I got to Porcupine Ln at 6:30 this morning, and Jeff Gray was there waiting for me. We left at 5pm after a full day of non-stop work with the excavator. We placed all the concrete piers for the shed roof and the screened-in porch. All thirteen of them had to be carefully set four feet below grade. We ran into some trouble while working around the buried electrical conduit on the north side, but other than that things went well. While I figured out where the porch piers would go, Jeff hauled the topsoil from the side of the road to cover the septic system. This is the same topsoil, roughly 30 yards of it, that Lewis Tapley wanted to cart away so that he could bring in more and charge me for it. (Sorry, I wasn't supposed to mention Tapley again.)
Jeff Gray doesn't stop to eat lunch; he snacks in his excavator or dump truck when he has a few idle moments. I had to steal a few minutes to swallow some lunch while he was busy loading. We worked quickly all day to beat the rain. We might get another dumping of four or more inches this weekend. I'm still waiting for the 6x6 cedar posts from Viking. I have about 30 days to finish up before I'm scheduled to leave for Block Island.
On the garden front, I tracked down the fish compost operation we used 7 years ago when we were first starting our garden on Rob Road. Deurr's Soils in Gouldsboro will deliver 16 cubic yards of compost next week for $560. When one little bag of compost at the local garden store is going for $9, 16 yards at $35 per yard is a ridiculous bargain.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The A Team (Part 2)
Our visitors leave tomorrow after a busy couple of days. Tim and I have almost finished making the concrete form. All the serious work is done. Michelle needs to wire all the electrical boxes in place, and I need to place all the knock-outs which will create little shelves in the wall when the forms are pulled off. Maybe we'll pour this thing before we leave.
A little squirt of starter fluid in the spark plug hole did the trick with the rototiller. Rudy tilled over a few beds of garden space, but the soil needs something that will dig a little deeper. Maybe a plowing under in the spring.
A little squirt of starter fluid in the spark plug hole did the trick with the rototiller. Rudy tilled over a few beds of garden space, but the soil needs something that will dig a little deeper. Maybe a plowing under in the spring.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The A Team
Seven years ago when Michelle and I were framing the house on Rob Rd, help came from the south in the form of two veteran armchair builders. Armed with brand-new framing hammers and nail sacks, Tim and Rudy were ready to rumble. In one weekend we framed the second floor. Tim left with a bruised hand and Rudy was banned from power tools for rest of his month-long stay. But it was great fun. Maybe I could get Tim to resurrect the video he shot and post it on this blog.
Well, the A Team is on their way again with the addition of Helene and Anna to deepen the bench. I don't know, exactly, how I will use their vast arsenal of skills during their three day visit. Unfortunately, there are no old windows to scrap this time. (Sorry, Rudy.) We'll either form the concrete L-shaped wall or frame the shed roof. The arrival of Jeff Gray and his excavator could complicate things. I have a feeling that my main task will be to keep them satisfied with the slow pace of things.
Another disappointment for Rudy will be the uncooperative rototiller. On his last visit the old Troy Built wouldn't start. I got it going a couple weeks later, but then it sat idle for the rest of the summer. I tried to start it last week to prepare a bed for garlic. No luck. The internal combustion engine and I do not have the best of relationships, and I don't see it improving unless I check myself into a class on small engine repair. Not a bad idea. We need to make peace after years of animosity. I have your garden variety prejudice against gas powered things, and, as usual, ignorance is at the root of it all. I bought three kinds of garlic at the Common Ground Fair, and it sure would be nice to till in all the soil amendments. If the Troy Built fails to comply, I can always borrow the neighbor's supercharged Italian-made BCS tiller, a beautiful machine that makes the Troy Built look like a crude Stone Age gardening implement.
Well, the A Team is on their way again with the addition of Helene and Anna to deepen the bench. I don't know, exactly, how I will use their vast arsenal of skills during their three day visit. Unfortunately, there are no old windows to scrap this time. (Sorry, Rudy.) We'll either form the concrete L-shaped wall or frame the shed roof. The arrival of Jeff Gray and his excavator could complicate things. I have a feeling that my main task will be to keep them satisfied with the slow pace of things.
Another disappointment for Rudy will be the uncooperative rototiller. On his last visit the old Troy Built wouldn't start. I got it going a couple weeks later, but then it sat idle for the rest of the summer. I tried to start it last week to prepare a bed for garlic. No luck. The internal combustion engine and I do not have the best of relationships, and I don't see it improving unless I check myself into a class on small engine repair. Not a bad idea. We need to make peace after years of animosity. I have your garden variety prejudice against gas powered things, and, as usual, ignorance is at the root of it all. I bought three kinds of garlic at the Common Ground Fair, and it sure would be nice to till in all the soil amendments. If the Troy Built fails to comply, I can always borrow the neighbor's supercharged Italian-made BCS tiller, a beautiful machine that makes the Troy Built look like a crude Stone Age gardening implement.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Home Stretch
With the slab done, (it was easy) it's time to close things in for the winter. The pre-cast concrete piers arrived today. They'll support the cedar posts which will support the shed roof. I've got Jeff Gray and his excavator lined up for setting them in place and finishing the rest of the site work. This should all happen next week. Once the shed roof is framed and sheathed, I'll close in the utility room so it can safely hold our stuff while we're gone. Then all that's left is to cover the window openings with plastic. I've got about a month to do this. Shouldn't be too difficult.
I prepared a row in the garden to receive a fall planting of garlic. Peat, seaweed, compost, green sand and granite dust, the secret ingredient. I've read that pulverized granite is essential to growing killer garlic. Piled around our well head is all the granite that was drilled out of the ground in search of water. I dug out perhaps a hundred pounds of this fine bluish-gray material and worked it into the soil with the rest of the amendents. I'll plant about 200 bulbs- enough to get us through the year and plant next year's crop.
I prepared a row in the garden to receive a fall planting of garlic. Peat, seaweed, compost, green sand and granite dust, the secret ingredient. I've read that pulverized granite is essential to growing killer garlic. Piled around our well head is all the granite that was drilled out of the ground in search of water. I dug out perhaps a hundred pounds of this fine bluish-gray material and worked it into the soil with the rest of the amendents. I'll plant about 200 bulbs- enough to get us through the year and plant next year's crop.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Ready to Pour
When I arrived at the house this morning, the plumber was already packing up to go. The plumbing inspector was due to arrive any minute. Then Bobby Gray showed up to say that the inspector had some sort of accident felling a tree (broken collar bone maybe?). No inspection. We all agreed, though, that lack of inspection need not stop me from pouring a slab in the utility room. There's only one small, insignificant bit of waste pipe in the utility room that would be covered by the slab. If the concrete guy isn't available to do it next week, I'll do it myself.
I spent a few hours with a chain saw this afternoon. We've got a group of people showing up to work on Saturday, and one of the tasks will be to make a pig pen. This won't be your typical pig pen. I bought 660' of wire fence to enclose about a half acre of oak trees. Perfect for pigs. When we come back from Block Island, it'll be about time to get us some piglets.
I spent a few hours with a chain saw this afternoon. We've got a group of people showing up to work on Saturday, and one of the tasks will be to make a pig pen. This won't be your typical pig pen. I bought 660' of wire fence to enclose about a half acre of oak trees. Perfect for pigs. When we come back from Block Island, it'll be about time to get us some piglets.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
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