Updates and happenings around the homestead...

The garden is ready for fencing and planting! The row mounds are done!

And I have started digging the pond out! I will be lining it this weekend. The hill is made of the dirt pulled out for the pond. It will create a berm to separate the pond from the main activity of the backyard, so that any wildness will not be hampered by us!

Our grapes, while still in pots, are doing good!

Our green house is full of life, just waiting to be transplanted!

The strawberries are starting to bear fruits!

Even the peas are getting into it!

We set up a small pool for the kiddos, and I am now searching the countryside for a free dis-used hot tub to add to the mix! I was given the 'Stylish Blogger Award' by Leigh from '5 Acres & A Dream' blog. accordingly, I have to pass it on to seven other blogs. Here are seven blogs I find enjoyable! Please visit them!

1. afloat the tributary of sentience - good musing and beautiful photography!
2. Forest Walk Art - good pictures. Enjoyable!
3. Living Our Way - homesteading and homeschooling...
4. Rainwalker Mesa - pictures and thoughts from up on the mesa.
5. Nine Bean Rows in a Bee-Loud Glade - new blog, but from a neighbor here in the Willamette Valley!
6. Wranglerstar - Off grid homestead building project
7. Whose Woods - running through the woods..

Weekly Update: chicken herding, lopped limbs, and greenhouse jungle...

-Those rascally chickens! trying to keep them from going down the driveway to the road, or out of the front yard even, is turning out to be a fun challenge! Although they killed my miner's lettuce, they still seem to be a source of amusement every single day! I am so entertained by how intelligent they are, and by their individual personalities (naturally). Big Momma is still rooster her 1 egg. The babies are getting HUGE! some are as big as the layers now!

-Jack & I did some simple pruning around the yard today. Mostly around the arbor. Got to let that sun shine in!

-Some of our starts are going in the ground this week... And high time to do it! It is a practical jungle in there! Not to mention the untrimmed grass that is now at chest level - oops... never trimmed it when we put the greenhouse up, and now that the weed-eater is broke, it looks like I will have to pull it out by hand! I plan on laying some sort of ground cover in there when I am done...

-Helped Jack haul in his Hot Tub, and got to planning more of our hot tub adventure. Same place, but now that my shoulders lifted part of the 800lbs of his empty, figured I better start planning the footing structure and getting it done, because once it's in, it's in!

-Just found out that Glory Bee sells their second-hand 55 gallon food grade barrels, for $10 - That's $5 better than the other place I found, and I believe they are closer! So the rain harvesting system is on!

Video Tour 1

It has been a week since I posted anything, so I thought I would do something big... hopefully, you all will enjoy!

Planning the energy....

Hopefully, I can swing it! I should have enough knowledge and willpower to!

The plan is to power the light in the chicken coop, as well as a light in the workshop, via wind power. I have pretty much settled on vertical prop design (Savonius VAWT), and know where I will put the blessed thing. The location will be above the west side of the coop, so wind from the rear (north) and wind from the driveway (south), swooping in across the horse pasture, will hit it pretty squarely. I've been shopping around for inverters. I know which batteries to look for (deep cycle). The only thing that poses a problem (though small) is the dad-gum charge controller! Unless I wanna pay upwards $70 bucks, I will have to make my own! There are some good schematics out there, though. Here is one. And my favorite DIY website, Instructables, has a pretty good one too, here. Wish me luck!
Also, when I get the hot tub up and running, I plan on setting up a second VAWT system to power the heater and air blower/circulatory contained in it.
The sky's here in Ecotopia get a bit cloudy sometimes, but there always seems to be a slight breeze. Just figuring that solar would not be sufficient, nor efficient here at the Little Red Homestead In The Woods.

Update / first post

Late in getting this out there:
Immediately started clearing crazy blackberries and dragging loose brush and downed trees.
Bought a husky saw to dice up said trees. weed-eating and generally started getting the land in shape.
I have drawn up the plans for the labyrinth garden and will break ground in a tilling party planned soon. Gonna use Jack's tiller (neighbor located over the hill to the east) and we will make it a fun affair with kids and all behind the tiller turning and mixing. This will happen of course after we do the same thing on Jack's garden!
The chicken yard is almost entirely done now, sans the gate. Hopefully we will get the coop done soon. simple plans have been drawn, and Jack has offered his labor, as well as the rest of of his left over materials from the remodeling we did to his coop a couple of weeks ago. Good reclaimed building supplies!
Started drawing plans for the rain-water-hot tub collection system, and have a bead on a 55 gallon food grade drum for free from one of Amanda's friends!
Gotta bring pebbles out, hopefully from Irish Bend as soon as the weather gets better.
Mostly just a good 'ol mile long list to contend with!