Summer is Here!

Yesterday was the first day of Summer and the longest day of the year.  In our area summer finally made its appearance with our first day of triple digits.  And today was just as hot.  Despite the seasonally warm weather, we did get a good amount of work done today. 

We got more done on the pump house for the framing and it is almost ready for the siding!  We just need the electrical moved before we put the roof on.  Then come the gutters and an awesome rain water collection system.  Oh, and we can't forget about the solar panels! 

Our poor persimmon tree was sad when we got there.  Lack of water does tend to do that to a tree and being in a container does not help.  So we got out the shovel.  Then we upgraded to the tractor and auger. 

What would be a work day without some weed-wacking?  So of course we weed-wacked our hearts away.  We are moving out from the house and from the future site of the barn. 

I do want to mention that the bee hive is thriving!  Still waiting to put another super on top!  And our garden is doing well too!  Maybe we will even have some potatoes, tomatoes, squash and peppers this year!

Weed Wacking Our Lives Away!

Today, Mom left early this morning for my cousin Travis's high school graduation and Dad and I headed to the property.  We checked on the bees, who are all doing very well.  In the next month or so another super will be added so we can have a bit of the bees honey.  Our garden is doing well, tomatoes, potatoes, sunflowers, watermelon and squash are all thriving.

Dad and I weed wacked our hearts out today, got all around the trailer, house, tractor implements, woodshed and some of the trees.  The only reason we stopped was because we ran out of mixed-gas for the weedeaters!  I can't believe how much we knocked down and how great it looks.

In the next week or so we hope to get the roof on the pump house and maybe even the siding!  We also plan on setting the posts for the barn in the next month!

Wow!

Wow!  That is really all I can say about today.  It was awesome!  We accomplished what we set out to do!  And there were no major hitches!  Today, Dad and I put all the rafters up for the pump-house!  One more step closer to completion! 

Dad marking off for the next rafter

Using the nail gun to secure the rafters

Me (Katie) climbing up the ladder

He is thinkin' about something...



I'm thinking about something...

The bees are doing wonderfully!  In the next few weeks we should be adding another super (I think that is what it is called) to the hive.  And maybe in a couple months we will get our very first honey harvest!  The bees are a wonderful learning experience for me and Mom and Dad love it!  This Saturday is the SABA Picnic in Davis.  Mom and Dad are going and I'm making a cake for them to take (unfortunately, work is my priority and that is where I will be). 

Progress!!!

After around three months of inactivity on the pump house, progress has been made!  The ladders were brought out. The hammers and nails, saws and levels were put to work.  Did we run into problems?  Um, yeah!  Isn't that a given? 

One post was about a foot and a half shorter than was supposed to be, so that began our troubles.  So we found a 16' 4x4 and cut it to size and went up to the hardware store (which is a little more than a quick jaunt) to get bolts to attach the new 4x4 to the 4x4 in the ground.  I guess that gave Dad and I time to think.  We revised our plans and switched to a different style roof.  Instead of a pitched roof to match the roof-line of the house, we decided to a one foot single sloped roof.  It was easier, we didn't need the bolts after all and it will use less metal sheets for roofing.  So our troubles, actually turned out to be a blessing.

So we ran the top across on the 16 foot sides and put a beam up on each of the 12 foot sides for stability.  There is a about a foot slope on the roof.  I can't begin to say how wonderful the big ladders we got were for me (who is extremely height challenged)! 

Dad did decide we were going to wait to finish putting the rest of the rafters up until next week (hopefully!) when we have a nail gun.  We did however, find enough 4x6 for the rafters and cut them all to size. 

While I was getting our supplies out of the house for today's project, I looked between one of the shelving units and the wagon and thought I saw a cat.  It looked huge so I thought she was pregnant.  I grabbed the flashlight and shined it back there and found not a pregnant cat, but a Mama Cat with four or five kittens curled up to her!  And they are all big healthy kittens with a big healthy Mama Cat.  They don't want you too close, but don't run away when you're a safe distance!