Removing the meat from the bones today was the main focus- but I'll spread it out over the next 3 days or so as it bothers the back. Fresh meat for dinner:

It's just another day of gun toting, knife wielding, red meat harvesting gifted to me by the great pumpkin.

There's what's left of a tree out at the land I think of as one of those huge saguaro cactus. Some green paint would be just the thing some full moon night

Okay...it's been cold for a few days and all the trees are bare and things have been looking dead-I'm ready for spring now. The garden fence called me today. I had 3 posts to set in holes that had been dug during the  evil, hot, HUMID but oh so dry summer. I used 3 different scrounged items for posts- a piece of re-bar of huge diameter(1 1/4"?), a previously used 4x4 wood post found at the yard waste dump and a 2" diameter galvanized steel schedule 40 pipe found I don't remember where. Yesterday I completed the pulling of nails from basement framing. It looks much better.

"June 13. Another glorious Sierra day in which one sees to be dissolved and absorbed and sent pulsing onward we know not where. Life seems neither long nor short, and we take no more heed to save time or make haste than do the trees and stars. This is true freedom, a good practical sort of immortality." From: My First summer in the Sierra (p.39)-by John Muir. He's herding sheep up into the California Sierra mountains  for summer grazing/fattening ...if I remember correctly.

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. Already they have raised up a moneyed aristocracy that has set the Government at defiance. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs.”
- Thomas Jefferson

I made a new base for a support post in center of basement and pulled more old nails from the joists and studs in the basement-left from previously removed wallboard.

Petra was thankful for a trip to the creek and the wilds of the forest.

A pumpkin showed up near the drive entrance this morning- as if thrown from a vehicle to roll in the ditch next to the new bike lane. Petra barked at it as soon as she was out the door this morning-she is very aware of something new in the landscape. It's a strange pale yellow pumpkin- and not broken or damaged in any way-that's how I know it was placed there by aliens...and not thrown from a passing vehicle. So, I've given it a special place on me porch step.

Freshly made cranberry sauce cools on the "stove". And the best spinach I may have ever tasted (organic from Cali) cooks beside the red berries. What else...I got to finishing the stud wall under the beam in the basement-west of the furnace.

You saw it here first! The bike trail/lane on my side of the road was paved today.

The basement post and supporting stud wall repair moved along today. I purchased about $50 in lumber and installed one new support post with a header below the beam and some pressure treated 2x4 for bottom plate of a bearing stud wall to go up later. Notice the 12 gallon water heater in the background- it handles all my needs...for hot water anyway.

Some work on the side porch steps was done on this fine fall day. With no motivation to find a real project, I proceeded to close off the underside of the steps/decking so Petra wouldn't go under and dig herself a place to nap. I used gutter guard mesh in some places and old cedar fence pickets in others.

Petra has taken possession of the "bench" of the closet/wall removal project. It's actually a good place for her as I have to step over her less often.

The mower got a new air cleaner and was used to mow some tall grass and chop some leaves before being raked up for use in the garden.

With the roof shingle siding on the shed finished- yesterday the front, with french doors for a window, was sheathed with osb found at the yard waste drop off/dump. Today a few more piles of leaves were raked and hauled to the garden and I pulled some of the last of the bigger items from the ditch/dump area. I'd love to have a few truck loads of wood chips dumped down there now to cover up all the smaller items(50 years of rusted cans, bottles, jars, car parts, etc.).

Let's see...I worked some on the shed(for metal collection) I had started this summer-started siding end wall w/ quite old but unused roof shingles I found. Actually, the whole 6x8 shed has cost me nothing except for the 4 pieces of old roof tin from Re-Store - $3 a sheet.

I had a big design/build project yesterday. With some weathered cedar scraps and a few painted nails I made a rack for  hanging my measuring cups and another for the measuring spoons- and then hung them in a convenient place.

The pumpkins seeds dried w/a little sea salt turned out very nicely done with the toaster oven-set on "dehydrate".

The pumpkin is now pureed- maybe 10-12 cups worth. Not having a real oven I had to make up a way to cook it. I sliced and peeled and cut into chunks and put in crock pot w/a few cups water. After cooking/steaming I ran the chunks through the blender. A pumpkin bread experiment is in the toaster oven now and the remainder of the puree will be frozen. See the great color in the garden from the asparagus.

...a bit later-the experimental pumpkin bread thing (w/raisins, oats, whole wheat flour, hemp protein powder, etc.) is done and a slice is about to get some honey.

Free pesticide free pumpkins from Natural Grocers today. I'm hoping I can figure out a way to cook it and use the product in pumpkin bread.

"Somehow I never seem to tire of just standing and looking down the lake or up the mountains in the evening even if it's cold. If this is the way folks feel inside church I can understand why they go."

(from p.141 of : One Mans Wilderness-book about Richard Proenneke building cabin/living along Twin Lakes Alaska)

The big trailer got moved and I made some ramps for it out of what I had on hand. The tractor enjoys the work. As well, another batch of toxic chemical free left on their own to grow apples sliced and drying.

A day of no real projects lined up -other than voting and that took little time. I've been selling lot's of odds/ends on Craigs List the past few days. I got rid of so much before moving things here but somehow unnecessary items still ended up following me. Last night I had my last piece of apple bread cake so made another today. A warm slice in the morning w/honey, and again in the evening or a day seemingly worth the effort to get up it is not. Another batch of dried apples are in progress too.

The dog Petra plays w/doll head, but wait- one more look before the sun goes down.

Today I got around to making a wood mallet from a hardwood log. I might do a little more on the handle portion. It'll be for using with my froe for making wood shakes/shingles if I can locate good logs for such.

Like everyone else...today I cleaned and sharpened my double bit axe. It could come in handy for... home defense- like after the election when the riots start 'cause they can't agree on WHO? won the race to the White House. Yes, another batch of apples dried and more sauce to freeze. As well, another apple bread/cake thing- with oats and raisins added this time.

Doing little these days-more apples put up today(sauce and dried) and almost did a load of laundry.  The road work for the bike lanes is moving along-today they're working on adding fill along the sides of the road.

It's a bad shot(into sun)-but here's a photo of the new chimney on the roof. It's the stainless insulated pipe. I may still get around to extending it with another section.

Here's a shot towards the garden looking like winter.