Long Hot Summer Part 1

So the long hot summer seems to be here to stay. We're experiencing significantly warmer temps than normal and drought conditions.  But that has not stopped work on this "homestead" project.

I've been busy with little things like putting screen doors on the house to increase the circulation.  I had to replace a rotten window in the master bedroom.  While lumber prices continue to be almost unimaginable ($10+ for one 8' 2x4) I bit the bullet and started work on the closet which is near the back door and the living room end of the house, including a wood box and craft storage area for "the wonderful one." We're trying to maintain some of the "hunting cabin" elements so (inside the closet - click on pics to increase size) I left the 2x6 flooring and the "wainscoting" walls with the pegs used for hanging up the damp hunting clothing.

Keeping up with the lawn hasn't been much of a problem since it's not growing much. 

I've also been tackling some of the fields around some of which we had brush hogged last fall but needed to be addressed with the John Deere this summer.   The X580 Garden tractor has pretty much been pushed to the limits but I've managed to open up another 1/2 acre or so...

We put in a "test" garden which seems to be doing reasonably well.  It's got just the essentials, sweet peppers, zuchinni, cukes, brussel sprouts, lettuce, tomato, and kale. I opened us the area behind this which will eventually be home to the future garden planned to be about 30'x70'. 

We're grateful to our son and daughter in law for the gift of the drum composting bin, which has already begun to be used to make that yummy compost for next year's garden goodies.

To save on space I'll not include pictures of the brush piles from the roughly 30-40 bushes and trees that I cleared to open up more space in what I recently posted would become "Eliza's Rest."

And now to the issue of the drought.  Being on a spring fed water system, water is always precious and we limit our use as best we can. Over the past month or so we've watch the level of the well into which the spring feeds go down about 10 feet.  (It's a 25' storage well).  The other day I noticed that the supply line had ceased dripping.  After numerous checks, a trip down into the well, and the help of my new friend Bruce we have uncovered the reality that the original line is simply inadequate.  It is an old 1" flexible plastic line which is subject to punctures, sagging, and other issues.  And so a new line will be put in, along with another more exciting project...(but that's for the next post).