. Found the ubiquitous blackberry vines in one bank of plants. Gah! Such a battle to cut and pull the vines out of preferred plantings. Huge canes! Big thorns. Ah, the good life.

And they are persistent! Runner roots invade in all directions.

I know! There really is no way to win against blackberries unless you are willing to dig out the roots and cultivate the whole area. When my house was surrounded I just used piles and piles of grass clippings as if they were hay stacks so smoother new shoots. That worked, somewhat.

An unending battle it is.

Last weekend, I made a trip to the recycling center and had them fill 11 5 gallon buckets and two large recycling bins with glass mulch. When I put the car in gear, it went "Oooof!"
So I very carefully drove back to my ridgetop and unloaded. Heavy! I had to ease the big bins to the ground and managed, using my legs for bumpers. I have a couple of beautiful shiners to boast of. The pond had already silted in from very little rain, so it was important to get it lined and filled.
I re-directed my downspout drainline to filling the pond, and I hope to see some real water in it this weekend. There has already been wildlife nosing around it.

The local electrical and plumbing supply store has been a wealth of information. One of the clerks fitted me out with everything I'll need to put in electric service AND put me in touch with a retired electrical inspector who seems happy to be my consultant. YaY!

We're getting rainstorms here in WV, so I'm expecting a soggy weekend there, as well. My brother is coming down from Ohio - he's my first company. I'm looking forward to having extended family celebrations. It's that kind of place, y'know?

I'm celebrating the luxuries of electricity. The power was hooked up to a temporary power pole, and an extension cord snakes in through a window. I finally plugged in the refrigerator I bought in the spring from the ReStore, and it works beautifully. Oh, I first had to remove a nest which a bird had started building in the freezer compartment.
I borrowed a lamp from daughter and stayed up till 9:30 reading a novel.
Today I went yard saleing looking for a microwave oven, a coffee maker and a lamp. Scored on all 3, spending $13.50 total. This is total luxury to brew my tea each morning and then run another pot through for hot water to wash my face.

My pond is full. We had 5 inches of rain in the last 2 weeks.

Tomorrow's tasks include clearing underneath the deck again, and laying weed block fabric and covering it with glass mulch.

I'm also hand clearing an old road which leads up to the ridgetop. There are some really wonderful rock formations up there, and it is a destination now.

Oh, telephone service has been accomplished, as well. No cell phone reception, so a land line is necessary. The co-op official asked (after I admitted that the house was not finished) if I'd like a connection on the power pole outside! I just KNEW I was re-living Green Acres. I knew it with the pigs in the pond advice above.

Congratulations on electricity and phone! You are really making progress!

These are great milestones! I appreciate your sharing them with us.

jessieb - you promised pictures.
just a friendly (and curious) nudge.

Just a wee little bit of progress on water. We've started making the modifications to the concrete tank which will be the cistern. We were able to drill out the 3"+ hole for the overflow, and connected a one way check valve so as to prevent anything from crawling into the cistern. This was a surprisingly difficult part to locate.
We also cut the hole in the crawlspace wall which will direct the water supply line into the house, but haven't yet drilled the hole in the cistern wall for this line. We're searching for a fitting which will help to make it water-tight. We'll probably end fabricating something, or just trusting to a patch of hydrolic cement and/or silicone.
The tank has accumulated about 6 inches just from condensation. The cistern end of the supply line needs to float about 5" below the water line, and the local parts guy suggested using an empty bleach bottle for floatation. Genius! I tried it in the sink, and the heavy brass intake valve can be placed anywhere it's wanted.

I keep forgetting to take pictures. Next week I'll try harder.

Okay, I gotta find those pictures. I'm just now following up on threads because I took a 2 month hiatus with new job. Will do will do :)

Yes, do please. Hope the new job is going well.

I just spent a week working on the new place, and will post a report sometime today. I got pictures, but the camera needs charged, and I have put the charger someplace safe.

I'm trying to wrap things up for the season, as the weather is changing, and travel and projects will just have to wait till spring.

The cistern is done except for finishing the overflow line. I got up on the roof and tried to seal the screwheads that are leaking. I noticed the gutters could use a good cleaning.

I keep getting distracted by the scenery. The picture I've posted here is my current favorite, but others are posted with it that are probably more vibrant.

I snuck off to Kentucky last weekend to check on things.

My driveway neighbor has taken down his For Sale sign, so traffic is back to nothing. We've had lots of rain in the past few months and the cistern is nearly full. Yahoo! My first flush system worked exactly as hoped. It caught all of the soot from my neighbor's woodstove and organic material such as leaves. The water quality looks good.
The driveway is in excellent condition. The drainage ditch appears to be sufficient, the new gravel is staying in place. No mud holes.
Lots of mud where last summer's excavations occurred, and I took a chance on the weather and spread some grass seed.

I took the granddaughters to the top of the ridge. The 4 year old was hunting crystals and the 8 year old was looking for fairy dwellings. We scored on both.

Can't wait for real spring. Trying to plan some tree and perennial plantings.

Oh, I so enjoy living through your progress here vicariously. It is just the kind of project I would love to do, but I am not really of the right personality. I dream these kinds of things but I've not the money, the energy, or the decision making skills. So, you go girl! Do it. And keep telling me all about it.

Congratulations of things coming through the winter well.

I'm glad you are enjoying these postings. It's a great release for me to be able to share my adventure. I too, had dreamt of doing this since around age 20, and my husband was a partner in the dream. When he died 22 years ago, the real possibility fizzled out. No money, no helpmeet. I count this an unexpected blessing - a reward for doing what I was supposed to do all those years. The money part just miraculously fell into place. (Asking price and private financing you wouldn't believe.)

I still wish there was some special person to share the load and decisions and the fun, but I'm pretty particular. Had the right one once, and I treasure that.

My daughter lives in the community (and it's a wonderfully connected group of friends) and she lends a hand occassionally, but she and her mate are extremely busy trying to make their dreams happen now. And I support them in that! Carpe diem!!

Decision making? I dithered for months concerning where to set the toilet - and I still haven't cut the drain hole in the floor. I know that if I do it wrong the first time, it can be fixed.... I have to steel myself and plunge into the actual first step sometimes.

What I'm trying to say is don't discount the possibilities for yourself. Who knows what the future has to offer.

Yes, I agree that "who knows" is an important perspective on life. Right now I am fulfilling the commitment to my niece to see her through getting her kids happily old enough to go to school - all of them. It is an adventure in its own right.

Hopefully, we'll go to Disneyland in May. That is my current dream for the immediate future. Hehehehee

We shall see what we shall see....

Since the weather has been so agreeable, I took 8 year old Olivia with me to get the house in order.
Building materials were just stacked inside last fall, and the space was hazardous. Thousands of dead flies and ladybugs lay about near the windows. We gathered up piles of not yet installed insulation, moved a table into the kitchen and vacuumed all the surfaces. That was the entire goal of the weekend, so we were free to socialize and relax the rest of the time. Her two buddies were invited out for a sleep-over. They mucked around the pond, catching frogs. I caught them throwing rocks into the water and stopped them. It wasn't till a day later I discovered they had pierced the liner and drained the pond. Grrr.
It was nice enough to lay out in the yard and enjoy the brilliant night sky. We saw lots of falling stars. I didn't realize it was a season for that. It got cold that night, and we had not quite enough blankets to keep 5 people warm, but my daughter snuggled with her dogs. I'll bring more for the next occasion. We hiked and found more fairy palaces in the woods.
The season is about 3 weeks ahead of schedule. The ornamental plum which was in full bloom last April 1 has already started to drop it's petals. The redbuds were in full blazing glory.

Since it will be fall at least before I get full electric service, I'm considering installing a hand pump in the kitchen. But I'm not sure of the physics of it, whether it will work with the size of the outlet pipe coming from the cistern.

The roof still has it's leaky spots, so I need to address that issue too.

I'll be bringing starts from my WV garden and beginning to establish some beds. I brought aconites which had volunteered in my lawn.

Sweet!

Ah, bliss!

I finally got to spend a weekend on the ridgetop. (the rest of your life tends to intrude sometimes)
I accomplished three - no, four items.
1- My gift certificate at the local ReStore was going to expire, so I went through the store several times looking for good stuff.
I picked up a large wool area rug to cover the raw chipboard bedroom floor upstairs. I also found a nice custom kitchen cabinet and pegboard scraps, and my daughter upgraded her couch, spending $12. (She has big dogs who delight in ruining upholstered furniture, just by bouncing up to look out the window.)

2- I cleared the living space of most of the insulation materials. This involved slicing 14 pieces of 2" 4x8 extruded insulation down the middle so that they fit through the crawlspace opening. I'm going to insulate the crawlspace walls instead of the floor. This is a newer concept, but the better builders have been practicing it for a while. I also still have scraps of fiberglass batting in one corner, so I engaged in using much of it to finish some of the smaller wall openings. Since this is such an uncomfortable task, I tend to put it off. And it's not done yet, but I made progress. (I'll be adding insulation in various ways for the next few years, I suspect)

3- I found a plumbing expert at Lowes who set me up with all of the parts I need to install a hand pump. I expect I won't have the electric system installed till very late in the year, if not next year, and I want access to my cistern water before then. I'll be putting a T in the line so that my system will accomodate either electric or hand pump in future cases of power outage. All I need now is the cabinet base for the hand pump, and I think I have something that'll work in my garage at home.

4- I used the pegboard pieces to line the space under the stairs. That's my tool closet, but it had turned into a rather messy corner. I'll post a picture of the results later.

I walked some of the downslope which I hadn't explored yet - it's very thickety. I'm continually surprised at how easy the contour lies. It's not as steep as you'd think. I will be able to strip garden down there if I can rescue the ground from the brambles. The poison ivy is making headway, but I'm starting earlier this year. Who knows who will win...
Some wild animal loved the aconite I planted, gobbling it up, roots and all.
Two small holly starts haven't recovered from their transplanting yet.

I also put a small writing desk in the bedroom, where I intend to start journaling.
That's the sort of thing which has always been included in my fantasy of home, but which I'd never been able to do before.

Great progress. It is always nice to see a project in progress coming along! Sorry about the aconite! Need something the resident wild life are not so fond of...

Let's see if I remember how to do this.

toolroom:


cabinet:


lovely kitchen:

This weekend I spent beginning to tame the wilderness. Since I don't have any motorized equipment, I'm at a disadvantage. My neighbor agreed to brushhog and mow in exchange for a couple of cases of beer. It looks like he drank them before mowing. (He didn't, it just looks like it.) My daughter agreed to come with her mower and finish the job. I was out with a hand scythe and one of those new-fangled swingy tools that does the same thing. There is a lovely "clearing" above the house which will need occassional attention to remain cleared. And I've begun forging a path below the house into bramble country. The poison ivy has invaded new areas, so I had several spray sessions in order to clear for foot traffic.

The frogs from the mostly drained pond come over and check me out when I'm on that side of the yard. They seem very friendly.

I ate a few cherries from one of my trees. Good! The birds have mostly had their way already. They were all quite cheerful and gay.

The morning breeze is heavenly - full of honeysuckle.

Not much progress on the house, though I did assemble scaffolding in order to reach the back roof. Sprang a couple more leaks. Trying to get another bid from a contractor friend.

I have finally read this thread in its entirety, and I love it! The tool room is a great idea and well implemented as far as I can see.

If that were my place, I'd love to have bookshelves all up the stairs...but maybe that's not practical?

Are you going to be able to have the pond liner replaced/repaired, or will time do that?

Keep up the journal, I'm enjoying it very much!

Not up the stairs, I'm dreaming of a clerestory light and vent shaft in that general area. But bookshelves already planned along the top of the stairwell in the bedroom.

I think I can patch the hole - much like a bicycle tire patch - but that means getting down in the mud and cleaning it first. The pond actually needs lots of grunt work to become decent, but I'm usually by myself and haven't been up to tackling it.

Thanks, I'm glad you like it.

I not only like it, I want it. :D

Me, too, fuzzi! And I know how being the solitary worker does make tackling the grunt work daunting. I have taken to keeping lists of projects I can ask others to help me with.... and sometimes I find the kind friend or relative who is willing. But my life is so much more simple than yours, 2wonderY, I mean this in no ways to be a piece of advice. I imagine you'll come up with your own good solutions as you already have!

I love lurking along on your progress.

What a lovely retreat!

I'm going to come back when my eyes are less tired and read this slowly! Re your first post, I saw a special on pbs about Prince Charles's home at Highgrove--he uses one of those constructed wetland systems for disposing of waste so you might be able to google something about how he did his, if you haven't put yours in yet. It was brilliant! Of course, he has an unlimited budget and a cast of thousands to support endeavours like this. Anyway, your place looks incredible.

We had an internal audit at work last month, which we passed. So I took this week off and am hanging out on my ridgetop. Can't say if I'll get lots done yet, but the weather is perfect, sunny but cool enough.

My plumbing inspector was out this morning and he approved and improved my drain plan, so I will be cutting holes and hanging drain lines. He approved a hand pump in the kitchen for when I have no electricity. He was very informative.

The recycling center is back in the crushed glass business, so I spread the 10 buckets I'd been hoarding, and will get one or two more fill-ups.

I'm finishing the overflow line from the cistern. Unfortunately, that means digging through heavy brush for the last couple of yards.

The poison ivy seems to be holding its own in some places, and giving way in others. Not sure why.

Constructed wetlands are EXPENSIVE! Highly technical and materials heavy. Which is stupid. I think they are over-engineered, at least around here. Florida has beautiful municipal wetlands, and I'm sure they didn't install all the piping etc. which KY requires.

I'm going to spend some time trying to get to know people, so I'll be volunteering one day at Habitat for Humanity. They're building a passive solar house, which will be worth seeing.

My battery is down, so I've gotta go. More tomorrow.

Hi! Swinging by to cheer you on. I'm with fuzzi, I want this place too but I do see how much work there is to do. Wow! You have my admiration, too.

Why not just dig a hole and plant some cattails? :)

I would like to plan on coming for a visit when it's all ready.

2WY, I think your retreat is wonderful. And you are incredibly industrious and courageous to tackle such a huge project. I am imagining how quiet it must be, sitting at that table with a cup of coffee, peaceful and connected to good things.

Okay, I have missed something: what is the crushed glass for?

>65 You're very welcome to come, but please don't wait until it's ready - that'll never happen. At least in my lifetime. I go on the philosophy that partially done is just, well, enough.

The crushed and tumbled glass is used similarly as gravel and mulch. You can use it for paths, but it tends to get picked up and carried inside by animal paws and bare feet. It's actually very pleasant to walk on. I'm using it as a permanent mulch under my deck. When I first bought last year, the blackberry brambles were coming uo through the decking. Now I have an occasional solo volunteer, which I can squirt dead.

It looks like Rose's friend is willing to replace my roof and possibly do some carpentry improvements. Yay! He said we could order materials next week. He'll be out Saturday to consult.

I found my camera charger, so I'll try to take some pictures again.

Great news re: Rose's friend. Bake him a cake!

Looking forward to more pictures, soon I hope. :)

Yay for future photos!

Sigh! Gotta go back to work in the morning. I so enjoyed the natural flow of my days.

The poison ivy is giving way in the face of all out assault; except for one particular shady corner. After 4 consecutive days being sprayed, there was no indication that this particular patch was even feeling slightly ill. But in other places, I've been able to begin moving into the tree canopy from the timber roads. The vines climbing trees are already beginning to set fruit, so I'll have to do it all again next year.

Tate finally came out to take measurements and talk about two upgrades. He's a wood craftsman, and I think our artistic leanings are well matched. He's going to price out a dormer/clerestory feature on the front roofline, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to get a skylight in my kitchen. I'm thrilled!

Not much progress to report, but it still seems like I had a productive week. Lots of tiny steps made in getting things done on several fronts.

bonus: I lost at least 5 pounds being so active.

(71) I lost at least 5 pounds being so active

Woo!

The poison ivy is everywhere this year, it's terrible: everyone is complaining about it. What are you spraying on your ivy to kill it?

I'd love a skylight in my kitchen...

I was using Weed B Gone, which is 2,4-D. I'm now switching between that and glyphosate, which, I think is the original chemical in RoundUp. I notice that RoundUp offers several different formulations of chemicals now, all more expensive than the house brand. Some of the patches seem to respond better with the one-two punch. Sun exposure helps the chemicals to work. Deep shade keeps the plant from stressing out so much.

I may try a vinegar concoction next, experimentally.

I'm uncomfortable with the 2 year half-life potential of glyphosate. 2,4-D's maximum half-life is 2 weeks.

I think I'm going to spray more bleach on mine: it turns the leaves brown and shrivels them up.

And bleach spray is pretty cheap, about one to two dollars a bottle.

2YW and fuzzi, you know not to burn poison ivy to eliminate it, right? The smoke, if inhaled, is toxic and can cause you really serious problems if you inhale it. Some people swear by the salt/vinegar/detergent solution for weeds but I have had no luck with it. Here it is anyway:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/vinegar-for-poison-ivy.html

Thank you! I've saved that and another method listed there for use later.

Maybe I'll post pictures of dead Poison Ivy, woo!

How about some dying poison ivy?
Here's a spot above the driveway after 4 treatments.

Woo! Kill! Kill! Kill!

:x

I don't even like looking at photos of it! Gack!

Okay, it's been a week...what's new? (inquiring nosy minds want to know). ;)

You might just have to come and see for yourself, nosey!
(That's an invitation.)

I've determined that I can't keep up the pace of driving down there every single weekend. So since I was there for 10 days, I stayed in WV this weekend. My older daughter brought her family to town and we hung out at the park enjoying the MOV Multi-Cultural Festival, (http://www.movmcf.org/) which is a long standing tradition, at least in her life.
I thoroughly enjoyed taking each of the grands alone around to see what we could see. We went seeking treasures and meeting people from other parts of the world. There was a bonsai group demonstrating their craft, and that was wonderful too.

Tate has given me an estimate which is dismayingly close to all of the money I still have to work with. But, charge ahead, I say. The rest of it will all come together as it does.

I think that's a good approach. I've found out that whenever I cut corners and did things on the cheap too much, it always had to be redone later on anyway. If you do it right the first time and it's the way you want it, "the rest of it will all come together as it does" indeed.

(81) I am so tempted...

It's TOO DANGED HOT!
Went back to town. My other daughter and grands are on their way down to KY. Their power went out last night in the storm, and it's predicted up to 10 days to restore it. She had just spent their last money on groceries, so she's loaded up coolers and we'll cook it all. Party!

Howdy, Kentucky, it's too blasted hot here too. I heard there were thousands without power because of the storms there--rats! Sounds like you're making lemonaid out of those lemons. All the best to you and yours.

We have no lemons, but plenty of wine (as opposed to whine)

*adding lemons to shopping list*

So, how's the weather on the ridge?

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs....

oops, no, that's not right.

Hot, hot and more hot. Trying to work upstairs in the afternoon is not comfy. The heat makes me stupid. It was overcast this morning, and a cool breeze rolled down the hill and in the door. I got some things done. I even went up the hill and cleared some brush.

Nights are just barely okay for sleeping. I may have the grands tonight, so work may be done with for this trip.

The family came out briefly yesterday. The vote was unanimous to sleep at Aunt Wose's house, with the air conditioning. We picked blackberries, but I found the motherlode of berries this morning. I've got a cluster of pine trees that I'm clearing underbrush from. They were so burdened with vines and brambles last year I hadn't known they were there. As I moved further in, I saw the blackberry vines were laden with lots of ripe fruit above my head! There's a vegetative bramble that just grows thick and tall, and the fruiting brambles seem to piggy back up into the second story of the woods. I was focusing on clearing and more PI control, but I just had to stop and gather a bucket full.

Then I got lost!! Well I always knew where I was, just couldn't get to where I wanted. The steep bank above the driveway is now free of PI (scorched earth campaign), but I could see some serious plants further up inside the treeline. So I plunged in and circled up behind it. When my tank was empty, I tried to find my way back to that spot, but found an unexpected ravine full of PI. The woods are so full of brambles and snarls of old dead trees, and very steep, I had to keep climbing to find passage sideways. So I worked my way south, where there is a clearing above the house, and finally emerged on the other side of that.

Thankfully, I was dressed adequately in boots and blue jeans, but I'd left any other tools behind. I chided myself for being so stupid all the while, but I did get a nice tour of my upper woods. Over time, as I can spend more hours in the woods, I'll be making trails. There are many beautiful corners with moss covered rocks and lots of ferns.

My daughter and her crew are heading home today - their electricity was restored yesterday - a lot sooner than projected.

We had one halacious storm last night with continuous lightning and some hail. (New roof leak, too.) Hoping that breaks the heat wave. At least the wild animals have water again.

Thanks for the update!

Perhaps you need a small flame thrower for the PI? ;)

Gosh no! I'd either inhale the smoke or set the whole place on fire!! Sometimes I wish it were that simple.

Goats?

Definitely goats. Just not yet. But they'll be assigned to the slope below the house.

There are folks near Seattle who actually run herds of goats which they rent out to people wanting to clear blackberries! What a great career idea! And then on the BBC, the other night, I heard of a falcon wrangler who flew his bird to chase the pigeons off the brand new Broadcast Central Building. All kinds of career ideas.

I am right there with you fighting those blackberries. Here in the pac northwest you can almost see them growing!! I have a bunch just over the fence behind my backyard and I have to do blackberry patrols to keep them cut back.

I have read that goats are used by the forest service (maybe a state thing instead of federal) to clear out areas that have a lot of undergrowth and are prone to wildfires. They put up a barrier and let the goats eat an area for a day or two, and then move the barrier. It was mentioned in the article (I can't recall when/where I read it, but probably online) that it was cheaper to use the goats and more efficient than using men!

And the goats leave some fertilizer behind, ahem, too.

And can give milk, too.

I went into the woods better prepared today. I had clippers!!!
Honestly, some parts of the woods look just like the haunted forest, with dead tree branches and brambly arms reaching out to bind you, trip you, scratch you and block your way. The footing is treacherous, with lots of dead plant material loose on the steep slopes or hiding an ankle wrenching depression. And an understory dominated by that three-leafletted terror. And sometimes the trunk you reach for to steady yourself has a suspicious vine climbing it.
I developed red raised patches on my arms yesterday, after a full shower. So I went hunting a stalk of jewelweed. Usually, I just crumple the plant and rub it over my limbs. This time we crushed it very thoroughly with a mortar and pestle. It did its magic, and the rash went away. Whew!
This morning, I startled a fawn, and it bleated its high pitched distress call for quite a while. Momma must have been out shopping.

Oh wow, a fawn! I didn't know they made any noise.

And I enjoyed your haunted forest description. Boo to PI!

Have you ever heard the saying "Leaves of three, let them be!" ?

It may have been a whistle. I couldn't be sure. But it was high pitched.

Yah! I've had a couple of very bad doses. Once as a kid, my fingers and arms were so involved, the poison started creeping up in the blood veins. And huge blisters between fingers.

There is actually an innocent vine with similar leaves that grows in the same places. I try to let it be.

I realized today that I need to name my new home.
Some of our favorite books are the Brambly Hedge series:


So, I'm thinking "Brambly Ridge"

I like that.

Do you want suggestions?

Sure. My grandson already suggested "Silver Lizard."

Toxicodendron Terrace (look it up!) :grin:

101: I like it.

I like Brambly Ridge too. You'll have to do all your dusting with a blue jay feather.

p.s. I call our house "Thistlethrift Cottage" because my background is Scottish (thistle) and my husband's is Cornish (thrift, the little flower that grows all along the seashore of Cornwall) but it's really just a rug brick 50s bungalow, so I didn't make a sign or anything.

I like that, tiffin. We signified loved ones by a variety of flowers carved onto a tombstone, and yes, thistle was one of them to signify descent and demeanor.

Here's my milkweed bug:


The little guy with the curved snout is a curculio. I just noticed him. I also saw some mighty pretty shield bugs, but had no camera handy. It's time to get the reference field guides out again. I'll be posting wildflower pics, and might need some help identifying some.

Here's the only bit of real garden work that I got going:



I'll just be adding mulch till the weather moderates and then bring plants from WV. I haven't decided what yet.
Oh, yeah, and the roofers will be tromping this area heavily, as well, probably in September. We agreed that August is probably too hot to be working on a metal roof.

August! Metal roof! Roofers! Do Not Mix. Results could certainly be toxic~

Love lurking about your property. I like "Brambly Ridge"... maybe add View? or Top? Side? I love the picture on the front of the book.

107: Oh, I saw a bunch of those on someone else's milkweed recently. Your milkweeds are further along than mine.

fuzzi, I expect the Toxicodendron to be much less of a feature. Blackberries we will always have with us. But I appreciate your entry. It's on the list - the bottom.

(111) LOL! It wasn't a totally serious submission!

I also like Brambly Ridge. :)

Are those bugs Good Things or dangerous to the milkweed?

Wikipedia doesn't mention any deleterious effects to the plants. They just seem to be a specific feeder, but can eat other plant life, as well. WARNING! Do not eat them, they accumulate toxic glycosides in their bodies.

I worked as a field collector for the state entomologist for several summers. We were paying close attention to a beetle on thistle plants. I think i remember that it had been introduced in an effort to control thistle, so I see where you are coming from.

Have never willingly or knowingly eaten a bug. ;)

So here is part of the infested bank in June -


and here is the same spot in July -


you can see the same small evergreen at the center rear.

This bit of woods was nearly impassable until I dove in and started pulling dead branches down and clipping brambles and vines. Its nowbeginning to be an inviting spot to sit and meditate.

Woo! Progress!!!

How are the mosquitoes?

No mosquitos. Lots and lots of chiggers. Taming the vegetation should eventually help with that.

Ew...not sure I want that trade off...

What is a chigger?

oh yuck.

It's probably the biggest reason my neighbor puts his place up for sale once a year. He says he suffers horribly in the season. So far, they offer only nuisance value to me. Possibly because I'm not there all the time. Once I have running water, I'll be better able to scrub down more thoroughly, too.

> 107

I'll be posting wildflower pics, and might need some help identifying some.

*pulls out her handy-dandy wildflower field guide*

:)

> 114

I worked as a field collector for the state entomologist for several summers.

Oh!! How fun!! I would love to do something like that.

Wikipedia doesn't mention any deleterious effects to the plants

My bug guide says that the large milkweed bug sips nectar from flowers of milkweed and other plants in gardens and crop fields but seems to do no significant damage. That's good to know!

I am amazed at your collective bug knowledge! I only look something up when it's eating something I don't want it to out there *waving hand in direction of garden*. And as someone who swells up like a golf ball hit her with one black fly bite, I think that chiggers and me would have a very adversarial relationship.

116,117: I'm impressed with the ton of work you've done, especially in the midst of nefarious wildlife. I'm about at my limit with a tiny back yard.
126: You have a handy-dandy bug guide too?

> 128

It's handy, but it's not good. I should see if the NWF has a better one.

129: I got one recently, but the first bug I seriously looked for was my milkweed beetle, and it's not there. I also want a butterfly identification book, because I am optimistic...

I'll wait until I'm sure I'll be seeing butterflies. Paying $20 to identify one butterfly seems a bit steep! ;)

There was someone one Amazon who liked the Peterson insect guide better. I like the photos in the NFW wildflower book, though.

I like the Peterson bird guides better than any others I have seen, but I'm not familiar with the other guides in the series.

I miss my Peterson wild flower guide! It's somewhere betwixt and between. Nothing else does such a good grouping. I've had mine 40 years and it smells sweetly of flowers I've found.

We finally got some great rains. I should have used the time to get inside work done, but it made me sleepy. I hung out on the couch and read and took naps most of Saturday. I did a little bit more on the plumbing system, and I re-connected the cistern.
The roof sprung another leak - this one directly above my pillow. Got up before light and moved the bed and placed yet another bucket. That makes five. Interestingly, the huge leak in the living room - the original bad boy - hasn't been dripping.

During a lull in the rain, I worked through a little bit more of my woods, clearing a path above and parallel to the driveway. Also, I made the first move towards a planting bed at the edge of the yard. Laid out the outline with scrap wood (which is surprisingly hard to come by) and laid a tarp down to smother the weeds. Scraped gravel out of the space and laid it where it would do the most good. Next project is to fill it with mulch.
*humming the happiness refrain*

*humming along*

*smiling*

nice progress!

If this is you sleepy, I'd hate to see you in full energy mode! Hope that roof gets patched up soon.

The sleepy/nap thingie gave her the energy to hum right along.

I love it when I have the energy and weather conditions to do stuff outside!

This is LibraeyThing. We approve of reading while it rains. Impressive progress!

I thought you were going to insist I tell you what I was reading. It was one of the Discworld novels Equal Rites.

There was a lot of catch up reading in this group. You all seem to be having a jolly time chasing bugs this weekend. Not to be left too far behind, I hung my camera around the neck and yes, chased butterflies whenever they flitted by.

My daughter offered to bring her mowing equipment up friday evening and attack the weed patch that claimed to be a lawn. There are some plants becoming established which I'd prefer not get a stranglehold. So I spent the day pulling certain species and burning them so that seed dispersal would be minimal. Common ragweed has dominated the bare spots along the edge of the drop off, which is too uneven and rocky to mow. So I spent lots of muscle pulling them up and just composting them.

I'm carting brick from WV a few dozen at a time. (I really miss a friendly little stash of bricks.) I'm laying out a walkway from front door to driveway, in random patchy order mixed in with some flat stone and whatever other materials I can find.

Since I was literally hugging armfuls of weeds all day, chigger infestation was uppermost in my thoughts. Having read up on their habits, I tried the strategy of whole body wipe-downs every so often. I carried a towel to wipe the sweat from my face and also to scrub my arms and legs, etc. I changed into new clothes once. It worked! No bites.

I spent the rest of the weekend in the woods and in the briar meadow, hacking away at the tangles. Repeated the strategy and came away with only two bites total for the three days. Not bad, I say.

I found the heart of the poison ivy horde - several trees which are more PI than original leaf. I sprayed the ground and eye level so that I can get up close to the trunks next time. Next trip I will have a trusty little hatchet to sever the vines and spray death into the vascular system. There are lots of berries hanging from these vines, and they will soon be ripe. Hoping killing the plants will short out the seed making, but it's probably too late in the season this year.

Will post pictures later.

Wow, what an effort you are putting in! I can't go near ragweed, which grows in abundance along our road (although the township does cut it down for 3' in from the road). If it appears in my garden, I have to dig it out with a shovel and cart it off at arms length. It sounds like going in to the Evil Forest, finding the source of the poison ivy. Sure hope the spraying works for you!

I am amazed at the agressive stuff you have to avoid, kill, and protect from...

all I've got, really, is aggressive non-native blackberries and some thistles. Whew. You inspire me. Today I'm spending the 1st half of the day indoors cleaning and doing weekend stuff and the 2nd half battling the weeds outdoors. It must be done!

I'm exhausted just reading about everything you've done. My yard is so small and tame in comparison.

I'm not working, just having some fun. My family is odd like that. My brothers and I were at a state park once as teens, we saw deer, and my oldest brother broke into a run and nearly caught the buck. Just for fun.

Here's the mystery grass I was pulling and burning:


I appreciate it's role as a soil holder, but I'd rather not have it take over.
Any ideas what it might be? I've never seen the like before. It's a shallow rooted bunch grass, and it produces an awesome seed package. Hmm, I wonder if I should have milled it rather than destroying it.

bugloss, I think:


a butterfly I caught up with:


from the haunted forest:

I love the spider web!

(146) Me too! I just don't like walking through them!

145: Butterfly: Pearl Crescent?
Wow, that's some spider web!

>147 If the light hadn't been just right, I would have plowed right through it at chin height.

Update on #144. A co-worker identified the "grass," which is not a grass. It is bracted plantain, Plantago aristata.

Plantain likes compacted soil, if I recall correctly...

I think, just bare, disturbed soil. That's when the seed likes to germinate.

It's both!

Plantago major grows in lawns and fields, along roadsides, and in other areas with that have been disturbed by humans. Plantain does particularly well in compacted or disturbed soils. (from Wikipedia)

Also, it's supposed to be good for you, for food and medicinal purposes:

http://www.prairielandherbs.com/plantain.htm

I love this place...

I thought I had read somewhere in one of my herbal books that it had nutritional and medicinal value. At one time I had delusions of becoming a white witch, with herbal lore (only half joking) but beyond getting some herbal books (how to make healing things from plants), my witch potential fizzled.

I'm glad you brought that up, you guys!

"Modern medical research is proving to uphold many of the historical uses of plantain - especially as a wound healer, and as a treament for lung conditions such as bronchitis or asthma. Medicinally, plantain is astringent, demulcent, emollient, cooling, vulnerary, expectorant, antimicrobial, antiviral, antitoxin, and diuretic."

The young leaves are also a good spinach substitute, high in beta carotene and calcium, and the seeds can be ground and added to flour.

So, don't pull up all the plantain!

Yeah, don't worry. I think there will always be some around, whether I desire it to be or not. However, this particular variety would be for seed production only. The rest of the plant is insignificant.

I've decided to harvest and save the rest of the plantain seeds, if possible. If our infrastructure or ecology goes to he** it might make a good subsistance crop.

I'm spending a week on the ridgetop, intent on making progress on the plumbing, etc. I was able to focus on the indoors today, but I finally took a break and went into the woods. I'm dressing more protectively, so I can travel further into the underbrush. I'm wandering into new corners and finding treasures. Yesterday I found a hickory grove. One huge great grandpa tree surrounded loosely by small offspring. The ground is littered with nuts.

Today I went a little bit further and found a grove of paw-paw trees. They're just sapling size, and I was surprised but delighted to find fruit on them.

I've fitted up my tool belt to carry woods tools, and tomorrow I'll slip the camera in.

I've begun cutting the PI vines going up sizeable trees, and pouring poison onto the wounds. I need to begin collecting what berries I can reach into a bucket to prevent the birds chomping them down.

I'm finding and enhancing fairy houses too.

Oh, Saturday night we dragged mattresses outside and watched the sky most of the night. The Perseids meteor shower was grand!! Spectacular!! The best I've ever seen, by far.

I'm having so much fun!

It sounds like you're having a wonderful time!

It was raining here, so I didn't get to see the meteor showers...bummer.

Post pictures!

A hickory grove! That sounds just splendid. I don't know what a paw paw is except from that childhood song "picking up paw paws, put them in your pocket", which got imported from the U.S. It was raining here, so I couldn't see the Perseids this year. Lucky you!

158: Yesterday I found a hickory grove.
Wrapping my mind around the concept of losing a hickory grove... Life is different here in the city.

Here you go, tiffin:

Call it the American Custard Apple or the West Virginia Banana, but it’s neither apple nor banana. It’s the Paw-paw (Asimina trilob), the largest native fruit of North America, and it grows throughout Appalachia. There are about seven other members of the genus Asimina, all growing in the southeastern U.S. Mature pawpaw trees produce fruits 2″ wide by 10″ long, which turn from green, to yellow, and then black as they ripen in the fall.

More here:

http://www.appalachianhistory.net/2011/09/way-down-yonder-in-paw-paw-patch.html

Thanks, fuzzi! I wonder what they taste like?

I found this:

And from all reports, the fruit is quite tasty to humans with a sweet-smelling, creamy flesh that tastes like a blend of papaya, banana, mango and pineapple.

One other interesting fact about the Pawpaw is that it’s the host plant for the caterpillar of the Zebra Swallowtail butterfly, which eats its leaves.

Hmmm. I haven't noticed any Zebra Swallowtails yet. I did see two yellow butterflies playing with a purple one. They may have been chasing it away, but I don't think butterflies can appear aggressive. I enjoyed the show.

It rained all morning, and the sun came back out after I slipped into town for parts. So no pictures yet.

Paw-paws ripen in Sept./Oct., so I'll report then on the taste. It's been three decades since I've tasted them.

Have I mentioned the gang (or rafter) of turkeys frolicking in my side yard? I'm beginning to think I can set up right nicely for survival.

I followed that first link, fuzzi, and it says that paw-paws are ripe when they are black. Thinking of bananas, this isn't a good thing, so do you eat them a bit before that point? That taste description sounds absolutely lovely.

2wY, I have a standard poodle, Esme Dog of the North, who fancies herself something of a wild turkey huntress, if you need help catching them. I have to keep her on the lead in the summer as she loves nothing better than chasing the whole flock of them across the fields.

I'll keep your offer in mind. I put out stale tortilla chips for them, giving them the idea to hang nearby.

I went out looking for the paw-paw grove today, and have misplaced it again. I found other interesting sites, though. A couple of very cool maple trees. Let's see if my pictures are of any use.

Well! The right program isn't coming up on this computer.

I think you need to map your property with helpful things like the paw-paws and the hickory grove on it, à la Tolkien and the Shire.

And like The 100 Aker Wood...

Oh yes a beautiful map with little drawings along the edges

(I am so jazzed; the above was dictated by me, verbally to my Macbook Air)

Macbook Air? Is that, like, magic?

How'd you-all know I was doing that particular thing last evening?
I found two maple trees that are awesomely cool, but pictures will have to wait till next week. The older one has a horizontal barrel shaped trunk with three main vertical trunks and a tail. It looks lik a pre-historic beastie, with a place for a saddle. It may be on my land, can't yet trace the boundaries. The other is much younger and the trunks are closer together, sharing a splayed root system - like siamese twins. I think it's definitely on Rick's land.

So, yes...there be dragons!

I look forward to seeing it!

Guardians!

The stickleback maple! This way be dragons in deed.

A little bit of lanscaping work to report. Here's my walkway -


another load of brick should do it.

Berea is giving away mulch. They still haven't picked up all of the storm damage material from last month. So every time I went into town I filled a dozen buckets to fill my new flower bed -


I had covered it with a tarp to weaken the turf. It now has a good mulch cover, and will be ready for transplants later this year.

And here's the ragweed I've been pulling before it goes to seed -


It got done before I left.

Here are my fantasy trees.

The Siamese maple:


and the dragon maple:


It actually looks more like a dinosaur, but that won't look as cool on the map. I am in awe that the weight of that trunk hasn't pulled it down. The stub tail is to the left. the main trunk on the right is the only point it touches ground. Those two trunks just above the tail belong to the beastie.

Love the pictures!

What wonderful trees!

Lovely woods you have, madam!

Thankee. They only keep getting better.

Here's a patch of the PI -


The berries were in arms-reach, so I clipped them -


Now what do I do with them?

Love the spider web in the forest. Is it ever huge!

> 158

So cool about the paw paw trees! They are native to Maryland, where I live, but very hard to grow. I still have some seeds from the fruit which we tried last year. My younger son found a grove of them at his work in Virginia and brought home the fruit. They were very weird-tasting, but I liked them. They were kind of like a cross between a banana and something else. I tried planting a few seeds last year, but they didn't come up this spring. Instead I planted a red oak where the paw paw seeds didn't come up. :)

I simply could not see the meteors this year. There is too much light at the beach now. My youngers on and his wife were in the middle of the Negev desert in Israel for Perseides. Needless to say, for them it was a great show!

> 160

"picking up paw paws, put them in your pocket",

I sang that song last year when eating our paw paws! :)

> 166

Thinking of bananas, this isn't a good thing, so do you eat them a bit before that point?

You have to choose when to eat the paw paws carefully. Too soon and they're not sweet enough. Too late and they turn to mush quickly. They will ripen more if left at room temperature.

I loved giving them to friends to eat and watching their reactions. Paw paws are not the tastiest of fruits as there is something "off" in their taste.

I still have some seeds and will perhaps try to plant them again. The seeds have to over winter, but I've had them in my refrigerator since last year.

I have a standard poodle

Then you *must* read Fifty Acres and a Poodle by Jeanne Marie Laskas!

184: Then you *must* read Fifty Acres and a Poodle by Jeanne Marie Laskas!
I want to read it too...

180: Now what do I do with them?
What do you do with it after you kill it?

> 185

Now what do I do with them?

You take invasive species and those whose seeds you don't wish to spread, place them in a sealed plastic bag, and dispose of them in the trash (rather than in the brush pile or compost pile).

As a native to the pacific northwest corner of the USA, this talk of paw-paws is like listening in to a foreign nation. Ha! I will have to think of some local delicacy that only we see to make myself feel special and not "left out".

Your progress is wonderful to watch. You are doing great.

>185
How do you kill seeds? Would burning them make them inert? Some species of woodland plants love to be burned. (besides, the smoke might be dangerous to inhale)
Do you bury them? They might just decide to sprout, no matter how deep you dig.

I'm wondering whether there are any witches or wizards who might want to use them in magical potions.

More seriously, I'll probably do what SqueakyChu suggests.

> 185

I want to read it too...

Do it! It's excellent. Jeanne Marie Laskas was a former writer for The Washington Post Magazine. If I were a writer, it is her style that I would emulate. I'm happy to report that I just won a copy of her newest book, Hidden America, through LT's ER program!

> 185

If seeds go out packaged in a plastic bag in the trash, they wlll end up deep inside a landfill where they'll die if they sprout (at least here where I live).

> 188

This article explains why burning is not a good option. In fact, burning may help some plants disperse their seeds!

Oh! Solarization appears to be a good method. Dang, I think I did cover that bucket before I left, and the bucket and lid are black; so I did the right thing!

Toadstools:


Glow in the dark toadstools!:


fairy house:

What kinds of mushrooms are those with the bubble tops?

What's the difference between mushrooms and toadstools?

>194 magical.

>195 The BBC says “There is no scientific difference between a mushroom and a toadstool; an edible fungus is usually referred to as a mushroom, whereas an inedible one is usually referred to as a toadstool. As with so many aspects of the study of these amazing organisms, however, even this is not always the case.”

193, 196: Magical indeed.

Lovely, all of it--and I've added the poodle book to my wishlist, thanks.

I just wanted to share one more photo of last week's stay.

This is what I woke to:

Ooooohhhh!

Lovely! nicely captured.

Beautiful!

It's been a month, what's going on?

Good morning. Just keeping you in suspense...
Nah! I intend to add a few photos today. I'm not very good at getting all of the components together at the same place and time. Today, I did.

Yay!

Looking forward to it!

Update.

Instead of doing the carpentry and plumbing inside, I've been playing outside for the past while. My woods are a lot easier to walk through now, and the NE quadrant is almost clear of poison ivy. I still have to work along the east edge, and probably kill new sprouts next year, but great progress has been made. The paw paws are mostly gone, probably eaten by the possums before ripe. Oh, well. The hickory nuts are disappointingly small this year, possibly because of the lack of rain.

I finally broke down and bought my own mower, so the yard will stay more manicured. I've been building planting beds

but not planted anything yet.

It's not elegant, but I'm ready to compost:


This is the chinese chestnut at the corner of the yard:


Notice the underbrush and brambles under it, because no one had mowed there.
And see how nice it looks now:


The pond is holding water again, without me doing anything about it.

Here's the lizard that lives below my doorstep:

He greets me every time I come in. I call him "little buddy."

Good stuff! I like your steel roof, your compost area made from skids, how your chestnut looks now that you can see it, and your lizard.

Cute lizard! The place is looking good!

but not planted anything yet.
But it's so nice to have the work done and the bed ready when you happen upon a plant to put there.
He greets me every time I come in.
Aww.

You have been very busy! It looks so nice.

Yeah! The pond isn't leaking! (keep children and rocks away)

I like the lizards by my house, too, but they are more wary of me, probably due to the cats in the area that patrol for edibles.

I love your beds, and the work you've done.

What's the weather like now, up there on the mountaintop?

It's cooling quickly. Wool blanket plus quilt nights.

But perfect weather during the day.

Nice to see the progress, and I know you're feeling great with the results of hard work! I love nice days, with cool nights. We are just at the cusp. Sometimes I still sleep with the window wide open, sometimes not.

Are you still 'commuting'? When will you live on the ridgetop full time?

The goal to have the mortgage paid off is the end of 2014. At the rate I'm going, I won't have plumbing or electric done by then, not to even begin talking about heat.

My schedule may change, as we've got a couple of family situations that may need a diversion of funds.

I'm not in a particular hurry. I'd be too bored if it were all done.

Keep the reports coming...I love to hear about your place.

Well, this is the big week. Nathan, Tate and Brett are scheduled to begin tearing off the old roof on Wednesday. And it has turned cold and cloudy. It's supposed to frost tonight. 30% chance of showers most days.

Yesterday was beautiful, and I spent it all off-site. I went to town to pick up supplies, and saw a brochure for National Solar Tour Day at the hardware store. It was that day! I'm so glad to have caught it, and was able to get to many of the activities and homes. I made community contacts and, hopefully, met some future friends.

The Berea KY community has a lot of environmental activists. The town electric system is working towards going solar - nearing 200 panels on their first solar farm installation. Sustainable Berea encourages rainwater collection, front yard edible gardens, etc.
Berea College has been doing demonstration projects for decades. I visited their Eco-Village student housing. The students become enthusiasts, armed with knowledge and dedication to change their own lifestyles. I ate tilapia with pesto, all ingrediants raised on site. It was delicious. Their aquaculture system is impressive - fairly low-tech, and operating for decades now.

The homeowners who opened their homes ranged from the wealthiest to dirt poor. I most enjoyed the people who have done their own installations. One couple has created a paradise of beauty back in the woods - a nice hike, with great rewards at the end. Everything they touch ends with beautiful lines and colors. The house is circular, and when we went under it to see the water and electrical installations, I had to catch my breath at the structure's skeleton. Wow! They are completely off grid, and extremely low-tech. And the most helpful with information and offers of future assistance.

There is an Intentional Community, too. They have 5 or 6 families, each has their own small house in the woods. They share a community house, solar installation and gardens. Great old hippies. Each house is beautifully unique.

I ate fresh raspberries (my favorite food!) and got the half-promise of starts in the spring. Raspberries in October? Who knew?

I wish it would warm up just another smidge. The cold really disables me.

What a wonderful discovery to have a special day when you could meet and connect with so many like minded folks! Woo hoo!

More wool sweaters, eh? I know what you mean about the cold being disabling. I hope you have good weather for the roof job!

Thanks for the update. Perhaps you can eventually incorporate some of the sustainable systems in your own home!

You made me wish I could have been along with you to see these creative and innovative homes. It would have been how I would have loved to have lived, if I had only come to it earlier in life.

217: How fantastic! For both inspiration and community contacts.

> 217

The home visitation sounds lovely. What a fantastic community! More power to them (no pun intended)!

I'm interested in the fact that now tilapia is raised here in the U.S. It seems as if all the tilapia I buy in the grocery store is from Ecuador (and I buy it from Whole Foods).

Speaking of fish, I really also would have liked warmer weather yesterday. I went rockfishing and there were no rockfish in the entire Chespaeake Bay (per the fish finder on our charter boat!).

I can't wait from spring. I know. It's only October.

*sigh*

They use farmed tilapia in those fish pools where other fish are being raised because they are bottom feeders and clean up the pools. I won't eat the farmed ones.

> 223

I assume then that the ones that come from Equador are not farmed. Let me go look. I usually do try to limit my fish to those I've caught myself (my preference!) or those that are wild caught and "dolphin safe".

ETA: No. My tilapia say (at least the package says) that they, too, are farm raised. :(

ETA2: Thanks for pointing that out. Tui.

It's getting hard to eat, isn't it!

225: It really is. The only ethical thing is to to have your own personal year round sustainable organic farm... And then who will run the rest of the world while we're all occupied with our vegetable gardens?

> 225

I'm really doing the best I can. I fish. I have an organic vegetable garden (which was way less than successful this year). I also belong to an organic CSA which has now decided to provide mushrooms as well for the fall and have an every other week winter season. I only buy kosher meat (expecting it to be animals that were humanely slaughtered). I try to eat more veggies/fruit and less meat. I write a newsletter for my CSA to promote all of my ideas. I plant native species in my garden to promote the well-being of pollinators.

I'm also willing to do more and am eager for new ideas. That's why I love this LT gardening forum so much!

Just do the best you can with what you can, and don't sweat the rest.

I'm trying to think of a way to get a return invitation to that student housing because that bite of fish was so tasty.

It didn't frost this morning, but it came close. I'm staying in town with my daughter because I can't bear to get out from under the covers to go pee in the night at my place already. I decided to take advantage of the cold and began trenching and moving dirt. That warmed me up, and finally the sun did come out for a little while. My cistern overflow line is finally done! Yay!
Then I raked stones and rocks that surfaced when the excavation was done. It's something I've been meaning to do for two years, but never got around to it. The raking also prepares the mostly bare soil for grass seed. I spread a couple of pounds early last spring, and it took surprisingly well. (Kentucky 31) I'm hoping to get the rest of the bare ground cleaned and covered this season. I've also determined where my next garden area will be - a semicircular area next to the pond. It's part of the remnant of the original farm pond mentioned above, and is still slightly depressed. So I'll be filling it in with mulch.
I brought just a few things from my other garden - hollyhocks, spiderwort, sedum (Autumn Joy), a pine sapling, a couple of baby hawthorns, and ... I can't remember the name... Oh well, the deer didn't eat any of it.

I love Autumn Joy. So pretty.

I remembered the name of the other plant - Queen-of-the-Prairie. (not sure why the hyphens) It's a plant that I've never known where to locate it. It grows so tall, but slender. Is it supposed to clump? I've only ever gotten a couple of flower stalks. It may be that it's been in a poor location. These are the first babies I've found.

The roof start got pushed back a day. Thursday - they'll definitely be there Thursday.

I'm doing a general clean-up inside and out. My immediate goal is to use up the stacks of lumber inside. I built my first bookshelf yesterday. It's dimensions are 3 feet wide, 6 feet high and 6 inches deep. Instead of stud wall between the bath and the bedroom, I want built-in storage with an open top, as the bath has the only window on the north side upstairs. Summer breezes blow from North to South. If I close it off, I will lose the natural air circulation.
The bookcase will back up the vanity. It had to be shallow because of other window placements. Shelves are 9 inches high. It'll hold a lot of material. I went with pine boards for economy sake, and am appalled at the weakness of the wood. But it'll do. Once it's in place I'll be able to measure off things like flooring, vanity top, plumbing lines.
the vanity side will be covered with beadboard.

Did I mention I have a hunter? My neighbor gives a couple of friends permission to hunt his farm. My five acres is in the center of the farm, so his friends are allowed to cross my property on the rights of way. It was disconcerting to note a man in camoflauge toting a rifle or shotgun ambling down my driveway. We've had semi-polite conversation on this issue, but it's not resolved. I went out and bought blaze orange clothing to wear when I'm in my woods.

Love the idea of the book case. Love the beadboard as well.

Don't much like the hunter with free access to your property. That's scary! It's too bad that any hunters don't have to register with you (since they have the right to be on your property) just so you are made aware that they're there. :(

232: I built my first bookshelf yesterday.
Glad you've got your priorities straight. :-)

Did I mention I have a hunter?
Yurgh. I don't suppose the boundaries are clearly marked so they make a distinction between crossing your property and shooting?

I've been told I need to post No Hunting signs, and I will, but the lines are not clear except at the driveway and the lower lumber road. My Eastern line is not clear in my own understanding. I've not found one of the corner pins yet, and then it runs through thick underbrush and PI.

But what's to control which direction he shoots in? Only his own conscience. Yes, I'd like to ask him to let me know when he is about. I can at least walk down to see if his truck is parked at Rick's house. When I'm rich, I'll buy the whole farm. Ha!

You have bookshelves on the back wall of the vanity in the bathroom? Is there a sink there as well?

I'm just thinking that if you have a leak, your books might get ruined. Or, if you need to have plumbing work done, you might have to disassemble your bookshelves. Just thinking here.

Good idea on wearing bright colors, but perhaps when you get a better idea of your property boundaries, you can put up markers on the trees asking people to not cross or hunt on your land.

Be careful!

No worries. Plumbing lines go off to the side of the sink, following the floor joists. But, yes, I like to build with one thought on disassembly as well. I like to work with screws rather than nails for that reason.

Smart idea. My dh and I lived in substandard rentals for many years, and the shortcuts taken by builders/handymen would make your skin crawl. I had a landlord who had to replace an element in the hot water heater, so he opened the valve IN THE CLOSET and punched holes in the floor to let the water drain to the ground below! Yes, it was a mobile home, but....?????

When we bought a mobile home, my dad came to visit and helped fix a bunch of things. One thing he did that I thought was smart was to cut an access panel to the main bathroom shower fixtures in the bedroom wall! He did it neatly, reattached it with hardware, and made it look decent. I also love cutoff valves for toilets and sinks...it makes a big difference when water is running over and onto the floor!

Oh, yes!! Shut-off valves everywhere! We discovered that my daughter's house had no main water shut-off after we broke a line under the house on a Sunday. Thankfully, the water company was very responsive, they got there before I got back from the hardware store with a saddle patch.

We had a perfect day to begin the roof. It was in the 30s but the roof was dry, no frost, no dew. It warmed up to the high 60s and with a beautiful blue sky. I was shocked ot the very small pile of material that came off. It was diagnosed that the problem was cheap screws badly installed, with lots of dimples in the sheet metal, Dimples are very bad. It means they were over-tightened, and won't shed water.
The front half is removed, the dormer and skylight are framed and the sheathing is done. Tomorrow, Tate will build the exterior of the dormer, and Nathan and Brett will remove and sheath the back side. New metal on Monday. Praying for continued fair weather.

I did lots of yard work, as I'd been told to stay out of the way.

I LOVE the new sunshine entering the house!!

I am holding my thumbs for you and seeing good weather for as long as you need it.

Pictures, pictures! I want pictures!

I will try to upload pictures this evening, if both the computer and Webshots cooperate.

It was overcast and sprinkly leaving town this morning, but the sky began to clear in a spectacular color display on the clouds as we headed out to the ridgetop. The boys had hot plans for this evening and worked double fast today. They had the back roof removed and re-sheathed before the end of the morning. ( A couple more minutes of sprinkles while my entire second floor was open to the air, before full sun came out for another glorious day.) The afternoon was a lot of picky tasks - tarpaper, drip edge, corners. Tate wrestled with the dormer. He had to cut it out twice because he's not feeling well and has fuzzy-brain and his calculations were off.

He was going to try to finish the task tomorrow, but he wisely decided on a day or two of rest. They ended the day going to collect the metal roofing from the manufacturer and we'll resume on Monday.

I plan to spend the weekend in the woods, after I clear the dirt and debris that's fallen on everything inside.

Is the house still open to the sky? Imagine sitting in your house on the ridgetop, reading, with the stars overhead...

Too cool for that! That would be a summer fantasy.
No, they got sheathing and tarpaper down. I asked for sheathing because the noise of a hard rain on just metal is truly deafening.

Reading and enjoying this. Eager to see photos of the new roof and dormers.

It would probably be noisy as well with hail/sleet.

Posting here to bring the thread up where I can find it easier. I was finally able to get back on Webshots, and my pictures are there, but no longer arranged in albums. Just one huge page of almost 500 photos that take forever to load, and makes finding anything difficult. Every picture now has a new address. So I'll be editing to make the pictures visible again. We'll see how it goes.
I feel fortunate, the new Smile site says many free accounts were completely lost. Lesson learned - you can't really trust online archiving.

Ah, yes. That will be even more of a concern as more and more is put in the "cloud" - which really is just warehouses full of servers. What happens when those burn down?

Or when your photographs get lost in a move? Soaked in a flood?

Or when your computer hard drive fries?

Nothing is guaranteed.

And on that cheery note, it's going to be 70 degrees here this weekend, woo!