High Boondocks Home

The Good And The Less So

2010-02-01T11:56:00.004-07:00

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The Good:

Alpine Alley's Scott and Mary Childers, dear friends, and
still my first and best connection to Mountainair.

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The Less So:

When the sun warms the frozen ground we get gooey,
slippery mud.

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Red Studs In The Sunset

2010-01-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

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This is what it was like Thursday, and yesterday also.

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And this is what it was like today. Neat, huh?

I started painting and didn't stop 'til it was done.

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Wind And Snow All Day

2010-01-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

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It is an unusually bitter day. I just went out for less than
ten minutes to take a few pictures, and was hustled back
inside by the cold wind.

Current weather for Mountainair, NM 87036
28°F, Cloudy, Wind: E at 25 mph,
For the next three days:

Thu

30°F | 20°F

Fri

38°F | 22°F

Sat

42°F | 22°F

Sun

43°F | 26°F

Out here, 15 miles West, it is 30 degrees with 20mph of
wind from the East.

I'm not looking forward to the mud we will have
when this stuff starts to melt.
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Seven Fire-Blocks

2010-01-27T15:05:00.001-07:00

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It took me over three and a half hours to get those last

seven fire-blocks in and I am pooped. I think I got up too

early this morning, so right now I'm going to take a nap

(maybe 30 minutes or so). Depending on the weather I

may make a lumber run this afternoon.

Tomorrow I paint that wall.

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Too Much Cogitatin'

2010-01-26T18:36:00.014-07:00

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As I approached the corner I discovered that two of my
wall studs in the lumber pile had warped and twisted so
much that they could only be used for fire-blocks.

I stood, and sat around, cogitatin', trying to devise a work
around and, at the same time I was visualizing the location
of doors and windows, and the stairway configuration.

I managed to enter a meditative (vegetative?) state
of mind for over an hour, and I'm pretty sure I've got
the details all worked out.

Now if I can just remember everything I decided!

So tomorrow it will be fire-blocks and paint, another 12 feet,
maybe 24 feet of sill plate (painted), and finish building the
corner post. Then I'll have to make another lumber run to
Home Depot.

Weather permitting, I'll do that tomorrow
afternoon/evening, and have supper at Denny's.

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Morning Light

2010-01-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

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Just a couple of pictures taken this morning that I wanted
to share before getting to work.

Sunrise Jan 26, 2010

The Manzano Mountains in the morning light

It's a very nice and calm (no wind) and warmer day. Things
are thawing out earlier, and I expect to meet my goals.
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More Studs Today

2010-01-25T18:16:00.004-07:00

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At 1:30pm it was still 32 degrees with enough wind to
discourage outside activity, so a little before 2:00pm I
kicked back to take a nap.

Sixteen minutes later I snapped awake to the sound of
"NO WIND". I checked the temp and it was 36 degrees.
Time to go to work.

I am able to work very much better in the cold than I ever
expected. The pictures show what was done in just over
two hours.

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, so did the
temperature. What was mud at 3:00pm was frozen again
by 4:15. The area on the deck where water was
dripping from the porch roof became an Ice-skating rink.
It was time to quit and take pictures.

Tomorrow I turn the southwest corner, put in fire-blocks,
and slap some paint on the raw wood.

You'll notice I have not yet put in a rough opening for a
window. That's because I am re-designing the stairs to
have a landing and a 90 degree turn, and the window will
be at the landing. Once again "Rise and Run" drives the
change. A straight stairway would have to be too steep in
the available space.
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Russell and Cleo lounged on the deck and watched me
work until I started putting away my tools. Then, as if on
cue, they wagged, "bye-bye", and headed home.
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Chile and cheese mixed with FRITOS for supper, watch an
old movie, maybe blog some more, and hit the sack around
10:00pm.
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Scenic View, Our Future Home

2010-01-25T10:22:00.002-07:00

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I guess I have seen this magnificent view so many times I
took it for granted. From US 60, looking North, our place
is on the rising ground exactly one mile away, a little to the
left of the mountain with the most snow on it.

The second shot is from the same location facing south-
west, toward the Rio Grande river valley.

I think these pictures will give our family and friends a
better feel for the wide open spaces of our future home.

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Wind-Chill and Fire-Blocks

2010-01-24T16:40:00.001-07:00

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The weather in Mountainair is currently being reported as
32 degrees with a 27 mph wind from the northwest. If you
GOOGLE, "weather 87036", the first entry is current
conditions.

Out here now it's 34 degrees with 5 to 10 mph. For me
wind-chill becomes an endurance factor above 12 to 15 mph
at this temperature.

Earlier today, when our wind was 25 to 30, I retreated to the
trailer after only about 10 minutes. I was heavily dressed
too, but I couldn't protect my face well enough.

The milder conditions out here gave me almost three good
hours of work time, minus about 15 minutes spent visiting
with Russell and Rocky. They only stayed long enough for
a cookie and some affection, then they were off. They had
places to go and rabbits to chase.

As you can see the first five fire-blocks are in. Each one
carefully fit to remove some minor warping of the studs,
then glued and screwed in place.

That wall section is incredibly rigid now. There is no
deflection even when I throw my full (still considerable)
weight against it.

Well it's another "special recipe" hot soup kind of day.
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The View West of Mountainair

2010-01-24T12:24:00.006-07:00

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Lest anyone ask why we favor this country above
all others.
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I estimate the visibility at just about 100 miles looking
West (from milepost 203, highway 60) outside
Mountainair .

(Time stamp should read 09:50)

Okay, without the truck, near milepost 202.

And looking North from the City Dump turnout near
Milepost 202, also on hwy 60.

Maybe my location notes aren't romantic, but
it is beautiful.

Our own mountain view is not so bad either.

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I cleaned the deck once again when I got back from town
and I'm letting it dry in the cold wind that's blowing now. I
intend to get the fire-blocks at the 4 foot line in today.

Weather permitting (of course) I'll paint all the raw
wood this week. I know it's extra work and expense
but it seems worth it to me. It also makes better
pictures.
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Hail the Size of Peas

2010-01-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

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A couple of hours ago there came a hail storm. Very small
stuff, but plenty noisy. At first I thought it was heavy rain,
but it had a sharper impact sound than rain. I waited until
it was over before going out with the camera. Smart, huh?

The weather man says that's it until next week. I hope he's
correct. I'm feeling the need to put sticks together again.
You can only watch so many movies for the second and
third times, or blog when you haven't done anything to
blog about, or play solitaire, when you'd rather be sawing
wood and driving nails. (wow, that's a terrible sentence!
It changed syntax twice.) Oh well, it expresses my
frustration with SNOW.

Crunchy Pea sized hail.

This will be the view from the future southeast corner window.

The carport does it's job well.

Looks like the promise of better weather.

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Swept and Pushed

2010-01-22T17:07:00.002-07:00

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At 4:00pm it's 45 degrees with a strong west wind that is
melting the snow quickly.

To hasten the drying time I swept and pushed the snow off
the front of the deck.

Today I fed myself soup (my special blend), watched a movie
(The Kingdom), leafed through a bunch of magazines,
took a few pictures and a nap and posted some.
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A Soup and Movie Day

2010-01-22T12:27:00.001-07:00

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Not much to look at, but you can get the sense of it.
Two inches of snow in the first hour and still falling.
Visibility around 150 feet. The snow is very crunchy.

My camera somehow got set an hour ahead. Now when
the time stamp says 08:30 it's actually 07:30. I haven't
been able to make it change back and stay that way.

I'll take pictures every hour or so today and post a few on my blog.

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So here we are at noon of the same day and the

temperature is rising into the 50's. The snow is turning

rapidly to slush. If it keeps on like this, by sundown 4WD

will be required just to get to the gate!

And the visibility is about a mile.

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I stuck a tape measure in the snow and it was

only 2 1/2 inches. Oh well!

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Freezing With Snow Flurries

2010-01-21T13:39:00.002-07:00

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About noon there were a few light snow flurries and the
temperature fell below freezing. I know this because the
pan of dog's water froze over almost as I was looking at
it!

I knew it was brisk and there had been a solid cloud cover
for over two hours before, but I was not uncomfortably
cold at all.

After looking at the porch thermometer on the shack, I
decided to honor my promise to come in from the cold. So
I put my tools and glue away, gave the dogs two biscuits
each and grabbed my camera.

Today I installed one more stud, making it ten feet of wall
so far, put on eight feet of upper wall plate, and added two
more braces to ensure that the wall remains plumb and
square. Right now it is perfectly so.

One of the braces I added today is the second diagonal
brace that extends past the end of the stud assembly, and
the second brace added today is the 2x4 that goes from
the porch post to the doubled stud. I put it up there so I
wouldn't trip over it. It will remain in place until I install
one of the second floor support beams along the same line.

This weather today was not specifically forecast. It seems
to have just developed. Tomorrow is supposed to be bad.
That remains to be seen too.

I'm going to check the weather in Belen and Los Lunas
now, and if it's OK I'm going to get more lumber. I want
to make sure I have material on hand to build with when
the weather permits.

Please DO NOT WORRY about me. I am being careful,
and for some reason, my hands, knees and feet are not
bothering me
at all. I would have expected my arthritis to be acting up
in the cold, but actually I feel better.
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Windy and Cold, With a Short Wall

2010-01-20T19:05:00.002-07:00

The blue skies this morning ushered in a cold wind that
lasted until just after noon.

I had already stacked the lumber I needed to cut and I
had planned my moves.

Even at 40 degrees with a lighter wind I was pretty
comfortable in just a hoodie, gloves, and my thermal
underwear.

The weather is not supposed to be bad tomorrow, but if it
is I'll go get more lumber in the morning.

Looking at this sky you can almost smell the crisp clean air.

The rise and run of the stairs dictated that the second
floor be no higher than 9 feet 3 inches, rather than the 10
feet I had originally intended.

The top edge of the horizontal 2x6 in these pictures is at
the level of the top of the second deck floor joists.

I almost always like to include at least one picture of the
deck and the front of my little green shack. It won't look
like this much longer.

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Blue Sky at the Ranch

2010-01-20T11:28:00.002-07:00

The weather in town and out here are remarkably different.
The snow had only just stopped when Tim and I left the
coffee shop, went to the post office, (only junk mail today)
and then to Gustin's Hardware to buy several bales of
hay for the horses, and then headed out to our place.

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Ten miles west of Mountainair we began to be able to see
more than 50 miles across the Rio Grande valley to the
snowy mountains, and beautiful blue sky.

The first and the last of these pictures are only an hour and
seven minutes apart. We still have some cloud cover which
is slowing the drying of the deck, but I expect to be able to
do some work outside maybe as early as noon.

My next trip to Home Depot I'm going to buy a squeegee
to enable me to just push the water off the deck rather
than using a broom or waiting for it to evaporate.

In the meantime I am experimenting with the formatting
of my emails (shorter sentence lines) to see if I can create
text that can be copied directly into my "BLOGGER"
editor without needing to be re-adjusted before publishing.

I've pretty much given up on using the "WINDOWS LIVE
WRITER" program that I used yesterday to write the High
Boondocks Home blog mostly because of the way it handles
(read that,"mishandles") pictures and other graphics.

Tentatively I'll be working on actual wall structure today,
so I hope to have a picture or two worth sending.

There is supposed to be another even bigger storm coming
in on Friday, but I really don't anticipate getting snowed in.
The big Dodge is very happy in 4WD and handles the mud
and snow easily. Not that we have seen anything really
serious yet.

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Snow and Paint

2010-01-20T05:19:00.009-07:00

Just a few pictures of the weather and the work.

Despite the interesting way the weather started the
day, by 1:00pm it was dry enough to do a lot of
painting. The sun came out at 3:00pm, with a small
breeze, at 40 degrees, the paint dried so fast I could
hardly believe it.

The last picture is of the can of paint we want. I was wrong
about the brand as you can see from the label. And wrong
also about the color. It's just RED, not Barn Red. It goes
on over the stain very nicely.

A Working Visit To The Ranch

2010-01-19T04:17:00.001-07:00

The place is exactly as I left it in November; no weather damage and no animal damage (four legged or two legged).

There’s some snow still hanging around in the shady spots from last weeks storm, but very little mud.

I decided to start work on the west wall while I’m here, just to see how the new addition will integrate with the existing structure.

The walls will be 2x6, 10 feet tall. These pictures show the first stud in place and 20 feet of 2x6 sill plate installed.

Russell was really glad to see me and spent the day lounging on the deck.

I’ll post some more when I get a section of wall standing up.

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LOOKOUT, AMATEUR BLOGGER AT WORK

2010-01-05T07:04:00.002-07:00

Sorry about the "LETTERS (3)" screw up.

In reading the intro for Windows Live Writer, I guess I got the impression that it was "drag and drop", text and pictures, but that was an invalid assumption on my part, so "LETTERS (3)" will stay down for a couple of days until I can find and reload (via the BLOGGER website) all the pictures.

In the mean time, Bryan took this picture of Sharon and I at Christmas that I liked enough to share.

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Country Kitchen Cabinets and My Dovey Horse

2010-01-01T17:25:00.296-07:00

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I'll get back to the "Letters From The Boondocks" soon, but first I've been overtaken by a couple of minor obsessions that I need to deal with as part of my New Years Resolutions.

First is, that for a couple of years I've tried to describe to my friends the country kitchen and it's cabinetry that I've built for my wife. Now with no other excuses, I have some pictures to show.

The second minor obsession was a fairly recent one, a sawhorse that I found at this website:

http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/Projects/SawHorse/

I recommend this whole Website very highly. He (Morris R. Dovey) has a lot of good solar power design and construction information that can be useful to us in the "grid challenged" areas of New Mexico. The mechanics, carpenters, and engineers among us will also find much of interest.

I also have pictures of my own variation of the saw horse to show you, even though it is not not yet finished, and it is not exactly as I first intended it to be, especially the materials. Some of you carpenters and Do-It-Yourselfers will love this.

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Country Kitchen Cabinets

For our house to have a better family gathering area, and to make the kitchen a cooler place, I knocked out the original back wall and added 13 feet of depth and 18 feet of width to the existing structure.

There is also a small AC unit installed in the west wall under the patio roof fed by a dedicated circuit. That is another whole story.

The roof is double-sheathed with 1/2" CDX, completely coated with mastic and has two 50% overlapped layers of rolled roofing. The whole thing was then over coated with Henry's bright white roof coating. I have been told that I probably over built.

The bead board ceiling was left it's natural color and has darkened on it's own. It was applied over a layer of 5/8" sheet-rock on 2x8 rafters (16" on ctr) spanning 13 feet, insulated and vapor barriered to R-25 (maybe as much as R-29 with the double sheathing and heat rejecting roof coating).

This corner pantry has great depth, numerous shelves (being put to such good use now that Sharon would not allow pictures!!!) and a subtle complexity of design that is quite pleasing to look at.
I especially like the bent corner doors. They weren't very difficult to make, and the effect was worth the effort.

Yes, that is a 26" LCD TV hanging off the right side of the pantry. Country has to stop somewhere!

(Left click on the pictures to see them full size then use the "back" button to return to the BLOG)

The finish is Behr satin latex "Bavarian Cream" with a walnut gel stain applied to the grooves of the trim and door shadow edges. The stain was then wiped out with varying pressure to simulate antiquing.

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What was originally planned as a Bay Window (with seat) morphed by necessity into a large (19 sq ft) side board with lots of storage under. The top and the window ledge are covered with the same laminate that is on the floor. The effect is very pleasing.

These cabinet doors under the bay window are made of poplar and bead board very much like picture frames. They are easy to make and easy to live with.

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Across the room and on the original west wall of the kitchen, as the final part of the project, is a cabinet that I plan to duplicate in our new country home in New Mexico. Once I had the process figured out I was able to build two doors per day, sanded and primed, ready for paint and glass. Then another two hours to finish each one.

The counter top is also laminate flooring, and as long as you don't allow a puddle of water to sit on it, it's very stable and durable.

The next picture shows the true color of all the kitchen cabinetry. Variations of lighting and my own ineptitude with my new Nikon have yielded some fairly inaccurate shades and tones in the other pictures.

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The Dovey Saw Horse

I was browsing through a TOOL CRIB article showing many different saw horses at
http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/07/22/24-free-sawhorse-plans-in-the-hunt-for-the-ultimate-sawhorse/
and I came across Morris Dovey's pictures of a "three legged saw horse" he developed years ago.
What caught my eye immediately was the comparative simplicity and the wonderful utility. His design requires only five 30" lengths of 2x4 and one 12" length of 2x6, and 2 lengths of 2x stock for the top (either 4", or 6") of whatever length you choose, regulated of course by considerations of stability. The top could also be made from plywood. The beauty of the design is, that in it's simplicity it's not only a saw horse, but a work bench, and a deep throated clamp for 2x stock (or anything that can be attached to a length of 2x stock) as well.

Then my enthusiasm for the design was further motivated by the possibilities for modifications to size (larger and smaller), and the different materials from which it could be built (even steel or aluminum). Clamping capacity could be changed to suit the need by using a different single leg thickness and spreader length combination, or shims assembled with carriage bolts or all-thread. I can see so many applications for it on the ranch. The ability to use it on rough ground makes it the ATV of saw horses.

At first I planned to make my first one of Poplar and Oak, but when I wrote to the designer about it, he reminded me not to make it "too pretty to use". So my first version uses 2x4 and 2x6, like his, but with a difference. Mine is not "too pretty". It will be finished and stained (or painted) however, to stand up to the environment, and next blog will show the results.

Check out Morris Dovey's website to see more views and uses, plus a more detailed description of it's construction.

The double lower stretchers on my version serve three purposes: added stability (lower center of gravity), a lower end attach point for an overhead work light post (2x2), and to keep me from breaking the single leg during the very rough usage it will get at the ranch. Like if I ever need to set the tractor loader bucket down on it. I can also see the possibility of turning it upside down to establish a lower work height. It would make a better saw horse upside down than most do right side up. It is, in fact, strong, stable and supportive in three ways: right side up, upside down, and open end down (with a somewhat reduced load) .

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This has been a fun New Years Day BLOG. I'm using a new Windows 7 (64bit) operating system with only 4 gigs of DDR2, and finding it amazingly cooperative. It's dual booted with Ubuntu 9.04 (64bit), and between them there is nothing this computer refuses to do.

Now, if the BLOGGER.COM composer would just become truly WSIWYG I would be content. It has become such a cranky dog that I am about to try Windows Live Writer, described at:

http://windowslivewriter.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!D85741BB5E0BE8AA!174.entry

Unless somebody knows a good reason why I should not.

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Letters From The Boondocks (Chapter 2)

2009-12-12T12:50:00.005-07:00

I’ve made a chronological change in format to place the oldest letter at the bottom, so that in the future, the last letter in the previous chapter will properly precede the oldest letter in the current chapter.

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Decks with stain:

David to Sharon, Wed, Jun 10, 2009, 6:06 PM
Dearest Wife,

Even with the rain I had enough dry time to apply two coats of stain to the back deck and to do half of the front one.

Tomorrow I'll finish the front and one more coat for each deck.
Then I'll start preparing the top of the back edge of the shack roof to support the rafters that will form the breeze-way roof. The first part is simply to add a layer of 3/4 inch plywood at a slight angle (for drainage) to the back one foot (low north side) of the shack roof for the breeze-way rafters to attach to. Then I paint and seal that strip of plywood to prevent any leakage. It's an all day job.

Tim got all his stuff moved over to his new place south of us. He used our tractor front loader and the help of his friend Jerry to move his heavy tools across the road, and then he brought the tractor home. He is able to handle the IH tractor with a precision that I am only just now beginning to understand. I have a lot of practicing to do.

The contractor, Albert Chavez, finally showed up at 6:30PM. He did keep me informed of his progress all day long though. We had a very good meeting and he promised his bid by email no later than noon on Friday, June 12th.

The horses and all three dogs hung around over here from before noon until 7:45PM (about 15 minutes ago). Then like at a signal they headed home to Tim's place at a very fast walk.
Love You
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Deck with Step installed

David to Sharon, Mon, Jun 8, 2009, 5:24 PM

Dearest Wife,
Some more deck pictures for you. The way I positioned, and dug in, and concreted the support posts makes
the deck look like it's floating just off the ground, but as you might suspect it is very rigid and it's guaranteed not to blow away.

Tomorrow I'll apply the first protective Redwood stain coating to both the back and front decks and get ready to roof over the deck area. I'm pretty sure you will like how it's going to look.
At the same time I have been building the barn in my head, and I am pretty sure I have a foundation scheme that will be both inexpensive and easy; except for the guys I'll hire to dig the holes!!!
More pictures tomorrow.
Love you

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A nice sunset

David to Sharon, Fri, Jun 5, 2009, 6:41 PM

Some good sunset pictures taken from our south-east corner. I call the last one, “Tranquility”.
Wish you were here to enjoy the wonderful weather.
Love you, Wife

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Deck and Trusses

David to Sharon, Fri, Jun 5, 2009, 10:59 AM

Here's a few pictures of the deck and our trusses. Both look pretty good.
Love you

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The NW corner of the fence is complete

David to Sharon, Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 3:44 PM

Hi Sweet Wife,
Just a couple of pictures to show the last of the fence,

and to illustrate what a Cholla (pronounced Choy-Ya) Cactus looks like.
We have around a hundred of them. The one pictured is in the Green Shack circle drive.

(Note: This one later deteriorated to the point I had to remove it, but another one nearby flourished and produced beautiful purple flowers.)

Richard "Hogan" Falk and I spent over two hours walking his and our properties looking at the various kinds of trees and the different grasses, and talking about how we can improve the growth of both. He has beautified his place considerably by taking out the underbrush around his Juniper and Pine trees and pruning them up to about six feet above the ground, so they look like umbrellas. They provide shade for the animals, and at the same time deny hiding places for the rattle snakes. That will be a good project for you: learning how to use a chainsaw, and catching rattlesnakes for the pot!! ;)

Tomorrow Hogan starts fixing and replacing the fence along FR-422 all the way down to the arroyo. South of the arroyo he will just tighten the fence wire and re-tie it to the posts. (Note: That plan later changed when we decided, because of erosion and the need to keep the range bulls out, to move and replace with all new posts and wire the entire east fence line along Forest Road-422 from the Cibola National Forest entry cattle guard down to Tim’s southeast corner; about half a mile).

Tomorrow also I'll start looking into finding the best barn for the money. I am still leaning toward a large “pole barn” that I can build myself.
Love you, Wife
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Computer Repair Done Here

David to Sharon, date Mon, Jun 1, 2009, 8:16 PM
Dearest Wife,
I fixed and restored to Like-New a computer last night, in a little over 4 hours. It was six years old and was thoroughly full of errors, viruses and spyware crap, and had almost no space left on the C:\ drive. I thought at first it would be a waste of time, and that it would have to be formatted and reloaded (the owner needed her data, but had no backup, and the system disk was long gone. Not many options there.) Little by little, in “Safe Mode”, using mostly free utility software I had burned to a CD, and Linux (in RAM), I cleaned out the junk files, and deleted a ton of obsolete programs, finally getting enough head room to defrag the boot drive, then defragged and repaired the registry. When I left at about 10:30pm, it was working like new, and she was a happy camper! Oh yeah, it was a win 98 SE desktop, just like we had at NET 10 when I was going to school.
You have only been gone a few days
and I miss you already.
Love you
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Letters From The Boondocks

2009-12-03T12:35:00.002-07:00

All the while I’m at the ranch, my wife, Sharon, keeps the home fires burning and maintains her job at Kaiser Permanente in Fontana. So each evening, with very few exceptions, I have written her a letter and enclosed a few pictures taken that day just to inform or entertain her.

She often shares the letters with her sister, Jan, and they both insist that I should be blogging them as well.
Fortunately Gmail saves all “sent mail” and I was able to recover over 150, “Letters From The Boondocks”, with attachments, that could be edited for posting. Many, of course, were personal, and would have been ruined by redaction.
That is to be my 2009/2010 winter project, posting them as chapters, five letters at a time (unless continuity requirements dictate otherwise) beginning with March of 2009, when the RV was placed .
I apologize in advance if they, and the numerous pictures attached, are sometimes redundant or downright boring.
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LETTERS FROM THE BOONDOCKS

David Doler
to the family, Mar 22, 2009
Hi all, I made it at about 0500 this morning. Just a few pictures of interest. It's too late to blog, and I am pooped.

Sharon Doler

to me March 22, 2009
Hi Honey,
Just got home from work - sent off your email to the rest of the family.
I Bcc'd you so you could see what I said - hope everything is accurate - haha.
Loved all the pictures.
The tire was a mess!
Thank God you're ok.
Let me know how your first breakfast with the gang goes.
Will wait to hear from you.
I Love You!!!!!

David Doler

to Sharon, March 22, 2009

Dearest Wife,
At breakfast (Alpine Alley, Mountainair, NM) I got Mary to let me take her picture only because I told her you wanted to see what my good friend looked like. Everybody said, "welcome home, Dave" and, “Where the hell is Sharon?”.

Back at the ranch, I just stopped for a bite of lunch (Red Salmon and Wheat Crackers) and to try the internet connection. I wasn't able to get on this morning at all, (Good ol’ HUGHES NET) and it took ten minutes this time.
I gave the fence guy a check for $1000 partial payment this morning (just call me a “risk taker”). The total will be around $2500, plus $200 for two 16 foot gates which I will buy in Belen and install myself.
Back to work.
Love You, Wife
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Sharon Doler
to me, Mar 23, 2009

Hi Honey,
What a great picture of Mary - she's so young - not sure why, but I thought she was about my age.
Can't wait to meet her and Scott - soon, I hope.
I miss you!!!!!

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David Doler
to Sharon and Laura, Mar 27, 2009

This isn't the picture I wanted. It makes the place look gray and drab, which it is not. You can't see it but the snow is coming down steadily now and pretty much eliminates working outside. Scott and Mary said they would save me a bowl of chili for lunch if I decided to come back into town, so I think I'll do that.
Back home around 1:30 or 2:00. My phone is charged and on.

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David Doler

to Sharon and Laura, Mar 27, 2009

Hi, I'm sending you a bunch of pictures that didn't appear in the blog so you can pick some to send to others.
It's sunny and beautifully clear at 4:30pm, but the wind is icily bitter. The temp is 35 degrees with a wind chill in the low 20's.
I was able to work outside two times for a total of less than an hour.
The trailer has been a steady 60 degrees with one heater going all day.
The picture labeled NORTH VIEW was taken through the trailer window. The rest were outside.
Check out the snow laying under the Juniper trees in the shade.
Love you

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David Doler
to Sharon, Mar 28, 2009

Nice Saturday gathering

Hi sweetheart,

About 8:00pm, after hotdogs and chicken, we were sitting around the fire. It was chilly, but the wind had died down almost completely and the smoke was going straight up, so we could sit close and warm our feet on the fire ring.
Russell, the red Pit Bull found an empty chair in the circle around the fire and settled in to listen to the conversation and stare into the fire. He would occasionally look at the person speaking and then back into the fire as if to think about what had been said. After awhile he fell asleep and began to quietly snore.
If you could capture that dogs total contentment and the tranquility that resulted for his human companions, you would be transported 25,000 years back in time to when people and dogs first sat by the fire, staring into it together.
I wished for some way to take a picture that would convey that moment, and we talked about it, but the only way was just to commit the picture to memory and enjoy it there. Such a picture in your own memory could help you defend against bad dreams.
I continue to be comfortable in the trailer (it was worth every penny). Everything works. I have light and heat and hot water and the refrigerator. (I saved you an icicle from yesterday morning in the freezer). Last night I went to bed at 9:45 (took my meds, and again this morning) and slept soundly until about 6:30.
I drank two diet cokes and a cup of coffee this evening, so I probably won't be sleepy for awhile.
Love you, Wife
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Catching Up

2009-10-21T15:10:00.022-06:00

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This last "blog-cycle" began with truck problems. I had my Dodge serviced at Pep Boys in Fontana, and paid them handsomely to drain all the fluids and replace them with the best synthetics available. The transmission got drained, but unfortunately did not get refilled. I guess it speaks well of the ruggedness of the 5 speed New Venture NV4500 transmission that it did not fail for almost a 1000 miles. It also did not make any noise until it just quit shifting. It did finally give up just outside of Mountainair, NM, which, of course, was my destination.
I flew home the next day and got our other truck (the Ford F150 which is now my wife's favorite transportation) and drove back.
While I was home I made an internet purchase of a rebuilt NV4500 from an outfit in Tempe, AZ. (Transplant Transmissions Plus) Paid for it in advance with Visa (thank God), and made arrangements to pick it up in Tempe on my way back to New Mexico. When I got there there was no transmission for me to pick up (excuses, excuses) so I left empty handed with their hollow promises to ship my transmission, at their cost, in not more than two days. Several days of fruitless phone calls later, with nothing but excuses and out right lies to show for it, I canceled the purchase and had the tranny rebuilt at B&G Truck Salvage in Albuquerque. While the transmission was out I bought a new clutch and had it installed also. So five weeks and $2100 dollars later, my big Dodge was back in service, and good to go for probably as long as I am. ________________________________________

When I got back out here after my birthday break, I decided to add on to the existing shack enough more floor space to allow us to put off building the barn for a few months. Nothing ever goes completely as planned, but at least I have made a good start. Here are some pictures just to show that my heart is in the right place.

___________________________________________

Beginning the foundation for deck and shack expansion for more storage and shop space.
There is still going to be a barn, but that will have to wait until next spring.

This method of building a wooden foundation takes longer but results in a very sturdy structure.

The floor joists are all cut to the same length, 15 feet, 5 inches. Combined with the 7 inch thickness of the foundations that nets out exactly 16 feet, so the plywood floor panels don't need to be cut to length. The joists are supported at the midpoint by a cross beam made of 4x4's sandwiched between two 16 foot 2x8's. The cross beam added excellent rigidity to the floor. Two anti-twist nailers were glued and nailed between each pair of joists, and the joists were individually screwed to the cross beam with 3 1/2 inch square drive deck screws.
The post holes were left unfilled until enough joists had been installed to insure that the platform would be level and square. That was verified when the floor panels were laid down. Runout in 16 feet was less than 1/8 inch, and the panel junctions are all firmly supported by nailers and joists.
Platform level has been proven several times by standing rainwater and heavy morning dew fall which has to be swept off to allow the deck to dry.

The finished 16 foot square floor frame was so satisfying to look at it took me an extra day to start installing the plywood panels.

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With a good rigid structure to build on, the side deck (42 feet) went much quicker and was easier to level and square. Again the joists were cut to the same length (7 feet, 5 inches) and were used to exactly position the interior Rim Joist. Each joist was glued and fastened with four deck screws at each end. In many places I pilot drilled the screw holes to guide the screws into awkward places and to prevent splitting.

________________________________________________________________

I used Redwood stain for water proofing, but the stuff is expensive and I don't think it makes as durable a surface as good ol' deck paint which costs half as much, so I am going to overcoat the whole deck and much of the other structure with Barn Red.

The perimeter foundation beams are made with 2x8 interior and exterior Rim Joists sandwiching 4x6 pressure treated posts and beams. All glued and closely spiked with big galvanized ring-shank nails. Once those things are driven in half their grip length if you bend it, you just have to straighten it out and try to drive it the rest of the way, 'cause you and three other guys with a crow bar ain't gonna pull it out.

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This porch is on the hot and windy west side, so the eaves are wide (4 feet) and the roof is pitched only three inches in 12 feet. Today's rain proved that the drainage is good. The rafters are 2x8 on 16 inch centers, with box beams and double rafters at stress points, so snow load won't be a problem.

Painting the bottom side of the roof panels with white roof coating before putting them up gives the resulting structure a much more finished look.

_____________________________________________

The Barn Red and Chestnut Brown on the front door of the shack will be the base color scheme for this little building.

_____________________________________________

When it rains, as it has done quite a bit lately, it really comes down and all work comes to a stop. It frequently likes to pretend it's a tornado, but it's not!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Too much water was getting away,

-- so I built a small berm to try to hold some. This is the beginning of our small pond.

Just beyond the berm is the area I have been working on leveling for the truss and pole barn.
_________________________________________________

My wife and I have also decided that we will use the metal arch building after all, but it will be built on a wooden foundation with a crusher fines floor instead of a $15,000 + concrete slab. It can be bolted and grouted on a properly built wooden foundation just as safely as being set in concrete. I'll put it up myself, arch by arch, using my tractor and a sliding adjustable scaffold, which I can design and build myself.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
_________________________________________

Tim Hardin, my distant cousin, and master of the "Extend-a-Hoe" backhoe, broke through two 6 inch thick layers of black alabaster to make the hole for the RV septic tank. He has done so many of them that when I set the tank on sand and leveled it in the bottom of the hole, the inlet of the tank was exactly positioned to meet the code requirements for angle of fall and depth below grade.

----and the new 300 gallon septic tank to support the RV.

__________________________________________
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sharon is eager to learn, and she looks good doing it.

Russell and Sharon are soul-mates. When she's here he is never more than a few feet away. (The tractor wasn't running)

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I said, "Russell, smile for Sharon." and I was honestly astounded by his reaction.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The revised figure: six months older and forty pounds lighter. Referring to me, not the septic tank.

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A Characiture done by local artist, Klaus Ernst. My friends say he captured my "essence". My wife agrees. ...Oh, well.

_________________________________________________

The wonderfully subtle texture of the sky in New Mexico sometimes changes minute by minute. The next two pictures were taken just one minute, and about 45 degrees of azimuth apart (the second one is more westerly).

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That's all I have to show and tell for now. I'll try very hard to not let it be so long before the next one.
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Close Work

2009-07-25T09:53:00.010-06:00

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When I first introduced the tractor to the ranch I knew nothing about controlling the box blade (Gannon) or the front loader either, but consistent practice in areas where I can screw up without doing any irreparable damage has brought me to the point where I can get in close, work slowly and carefully, and produce good results.
The ground to be covered by the carport was very rough and did not drain at all, but six passes with the loader and Gannon gave me a smooth, gently sloping work surface, and a great deal of satisfaction.

These pictures are out of chronological order, having been taken during the rainy days near the end of June 2009, but it was important to me to include them. I like illustrations of personal development, whether the development is mine or someone else's.

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Fourth of July 2009

2009-07-20T11:56:00.005-06:00

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I just wanted to pass on some of my flag pictures from the ranch. The wind was 25, gusting to around 40mph and the flag was snapping like firecrackers.

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An Update for July

2009-07-19T16:46:00.033-06:00

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My wife says this picture defines me at age 68. After almost three months out here I feel stronger and wake up each morning feeling better than I have in years. There must be something in the air and in the dirt that re-invigorates a neglected body.

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On Sat, July 25, 2009 at 9:43 AM, Terry Chancellor wrote:

Well Dave, you appear to be having a great time, however, in the photo you look like a goat herder. I enjoy your posts.

Hi Terry,
Well, I tried the 10 gallon hat. It Liked to have baked my brains. And I tried the straw hat, but it had to be tied on. With both of them I spent so much time with my hat in one hand and my bandana in the other that I couldn't get any work done. Then I cut up some tee shirts. you get three head bands by cutting the body of the tee shirt into three equal strips from the lower hem to the arm pits. That worked ok for a while keeping the sweat out of my eyes, but one day I severely sunburned the top of my head and decided to add the bandana for the extra protection. The combination works really well. It absorbs sweat very well and gives back cooling in the wind. Turns out goat herders got it right several thousand years ago.
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I try to work some every day with the tractor. It makes quick work of the standing dead wood.

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Our canine friends and protectors:

Cleo

Russell and Rocky
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When Sharon was here we did some clean up, and one rainy day we had our first outdoor fire.

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As you can see the interior of the green shed needed some attention also,

so I built some shelves from plywood, furring strips, and 1x4 stock.

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Good hard rains near the end of June have given us some new grass in the last few weeks.
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There has always been a need for shade and shelter from the rain, so I put other things aside and completed the carport that I began last year.

I sheathed it with 3/4 inch exterior plywood and placed glued/screwed 2x4 splice blocks to better withstand the wind, and also to bear the weight of a future sleeping platform. There are lots of nights out here when when sleeping outside would be a real treat. Especially during the meteor showers.

It makes a very deep shade when the sun is high and bright.

The area under roof is 16 x 24 and perfectly shelters the Gator and trailer.

I was surprised and pleased to find out the Gator would pull the trailer so easily. At first I only hooked it up to see if I could reposition it more quickly than hitching it to the truck. Now I use it all the time and have left it connected for daily chores and moving concrete and lumber.

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I made some modifications to the well house and plumbing to allow pumping straight into the horse trough. My understanding of the electrical control and hookup of the well pump and pressure system was less than perfect so my first attempt was not successful. A quick call to Walter Elliott got me squared away. Naturally I forgot to get a picture of the overboard flow in operation.

But it does put out a nice flow when the pump is running.

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The large gray box in the back of the reefer van is our wood stove, given to us by our neighbor Tim Hardin. It will make my workshop habitable this winter.

I included the picture above so you could get an idea of the size of the stove. It's made of 1/4 and 3/8 inch steel plate and lined with fire brick. I estimate its weight at over 300 pounds. Tim Hardin and I got it in the reefer by horsing it into the tractor front loader and hoisting it up.

Sharon says it's beautiful just as it is, but I have in mind a new color scheme using black, green, and gold high temperature manifold paint.
The two silver knobs on the door fronts are adjustable vents, and it has a huge control damper in the flue attach box.
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Improvements to the place continue even though at the end of many a day no really outstanding changes are visible.
Here the torque box is complete, sheathed with 1/2 inch CDX, and coated with bright white elastomeric coating for waterproofing while waiting for the roof over the trailer to be done.

Redwood waterproof stain dresses up the raw plywood considerably.

And a fresh coating for the front porch as well.

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The next phase of construction has already begun. I'm adding a 24x24 room to the front of the green shack. It will incorporate the existing 8x16 porch into the new room for the sake of economy and in order to get it done, lined, insulated and heated by the time cold weather gets here. My conservatively optimistic estimate for a completion date is the end of September. My wife is coming out the last two weeks in September to help me with the finishing touches.
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And I got from Amazon a powerful new circular saw to allow me to cut 4x lumber in one pass without having to roll it or get awkward in high places.

Technical Details:

Uses a 10 1/4 inch thin kerf blade; comes with 77 Skil saw motor, 10 1/4 inch blade, and guard kit (assembled)

Has 3-3/4-inch depth of cut and will cut any 4X material in one pass.

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The beam structure that resembles a red saw horse is the foundation for the east wall of the new room. The rest of the foundation will be equally massive, supported at 4 foot intervals by pressure treated 4x6 posts set 30 inches deep in 5000 psi concrete, and bridged together with 2x8 and 4x4 lumber. The floor joists will be supported at their mid-span point by a post and beam structure running perpendicular to the joists.

The floor corner by the front stoop where the wood stove is to be installed will be reinforced to take the weight and protected from the heat with concrete backer board and a layer of brick. The wall behind the stove and the ceiling area will also be fireproof. The double wall chimney is common out here so I'll have no trouble getting guidance for the installation if necessary.

I have made the decision to install an electric composting (low water use) toilet to service my workshop. No septic system will be required as both liquid and solid waste is reduced by the composting process. For some reason there are very few composters in our part of New Mexico, and I have not found any contractor or plumber who is familiar with them. So I will just have to plow fresh ground.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Cholla Flowers

2009-06-18T12:51:00.004-06:00

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Driving back in a while ago, I could see several of the Cholla cactus were blooming, so I took Big John (the Gator) all around our place looking for pictures to take. It is surprisingly difficult to get good pictures of flowers. These six were all that were worth keeping of around 30 shots.

Got to get to work now if I'm going to have anything to show today.
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Basic Structure

2009-06-17T23:01:00.005-06:00

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Big wind today and heavy cloud cover made it challenging but cool.

What you are looking at is the basic structure of the "pseudo" torque box that will give the roof assembly the ability to stand up against the West wind.
There a few more brace pieces to be added which will give it some character when they are stained "Redwood", and there will be a nearly 34 foot long main beam (built in-place) on top of the torque box posts that you see in these pictures.
In a couple more days the term "Torque Box" will become self-explanatory to those who are not familiar with it.
Those horizontal 2x6 pieces that look like flat roof rafters are really the ribs of this type of torque box, and at the same time, by adding the plywood platform that a torque box requires they will provide a light weight deck/scaffold that I can get up on to do the raftering.
In the future that platform under the completed roof will provide additional storage space.

The plywood attached to the lower outside face of both posts are temporary shear webs screwed to the rim joist and then to the posts after they were plumb. The wind was blowing so hard while I was working I needed all the help I could get.
The angles from which these pictures were taken makes it look like the back door of the trailer would be blocked by a post, but it's not. There is a good 3/4 of an inch clearance. Also the trailer could be pulled straight out with no interference. There is more than 2 inches between the trailer and the nearest structure.
____________________________________________________________________________
Tomorrow I'll add the nailing intercostals between the ribs and the "Shear Web/Work Deck".

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Weather, Dog, Deck, Trusses, Our House and Us

2009-06-09T11:55:00.024-06:00

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The moody blue and coral of an early June twilight looking WSW from the south-east corner. The trail angling from the bottom left corner of the picture toward the right is our south property line. I cleared it with the box blade of the tractor to facilitate future fencing.

The weather has been as fine as it is ever going to be out here; a little early season rain, cool nights, and moderate days, with a good mix of clouds and sunshine.

I used the front loader and a log chain to pull almost a half mile of old fence posts (one at a time). Most of them pulled right out, but a dozen or so threatened to spill the tractor, lifting one back wheel off the ground, and had to be snapped off and left in place.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Sharon was able to spend two weeks with me getting to know the place and the people, and was very sad to have to return to California.
The comforts and conveniences of the travel trailer made a lot of difference: good hot water for the shower, electricity for the microwave and lights, and the HughesNet satellite; and the privacy and perceived security of the completed fence and lockable gates made it easier for her to spend time alone with the land.
She fell in love with a smiling red "rescued" Pit Bull named Russell, and wants a "country dog" of her own.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I have been able to make some progress toward the covered deck area between the trailer and the green shack. Next comes the roof over both the deck and the trailer. There will be some complexity in design and construction because of the fierce west winds we get, but nothing that can't be overcome with the liberal use of Deck Screws, Plywood Gussets, Construction Adhesive, Nailer Plates, Simpson Earthquake Ties, Ring Shank Nails, and good ol' Concrete. Nothing to it!
The deck will be redwood stained, and I have decided to change the color of the shack. I am open to suggestions as to the new color scheme.

And the front deck received a much needed treatment.

__________________________________________________________________________________

These next two pictures were just too good to pass up. That satellite dish is heavy and needed a really solid mount to stand up to the wind, so we (and I do mean we) bolted it to the ridge beam of the shack. So far so good, and it doesn't seem to lose lock even in a very gusty 35 to 50 mph blow.
As an item of interest: after two years of wind and weather the 4x6 pressure treated posts on which the shack is built show no signs of deflection or compression failure.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

There is a company in Los Lunas called Atlas Truss that often times has trusses that were ordered, but for whatever reason were not able to be delivered. We got this stack of sixteen 40 foot span trusses for $900 (less than 30% of original cost) to use for our barn. I can use eleven of them on 48 inch centers to build a 40'x40' structure, and still have five left over to make shaded parking. All that's needed for the barn application is the gussets and wind braces. Probably a dozen sheets of half inch CDX plywood (for the gussets) and about a hundred 2"x4"x16' (for wind braces and purlins) plus about 38 sheets of OSB (for roof decking) will complete the roof structure. Somewhat easier and a lot less expensive than individual raftering.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

We have finalized the options of our Karsten home and have begun the financing process. Our goal is to have the house ready to move into by the end of summer.
I'll add the floorplan and the revisions as soon as I can figure out how to convert the image from .pdf to .jpg using Ubuntu Linux, which is what I'm working in now.
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Success: Click on the image to see it larger. I used Zamzar.com which is a free on-line image conversion service. You go to their website, upload your image, give them an email address, and in a few minutes you get a link to the converted image in your inbox; simple and quick.

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This picture of us was taken in February, 2009.

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A Better Look At Gator

2009-05-08T10:57:00.019-06:00

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Gator Features (lifted from the JD website):

Powered by a standard 48V system with 8 Trojan T-105 batteries, Gator TE accelerates faster, climbs hills better, and performs evenly until recharge (optional extended range T-145 batteries available)
Golf-cart-style drivetrain prevents need for engine re-start
Tight, 24.1-ft. turn clearance circle
Directional change control feature slows machine to a stop before changing directions to prevent whiplash and stress on the drive train
0 - 15-mph forward ground speed, 0 - 9-mph reverse ground speed. Air speed has not yet been determined (testing continues)
Separately excited controller provides over-speed control, dynamic braking, roll-away control, and regeneration
Wide flotation tires, especially designed for turf applications, minimize ground compaction, provide good traction in mud, and flex over bumps for a smooth ride
Wide wheel stance and low center of gravity offer passenger and operator superb stability
Quiet, electric operation ("sneak-up-on")
16-gauge-steel, 11.2 cu. ft. capacity cargo box hauls up t0 500lb. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I looked for work horse style golf carts at first, thinking that a Gator or something in the same class would be out of my price range; and new ones certainly are, with the Gator Pro at over $17,000 without any accessories. Then we found this Chino Hills golf course back-shop sales place on Craigslist where they sell rebuilt (pieced together from good parts), used and new carts of all kinds for really reasonable, very negotiable prices.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/rvs/1152181660.html

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It's a 2003 or 2004 with 681.8 hours on the meter.

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Small Surgery And A New Ranch Toy

2009-05-07T01:55:00.005-06:00

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Wednesday a week ago I had a small surgery at Kaiser. It went well and I will be able to return to the ranch in about two weeks.
While I was recovering I started looking for a utility vehicle, mostly on Craigslist, and I found this Gator:

It's a 48 volt John Deere Gator TE, and it just exactly fits in our 10 foot trailer. It will help with the lifting and carrying and maybe I won't get herniated -- again.
_____________________________________________________________________

By the way, I have decided to build a pole barn instead of erecting the metal arch building. The metal barn is still sitting complete with all hardware on it's pallets and is for sale. It's 30x60 heavy duty 20 gauge, and has been approved by county engineering (stamped) for the snow load in high country. It cost $13000 and I would consider $9500 to be a reasonable recovery. Pass the word, please.
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Note to Dave Jr.

2009-04-17T08:12:00.001-06:00

Q: Still going strong I see. Everything looks like it's coming together. Nice to see. Take care.

Asked by Dave Jr

A: Thanks, Dave

This week will see the fence on the east side finished and the cattle finally excluded from our land. A most destructive bunch of beasts!

I had to come back to California for two or three weeks to get my lower partial plate replaced. It broke after 18 years of hard service.

When we get back out there (Sharon will be going with me this time) we will immediately begin the storage building, and finalize the order for our house. The goal is to have a livable home by Thanksgiving.

Ask David a question.

BEHIND

2009-04-12T22:48:00.002-06:00

Q: Dave, I see that you are a few weeks behind schedule with your updates. I hope that this email finds you well and productive enough to meet your personal deadlines! How is your pick up handling the unpaved roads of your new home? Snow in March? As I read this I looked down and saw a flip flop tan line across my bare feet, are you sure your going to miss so cal? I hope everything is going good for you and look forward to your updates.
Bryan

Asked by Bryan

A: Yes, Three weeks to be exact. The fence, the wind and the cold have all taken their share of my full attention. The inside of my trailer looks like the south end of a north bound Gypsy caravan. I have vowed many times that I would take a day off to clean up around the place and sum up my activities on the blog, but something always interferes. I have spent days with the chain saw clearing the East side fence line. Because of soil erosion at the fence line we could not get secure footing for the "T" posts, so we moved the whole line 18 inches to the west. Doesn't sound like much, but lots of small trees and brush and cactus occupied the new line and had to be removed. Then I used the tractor front loader and a log chain the pull all the old fence posts that had been there since the 1930's.

The quality of the fence is important to the security of the infrastructure for our house. The well, the power panel, the excavations for our barn and house foundations, and the stacks of building materials have to be protected against the free grazing range cattle.

The wind and the cold have also slowed down the start of work each day, and the changing precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, hail) sometimes force us to knock off early and seek shelter.

The 1 ton Dodge has proven to be exactly the right truck out here. That's why there are so many of them. I have received many complements and comments of "awesome truck". The sound of power alone causes heads to turn. The suspension is stiff; 2400 pounds of water in the bed hardly causes the springs to depress, so it does ride rougher on the dirt roads, but it handles well and always starts first try. Many other diesels out here have to use starter fluid on very cold mornings.

The best thing is that the trailer stays warm and tight and I sleep like a log.

Ask David a question.

Snow Day

2009-03-27T14:05:00.005-06:00

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Last night the temperature at 3:30am outside was 16 degrees. (I have a remote thermometer outside that tells me these things). Inside the trailer, with only one 1000 watt reflective dish heater going at full power, it never got below about 58 degrees, and I was comfortable in a hoodie, sweat pants, and heavy socks.

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Even though the snow was not heavy and did not stick past about 2:00 pm, it made a coating of mud that is some of the stickiest stuff I've ever seen. A mud deck and sheltered entry for the trailer is going to be a necessity if I'm going to keep the inside floor clean.
Today I've been cleaning my work boots with a long-handled stiff bristle brush that I bought at Gustins Hardware in Mountainair yesterday morning. It's better than nothing, but the entry deck will have duck boards and heavy sisal doormats, and a place to sit to remove muddy boots.

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No fence work today. We needed to pour concrete for a heavy corner brace assembly at the South end of our West line, and for gate posts in the West line of Wendy and Tim's 57 acres.
The west end gate is a requirement for the electrical CO-OP easement access. Anyway, no concrete work today either.

The forecast is for sunshine and warmer weather tomorrow.
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Some Progress Pictures

2009-03-26T18:51:00.012-06:00

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Pulled in at dawn. And naturally I had to jump right out and take pictures.

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The trailer was easier to position than I thought it would be. I'll be able to use existing structure to add summer time shelter for the trailer. The roof system will add rain water capture capability.
This the first phase position of the trailer. After I build the small deck between the shack and the trailer and set the posts for the shelter-roof ridge beam, I'll move the trailer two feet closer to the shack.

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The Northeast fence gate is up as of today.
The North fence line looking East from the gate at the green shack.

This is the Northwest gate leading to the green shack. The North
gates are both sixteen feet.

Looking North along the West fence from the mid line field brace.

Looking south along the West fence from the Northwest corner.
I'll be adding the stays to this section of fence tomorrow.

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The Trailer power cord would not reach the 30 amp plug I had Frank Sedillo add to the shack.
Not his fault, as my location callout did not accurately consider the length of the cord. So I added a separate 30 amp breaker and another power plug on the Northwest corner.

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I plan to add more text to this posting tomorrow morning, and to severely edit yesterday's posting which is still in draft, 'cause I screwed it up trying to be clever.
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Road Trip

2009-03-24T21:25:00.014-06:00

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The rest stop east of Barstow and all is well. The truck pulled Cajon Pass like there was nothing on tow.

The first rest stop in Arizona. By this time I was confident. "Yes, it's quiet. Maybe too quiet."

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Across the Mojave, past Kingman and half way to Seligman. More than 40 miles to town in both directions. Some debris on the road and this, at about 4:00 pm:

Trailer, front left. Well, it looked OK when I started.

I called for Roadside Repair,

and two hours and $380.00 later I was on my way back to Kingman to buy another tire. My trailer spare had gone flat, but they were able to patch it and mount it. The tread from the destroyed tire had wrapped around the axle, but didn't touch the brake wires.

Walmart's tire and lube was about to close, so I spent the night comfortably in the Walmart lot with a dozen other RVers. Not one generator running, thank you very much.

Next morning, business taken care of, and a good breakfast, I was back on the road at 10:00am.

One mile down the road the other tire on the left side destroyed itself, wrapping tread around both the axle and the spring assembly, leaving the still undamaged brake wires sticking out of the mess. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of that.

Another roadside ($97.00) repair, and back to Walmart in Kingman. This time I had to wait a while for the tire to be mounted. They were so busy I had time for lunch and shopping for odds and ends. Then, rather than wait another two or three hours, I changed the tire myself in the parking lot and was again on my way; not much less than 24 hours after the first blowout.

The rest of the trip was uneventful and, after spending the night in the Walmart parking lot in Grants, NM, I drove on down to the ranch, arriving at dawn Sunday morning.

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Hooked Up And Ready To Roll

2009-03-19T22:15:00.008-06:00

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At Last
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A Note Of Encouragement From My Stepson

2009-03-19T04:38:00.003-06:00

Q: Dave, Again your narratives on this blog are fantastic! I look forward to staying abreast of the details of your progress and/or setbacks with your plans on the new place (typically Mom's details leave more questions). I hope that you have a safe trip to NM, further hope that your new "toys" big ole truck and trailer measure up to your expectations you have in mind.Bryan

Asked by Bryan Griffiths

A: Thanks Bryan, and thanks again for your help in sorting out the trailer systems. I put in the new batteries yesterday and replaced two more fuses. Now everything works as good as new including the front electric jack, and the freezer is actually freezing. I also picked up a new spare wheel and tire at Walt's RV in Fontana for $60.00. They have a mountain of good stuff cheap.

I'm running more than a day behind schedule, so I now expect to leave super-early Friday morning. The weather looks good enough so I will go through Flagstaff on I-40 instead of taking the I-10 all the way out to the south end of I-25, then north to US 60. That will save almost 200 miles of drive time and a little over a half tank of fuel.

I had the Dodge completely serviced yesterday; full lube, radiator flushed, engine, transmission, transfer case, and both differentials oil drained and replaced with full synthetic. Shifting from 2nd to 3rd had been a little scratchy, but the new oil took care of that.

If I have no problems on the road I should sleep Saturday night on the ranch.

Ask David a question.

Returning To The Ranch

2009-03-14T13:52:00.014-06:00

An exchange of notes with my friend Master Chief Bobby Mercer, USN (retired):

Hi Dave

Thatr’s one smart DAWG. How did you ever train it to shoot the model 870 and .45 auto.

If’n you was to just teach that thar dawg to shoot the bulls, then you could deny all responsibility for their demise. After all, it would be just one critter taking another, “Law of the wild!”

I heard, once upon a time, that “free range bulls” are purty good eatin, if’n you cook the meat real slow on a smoker (bout 14-16 hours for a good size roast) but then I didn’t see a lot of firewood in the pictures U sent.

Is this Hardin feller a descendant of the infamous John Wesley Hardin? If’n he is maybe you oughta git him to deal with those disreputable fence builders!

Should I ever find my way out to your ranch, I’ll make sure I telephone, write, and email you first. My rig will be lighted up like a Xmas tree. And I’ll be playing DIXIE on the horn, as soon as I leave the highway. Don’t want to get crosswise that thar dawg, or that Hardin feller!

AND HEY, remember that you are retired. I hope that you have a great summer, and that you get all your planned activities done. But, if it gets too hoar, take a deep breath, relax, the you and Brandy get away and do something fun for a couple of days.

That RV trailer is looking mighty nice!

Probably the easiest thing you could do to keep it cool is get one of these large canvas portable garages, or a car port style structure to park it under.

If you do add to the roof insulation, make sure that you provide drainage paths for the roof air conditioners, you don’t want the condensation puddling in the unit(s).

Bobby

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Hi Bobby,

Well, the .45 was easy. I had to put the first round in the chamber, and leave it in "condition one" cocked and locked, and pretty soon he was double tapping like a pro. The 870 was a little tougher, but once he learned to set the butt on the ground and rack it with both front paws it was dog-gone impressive. Only problem is they won't sell him ammo down to the gun store. Some BS about him not being of legal age!

By the time I re-read my blog and saw the syntax error it was too late to change it. But I have gotten back some good humored commentary.

Tim Hardin and I are both related to John Wesley Hardin. He is a direct descendent, and I am related through my father's mother's side, the Hardins and the Hicks. Makes us distant cousins. We discovered that fact within minutes after we met. Nothin' quite like "blood kin" to red-neck good ol' boys like us.

Every one of those Juniper, Cedar, and Pinon Pine trees you see in the pictures comes with it's own supply of firewood. As the trees grow the branches closest to the ground die and dry out to "standing dead wood". A chain saw and tractor-loader is all you need to produce a mountain of it.

I like the car-port structure the best as summer time shade for the trailer. The sun and wind deal very harshly with cloth or canvas. They become temporary at best. By the time it gets warm enough to worry about I'll have some good shade built.

After getting up high enough to see the full layout of the trailer roof I realized I couldn't add enough foam area to do any good. "Bad idea".

Finished my taxes last night so as to be free of the "Dark Cloud" during my first few weeks back out at the ranch. Me not working sure made a difference in our bottom line.

"Being retired" is just like having a different job. I gain weight and start to feel old when I sit around too much. That ranch is going to extend my useful life by twenty years at least.

My best to the boys,
Dave

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I figure to leave Fontana on or about the 18th of March, pulling the trailer, and get to High Boondocks Home around the 20th.

We have enhanced my wife's security this time by getting a new dog (not nearly as friendly as Brandy was), and by teaching her how to use my short-barreled 12 gauge Remington 870, and my tuned-up, laser sighted, .45 auto. Believe me, coupled with the new alarm system, and the dead-bolt locks she will no longer be alone and vulnerable!
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This time at the ranch it will be, "hit the ground running". I've made arrangements with my neighbor to the South, Richard (Hogan) Falk, to finish the fence line on both the North and West boundaries. He will start that even before I arrive. The new fence will enclose Wendy Andersons and Tim Hardins 57 acres with our 40 acres, so we can run horses on the whole place and they can water at a tank near the well on our place. It will also provide safe grazing for some goats and a few weaned calves (NO range bulls allowed).
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If anyone out there in Mountainair reads this, I want everyone to know that I intend to deal fairly with the men who started the fencing job, but never finished it, even though they have had since last summer to do it. They did set a lot of posts and stretch one strand of wire to define the line, but they did not finish the braces or complete setting the posts. Some posts on Wendy and Tims West boundary are out of line and will have to be pulled and reset for the fence to be properly stretched. So I will pay them the going rate for the work they have done. We will work it out. I want no hard feelings to mar the pleasure I feel in anticipation of having our new home in the country. As you all know the secure fence is needed to keep out the cattle and the range bulls that do so much property damage for which the owner, hiding behind the "Free Range" law, refuses to take responsibility. As it is now I can't stack building materials or accumulate piles of top soil (for fill) without the cattle stomping them flat! The cattle have a need to climb on top of anything more than a foot high. Then they fight for the high spot.
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I already had Frank Sedillo (Price Right Electric in Belen, NM) run a 50 amp service 310 feet over to the green shack so I can hook up my self-contained travel trailer, and have power to a shop space.

The most important priority now is to get the metal 30x60 building put up so we can have protected storage for our household goods and my power tools during the transition. Since I have not been able to find a reasonably priced contractor, I will do the grading, foundation forms and pier walls myself, then build and set the forms, and pour and finish the concrete slab myself (probably in 10x10 squares), with locally hired help. As it is to be an "Agricultural" storage building and tractor garage, the finish quality of the slab is not super critical. I am looking forward to accomplishing a great deal more this year than last.

Our goal is to have a modified Karsten model 27 house ready to live in before Thanksgiving 2009, and to complete the transition to the ranch by late spring of 2010. Four years in the making, but well worth the wait. We have made the tentative decision to rent our house (with all that entails) rather than try to sell it in this market.
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On the trailer I have installed and tested the propane bottles and rung out the electrical system. The refrigerator needs servicing as it just barely gets cold, but that's not really a big deal. Heat is important and that works fine, both gas and electric .

Yesterday I installed a new trailer brake controller in the Dodge truck and last Wednesday, just to be on the safe side, I had four new rear tires installed at Sam's Club. I wanted to wait and have them installed by my friends in Mountainair, but I decided it was prudent not to take the chance. The only thing left to do on the truck is to change the oil and coolant, and service the differentials and the transfer case. Oh yes, and put on the wide towing mirrors.

I have complete faith that this truck will pull our trailer with no strain, and serve for many years as our main "Ranch Truck". Next year sometime I'm thinking of converting it to a 10 foot "stake bed" for better materials handling. Discussion is invited if anyone has any ideas about that. Since I have no intention of ever selling it, resale value is of little concern to me.

No pictures for this posting, but expect to see a lot as the fence goes in and the metal building goes up.

See you at the ranch.
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Working Out Ways To Beef Up Trailer Insulation

2009-02-24T08:35:00.003-07:00

Q: Not really a question although I'm sure I could frame it as one if needed. Dennis Fulfer has been working out ways to beef up trailer insulation. Maybe you could compare notes.

Asked by Vanessa Vaile

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A: I am very interested in that subject. In the Northern states I've seen many over-roofed and super-insulated fixed mobile homes. They do benefit from the added external insulation. The aesthetics are certainly not improved, however, except where owners have fully enclosed the home.

For a travel trailer like mine I have been thinking of adding a two-inch layer of foil-faced rigid foam in selected areas (foil face down) and over-coating it with three or four coats of HENRY'S white polymeric roof coat. That would not add greatly to the weight, would add about R5, would not be too terribly ugly, and would not interfere with relocating the trailer when required.

I count several engineers and builders among my friends, some of whom may have relevant experience and/or ideas about improving the QoL (quality-of-life) in their travel trailers. Discussion is invited.

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Ask David a question.

Travel Trailer and Truck Work

2009-01-27T10:12:00.032-07:00

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This is our newly acquired travel trailer which will add comfort and warmth to my "Boondocks" experience in the coming months, and add to the future guest accommodations at the ranch.

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When we first got the trailer there was a lingering odor of cat urine. The carpet had to be torn out completely to begin the remediation. After all the carpet was out, I gave the bare sub-floor two very heavy coats of white polymeric roof sealer. We decided to replace the carpet with a medium quality laminate.

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I completely removed and rebuilt the support frame for the couch, raising it two inches to improve the storage space under and to better fit my seating height requirements.

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I closed off the outside hatch, (it's the open one in the second picture above), and insulated the wall with 1 inch of foil-faced foam board. Then I coated the area with a polymeric vapor barrier and carpeted it. Afterwards I wainscoted the wall next to where I will sleep for a little more warmth.

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Here the floor is almost all installed and awaiting the newly stained trim.

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The couch/bed back in place ready for use. The empty box under the left end is typical of the boxes that will be used for storage. It's the same size as a Xerox box.

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My wife has been encouraging, and ever so patient throughout this entire mess. She has a very good eye for living space, and I have been grateful for her help and impressed with her suggestions.

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This is a pretty good shot of the fabric we found to reupholster the dinette and couch cushions.

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In this view the slide is all the way out. We were able to get the trim on the slide and the floor to compliment each other very well. With the carpet removed the slide glides silently in and out. It used to groan and hesitate.

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This is the alcove at the rear door. I guess two doors are nice to have, but that 4 square feet might have been added to some more functional space.

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The rear door alcove is a natural hanging locker so I added a clothes rod stained to match the "decor.

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I used a combination of 1/2 inch quarter-round and 1 1/2 inch door casing for the trim. It seemed to blend the floor and the cabinets well.

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After the stain mixture had been tested for color, I wiped down all the cabinet and drawer fronts with it. It covered the wear and oxidation of accumulated years of use and made a nice fresh patina.

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And this is the 2001 Dodge 3500, 4WD 5 speed diesel we bought to pull it with.

Sharon was having difficulty getting in the truck, so I installed these steps on both sides to make it easier. Turns out they make it much better for me too. In the picture they look a little too far forward, but they are exactly where they need to be. They are 20 inches wide and centered at the front of the seat.

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SCHEDULE CHANGE:
My plan now is to pull the trailer out to the ranch about the third week in March. I know I am a glutton for punishment and the weather might not be ideal (windchill), but I am anxious to see my friends and check on things, especially the fence. Hopefully there will be enough mild days to allow some progress to be made.

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Going Home For The Winter

2008-11-01T11:39:00.005-06:00

This will be my last week here for this year. My next blog entry will be a recap of what I have managed to get done, what failed, and what is planned for next Spring. It may take a few hours to build the blog but I will get it done. Look for it next week sometime.
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The following was added March 14, 2009:

Here's a bunch of pictures and text from October 22, that I had not been able to post before.

The normal way to get an in-ground tank to withstand the load of backfill is to fill the tank with water first, but getting 2500 gallons of water delivered to our Boondocks location was iffy at best. The "empty" in-ground storage tank installation pit could not be "quickly" back filled without the tank collapsing under the load, so after first digging by hand down to the bottom of the tank all the way around I used the old tried-and-true method of corrugated roofing applied over 1 inch thick foam insulation to obtain the necessary sidewall rigidity. Plus I used the tractor loader to fill the pit evenly with rock-free fill dirt to keep from tipping or moving the tank. Since there was no way to mechanically fasten the foam board and the corrugated roofing to the tank I used most of two rolls of Gorilla tape to hold the stuff in place until the backfill could be dumped in around it. It worked and it looks okay. A lot more shovel work will be required to shape the berm evenly all the way around. Next year will see the final result.

When ever a large deep hole gets dug in this rocky ground, never fill it in without putting a post in it. You may not have an immediate need for it, but out here something will surely turn up. What, you might wonder, are the four massive pressure treated posts for? Not for the strength of the water tank, although they are very strong. They are the vertical supports for an octagonal 12' diameter gazebo/deck which will eventually be part of our outdoor living space. It will have a very nice view of both the mountains to the North and the valley and ridge line to the South.

While I was working the wind was blowing 20 to 25 mph, with gusts to 35 mph. Not hard as New Mexico winds go, but sharp edged roofing is nasty in any wind. Even though I was wearing gloves and being cautious, the sky gods decided to exact a few extra drops of blood in return for the success of my efforts (see the picture of my right wrist. And my Tetanus shot is current). Not only did I get nicked and scraped, but I suffered the added indignity of being knocked down and thrown into the pit with the water tank. While I was still trying to figure out if anything was broken (specifically me) my dear wife called with a banking question. Now anyone with a sense of humor would have to see the irony in that. All I could say was, "I'm down in the hole!" and of course I answered her question laying flat on my back. (She was not aware of my situation.)

The Hut is coming along nicely. Mondays heavy rains and strong storm winds proved it to be tight and dry. The roof sheathing has been covered with Elastomeric coating for added weather proofing and it stood up fine against the elements.

This rainbow touched the ground right by my cube shack. I ran down there to snag the pot of gold, but I think the IRS must have gotten to it first. You know how they are.
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Wet And Windy

2008-10-12T08:07:00.003-06:00

Just a couple of pictures taken on highway 47 south of Belen right at sundown on 11 Oct 2008.

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T' Storms, Main Gate And The Cube Hut

2008-10-06T17:56:00.017-06:00

Sunday afternoon around 4:30 this boomer of a thunder storm came barreling east on highway 60. I had been working with the tractor, grading the approach to the main gate and I didn't see this monster until it was almost on me. I high-tailed it for the shack and got there just in time to avoid a thorough soaking. It dumped close to 2 inches of rain in four hours, and for the first time since last June there was water standing in puddles this morning. Usually the rain soaks right in.

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This is the main entrance gate to our 40 acres. I built it in June of 2006, and until today it couldn't be used because of the fence posts and barbed wire and the ditch that used to be there.

Now we will be able to bring in the sections of our house without taking down the fence and trucking the house cross country to the building site. The gate is 20 feet six inches wide (two ten foot green field gates). When we move in I'll change it to a single 20 footer with a support wheel and a remote electric gate opener.

I had quite a time learning how to make a surface this smooth with the box blade. I used the loader and the scarifier teeth to remove the top soil and get the rough (very) gradient and then with the blade set to about a quarter of it's depth capability I began grading in a long "X" pattern passing through the gate each time in a squashed series of about 50 figure 8 laps, working closer and closer to the gate as I gained confidence and control. You can see the tracks of the "X" pattern in the picture above. Each time the surface was a little smoother . And because the tires follow the convolutions of the ground, the smoother the ground, the smoother the results of the blade. There is no substitute for patience in this process.

I have no clue why the above paragraph turned blue and underlined itself. It defied all efforts to correct it, so I left it alone fearing the whole blog would capsize if I messed with it too much.

In the next picture you can see the gentle slope I was able to make with the tractor. Less than three gallons of diesel fuel were used in about two and a half hours.

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The rain soaked my building site, costing me a day which might have seen the place under roof. Oh well, tomorrow is forecast to be clear and dry, with no more rain until next weekend. Fly rafters and roofing tomorrow.

It was fun making and putting up these small classic gable end rafters. Each is 70 and 1/2 inches and easily one-handed into position. The power panel is not really out of plumb as it appears in the picture. That is a photographic effect known as "Rising Front Distortion".

The header on the left wall is for a 24 inch wide door that leads to the WC where my small composting toilet will reside. This small room (4x8) will also offer warmth and privacy for bathing. It will be a shed roofed attachment to the main building and have a pressure treated wood floor supported on posts and beam.

The front where the gray door is will have a 6x8 covered porch and since it faces east it will be a shady place to relax on future Summer days.

Windows on both the east and west walls are vinyl, low "E" units, warm in Winter and cool in Summer. The window openings are not large, but they are sufficient for good ventilation and, at the same time the small openings are more secure.

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Electricity Operational And Computer Restored

2008-09-19T10:46:00.007-06:00

I tried everything I could think of to return my computer to normal operation with no luck, until "nCleaner". It's freeware that apparently can go where others can't and avoids malware defenses that other commercial software doesn't. Anyway it seems to have done the trick for now.
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Here's a few pictures just to test my connection and show I'm still alive and kickin'. My wife got to spend a week with me out here and took a few pictures herself. I also bought her a BB gun and started teaching her to shoot.

The water storage tank in the ground, before back filling and pushing up the berm which will keep it from freezing.

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There was fire in the sky this day.

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EXCUSES, EXCUSES

2008-09-14T23:22:00.002-06:00

My computer has slowed to a crawl and I haven't been able to correct the problem yet. Thinking hard about reinstalling XP Pro, SP3 once I have all the drivers collected and backed up.

Headed Back To The Ranch

2008-09-06T04:33:00.004-06:00

It has been a short three weeks since I left, but two more hours of loading up, lunch, and a few hours rest will see my wife, Sharon and I back on the road to New Mexico.
She hasn't been there since March of 2006, when we signed the papers, and she is pretty excited to see how the place has changed.
We expect to make Mountainair before noon tomorrow and be out to our place in the early afternoon.
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Our Dog Brandy Died Today

2008-08-30T16:00:00.004-06:00

She came to live with us on July 4, 2002, when she was already 7 years old. Half Pitt Bull and half Boxer, she was at first very aggressive and territorial, she barked wildly at everyone and everything that passed in front of her house. But she learned quickly and she wanted to please us so much that her personality changed in just a matter of weeks to docile and friendly.

She loved kids and tolerated the most outrageous handling from them. When our grandchildren or the neighbors children were here, Brandy often wound up sleeping under a pile of kids like puppies do. She was gentle and loving and protective of them. In the last three years she was a frequent overnight guest of the family next door, and made it quite clear that they were members of her pack. Three days ago, when she barely had the strength to move, she made her way next door to see the kids and lay on the floor with them for an hour.

This morning her strength had left her completely. We sat with her, stroking her and telling her how much we loved her and what a great companion she was. She thumped her tail a few times, closed her eyes and went to sleep. We had already made arrangements with the vet to do what was necessary, so my wife and I made her comfortable in the back floor of our mini-van and took her to be put to sleep for the last time.

My wife had always been afraid of animals until Brandy came to live with us, but the last six years with Brandy as her companion and teacher have worked a wonderful change in her attitude, her understanding of a dogs language, and her appreciation for the kind of love that a good dog has to give. Brandy will be greatly missed.
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When Contractors Are Good

2008-08-22T11:14:00.005-06:00

What is so cool is when the contractors you trust with your money actually pro actively do their jobs even when you're not there to see to it.
The CO-OP staking technician Ted Mosley called me to say the trench from the last pole to the power panel was not deep enough (27 inches instead of the required 36 inches - we hit a very large boulder) and when the CO-OP puts the 40 foot conduit in that trench next Thursday it will have to be covered with concrete one foot thick, and then have the dirt built up with fill to meet code.

To save additional bucks and contractor fuel and time, we agreed that I would back fill all the trenches to code depth using my tractor and fill dirt that I can scrape up from several places near by. The stuff that came out of the trenches is so rocky it's really not suitable to go back in on top of the conduit.

The section of trench directly in line with the double conduit in the picture is too shallow to meet code, even though the trenching crew spent all day long with a jack hammer trying to break through.

I called Frank Sedillo (Price Right Electrical), and put him in touch with Mosley.
They discussed what needed to be done and agreed on a schedule when each would do their part. So the poles and the wire will go in next Thursday, and the concrete will be added on Friday, and I don't even have to be there to ramrod the operation.
Electricity on our place will be MAJOR progress. Almost on par with the well.
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How Rare Is The Warm Welcome

2008-08-21T07:45:00.004-06:00

It has got to be one of the rarest experiences to be so warmly welcomed at a place you used to work. I was given that gift yesterday by my friends at Continental Data Graphics, where I worked for the last two years of my Boeing career.

I had no idea that what we are doing out there on the land would strike a sympathetic chord in the hearts of so many. Thank you.

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Some good news: The original contractor that came out to the ranch to bid on the concrete pad and raising the metal building is back in the picture with some new and money saving ideas. Possibly the potential for him to do the house foundation and the ETS chamber as well as the building piqued his interest.
He promised a new proposal with several options today by email.
I'm not getting my hopes up too high yet, but I am encouraged.
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It may interest some of you geeks out there to know that I am transitioning to the Linux operating system, and alternating between the Ubuntu 8.04, and the PCLinuxOS 2007 distros. So far both work equally well and I haven't found anything that I can't do as well as XP Pro. I'm using Ubuntu to write this blog.
Both distros detected and configured my networks (multiple) without hesitation, provided me with free applications for browsers and word processors, and let me use Windows NTFS files where needed.
The Linux world is full of free software for just about any application you could want.

I started trying Linux after I bought a refurbished HP that had Vista Home Premium installed. It would not run TurboTax 2007 and I almost lost my last four years tax records because of it. I thought it would be a simple thing to install XP on it and start over, but HP deliberately does not provide XP drivers for their Pavilion Slimline computers just so you can not go back to a decent operating system. Not only that but it would not accept another version of VISTA either.

Rather than have the new computer become a doorstop, I booted from a CD of PCLinuxOS 2007, and I was on the internet in less than three minutes. I was pretty amazed at that, so I went ahead and did a complete installation from the CD, set up my email with Firefox, and began restoring my file system, using software provided by various Linux archives on the internet. It works for me.
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Mackaela, The Cows, And Lunch

2008-08-13T10:57:00.002-06:00

Q: Hi Dave, Do you need a special license to drive the truck and trailer you just got? When do you think it will too cold to stay? Seeing the BEEF drink from your bathtub, do you plan on raising cattle in the future? Let me know when your back and have time, we'll do lunch and you can tell your adventure story. Take careTerry

Asked by Terry

A: Hi Terry,

I have a commercial license, but that's only necessary for over 26000 pounds. A 28 foot trailer and a day cab, 2 axle truck would have to be really loaded to get that heavy. I'll put the required "NOT FOR HIRE" signs on the rig to avoid the attention of the DOT and not have to stop at weight and inspection stations.

Probably around the end of October will see me out of here for the winter. The only way I could stay longer would be if I can get the metal barn up and enclosed and heated. The shack just won't do in it's present configuration.

I'm pretty sure we will have some cows and horses to keep the grass mowed, but 40 acres in normal times won't support more than a few.

I'll definitely be on for lunch within a week or two after I get back.

Ask David a question.

Signing Off For One Month

2008-08-13T06:13:00.002-06:00

The time has come for me to go home for a month to recharge my batteries, and plan the next phase of making a home in the high boondocks.
My wife, Sharon, and I will return to New Mexico on September 7. We will go up to the Karsten factory in ABQ, finalize the options on our modular home, and make the deposit to start the building process.
She will fly back to California a week later and I'll stay here to finish the barn, build the well house, and see to the completion of the fencing.
When it gets too cold to sleep in my shack, I'll head home for the winter.
I'll try to add something of interest periodically while I'm home, so I won't lose my BLOG space.

Mackaela Hooks Up

2008-08-11T17:35:00.010-06:00

Part of the early morning view from approximately the height of our future south east facing deck. I would like the deck to be about three feet higher than this sight line.
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Why yes, I do like sunrise pictures. Why do you ask? I even think they're worth getting up for.

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And the damned cattle think my well trough is their new watering hole. One Hereford range bull challenged me this morning, but a good whack with a two by four changed his mind.

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Mackaela and the Reefer hooked up like they had met before.
I pulled up a pre-trip check list on the internet, and the rig (and air brakes) passed. Amazing! I did have to clean and re grease the 5th wheel and the release mechanism for it to work smoothly. Just about a 30 minute job.
I did the hook up trucker style with a solid bang and then yanked on the trailer before releasing the trailer brakes. I got good air pressure with no leaks (all four new grommets this morning) and the trailer brakes released on command. The lessons at truck driving school must have been good ones for me to have remembered so much.

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AND THEN there's the occasional sunset that speaks for itself.

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Next Link In The Chain Comes Home

2008-08-10T19:38:00.011-06:00

I waited twenty minutes for a sunrise shot this morning but the sky color just never developed.

I can't say I was disappointed though; the quality of the morning air is just not equaled anywhere.
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Another link in the chain of actions and equipment is this 1980 Mack B646, 2 axle, small displacement diesel, 5 speed. It will haul our household goods to New Mexico, and will have paid for itself three times over in money saved by not dealing with any moving company.

My friend, and distant cousin, Tim Hardin looked it over throughly with a mechanics critical eye and we were both surprised at the good condition: 6 new tires, 4 new batteries, new clutch, starter, and alternator. It looks like it has another 400,000 miles left in it. And it was ridiculously inexpensive.
Tim heads for our place from the little village of Escobosa, NM. (about 35 miles north of Mountainair). I followed along to look it over on the road and to take pictures. Nothing came loose or fell off, and all the lights worked as required.
The DOT number tag on the door will come off and be replaced with the "NOT FOR HIRE" sign that will fend off "Smokey's" unwanted attention.
Crossing the creek at Tim and Wendy's place half mile from our gate, passing standing water from the recent rains. The view of the back of the truck cab oddly resembles the same view of a 1951 Ford pickup I used to have. Some experienced truckers would refer to this model Mack as a "yard Dog".
Hey, Bobby, did you ever see a Mack or a Stirling with the real tall long throw clutch pedal? This has one. Takes some getting used to!
Inside the gate at our place; a little over a quarter mile from the shack. Green ain't it?
"Mackaela" in her parking place (rough roads and all) in one rugged piece.
As soon as I replace the Gladhand Grommets (trailer air brake connections) and hoses (just to be safe) I'll hook her up to the trailer and start practicing. I have my own 40 acre "backing yard".
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Some more views of the area around where the house will be:
It is as level and easiest of access for placing the modular home as any location on the ranch.

Looking northeast from the power panel to the well house pad; a distance of 105 feet.

And straight north from the power panel to the metal building site; 200 feet exactly.
The 2500 gallon black reservoir tank will be located elsewhere. Empty it's very easy to push around with the tractor.
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Tomorrow morning at dawn I'll drag a ladder down to the house site (20 feet left of the well house pad in the above picture) and try to duplicate the morning view we'll get from the south deck of the house when it's built. I want you all to see what I see.
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Trenching And Progress

2008-08-09T16:17:00.005-06:00

Here's a couple of shots of the electricians doing their thing. They completely tore up the rental trenching machine in our rocky ground.
The service panel will take the place of a temporary pole with a meter, and provide the connecting point for the CO-OP power lines.
This long trench will provide power to the big metal building. They said that since they already had the trencher on site they would do all the trenches for the single price they had quoted me for just the house and the well. Not a bad deal.

====================================================================
And a shot of the header beam for my carport rafters. I did some painting also to protect the raw wood against the UV.
The shelves on the deck are the permanent cabinet I built to house my bank of six deep cycle batteries. The cabinet will have doors before it is finished.
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And once again I have found a concrete contractor. He's is doing the bid and said he will bring it to me on Monday. I wait with fingers crossed.

NOTE: 30 August 2008-- My hopes for results from this guy were dashed when he came back with an outrageously high bid. I'll just keep looking.
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Sister's little parcel of land in New Mexico

2008-08-09T16:09:00.002-06:00

Q: Hi Brother, no question....except, did you get my last question? I'm really enjoying your blog and seriously considering coming to see my little parcel, don't want to sell it anymore. Love and blessings, Sister

Asked by Jean

A: No, I guess I didn't. My profile says I have answered 100% of the questions I have received. Why don't you send me a description (legal location) and I'll see if I can find it and send you a picture. I'm over that way once or twice a week. Send it on email, not ASKABLOGR. That way it will remain private.

Ask David a question.

Baby Got New Shoes

2008-08-07T15:42:00.005-06:00

It was pretty obvious that new tractor tires were advisable. They spun easily in the dry dirt, and I probably contributed to their early retirement with my less than delicate practice sessions. With winter coming on and the forecast probability of heavy snow, the aggressive tread is more of a necessity. They will be filled with a 50:50 solution of Ethylene Glycol and water (from our well).

The "BEFORE" condition:

====================================================================
And the "AFTER" condition:
And back on the trailer ready to be tied down for the return trip home.
I have already gotten the box blade re installed. It was much easier as this time I was using the right controls to position the supports and hydraulic cylinders.
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Brake Caution Notes

2008-08-07T15:30:00.002-06:00

Q: Re. Trailer brakes: These brake air cylinders can separate with great force when manually releasing the brakes. Make sure that the cylinder and the cylinder clamp are not badly corroded, before you crank down on the release bolt. Make sure that you are to the side of the cylinder when you tighten the release bolt.

Asked by bobby

A: I got under it and it looks really clean and almost new.

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Ask David a question.

Trailer Brakes

2008-08-07T15:27:00.001-06:00

Q: Hello David,I like this photo much better, however, you do need a shotgun over your shoulder. And where's the huntin dawg? Re the air brakes; There are two cylindrical air chambers, usually on the aft side of the axle. These are the actuators. In the center of each chamber is a hole. Install a long bolt (don't remember the bolt size, a big un) in this hole and run it in to release the brakes. BE CAREFUL, THESE THINGS ARE LOADED TO THE HURT YOU POSITION!

Asked by bobby

A: Thanks, Bobby. I will be extra careful. The shotgun and the hunting dog are on the agenda for next year.

Ask David a question.

ELECTRICITY TO OUR PLACE

2008-08-05T15:43:00.003-06:00

Frank Sedillo, the electrician, just left and we have a deal. He will install everything to which the CO-OP needs to connect THIS FRIDAY. Not "maybe next week" or "as soon as I can get to it" but this coming Friday.
All underground cable in PVC pipe to the house, the well, the ETS/heat pump, and the pad location for the metal building. He's bringing the trencher. He is familiar with how hard the ground is, and he is ready for it.
He was here exactly at 3;30pm, just as he said he would be. You know I consider punctuality to be a good sign. I guess I am pleased.
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After The Rain, The Lurid Sunrise

2008-08-05T14:33:00.005-06:00

It rained long and hard last night, with the attendant high-country artillery barrage of thunder and lightning. Many of the strikes were within a half mile. I counted zero a dozen times and "one" a few dozen times.
====================================================================
And the trailer arrived this morning. It's too wet to move it into it's final position for convenience of loading and the air brakes are locked.

Hey, Mark ask Bobby if he remembers how to unlock the air brakes of a Utility brand tandem trailer. I sure don't.

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Our Gopher Snake and Car Port Posts

2008-08-04T20:31:00.007-06:00

A four foot long gopher snake came to visit Tim Hardin and me this afternoon. He stayed for a few minutes and was not the least bit shy. He looked very well fed, and he certainly was minding his own business, so we let him pass unmolested. The dogs, Russell, the red Pitt Bull, and Rocky, the gray Akita also minded when they were told to leave the snake alone.

I thought that alone was worthy of comment. Both dogs simply acted like the snake had disappeared and showed no further interest in it. These are "country dogs" that wandered in after being abandoned on the forest road. Tim and Wendy made them welcome and gave them status in the "pack" of their animals.

Only a little "attitude adjustment" was necessary regarding their relationship to the chickens, Pea Hens, and the geese. Most dogs believe that fowl are Gods gift to the canine world, and have to be educated to the contrary.

====================================================================
Also I have some good pictures of the first two posts in the ground for the carport. The only significance being that the concrete in which the posts are set was made with good water from our own well.
The water in the bucket is very clear and it was dipped right from the 217 gallon tank next to the well head.
====================================================================
The electrician will be here tomorrow afternoon to begin the process of installing the temporary post and meter so the CO-OP can bring in the power lines. We are going to have a triple drop 325 amp service; one line to the well pump, one line to the house, and one line to the ETS unit/heat pump installation.
*************************************************************************************

My Email

2008-08-03T18:42:00.001-06:00

Q: I got a note from Othell recently and got thinking that its been a long time since I've had comms from the south and west. Lacking email addresses, which I hope you'll provide, I did a name search on Google and, lo and behold, there you are terraforming New Mexico, white F150 and all. Its a little foreign to a Philadelphia city dweller but it does look appealing. I'll hold you to your invitation when you get the house built.

Asked by Dave Doler Jr

A: Of course. Mine is <dfdoler@gmail.com> Send me a note to which I can reply and I'll give you Laura's email.

Ask David a question.

A Note From My Son

2008-08-03T15:10:00.001-06:00

Q: well, you do look like you're having fun.

Asked by Dave Doler Jr.

A: I certainly am, and any time you feel like seeing the wide open spaces you are most welcome. By next spring we will have a new house built and be prepared to receive. My wife would love to meet you.

How did you come across my blog?

Ask David a question.

Trailer And Trail

2008-07-31T17:58:00.009-06:00

Even though that contractor I was complaining about finally did get back to me, I still don't have his bottom line costs for the slab, stem walls, foundation and raising of the metal building.

(ps: On August 2, I got rid of the contractor. No trust.)

So this morning, as a hedge against my need for storage in the near term, I bought this trailer to put stuff in while I'm back in California for the winter. It's an ex refrigerated trailer with insulation, 28 feet long. It was very inexpensive even though it's in near-new condition.
The refrigeration unit, which I didn't need, was crushed in a minor accident, so it was removed and the opening covered with a sheet of stainless steel. Most of the trailer is stainless steel and aluminum. The interior is in especially good shape.
Concealed in a pocket in the floor behind that side door is an access ladder that allows you to step up easily from the ground to floor level.
At the back door (roll up) I'll build a 4x8 deck with steps. The original loading ramp was sold separately, but I'm not going to miss it.

I intend to get a single axle truck to pull it with so I can use it to move us from California to New Mexico, and in the future it will transport and store building materials for additions to our house (the full deck and my wifes upstairs sun room) and for my daughters barn and some of the outbuildings requiring longer-than-standard lumber.
====================================================================

Using the tractor and skills acquired in several hours of recent practice, I cleared and graded a short new section of road in one place about a hundred fifty feet long where the old road wandered inside the property line.
Just to the left of the "T" posts lying on the ground, you can see the first strand of wire. That wire is right on the easement line. There is 60 feet between that wire and the south fence of the Cibola National Forest.

Please forgive me if I am somewhat prouder of my work this time. It came out very nice and the neighbors who used this road today were complimentary. Well at least no one threatened to sue!
====================================================================

And just another picture to show how green the land is getting. It even smells good.

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Rained Hard Again Last Night

2008-07-27T06:38:00.002-06:00

Wow, there is actually mud in my yard! All 40 acres of it. We are going to have tall green grass and the Juniper trees will see a growth spurt.
It plays hobb with the shack work, but I just have to love it anyway.
We start building fence tomorrow and the wet will make post holes easier to dig and the concrete in the corner post and "H" brace assemblies will cure much stronger with the added moisture.
More rain is forecast for today and tonight so I guess I will have to find other stuff to do.
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Rainy Day, No Sale After All

2008-07-26T14:22:00.008-06:00

Watching the rain, and drinking Mary's great coffee at Alpine Alley made it not a "lost" day, but one for good conversation, contemplation and planning.
Back at the ranch I was able to catch up on some correspondence and reading. You know how you always take something to read, but never get to it. Well, that's me too.
The contractor whose name I did not mention never called or emailed as promised so I guess I won't be mentioning his name after all.
======================================================================
Postscript to the above comment about the contractor:
Even though I don't normally pursue or play phone tag with someone who has promised to call me back, I made an exception and called him (as my kinder-than-me wife requested). It is after all, a very important part of our future plans to have that building to aid our transition.
So I called him and he said he had emailed the info yesterday. Did I not get it? (After 41 years in aerospace, where have I heard that before?) So he said he would resend it immediately. 30 minutes (now 1 hour and 15 minutes) and I am still waiting. I even called again and left a message reiterating my email address, in case of a transcription error, don't ya know?
His fall-back position is that he will be in the Mountainair area on Monday and will drop off a hard copy, if I will be available.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I guess working with Walter Elliott just plain spoiled me. He just does what he says he will do, period.
And just to be on the safe side I went ahead and called Breck Walden to see if he would come put up my temporary pole and meter and pull the permit, so Ted Mosley can stake and install my power poles.
It sure is good to know who to call.
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Alpine Alley 10am TODAY Be There, Or Be Square

2008-07-26T05:05:00.005-06:00

Vanessa posted news of a "SALE" today in front of Alpine Alley at 10am. What a good excuse to go to town!

A message from my eldest grandson

2008-07-26T05:02:00.002-06:00

Q: This is not much of a question, more of touching base with family out west. Just visiting your blog and enjoyed it immensely. I can't wait to get back out there! Hope to see you both soon. Your great grand children are not going to know what to do with themselves in such a wide open place. Love you guys, Chris

Asked by Grand Son

A: Hi, Chris, what a great pleasure it is to hear from you. Sharon will be very happy to know you are looking in on us. By this time next year we expect to be able to make visitors very comfortable here in the wide open spaces. When the boys are older they will have their own bunk house (my shack) which will be especially for them, and they will have access to all the fascinating things that a country place has to offer. We love you too.

Ask David a question.

Y'all Come

2008-07-25T15:48:00.001-06:00

Q: I want to have that same smile when I retire, true bliss.Enjoy it Buddy

Asked by Terry

A: Terry, you should come and visit sometime, preferably after next spring when we have a house and all the necessities.

Ask David a question.

Once Again The Sky Delights

2008-07-25T06:44:00.006-06:00

Okay, so maybe I am a little nuts about the morning sky, but you just don't see this kind of beauty every day, any where.

====================================================================
Old "western ugly" (that's the name I've given my locally acquired trailer. look closely and you'll see why) comes through again. This time with a light load of only 3000 pounds (1800lbs of posts and 1200lbs of wire). 200 posts and 16 rolls of wire, Enough for 3/4 0f a mile of fence with a few left over.
The forklift operator at Ranchero Builders Supply in Belen, NM, placed the load perfectly. The bumper load was probably a little less than 500lbs. The back springs of my F150 only compressed about an inch.

====================================================================
More well pumping (clean out continues) and shack work (carpentry) today. Maybe some more pictures too.

Hey, family and friends, does anyone have a request for pictures of specific things?

====================================================================
Postscript: The mouses (plural) are no more. Gluttony for peanut butter was their undoing. They went to the great mouse house in the sky with smiles on their faces and tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
====================================================================

2008-07-24T20:38:00.001-06:00

Q: Buy a mechanical mouse trap? Natural design has yet to be improved on. Get a cat.

Asked by Vanessa Vaile

A: Hi Vanessa, I read your blog daily. You could turn pro.

Ask David a question.

Dental Day And Mouse Trap

2008-07-24T05:03:00.003-06:00

Today I have to go to Los Lunas and find a dentist to re-cement the same crown that has come loose many times in the past.
Then I have to buy a mouse trap. I almost got the noisy little buggers picture this morning. I was holding him pinned in the very bright LED beam from a three watt flashlight, but as soon as he saw the camera he split. He would be welcome to what appears to be his only interest, Noodle Ramen, but he makes so blasted much noise opening the package that he wakes me up.
Last night I took the package he was working on and put it outside. Did he take the hint and go out? Hell no, he started working on another one. Last straw, buddy. My house, my rules. You are toast. Sometimes you just can't be too nice.
=====================================================================
Yesterday, before sundown, I finally got my battery bank (six 175 amp hour deep cycle marine batteries) and inverter hooked up so I don't have to run the generator while I'm on the computer. It makes a major difference in my level of concentration. I always felt like I was disturbing the neighbors, even though the nearest are 500 yards away and say they don't hear it.
====================================================================

The Metal Building Looms Large

2008-07-23T13:57:00.002-06:00

I had been concerned lately that I had not made any progress toward getting my big metal building put up, so when I was in Mountainair this morning getting ready to do my laundry, it was good fortune that my friend Walter Elliott stopped to ask how I was fairing with the new well. Funny how good people seem to appear when you need them.
After we discussed the well I told him I needed somebody to form and pour a slab and pier walls to mount the building on and he directed me to the local concrete company where the office manager provided the names and numbers of two recommended contractors. The first one I called was only a few miles away driving from Belen to Mountainair and was able to stop by our place.
Not only did we take care of the metal building, but the house pier wall foundation and the house electrical service as well. In less than two hours I had valuable guidance and suggestions on how to proceed with all of my pending projects. By Friday I will have a proposal (with options) and firm bids on the work we need done to complete our home. I think I just found our general contractor.
You'll notice that I haven't given his name yet, but I will when I have more to report. I will say that I have a very good feeling about the whole thing.
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An Incredible Stillness At Sunrise

2008-07-22T18:06:00.003-06:00

I awoke at 06:15 to a stillness so profound as to be almost eerie. Expecting something unusual, I retrieved my camera and stood just inside the door of my shack looking East. Only an artist could have captured the sunrise. The camera certainly could not. The sky changed by the moment and it was continuously beautiful. I was grateful to be able to see such a sight.

===================================================================

Then I pumped the well for awhile. It's still in the clean up process, but it is running clear most of the time now. About 350 gallons out today before I shut it off.

===================================================================

The visit by the Central New Mexico Electrical Cooperative "Staking Technician", Ted Mosley went very well. It is almost 1000 feet from the nearest pole to where our house and the well and the metal building will be. That equates to 3 poles, the wire and the appurtenances, or about $5500. There are allowances and such that could total $2500 which would be subtracted from that. Whatever it works out to, it's a necessity and part of the cost of living in the country.
I drove into Mountainair to the CO-OP office and filled out the easement document and had it notarized right there. I also made a healthy deposit to get the process stared. They sure are easy to work with.
===================================================================

Then I treated myself to lunch at the "Alpine Alley". Amazingly good chicken noodle soup and a
wonderfully satisfying roast beef sandwich with all the fixin's.
===================================================================

Tomorrow is "shack work" and call the electrician to get the temporary pole and the permit for the electrical hook up.
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Saturday and Sunday It Rained

2008-07-21T17:46:00.006-06:00

The evening of July 18th, just at sundown a chill wind started that felt so much like snow I suited up for it and watched the sky.

Alas, no snow, but what cool anticipation.

************************************************************************************
The rains came hard and often both Saturday and Sunday. I got soaked to the skin when the sky opened up as I was bringing the tractor back from the TW ranch where Tim Hardin (my distant cousin through the outlaw John Wesley Hardin) was kind enough to fit the box blade to the 3-point hitch. He is a skilled blacksmith, machinist, carpenter and welder, as well as a first class tractor mechanic; a good man to know. He said this box blade is better than the one that came new with the IH 3414.
It took some new replacement hardware and some sleeves and pins (total cost $45.00), a gallon of hydraulic oil, a couple of turns with a 1 inch wrench on a leaking hydraulic fitting, adjust the brake pedal free-play, fill with fuel, and it was good to go. It always starts immediately.

==================================================================
Here's the results of my first learning/practice session. I successfully leveled and graded the circle driveway to the shack. (I won't show you the parts that still look ragged). It requires a good deal more skill with the box blade than it appears. It's very easy to dig too deep or not move any dirt at all. Four levers control the whole process and coordinating them to achieve the desired result can be HUMILIATING.

===================================================================

The well head off in the distance. I only included this picture so you can see the beginning green tinges that are appearing daily in the Gramma grass.

====================================================================

I graded the road to the Cibola National Forest fence line. My whole practice session lasted about an hour. I only quit because I was beginning to get a krick in my neck from trying to look forward and backward at the same time. It's really easy to do some major damage with an 8000 LB tractor.

************************************************************************************
Tomorrow at 09:00AM, Ted Mosley (the Electric CO-OP) staking technician is coming to start the process of getting us power. I show him the well, the location of the house and the metal building and he does a layout, determines the number and placement of poles and of course the cost, which by the way can be amortized out in the electric bill if needed.
The CO-OP offers a good enough deal to make it very attractive to go all electric. They use a thermal mass heat pump (heating and air conditioning) sized for a 2500 square foot house that costs around $7000.00 for the whole installation. And they encourage the use of solar and wind power to reduce overall grid dependence.
The best enticement is a really significant discount in the cost of electricity for using the system that they recommend.

I'll probably have more to say when I find out the details of power poles, service amperage (I'm going to ask for 200 amp service because I'll have a wood and metal working shop).

The House

2008-07-18T19:56:00.010-06:00

I am a happy guy!

Today is my 67th birthday and I am having fun.

Here's the Url to see the floor plan of our our new house. It really doesn't do it justice, but I just could not get the PDF file to print. In the days and weeks ahead we will be making some minor, but significant changes.

http://www.homesdirectabq.com/images/plans/RC27.gif

Well Work and House Hunting

2008-07-18T07:25:00.006-06:00

Here's a couple of pictures of the pad we poured yesterday on which to mount the well house. I'll build it myself using 2x6 pressure treated framing, weather proof siding, and heavy insulation.

Also my house hunting in ABQ yesterday was a complete success. I went to the Karsten factory dealership, co-located with the factory, and in less than 10 minutes with A.J. Schissel, the lovely factory sales rep (my head was not turned), I found the house that my wife and I will live in for the rest of our lives. Yes, I am that certain. It's the Karsten RC-27. The layout is perfect. I don't have a PDF of the floor plan yet, but I'll add it today or tomorrow.
Now begin the more mundane aspects of the infrastructure: electricity, water pipes, and (gnashing of teeth) the septic system.
I'll be adding a full deck to the south facing side of the house; covered of course, and partially screened for sleeping out.
The main reason we (I did consult with my wife during the process) chose the Karsten is that they make it really easy and inexpensive to modify the house. You can add length up to 76 feet in 16 inch increments, and you can add that space in any room you want not just at either end of the house.
Nine foot ceilings are standard and the roof pitch is optional up to 6:12, giving the house a much more conventional roof line. It will make a fine country home.

Compare Weather

2008-07-17T08:13:00.001-06:00

Q: Dave, Your blog looks great! It is neat to see the progress through narrations and pictures. I like your tractor, I hope it does what you need it to. How much longer do you intend to stay in NM before you go home, and when is your next trip out there? Things are going as good as to be expected out here. The weather averages in teh mid 120s daily 134is the hottest so far. Our tenative departure date is Aug 15, hopefully we will be able to stick with that. Take care and will talk to you soon

Asked by Bryan

A: Hi Bryan,

You and I should be home at about the same time. Your mom has a major party planned combining your and my homecoming, and Jennifer's birthday. I promised I would be there and I would not miss it for the world. I'm hoping that by then I will have a home to show and the metal building up and ready for our transition to New Mexico.

I hate to compare the the weather here with what you have been experiencing in Kuwait. Mostly it's been cloudy, cool and rainy since late June. Today it's nice and sunny, but the humidity is high enough to hint at rain again this afternoon.

The khaki colored Gramma grass is beginning to show green in areas where it hasn't in 10 years or more.

I look forward to us all being together again.

PS: Keep your head covered. I noticed in your pictures that you have a buzz cut and are brown as a nut. Just be careful in that sun, Son.

Ask David a question.

I Didn't Either

2008-07-17T08:02:00.001-06:00

Q: Hi Dave,The pictures look awesome. Wow, I had no idea that the cost of the well could be that expensive. I imagine the depth of the well had a significant impact in that factor. What's next? Electricity, the foundation, ??? I see all of your accomplishments and I haven't finished my bathroom yet. Your making me look bad. You will be happy to know that I finished painting the walls and have hung the mirror. Your probably going to be bathing before me!!!!! Take care!

Asked by Mark Sullivan

A: "WELL" I didn't either. If I had spent the same amount on a new pickup I would be feeling severe buyers remorse. But there is just no way to regret spending so much money on something so valuable. We have more than doubled the value of the land. Strong producing wells that are deep enough to be completely drought proof are rare in this country.

Next I have got to find a house. I'll be going up to ABQ later today to look at manufactured homes at the Karsten Factory Outlet. They have twelve models on display. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a country style house that I can modify with an extra large kitchen/gathering room and a huge covered deck all the way accross the south side of the house.

I'm about to give up on composting toilets and go with a septic system. As much as I dislike them. None of the three builders/contractors I have spoken to have any knowledge or experience with composters. That and the fact that we have a good well makes water conservation a little less critical.

I have not yet taken the soak in my own water that I was so looking forward to. It still has enough silt in it to turn me pink!

Ask David a question.

Making Pictures Smaller

2008-07-16T16:37:00.002-06:00

Q: Once again Dave, you look to be having a blast, like little house on the prairie. If you want to shrink the size of your pics here's what I do. First start by saving the photos on your computer in "My Pictures". From My Pictures you can select any photo and from the LH column choose E-mail this file. You get 3 choices, Make pics smaller, Keep the original sizes or show more options. Choose show more options and choose the size you want. E-mail the file to yourself and you now have smaller files.

Asked by Terry Chancellor

A: Terry, my friend. How are you?

Thanks for the tip. I tried it and it works great.

Ask David a question.

Bread And Bales

2008-07-16T16:34:00.001-06:00

Q: HI David!Congratulations on your well! That is an occasion worth celebrating for sure. You mentioned on your blog that you would like whatever structure you put there to live in, should look like it belongs there. I totally agree. Have you looked into the process of encasing any premade structure with straw bales? It can be done very effectively!Jude

Asked by Jude

A: Hi Jude,

I kept the bread you gave me tightly wrapped and enclosed in the big ziplock. It lasted until last night, when I made a pocket PB&J with the heal. It was still wonderful bread.

No, I haven't given much (or any) thought to straw bale encasement of a premade home. I will give it some study.

One thing I know for sure is that it would require over-roofing to extend the eaves far enough to protect the bales and to maintain the aesthetics of the house.

Ask David a question.

A Deep Well

2008-07-16T10:45:00.008-06:00

This is what the unadorned top of a 900 foot deep well looks like. You'd never know from looking that it can sustain a 10 gallon-per-minute flow rate. Right now the water is standing from it's own pressure over 800 feet up in the well casing. When I turn the pump on, the water begins to flow in less than 5 seconds.

To this point it has cost $31,045 exactly. Now we add the holding tank (2500 gallons for $850) and the pressure system (price to be determined). Then comes the water supply pipe and the 3 foot deep trench in which it is required to be placed. Building codes, you know.

In the next picture we have throttled the flow back to 5 gpm because free flow without a pressure system installed kept popping the control box breaker.

It will take a few days for a well this deep to completely clean up and flow clear and clean. Then we will test the water for mineral content, acidity, alkalinity, drinkablity, etc. The first thing I am going to do today however, even before it flows clear, is to go over to Belen and buy one of those bathtub sized galvanized horse troughs, fill it up and take a soak. No, I am not going to heat it up first.

Another thing I did this morning was to make a screened vent in the corner where my cot goes.
On a hot day (coming up) the shack gets a little "primitive" and was in need of more air. That corner was a good choice. The vent started making cool air as soon as the cutout was removed.
The cutout is hinged at the bottom for "flow control". The vents on both ends of the shack under the rafters don't do much for cooling, but they do allow the hot air to escape. That little window looks pretty quaint, hey?

This is "Cot Corner".

Still actively looking for a house to put out here. Manufactured, modular, or double-wide as long as I can make it look like it belongs here.

The Tractor Is Home

2008-07-14T05:25:00.005-06:00

A proper ranch has to have a tractor. We have ours. International Harvester 3414

It's not the biggest by far, but it is just about perfect for what I need. It doesn't have the Power Take Off installed yet, so I have ordered the kit (less than $400) and my neighbor Tim Hardin has offered to help me install it. That will give us post hole auger and backhoe mounting capability.

Now it's time to start the process of setting up our home.

Work in Progress

2008-07-13T10:03:00.001-06:00

Q: Hi, Dave. Hope everything is moving along as well as the pics appear. Can't wait to see the finished products in person. Becca thinks we should send you an umbrella hat for working in the rain. Love ya,T and B

Asked by Tammy Griffiths

A: Hi T&B,

I don't think there will ever be a finished product; just a work in progress. Now that we have a really good well the actual work can begin.

It is raining and cold today, so the umbrella hat sounds like a good idea.

Love you too.

Ask David a question.

High Boondocks Home

The Good And The Less So

Red Studs In The Sunset

Wind And Snow All Day

Seven Fire-Blocks

Tomorrow I paint that wall.

Too Much Cogitatin'

Morning Light

More Studs Today

Scenic View, Our Future Home

Wind-Chill and Fire-Blocks

The View West of Mountainair

Hail the Size of Peas

Swept and Pushed

A Soup and Movie Day

Freezing With Snow Flurries

Windy and Cold, With a Short Wall

Blue Sky at the Ranch

Snow and Paint

A Working Visit To The Ranch

LOOKOUT, AMATEUR BLOGGER AT WORK

Country Kitchen Cabinets and My Dovey Horse

Letters From The Boondocks (Chapter 2)

Deck and Trusses

David to Sharon, Fri, Jun 5, 2009, 10:59 AM

Letters From The Boondocks

LETTERS FROM THE BOONDOCKS David Doler to the family, Mar 22, 2009 Hi all, I made it at about 0500 this morning. Just a few pictures of interest. It's too late to blog, and I am pooped. Sharon Doler

David Doler

to Sharon, March 22, 2009

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

David Doler

David Doler to Sharon, Mar 28, 2009

Catching Up

Close Work

Fourth of July 2009

An Update for July

Technical Details:

Uses a 10 1/4 inch thin kerf blade; comes with 77 Skil saw motor, 10 1/4 inch blade, and guard kit (assembled)

Has 3-3/4-inch depth of cut and will cut any 4X material in one pass.

Cholla Flowers

Basic Structure

Weather, Dog, Deck, Trusses, Our House and Us

A Better Look At Gator

Small Surgery And A New Ranch Toy

Note to Dave Jr.

BEHIND

Snow Day

Some Progress Pictures

Road Trip

Hooked Up And Ready To Roll

A Note Of Encouragement From My Stepson

Returning To The Ranch

Working Out Ways To Beef Up Trailer Insulation

Travel Trailer and Truck Work

Going Home For The Winter

Wet And Windy

T' Storms, Main Gate And The Cube Hut

Electricity Operational And Computer Restored

EXCUSES, EXCUSES

Headed Back To The Ranch

Our Dog Brandy Died Today

When Contractors Are Good

How Rare Is The Warm Welcome

Mackaela, The Cows, And Lunch

Signing Off For One Month

Mackaela Hooks Up

Next Link In The Chain Comes Home

Trenching And Progress

Sister's little parcel of land in New Mexico

Baby Got New Shoes

Brake Caution Notes

Trailer Brakes

ELECTRICITY TO OUR PLACE

After The Rain, The Lurid Sunrise

Our Gopher Snake and Car Port Posts

My Email

A Note From My Son

Trailer And Trail

Rained Hard Again Last Night

Rainy Day, No Sale After All

LETTERS FROM THE BOONDOCKS

David Doler
to the family, Mar 22, 2009
Hi all, I made it at about 0500 this morning. Just a few pictures of interest. It's too late to blog, and I am pooped.

Sharon Doler

David Doler
to Sharon, Mar 28, 2009