sweet potato wrapped in foil

The last sweet potato of the year-cooked on top of the wood stove. An pan turned upside down over the potato works quite well as a makeshift oven.

December 25th at the Jacks Fork river- warm and sunny.

More progress on the kitchen wall. The area near the stove is done except for the portion below the yellow band. Grouting will really make the pieces stand out.

over the stove

over the sink

Today I got myself to write the checks for real estate and personal property taxes- to be sent before the year ends. And, of course, more bits of this and that and broken tile was glued to the kitchen wall.

far right corner- to right of stove

The mosaic project in the kitchen is coming along...taking on a life. If this video works- just ignore the mess...and the sound. And probably not good to view large- I didn't think to up the resolution before shooting it.

The best way to heat your space is by baking sweet potatoes.

looking up at bottom shelf-they're more hidden on a regular cabinet

I installed 3 LED under cabinet lights on the far end- and I'm quite satisfied with them. The brightness and the color are good. The specs say 449 lumens- I think that's for all 3 lights together. There is virtually no heat thrown off from them, unlike the other ones I have with the G8 (I think) bulbs.

large blue tile over the stove+ burnt yellowish small squares

The back splash/wall tile work has been started. There will be wavy line of small square burnt yellow tiles and some crisscrossing diagonal stripes that will break it all up into smaller patches to focus on. The area below the wavy yellow line of tiles will have to wait till I decide on what base cabinets and counter will be going in.

I couldn't help myself- no one could. It made no sense to not run wiring( a switched circuit) for more under cabinet lighting at the far end of the kitchen counter so I've done such...but also, while the wall was opened up it was time to run a proper circuit for grounded receptacles for the rear closed in porch. The only existing receptacle on the porch was a non-grounded one someone brought down from the lighting circuit. So- soon the freezer will have a proper 3 prong receptacle.

a quick bread made w/oranges and cranberries

I made a few experimental breads trying to use up excess oranges. The one in the little cast iron frying pan went quick.

the bedroom gets updated to grounded wiring

The kitchen electric has moved along. 2 new GFIC receptacles along the counter and while I was at it- a new box, wire and receptacle in the bedroom. I also installed a piece of 3" thick cedar as a shelf over the stove. I put in hooks to hang my everyday pots and pans- the lids are on hooks I put in the new shelves in the new corner bead board unit.

shrunken frozen pumpkin

wiring below the new bead board shelf unit

Thinking I may get to the mosaic/tile back splash this winter- I figured I needed to do the last of the electric updating. More receptacles are going in over counter and maybe another switched circuit for under cabinet puck lights. Strange diagonal bracing in wall required more plaster excavation than generally required.

...and Petra at play

round hole is for electric/light fixture

I worked more on the kitchen shelf unit outside and then brought it in and mounted it on the wall. It will get some more detail later- trim and such, but it's up where it belongs.

That old bead board corner "closet thing" in basement is now gone, leaving functional basement room- and raw material for a bead board corner shelf thing for the kitchen wall.

nailing  pieces together for back of shelf unit

the beginning of something- the back and side

 The shelf unit is coming together.

shelves going in

The shelves are going in- made from the lids of those small shipping boxes I cut up a while back. There will be more...just wait.

Somewhere near Salida Colorado 11/2014

I'd lose my head if it weren't attached.

Trailer on lot in Salida...a blank canvas
A nice fence will do it wonders. Check out the street view. The big blue storage trailer thing to left is not there anymore. The 1981 trailer is in pretty good shape- very sound and not abused. The old Spartan on lot to right is also available and would be a great project also- though a bit small. Spartans are classics:
Spartans

Petra at the Arkansas River, downtown Salida

the old cut out- resting on floor

I thought I was done posting here- but here I go again. The stack in the basement finally moved close enough to the top of the list that I chose it. I had to manage 6 different fittings in less than 4' of space. I now have a drain plumbed for the washing machine and the laundry sink as well.

the new- almost done

The neighbors leaves in me yard- a tulip poplar I think.

The chimney also worked it's way to the top of the list. Tuck pointing was needed on all sides. Ignore the smudges, it cleaned up well afterwards.

salvaged lumber becomes firewood

I've been cutting up any unpainted lumber I've scrounged- for firewood/heat. I dug a hole in the rear yard near the fence to deposit the ashes over the winter- ashes with nails. It's been cold enough in the mornings and evenings to gift myself a little fire. I've been warming the kitchen with cooking. I large pot of tomato based soup. I cut up, skins in tact, all my red tomatoes picked before the frost the other night. I cooked them down with beet greens and stems and the chard leaves and stems, some onions and quinoa too- and threw in lentils and rice I pre-cooked. It turned out great and extra to freeze.

Yesterday it was corn bread and today a pumpkin bread with no pumpkin. In the pumpkin's stead I used home grown plumbs I'd chopped and frozen and raisins and some crab apple spread canned 2 years ago. The house is warm.

rear door getting new weather stripping, threshold work, etc

Things are settling into winter mode here. Not a lot going on but trying to focus on projects that can't be done once real cold sets in. I started painting the interior of the side/basement entry/stairway but will wait for it to be closer to 70 again so the paint can dry with the doors open. It was 60 in the house this a.m. when I woke- the coolest it's been so far. Outside, I think it was down in the 40's over night. The neighbors tulip polar tree is all yellow-orange leaves now. My house plants are back indoors and yesterday, I think, was the first day I kept all the windows closed- as it didn't make it above 58 degrees. It's time to put the hose up I guess- and shut off the water to outdoor faucets...and come up with some curtains to close off my extra rooms and the door way to rear porch/entry. Winter.

basement stairway getting fresh paint...and lotsa caulk

Petra eats apples- after playing with them a while.

Where was I?
The "hutch thing" I built to separate the kitchen/dining from hall/bath now has the lower portion primed- so I can picture the finished look now. I racked another jug of apple hooch into mason jars- ready for drinking. The 2 jugs from the home juiced apples are fermenting well.

I'm still getting chard and beet greens from the garden bed. The sauteed/steamed greens, with some chopped onions and apple cider vinegar are to be missed.

framing the wall using 2x6's

I left the basement stairway/entrance work to be continued another day and started on the wall outside the bathroom- separating the entrance and clothing shelves from the kitchen/dining area. I made a wall of 2x6's with bead board ply on kitchen side as a wainscoting, shelves in the middle with bead board backing and a transom window at top. So now I don't have to look at the clothes while in the kitchen.

mostly done except for trim and finish

the rot in basement entry/stairwell

Finally- some fall rainy days to be inside and get to the basement entry/stairwell work. I dealt with the rotted sheathing from the back side and cut out rotted bead board and replaced it. I dealt with the lack of flashing on the outside on that little roof and started putting in shelves by the side entry door.

the old window behind the siding- now covered inside

now it looks like this- ready for paint work

The latest batches of hard cider brewing from home juiced apples are very active.

Petra walking the tracks in Colorado- a bit s.e of Salida

I picked the last of the red tomatoes and green and red peppers. I harvested a bunch of the 2 varieties of chard and some beets and beet greens and made a big pot of soup using a jar of canned chicken I helped kill and process a year or so ago. It's that time of year for soups and the wood stove. I am drying more homegrown urban-scavenged sliced apples too. Also, I have started 3 more gallon batches of hard cider in the past week. 1 with juice from Paonia and 2 using juice from local homegrown apples juiced in a juicer with about a quart of fresh juiced crab apples in each of those.

I cleaned the wood stove and had the first fire of the season a few nights ago. Petra laid down next to it's warmth. Oh, also I properly mounted some metal an inch of the walls behind and to the side of the stove- a piece of scrap stainless and a washing machine front.

Just before the recent trip I picked up a shell for the truck- a $100 Craigs List special. It worked out well and didn't seem to negatively effect the mpg.

I'm back from Colorado. A lot of tomatoes on the vines and no time to deal with them. The chard patch is still doing fine- I missed the fresh greens. In Colorado, at Delicious Orchards , I camped and ate lots of apples fresh from the trees.

survey stakes found

Friday thru Monday, each day I went to a 15 acre property to inspect land, water and structures.

Petra investigating some field

sitting on The Mound

some wooded pasture waiting for a cabin

the back side of The(sit-upon) Mound

the cow across the street wanted to be pet

Petra liked to swim in the farmers ditch at front of property