Finally, more action...

So, we finally made it back out to the windy hill on Friday 29 May (Xochi's 4th birthday).
The first night we slept in the back of the pickup, but managed to get the deckboards on the cabin all screwed down and get all seven roof rafters up. That night the girls got terrible bug bites all over their arms and faces (either mosquitos or nosee'ems). CJ, Xochi and I managed to get a terrible case of chiggars- thankfully Aza was spared!

The next night we went ahead and set up our tent on top of the frame deck in an attempt to save us from those blasted buggers!

Here is a picture of the tent set up, in the foreground you can see our little sapling pecan tree (part of a mini grove).




Here are the girls being silly, loving all the fresh air and out door play!



We're still working with a rather rudimentary camp kitchen. This is this morning while coffee is a brewing on the stove. The cows are rather curious as to our daily culinary adventures.




Here are the girls this morning hanging out on the side "patio" as we are getting our day started.

The fram at about sundown from our kitchen area while we prepare some dinner.

THE FOLLWING PICTURE IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART! I REALLY QUESTION WHY CRITTERS LIKE THESE EXIST!!!

Now that you've been warned, I have to share my left leg only and the dammage those chiggars did to us.

I'm haivng a difficult time finding straight dusting sulfur at the hardware store, so that I can make a chiggar prevention sock (fill one old sock full of baby powder and place a heaping tablespoon of dusting sulfur in the sock, then tie it in a knot and tap in on the suscepitable regions). We have been working overtime trying to make sure the grass stays rather trim along our most trod upon regions to reduce the likelyhood of becoming host again to those blasted little mites.

I have a picture of my right leg too, but I thought that might be overkill.

Another huge accomplishment was making a shitter. CJ dug a deep ol' hole in the ground ~40" deep, and then we built a frame ~20" tall and just about the perfect size for a toilet seat. Here's looking in the top of the seat. We're using peat and lime (the white powder in the picture) to cover, dehydrate and deodorize. I'd like to still enclose the box we sit upon, but that is a project for tomorrow perhaps.

Here it is from the side.

And of course, I had to put a picture of it in use by it's proud builder ;)



Here we put our rainfly on the tent just before heading back to San Marcos again for the day (to do some blog updates and gather some more belongings).



Here's our white barn with the tractor gently perched in the doorway.

The only thing I forgot to take pictures of is our new "washing machine" and our "shower". I'll be sure to include the two of them in my next post. Hope you enjoyed reading. Until soon, V & fam

more cabin...

So while CJ was working on homeowner's policy, I began to cut all the deck boards. These are also Eastern Red Cedar (juniper virginia) which will eventually be a subfloor, but for now it's going to be our floor until we can afford some nice tongue and groove oak flooring.

homeowner's insurance the old fashioned way

The next morning, after breakfast Mom & I went to town. She needed some time to do her email and I had to get some supplies from the hardware store. While I was getting some screws, rebar, bolts and hardwood dowels CJ began work on our homeowner's insurance policy.

First it begins with a deep hole.



Next, there are pieces of rebar threaded through a 4"x 4" post.



Then, the post is buried and bolted into the frame. There are two of these on our little 10'x 12' cabin.

framing our home, day one

First we had the floor joists all set up (from last week) and pegged, then we took on side and joined & pegged it on top of the floor joists. We had to wench it together in order to get it to assemble properly.



Next, CJ would heft the side wall upwards while I guided the tennons into the mortises.



This is about the only time you will ever find me level headed :p



I'm not sure if you can see CJ beaming, but he sure earned it after hefting both those walls by himself!



Those little containers are holding the first of our future garden :)



To tie in the frame we had to get the top beam locked in. We only had one freestanding ladder and one leaning ladder, so what we decided to do was drive the tractor up to the frame and raise and lock the bucket. I climbed up the leaning ladder into the bucked and adjusted my side from there.



It worked!



It's hard to believe how much we got accomplished in just HALF a day.

This is our view of the setting sun from what will eventually be our front door and porch (later down the road).

I love using the Ryobi (Japanese pull saw) to trim up the pegs.



That was actually the easy part, day two was rough!

here begins a new journey

We're moving to embark or a new life. We're saying goodbye to the little river village that has been our home for so long. We are moving out onto the farm!

Using the tiny timberframe CJ built last fall, and a lease on our little city home we are taking the plunge. I have turned in my notice at work, my last day is going to be right around the 15th of May which is right around the corner!!!

We have purchased a year's supply of organic seeds. CJ and I began raising the frame he built this week. Here is where I am asking your help. All we have the frame, no doors, windows, roofing materials or siding. I am asking you; our friends and family, to help contribute to the cause if you are able. We anticipate the remaining costs to run right at about $900 (about $300 roof & roofing materials, $300 for the siding, and hopefully we can find some doors and windows for right around $300 as well). Of course there's plenty more that can be done, but this is a good estimate to get at least basic shelter. I will keep you updated as we make progress.

a dream of simplicity

Our dream is to live the simple life. To spend our time doing the basics. At the farm on the windy hill there are currently 9 longhorns. We hope to eventually add some bison, a nubian dairy goat, chickens, and either sheep or alpacas. I would love my days to be occupied by tending the garden, playing with our children, milking our goat, collecting eggs, caring for our animals, eating wholesome foods we grew with love and spinning yarn! :D

Are we going to be able to fullfill our dream?

Stay posted and you will see ;)

We're certainly not alone with our dream, looking for images of sheep I stumbled upon this Micro-Eco Farming Magazine looks like I have plenty of reading material for the rest of the evening :)

new beginings

Xochi really loves this black cow. So strange how she picked that one out out of all of them. Look at her look at "her" heffer adoringly!



Here is the begining of our new home!


This handsome bull is going to fetch a pretty something at market. Mmmm, makes me hungry for CJ's magic jalepeno burgers ;)



Here's the whole lot of them together.