Wednesday, November 20, 2013

I did Nothing Today





Yep about all I did today was get out of bed. Well OK I did start a fire in the wood furnace, cleaned the kitchen and made dinner but other than that it was a lay around reading all day...day.

I was kept company by my vibrating neck pillow otherwise known as the supervisor cat most of the day as well.

We alternated between reading the nook, chasing blog and news articles and napping. I had a list of things that could be done even considering the rain, wind and cold. I really thought about doing one or more of them.

Then I went back to sleep.

I think it was the evil cat's influence that did it.

I actually came across a couple of articles that almost motivated me to posting. One about a retired general pushing a popular (peaceful) uprising and another about old racist White Guys from over at Salon. In the end I just couldn't get motivated enough to care today.

Earlier this morning the powerline crew showed up out of the blue with another load of wood chips. I haven't even spread out all they left me this Summer yet and they are bringing me more. I thought they were gone for another six years but they told me there is a new line they are putting in nearby and really hoped I could take some more loads from em.

I'm like sure dump away.

Let me tell you guys those wood chips have been a savior taking care of several problem spots I had with mud and ruts. It used to be the back of the barn was impossible to use during and after heavy rains (or even light rains truth be told) and the area around the gates were a mess as well. Not anymore. No one is even bothering with mud boots this year now.

I have wasted hundreds of dollars on gravel going into those areas and it just sinks and disappears but putting down a thick layer of these chips has totally changed the entire climate. Eventually I know the chips will decay but I am hoping if I let them set a year or so then they will make a perfect base to place the gravel over and stop the constant erosion and mud pit problems. It also is buying me some time to figure out a drainage system for the barn. Most of the problems really stem from the drainage off the barn roof.

My next project is going to be a rain catchment system off the barn and a way to harness it into filling the stock tanks. I have a plan I am working on but the main obstacles at the moment are having no area I can really put any pipe underground without going really deep due to heavy equipment running over it. Unlike the house system I don't really have the option of using all gravity feed easily. The barn roof also collects up literally thousands of gallons of water where the house system only gets a few hundred gallons so we are looking at much larger cost and storage considerations and it has to be two separate systems, there is no way to run them together with the doors and utility roads coming in.

Really before doing that I need to lay out the permanent fences and gates but it may be more efficient to have the rain water system laid out first.

Time to put the ethnic engineering skills to work once again I guess.

My farm pond repair project is now on hold for a few months. It hold just enough water as is to be unworkable until it dries. I reckin that won't be until maybe July now.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!




21 comments:

  1. I could use a day like that, it would be nice to have it on a sunny day and mess around outside but then I would probably start working on something so I guess it has to be bad weather.

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    1. SF- Exactly if it had been a sunny day I would have felt like working.

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  2. buddy - i make it a point to make us regularly enjoy "do-nothing" days - i think that they are integral to our over-all well-being! can't wait to hear about how you will tackle the rain-catchement system for the barn!

    your friend,
    kymber

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    1. Kymber - my do noting days still require I put clothes on. Where as yours :)

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  3. even your do-"nothing" days are pretty busy. And I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I am INSANELY jealous of all those wood chips. I've stopped the Asphlund guys before and told them they have a great place to dump their chips whenever they want....but apparently someone else has their favor.

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    1. Carolyn - There is a trick to it. Find the guys trimming the powerlines that have the trucks with tree trimming service decals on them not the power company ones. The contract guys are all about dumping as fast as possible in the closest and easiest place.

      I am lucky there since i live on a good road right at the border between two power companies and don't really care where they dump em. Easy fast and friendly. The perfect date :)

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  4. Oh, and the picture of the clouds, is that from your place? I've ONLY noticed those types of cloud formations since I came down to the Ozarks.

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    1. I think I took that one myself. I may have stolen it though but ya we see those types of clouds all the time.

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  5. Sometimes we need a do nothing day! Wood chips are awesome! My neighbor bought a huge chipper that hooks to his big tractor after seeing the results from my Eden garden. His spits out 5 times as my little commercial one. I think I will steal it and his tractor too!....bahahahaha

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    1. MB - Those big pull behind ones are the bomb. If i had one I would depend on wood chips more than I do.

      Still not convinced that wood chips are good for gardening however. The morning glory, Bindweed and crab grass adapt to the chips too easily and the squash bugs love the chips for over Wintering in.

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  6. We all need a do nothing day once and a while. We get loads of mulch delivered too. We have it piled up, but are glad it's there. It does a great job of keeping the muddy areas walkable.

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    1. Izzy - OMG it is wonderful for dealing with mud and areas that are heavily rutted. I will never go back to just gravel again as long as I can get wood chips to cover an area first.

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  7. Actually, you did the most important thing a man can do. Your wife came home to a clean kitchen and diner. You showed her how much you appreciate her. Those kind of things mean more than flowers or candy! Good job!!

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    1. Anon - I always dot he dishes, except on weekends she usually does them then. However my wife won't eat my cooking 9 times out of 10. I cook when there is something I want or my son wants in particular. She usually microwaves herself something.

      Also when the wife cooks. Every pan, dish, spoon, and plate MUST be dirty. When I cook I wash everything as I go.

      I call Mondays tropical storm Wife cleanup days :)

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  8. PP I just realized that I don't have you on my blog roll... just in my reader. I fixed it!
    I love a "nothing" day once in awhile.
    Sci

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    1. SciFi - Yes you removed my link some time ago. I thought I had made you mad and went into a severe depression over it. Finally Carolyn explained to me that people just grow apart and if I perused you it would make you run away that much faster.

      So I pretended I didn't miss you and hoped you would return.

      I still have you linked on the right I think.

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    2. May I have another lashing sir? Hahahahaa Now I have to wonder how many others I've misplaced and pizzed off.

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  9. I live for do-nothing days, and get them less often than ever. Not sure how that happened. But yours sounds nice.

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    1. RP - The feline management staff demands it sometimes. They say it is all for my benefit but I have noticed a pattern to it that usually includes rain and colder temps.

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