Holy Crap, Things Are Happening

Yes! Things are happening. We've had our little house at the build site for a couple months now and thing have been steadily moving forward. One of the latest additions is a mobile wifi hotspot so that should make keeping the internet up to date much easier.

So, let's catch up.

We have actually been ready to start digging the foundation since mid-April, but the weather has been quite uncooperative. It rained.

                                   

                                                OH MY GOD DID IT RAIN

This month we've received about ten inches of rain, which is more than three times the normal monthly average. On the plus side, we've learned where all the low spots on the property are. On the down side, some of our neighbors have had their fields flooded.

The excavation we dug for our root cellar has become a pond.

                          

Complete with tadpoles.

Tiny sperm-frogs!

With all this rain we've only had four full days of sun. Why so little sun? Oh, because we expanded our solar electric system and mounted the panels on a nifty solar optimizing swivel mount. Of course. Mother Nature gives zero fucks about my ability to produce electricity. I know how it is.

Now with 90% more swivel

Jack does not approve of solar energy. Jack wants to watch the whole world burn.

We have our cats out here with us now. I was afraid that they wouldn't like the change, but that has not been the case. Jack has really enjoyed the new stomping grounds. He has effectively murdered all the rodents that were holed up in our shed. Given the poop and damage they were inflicting on our stuff, I'm not terribly upset by that.

Sweet, sweet murder

I've kept busy getting the gardens started. I started a bunch of plants from seed earlier this year. This year I was pressed for time so I just cut three garden plots. Eventually, I hope to have several raised beds.

Tomatoes, peppers, and okra

It's been tricky keeping all the plants happy with all this rain. The tomatoes and pepper are doing well, as are the rhubarb, melons, strawberries, and brussel sprouts. The okra doesn't seem to like the cooler weather, the onions the goji berry bush have gotten too much water, and I lost the sweet potatoes to root rot. Plus with the ground as wet as it is, weeding has been a pain in the butt.

Gutter berries

If the weather people are not lying to me (YOU BETTER NOT BE LYING *fistshake*) the weather should be clearing up soon and we can start the foundation. We tryed mowing the grass down and it was so wet that it destroyed the drive belt. So, I took the grass whip to the build site.                          

Whip it good

I braved the western swamp to measure out our setback and get the first stake put in place. Once the ground dries up a little more we can put up the batter boards.

Until then, we'll just relax a bit and enjoy the scenery.