So sorry about your friend.
September On The Homestead
Sorry to hear about your friend AZ and the way you had to find out. It's never easy.
Thanks, everyone. Feeling a little better today, but there is still lots to be done. His next-of-kin and heir is due here tomorrow, and another neighbor & I have been doing what we can -- bringing valuables to my house for safekeeping, cancelling cell phone, oxygen, propane, prescriptions, etc.
We are in such a remote location we are easy pickings for sneak thieves. I have to go over to my late friend's house again today. My other neighbor & I locked all the doors, including the ones to the solar system and all its components, but forgot to lock the door to his big storage shed! I know there is a ladder lying around I need to put in there, too. We were so stressed out when we were there we totally forgot the big shed, and even put some big stuff in the back of her pickup temporarilly -- we should have put it in the shed!
Pod, I have the dog temporarily, but she was willed to my son, who is working down in Phoenix right now. I will be taking her down to him this Friday. She is very timid, and one of my two dogs is insanely jealous, so she spends most of the time lying next to my feet! She has no idea what is going on. She is a sweet-tempered little thing -- probably about 11 or 12 years old.
Pod, I think I used clear packaging tape for the bubble wrap. I had tried duct tape, no good, and some other types, no good. Even the packaging tape dries up and falls off, but it did mostly last all winter. We actually used tacks to secure it to the underside of the roof in the greenhouse, which has 4x4 beams, but the little greenhouse has a steel frame so it had to be taped.
If you find something better, please let me know.
When I had a self engineered plant shelter I used a 3M clear duct tape. It held up better than the plastic lasted in the blazing summer sun. Expensive but I felt it was money well spent. http://davesgarden.com/community/journals/viewentry/115015/
I had thought about picking up some cheap sheets to cover the bubblewrap curtains. Placing quilt type ties to hold it in place. Then if the tape came undone... Then too I could roll it up and only let it down on the cold, cold nights. This ended up on the not todo list this year but my mind still keeps scamming...
I am glad your neighbor thought ahead for his dog. I worry about that with this herd but had not decided what to do.
How about a soap-bubble insulated greenhouse?
http://www.tdc.ca/bubblegreenhouse.htm
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9141143967660224381#
http://www.midwestpermaculture.com/GreenhouseDescription.php
Very clever!
I worked on a new goat enclosure all afternoon. Finally got it finished. Now they can clean off the creek bank for me. I didn't finish it til late and wasn't comfortable leaving them in it all night so I locked them in their "barn" for the night. Then Marble, aka Queen Bee, was about to gore Dusty to death so I let Marbe out but kept the others in. I know she won't go off without them. I also know she is the least likely to challenge the fence. Dusty is in heat so she is acting stupid today. She got out and if I would have had a gun I was mad enough to shoot her. The neighbors likely think I am a raving maniac. I am just too stressed right now to deal with a stupid acting goat.
Sad but they also seem to sense your distraction and react accordingly. Good thing you weren't armed...
That is cool (...er warm) on the bubble greenhouse. I am sharing your links if you don't mind.
Way too dry here and no rain in the long range forecast. Grrrrr!
AZ, I am sorry to hear about your friend.
Poster, I had forgotten about your greenhouse made with cattle panels.
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/shadecanopies/clear-tarps.html This is what the covering on my little greenhouse is made of and I love it. I found this material made up into tarps of many sizes, which I'm going to use to cover my carport frame to make a 12' x 20' greenhouse. I'm going to use zip ties into ball bungees, so I think I figured I could do this for $150. On the little greenhouse last fall, instead of using bubble wrap, I used large sheets of plastic loosely draped between the frame and the outside covering to create a 3-4" air pocket and that worked well for me.
My thoughts with these tarps is that come summer, they can easily be taken down and put away till fall. Sure holds up better than regular sheets of plastic.
Cajun, way to go on your accomplishments.
Haven't made my cheese yet, but I have the stuff now. Had materials to build a couple of hoop houses in the garden to cover tomato and pepper plants delivered this morning. I need a good swift kick to get me in gear...
However, I did clear out a junk closet and transformed it into a full fledge pantry. And I did empty my little 6' x 8' junk filled shed and lined the walls with shelves and organized everything into nice neat clear plastic tubs. So I haven't been entirely unproductive.
What's a ball bungee? I saw them listed but not a photo...
Sounds like you got plenty done. It always feels good to get that kinda stuff accomplished.
A ball bungee is a bungee chord with a plastic ball attached to one end. You can thread it around and then let the ball hold the tension. The 2 ends instead of having a hook, come together and have one big ball.
I had too much wire on my charger to get a good charge so I had to put up a cross fence in the goat pen and cut the wire to the old up the hill lot. It's just sticks and dust now but they like the big rocks up there and sliding down the hill. But they do like the weeds in the new pen. They have not ventured too far into it yet.
The ball bungees were $.45 cents each and the total needed would cost almost as much as just the tarps. These tarps have more grommets than regular tarps. Although the ball bungees work great and are easy to use, after being in place for a few months, when removed, they are pretty well stretched out and have to be replaced. I think the zip ties would work fine and be a lot cheaper. Any thoughts?
I am in awe of you gals putting up electric fences. I am such a coward with electricity.
Going to work on my hoophouses today. It was 36 this morning. UGH!
I think zip ties would be fine.
- And you don't turn on the electricity until the fence is up.
Oh yeah, Pork. You do it the easy way. ROFLMBO
I have a goat I am going to sell. Dusty will not stay in the fence. She has been out 3 times in 2 days and right now I cannot stand the aggravation. The other 2 don't give me any trouble an they are much tamer and easier to handle than she is. I have her chained right now in the middle of the lot.
I'm sure the wire ties will work fine. I use them for lots of stuff.
Well, still no hoophouses up. A cold front moved in with high winds and sprinkles. I might work on them a little later today, if the winds die down.
Garden tractor battery is dead, so I can't haul all my supplies on the wagon with it.
I've had AC/Heat repair guys here for 2 days. The original installer 7 years ago, did a lousy job of wiring and it finally all came to head and burnt out a circuit board, a transformer and 3 circuit breakers, plus the thermostat needed to be replaced.
DH is sick out in Utah, and I wasn't showing any sympathy, when I said he still needed to work.
Now I'm going to drown my sorrows in a package of cookies....
Sounds like you need a hug... (((Robin)))
Sorry you are having such a rotten day. I hate that winter is coming soon.
Thanks for the hug, Darius. Only took 3 cookies to feel better. lol
It could be worse...we could NOT have the money for the repairs. Never fails, though, get a little ahead and something breaks down. But it's all good...we'll have heat this winter.
Got all my hoophouse materials moved over to the garden and no repair men tomorrow, nor do I have to make a trip into town, so should be able to get an early start on putting them up. Only suppose to get down to 40 tonite.
36°? Wow! Seems like I saw you mention it being 100° just a little while back.
We are just first cooling down here. And dry, dry, dry but I have a plan. I cannot keep plants alive in the ground. I have a few I want to keep so will dig and pot them up this weekend. When I rework the soil and replant them, I intend to add water absorbent crystals to the soil to help retain moisture. Ordering a gallon of them. How screwy this weather is... we are dry and yet from the midwest to the east coast is flooding. What next?
Yes, the zip ties will work and will definitely be cheaper that the bungee balls. I used them to build a fence out of cattle panels. I bought a package of 300 ~ 11" ties for $7.00. They can't be reused but it sounds like the bungee balls can't either.
Care to share a cookie? Those must have been great if it only took three.
LOL Yep, one day last week was 99 and two days ago it hit 90. Yesterday and today 79, but after the cold front this afternoon, it dropped to 57. And still no rain....sprinkles earlier today only lasted 15 minutes.
That's a great idea with water absorbent crystals. Never thought of working them into the soil.
I didn't think the zip ties were very expensive. Definitely cheaper than all those ball bungees.
Yes, I'll share my cookies...Pecan Sandies. :D
Greetings ~
I have started us an October thread here : http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1132562/
See you there.
Karla