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cabingal3
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# Posted: 28 May 2015 06:06am
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cant stop thinking of my garden.
got kales up but tiny,onions are up but tiny,raccoon in the compost bin,rhubarb(most came up)strawberries are ok,plum trees are taking but look pretty sad,seaberry trees mostly eaten by deer,tomatoes are perky( i baby the heck out of them).
making a rock garden in the center of my garden.
planting squash today and chives,lettuce and radishes.praying i can keep the critters out.
the neighbors gave us some deer repellant spray.already too late already make cages for everything and everything gets covered.
washing clothes out by hand.sort of fun.hanging on the clothes line i made is fun.
a lady made me a beautiful clothespin bag.it hangs on the line all the time.
cooking...i do but it is more light meals or one pot dinners.
its hard to work outside all day and come in and cook alot.
feeling pretty hardy and robust.
fears.hope we get the jet pump in so i can water my garden.
hope we get our wood cut for winter.
other than this.we are good.cabi
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SteveN
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# Posted: 28 May 2015 08:00am - Edited by: SteveN
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Gary O and cabingal3 I absolutely love this discussion topic. Makes me want to get my cabin up, retire from this office job and live life at the cabin. Please keep up the posts! Gives me hope for the future!
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 28 May 2015 10:41am
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SteveN!
It is the best ever!!
We made it to the other side!
Good luck on your cabin!
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hattie
Member
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# Posted: 28 May 2015 12:22pm
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We have one of these https://www.contech-inc.com/products/home-and-garden-products/animal-repellents/scare crow-motion-activated-animal-deterrent for our vegetable garden and it works really, really well. I highly recommend them.
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 28 May 2015 12:29pm
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Thanks hattie!
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 28 May 2015 01:10pm
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Quoting: SteveN Gary O and cabingal3 I absolutely love this discussion topic. Makes me want to get my cabin up, retire from this office job and live life at the cabin. Please keep up the posts! Gives me hope for the future!
Just passin' it on from the many that have gone before us...both of them.
Glad to stoke the fire for ya, StevenN.
Please, YOU keep US posted.
One more tidbit from this week's discoveries;
I've been getting severe back spasms in my lower left area on a regular basis.
Doesn't take much, just a reach out at a low angle and the next thing ya know, I'm writhing on the ground like a newborn rhinoceros.
Went to town yesterday, and noticed in the reflection of a store window that I was listing a bit to port side.
I've seen old codgers walk like that, all bent in more than one direction, elbows extended at 45°, arms flailing like they were cross country skiing with invisible ski poles...just in order to successfully mosey to the car.
So now I'm stretching when these spams occur, arms straight up, like a newly converted born again Rajneeshi.
One shouldn't really do this in a public restroom, I found out.
Speaking of restrooms, I seem to get these spasms at very inopportune times, like say, when proceeding to apply tissue.
I'm a right arm guy, but leaning too far west begets the spasms...not good to scream in a public stall.
However
I've discovered that my left arm is not the mentally challenged appendage I thought it was.
Oh, I knew my left forefinger had developed the mental aptitude of an earthworm from the evolutionary process of nasal exploration beginning at around the age of three, to, say, oh, around the age of 66, but up to now my left arm was just happy to find the appropriate sleeve without it's alter ego brother's assistance.
I think I'll use it as the lead arm when using the chainsaw today.....
I'll let ya all know how this turns out...or...cabi will.
Keep a fire
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 28 May 2015 07:08pm
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cabingal3 my italian barber has been gardening for quite a few decades in our rural area (more than 5). he uses barriers. simple barriers of salvaged tin, fencing etc.
gary0. I feel your pain. i've got two solutions for you. (warning. this is old guy stuff so you younger folks can skip the rest of this post).
one. get used to it. seriously. my first year back on the farm. i forgot how the labour beats you up. but year two. none of the same problems. your body really does condition.
(year 4 girls on the florida beach came by to check out my bod. year 5 i look like adonis and make women everywhere blush;)
two. tonic water. aspirin. tonic relaxes the muscles. you have to buy the stuff with real quinine. the more quinine the better. no I don't know why. but I was told about it. tried it. it worked to stop cramps/pain/midnight twitching.
okay. general reminder. I never use exposed cutting edge power tools when I am tired. distracted. saying to myself. "i've done this a hundred times before, today I will skip safety procedure X." never.
see the "both my dads lost" post.
and I won't talk about the other reason. but a ... well. it involves a dear friend who is passed.
play safe. after all. we have to hang around annoying the younger gen with our, um, talents.
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 28 May 2015 11:09pm
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Thanks creeky! I must be channeling your Italian barber cause this is exactly what I have been experimenting with!!
Thanks so much for saying this cause it seems to work!!
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 28 May 2015 11:10pm
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Quoting: creeky general reminder. I never use exposed cutting edge power tools when I am tired.
all kidding aside, I don't either
I hope yer right on the conditioning.
I figger if I lose my gut, my back will thank me....one day
thanks, creeky
...and now to check out yer post "both my dads lost"
..and to see if beer has quinine in it
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 29 May 2015 08:56am
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tonic water with gin added is the ticket
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 29 May 2015 10:37am
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Quoting: creeky tonic water with gin added is the ticket
and or "swalla" of corn squeezing AKA southern moonshine ...chased by a sip of cold spring "wada"
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 29 May 2015 12:10pm
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it's a hot sunny humid unbelievably gorgeous friday here in this off grid paradise
and while the sweltering minions chase illusions of vanity
i like the idea of a "swalla" of corn sqeezinz with a chaser of cold "wada"
not every day. but on a sun day.
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 29 May 2015 09:07pm
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good idea. now I'm gonna stock up in case another back spasm occurs....feel one comin' on now...and tomorrow, after dinner
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jun 2015 11:55pm - Edited by: Gary O
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Some of you may recall our discovery, back in August, of a four tree fall down near the cabin, leaving a huge hole and humungous root ball.
Well, today was the day designed to do some pruning, so we'd never have to look at them again.
Good morning
Good afternoon
Good night
I'd settled on the begrudging thought we'd have to contend with that humongous root ball from the four tree fall that we'd discovered from our trip back in August, even though that ball of roots was still leaning favorably towards the hole. We even laughingly discussed a 'root cellar'.
Today's assignment; finish bucking all four.
Towards late afternoon I had about 15 feet left on the last and biggest tree.
Felt a little spring in the log.
I was just happy it hadn't plopped on the ground, and bucking would be waist high.
However
Once I sawed through the next round, and immediately after zipping off the little left over tag...SPROING-G-G-G-G! Up it came....graciously plopping the root ball back into the hole....sorta.
Kind of a weird feeling...chainsaw in hand, ready to zip off another round, but nothing was there.
I hollered to cabi.
See said all she saw was me strolling out of a cloud of pumice.
I guess I could call this day 'the resurrection'
Note; that little Homelite super XL with the little 20" bar has served me well.
It's not a Stihl, or a Husqi, but has had no quit in it...since 1976.
Guess PMs really are important.
T'was a good day.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2015 12:58am
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Wow, is all of that going to become firewood or do you have something else in mind? That's a huge day's work! Well done!
Cabi, it sounds like you're having a wonderful time, despite inadvertently feeding the animal population! Have you planted any fruit trees? I'm wondering what does well in the area! I would LOVE to have a cherry tree or is that more Washington State?
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2015 08:55am
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Quoting: Julie2Oregon Wow, is all of that going to become firewood
yup
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2015 09:09am
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Dearest Julie2Oregon!
We can plant anything in zones 1,2,3,4,5, for best results but if we venture into zone 6-we have to cover or bring plant in every nite!
Neighbors have told us it takes 10 cords of wood to get thru the winter here!
We shall see!
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2015 05:36pm
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Ten cords? Hmmm. I was seeing wood on Craig's List advertised for $75/cord last year. (I also saw some listed for free, plus Forestry Service and BLM "come and get it" announcements when they were clearing out and chopping up deadwood.)
So, worst case scenario, if I didn't get ANY from my land or from other sources (which won't be the case), it would cost $750 for heating the entire season. That's still a bargain, compared to what I was paying on-the-grid!
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jun 2015 09:05am
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For sure gal!
Free to cheap heat!! Its a good thing.u get warm cutting it down!chopping it! Stacking it and going to haul it into the woodstove and then warm again once in the stove!
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Gary O
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# Posted: 7 Jun 2015 01:45am
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Another of a series of good days.
Didn't start out that way....
I was gonna cut brush and limbs from the skinnier parts of the tree falls, but my lovely lady suggested a breakfast nook for the front room of the main cabin...where food is cooked....where my lovely lady cooks....
Hooookaaay, why not use a couple three tree rounds and slap some boards on top...presto....nook.
I don't know about any of ya'll, but my chain saw goes where it wants to go (anywhere but straight).
I fiddled with some pretty large rounds at 28 inches for a couple hours, fell into the root ball hole a couple times, pinched the bar a couple times, and genrly worked up a good sweat before I realized that's not quite what my lovely lady had in mind...
Went to the mental drawing board, sifted thru several episodes of Family Guy and an ancient Romper Room before I got to a vague recollection of an article in a 1967 issue of Mother Earth News, of which my lovely little lady remarked at the time that it sure was cute...
See, I don't need no 'cloud'.
I've got a whole lot more than a puny googolplex filed away in my fog bank, and more cloudy memories than they could ever store.
Anyway, I dedicated the rest of the morning to scrounging enough boards and screws to git 'er done and commenced to create as thought boogers came to the surface.
T'wards midafternoon it became a bit of a race with ol' Sol and it also became more of a challenge in the scrap material department (I will replace the 2x4 in the sawhorse next trip to town) to finish by nightfall.
The table came together rather easy, but the benches, or rather seats, evolved from several disjointed attempts to incorporate a 15° pitch to the back rest, all the while making sure the thing wouldn't wobble apart during our maiden breakfast.....aaaand....to keep it within the weight of the Titanic.
(I must say right here, a well-placed 45° brace here and there really helps in keeping gross tonnage to an acceptable level).
I have a history of building things on site.
In other words, wherever I end up completing the project that is where the item stays, since our budget didn't allow expenditures like a crane or earth mover.
At around 7:45 pm I had four screws left to zip into the back rest and I was done...if only my third battery would've had the juice.....
Done at 8 something, or maybe 9 ish.
Anyhoot, my lovely lady is happy with it, and we will have had our inaugural breakfast by the time you read this.
(The Romper Room gal was rather comely, as you may recall....even though she never 'saw Gary' in that goofy mirror of hers)
Cheers, all
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 7 Jun 2015 02:24am
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What a beautiful nook!!!!! Well worthy of not only breakfast but a sumptuous feast! You did so very, very well!!!!
I made SURE "Miss Ann" saw me in her "magic mirror." I pressed my face up against the TV glass when my mum wasn't looking, lol! And, sure enough, she "saw" Julie a few times.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 7 Jun 2015 02:29am
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OK, wait. Is that "Mr. Do Bee"? And are we talking about a "magic mirror"? I'm sensing a theme here. Doobies, magic mirrors, anything else subliminal that stuck in the collective consciousness of us little children back then? Hahahahaha
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Gary O
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# Posted: 7 Jun 2015 04:27am
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Quoting: Julie2Oregon anything else subliminal that stuck in the collective consciousness of us little children back then?
(heh heh, note to self; Julie 2 just gave her age away)
...actually, I never saw Dr Do Bee, or even heard of her until just now.
Sometimes Google is a bunny trail for me.
As I vividly recall now, the Romper Room lady was rather insipid, but I had to watch because my little brother got to hog the TV (1959)...aaaand she 'saw' him several times.....I don't know what was on the other two channels but it had to be better than that show...prolly was the comely Dr Doo Bee
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 7 Jun 2015 10:15am
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Romper Room was on that long?! I wasn't around until '65 and began watching as a pre-schooler. You're absolutely right, GaryO; it was truly insipid. I remember getting quite bored with it and was much more interested in my own toys and playtime but I'd always eat a snack with the kids on TV during their snack time and press my nose against the TV so Miss Ann could "see" me at the end, heh.
It was an advertisers' dream, though. The kids on TV always had Hostess treats for their snack time, which I BEGGED my mum to buy. She said they were too expensive. I got whatever she had baked. Infinitely better than Hostess, of course, but you can't convince a little kid of that. They always showcased some new toy on their show every day, too, and I KNEW that wasn't happening so I didn't even ask, haha.
I was a much bigger devotee of Captain Kangaroo.
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Gary O
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# Posted: 7 Jun 2015 10:25am
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Quoting: Julie2Oregon I was a much bigger devotee of Captain Kangaroo
I was an avid follower of Mr Green Genes (spell cheque)
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hattie
Member
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2015 10:51am
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That breakfast nook is beautiful! I'm sure Cabingal3 is delighted with it!!!!
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2015 11:06am
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i am so thrilled hattie i cant tell u.he was working away and i did not know he had that in him.cute cute.i am in love with the little breakfast nook.too sweet...
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naturelover66
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2015 11:07am
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That's one nice nook!! Fine job.
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2015 12:36pm
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Quoting: naturelover66 That's one nice nook!! Fine job.
thank you, NL
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2015 12:39pm
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A moment of reflection;
I've been struggling of late in being able to put my finger on how I feel these days.
We've been out here 40 days.
We've accomplished more than I thought we would by now.
My wife amazes me...daily.
I even amaze myself.
There's been a flow of activity as we both have our daily chores and our projects, some done alone, some together, but both of us resting (plopping into our camp chairs) together.
We talk together of us never being so happy, so fulfilled, so purposeful.
Yes, we both carry the scars of living, like the gnarled tree in this photo I took just this morning.
But like this tree, there's a renewal.
It's so very hard to generate a renewal when living in the hectic stream of town.
One thinks a good rest will do it, but I'll tell you now, I've kidded myself.
I've just maintained my sanity, and even that is questionable.
This place
This place..has given me a greater perspective of my wellbeing than I could ever muster within a dense society.
I'm not an outwardly religious guy, but if there is a heaven...I'd like to think it's like our little place...
Not some ethereal cloudy place, but a hands on, git dirty abode, a tangibly real place where you can see, feel, taste, smell the beauty of nature.....of God.
Yet, I have this niggling, this feeling of angst (?) that somehow, some way this prize will be taken from me.
A feeling that 'why do I get this?'...I certainly don't deserve it any more than the next bloke.
Surely God is giving me (us) a glimpse of what things could be like... should be like...
Maybe tomorrow I'll fall on a jagged tree spike and lie there bleeding my guts out while my woman is gleefully tending her garden.
Maybe today.
But
Right now
This moment
I have
Contentment
Like I've never known
Or even dreamt of
Thank you for reading this, fellow cabiners
Thank you for the collective inspiration
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