Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal

[Devonviolet]

The crew came in on Thursday morning early and finished up on Friday morning. We messed up on the concrete so I will have to do some jury rigging to get a good seal on the front section. We were supposed to have a small step up on the front section for sealing the siding but didn't realize it. Bad communication between us and the building crew. Caulk will take care of it but it's one of the small things that seem major at the time.

We still need to bring in some gravel to bring everything up to grade but the hard part is over for this one and we will use a U-Haul the next trip to start getting my shop tools in place. The next major project is to figure out the rest of the fencing and get that finished but that comes after we fill in the settling beside the driveway from trenching for the water lines. I'll "officially" retire in March so I can probably come up with ways to fill in my time.
The patio roof looks rusted but it is just mud. Everything sat around so long in the weather that mud covered just about everything.

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WOW! What I could do with a barn like this! Southern got it right . . . I also have a severe case of barn envy!!!

I just spent some time reading your farm journal. You're doing a great job Mike. Keep up the good work.

I bet you are counting the days until you retire. Trust me, you will definitely find things to do to fill your time. There just aren't enough hours in the day, on the farm.

 

[Baymule]

Really! DH and I wonder how we ever worked all day and found time to do anything. We are busy all the time!

 

[Mike CHS]

Thanks everyone. We don't have trouble keeping busy already but we have really enjoyed getting to where we are. I say it often but my wife is also my best friend so that makes the journey even better.

We have been at the point where we only have the flooring to do in one remaining room for several months but we had to switch gears to get the outside where it needs to be to start moving things from South Carolina. We are going to wind up with a lot of duplicates due to having two homes for so long but that is the kind of problem that isn't really a problem. We have already had one of the neighbors offer to swap a couple of piglets next spring for some of the portable tools I have been using. We have a spot that was dug for a pond that doesn't hole water and they tell me that putting hogs into an area like that can sometimes seal the surface so it will hold water. Not sure if that's an old wives tale or not but I have plenty of hot wire and a spare charger and it lets him get rid of a couple of piglets.

When we get the major things done I'll do a series of before and after pics of the house. Even though it has taken us 3 years, we are pretty proud of what we have now considering we only paid for the price of the raw land to start with. The house was considered worthless and we had to do some serious research in deciding to renovate or build new.

 

[Baymule]

Nothing like falling into bed, tired and happy with what you've got done that day. The best thing we bought ourselves was adjustable beds with massage. We love them.

 

[Devonviolet]

Thanks everyone. We don't have trouble keeping busy already but we have really enjoyed getting to where we are. I say it often but my wife is also my best friend so that makes the journey even better.

We have been at the point where we only have the flooring to do in one remaining room for several months but we had to switch gears to get the outside where it needs to be to start moving things from South Carolina. We are going to wind up with a lot of duplicates due to having two homes for so long but that is the kind of problem that isn't really a problem. We have already had one of the neighbors offer to swap a couple of piglets next spring for some of the portable tools I have been using. We have a spot that was dug for a pond that doesn't hole water and they tell me that putting hogs into an area like that can sometimes seal the surface so it will hold water. Not sure if that's an old wives tale or not but I have plenty of hot wire and a spare charger and it lets him get rid of a couple of piglets.

When we get the major things done I'll do a series of before and after pics of the house. Even though it has taken us 3 years, we are pretty proud of what we have now considering we only paid for the price of the raw land to start with. The house was considered worthless and we had to do some serious research in deciding to renovate or build new.

That's awesome! I can't wait to see what you and your sweet bride did with the house!

DH is my best friend as well, and I couldn't imagine doing this without him either!

When we were looking for land, we looked at buing land and building from scratch. We had a 6 month lease on our apartment, so switched gears & considered remodeling an existing house. However, we just couldn't find the right property in time to get anything livable by the end of our lease. Then, at the last minute we (or I should say God) found the perfect property, with a 2-1/2 year old farm style bungalow on 5 acres. It even came with 3 year old RIR roo & laying hen & a 3 year old turkey hen. The sellers told us the hen & turkey weren't laying anymore. But, SURPRISE! Come Spring, they both started laying again!

How cool that you are going to have a couple pigs in your pond bed. I never heard of pigs sealing a pond bed. It will be interesting to see if it works.

 

[Latestarter]

Don't know the size of the dug pond, but you could dig it out some and buy a pond liner then cover that with sand (to protect) or clay (to seal). Or just dig it out some and purchase impermeable or low permeable clay to line it with. You'd need a spillway for overflow and deeper bottom fill above either if animals would be walking in it, to prevent tearing of the liner.

 

[babsbag]

We have thought of using Betonite clay to seal our pond but pretty expensive to get it in CA. I too have heard of the pigs sealing the pond, something to do with the shape of their feet and them walking around in it. I think you are supposed to put water in the middle like a mud bath and then gradually fill the pond with water and the pigs will work farther up the sides of the pond and seal it all that way. Here is an article on it. I may do it myself in a few years.

http://www.makeitmissoula.com/2012/07/paul-wheaton-can-pigs-build-ponds/

 

[Mike CHS]

Thanks for the link babsbag. I was sort of thinking my neighbor had put the suggestion in his head. Since we have had this place (and long before we bought) the other 3 families in our valley have a hog slaughter get together every fall. It was coincidental he said to probably get 4 critters to grow out since that is what is butchered every year now.

We may give it a shot with nothing to lose and some pork to gain for the freezer.

 

[Latestarter]

Thanks for the link Babs. never heard of that.

 

[babsbag]

I read about it a few years ago, they build these ponds in poor depressed areas quite often. They also had information for building a system with PVC pipes in the pond for a "spillway", it is called a "monk"

http://www.richsoil.com/sepp-holzer/sepp-holzer-permaculture.jsp