Gahhh!

For those of you who do not know, this past month has been crazy (and the next few months promise to be crazier).  I'm now back in the college scene (for the time being) and have made a move, started school and other crazy things of the sort.  Unfortunely, for my lovely blog followers (who are few and far between) I have nothing exciting to report.  Nada. Zip. Zilch.  So I apologize, but I am still alive and hope to have lots of exciting news in the near future!

Last week we had both the well pumps pulled and fixed.  I wasn’t there, though.  I was judging Equine Champion Challenge at the California State Fair with my friend Jessica.  So we finally have reliable water.  

Our garden is growing.  Tomatoes, watermelon, sunflowers and squash.  We set out our soaker hose for the lower garden (which will eventually be the main garden).  

We framed out the skylight we cut out of the roof on our pump house and stapled down the tar paper on the roof.  Next week the plan is to put the on the metal roofing.  Then comes the siding (of which we may have some somewhere...)!  

Oh...Well

It's summer, it's dry and we don't have water.  The well is out again.  We called Precision Pump out to figure out what is wrong on Thursday.  We still aren't sure exactly what it is, but they are coming back out Tuesday to fix it for good!  In order to fix the well, the pump has to be pulled.  So, the roof we put up last week now has a skylight! 

While the well guys were working on the well and pump, I did housekeeping in the house/shed.  I made enough room to set up a work table!  I also disturbed a bunch of wasps...luckily they didn't know it was I that wrecked their nests. 

Our kittens are still alive and healthy.  They will hide in a corner and watch me.  I hope I will be able to tame them enough to pet them someday! 

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

It has been a couple weeks since my last post.  We have had quite a few set backs in the past weeks reguarding the pump-house.  First Dad and Dave went up to move the electrical panel from the little shack around the well to the inside wall of the new pump-house.  It turned out to be more work and expense than any of us wanted to put in so we decided to leave it.  We had picked up our metal sheeting for the roof so Dad decided they would put that on instead.  One of the rafters we put up fell (I'm not sure what exactly happened) on the plumbing that connects the pump to the holding tank and broke the plumbing.  The entire holding tank emptied and the pump is shorting out again.  It is really frustrating!

Last Tuesday (June 28th) I had Summer Orientation in Chico and Mom and Dad went to the property to fix the broken plumbing.  With only one trip to Home Depot in Oroville, the fix went smooth (even with the summer rain storm!)  We also made the decision to use wood sheeting and tar-paper in addition to our metal sheeting.  So the metal roof came off.

This past Wednesday, Dad and I put the wood sheeting up.  I got the job of going up on the roof to nail the sheets on (one of the hazards of being a light-weight).  We also cut the roll of tar paper into 3' x 12' sections.  We were about 5' short, but after a trip to my Great Uncle Cecil's we have enough plus some for the next project! 

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).