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Post by leatherneckpa on Aug 7, 2011 9:48:53 GMT -4
The "plan" is for Cindy and I to build a 16'x24' "cabin" with a half loft (562 sq ft) over weekend visits to our TN homestead. Then live in that once we move there and build our 24'x32' home, again with a half loft (1152 sq ft). Even that is half of what we currently live in.
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Post by nhlivefreeordie on Aug 7, 2011 9:56:38 GMT -4
Our place in NH is going to be 1,400 SQ FT, this house is close to 2,100 and is way too big, it is only the two of us and the dog. The biggest problem will be getting Lynn to unass about 75% of the crap she has carried around with her. I am pretty much of a minimalist when it comes to that stuff. I would be happy with about half of the furniture we now have and even less "stuff" that is just a dust collector. We have one room with floor to ceiling bookshelves that has no books on them, they are full of Boyd's Bears,
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Post by leatherneckpa on Aug 7, 2011 11:29:57 GMT -4
I'm planning to have a separate 24'x32' woodworking shop also, but that's about it. Of course, we'll need outbuildings for the critters but those don't count as housing and don't need to be heated.
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Post by capecmom on Aug 7, 2011 19:07:00 GMT -4
Fortunately for us even tho we have a big house our wood stove, if you keep the bedroom doors open, heats the whole house. It was nice to have lower gas bills last winter-once we got it installed anyway, lol.
Didn't do much today-it poured all day- watched "The Town" with Ben Affleck-pretty good flick.
My Butternut squash plants are overtaking the garden! They are enormous! I lost count of the little squashes that are coming. Wahoo!
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Post by Martin on Aug 7, 2011 22:29:36 GMT -4
This place is in serious need of attic insulation. Hard to believe that it's 80+ years old and there isn't a stitch of insulation in the attic.
~Martin
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Post by ☼ ЯÏĊk ☺ on Aug 8, 2011 8:01:01 GMT -4
My camp is 540 sq.'. And it would be good for 2, if they could part with useless items. Not enough room for serious food stodage without a root cellar. Been on a pickle making frenzy here. Made a batch of bread and butter, and snother batch using small zuc's. Today we're making zucchini relish. Good rainy day stuff. Should have sweet corn by tomorrow, woohoo. Oh, and freakin broccoli! Up the wazzoooie. I'll cut more to blanch & freeze shortly.
Martin, blown in cellulose is cheap and wicked good r value. Have fun.
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Post by capecmom on Aug 8, 2011 8:28:55 GMT -4
Thick pea soup fog here this morning. Not very nice out-we got a ton of rain yesterday-everything is just nasty outside-my garden got beat up-I'll have to go out later to see what needs propping up-so for now I'm inside making some bread, blanching more kale etc etc. Waiting to see what my parents are doing today-my Father's cousins from Germany are here. My sister and Niece are coming on Friday. Glad you are getting so much done Rick
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Post by leatherneckpa on Aug 8, 2011 8:30:30 GMT -4
Rick, I foresee two obstacles with you having a root cellar. One digging it out with all that rock you have up there. Two, not having everything freeze solid in it during the winter. I guessing the roof of it would have to be at least 4' underground. Probably better if you could put it all in the basement.
I don't remember where I saw it but I read an article about some family who actually lifted their house, dug out a basement under it, and then set it back down. Very labor intensive, but it can be done. It was probably either Countryside or BHM.
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Post by nhlivefreeordie on Aug 8, 2011 8:46:59 GMT -4
I am slow getting started this morning. My delayed reaction muscle pains from moving that furnace on Friday have caught up with me. I probably will have to mow today for the first time in about 3 1/2 weeks. It is humid as can be out, just nasty, but this afternoon I will need to get it done, if the grass dries out. I have tomatoes and more beans to pick. Endamame is ready too. I also am losing the battle of trying to keep up with the raspberries. The dog and I were keeping any ripe ones from going to waste but now there are too many, so sometime this week I have to pick raspberries, which since we haven't fixed the freezer since the flood this spring, now have to be made into jam, I still have several gallons frozen in the upstairs freezer. That reminds me, I HAVE to get the freezer looked at soon, I think it is a relay, I am NOT the guy to fix it. This morning I have to go take papers to Mary Anna Chenoweth, go to Mifflintown and snap a picture for an article next issue (was supposed to do this when I delivered papers last week) plus we have the business Expo this week which we will be at, so that has to be readied. And to think, I was supposed to be in NH this week......
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Post by leatherneckpa on Aug 8, 2011 13:00:27 GMT -4
Watering the chickens has always been a task, but washing the waterers was an even bigger PITA. During the none freezing months I run a hose (outside the fence, so the Airedale airhead can't chew it up like he did last year) down to the hen yard so I don't have to carry water. Today I decided to knock together a washing table for cleaning the waterers.
It's not up to my usual standards, but then it's an outdoor washing table, not a dining room table. It's completely built of recycled lumber; two old wooden saw horses, two 2x3 cross rails, and a scrap of 1/2" plywood. I didn't think to wash and paint the bare wood until after I had already soaked it doing the waterers. I'm thinking a day or two to dry out and then I'll paint them so it last more than just through this fall.
Unexpected side benefit, the hens like lying in the resultant shade out in the yard.
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Post by azlonerider on Aug 8, 2011 23:08:02 GMT -4
After work I had to stop at the store and pick up something for my wife, then run to the feed store and get a bale of alfalfa and a 50# bag of layer crumble. I got home about 6:30 unloaded the bale so the boy could feed the goats, also fed the chickens. Once that was done the wife and I spent until 7:30 picking horned tomato worms off the tomato plants and feeding them to the chickens. We picked 22 of those nasty critturs.
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Post by Martin on Aug 9, 2011 0:41:43 GMT -4
We picked 22 of those nasty critturs. Wow! I don't think I've seen that many in my entire life!! LOL ~Martin
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Post by Martin on Aug 9, 2011 0:43:26 GMT -4
The "plan" is for Cindy and I to build a 16'x24' "cabin" with a half loft (562 sq ft) over weekend visits to our TN homestead. Then live in that once we move there and build our 24'x32' home, again with a half loft (1152 sq ft). Even that is half of what we currently live in. That sounds cool! The little cabin will give me a place to stay when I come visit!!! LOL ~Martin
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Post by Martin on Aug 9, 2011 0:47:29 GMT -4
My Butternut squash plants are overtaking the garden! Love those butternuts!!!! My 'pumpkin' pie is about 2/3 butternut and 1/3 mashed carrot.... naturally sweet and orange lookin'....and delish!!! ;D ~Martin
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Post by Martin on Aug 9, 2011 0:51:28 GMT -4
I had one nice big tomato that was almost ripe, but dropped....I brought it in to ripen and the darn cat made a toy out of it.....claw punctures everywhere!!!! I'll have to be more careful next time!!!! ~Martin
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