We are finally planting a real garden after years of temporary arrangements. We are a long way from the square foot gardening we did in Utah. We’re at the opposite extreme really. From an urban space-constrained deserty Utah to a rural roomy arable Vermont.
Huge thanks to Fred for saving me hours or brutal work with his awesome tractor :).
Started staining cedar shingles
The house will become beautiful this Summer.
Happy campers
Stainless steel Maine made Bison hand pump. Gets us water from 72′ deep, which at 1.5 gallon per foot is about 100 gallons that we get to pump from. We’re still not sure how fast the well fills back up 72′ deep, but we measured it at the top and it gives us a couple of gallons per hour.
So we still need to understand how fast the water comes up the water column. We also need to come up with a solution to prevent the water from rising above the freeze line. Fortunately, we have 8 months until next Winter to figure it out.
We aren’t drinking the water just yet, we need to wait and get it tested first. The pump operates very smoothly and pumps out a few gallons in little time and with little effort. Our effort to gallon ratio is about to go way down, this will be an enormous improvement from where we are now. Eventually we’ll run water to the house, there is still a lot of unknown on how we’ll do this, but we have ideas for manual processes that are part of a daily routine or solar instrumentation.
From 380' into the earth
Not exactly gushing out but the fact that it reaches ground level will make a hand pump quite doable. The whole experience was quite a roller-coaster of emotions. I find myself staring in fascination at the water oozing out.
Getting a well drilled
Unfortunately not a whole lot of water at 300ft. We’ll see where static is tomorrow and decide if we go deeper.
Very impressive piece of machinery
Not a very green process.
The little evaporator that could
We fired our 2’x3′ Mason evaporator for our first boil ever. We boiled ~80 gallons in 12 hours. We’ve learned lots of lessons and will have to make several improvements to our current setup. It’s still very cool that we are now able to produce more than enough maple syrup to cover our family’s yearly consumption.
The smell is great
Boiling well into the night
We still need to finish the syrup on our cookstove, filter it, and can it.
Found a small spring
I’ll keep an eye on it through the Summer. It could prove very useful down the road.
Humbling cold
Nights bellow -20°C are forecast for the next few days and I happen to be home alone. It’s humbling to be solely responsible for keeping warm. All the evening chores are mine too.
Getting the shower ready
- break the ice in little pieces
who needs Minecraft?
2. Scoop out the little pieces with a milk crate (holes to let water through make it easier)
3. Let things settle for clear water
4. Fill pots
5. Apply heat
Before dusk I gave the chicken a path to their food to stretch their legs and fill up one last time before a long night.
They also got home delivered warm water.
I really hope they’ll be all right.
Should be enough wood for the night, emergency fire starter kit included.
I “ran” electricity to the house for convenience. I’ll do it right when the ground thaws but in the meantime this will make so we don’t have to worry so much about charging and going outside to do so.
A little straw goes a long way
They had a few mercilessly cold nights, we bring them hot water in the morning and let them stretch their legs on a little straw patch. They look relieved and happy to have made it through the night.
Wood push
One day we’ll be ahead and have wood that’s been dried for more than a few months.
Picking up water at the stream on an icy morning
Not a minute after I filled my pot
I had to stop for the view
Most nights, Nicole & I venture out to the stream to fill up.
First night in the house at -20°C
I slept next to the stove to keep feeding it through the night; woke up 3 times, the sky was amazing. The house isn’t insulated optimally yet. I don’t like that we don’t have an alternative to the one stove for heating. It’s low tech and has a low chance of breaking down but I will be reassured when we have another one in the addition we’ll build.
Looks like we’ll be able to spend Winters with 100% renewable fuel sourced within 2000′. Improvements will be quite welcome if we go through something like last Winter.
New Section: Maple Syrup
We are getting ready for this coming season of Maple Sugaring. Nicole will be doing the bulk of the work. I’m in charge of getting the ducks in a row so we can hit the ground running when the sap starts flowing.
To this effect, we purchased an evaporator and 40 buckets & spouts. This should give us 10 to 15 gallons of syrup but the season could be weird given the “winter” we’re in now.
The model we have is a Mason Welding 2’x3′ Hobby Evaporator. It’s supposed to evaporate at ~8 gallons per hour.
Not my picture, ours is currently wrapped up.
I need to brick it and get a chimney for it.
Egg Stash
Some time in November I removed the fence around the chickens in preparation for the snow which damages it. Chickens never go far in the snow and they knew where home was so I felt ok letting them roam around. They enjoyed their liberty enormously and did very well coming back at dusk. Problem is they also started laying; not all picked the coop as their laying spot.
So unfortunately for them, and in the absence of snow, the fence is back and much tighter so they correct this behavior.
Solar Upgrade
The past few weeks have made it clear that out 2 solar panels weren’t enough at all for the Winter months. Short and overcast days weren’t enough to keep the battery charged with even very minimal use and we went dark a couple of days. I don’t have numbers yet but these 3 panels should do a lot better than the 2 I had. I also doubled the batteries’ amp-hours to have more buffer.
Water
Getting water ready for the week
A good shower involves a hatchet
How important the stove is to us now: heating, hot water, cooking & lip balm making
Getting into Garlic
210 cloves we planted earlier this month, here in their cozy beds.
A small ash
I’ve been sick but trying to keep a good discipline of bringing wood in every week end. This small ash is perfect to get some fresh air and light exercise, not big and close to a path. I felled it right where I wanted it, I was worried it was going to hit that apple tree.
