Category: General/Miscellaneous (Page 2 of 2)

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Now the grid can crash

February 28, 2024 / / 1 Comment

I believe we took delivery of the new generator in October and just now getting around to hooking it up properly. Since Sherry is up in MN visiting family and friends this week, I figured this was a good time to get it hooked up to the house.

I do relish these projects when she is gone. Once, when she went to CA to see her brother, I took down a wall between our kitchen and living room. That was quite the mess to come home to but it was all worth it in the end.

This storm shelter sits about 40′ out behind the house. With the basement dug out in the house, the shelter was no longer needed and sits unused.

I was also surprised to learn that generators are NOT weatherproof and need to be protected from the elements so I put 2 and 2 together.

I mounted an access box to the exterior stairwell enclosure. The generator will plug “in to the house” here.

This will handle 120v/240v and 50 amps. From this box, I ran 6/3 NM-B, Non-Metallic, Sheathed Cable back to the main fuse box in the basement.

Here, I’ve got the new cable entering the box, all the 4 leads cut to length and stripped and the new 50 amp breaker wired up and hanging loose in front. I had to do this all VERY CAREFULLY with the power still on. However, at this point there was no going any further so turned off the main breaker and ran a long extension cord from the barn to light up what I was doing next.

I shouldn’t be surprised that the only 2 available spots to mount the ground and common wires were in slots with stripped screws so had to combine a few of the smaller gauge wires to free up room for the big fat 6 ga wires. But, I got them all securely installed.

Then of course, because of the lock out device, I had to install the new breaker on the left side just below the main breaker, which meant everything else on the left side had to slide down 2 slots to make room. Luckily, they all had enough wire “play” available to easily move them down a few inches to make room.

This “lockout” device protects power company linemen from getting zapped while working the lines during outages. It assures that power you are generating is NOT sent out to the grid and is isolated to your house only.

This is a temporary solution as the goal is to energize the entire farm (4 buildings). For that, I’ll need a similar hook up box for the power pole where our meter is located. That will be coming in April from our electric cooperative.

Now, I’ve got to figure out that secure door to the shelter.

Not to worry. Everything is just swine!

February 9, 2024 / / 2 Comments

Glancing out the front door last night, I saw a “shape” out in the driveway in front of the garage. Knowing the dogs were inside, I thought it was a stray so was ready to chase it off when I saw it turn a bit and take a few steps. There was no doubt what it was – a PIG! Before I could grab a light and have a closer look, it meandered down the hill behind the garage and disappeared into the pasture.

This morning, I went out to take a closer look and saw many prints around the firepit but the ground wasn’t disturbed so it’s doubtful an entire sounder of ferals was wandering through and was more likely a domestic that got loose. I believe the Amish neighbor across the road has a few pigs so will ask him about it.

Regardless, reading up on it, feral pigs/hogs are quite a problem in Missouri and many other states. A farmer friend a few miles up the road had quite a problem with them and had the conservation department come to run them off. Even though they are considered pests and invasive nuisances, they recommend NOT shooting them as that action is detrimental to the goal of eliminating the whole group.

https://mdc.mo.gov/wildlife/invasive-animals/feral-hogs-missouri

It’s an interesting read and likely something we’ll have to deal with sometime in the future so it never hurts to be ready. I thought it would be interesting to set up a few trail cameras anyway – just to see what wonders by.

Back when we graduated High School, I helped a friend (Martin) “process” a pig that he raised for a pig roast at his grad party. I wish I would have paid better attention back then. My only “processing” so far has been a single rooster and is something I’ll need to work on. But, I’m sure those chances to improve those skills will come soon enough.

Which number PLAGUE is this?

January 23, 2024 / / 4 Comments

It’s looking to be an interesting spring. At least the chickens will be happy. We even may get a head start on the WEF’s plans for us all. YUMMY!!!

“Get ready for the rarest of rare cicada events. Thomas Jefferson was President the last time this happened and Michigan wasn’t even a state. And no one alive today will be around the next time this happens. Not one, but two different cicada broods will emerge this year, reports NPR.

We’re talking billions and billions of the insects. They will be all over the place from late April through June. One of the broods of cicadas lives on a 13-year cycle. The other lives on a 17-year one. Both will emerge at the same time this year, something which hasn’t happened since 1803″.

https://www.mlive.com/news/2024/01/get-ready-for-cicadas-in-2024-like-the-midwest-hasnt-seen-in-221-years.html

Personal Echo Chamber

January 1, 2024 / / 0 Comments

I know what you are thinking…

Me and Ted Kazinski have a few similarities, besides wearing hoodies. But, rather than compile everything into one massive written out “manifesto”, I prefer to let my rants out a little bit at a time, as it applies to what is happening around us today. With so few participants here (at least at launch time), I DO fully realize I am ranting to myself. But, here’s why I proceed anyway.

  • As stated by many, writing, by just getting the words out and put down somewhere, clears my mind and helps me sleep at night.
  • Like (too many) others, I notice some memory decay as I limp towards those senior years. Nothing big yet, just forgetting where I put something or how I did something the last time so getting much of these notes down also documents what I’ve done and how I did it so I don’t need to reinvent the wheel each and every time.
  • As you’ll notice, my posts tend to be “brain dumps” of that moment in time (like THIS one!). Once, I start on a topic, I tend to dump everything I know into it and always end up with TMI. That’s why I’ll typically start these with a headline and some major points, save it as a draft and return later to fill it in. After completion, I’ll leave it as a draft while I re-read and edit it down again and again to something digestible.

I fully know that some of these topics may be entirely NOT interesting to most but there’s always a few other geeks who may have a comment or 2, based on their experience. I’m not an expert at any of this but am always willing to try anything new, and realize most of what is learned is either by trial and error or by helpful advice. I prefer the latter. At least I’ll try to keep the headlines descriptive enough to know if it is worth your time.

I am also realizing that my vision here started off foolishly as a showcase of everything we have and where you’ll find it. Rather than tax our dogs and security systems, I had to revisit everything and separate the general overall tour pics for all visitors, with some of the more revealing stuff moved behind some barriers so we can somewhat control who sees what.

Maybe, just maybe, this organically grows into something that promotes conversation – rather than stifling it. Or, assists in healing, rather than more division.

At the very least, you can find out how many eggs we are getting each day (now at a dozen+). If nothing else, we’ll have plenty of ammunition (eggs) to fend off the politicians this year 😉

Daily Chores

December 9, 2023 / / 0 Comments

We’ve “organically” settled into our roles here on the farm. Nothing was pre-decided or dictated either way but after 40 years, we (luckily) know our strengths and “our chuthers” strengths as well.

SHE naturally pursued healthy, organic ways to grow our produce and raise our critters, so has taken the lead in those areas. I jump in enough to stay abreast of things but she’ll often do all the chores herself.

HE (I) contribute in other ways. Usually more (physical) effort jobs or infrastructure related to the whole operation. Building, electrical, plumbing, fencing, gates etc. There is always another project I need to complete.

NEITHER of us are into ornamental stuff (flowers, shrubbery etc.). I am more likely to pull healthy stuff out if it’s in the way, and my input on such matters is simply limited to how I would mow around it.

Now, since Sherry headed north to see family and friends, I decided it was a good opportunity to document the daily todos that need to be done. Even though these are laid out by time, it is more related to sunrise, sunset etc.

  • 0500-0600: Wakey time. Let Jack and Cooper out. After starting the coffee, step out the front door and feed our 2 domestic cats their kibble, who are by now peering at you in the window awaiting breakfast.
  • 0700: Wake up the puppy (Lyddie) and let her out of her kennel in our bedroom. She immediately runs to where my socks are laying, grabs one and proudly parades around the house with it.
  • 0701: Retrieve sock and let Lyddie out to pee.
  • 0702: Feed the 3 dogs their kibble.
  • 0705: Open all 3 of the chicken coops. The birds all rush outside. While doing so, take inventory (count to be sure all present and accounted for) and collect any eggs.
  • 0800: Prepare breakfast by cracking 3 or 4 eggs (w/shells) in a pan w/butter and lightly scramble. When nearly ready, mix in 1/4 stick of creme cheese and mix thoroughly.
  • 0815: Take pan to the coop “narthex” in the barn to mix up with their feed. Using an oil drain pan, scoop 2 coffee cans full of feed into the pan. Sprinkle in a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and then dump in the pan of eggs/creme cheese. Again, mix thoroughly breaking up the cheese and eggs as much as possible.
  • 0820: Measuring 1 cup per bird, scoop out the mixture into 2 trays for the established coop (6 scoops) and set down in their run.
  • 0822: 1 tray for the bachelor roosters (2 scoops).
  • 0824: The remaining (should be 10 scoops) goes into 2 trays+ 1 frisbee. The 2 trays go down first and the frisbee is for the picked on bird in her safe space. Remain for a few minutes to protect the picked on bird from the mean girls. Once she slows down and has had her fill, you can leave.
  • 0830: Check all water dispensers. 1 in the main coop, 1 with the boys, another with the new girls and another for the ferral cats in their kennel.
  • 0835: Feed the ferral cats their kibble.
  • 1400: or middle of the afternoon: Give all 3 groups of birds their treat for the day. Sometimes mealworm grubs, sometimes scratch grains, sometimes something special and is often something too spoiled for us to eat.
  • 1600 (while still light out): Collect all eggs you can find.
  • 1700: Feed the dogs. For evening meals, they all get a smaller portion of kibble plus we add coconut oil (guard against worms) and some hot water (melts the oil and hydrates them). Then, all 3 share a single can of wet food mixed into everything. Jack (the old man) also gets a capsule of Deep Blue mixed in to alleviate his aching joints.
  • 1715: Feed the domestic cats. They also share a single can of wet food in the evening. Once in a while we also give the ferals a treat but don’t want them to get lazy and need them to feast on mice as much as possible.
  • 1720: Typically by this time, the sun is down, the yard lights have come on and the chix have all gone inside so we walk through one last time and close the coop/barn doors and shut/latch the windows. After a quick rendition of “Goodnight Sweetheart“, we turn out the lights.

Update 12/28/2023: With the new hens now moved in with their guardian roosters, mealtime is slightly easier with only 2 flocks to feed instead of 3. The new flock still gets 3 dishes in the morning, since the roosters were used to sharing a single tray and the hens always had (at least) 2 available. We no longer need to watch out for the picked on hen. With her special treatment, she healed up quickly and grew into one of the prettiest of the bunch, who no longer seems to be intimidated by the mean girls as she is right in there with the rest getting her fill at mealtime. Unfortunately, she seems to have lost her “broodiness” so we’ll continue our search for an egg-sitter.

Domain FOR SALE

December 4, 2023 / / 0 Comments

squeakgod.com

This was going to be my foray into repair/reconditioning of PC related equipment but life doesn’t always follow the path you originally set out so I have no further use for it.

You’ll notice there is a somewhat similarity to a certain big box retailer, who operates a similar service – that likely would have come after me had I ever tried to get that venture off the ground. But, I never attempted anything and it’s just sitting unused.

Cooper Curtis Comeback

October 10, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Cooper Curtis is home!!!

As agreed, we left yesterday morning to go p/u Cooper from the vet. Along the way there, we received a call from them. The gist of their message was they wanted to keep him an additional couple of days but encouraged us to stop in and visit with him and learn what they are doing. So we stopped in and got to see him. What a shock! But, ignoring the initial nervous pee, he was SOOO happy to see us.

Then, they explained how they were making good progress with his healing UNTIL… They let him out to go potty (unattended again) and returned to find him dragging his swollen sack across the ground. And where do the kennel animals relieve themselves you ask? In a GRAVEL lot behind their storefront. THAT combined with the fact the kennel was noisy (maybe 20 dogs?), chaotic and not very calming, we decided we could do better at home and got him out of there.

Insisting on keeping them overnight “for observation”
loses its appeal when they don’t do any observing.

It’s usually always a struggle getting him into any vehicle. But this time he leaped right in and was eager to get the hell away from there. Sherry sat in the back with Cooper’s coned head resting on her lap and he let out the loudest heavy sigh you’ve ever heard.

On the way, we discussed what to do with him at home and were planning on making a quiet space in Sherry’s office. When we got home however, Cooper had his own plans and IMMEDIATELY made his way back to HIS bed in the corner of our room and laid down. It’s actually a perfect situation for him. Quiet, calm, comfortable and he feels safe.

Medically, his offended organ is about tennis ball sized and very raw (from the gravel) as well as patches on his back legs that were also worn away. He is getting some oil treatments to his wounds as well as a hot compress 4 times a day. Now seeing him so much more relaxed, I think we made the right move. With the treatments, drugs and the fact that we will actually keep an eye on him, I’d say he’ll pull through just fine.

It’s nice to have him back with us.

Epilog (Nov 2023): After a week of sleeping on the floor with him (with my hand inside his cone to detect when he’s trying to get at the offended organ), he finally healed up nicely. Unfortunately, he’s gotten too used to the extra attention and now can be demanding at bedtime when he stretches out in (our) bed.

Cooper Curtis Catastrophe

October 7, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Has anyone EVER had a pet that was spayed/neutered and did NOT wear the “cone of shame”? We went to p/u our Cooper Curtis on Friday morning after the procedure was done – only to learn they left him alone overnight in his pen without a cone.

Being the licker he is, by the time morning came, his scrotum was severely swollen and they now needed to keep him a few more days to treat it. Luckily, they aren’t charging us for the extended stay and treatments but something the vet said has me questioning their mindset.

She stated that less than 5% of dogs lick their wounds post-surgery. If that’s the case, we must have had quite a line of exotic dogs as I’ve never seen one go through that WITHOUT the cone.

Year 1 Upgrades & Improvements

September 1, 2023 / / 0 Comments

In a little more than a year, we’ve accomplished quite a bit. Our constraint is trying to not outspend our limited retirement income. Even so, I think we’ve made considerable progress. Here is what has been completed so far.
(Some of these are displayed on the “Tour” pages).

  • FENCING
    Immediately after the move, we added fencing to keep our domestic animals in check. Mostly due to the fact that the previous owner (Harvey) mentioned losing 2 dogs to “the highway”. Even though that is a considerable distance from the house, we couldn’t live with losing one of them so the 1st order of business was putting up fencing around the farmstead (farm buildings) perimeter. The dogs are now contained but Lola and Luther (the cats), can still jump through the gates but they never venture far.
  • MORE FENCING
    To accommodate the 1st batch of chickens, we added a chicken run to the front of the coop and covered it with netting so they are well protected from critters (both winged and not) that may be out to get them.
  • ANIMALS
    We moved in with 1 dog and 2 cats. Since then, we’ve added 2 more puppies and “nature” provided us with an additional 6 feral cats. We also started with 12 baby chicks this past spring that resulted in 8 roosters and only 4 (laying) hens. We added a 2nd batch of 10 more hens and culled/sold a few of the roosters so now at 18 birds in total.
  • WATER ACCESS
    With a single outside spigot available, we’ve added significant water piping (pvc) with valves at numerous locations to fit our needs. The only downside to this is the need to be diligent protecting against freezing. I intentionally put a slope in all piping so when needed, turning a single faucet will drain the entire system.
  • MOWING
    With about 4-5 acres or so to keep in check, I rented a zero-turn mower for the initial mowing last August as my 2 lawn tractors are in various stages of disrepair. That convinced me to bite the bullet and purchase a new zero-turn mower that makes the job much easier and quicker.
  • SPROUT HOUSE
    To get an early start on planting, we used the (currently) unused but insulated shop space to build a small Sprout House, complete with grow lights. Plans are eventually to put up a greenhouse to extended growing season even longer. We also still have live veggies growing (in January!) by keeping them on a trailer that is wheeled in and out of the shop each day.
  • COMPOST
    We now have 3 compost bins going. Fueled with kitchen scraps, chicken manure, leaves and an ample supply of sawdust, these are rotated so we always have some available for our needs.
  • HAYLOFT > THEATER
    Moving in with an empty hayloft (and no way to load it up again), we emptied it, cleaned it up and turned it into a movie theater w/surround-sound that we can use when the temperatures allow.
  • WIFI/NETWORK
    Using a cellular modem for internet connectivity, I’ve extended WIFI capability to all 4 farm buildings when we need it.
  • GENERATOR
    Anticipating frequent power outages, we purchased a good sized generator to keep everything up and running. Luckily, the grid power has been surprisingly stable (so far).
  • POOL
    We always have a swimming pool. For this spot, we purchased a 12’x20’x48″ above ground that worked well this past summer. Plans are to bury it halfway in the ground to allow easier access.
  • RAINWATER COLLECTION
    When we do the digging for the pool, we’ll also put in some piping for rainwater collection. For now, we collect from the gutters into individual tubs that are used for the plants around the house as well as the favorite drinking water source for all the pets. Those gutters will be redirected to fill our pool during the spring rains.
  • SHOOTING RANGE
    We found an area behind the shop that is ideal for target shooting. It is out of the wind and protected from the rain.
  • FLAGPOLE
    Finding an old 1″ iron water pipe in the barn (I reuse everything), I got it anchored/cemented into the ground and now serves as a flagpole at the front of the farmstead – illuminated overnight by solar lights.
  • FIRE PIT
    It has moved a few times but we finally determined it’s where we want it so I build a brick enclosure to make it permanent.
  • WOOD SHOP
    Part of the decadence of this property is SO MUCH ROOM!!! With that, a section of the 6-car garage now houses a sweet wood shop where I can finally utilize all of my tools without rearranging cars and junk to get at them. Another bonus is an Amish sawmill across the road that keeps me in building materials. They also deliver my goods via a horse drawn wagon.
  • MARTIN HOUSE
    One of many creations now that I have the time and space to complete them. I’ll be adding a few more of these to help control the bugs.

That’s a pretty good start. Listing all them here wore me out though. I think I need a nap. There will be plenty more projects in the future to keep us busy.

The MOVE

August 5, 2022 / / 0 Comments

After about a half dozen trips to the dump, we finally downsized as much as we were planning, and made plans for hauling what remained. We settled on renting a 24′ straight truck as well as a car dolly.

We emptied the house on the first load and hauled what remained to the storage unit we rented. With the truck full, we loaded Sherry’s car onto the car dolly. For the 1st run. it was myself, Sherry and Jackson riding in the truck. The cats were left at Cassi’s. After the 11 hour drive, we arrived at the property in Missouri for the pre-closing inspection, where we unloaded Sherry’s car and used that to get around as the truck was parked and locked at the farm for the night.

After a night in the hotel in town, we closed on the property and were unloading the truck by noon. It was simply Sherry and me on a 2-wheeler with a ramp. Sherry would assist guiding the heavy stuff down the ramp but we wheeled it all ourselves and finished the truck in a couple of hours. It was at this time that we discovered a new litter of kitties recently born in our barn . The feral mama, spooked by our presence, appears to have abandoned them. Not good for them…

In the morning, Sherry, Jack and I all jumped back into the truck for the return to MN for load #2. The first stop was to clean out our storage unit, which took a couple of hours. Then, we headed to Johns to load the rest of our outdoor junk onto the tail of the truck. Finally, we loaded my car (convertible) onto the car dolly for the 2nd trip. With everything ready for the road, we returned to Cassi’s for the night using my pickup.

Early, the next day, we headed down to Johns to get the truck w/loaded car dolly and hit the road for trip #2. I was solo in the truck and Sherry followed in my pickup with Jack, Lola and Luther all riding along.

We arrived after sundown so parked the truck and unloaded in the morning. The truck and trailer were returned to Rolla in the afternoon.

We spent the next several days putting away various stacks of treasures, which still continues to this day.

I remember going into it how intimidating it all was but we managed it in small chunks until we were ready. With the house already spiffed up for the sale, we had most everything boxed up and ready for the move and of course, used the opportunity to get rid of stuff we no longer needed or wanted. However, moving from a single home on 1/2 acre to multiple buildings on 20 acres, I wouldn’t exactly say we downsized.

The big UNKNOWN was how much capacity we would need. It would have been great to do it all in one trip but with 3 vehicles + a camper, we’d need to make a few trips anyway to get all those down there. We looked into hiring movers and checked out various “POD” options but none of them offered the flexibility to take the time to carefully load for a few days prior to departure. Renting the truck for a few extra days really helped calm my fears about running out of room. Combined with excellent help from family, we easily emptied the house in one afternoon and I could see then that everything that was left would easily fit into the 2nd load.

As it turns out, our estimate was just about perfect as both loads were full but we didn’t really have to rearrange much to fit it all in. I was (rightfully) worried about weight so we hit the scale in Owatonna to see where we were at. It turns out we were slightly overweight on both trips. Not overall weight but the rear axel was over due to the car dolly and by that point, rearranging/reloading wasn’t an option so we held our breath and pressed onward. Luckily, our first trip was on a Sunday so scales were closed. On the 2nd run, (a Thursday), we had to avoid the scales but that likely only cost us a half hour of extra driving.

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