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Karie, Karie, quite contrary

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

Despite two snowfalls, weeks of below-freezing nighttime temperatures, and no irrigation for over a month, our garden has been thriving.

Today, I cut down all the greens and turned them over to get ready for spring.

We also tackled another project I’ve been wanting to do. You might remember that we built the beds with railroad ties as borders (railroad ties that Brad had gone to a fair bit of trouble to get). Later, I heard from a couple people that railroad ties are treated with nasty chemicals. I tried to think they were overreacting. Then I heard a show on “You Bet Your Garden” — not a particularly radical show — in which the host said he would never, ever use railroad ties for anything. He went on and on.

OK, so maybe we’d need to get rid of them.

I dreaded telling Brad, but predictably he said it was no big deal. So we got some redwood planks, and today put them in, along with a little sitting bench since we sometimes have lunch in the greenhouse.

I’m already starting to think about what we’ll plant for spring.

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Tags: garden, greenhouse

Design through production

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

It’s been an interesting experience to have been immersed in our home building from design through actual construction (and, one day, living in it). For anyone in a business, I think that doing a variety of jobs throughout the enterprise is a great way to gain expertise, regardless of what job you want to do ultimately.

One example that has been interesting is our arched doorways. In the design phase, we really wanted to carry through some eclectic Moroccan-type design elements. The arched doorways were one easy and attractive way to do this. At the time, I didn’t really think of what would be involved in making them. (Brad may have; for me, everything was such an unknown that I didn’t single this out as different since I really didn’t know how to do anything.)

Of course, building them was another whole story. Just laying them out was challenging. Then stucco’ing them took a lot longer. And throughout, the risk loomed of messing them up and having them look horrible. (We have told ourselves on many occasions that there is nothing that can’t be ripped out and done again.)

Now that the one doorway is done though, it really looks great. I’m so glad we did it and am even looking forward to doing more. And I know that every one we do will be a little easier and a little better.

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Tags: construction, design

Archway Designs

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

Today, days and days of rain and wind culminated in snow in the mountains, and later in the day, a wild fit of snow flurries at our house.

We worked inside and built our first indoor arched doorway.

To start, Brad drew the arch shape onto 1/4″ plywood (he’s getting very good at this) and then cut it with a jigsaw.

Then we ripped a couple 2x4s to be 1/2″ less than normal. This was so we could use them as framing inside, and when the two pieces of plywood were attached, the whole thing would be the same width as a 2×4.

Then we screwed the plywood down to the framing…

and attached it to the doorway framing.

It looks fabulous.

We have at least one more arch to make for Tumbleweed (or maybe more??) and many in the main house. I’m looking forward to finishing these with drywall, paint or clay, some tile accents, and who knows what else!

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Tags: arches, construction, design

What makes you qualified to do this?

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

As we’ve talked to and shown various people around here the work we’re doing, a frequently asked question is “What makes you qualified to do this?”

Hmmm. Interesting question. I sometimes explain that Brad used to do construction. And while that has been very helpful in some areas, the reality is that much of what we’re doing is new to both of us.

So the answer is that we are bold and think we can do it.

My general feeling is that traditional education in many professions is less valuable than good common sense and hard work. To me, this is no different. We do a lot of research and try to think things out well in advance, but at some point you just plunge ahead and try it. If it doesn’t work, you try something else. If you work hard and smart, things generally work out.

A couple people have agreed with this saying that really anyone could build a house; you just need to want to do it and then to do the work. Both people who shared this perspective with us were professional contractors.

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Tags: construction, people

Tree Moving Day

Friday, January 15th, 2010

We’ve waited until winter to do something about the cottonwood tree next to the septic system. (Cottonwood trees are notorious for causing damage to septic systems.) Our friend Bill Wilbur came over with his tractor and then his backhoe to do the heavy lifting. Heavier than either of us thought. When Bill picked up the tree, the front wheels of the backhoe came off the ground and would not go down – not even with the two of us standing in the bucket.

Bill first brought over his tractor with a giant auger. The plan was to punch some holes where we planned to move the tree in order to make digging easier for the backhoe. This seemed odd to me, but Bill knows his tools. Good for me though as I got Bill to pop out the holes for the ten columns that will support the next six solar panels at the same time. It took Bill about twenty minutes to make the holes, each one three feet deep. This will save me many hours with a post hole digger.

When Bill returned with the backhoe, he first dug the hole where the tree would go. Then he dug around the tree. Eventually, we wrapped a rope around the tree and Bill kind of reached under the tree with the backhoe and lifted it up. The rope held the tree against the upper arm of the backhoe. Luckily, one can steer a backhoe with its independent brakes, because the front wheels just hung in the air useless.

Once the tree was in its new home, there was lots of shoveling. We’ll be giving it lots of water and love while we nurse it back to health.

Bill and the auger

The auger in action

Digging the hole where the tree will go

Ready to start digging

Trying to lift the tree

Part way out

Oh it's out now!

On its way to a new home/hole

Moved and happy

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Note to self

Monday, January 11th, 2010

“Architectural details” take a lot longer to stucco than plain flat walls. Lookin’ good though.

Several people have asked what the final color will be. (This is the base coat; there will be a finish coat over this.) It will be a light off-white (soapstone?) like the greenhouse columns.

And here’s today’s Buddhist thought of the day: “Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence. – Buddha”

And so we strive on.

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Tags: construction, doors, stucco

Weather report

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

After the very cold weather and two snowfalls, we finally had a couple of days this week that were warm enough to stucco and got the third wall done. Then it started to get colder, so we took a day to finish the foam doorway arch on the last wall.

Yesterday was pretty cold (40s during the day, 20s at night), but today was supposed to be warmer so we set out this morning to start the last wall. It was colder than expected though with the temperature still in the 30s after 10:00…too cold for the stucco (and for me too).

I went to hose down the walls that have been done (something we do a few times a day so that the stucco doesn’t dry too fast and crack) and found that even the water in the hose was frozen solid.