- Part 15

replacing IBC tote valve

My rainwater harvesting system includes 5 IBC (intermediate bulk container) totes, each with a 1,000 litre (280 gal) capacity. It was inevitable that the valve at the bottom of one would misfunction - in this case a crack developed at the handle shaft housing and water came out steadily. This meant I had to study up on how to replace a tote valve. The valve is removed by turning anti clockwise the ridges on the metal coupler shown below. There are ibc valve spanner wrenches Read more [...]

young life abounds

In the past week I have seen many instances of young life. I became aware that this was the season from a local news report about a 5 year old kid bitten by a young copperhead - he survived, the snake did not. The ranger said that young venomous snakes are the most dangerous because they have not yet learned to get out of the way. The next day my companion, Trudy, barked furiously as I worked my 3 sister row (corn, bean & squash) and there was a blur of something large moving ungainly Read more [...]

leveling my fig tree and preparing the tree nursery

The property came with a big fig tree about 15 ft high and 15 ft broad which bore delicious figs each year for the wasps and me. Then came the cold January weather when the temperature fell close to 0 deg F, which is cold for this area and unaccustomedly cold for fig trees which had not seen less than 10 deg F in the past 30 years. Most of the fig tree died and, as they will do, it has produced growth at the foot of the tree. My neighbor came by and nicked the tree in various places and suggested Read more [...]

quick, cheap loudspeaker repair

During my working days I owned a luxury used car which I purchased with 28k miles on the clock and traded in at 140k miles 10 years later - a decision I regret, since it had character (a big wrestler looking badge for the front grill) and I should have kept and nurtured it. At about 110k the Bose sound system deteriorated and I arranged for an audioshop to replace the tuner/CD player and, since they said the Bose speakers were incompatible with the new system, the speakers as well. But I requested Read more [...]

dilemma unraveled

In my previous two posts I described Randa the flying chicken who established a nest containing 15 eggs in the bush and how, after much debate, I relocated Randa and her eggs to the safety of a spare coop. The dilemma was what would I do if say half of the eggs hatched, since I have chicken enough and would wind down rather than expand my chicken operations. The potential dilemma dematerialized. Although I had prevailed on Randa to sit on her transferred eggs in the new nest box she quickly Read more [...]

dilemma – postponed

In y'days post I outlined the dilemma with Randa, the flying hen who established a nest beyond the pale (paddock) and my provisional decision to leave her there and let nature take its course. Well my better half prevailed with the argument that once we take on pets (or chicken since they are not pets in our case) we assume responsibility for them and when we have domesticated them (select bred for egg productivity) they lose their instincts to survive in the wild. Ergo, we could not leave little Read more [...]

dilemma

I have a dilemma. Since I retired I have had few dilemmas - no more the quandary of whether I should attend an important business meeting or pitch, vs a child's sporting event/concert performance or family function. But now I have a dilemma! I mentioned in previous posts that we have 2 nimble chicken, Wanda and Randa, who easily fly over the paddock fence and that Randa had disappeared one evening but was there the next morning and we all celebrated with sunflower seeds. But the next night Read more [...]

2 construction slips = much aggravation

The log cabin was built in 2002. I call it "the log cabin" actually its a house with basement and two levels and the exterior is "D" siding which makes it look like it is constructed from logs. An attractive finish but it requires annual care with repainting flaking spots and replacing bits of siding which have deteriorated. I purchased it in 2008 and have maintained it and upgraded it such as the wood stove recently installed. It appears well constructed but there are tells that some of Read more [...]

biodynamic compost

As I experiment with compost teas my better half decided to go down the biodynamic compost route. My role was to locate and assemble the ingredients. It would be a small heap shaded throughout the day and well clear of my regular compost heaps which include manure from stables - a possible contaminant. I provided 3ft stalks from flowering vegetables for the base, I scythed my plentiful high growing grasses for the "green" material and carried to the assembly area three 5 gal buckets half filled Read more [...]

success with a broody hen

Our broody hen kept brooding. Each night I would remove her from the eggs she was safeguarding and, after a quick sup, she would go back to the nesting box. And so it continued night after night for a week. Our research indicated that if she was kept in a place where her underside was cool, she might desist. I located and positioned 6 cinder blocks on top of which I placed the wire cage we had used when they were newly born. Since the bottom of the cage was a solid removable tray, which Read more [...]