Accepting the Will

We all imagine the best for our future and we fashion images that are consistent with our desires. There is nothing wrong with taking charge of our life, and like an action hero figure, forging ahead to make things happen. But, the inverse side of the coin is a consideration as well. We must accept what the universe has deigned to give us, and be happy for the gift. There is only so much we can do to force our lives in a certain direction. At some point we have to surrender to the breeze and let the natural forces take us where they may. Accept the Will of the Universe and be content with our destination. The true peace and happiness is found in the journey, no matter where we are pulled. So says Lilly!

An Unusual December

Last December could just as well have been April or May.........no rain, with sunny days and unseasonably warm days around 65-70 degrees. It made for being outside very wonderful, but, at the same time, where is our water? The photo attached shows the view out to the south west and the pond can be seen as well as a couple of outbuildings near the cabin. I am beginning the long process of pruning fruit trees and just generally cleaning things out to begin a new season. No new projects on the horizon, just finishing stuff and getting organized. If this coming year pans out as I hope, we will be building the next phase of the barn. The weather person says rain is on the way, so we will keep our fingers crossed!

Water Tank Rehabilitation

This old ferro cement tank was built back in spring of 1980. The primary builders were my brothers Matt and Tom. They had never actually built one by themselves before, however, they had helped a neighbor to build one a few months earlier. My brothers were not afraid of failure. They needed water storage, and this was in an era before the easily had plastic tanks were on the market, so they just launched this project. All in all, considering this was the first one of four to be built in our neck of the woods, it has done remarkably well. The biggest mistake, was deciding to build the cement lid right onto the tank. For many practical reasons, this was a natural decision, and one for which no one could predict the natural consequences. Because of the intense exposure to the sun, the cement would absorb the heat of the rays, and unfortunately begin to expand. Since the lid was solidly connected to the sides by multiple rods of 1/2 inch steel, as the roof expanded so did the walls causing cracking and water leakage across the entire tank. In the evolution of tank building, it was found that building the tanks with a redwood roof that was added after the fact proved to be a far superior design. This past summer, the original contractor, Matt, had a chance to redefine this tank in a new and modern manner. With great time and effort, the cement roof was cut away, and the walls were allowed to free stand. Foundation wire was wrapped around the entire tank, and then galvanized 1/2 inch wire was fastened to the foundation wire to make a very strong barricade. My brother Mark assumed the time consuming task of wiring the galvanized 1/2 inch wire to the foundation wire, and this took many hours of listening to Van Morrison with a pliers in hand. But accomplished it was, and then the real party began. A crew of six showed up one Saturday morning, and the tank was re plastered with two coats. This took the bulk of the day, and lots of sweat. After the cure, Matt applied a coat of Thoroseal to the outside, and then the water began flowing. As you can see from the picture, it holds over 9,000 gallons of water rather successfully. Maybe a roof will follow down the road. But for now, we all are happy that our efforts were successful.

The Tractor Shed

Over the past couple of months a tractor shed has appeared on the landing. The tractor exactly fits in it's new home; 16 x 6 feet.....no permit required because there is less than 120 square feet. It is entirely waterproof, with the new carbon plastic on the sides that is resistant to sunlight damage. Because there is so much light inside, it feels larger inside than it really is......
The main reason for the shed is to protect the tractor from the extremes in temperature; to keep the rain and snow away and to shelter the hydraulic hoses from the UV Light because they will deteriorate quickly in the sun. Now the barn I am building can be used for other more fun purposes!

It's been a long time......

I haven't added a post in 10 months.......a combination of circumstances has kept me from the Blog, but, now I am back! The last picture showed the beginnings of a french water drain, and this picture shows the completed barn slab that will be the foundation. All this winter this freshly poured cement will be able to cure in the outdoor weather and rain, and become ready for the building that will begin to grow in August of 2012. After the earth was leveled, we set the forms and ordered 8 yards of concrete. The delivery company had to come out and do a site check to make sure they could actually get their truck in and out of the designated spot. Under Matt's direction, all went according to plan, and a major first phase of this project was completed. Now we are focusing on the the next steps to make the building rise up into the sky.......and with any luck, that will be happening this summer. Thanks for tuning into the stroy of Noel's Apple Farm.......more to come!

Draining that Water...............

I spent yesterday up at the apple farm, doing several important tasks. First, four apple trees were replaced due to poor quality performance. Sometimes a tree just doesn't take. The week before I did an inspection of all the trees, and there were four that were clearly diseased and on the way out. Sure, they would have bloomed this year, but, root rot quickly infects the trunk of the tree, and soon it is struggling just to survive, let alone produce apples. When that was accomplished, using a tree graft solution, all the trunks of the trees were painted for protection. This action will prevent the trees from being so vulnerable.

The other project, as pictured to the left, was the installation of a "french drain" on the bank side of the site where the barn will be built. What I found after leveling the site was that there is a spring area where the water weeps from the ground. Maybe this will only happen in the winter, but nevertheless, the water needs to get drained away from the building. Using the Kubota, I dug a ditch so that a perforated flex pipe can be installed, which will be covered with drain rock, to assist water to flow away from the barn and down the hillside. While digging, I was amazed at the quality of clay soil coming out of the trench. It made me wonder if maybe there is a more steady year around flow of water, only a few feet below grade. I have decided when I fill the trench, I am going to include a two inch PVC pipe, which is rated as "drinkable", and try to capture some of this water, especially if it continues to flow even after the rains stop. Always looking for new water sources! I have now had the Kubota for more than a year, and I have about 30 hours of operation on the machine. I am getting more skillful on the kinds of moves it can make, but, every time I use it, I learn a few new tricks. So, although a complete beginner, I feel like I am getting more comfortable with this rather amazing piece of equipment.

A little help from my friends!

Sunday afternoon at the farm and this time around, I've got a little help. While I was pruning, grafting and planting trees, Silas was working on the Kubota, changing the oil, greasing and putting the correct pads on the stabilizer bars. The day was beautiful, though it rained during the night, but by noon there was nothing but blue skies and sunshine. It was a productive and fun outing!