Smash! What was that? The lamp in the living room had crashed to the floor. Both our dogs cowered under the dining room table. The rough housing had become too much, and they caught the cord in their excitement and brought our home’s ugly, taupe lamp to its final end. The lamp had been repaired … Continue reading Antique Lamp Restoration: Fail and Success
living off grid
Have you considered or even dreamed of living off grid?
Have you considered or even dreamed of living off grid, but you just don't know where to start? The first place we started was determining what sort of appliances we wanted to have off grid. Now there are two schools of thought when it comes to living off grid. There is one; we will rough … Continue reading Have you considered or even dreamed of living off grid?
Breaking Ground on the Barn Shop
We finally broke ground on the barn shop. I finally did it. I mustered enough courage to break ground on the barn shop. The initial plan was to have me use the tractor and box blade to level the ground, but I didn't have confidence to do it. Eventually, from calling and pricing the creation … Continue reading Breaking Ground on the Barn Shop
Learning from Others’ Mistakes… Pole Barn Dream
Continued from last week's wind "gym" sock. I use the the Zoom's new wind "gym" sock to record the sound for this video. You'll notice my hair blowing in the breeze while I stand outside and then walk around the old derelict cabin on the property. So far, my wind sock idea works pretty well … Continue reading Learning from Others’ Mistakes… Pole Barn Dream
Off Grid electricity is NOT free.
I believe I am guilty of promoting free energy on the off grid homestead, and during the summer months it appears that way. However, during the winter months cloudy skies make solar energy creation improbable, and it's the battery bank that keeps the home's electricity going from day to day. When the fog and inversion … Continue reading Off Grid electricity is NOT free.
When the Battery Bank Dies…
At the end of this past summer, our battery bank of seven years decided to die. It was an interesting cascade failure event. One batter cell went dead and could not be revived, then another battery flagged a similar problem. Pretty soon I was isolating batteries that would no longer hold a 6 Volt change. … Continue reading When the Battery Bank Dies…
Changing a Side-Mount for a Top Post Battery
Here is a quick video I did on changing the vehicle design from a side mount battery to a top post battery. When I was filming this video, my cistern pump went out a day before, and when I got home from work, our Suburban was dead. No connection, except a string of bad timing. … Continue reading Changing a Side-Mount for a Top Post Battery
Man vs. Snowplow (Season 3, Episode 2)
For those who have watched the war wage on between me and my used snowplow, this is perhaps the armistice between us. This year, I did not mess around with the motor and pump assembly. I purchased a “new” rebuilt Meyer E47 standard assembly. This has made a world of difference. The plow system is … Continue reading Man vs. Snowplow (Season 3, Episode 2)
Flashback: Lighting the Wood Stove for the 1st time didn’t work out so well.
Flashback to six years ago when we lit our Kitchen Queen wood cook stove for the first time. We had our challenges trying to figure it out, but now it is easy. We moved into our place for two weeks during December of 2011 to see if we could manage the home with the extreme … Continue reading Flashback: Lighting the Wood Stove for the 1st time didn’t work out so well.
Snow Storm Hits and the Solar Panels Quit
During the winter gray skies and snow defeat our solar panels' power production. This is the time of year we rely heavily upon our backup generator once the battery bank is spent. Removing snow from the panels, isn’t too bad, but if left undone it can become a real problem if the snow melts into … Continue reading Snow Storm Hits and the Solar Panels Quit
Living a Sustainable Dream 