Trailer And Trail

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.
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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!
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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

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

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.
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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.
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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

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

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

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

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.

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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.

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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?

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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.
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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

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.
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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.
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The Metal Building Looms Large

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

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.


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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.

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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.
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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.
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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

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.

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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.


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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

We Have A well

Q: Hi Dave,The place is starting to take shape. Did they finish drilling the well? Once the well is complete, will you be pouring the foundation for the Modular Home? I'm glad to see people are checking in on you frequently and inviting you for dinner. It sounds like your neighbors are very friendly and outgoing. We miss you here at the office. Your seat is vacant in case you want to come back. keep up the good work and be safe. Talk to ya soon! Mark

Asked by Mark Sullivan

A: Hi Mark,

Yes, we hit water this morning. 3 to 5 gallons per minute at 820 feet and another 3 or so at 880. I authorized drilling to 900 feet for good packing depth. thats when we hit the second stream at 880. That was more than twice as deep as I thought I was prepared to go, but it's like Las Vegas: if you lose you double down. Sometimes you win and sometimes you just lose twice as much!

Yes, also on the house foundation. Now that we have a well, we know where to put the house and the power lines, and my big metal building.

I guess I have to say I don't think I could ever come back to the desk job. With the work, my strength is returning, I'm losing weight (I'm in the last hole in my work belt) and I am sleeping better than I have in years, even on this stupid camp cot.

I'm leaving tonight to go get my tractor. More pictures of it on Monday.

Miss you too. 

 

Ask David a question.

Raftering In The Rain "Cool"

At first I tried to stay dry, but as John Houseman used to say,"That Don't feed the bulldog." So I put on my rain hat and a long-sleeved khaki shirt and just got it done.

Drilling And Decking

The drilling rig arrived promptly at 07:15. They had departed from Pietown, NM at 03:30. Setup was a choreographed routine, and the bit began to turn less than an hour after arrival.
First day was 280 feet through several strata of hard rock. Tomorrow or the day after will hit 400+ where the good water is expected to be. Keep your fingers crossed.


On a lighter note I'm now playing with a full deck and a good set of steps that double as a stoop and a workbench. Raftering and roofing begin today.

At Last , A Tractor

I found it. It's in Nunn, Colorado, but it's the right tractor at the right price. I'll go get it next weekend.


It's a 1969 International 3414 diesel tractor (40 HP). Front end loader, ready to accept backhoe attachment. Hydrostatic transmission works great. Engine has been overhauled and has very few hours on it since. 3-point with a hydraulic adjustable two-way top link. New batteries (1 year old). Ready to work, fires every time, includes a box blade shown in the picture.

The Rain Came Down In Buckets

Before sundown the sky was full in all directions of those "isolated" T-storms that forecasters talk about so casually. Then about 7:30 one of them parked right over the top of my shack and poured it's heart out. I guarantee you that if I could have captured just half the water that fell within 100 feet of me last night I wouldn't need a well.

All my deck posts look like they've been in the ground for years, and the odd thing is there is no mud. The ground is still the dark color of wet, but nothing sticks to my shoes.
It's a good thing my generators are good quality. They both tested out fine despite being thoroughly soaked.
Through the powerful resource of Craigslist, I found a heavy duty trailer capable of carrying a medium sized tractor (when I find one); so yesterday, I drove up to Tijeres and towed it back to the ranch. It is well used and ugly, in the "Western" way, but it is fully functional and very well mannered on tow. I am pleased. It will serve for many years.

Even though it is the 4th of July, I've got my work cut out for me today. Every thing that got soaked last night has got to be laid out to dry and then re-stored. I have four more 12x16 blue/silver tarps that I'll put to use. If the rains come again this afternoon I will be better prepared.

Q: I called today aabout 10 AM and asked if you would be interested in a home cooked meal. We, Jude and I, live a couple of miles East off of Hwy. 60 in Loma Parda on 41 acres. We are 60+ and have done all the work on our place by ourselves with a little help from friends on the harder stuff. It is a strawbale of two different types of construction. Split level. We have a wonderful well, shop/barn, 1500 sq.ft. house and an rv hookup area and a few other ammenities. Call me when you catch a breath.

Asked by Roy Kirby

A: Roy, thanks for the invite to a home cooked meal. Lasagna, home made bread, and civilized company. Sounds great. 5pm Saturday is on.

Ask David a question.

Q: I'm glad to read that your doing well and are having frequent visitors. Visitors are a good thing, they keep from forgeting that your retired and keep your pace healthy. take care and post photos

Asked by Terry Chancellor

A: Terry, good to hear your gravelly voice. I will post pictures if you can get one of the young geniuses at CDG to tell me what program to use to make them smaller. Most of mine are coming out at 1.5 MB. Is it the camera setting or something else I'm doing wrong. It ain't tech writing for pete's sake.

Ask David a question.