As Summer turned into Autumn..

That still small dripping kitchen faucet has consequences.

When last you read, perhaps you recall seeing the pond work that had been done.  (Pic to left) That was barely two months ago.  Inside the yellow circle on the right is the spring line feeding that pond. 

(As always you can click on the pictures to enlarge them.)

Below is a picture of the pond today.

Has there ever been a better picture of the cost or the extensive nature of a small plumbing leak???  In just two short months (and of course with the help of some rain) the pond is nearing full.  It has about three feet left to go. The white standing pipe will allow the overflow to go into the roadside culvert with run off from the land. And that means that water will always be moving, flowing, being refreshed.  We might yet add a solar powered pump to assist in keeping the algae at bay.

A lot of work, I am finding, goes into putting in a pond.  On the far bank (in the pic above) you may be able to see a gray gravel section in the middle of the exposed bank. This is a spawning bed.  In the deepest (8 feet) part of the pond, near the base of the white standing pipe, are a series of cinder blocks, stones, and other fish habitat.  Yet this week I hope to place the baby blue gills and minnows that will have time to establish themselves before the perch and bass are placed in the spring. The water is still muddy due to the clay base and will take a year or so to clear properly, so we hope by next summer...

Here are a couple more shots. This first (to the left) is from the roadside top of the dike.  The dock still needs to be finished and the area behind cleared of the debris.  Eventually this will become a picnic area.

The second is a view from the dock looking across the road (loose interpretation as it ends another 100' to the left of the pic).

We're pleased with the work, although we still have some wet areas around the far end of the pond. The friend who helped dig the pond is scheduled to come out next week to put in another swale.  With five known active springs water is ever-present, a very nice problem to have.

The next project was some limited landscaping.  I brought two cherry trees, a hickory tree, and a couple of mountain laurel down from the hillside on the south end of the property.  It was quite fun with such a steep slope I had difficulty staying upright and while digging.  On top of that there is always the issue of the rock (more on that later in this post...)

We also purchased an Autumn Blaze and a Green Mountain Sugar Maple Tree from a local landscape supply center.  And then yesterday's work involved placing three forsythia, a lilac, two burning bush, and digging a large whole for a soon to be delivered white spruce.

Having done quite a bit of ground work here I have slowly learned that the best motivation is to not think in terms of digging a hole so much as preparing to open my own stone quarry.  The stones to the right were dug out of two 12" deep 12" diameter holes...

But this is life in this wonderous area of God's glorious creation.  I continue to be amazed at what He as done and will yet do in our lives.

Today, the bathroom remodeling supplies have started to arrive.  The local lumber store delivered the firring strips and the roofing sheets (stay tuned for that story) as well as the insulation and tongue and groove (the trend continues). And finally we're preparing to sign the contract for all new windows and a board and batten siding to be put on next spring...The plan is proceeding nicely.

Along the way I was also blessed with some freshly cut Larch that I'm air drying.  Larch is akin to Cedar but a bit harder.  That may be used for an accent wall or two in the bathroom and the remainder to make a couple of Adirondack chairs for the fire pit...

God is good! I hope you are experiencing His grace as well!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long Hot Summer Part 4

What would a cabin home in northern Pennsylvania be without a pond?  And what better time to get one dug than when the equipment is already on site??? If only it were that easy!

After the spring/well/septic work was complete (see Part 3), since the excavator was already on site, we figured we'd get the pond dug.  It wouldn't be big. Perhaps 60'x90'.  Big enough for a few fish and swimming.  Maybe 8' deep.  

The location is in the middle of the property north of the house and directly in front of Eliza's rest, where someday, the one room cabin will go...

But before I get too far, a couple of before shots, this one looking west...

and this one looking north...

The land is quite dry now due to the drought, but in spring, prior to our cutting in some swales, this land was wet.  There are several springs in the bottom area and four which trickle down into the area before emptying into the culvert alongside the road.

The north side of the pond will feature a picnic area with table(s) chairs and a fire pit/barbecue area.  We're also planning to put in a dock before the pond fills. (It just seems logical to do it that way.)

And so the digging began. But what before my wondering eyes should appear?  Clay. Beautiful, perfectly suited blue clay...18" or more!  The perfect base for a pond.  Folks elsewhere, apparently buy this stuff, but here it is already in place.

And that presents a bit more of an issue for the smallish Kubota excavator. So...enter the Caterpillar D3 - The weight alone will help pack this clay down tight, not to mention how much more can be moved at one time. 

(It's at times like this that one can appreciate the drought.  There is not a lot of fun in having to shift spring water run off and battling rain while trying to dig a pond, but I digress). 

The pond is dug. The clay is well-packed. The standpipe for the overflow is in place (although this pic was taken before it was connected). 

One spring line feeds directly into it.  The other two springs are less active due to the drought, but they will eventually also supply the pond. And now the task is to simply spread some grass seed and wait...

Update: As of today(08/22), the grass seed has been spread, some habitat/structure has been placed for this fall's bluegill placement, and the pond is beginning to fill.  

And to cap it all off, as a testimony to God's abundant grace, we have had almost an inch of rain in the last 24 hours (hence the muddy appearance of the water). I estimate it will be 4-6 months to fill with the coming autumn rains and the winter snow.  So by next spring (for bass stocking) , and even more significantly, next summer for swimming, it should be all set.  The dock pilings have been dug and will be formed later this week.  The patio area, picnic table(s), and barbecue/fire pit will have to wait until next year.

I just keep telling myself, "It's a work in progress. It's a work in progress. It's a work in progress..."

Long Hot Summer Part 3

And so the work has largely been completed on the spring/well work.  Like so many projects it turned out to be a bit more than we initially anticipated.  But I get ahead of myself.

We managed to identify the springs to be managed (see pt 2) and set to run the lines.  It would be 505 feet.  By God's grace I found "Bruce" via facebook.  Bruce is a farmer (cattle) and experienced excavator.  Having done some of the initial excavation work in the area with Easton Gas (prior to its sale to Shell, he was very aware of what he was getting into.  He made quick work of the new trench that would connect the springs to the well.

All 505' of it...

One of the challenges was the reality that the fall from the spring to the wellhead was barely 10 feet so the sloping was a bit precarious.  But Bruce did it all by sight and the water flowed nicely...

Of course it's not just about the water line and the slope, the spring boxes were the more important piece of work. The first one, which would become the main feeder for the well was put in place with a dedicated connection to the spring line. 100% of the water from this middle spring should supply the house ample water. (A second spring is located near the standing plywood in the background of this photo)

This second spring box has a line which can be directed into the well line or which can be diverted to feed the pond we're putting down at the bottom of the hill.  In fact you can see overflow from the springbox running toward the (as yet undug) pond.  A two inch line will be put in to manage the overflow from this box

BUT...THEN...ALONG THE WAY...

we discovered the septic line!  Yep, cut right through it.  This was truly unvoidable since we had no idea where either it or the septic tank were.

 

But yep, there she was...And it was a godsend that this happened.  We quickly determined that an inferior grade plastic had been used, that there were blockages, and that (upon testing the water after completion of the project) it had been leaking and leeching into the well...The e. coli special!

So we engaged in digging yet another trench and laying new septic line. And of course this helped us find the septic tank (an old steel one but in good condition), which we then had pumped...  

And so the long hot, and now VERY dry (no rain in a month or more) summer continues...

Stay tuned for pond work in Part 4! 

Long Hot Summer Part 2

 

This is our well.  Conspicuously placed in the middle of the front lawn (mowed meadow).  The stones are temporarily piled as I harvest them from points in the lawn to save the John Deere.  Eventually they will form a surround to hide the rather unattractive lawn art otherwise known as "the well." 

And I'd like to say that this is where our story begins...but it doesn't.  It actually starts about 500' fee away in this direction. There beyond the garden shed to the right (which you can see more clearly by clicking on the photo to expand it).  

500' up there in the woods is a spring house.  It looks like this

 If you look carefully you can see seepage around the outside...wasted water.  As I mentioned in Part 1 the line had ceased dripping due, likely to a blockage of some sort, whether a kink in the line or some obstruction.  So our spring house is overflowing rather than draining.  The plans are to replace this spring house with a 3 foot wide plastic tube four feet high which will be sunk into the ground.  The pipe will have holes for the spring water to seep into the housing and of course a stone bottom for settlement of any matter and a new heavy three inch line running toward the well. The picture to the right shows the path (roughly) to the well.  But while my new friend Bruce (who has also offered to teach me the fine art of excavation work) and I are in there excavating we've got another spring that we're going to put a spring house on for future use, in case it is needed for the house (or the one room log cabin to be built at Eliza's Rest).

There are actually four springs that we will be tapping in all.  The queen mother is this one to the left.  These will eventually flow, or overflow as the case may be, into a pond that Bruce is kindly offering to help with as well.

We've identified a wonderful, already low area into which the springs, when properly channeled will easily fill.  It's located behind the garden shed.  Topograhpically it is the ideal setting.  It sits just below the springs, is fairly level, has sufficient shade to reduce some of the challenge of algae formation and has sufficient sun to be enjoyable.  

We'll manage to stock it with fish for fun times, place a dock for "the wonderful one" to spread a towel on and lie out, and ensure it's deep enough (12 feet or so) for a nice cool swim.  This is probably the most exciting work that we'll do this summer...

Stay tuned for updates...

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).

 

 

 

A Swale and a Cut

 

There is a fair uphill/incline behind our house that seems to stay wet much of the year.  There is both quite a bit of run off from the mountain and several significant (wet and dry weather) springs just up the hill a bit that contribute to this issue. It renders the land largely unusable. As you can see from the above picture I generally cut up only as far as the swale that was cut just behind the house. (I'm assuming this was done to save mowing. When you're up at hunting camp you don't want to have to spend time mowing lawn.)

I tried cutting it one time last fall and got the tractor stuck.  When I took the Jeep in to get the tractor out I got the Jeep stuck. After getting the Jeep and the tractor out, I managed to get the tractor stuck a second time.  Lesson learned.  Lots of clay and lots of water - don't cut!

Soooo... this year we had a swale cut in at the back of property line to shed the run off and the spring water.  

We anticipate that this will alleviate most all of the problem.  The extra good news is that the solid and extensive clay base we found makes the reality of a future pond a lot more likely.

Things have been pretty dry of late so the newly cut swale along with the dry conditions allowed me to get into this section of field and begin clearing.  The John Deere had quite a workout today cutting a good third to half an acre of 18 inch deep grass and ferns on some pretty rough ground.  Thankfully I had had it brushhogged last year and took out some of the scraggly unwanted pines.

So this...

 

 

Became this...

 

There is still quite a bit of cut field over to the right of the pics but you get the idea.  We're hoping the the old swale (seen mid pic) might no longer be necessary but we'll have to wait until we get some good rains and the wet weather springs run again before we know for sure.

It may not seem a big deal to some but any progress is encouraging.

The lady of the house has identified this area as eventually playing host to a patio and outdoor barbecue pit for entertaining. She's even mentioned a pergola...

This evening we spent sitting out watching the barn swallows work the freshly cut field.  It was quite a peaceful sight!

The next big project is the bathroom...stay tuned for that.

Thank you, Lord, for gifts of grace along the way.

Nine Months In...

So, nine months into the "Great NorthCentral Pennsylvania Adventure" the workshop is fully functional.  There are still a few walls to be covered. (I've been using plywood removed from inside the house for this.) And I still need to run some conduit and pull wires. But with a simple 30 amp extension cord I can run what I need to, when I need to.

 

WELCOME TO POP'S SHOP

 

Excusing the coffee roasting equipment in the doorway, the table saw is finally out and centered for optimal access.  On the back wall is the chop saw which I've mounted on an 8' collapsable table  due to limited space.  I've used old telephone pole climbing struts and steps for shelving to support the weight of the hardwood which came back with us from West Africa.

To the left, as one enters I have the band saw and storage for such necessities as dowel rods, screening, roofing felt, visqueen, etc.  An attentive eye also takes note of the empty jars on the shelves waiting to be filled with canned goodiness that the lady of the house will be putting up yet this summer!

The back left corner has the dreaded "chemical shelf" for refinishing supplies and other not suitable for children things over top of the belt/disc sander.  And next to that is the spindle sander and bench grinder table, under which is the jigsaw and the planer/thicknesser before coming to the chop saw on the back wall.

To the right is the supply section with nails, bolts, lions, tigers, and bears oh my stuff.  You may note the ventless lp heater on the wall. (There is ample venting that can be opened in the winter to stay safe while maintaing heat.) AND the shopsmith vacuum system which has hoses to each of the major pieces of equipment which keeps everything so neat and tidy!!! And of course more cabinets...

On the right end is the work wall with all the hand tools and a work bench along with a drill press. All ov the cabinetry, the wall coverings, and tables, benches, etc. have been salavaged from the house as we remodel.  So with the exception of the building itself and the insulation, the shop cost next to nothing!!! Yippee, skippee!

This really is an important part of my life as virtually every tool in this shop belonged either to one of my grandfathers, my father, or Carol's father.  So it is a testimony those who have taught me, those who have taken such good care of their equipment, and the tradition I hope to someday pass on.  (Or if the kids or Carol wants, they can simply sell the whole shop ready made and ready to go!) 

I also wanted to get this done this summer so that as the fall and winter weather sets in, I am still able to continue work on remodeling the house without having to do the cutting and shaping, sanding, and finishing IN THE HOUSE! That makes Carol quite happy.

Sometimes it's the little things, the blessings along the way that just cause me to stop and say "WOW! Thank you Lord, for you provision in all ways." God has been so gracious. I pray you are likewise able to find that grace and gratitude in all aspects of your life!