Lincoln City

Not that exciting... we were there to paint the beach house but the weather kept being misty, despite heat warnings... Crazy coastal weather. So we spent a couple days hanging out, doing tiny bits of prep work then going shopping at the outlets and playing Bananagrams and Rummikub. Then Charlotte (and her friend Sarah) had to go back to work so it was just me and my unemployed brother there to do the work. We prepped in a day then painted the next day. The most exiting aspects are that we used a sprayer... I never want to paint a house exterior by brush again!


Sneakers might have been a better choice as now my sandals have all sorts of bright green on them... which doesn't match a thing I own. Except my AmeriCorps sweatshirt which is covered in a rainbow of paint (yay Murals!)


Here's at the end of day one, one of us sprayed and the other followed with a brush (to get in the vertical seams of the clapboard siding) and a roller to smooth out the sprayed on paint.


Here's how we left it. My window prep did a pretty good job and once cleaned up a little the windows look crisp next to the brightest paint in the neighborhood. Then there's the front door. It only got one coat of paint, so it's going to be more solid when I go back down in a few weeks and give them another coat. This is by far the brightest house in the neighborhood... I wouldn't be surprised if it's the brightest one in Lincoln City... seriously.

So I drove my brother and myself over to Springfield, stayed there one night then I headed up to Beaverton so I could go to my high school reunion on Saturday!

Been busy the past few days!

Sorry my postings have been sporadic and somewhat out of order! I'll post a root cellar summary when the project is done so you can see the whole process in one place :)

This is the bond beam before we filled it in with concrete on Sunday:

The bond beam ties the whole structure together.

Vertical rebar comes through the walls into the final course which is turned into a bond beam by cutting half way down the web of each block, knocking the cuts out with a hammer, then laying the block and placing rebar. The chunks of block that were knocked out are then set inside the block wall to keep the concrete fill (preferably corefill) from filling all the other cores. Making a wet concrete mixture and using buckets, we filled all the vertical cores, slid in long rebar then filled the bond beam and inserted anchor bolts and smoothed the top with a trowel. Easy concept, lots of labor. A wheelbarrow full of concrete is not an easy thing to maneuver, especially up a hill!

Monday we took a day off, we were both exhausted working long hot, hard days... those concrete blocks aren't light, that's for sure! I'm now feeling nice and strong... and looking nice and tan.

On Tuesday we placed the drain perforated tile/pipe, filled the floor with soil, attached the top plates and countersunk them to receive the bolts and washers and we installed the 2 side end plates that sit vertically and the east and west joists.

Wednesday we installed the rest of the joists, it went very smoothly and we were done by lunch!

Dan checking out the joists from inside the root cellar before we close up the roof

then we sheathed it in 3/4" foundation grade plywood (like double pressure treated... it won't be rotting any time soon)

A lovely sheathed cap, awaiting dry weather and membrane, insulation and soil

We also got a delivery of the materials for building the shelves, as well as a door that had been taken off of a project that I got for only $25! So I need to build out a rough opening for that then hang the door and install the door knob. It's an aluminum insulated door.


After we finished up yesterday I went to Runnings Fleet Farm store in Hutchinson, MN to get new boots. My steel toe boots died on Tuesday with a split across the sole of the right shoe- the left one has been leaky since January when I'd walk the 2 blocks to the job site and my left foot would be drenched before I even started work. It was time... and here they are! New leather Carharts! I also bought a new flannel shirt I'm very excited about, one is just not enough :)

New boots, I love constructiony things!
It was dangerous walking down the tool aisles :P

Today it's rainy and I'm hoping to get a chance to play some boardgames and drink mojitos as the original plan for that on Tuesday evening was cancelled due to heath issues... so hopefully this afternoon, games will be played and mojitos made and consumed!

Oh and I downloaded an app for my phone that lets me use my own pictures as icons so that's what I've been doing this morning :P For starters I just made a little polaroid sketch and I'm using that for everything... it's fun, so much time-suck potential!

Polaroids!

I also have an update on my travel plans. I got a call from a college friend who started a company in the Colorado Rockies and she's looking for help. So we're talking about me joining her for a trial period and seeing how that works out, so it looks like I might be moving to Colorado for an indefinite period at the end of September!
I will still be spending August in Washington state and hitting up my high school reunion in Portland, OR in the beginning of September. My plans for the fashion classes in Portland is going to go on hold though if I can actually do something in the field of architecture... if things don't work out in CO I can always take those classes at the beginning of next year and if things do work out in CO then I'll be busy there, snowboarding :) I'm just going with the flow. I was thinking though that it's kind of funny... I'd been feeling the call of Colorado so I planned to go through and check it out and then I actually got a call, asking me to come to Colorado with a purpose! Kismet? :)

Wood!

Today the weather cooperated very well, it was cool and breezy til the evening. Sunday we got the walls finished to the 10th course, a bond beam. Monday we took a break, I'd been at it hard for 6 days in a row and I was beat!
Today, my grandpa used the backhoe to dump soil in for the floor, Dan tamped it down and spread it out. We got the perforated drain tile in withouut too much damage to its sock. Then we put in the north and south top plates and the 2 outside joists! It's looking more and more complete everyday! I also confirmed delivery for Thursday of the materials for the shelving which we should be able to start building soon (once the roof is done). There is still muuch to do and about 9 more working days left til I leave.
I'm so grateful for the opportunity to practice my building skills as well as the chance to learn from professionals wwho have been kind enough to offer advice and help and I'm greatful Daniel's wrist is better so he can help me; I couldn't do this alone for sure!

Chug Chug, moving along nicely!

Sore and feeling good and accomplished!

Today I got some help from Daniel. I had to run to the hardware store so I set him up with a couple tasks. When I got back and mixed up some mortar he was ready to go. I showed him what I know about laying block and we got started. We made good time today I’m pleased!

Dan and Me and the mortar bucket


Here's how far we got, Day 2 of laying block- the goal is 10 courses, the last one will be a bond beam which Brian will be helping out with (which is good cause I didn't think of it and I don't think I totally grasp how it's going to work!)

In the evening, Brian the Mason came by and cut some brick for the bond beam which he said he’d help with on Sunday. So we have until Sunday to complete 9 courses of block! With Daniel’s help, we’ll be able to get it done for sure :)

Brian the Mason (and neighbor), all-around awesome for giving advice, and tools, and materials, and time, cutting block for the bond beam. He has 25 years of experience, I try not to let him get to close a view of some of my joints :P

Mark (who helped yesterday) stopped by this morning and I bent his ear about helping with cutting wood for the shelves inside, so tonight I’m working on a cut list for that portion of the project. Materials should be arriving in a delivery tomorrow. Last night I was asked by Mike ( the guy who carrie din a few block yesterday) to come by his place and give some root cellar advice, so I’ll be doing that next Saturday. I also went to Sunny’s last night in downtown Howard Lake with my aunt Marienne and tried beer cheese soup (with popcorn) which was good, and very rich! I’m glad I just got the cup! The food was rich and delicious

Beer Cheese soup, "you're in Minnesota, you have to try it"
It was tasty!

As soon as we finished cleaning up and stepped inside uncle Jerry came calling "all hands on deck". Some cows got out and we were needed to wrangle them back in. Luckily by the time we got there the cows had wandered their way back into the field so Jerry stayed a bit and helped re-secure the fences. Just goes to show that life can be exciting on a farm, always something to do!

Brian the Mason offered to help with the corefill concrete as well so we're going to keep building up tomorrow after we Drylok (waterproofing paint) the exterior; I'd like to get it done before Daniel arrives in the morning. I woke up at 7:30 this morning, so that might not be a problem! I'm already tired and was thinking I didn't even have the energy to watch a movie! Well, really I wanted to play a boardgame but it wasn't in the cards tonight :P I did initiate plans to play Agricola and drink Mojitos on Tuesday though, that'll be fun! Now I need to get the perfect recipe for mojitos (ideally I'd find out from Giles at Hostel Tevere in Warren, VT- best mojiots ever!)

I have a footing!!!!!

July 5 - (Internet wasn't working, so posting a day late)
I called this morning for my concrete delivery, they said 9:30, I said, “sounds good!”. Eric, the driver, showed up right at 9:30 (love that!). I told him I haven’t poured concrete before and he said he’d help me out a bit and he used to do concrete. So first he set up the chute and poured a bit of concrete in to check the slump then he showed me out to “scree” it. That is where you take a board and slide it across the top of the formwork to smooth out the concrete. Because I will be laying block I didn’t want it to be too smooth so there is some grip for the mortar. So Eric got in the truck and I drove the chute- giving him hand signals to move the truck or stop letting the concrete come out. He was impressed with my formwork and said it is better than a contractor’s! Such a relief because I was pretty nervous about my formwork all last week having never built any before! First we poured the back then down the south wall, across the front (west) wall then poured the north wall. Right at the end there wasn’t any more concrete coming out of the truck, so that was it. He said that was good, most contractors end up short or with a yard and a half extra. I only had about a half a 5 gallon bucket extra! He asked if I calculated it myself and was impressed when I said that I did!

Katrina and the Concrete: I’m walking on sunshine!! Unfortunately there aren’t any actions shots because when he got here I was too excited to get started to worry about trying to track someone down to take some pictures.

Before he left he gave me some pointers on laying the block. He said the mortar should be like peanut butter and when I get it on my trowel and hold it upside down it should stick- an excellent and important tip! Also he said to start with the corners and build them up as high as the wall will be then you lay the block in the middle. I told him I was planning to keep a string across to make sure it stays level (learned that in Brazil). I also asked when I can start laying block and he said tomorrow or even tonight!

I love building things and seeing it come together and learning to do new things and having professionals tell me that I’m doing it right!!! Feeling good :)

After the footing was poured, I called the block company and had all my blocka n mortar delivered. The guy was clearly an expert at the claw arcade game. He manuvered skillfully around the powerlines, dropping the block right near the entrance to the site. The concrete guy, Eric, said I could start as soon as tonight, but I’m gonna give it til tomorrow.

So then… Brian, the neighbor at the end of the road, stopped by! Brian is a masonry union working so he knows his stuff. He was soooo helpful. he offered advice and lent me tools, some things i didn’t even know existed! He used his laser level thingy (no lasers, just super precise) to help me see how level my formwork was. I was only a 1/2 inch off from level from the front to back, and between 1/8 and 1/4 out from level across the front. Not bas considering I pretty much gave up on getting everything perfectly level and went for level enough :P He gave me suggestions of a few things to do as I go and a few things to get me started. He even offered to come by tomorrow evening and help me cut some blocks! I told him I’d make him whatever baked good he wants!

I think at the end of this project I’d like to have a root cellar party, and invite all the people who’ve helped me out and worked on it. I’m hoping to get a bit more help mainly cause those suckers are heavy, especially when they’ve absorbed some water. Tomorrow is going to be awesome, finally getting going on the walls. Only 3 weeks to finish… wish me luck (and cooperation from the weather!)! If it rains one of these days and I can’t work, I’ll be spending it making something tasty for the neighbors for sure :)

Building Formwork

If someone had just said "do it the easy way", I would have started with that :P

Excavating went super quickly because of the skid steer and neighbor Kevin's speed and one-ness with the machine. The formwork for the footing is another story! In part because it was so hot on Thursday and Friday.

This is how it's gone so far in the first week of the Root Cellar project:

Monday: Kevin excavated the slope

Tuesday: Kevin excavated a little more (always measure multiple dimensions before you tell someone it's good to go!); bought all my formwork materials from Maple Lake Lumber (Daryl is so helpful!) also had 13- 20'@1/2" rebar delivered; started working on leveling the clay soil... this is not an easy task! Got in touch with the CMU company and ready-mix concrete company to figure out costs and lead times, I can pretty much call the day before I need a delivery (2 yards of concrete and 440 CMUs)

Wednesday: Went to town and bought a string level which doesn't work very well- it's not the particular string level's fault, it's the string level itself- if you need to level something across a long area get a long board, put it across and set the level on it. The string is never accurate in the center I think because the two arms it hangs off of make it level where the string is, it only works right up next to your board. (see sketch below). K2 and I spent a good 2 hours working on leveling the formwork by removing soil from below the formwork, we got 3 boards level with a plan for how to level the rest of it. I also ordered the remaining materials for the root cellar and they will be delivered next Friday!

Thursday: Oh.My.Hot... Most frustrating day... it was super hot and when I went out in the morning to continue leveling I checked the boards we'd leveled on Wednesday and they were no longer level. After much frustration I sat in the garage for a while to pet Turnal whose purring helped calm my frustration a bit. I'd missed a call from the ready-mix concrete place so I called back to let them know we wouldn't be pouring today. I was trying to figure out how to build the formwork and what needed to be level and the best practices and I realized I should ask the concrete guys!
Oh, I'm so glad I did, they put my mind at ease! Gaps under the wood formwork are fine, as long as the top of the formwork is level that is what is important. Wow, that made things so much easier!
Moral of the story, figure out what your problem is and then ask the right people (and sometimes, this means NOT using the internet *gasp!*)
It was still really hot out, and just sitting down barely moving I was sweating like crazy so decided to take a break until the cooler hours of the evening. I ended up taking a nap and not feeling super so I stayed in the rest of the night. It gets dark around 9:30pm which means it's really easy to work late when the weather is nice!

Friday: Went outside in the morning to try to work but it was still way too hot. I decided that I would just wait until the evening rather than wearing myself out in the daytime without being very productive. This was a good idea! I then went shopping to antique and thrift shops with my Aunt Marienne in Buffalo and I got some sweet stuff including more cassette tapes for my car ride! We left after lunch and started heading back around 5 and looking South the sky was really dark. We got back just in time to move the cars into the garage and secure/stow what we thought might blow away. There was a wall of storm heading NE and we were on the SE edge of it. It was kind of scary, all the cats were inside. We were upstairs and the wind was whipping by, the weather channel in a computer voice was saying "This is a dangerous situation" and saying tornado warning and 4" hail, so we all went in the basement and emptied out the closet under the staircase god-forbid. The first small bit of storm passed and as the bigger system worked its way Northeast we got the skirting edge of it. Some of the fence around the girls (dairy cows) knocked down so when the storm cleared a bit my aunt and uncle went to fix it. No major damage on our farm or on the news, so that's good. The weather has been particularly rough this year. My grandpa, who will be 89 in a couple weeks, said this is the worst weather he's ever seen and he's been farming this land since he was 19. When farmers can tell that the weather is changing, city people oughta pay attention I think. Oh, it was also K2's birthday yesterday! So we had a lovely meal with K2 and Brandon, they are good guys. After the first storm bit of storm passed, I taught them to play Settlers of Catan. They enjoyed it which means when it rains or they have some freetime, I'll have more gaming buddies! Hooray!

Saturday, Today: It has cooled off so much since Thursday! Now my pit is super muddy and nice and cool so therefore the hangout of many a fly. Anyway I go the formwork leveled this morning and piled soil around the bottom edge of it. Now I am waiting for it to dry out a bit more so I can clear the disturbed soil out of the bottom of the formwork and get to laying rebar!

This evening is K2's birthday celebration so I will be heading out for that. I will be introducing him to the wonderful game of Pictionary which I picked up for a mere 50 cents at a thrift store, classing dark blue box and everything! If he enjoys the game, it will be my gift to him, along with the sweet card I made.


To sum up, Formwork basics (check back later to learn how well it actually turned out, should be pouring Tuesday!) :

1. Get the ground relatively level (like within a couple inches)
   
2. Lay out your formwork (1 by stock is standard for formwork, I'm using 1x8 so the footing will be at least 7.25" high all the way around)
3. Pound in stakes every 4 feet all the way around (inside and outside walls!), pound them in so they are super sturdy! We got 50-18" stakes that were already cut of 1x3s and cost .50 a piece.
   
4. Hold a level along the edge of your formwork at the lowest place in the soil, when it is level clamp to the stake. When you have leveled the board on both ends, attach with screws to your stakes (from the outside if you want to be able to remove them!)
5. Work your way around the outside formwork using clamps and double and triple checking for level and attaching when you are confident it is level. Digging out where the soil is too high.
   
6. For a footing, level the inside formwork second, based off the perimeter holding a level across and another along the board. Be sure to clamp before you screw! You can potentially pound the stakes in further once attached but pulling them up will compromise the soil in which they are stuck, so try to avoid this!
7. When the whole formwork is level, pile and tamp sand or soil on the outside of the formwork to cover any gaps. You can also attach additional boards on the outside.
8. Remove any loose soil in the bottom of the formwork. This soil should all be virgin, undisturbed soil so has to help prevent shifting and therefore cracking, in the footing/ building.

If you have questions when building, ask people at hardware stores and concrete companies! Well, depending on where you live, I never had much luck with people working in big box stores, but if there is a small local lumber store, hardware store or concrete supplier- go to them! Support local businesses and they'll support you!

Some websites I found useful as a first-timer:

• Do It Yourself this site is awesome, there is a forum where you can get answers from people who know what they are doing as well as articles that cover how to do things:

• How to Pour Concrete Wish I found this article sooner!

• eHow How to Form a Concrete Slab on Unlevel Ground - eHow can also be a helpful website, it really comes down to asking the right questions to find the answers you're looking for

• eHow How to Bend and Cut Rebar - This is the next thing I'll be doing later today and/or tomorrow

"When you see the machine dig you'll never want to dig by hand again"

Wise words from my grandpa when I was talking to him about how we were going to be building the root cellar. There was talk of using the backhoe but that wouldn't give us very straight edges and there would be a lot of hand finishing the hole. The backhoe would also require space for the stabilizers to be stretched out on either side and it's turning radius when in place really limited where we could put the soil.

In comes neighbor Kevin to the conversation and he offers up his Skid Steer; makes a call to his buddy that does landscaping and borrows a bucket.

Wow! He was one with the machine! I wasn't timing it but it was in less than an hour he dug out the side of the hill. It was awesome!

Groundbreaking!

Dang that's a lot of dirt! Look at all that healthy topsoil and rich clay! They should farm here ;P

That's me reading last night on the back of the first car I ever drove (way back when I was 15), my grandpa's farm truck.

Tomorrow we're going to the hardware store at 8am to get materials to build the formwork for the footing (and hopefully get rebar or find out where to get it). I will also call the concrete guy again if I don't here back from him today. We need about 2 yards of concrete and based on an online calculator that's equivalent to more than 109- 60# bags of ready mix concrete... We'll be calling a truck for sure!

Tonight I finally get to play some boardgames, I'm all excited but these boys still have work to do! I can't blame them really, the weather is beautiful :)

Root Cellar

Figured out the detailing, called the concrete guy (waiting to hear back), called the guy at the hardware store (he'll did get my email list and will get back to me later today), called the place with the cinderblocks and got the price (which includes delivery).

Called Ashley back, she got a job offer, hurrray!

Hopefully we'll start digging this afternoon when Kevin gets back witht he bucket for his little tractor!

Time for lunch and hopefully I'll get to play Ticket to Ride Europe tonight with Brendane, K2 and uncle Jerry! I need my boardgamin' fix!

This may require waking up before 8:30am...

Writing a materials list to get prices and figuring out the details for the root cellar, ack! The hardware store in Maple Lake was great, mad props to Daryl! Now I'm writing up the list and it seems to grow endlessly... I also found this awesome link for how to build a CMU wall which is what we'll be spending most of our time doing! I'm also trying to figure out how many yards of concrete to order, how many CMUs to buy, and what kinds (how many corner bricks, should I get door jamb bricks?) and how long it will take to get things, how long we need to let the concrete cure before we start building... let alone throw in weather and I have no control over that!
I've done a bit of masonry, at Yestermorrow and in Brazil, but never on my own! I'm probably over-thinking it all but that's better than under-thinking it!

Week 1 of 4 is slipping by really quickly! I'm just hoping that me and the young people can do it!

I will try to get some drawings posted up here too so y'all can see what I'm up to!

Shopping List (I'm sure there will be more!):

• 100 feet - 4" perforated drain tile w/ fabric wrap (drainage for the footing)
• 6qty. - 2x8 @ 16' boards (appropriate species and grade for footing form-work - clean it and use for interior wall or shelves)
• 2qty. - 2x8 @ 10' boards (appropriate species and grade for footing form-work - clean it and use to frame the exterior door)
• 13qty. - 2x10 @ 10' pressure treated (joists for the roof)
  
• 2qty. - 2x10 @ 16' pressure treated (end boards for the roof)
  
• 3qty. - 2x8 @ 16' - wood foundation material (top plate on the CMU wall)
  
• 1qty. - roll adhering waterproofing membrane TAMKO TW-60 for cold weather (alternatively, could we use a paint on membrane?)
  
• 8qty. - 8'x4' @" rigid insulation (for the roof and a 2' skirt around the top)
• 12qty. - L anchor bolts, washers and nuts (connect the top plate to the cinderblock walls 6 on each 15'-6" side, does that seem reasonable?)
• 16qty. - L anchor bolts (connect the cinder blocks to the poured footing)
  
• 8qty - 4'x8' sheets of 3/4" foundation treated plywood (for the roof and a 2' skirt around the top)
  
• 1qty. - roll of tape (the kind for sealing rigid insulation joints and screws)
• 5gal - Drylok (for the exterior)
• 3qty. - thick nap paint rollers (for the drylok)
• 4 feet - 4" dia. PVC pipe (for the high and low air vents)
• 1qty. - metal insulated garage door 3' wide
• 2qty. - cans of spray insulation foam (for sealing exterior door and holes at vents)
• 2qty. - tube liquid nails (to attach and seal the bottom edge of the plywood skirt to the CMU wall)
• 3qty. - trowels for mortaring 8" blocks
• 30qty. - metal tie bars (to use at corners to tie walls together)

A few items I need help determining quantity:

• ?qty. - enough mortar for 35 cubic feet
• ?qty. - enough cement/mortar to fill the top voids to set anchor bolts
• ?qty. - Stainless Steel 8p ring shaft nails (not sure how much we'll need, do you think 2 pounds is enough? for assembling the wood roof
  
• ?qty. - attaching the rigid insulation to the plywood

I will also be calling about getting a delivery of concrete, in order to calculate how many yards of concrete I needed I used this site with its handy lil' calculator. I <3 the internet!

Last day in Chicago

I finished my Chicago project today! (Well, I still need to add one more coat of polyurethane and caulk the countertop... which I'll do after i get one last custard from Hole in the Wall and make the homemade poptarts and homemade marshmallows that I promised second-cousin-Marty!)


Before...


After! Next time I visit I'll add a long shelf across the room above the window. If I was going to stay longer I'd paint, for now I leave it (mostly) primed and ready for action!



Tonight we went to Chicago's Home of Chicken and Waffles II for dinner. It was way swankier than I expected inside based on it being a chicken and waffle place. Though had I seen the logo, a chicken in a tuxedo next to a large waffle, I would have guess as much :)

I found a picture f the interior, the picture of the logo is proving difficult to find, so use your imagination. The food was super tasty, now I can add "eat chicken and waffles" to my bucket list, and cross it off.


Oh and I'm the subject of today's Cover Freak, the blog of my second cousin's husband (so... my second-cousin-in-law?). I've been staying with them a week, hogging the TV room/my bedroom.

Tomorrow I head to Columbia, MO when I get up (so like 11 :P)!

Chicago: Amazing lunch, books and projects

Yesterday seems so long ago. Perhaps because I was still full from yesterday's lunch until about 2pm today! In the morning I started working on the mud room remodel (pictures to come soon) by patching the hole that Marty thought was 5"x5" but when I removed the painted pieces of cardboard that was covering the hole it turned out to be more like 14"x7"! Then I met Marissa and her husband in town and we had an amazing lunch at Bandera.
To start we shared a side of mac and cheese and Bandera's famous cornbread.

Then my main was the Seattle style (BBQ? not sure how that makes sense) salmon with cucumber salad and green rice. Inthe background there Eric (left) got a stake sandwich with awesome fries and a cup of jus to dip the sandwich in. Marissa got a salad with rotisserie chicken, when I took a bike of the chicken it melted in my mouth! It was all sooo good, so good. I hadn't saved room for dessert but I got it anyway, berries and marscapone. It was heavenly! Eric got banana cream pie and Marissa (right) had key lime pie (which she said was amazing).

After lunch, I rolled myself over to After-words bookstore on Illinois (once I figured out how to get off Michigan street... curse your layered streets Chicago!) I find myself drawn to the travel section; I purchased 2 books. I stumbled across A Field Guide to America's History, it's full of entries like "mills and factories" and "barns" with information on where to look for things and brief histories including drawings. I'm pretty excited about it! The second book I bought is blue highways which was recommended to me by a friend of my mom at church back in Delaware. I started reading it on the L back from the city yesterday and have already been inspired to take the blue highway route.

"He said, 'I noticed that you use work and job interchangeably. Oughten to do that. A job's what you force yourself to pay attention to for money. With work, you don't have to force yourself. There are a lot of jobs in this country, and that's good because they keep people occupied. That's why they're called 'occupations' (page 10)." I'm looking for job opportunities in my travels with the main goal of finding work... I guess he's referring to life's work?

I almost bought a book called Experience Architecture, but decided I won't need it until I try to write more about architecture and continue my thesis from undergrad... hopefully I'll get around to that someday soon, perhaps in my travels. With my new plans though, I don't think I'll be going back to school. I might just have to try research and writing on my own. That's a topic for another day though :)

Today I worked more on the mudroom remodel, here is a before shot (after the room had been cleared out).

The mudroom is becoming an extension of the kitchen, along with repairing some holes I am installing some cabinets and a countertop. Hopefully I'll be able to paint it as well, or at least prime before I head to my next stop (Columbia, MO)!

Project: compost sieve

Finished! To the extent I will be working on it... I don't know much about motors and gears and stuff... so I finished building the frame and basic structure and Dan is going to add the gear later; probably a motor.
The right side is a tumbler (that black rubber strap is waiting for a motor or gear of some sort) and the left side is a chute. You toss compost in on the right side and compost sifts and rocks tumble out. We decided to design it of the tractor bucket because it was the easiest way to them get the compost wherever you want it.
The chute has rails to make sure the rocks don't fall back into the tractor bucket. Farm #1 raises turkeys for Thanksgiving/Christmas and the bedding is replaced daily. The previous caretaker had spread rocks all over the floor of the turkey house (who knows why, seems silly) so now whenever the straw bedding is shoveled out and put into the compost pile it's full of rocks. Hence my project: Compost Sieve.


Side note about yaks!
This is what yaks do when they are spooked. They are standing in a group with yaks facing in different directions. They were standing like that for a while until a wild turkey flew up out of the grass and they broke apart their neighborhood watch group.


UPDATE: I also drove a big tractor (solo; it is a John Deere) for the first time today!

Projects!

Today I got started on the rotary compost sieve. I decided to get all fancy (and get some practice) with joinery for the frame... I forgot how long it takes! The first joint took me a long, long time. The second one went much faster but still, I didn't get as much done as I would have liked to! Not everyone knows what a mortise and tenon are, so I clarified my photo with some text :)


I also snapped a picture of the trailer now that it's been finished- it looks amazing! Too bad I have to remove the latches and move them down a bit- there are going to be some holes :(

Trailer before and after

I can't believe I'll only be here for a couple more days! Much more exploration ahead, I'm sure people reading my blog will be much more interested in my exploration of cities than my projects though :)

*gasp* Pictures! (finally!)

I finally got new batteries for my camera (it's been sitting unused so long in my mom's garage that it doesn't hold a charge anymore) and took a few snapshots of Farm #1 here in lovely Vermont. dang this place is pretty! I love it here.
There are chickens of all colors, including one white one that likes to hop the fence and last year lived in the bushes most of the summer! Now it hops willy-nilly over the fence when it feels like going for a stroll or coming home to roost. Luckily it hasn't taught the others to hop the fence yet. She doesn't seem to wander far, I've seen her walking around the fence a few times, generally in close proximity to the chicken tractor.
There are a few yaks on Farm #1, supposedly they run really fast but I haven't seen them run yet. I'm not about to try to coax them into doing it :P I saw one of them shke his (her?) tail and it's covered in long black hair. As the sun is coming out today and the weather is supposed to be in the 80s next week I feel bad for these animals that are built for high elevations and winter! I'm sure they didn't mind the long winter :)

Vermont, could you be any purdier?

Lavender is also in bloom. I passed by some yesterday walking down the driveway, the smell was intoxicating. It made me want to crumple a handful and rub it all over my hands and arms! Summer is awesome.


With my camera working, I can also document my projects! Hooray! Here is the trailer refurbishment so far:

Trailer after removing all the wood.

Trailer after first coat of black paint. It takes 24 hours before you can apply the second coat so it looks like I will be finishing the painting tomorrow... no sense in scrubbing off all the black paint on my arms, legs and hands tonight! It's like I'm an AmeriCorps all over again!

My other projects include the roatary compost sieve which I will get started on laying out tomorrow after painting; we picked up materials Tuesday. I kind of like the planning ahead that is required for trips to any kind of shop when you are in a rural area. It forces you to be more efficient with your time and fuel. In the suburbs if you forget something it's just (at least it was for me) a few minutes drive back to the store and I never really thought about the fuel required for those extra trips, or trips for a single item. Another project is to design a yak shelter, I won't have time to build it so they will find someone else to construct it, but it will be good for the yaks to have some shade when the peak of summer arrives. They are pretty much stuck wearing a sweater under a puffy fuzzy jacket with a broken zipper. They sure are cute though :) Time to peel myself from the interwebs and get to reading and, speaking of which, figuring out if I can wait to go to the grocery store til tomorrow when Dan has to go anyway... I have already spend $260 on gas in the last 30 days... It's probably a good idea to wait til tomorrow :D

My favorite food (I'm still in Delaware... heading to Vermont, stop #2, in a little more than a week!)

Marshmallows... Ok, they might not count as real food to some people (if we're talking real food then broccoli wins) but marshmallows are really my favorite thing. I made them for the first time about a month ago and today I made my second batch ever. The first time I made them I coated them in toasted coconut. This time I made 2 styles. Plain vanilla and a s'mores style which is coated in graham cracker crumbs and drizzled with 64% dark chocolate. Both are tasty, I assure you :) I made them to take to dinner with friends tomorrow.

Generally I think it's good to learn to make things that you'd normally buy (even if it's more expensive to make it, at least I can say I did it... once!) Marshmallows are dangerously easy to make and one batch makes a whole lot! I like the Alton Brown recipe, found here at the Food Network. Add a little extra vanilla (or try a different flavor!). If I find myself with a surplus of maple syrup and maple sugar someday I really want to try making maple marshmallows... I'm also curious to see if I could make a savory marshmallow, for some reason a rosemary marshmallow sounds awesome.


I'm curious what I'll find to eat on the road. I want to eat as healthily as I can so that means veggies, more veggies and whole grains and beans! I'll be staying with friends and family a lot and on the road solo the rest of the time. My plan is to rely on farm stands, farmer's markets (need to find a map of farmer's markets yet), grocery stores and keeping a little pantry in my car with things like peanut butter and larabars. My mom offered me a cooler to make sure things don't overheat... I haven't decided yet I'll be starting the essentials packing on Monday and will see how much space there is in the car. I'd like to leave enough space to sleep in the car as well as space for at least one passenger too.

I will be in Delaware until next Thursday then plan to stop in York, PA to visit some friends who I met at Yestermorrow doing the natural building program 2 summers ago, then stopping in NYC to have lunch with my old roommate from college then on to Rupert, VT where I will be an assistant caretaker on a small hobby farm for 2 weeks. I'm so excited! But I also have a lot of work/projects to do before I get there so... back to work!

Cheers!


UPDATE:
My aunt sent me a link to the site I was trying to remember where you can find farmer's markets all over the US, it's called Local Harvest. I'm really looking forward to experiencing other farmer's markets, especially when I get to the southwest!

Project #1 = complete!

I took these pants I bought at the GAP factory outlet (like 2 years ago) and finally made them into shorts. I was my plan all along so they have been sitting with my sewing stuff unworn, untouched. And now they are shorts, Project # 1 is complete! Unfortunately I can't fit into them at the moment. The desk job was not kind to my waistline!
But that's ok, I'm working on it. I went for a jog this morning and I am thinking about riding my bike to the grocery store now so I can try out some awesome sounding vegan recipes. Like this one for Mac & "Cheese" and one for Cornbread as I have been wanting cornbread for like months now!

This morning I dreamed of Vermont and it was awesome, I'm excited to get there and for now I'm working on projects that I have wanted to do but haven't had the space. Yay for houses instead of apartments! Woot!

UPDATE:
I made the vegan mac and "cheese" and vegan cornbread... amazing!!