Life moves on. People get older. I get older. I am past the age when I celebrate myelf getting older. But the young… They are lucky that still think the passing of a year a momentous occasion.
As the days count on, the virus continues to spread almost completely out of control in my country. As of today, the President’s office will be in charge of keeping the count, rather than the CDC. For weeks, the President has been complaining that when people are tested, new cases are revealed. With the election coming up in four months, nothing about this looks corrupt at all. I am sure that by November, the numbers tht the President’s office will report will reveal that it is safe for schools to be open, and for the populace to go to the polls to vote, rather than voting by mail, where he is less likely to win. Surely there are no bodies rolled up in the carpet in the trunk of the President’s car.
We are keeping busy at home, hoping for a working vaccine to arrive before we return to a life that involves much time with the public. It is all about making the house better, and building up the things we have always wanted for our little micro farm, as well as reevaluating what we want to carry on in our own foodchain. New hobbies will likely take off by next year if we can finish what we are working on now.
One new hobby will involve something like spoon-carving. I want to start milling the trees I get hold of. To that end, I am considering getting a hobby size mill, and running wood through it before giving everything up to firewood. Being able to mill myself will allow me more freedom with dimensions, too. I would be able to mill pieces two or three inches thick, or much more, at will. That could put an end to shopping for wood at the box store. That means that with a bandsaw, and a few hand planes, anything I would ever need would be in my reach, so long as I can still get the trees.
If I am to ever bother with a mill and even a bandsaw, then a lathe is another mighty good option. Boy, what I could do with lottery winnings! In lieu of that sound financial plan, the trick here is the shorted route to some profits. What could I sell? Milling services? Spoons, spindles, or small pieces of wood others can work with? Options are good! Which option would be best to keep a certain, safe distance from the public, allowing online sales? Obviously I am kind of thinking out loud here. Reclaimed wood could opt in here, too. Random.
Time to get back to a more specified subject matter here.
I cleaned out our storeage building the day before yesterday, and got it organized and ready to take a lot more storeage. That will result in a cleaner shop building, and a cleaner workshop. I need to ready those buildings for electrical installation. I cannot put that off all summer. That’s a whole project that will go tons better when the buildings are clean and ready. Once the main panels are in, and the buildings are clean, then I can look at how the final wiring can go in each. So, it’s planned out. Planned right to completion, that.
I had such high hopes for the gardens this year. I really looked forward to getting a good harvest, and putting it up. I tilled and planted and watered, and got great germination in weeds, but little to show for the seeds I put down. Is it me? Is it my soil? Is it the seeds? I have some detctive work to do. The corn is coming along fair. The north garden is useless, and just weeds. I am like to let pig out and wander along it and have all she wants to eat of those weeds. There appears to be nothing worth saving in there. The south garden could do with some severe attention to the weeds, to see if there is anything worth a damn in there. But even if so, I had to hurry to plant it because I thought my planting day was going to be foiled by the neighbor’s irrigation line, so we put in a hell of a lot of onions. What we see now, is a hell of a lot of weeds.
So, today wants me to clean up a couple of outbuildings and clear out a lot of weeds. This conflict is one of my problems. I think it best to clean out the buildings, and get them towards being done once and for all, so next year can move on without distraction. I need to order a new recoil starter for the cultivator, anyhow. That would make the weeding a lot easier. I guess that is today’s list of to-do’s. The logspliiter it down too. The recoil starter is broke on it as well, and probably fixable. But the fuel keeps getting fouled by water because the top of tht engine is complete shit, and lets water into the fuel, and the carburator. It could do with a better engine assembly on it. Electric start, if it is changable?
The kids are also going to be wanting some time in the paddling pool. No chance I can blame them for that! The high is expected to be 94. Too hot for work!
So, that’s a little update on what is going on here. I am still away from Facebook, and happier for it. And that is an update of what is not going on here. Time to get this day a moving!