AZ PACA FUN FARM

The Kitfox

2010-12-21T13:31:00.000-08:00

Well, Marty and I drove to Victorville and purchased the Kitfox and brought it home. It pulled behind us on it's custom trailer just fine. It was after 3am when I got home so I left it as is and crashed into bed. I got up to threatening skys so I put a small tarp over the open Turtle Deck area so rain wouldn't get in. Then the rain began and it rained all day. It has been cloudy every day so I haven't accomplished much on it.... I bought a new battery for it today, and some clear fuel lines for the line from the wing tank to the header tank between the firewall and the instrument panel. Marty and I got our first flights in the Cessna 162 Sky Catcher yesterday. I decided that learning in the Cub with no chance of ever flying Solo in it was counterproductive.
Once we are at that point we would have to switch to another school where they have rentable aircraft for us to solo in..... So I made the change now to the Cessna Dealer at Falcon Field.
The Cessna on-line ground school program is very Kewl... Marty is much happier too with the new airplane, and instructor, and being able to see the structured direction towards completion of our goal.... We hope to really get down to business after the Holidays and fly twice a week to get through this as quickly as possible.... So, that is the latest.... More later Bob

Latest Stuff

2010-12-10T18:46:00.000-08:00

Hey, I know it's been a long time since I was here, but after the Boys left there just wasn't much to write about.... I am still taking care of things, the Goats are very happy, and the Chickens (well what is left of them) are doing Ok. We have had a Coyote problem lately and have lost 4 chickens. It is always at dawn when they are passing by and wait for Ben to go into the house, and then they jump the back fence, grab one and run off with it all the while the others are raising a ruckus which alerts Ben, but too late...... So I have been working on their Coop to make it so the chickens can't get out at night so they are safe inside till later in the morning. As it is they start wandering the whole yard at first light when the coyotes are heading back to their Den to the East of us somewhere, and are a last opportunity for a snack.
Now on to the good stuff!
Jeanne and I have been following the Financial Peace University steps toward Financial freedom and have mostly accomplished all of the Baby Steps recommended...
We have paid off all of our bills, and except for the House and utilities, there are no more burdens staring us in the face every month.... It is a good feeling....
The VA has increased my Disability to 100% which resulted in enough of an increase in Benefits that Jeanne can finally retire and enjoy life at home doing her Art and Crafts.
I have actually gotten to return to the SKY.... Marty and I have taken our first lesson with an Instructor, and had a ball. Marty was thrilled to experience what it is like to be at the controls in a light plane..... I was able to end my 27 year hiatus and give up the Groundpounder existence and join the world of the Aviators again....
We are taking lessons a couple of times a week, so I can get Current, and resume where I left off, and Marty is starting fresh to get his Light Sport Pilots Certificate....
It is a little weird flying Tandem behind an instructor in a Cub Clone after all those years in Helicopters on my own, but it is coming back to me quickly...
We flew out to Fountain Hills from Falcon Field in Mesa, and flew maneuvers over Sycamore Creek Wash for an hour.... It was a BLAST.....
I am looking at the purchase of a Kitfox 2 Light Sport Airplane and think Marty and I will go get it in California on Wednesday.... I have ordered a long narrow building to keep it in here at home when it is not at the airport. It has it's own custom built Trailer.
I will post plenty of Pictures, and even a Video of it Taking off and flying, and landing on a Dry Lake in California after I actually have attained it....
I hope Marty and I will be able to build plenty of flight time using this aircraft as it will only cost about $8 per hour instead of the $165 per hour George charges for the Cub. I can trailer it down to Coolidge Airport and fly it there where there is no traffic to speak of....
Well, that's about it for now... I expect that there will be plenty more to say very soon. Bob

Jeanne's Roomba

2010-01-24T09:40:00.000-08:00

So, we got one of those IRobot Roombas, and it just scurries about cleaning up all of the Dust Bunnies. The inside animals think they have been invaded by an Alien Being....
Gob Kitty likes to follow it around, or sit on some place high and watch it go...
If we want to get Ben to go back outside, all you have to do is turn on the Roomba and out he goes.
The thing has cut way down on the dusting Jeanne has to do and released her to pursue other fanciful things.
So far the Roomba has exceeded our expectations. It bangs around in the dark in the middle of the night cleaning every nook and cranny. It is funny how it sometimes senses things and stops and turns, and other times it just bumps into stuff and then turns and goes off in another direction.... Each time it has completed it's mission (about 90 minutes of wandering) it goes right back to it's Docking Station to recharge. We clean out it's dust bin each morning, and sometimes clean off it's brushes too....
I would recommend one of these to anyone who has hard floors and is tired of dusting every day.
Costco has them on sale for about $249 and it comes with everything. It seems like a quality little critter.... We haven't had to get out the big vacuum for a week now.
Because the dust is getting picked up better, it seems like there is less dust gathering on the other surfaces in the house...
These last few days of very wet outdoors has been especially trying because the dogs and Cat have been tracking wet sand into the house like crazy. But, all you have to do is press the button on ole Roomba, and off it goes, looking for dirt to pick up. It is out there running even as I write this, and it is not all that obtrusive. I wouldn't want to try watching TV with it buzzing about, but otherwise all you hear is some whirring (and a little bumping sometimes) as it goes about it's business. You can put it off in a room by itself and just let it go for a while, or give it the run of the whole house. You can even stop it from entering an area by using the "Virtual Wall" signal devices (comes with two) and it will stop and turn around, leaving that area alone.
You do have to do a little "Prep Work" as last night it got ahold of a piece of yarn and tangled itself up till Jeanne heard it clicking and went out and cleared it up. You need to pick up toys, and rugs with frayed edges and the likes, but otherwise, it goes around most things. And it transitions from carpet to flooring real well, and goes over flat throw rugs well too.
Well, enough Infomercial about the Roomba..... Just thought I'd let you'all know about it. Bob

Snow? We don't need no stinkin Snow

2010-01-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

So, I wrote Linda at Lightheart Alpaca Ranch and she responded that they have only had a dusting of snow, but that all the Boys are doing great. Bruto is becoming the ruler of the roost. He is the head of the Bachelor pasture.... Who'd have thought.
The weather here is just crazy, as we got huge winds and heavy rain most of the night.
The Green House lived through it because the wind came from the South where it was sheltered by the Garage, all I had to do was re-arrange the shade cloth that was pretty disheveled. One roof panel is loose, but I'll get it put back down when it dries out enough to get on a ladder next to the structure. The Sonoki Wash across our property ran about a foot deep but there is no lasting damage like we've had before. I guess all of the work Cecil and I put into widening and cleaning out the wash has done the job.
I had to get out there just before dark and put more screws into the roof panels on the Goats Barn as it was lifting and banging pretty badly.
Jeanne and I were out and about this morning and saw a neighbors house lost half of it's roof.
Boy do we feel lucky, and blessed after we came through without any real damage.
A garbage can of dog food got ruined, and because we were letting Ben (the guardian dog) inside out of the rain, the Coyotes took that opportunity to jump the back fence and take one of the chickens. I looked out back in the middle of the night while it was raining like mad and saw that the Ignition was on (the oil pressure lite was on) on the Red Tractor. I guess water got down into the switch and shorted it out. The next morning I had to file the points and readjust them to get it started (after re-charging the battery of course) then I parked the truck outside, and put both tractors in the garage. I know that the truck is worth more, but if I need the tractors to fix a problem, I need them to be in working order. The truck can take a little rain.
So, we are still here and all is well. I was up and down all night because of the wind. I hate the wind..... Well, more later as things dry out.... Bob

The end of an Era

2010-01-07T13:20:00.000-08:00

Well, the Alpacas have moved on to greener pastures. Jeanne and I drove them down to Wilcox last Sunday where they are now living the good life with 65 other Alpacas at Light Heart Ranch Alpacas. When we turned them out into the temporary holding pen where they could see all of the other Alpacas, they never looked back at us..... So I guess they won't miss us all that much.
Ben (the herd guardian dog) was very upset when we drove off with them, and when we got home without them he was obviously disturbed. We have let out the Goats for him to play with, and have let him come in the house to take his mind off the loneliness. He actually doesn't seem to like it inside all that much and spends most of the time out in his Dog House....
So, it is very strange to look out back and not see the Three Amigos out there playing, it's a very empty yard these days....
We have put off making any decision about maybe raising Beef Calves, or whatever till we can really plan it out more.... Well, I'll write more as stuff happens.... Bob

Christmas time already?

2009-12-12T18:36:00.000-08:00

Well, it has gotten cold here. I know, not like some have it up North, but cold enough for us.
There have been two morning Frosts that have wilted some of the plants a bit. I even came out in the morning to find the Goat's water frozen over, they looked surprised. But, all the critters seem to like these colder days. We have been letting the Gob Kitty come in for the night the last couple of days, but he is blocked out of our bedroom. We still have the Three Amigos, we just couldn't decide what to do, and put off one of the people wanting them, then we decided to go ahead and let them go, and we can't seem to get ahold of her again. Oh well, perhaps it wasn't meant to be.
We got several responses to our add on Craigslist, but none of them had any knowledge about Alpacas, and their questions raised concerns for their well being. We at least, had done our homework, and had their living area prepared well before we bought them. And although we are still learning about them, at least we had the right food, and feeders, and pens ready for them.
So, it has gotten too cold to do any more night fishing, and although Scott and I have gone during the day a few times, it just hasn't been the same. We keep getting skunked, and although just getting out on the water is fun, not catching anything takes some of the thrill away. We even took a Professional Tournament fisherman friend of Scotts on our last trip, and although he yanked a few out of the water, we still got skunked. We did get plenty of insight into the art of fishing from him though. The wind was up that day, and we got blown all over the place, and my trolling motor just wasn't strong enough to overcome the wind. So there were several places he wanted to fish that we just couldn't get close to safely, without fear of ending up on the rocks.
Perhaps we'll take a break from fishing for a bit.
We got in the onion sets we ordered, and have planted them in the first two rows. There are almost twice as many as we planted last year. We had given away some, and we are now all out and are buying from the store again, and it is not the same! The Chickens have slowed production a bit, we are getting an average of three eggs per day, which is plenty to keep us in morning eggs, but we have been giving away several to Becky each week and are glad when we have a five egg day to make up the carton.
My health has deteriorated some and I find myself sleeping a lot more than ever before. I am thrilled when I get some long put off chore done, as many days I do morning chores and then fall asleep on the couch, and then get evening chores done, and it goes that way for a few days.
We got a huge wind/rain storm a few days ago and there was plenty to do to repair some damage, and clean the place up. The roof of the Goats pen got ripped loose and I was able to get it screwed back down until next time. Two of the garbage cans with feed in them lost their lids in the wind, and then the rain damaged the feed. The dog food was almost empty, but the Alfalfa Pellets were almost full and the top layer was all puffed up. But under that was still plenty of good stuff. Just life on the farm I guess.
The Oranges on the two trees out back are full of fruit that is almost ready to pick. I've picked a few and other than the first one, which was bitter, the next couple have been wonderful. They are all Blood Oranges, and are just delicious. The Green House has held together, although the wind did yank loose some shade cloth, which I was able to get back into place. There are some wonderful Bell Pepper plants still producing, and the Tomato plants have many nice tomatoes getting ready for harvesting. There are some Lettuce, and Spinach plants growing, and the Snow Peas are growing too... The Gob Kitty has been keeping the Mice at bay, so thats a good thing.
Well, the Gals have been in the kitchen all day baking goodies to give out at Christmas, so the house smells great. I guess they will go back to it tomorrow to get finished with all they have planned to bake. I'll enjoy the little bites I can sneak away when they are not looking.
In case I don't get back on here till after Christmas, You'all have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.... Bob

Long awaited update

2009-10-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a while since my last post.... A lot has gone on since then. First of all, we never got a real Monsoon, in fact the weather guy say's it was a "NonSoon". All we got was high Humidity days that kept us from running the Swamp Cooler in the house, instead we ran the A/C which costs 3 times as much. Jeanne and I have rebuilt the rows in the Garden, and Jeanne has begun planting winter crops, like Broccoli and Lettuce. The Gob Kitty now lives in the Green House because he became angry with Jeanne and was peeing on her while she sleeps, So out he went.... I made a Kitty Door in the Green House and put his Carpeted Kitty Motel out there.
He seems to enjoy wandering about like "King of the Yard" and appears to be smart enough to hide out from the recent Coyote activity around the yard. There have been several Coyotes right outside the yard fence (probably wanting our Chickens) but between Ben, and Wonder, they haven't dared to enter the fenced yard. I hope that remains the case, otherwise it'll become open season on Coyotes around here....
The heat got quite oppressive for a while there, but the fans and cooler in the Barn seemed to keep the Alpacas happy. Finally though, the weather has turned and the evenings are just beautiful, and most days are well under 100 degrees.
Now the bad news, We lost China Doll to Valley Fever. She suddenly became very thin, and developed a cough. We did the "Expensive" Vet thing, all to no avail as she died in the night last Thursday. Our neighbor Cecil came over with his Case Backhoe, and dug a nice deep grave out back where all of the other fallen pets are interred, and she joined the ranks, looking very small and delicate. Now Jeanne and I are beginning to re-think this Farm stuff. Now that Feed has more than doubled in cost, and the value of the animals has dropped off, it just isn't very practical to continue with a Fiber Herd of Alpacas. Now that the Female is gone, and we certainly can't afford to replace her, there is no chance for reproduction, and thus no income to be made from selling cute new critters. We are weighing our options, and have had a couple of offers from other Fiber Herd beginners who would love to have "The Three Amigos" so there is plenty to think about. We were just about to buy a $1450 Chute to make working with the critters easier on us (and them too) but now I'm stalling till we make a final decision about keeping the Boys.... We have even considered re-structuring the whole property so we can try our hand at the "Weaner Calf Business" for a while.... Much cheaper to feed, and much more profitable to sell to the packing plants. " Just don't get attached to them"
Well, so much to think about for now.... More later. Bob

Just an Update

2009-06-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

Well, the weather has cooled off a bit, looks like the Monsoon is gearing up early. Here's hoping that this season won't be as fierce as last year.... I don't know how much more the Green House can take.... Speaking of which, there are so many tomatoes on the plants in there that We need to figure a way of storing them.... Jeanne thinks she can freeze them for use in sauces and stuff.
We have been enjoying the squash and zucchini.
The Alpacas and the Goats have been enjoying the Corn stalks, they act like it is candy.
I have fenced the entire Pond area with 2 foot Green Chicken Wire, thus enclosing the area that is already fenced with Wrought Iron Fence.... Banana (and Piccolo when she is visiting) can step right through the Wrought Iron Fence, and although we have been letting Banana run loose with her leash dragging, she has taken to running off into the wash.... Of course acting deaf to our calls for her return..... So, worrying that she might get into some real trouble out beyond the Fence, I have fixed it so we can let her run free within the confines of the Pond area..... That gives her access to the Green House doors, so she can visit with Jeanne when she is Gardening...
She is still in that new stage where she will come back to the door, and when you open it, acts like she forgot something and runs off to check out something in the yard.... What a pain!
Well, this respite from the triple digit temps. is most welcome. I have accomplished quite a bit of stuff that would ordinarily wait for Fall.... Like, I have trimmed the trees, and most of the bushes, and done some tractor work here and there....
I even got the Boat running and have snuck away a couple of times to the Lake for some fishing.
All-in-all, things are going along quite smoothly. (I know! Knock on wood) but, I have really tried to get a jump on things this year, and the preparedness has shown....
The Chickens are very daring these days. They come out of the Coop through the creep gate I made for them, and hunt all over the yard for tasty things to eat.... Ben leaves them alone for the most part except if we go out there, and then he acts like he must herd them all back into the Coop..... He has grabbed a couple, mostly by putting his foot on them to hold them till we come relieve him of the errant creature..... He puts up with a lot.....
They all go back in the Coop for the evening feeding and roost in the Hen House all night. I expect to start finding Eggs soon....
Well, enough for now...... More when the Monsoon makes for newsworthy reporting.

2009-05-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

The HEAT is here. We have had 16 triple digit temp. days this month (almost a record) and I'm just trying to deal with it. It has only been in the 100 to 103 degree range, so it is not that oppressive kind of heat that knocks you over when you step outside. The 110 to 118 degree days will come soon enough for that.....
The Green House is holding it's own, the temps. get up to 100 degrees at times with the Swamp Cooler running at full tilt, but the plants seem to like it in there.... The tomatoes are just growing like crazy, and we even have little Bell Peppers growing.... We have never had luck with Bell Peppers before, but I think the Humidity and shade are working out well for them....
We harvested the few Corn Cobs that made it to their max potential, and they were delicious even though pretty small..... We just harvested the Garlic and after drying for a few days on the drying table, we cut their tops off and have plenty to keep us for a year. The huge Onions are hanging in bags in the closet where they are cool and dry. The Garlic will join them shortly.

The Giant Sun Flower that came up on it's own has been harvested, and the Cockatiels got the flower to eat the seeds off of.... There are about 20 more out in the Garden to harvest hopefully just before the wild birds start in on them. We hope to have plenty of seeds for next year so we can have a whole wall of the giant sunflowers around the Pool yard.... I have a huge

Compost pile now that I keep turning over with the tractor that I will be piling on the rows in the Garden to add to the wealth and thickness for next years crops. I expect we will grow some winter stuff in at least one row, but the others will be cooking for next year. Once I have used up the aged compost pile, I'll move the more fresh Paca-poo pile over and start a new Compost pile while dumping the fresh Paca-poo in a new pile. There are always two piles out there, one is aging, while the other is freshly collected Paca-poo. There is nothing like FREE Compost..... And the plants love it!
We have barely used our A/C unit lately as I have put new sweet smelling pine pads in the Swamp Cooler and it has been doing a great job keeping the house cool.... There have been a few high humidity days where we had to use the A/C unit, but we just got another change to our "Averaged" Electric Bill, and it dropped another $23 per month... That is about $100 less per month than last year with the earlier $75 drop, and now the $23 drop. SO... that Swamp Cooler, and the Alcohol Fireplace have done as hoped, and we are going green as best as we can.
I can't wait till I can afford to get enough Solar wattage to run the Swamp Cooler on the house like the one on the Green House..... Then we'll really see some savings....

The Chickens are growing like crazy, I expect we'll be collecting Eggs soon. I open their "Creep Gate" so they can wander the yard during the day. Ben has been leaving them alone except to herd them back into the Coop in the evening when I come out to feed..... The Alpacas take great interest in watching them wander about, much like they watch the bunnies and squirrels play.
Well, I'll write more as the Summer Heat hits us harder, I'll try to keep a positive attitude. Bob

Finally back to Blog-land

2009-04-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

Well, a lot has been happening in the Honey-do department so I haven't blogged much lately.
I installed Laminate Flooring throughout the house and completely devastated myself from all of the bending and kneeling and slamming involved. The place needed new flooring as the puppies had really made a mess of things and it just didn't feel as clean as we would like, even using the carpet cleaning machine every week.... So, it was time for a change.
The place is beautiful, it looks bigger and is a bit echo-y but very nice. We went with a Distressed Barn Wood look that is not glossy, but has a nice matte finish that cleans up nice with a damp duster, like a swiffer......
Now back to the real world..... The Garden is wonderful, there are plenty of tall growing things like the Sun Flowers, and Corn. The Squash are spreading and have blossoms all over. The Radishes are bigger than I ever remember getting in the past, and the Onions are huge. There are so many Carrots that we have been sharing them with the Alpacas, and Goats. They love them..... The Lettuce has run it's course, so we are trying to decide what kind of greens to plant that can stand the hot weather..... We are hoping the Green House with it's Swamp Cooler will allow us to keep some Lettuce growing, but there isn't much room for that large of a crop.
The Tomatoes have blossoms all over them, and even some tiny tomatoes showing.
The Orange Trees are just covered with tiny oranges, and the Lime tree has a bunch of tiny Limes showing (this is it's first crop). The Peach Tree has a bunch of blossoms, so I expect a nice crop of peaches again this year (now if I can just wait to pick them a little longer than last year so they get their real full growth, I'm just too greedy.... ) I always worry that the Birds, and the squirrels will get them before I can, so I don't wait long enough. Although they did get more ripe sitting on the kitchen counter, the ones I missed hidden in the leaves got so much bigger and more ripe with another couple of weeks on the tree.... A couple of years back, we went on Vacation and when we got back all that was left of the Peaches was pits on the ground where the squirrels had dropped them after gorging themselves on all of our Peaches.
Last Monday was Alpaca Shearing time at our Vet's place, there were about 120 animals to shear and the Shearing Guys (from New Zealand) made short work of it. They had over 60 animals done by lunch, including our three boys, which we then took home (about a 7 mile drive) and then we brought back China Doll and then helped out till about 5 pm before they got to her and then we took her home..... There were at least 25 people there helping, Linda (the Vet.) had assigned chores for all of us. All I was assigned to do was keep the animals watered ( Linda knew I had hurt myself doing the flooring, so went easy on me) Boy though there were some burly Guys there that picked up and threw down those critters while they were stretched out by the leg ropes on big rubber floor pads.... Then the Shearers went to work taking less than 8 minutes per animal..... What a sight.... Then it was off to another State to continue their rounds of Alpaca farms. So now Jeanne has 4 more bags of fleece to work her magic on with the carder and the wheel..... More Alpaca Yarn and garments...... Maybe she can sell some....
Just as an aside, While we were messing around with China Doll, Avenger took that opportunity to settle her. I guess he likes them tied up so they can't get away.... Anyway, now she is spitting him off, So we're hoping she is preggars..... We'll keep checking for 30 days and then Linda will ultrasound her to know for sure... Wish us luck, we'd love a Cria to play with.
Well that was a bunch to swallow, but it had been a while and there was plenty to report. Bob

Chickens

2009-03-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

Well, we brought home 8 little chicks yesterday from the feed store. We bought 4 Americanas and 4 White Leghorns. They are just little puff balls.....

I had created a Coop with a shelf type of nest box against the West wall of the Alpaca barn, it is about 6' by 16' and 5' high, with a shade cloth cover, and another on the West fence to give afternoon shade.

We put the little guys in a small pet carrier with their feeder and waterer, and a desk lamp light to keep them warm...... Everything seemed Ok...... But in the morning 3 had expired.

So now they are in the house in a heavy cage sitting on newspapers, and covered with towels.

Wonder dog, and Gob kitty are just beside themselves..... They are sure they are for them to play with..... The chicks seem oblivious to the proximity of the dog or cat... They just keep on eating, drinking, pooping and sleeping...... Hopefully the rest will make it past this delicate stage.

So, more for the menagerie..... Just that much more fun. Bob

More on the Solar Cooler

2009-02-28T10:42:00.000-08:00

Ok, so the Solar Exhaust Fan set up from Harbor Freight was designed specifically for the little 1.2 amp fan that came with the system. Adding the Bilge Pump which draws an additional 3.2 amps was just too much. I came out to find that the Battery was pretty low, and the fan wasn't running, while the Bilge Pump was using all the power.....
So, I disconnected the pump and re-charged the Battery, and now it is working just fine. I ended up plumbing the water directly to water the pads so there is a trickle of water running all day, while the excess drains through a garden hose onto the Garden....
Then, I came out on an 85 degree day to find that it was 100 degrees inside, while the cooler was running like mad trying to cool things off..... I ended up putting a 6' X 12' shade cloth on the South facing roof. once it was in place, I checked and found that the temp. was down to 90 deg. and dropping..... So, now I find that even on warmer than 85 degree days it stays at just under 80 deg. inside..... I'm guessing that the Thermostat is kicking the fan on and off as needed.
I can only hope that the cooler will be able to keep things cool when the temps. hit the Summer highs of 115 degrees. The Greenhouse tends to amplify the Sun's intensity, so I worry that the cooler will have it's work cut out for it.....
Just wanted to let you'all know how things are working, and the pitfalls I've had to overcome.
Jeanne and I worked on the Garden Sunday and planted all the rows with various stuff. We put 1 gallon buckets in the rows buried up to their rims, and planted squash seeds around the edge of the buckets.... The roots are supposed to grow down the side of the bucket to get at the water that is draining out the holes at the bottom. Thus promoting root growth. So all we have to do is fill the buckets and they'll take care of themselves. We planted Corn, and radishes, and Sun Flowers too.... There should be plenty of goodies to eat soon.....

Been a while

2009-02-20T15:57:00.000-08:00

Well, It's been awhile since I blogged but I have been busy and there hasn't been much to report.
The weather has been very kind to us. We've gotten some gentle rain as well as very nice weather especially in the afternoons.
Since it has been warming up a bit I decided to get the Swamp Cooler ready in the Greenhouse.
I have a small Mastercool portable Swamp Cooler that has a bad motor, and since it will cost as much to replace the motor as buying a new cooler, I have let it sit. Well, after reading up on a site from Australia about making a Solar Powered Swamp Cooler I decided to do it.
I bought a Solar Exhaust Fan kit from Harbor Freight, It includes two 12 watt solar panels, and the mounting brackets, and a Charge/thermostat, and a 1.2 amp fan (about 6" in diameter).
I also bought a 12 volt bilge pump to supply water to the cooler pads. After removing the motor, and the wheels off the bottom, I removed the grill and louvers and replaced that with a piece of 1/2 inch plywood with a hole large enough for the fan, cut with a saber saw. I installed the fan on the plywood, and the plywood on the front of the cooler. I had some blocks set up at the side of the Greenhouse and set the cooler in place and traced the fan on the plastic wall panel with a sharpie. I then cut out the hole in the wall and matched the cooler with it. I installed the Solar panels on top of the Wrought Iron Fence next to the Greenhouse and ran the wires inside.
On the inside wall, I installed the Charging Unit/thermostat, and a small tractor battery, and wired everything as directed in the instructions. I also placed the 12v bilge pump inside the cooler and plumbed it to water the pads. I wired it to the same terminals as the fan on the thermostat so both will kick on at the same time when the temp. rises in the greenhouse.
I ran a 1/4 inch copper water supply line from the Garden spigot to the float in the cooler.
Then came the big test..... It all worked just as planned. The air coming into the greenhouse is nice and cool (humid too) So when it gets hot I hope that the temp. will be controlled....
The telling thing will be if the Solar panels will keep the tractor battery charged when the cooler is not running...... It'll need enough juice to run at night when it is still hot. Only time will tell.
If I have to recharge the battery every so often, I guess we'll know that the panels are not supplying enough juice...... They're only 12 watt panels, I guess I could replace them with 45 watt panels if need be...... But I'm hoping this will do the trick.
So, that is what has been taking up my time.... I'll write more later with a Solar update. Bob

Toenails and such

2009-01-28T11:22:00.000-08:00

We trimmed toenails this morning. All four Alpacas got their nails trimmed. They were pretty good about it, they had their usual initial hesitation to allow us to mess with them, but in a few minutes they were standing and allowing the hugging and petting.... Then the nail trimming was performed with only a little whining and carrying on...
Ben, the guardian dog, was fit to be tied through the whole thing. We knew enough to lock him out of the little area we use when ever we have to work on the Alpacas. But he carried on like he thought we were harming his wards....
The weather has been very nice, nippy in the mornings and short sleeves in the afternoons.
The Gardens are doing wonderfully, Jeanne just brought in a huge bowl full of various greens.
The tomatoes never got much size to them, but they are tasty just the same. The bunching onions are just getting ready for picking and the Broccoli have flourished since we transplanted the large plants into the big garden from the raised boxes where they were shading everything else. We have picked enough broccoli for meals twice since the transplanting. We received the Onion sets (about 180 of them) and planted them on the first row with the broccoli, they are already showing growth. We haven't heard from the Strawberry folks, so I don't know if we'll get any plants from them. We planted more Snow Peas, and some beans on the North end of two rows and they are sprouting like crazy.... We have really enjoyed the Snow Peas in our salads and even on their own with Ranch dip. The Lettuce in the Greenhouse are doing just great, there is plenty to simply thin out every couple of days for our salads and Taco topping.
Jeanne has been enjoying her salads at work every day.
Well, that's about it for now. It's been tree trimming time to ready them for their growth spurt in Spring. I have hauled 5 wagon loads of trimming to the South forty to dry out and then mulch in the Chipper later..... More later

Post Holidays

2009-01-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

So, the Holidays are over and we can get back to what we do best, Hide out on the Farm.
There has been Frost on everything every morning for the past week or so. Not the hard Frost that can kill even the strongest of Trees, but the quick to burn off kind that can still wrinkle up the few Tomato plants outside of the Greenhouse. Some plants seem to thrive on the cold, like the Broccoli, it just keeps on growing and delivering Veggies.... We have learned though that Broccoli is just too big to plant in the smaller raised beds. Everything else in them is shadowed by the huge plants.
I have gotten the new Garden area finished. There is 4 rows of Lasagna style mounds about 4 feet wide and 20 feet long. There is now a Chicken wire fence around it buried over a foot deep hopefully to keep out the burrowing critters, and the bunnies too.
There is a dripper hose system on each mound that hopefully will keep things nice and wet over the hot dry season.... Jeanne is heading out there to plant some pole beans and peas, so I'd better get out there to help. More later..... Bob

Winter Rains

2008-12-17T15:47:00.000-08:00

We've had two days of rain, and expect at least one more wave of weather before this is over.
It has been a steady drizzle of rain which is soaking in and there is very little runoff.
The Green House is keeping warm even though the lows have been in the low 40's. I have put the twin 500 watt Halogen light stand in there just in case there is a very cold snap. That should keep it nice and toasty in there over night.
There was a lull in the storm this afternoon so I opened things up, but I have already closed everything to hold in the warmth for the night.
It is so exciting around here, Becky is graduating on Friday from ASU and begins her job in the Micro Biology Lab almost immediately. So, we are quite excited to see her on her way to becoming one of the huddled masses like the rest of us....
All is well here, the critters are enjoying the weather, they are playing, and laying about in the sun basking in the warmth (instead of killer heat) and running for cover when the rain is more than a light drippy drop..... Ben has taken to sleeping in his Doghouse now that I have put his Pad back in there for him to sleep on. So, all there is now to do is await the Christmas excitement..... This will be a leaner year than ever before as all have tightened their belts in response to the downturn in the economy. Although we have not been directly affected by the situation, the increase in prices of everything has attacked our budget.
Oh well, I only hope that this finds you'all well and carrying on...... Bob

December ramblings

2008-12-05T14:26:00.000-08:00

So it's December and I've just come in from sweating out digging 50 feet of trench around the new Garden. It will be 25' by 30', so I'm half done trenching the perimeter for the buried chicken wire barrier to keep out the burrowing critters. I have four 20' long rows about 4 feet wide, all done in the lasagna style of preparation. There are layers of compost and straw, and Alpaca Poo, and more straw that I have been keeping wet for a few weeks so they are cooking well. I had to dig into one and found that the insides are the most rich and dark mulch I've ever seen here in Arizona.... This making your own planting mix is very satisfying.

I opened the Green House this morning after the Sun had been out a while and found that it was still 70 degrees in there after a night in the mid 40's. Jeanne has a seedling tray with a warming pad that probably contributes to the warmth in there. The plants are doing so well, there are tomatoes on the vines and peppers too. The Cucumbers are growing up the teepee of sticks and have buds of new cukes all over them... The Peas are climbing the trellis's' and have blossoms all over them too... The Garlic are prolific, and the lettuce and spinach are doing very well.
The outside raised beds are still doing well and have plenty of lettuce and Chard, and the Broccoli have little heads coming out too..... The carrots are getting bigger and the scallions are keeping up with the thinning as Jeanne picks over everything for her daily salads.
This Gardening thing has been very satisfying, and after the start up costs, have been a real savings in the weekly grocery bill..... Not-to-mention the wonderful fresh flavor of home grown veggies every day.
The Critters are doing very well, the Alpacas are growing in their fleeces nicely in these cooler nights and I expect we'll have some fine fiber at shearing time..... Jeanne has gone through most of this years fiber in projects for gifts for family members, there are some really nice garments for the lucky recipients. It should be a nice Christmas for all....

Fall rain showers

2008-11-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

Boy, No rain since early August and now we get rain, and it is expected to really rain tomorrow on Thanksgiving. It is beautiful out there though. Everything is so green and healthy looking.
I have three 20 foot long four foot wide raised rows started in the new Garden area. They are all about 12 inches high with mulch, and Compost, and Hay in layers (Lasagna Garden style) .
I will get the Chicken wire fencing up this week so Jeanne can plant Strawberries. I haven't figured out the Gates yet, as I need to make them tight enough to keep out the little bunnies.
Nothing will keep out the Ground squirrels, except maybe an electric fence wire to stop them from climbing over the top..... Harbor Freight has a Solar powered one that might fit the bill.
Well, we have plenty to do tonight and tomorrow to get ready for Thanksgiving with the kids.
Too wet to plow anyway, so will stay inside and prepare goodies to eat.....

November already?

2008-11-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

It's probably the warmest November so far that I can remember.... Holloween usually is the turning point, but this year it has been warmer than usual. I know it will be very cold soon, but at least we are enjoying the present......
The Alpacas are enjoying the nice temps. and Pronk about every evening....
We tried putting Magnum (the Black) in with China Doll this weekend with no results.... She acted like she could care less that he was in the pasture with her, So we took him back out and put Avenger back in so she would have company..... We're hoping to catch her acting interested, and then put Magnum back in with her..... Even He might still be too young though.
We know that Bruto wants to be in with her, but he is a Silver rose grey, and that could cause genetic problems with the White...... We were advised not to breed him with her, but to really try to get her and the Black together, for a chance at a nice colored Cria. Although if Avenger (the Fawn colored one) was to become amorous they could have a pretty Cria too.....
Well, the Garden is really coming along, there are all kinds of things maturing, Jeanne even pulled some Carrots that were of decent size... We are planning to build a 20' X 20' screened in structure so we can have 3 20' rows Of larger sized plantings, like squash.... The open (screened) structure would have a screened roof too, but we can put shade cloth over it in the hot months. The screen will be buried about 18" to try to keep out the burroughing critters, and the overhead screen will keep out the Birds..... I hope to have it built and the rows ready before Spring.....
We'll start the plantings in the Greenhouse early, and then transplant after the last expected frost when the ground is warmer..... We are already getting the rows started with the Lasagna method of readying the ground. By Spring I expect that all the compost and Alpaca poo will be perfect mulch for planting..... This time the cultivated rows will be at least 18" thick with Mulch for better root growth. That is what messed us up last season, the Mounds were piled upon hard ground and the roots couldn't get deep enough to stay moist during the hot days.
We live and learn...... Banana has gotten her Cast off and is bouncing about with only a bit of a limp, I expect that over time she'll get over the tenderness.... Bob

Banana in her cast

2008-10-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a week since Banana broke her leg after jumping from a visitor's arms. She is getting around pretty well in her cast. She sure hates it though. She has to keep it on for at least 3 weeks, better if it makes it to 5 weeks..... Then I've read on-line about them breaking it again from becoming too frisky too soon..... I hate to crate her like they say to do, but I want her to heal properly. We've temporarily re-named her Mastercard as we weren't ready for this, there goes the tractor tires; I guess I can baby the tractor for a while longer..... Of course if chunks keep falling off of them I'll have to put it in a cast too.....
The Alpacas are having a ball in these cooler temperatures, Last night Ben (the guardian dog) was acting like an Alpaca and PRONKING about right along with them as they played.
They are such fun to watch. Their pasture grass is disappearing rapidly, and they are eating much more Timothy now. Our budget is straining, but what else would we do with our money?
We certainly wouldn't want to take a vacation away from this paradise....
The Garden is doing wonders, there is so much stuff growing now. Becky took home some greens for salads at work and now we have a devoted "non-paying" customer.
Jeanne is simply thinning out stuff and has plenty to keep her in salads for the week.
This truck garden thing is working out very well. I know we invested a bit getting it up and going, but it has already been worth it.... Well, I'll write more as stuff happens.... Bob

Of Worms and stuff

2008-10-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I went out and bought 6 dozen night crawlers at Walmart and put them in the beds in the Greenhouse. They immediately burrowed out of sight... I hope they do their wormy thing and make the soil all happy..... The Cucumber plants have sprouted in their starter cups and we will transplant them at the base of the teepee of branches so they can grow up on them. The Pepper plants have peppers all over them already. The Tomato plants still have lots of blossoms but no sign of any fruit yet..... We even went in and shook the blossoms to pollinate them.
Jeanne has been collecting greens for her daily salad she makes for lunch at work.... There are several different kinds to choose from. The onions (from seed) are sprouting, and the Garlic are even sprouting already..... We should have several bags of onions and garlic hanging for use all next year. There are also scallions sprouting so Jeanne will be able to add those to her salads soon. The carrots are coming along, but one kind seems bitter, where the other kind are very tasty.... Perhaps the bitter kind are only good when cooked.... We'll see..... We don't see any more of those pesky Cutworms that were making holes in the lettuce and broccoli leaves since Jeanne sprayed them with diluted soap solution.... We bought some chemical to spray, but all the warnings on it make us hesitate to use it. If the soap solution works, we can stay Green...
Well, that's the latest. I hope you enjoyed the Pix of Banana in her sweater in the last blog.

Latest Honey-do stuff

2008-10-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

Jeanne and I worked all day Saturday, and most of the day Sunday getting things done around here in preparation for winter. We finished the long raised bed in the Greenhouse and are going to transplant the Cucumber plants into it under the Tee-Pee we made out of branches.
We fired up the Chipper/Mulcher and turned all the tree and bush trimmings into mulch to put in the new Compost Bin we created. My hands are so sore from working with all of that prickly brush that I can hardly stand them today....
The Greenhouse is now finished and ready for winter.... There are already several Tomato Plants growing, and the Greens are looking great... We found some critters eating the leaves so are looking into GREEN ways to suppress them. It got down to about 40 degrees last night, so we closed up the greenhouse after moving the Banana plant inside.
We got the Garlic and Potato starter thingys in the mail today and are going to start a Potato bed using the newspaper and hay method to grow them over the winter....
Jeanne ordered a Stainless Steel Compost starter for the Kitchen that sits on the counter. It has a charcoal filter so it won't smell. You just throw all the left over greens in there and they start composting even before you take them out to the Compost pile..... Are we GREEN or what?
Well, it is supposed to warm back up this week, but I'm guessing we have turned the corner into Fall.... and it will be nice and cool for a while before it gets really chilly. No more 100+ degrees.
I actually had to wear a sweatshirt to do chores this morning as it was just a bit nippy.
Becky got Banana (the found Chihuahua) a knitted sweater as it was getting cold and she doesn't want to go out to do her business..... Becky already ran into that problem with Piccolo so thought we'd like one for Banana.... Now she will look all spiffy in her outfit to go out and poo...
Well, I hope all of you are doing Ok, and the upcoming winter treats you nice.

Cooler evenings

2008-10-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

Well, the evenings are getting cooler, so the Bermuda Pasture grass is no longer growing. The Alpacas will not have their grazing pasture much longer. I'll have to give them more Timothy from the bales through the winter months. I'll probably give them a bit more grain too.
The Goats pen had no grass so they will not be affected. The Barns have held up well, and stayed clean and dry through the Summer Monsoon Season so I'm sure they will be fine for the Winter too..... I'll pull the Coolers out and give them a good cleaning and cover them for winter.
Otherwise, I think we are ready for winter to come upon us. It usually comes as a complete surprise as it'll be warm one day and we'll awaken to frost on the lawn the next morning.
I actually closed three of the roof vents on the Greenhouse, and adjusted the fourth one to it's smallest opening as it is getting down to 60 deg. at night. I expect that it'll get below 55 deg. soon and we'll want to start closing the doors every evening. Boy, everything is sprouting in the raised boxes inside the Greenhouse already. I can't wait till the Cucumber Seeds get here, I'll bet they will do great in there over the winter. The Banana plant is doing Ok, but it just isn't growing that much. I guess it'll take some time for it to get used to it's new surroundings. The one new leaf it had curled up when we got it has opened and seems Ok. We'll move it inside the Greenhouse as soon as it gets down to 55 deg. at night.
The days are getting nicer and the evenings are so nice we can leave the windows open to get the breeze through the house. The Cooler lowered our electric bill substantially this year, and not using the Heater over the winter really helped lower it too. I expect when SRP figures our new average monthly payment it'll be lower as there was an overage in our account this time.
I still have to investigate the type of fuel to use in the Fireplace this winter. Last winter we used 70% alcohol in the burners and found soot all over the house. This year we'll try something different, perhaps Ethanol. There are some sites that claim that it will burn cleaner. It sure was nice taking the chill off the house with the fireplace for less than $3 per day last winter. I'm hoping the ethanol will not be much more expensive. I'd love to get one of those Wood Pellet burning Fireplaces like the one in the house we wanted up in Snowflake. But it is just too cost prohibitive for now.... Well, things are as ready as I can get them. I even removed the Mower Deck from the little Garden Tractor so I can use it all winter to haul the tilt wagon with the stuff we muck out of the Pens out to the Compost pile where we plan to create the new Garden next Spring. Jeanne is reading a book about Lasagna Gardening, where you create beds in layers of different Mulches and Compost and let it cook over the winter and it's ready to plant in Spring.
Well, I can do that.... I'll just haul the Alpaca Poo to the new Garden's location and start the Compost pile there instead of all the way out in the South 40.
Well, that's it for now. I'm sure there'll be more to tell about the Greenhouse as it cools off..

Fixing what aint broke

2008-10-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

Well, Gob went to the Vet yesterday and got fixed (but he wasn't broken) He was woozy when he came home but didn't seem to hold a grudge ( I certainly would have) he slept for a while and was up just before bedtime and visited with us and joined us in bed. He had a tremor in his meow but seemed to be Ok..... He also got his front nails trimmed and smoothed so he won't tear up the furniture for awhile....

On Sunday, another tiny Chihauha came into the yard, Luckily Jeanne was out there gardening because Wonder saw the Chihauau and barked, and the little one ran and fell into the pool.
Jeanne was able to fish her out and dried her off.... This little one looks like she might be over a year old. Her teeth are not baby teeth and she has a look about her of some age....
So I put a "Found Dog" sign out on the corner Monday morning and no one has called yet.
This little one has not been house-broken, I'm wondering if she was kept outside or kenneled as a Breeder maybe..... She gives every indication of being in heat.... I can't believe no one has come looking for her, I'm thinking she might have been abandoned..... There is a lot of that going on these days. So, here we are babysitting another critter we probably don't need. She is a doll though and has made friends with Wonder and Gob already. Becky will bring Piccolo ( her found Chihuahua) on Friday so they can meet. Perhaps she'll want to take her home so Piccolo will have a playmate while Becky is at work. The weather has turned cooler just a bit, so we planted some Peas in the Greenhouse. I expect that it'll be warm enough to get them up and sprouted before it cools too much and they will have the winter to enjoy the Greenhouse. Jeanne ordered some Greenhouse Cucumber seeds ( almost $1 a piece) and I bought trellises for the Peas and Cukes to grow on..... So, we're getting started.... The Tomato plants are doing very well in the Greenhouse, soon we'll need to hang strings from the overhead to support them.
Well, that's it for now. More when it really cools off, to report on the Greenhouse activities.

It's been a long Summer

2008-09-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

Wow! Summer's not over yet? I'm getting tired of these triple digit Temps.
The Pumpkin plant finally gave up as it just couldn't stand the heat. Even with the shades I created, just like the summer squash, they just can't take that heat. The Cantaloupe are barely hanging on. There are 5 cantaloupes on the vines and they look pretty good, but the vine gets limp in the middle of the day even with recent watering. Then it perks back up in the evening. At least the fruit don't seem to be affected like the squash were, they would wilt along with the vine during the day and fill back out in the evening as the vine perked back up. I'm betting the squash wouldn't have been very tasty after all that..... We finally just turned off the water to them and let them expire.... The Tomato plants in the Greenhouse are looking good, even though it is still hot in there in the middle of the day. I keep the doors open unless there is a lot of wind from the East.... That is not often, usually our winds come from the west.
I'm hoping that this is the last week of high temps, the raised boxes on the East side of the Greenhouse are doing just fine. There are plenty of little growing things in them. Jeanne has so much Basil that she can't keep up with it. She made Pesto with a bunch of it and froze it into cubes for use at a later date.... I just came home from shopping and find the Kitchen sink full of Basil leaves awaiting processing.... Jeanne even harvested some Lettuce yesterday. A small bag of greens in the crisper in the fridge..... So, along with the Chives, and the other veggies, we'll have a rather large harvest throughout the winter months.
All of the critters are doing well, I know they are enjoying the slightly cooler evenings. They are back to laying out in the middle of the pasture again instead of staying in the barns in front of the Coolers. Even Ben has come out from behind the water trough to lay under the Hay Trailer where he can oversee the whole yard and be the great protector......
Well, I'll have much more to report when the Temps. turn to more Fall like comfort, and the Garden responds with a growth spurt before the first frost..... Maybe that will be long enough away to allow the Greens to get some growth before harvest....

Just Farming along

2008-09-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

So, I got the next two raised beds made, and filled with Compost. Jeanne has mixed her own potting mix to fill them the last 10 inches or so. I ran dripper lines with soaker tubing at the end to encircle the beds. We have the drip system set to water twice during the heat of the day. It is surprising how limp the plants get during the day. I created 4' by 6' shades to free stand over the plants on the mounds in the Pool Yard. The Squash plants seem overly sensitive to the heat and look like they are dying every day, but they perk up with some watering and the shades have helped a lot. The little budding plants in the raised bed outside the front door of the Greenhouse are being eaten by the birds. They especially like the tender little Lettuce plants.
I put some Rabbit wire over them but will have to make some better fitting covers to keep the critters out. Boy, this gardening stuff is just a never-ending chore.... Between the heat, and the critters, it's always something.
There are now two raised beds inside the Greenhouse, but it is awful hot in there still. I'm thinking that as soon as the weather turns (probably the second week of October like usual) we will be able to start some of the cooler weather plants like Cabbage, and Lettuce.
Jeanne ordered a Banana Plant to grow inside the Greenhouse. We'll grow it in the big roll-around pot we have available. It should make a nice addition to the Garden.
Not much going on these days, the critters are all doing fine and enjoying these cooler nights. I can't wait for somewhat cooler days for awhile. Well, more later as things are happening.

Preventive Maintenance or just spoiled

2008-08-28T06:10:00.000-07:00

After all of this rain Jeanne and I took this opportunity to trim Toenails. Those Alpacas just keep growing those nails. But, after standing in the wet grass for a couple of days they were nice and soft so Jeanne could trim them easily. I, of course, do the grunt work of trying to hold them still while Jeanne does the trimming. We started with Magnum who decided that we were trying to kill him and put up quite a fuss. Then we did Bruto who stood there like he was bored with it all.
Then while we were on a roll we did China Doll who as always Kooshed every time Jeanne picked up one of her feet making things difficult. Finally it was Avenger's turn, he was pretty good about it, but kept sticking his off side foot through the fence for balance. So, that is done for 3 or 4 months till the next time.....
I can't even imagine what it would be like to have a whole bunch of these Critters like our friends do. I guess then you'd have to have the Tilt Table and Squeeze Chute, not to mention plenty of help. The same goes for feeding them, we only go through one large bale of Timothy a week feeding 4 Alpacas and the 2 Goats.... The Goats waste more than the Alpacas eat.
Can you imagine what having 30 to 60 of these guys would take to feed? They are making some money off of selling a few Critters, while Jeanne and I got into it for the fiber.
Jeanne has sold some skeins of yarn lately. But, mostly She has been using the fiber for her own projects. Of course we have only been in this for a year now. I suppose if China Doll blessed us with a Cria we'd entertain the thought of selling a critter, but I doubt if we would be able to part with it. Besides, what if it was a color we don't have yet?
Well, enough for now, gotta go feed........

Raining Cats-n-dogs

2008-08-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

As I sit here it is raining Cats-n-Dogs out there. What a wonderful change from the 112 degree days just two days ago..... It is less than 70 degree's out there on the back porch thermometer.
The Critters are enjoying themselves, running into the barns when it starts coming down really hard, and standing out in the milder moments. Ben, the Herd Guardian Dog, has been really hating the heat, but today is just his element.... He is laying out there in the grass just enjoying the wet cooler conditions. (I'm sure he wishes it was this way all the time) Sometimes I think I'd like that too, but I remember what it was like with day after day of grey sky's and rain up in the Pacific Northwest.....) Nope! I like it when this is a welcome relief, and then the Sun comes out and everything dries out and we go on as before. (awaiting of course the next nice rain)
Well, the Greenhouse has been a pain..... I had to go out yesterday morning and un-clip and re-settle 4 panels and re-clip them... We got a strong wind storm the night before with in excess of 68 mph winds. None of the panels flew away, but some were buckled up, or down as the case may be.... I am still trying to put Clear Silicone on the clips so the panels can't pull out from under them, but the panels were still wet so it'll have to wait, even longer now that it is raining again. At least this rain doesn't have strong wind associated with it.
So, the Garden is liking this rain, the Pumpkin patch has flowers all over it. I hope we have plenty of pumpkins for the Grand-daughters to pick from to make Jack-o-lanterns out of.
Boy, this Paca-Poo is really something.... You can see the plants perk up after they get a fresh dose of the Paca-Poo Tea that Jeanne makes...... We ought to bottle it and sell it. I might look into it. We're hanging in there..... More later Bob

Wet Critters

2008-08-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

Today wasn't all that bad as Phoenix Summer days go, but I looked out just in time to see Bruto Koosh down in the wading pool. Usually the Alpacas don't go near the pool, although they love to be wet down with the garden hose. So that's why I find the pool empty sometimes.

Some Gardener, can't even save a tree

2008-08-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

So, I go out to do some chores around the place, I'd planned to start the tractor and move the Horse trailer to clean the weeds that have overgrown the area. I stepped out to the tractor and then noticed that our huge 40 foot tall Palo Verde Tree on the North West corner of the property had broken off about 30 feet above the ground and the broken off part was blocking 204th street. Totally weird! There is no explaining it, it just broke cleanly off and fell to the ground.... If it had fallen towards the North instead of West it would have taken out the Main Phone Line for our area, and would likely have blocked the Eastbound lane of San Tan Blvd.
As it was though, I'm surprised that no one had come knocking at our door to see what we intended to do about it..... Jeanne said that it was Ok when she went to work, perhaps it fell just before I went out there. Thankfully the school kids were already gone on the school bus. Anyway, I started the little red tractor and got my 25 foot chain, and tried to drag it out of the road..... No luck! It probably weighs at least 1000 lbs and dragging it in the loose sand was impossible. The tractor was just spinning it's wheels. I was about to go get a saw to cut it into more manageable pieces when I thought about Cecil's 4 wheel dually and called him. The dually made short work of dragging the huge tree to the South 40 where we left it for cutting up at a later time. By the time we were done it was hot and we were worn out.
So, another morning without getting anything done on my Honey-do list. Perhaps this evening I can clean up the whole West side drive area with the red tractor.... Best laid plans and all that.

Notes from The Better-Half :)

2008-08-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

I've been busy preparing garden beds and planting seeds in hopes of having some yummy fresh veggies by this fall. Bob has done a beautiful job with all the challenges I've been throwing his way. I was able to pick a full bowl of basil that I am planning on making my first-ever pesto sauce. I have planted quite a bit of basil with plans to add more before the end of the summer.

This evening we were standing in the greenhouse, when I turned around to get a view of this breathtaking Eastern sky - had to run in the house and grab the camera before it got away. Awesome! As this storm headed our way all we could think of was our little greenhouse being blown to smithereens:( I will be happy when the monsoons move on out and we can relax and enjoy all of Bob's hard work!!!

Of Critters and things

2008-08-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

Well, the Greenhouse is done and two of the five raised beds are created and need filling with dirt. I made 3' by 4' boxes out of 2X6's stacked 3 high with 4X4 corners so they are about 18" high including the seat. The outside one has two drip lines installed, but the inside one will be hand watered. The Compost pile is getting used up and I'll have to bring more from the back forty soon. Jeanne has been trying her hand at making Alpaca Poo Tea as a liquid fertilizer for the beds where we don't need more fill.... The plants will love it!
On to other stuff, I have been troubling over a Horn Spur that has been growing on Nibbler the Goat that has curved right back into the side of his head near his eye..... We checked out what others had to say about it and decided to try nipping off the tip of it a little at a time knowing that the "quick" was way back from the tip..... Well to make a long story short, He wasn't very cooperative and fought us all the way. I got a little nipped off and was going for some more when I noticed that the Horn was loose from his skull.... Weird.... But I wanted more trimmed away from his eye so I tried again, when he jerked away and the whole Horn came off! He screamed and ran off crying and bleeding a little and we got some "Blood powder" on the little sore. So there we had a hollow little horn that was just a spur attached to his skin. It has been 4 days and he is finally speaking to me.... He was hiding out in the Goat house whenever I came to feed, and he barely would come out to get snacks from Jeanne in the evening. But, all is well, this morning he came right to me and all is forgiven. I can't even explain how many years that experience took off my life. The sore is healing up just fine....
We had a pretty fierce wind storm the other night and got to see how the Greenhouse would stand up to it..... Not well! There were a couple of panels loose and one of the sliding doors had come apart at the bottom where a screw head had broken off. I was able to re-clip the panels back in place and drill and bolt the bottom of the door for a permanent fix. I have since put a dab of clear silicone glue on each clip where it is against the panel so the panel can't pull out from under the clip. So far I have done the West wall and should get the others done soon. We can expect more weather this week according to the weather folks, so I'd better get it done.
Jeanne has all kinds of things growing on the Mounds of Compost with drippers I have readied for her out in the Pool yard.... There are pumpkins, squash, and cantaloupe (for those into that kind of thing).... We have new Tomato plants coming up, and the Carrots and Basil are looking good too....... She started lettuce greens, but the heat got them (just too soon for the delicate stuff) so they'll wait for cooler times in the Greenhouse this winter...... The various Bean plants are coming along well too. The Squirrels are leaving them alone, but the Quail like to mess with them (it's always something) So, there it is, just another week in the ongoing story of our little farm.... Bob

It's Finally finished

2008-08-01T09:07:00.001-07:00

So, it is finally finished. Thank goodness.

Now I can get some other things done around here. I still need to create the raised beds, and haul wheelbarrow loads of dirt and compost to fill them with. I can't wait to see all the stuff that'll grow in there this winter. Onward and Upward.

Is it finished yet?

2008-07-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it is not quite finished, But it does have a roof with Vent Windows and all the side walls installed. There are a few panels to put in the doors, and some pointy ones to finish the peak at each end.
THIS IS NOT A PROJECT I'D RECOMMEND TO ANYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!
The whole thing was an experiment in total frustration, mostly due to the poor instructions. Even this morning as I was finishing up the roof panels I ran into a mistake in the instructions where the Center Roof Rail was concerned..... It is bolted together with 4 bolts, 2 of which have rafter rails attached.... it looked right but when I started putting on the Panels I found that it was off a bolt..... The panel wouldn't fit till I unbolted it and moved it over. What a pain!!!!!
Jeanne and I worked hard getting it re-squared last evening as the roof panels just weren't fitting right. It was out of square by over 2 inches. (at the top of the walls, the bottom was still square) I had to un-do a bunch of bolts and push it into square and re-tighten the bolts. AAARRRGGG...............
So here I sit cooling off inside, waiting for all the Blue Language to dissipate out there, hoping the neighbors are deaf....... I can finally put my truck in the Garage again. I cut up the big box and it awaits the Garbage Truck, I moved everything, and then started the Rototiller to move it too, but the starter rope yanked right out of it.... Just another thing to do......
So, now I'll finish up the details and then start building the raised beds inside the Greenhouse.
I must kill Jeanne's computer, and take away all of her magazines so she can't find any more ideas for the Garden Project....... One more new idea and I go live in the Greenhouse.
So, that's it for now. I'll try to get some Pix of the thing completed and edit them into here.
This morning Jeanne took Pictures of a young Coyote sitting on top of the Sand Pile on our property just 50 feet from the inner fence. He was watching the Alpacas (probably trying to figure out how to get past Ben to get to them) A very worrisome situation. Guess I'll have to break out the .30 cal and take him out before he gets bold enough to attack.

Yup, it does rain in Arizona

2008-07-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

I got the Fence Posts concreted in next to the Greenhouse, and attached the Greenhouse to them with metal tape. I wanted to start putting on panels but the Garbage truck almost got stuck in the road so I had to get out there with the little red tractor and try to pull off as much silt as possible. I don't know if I mentioned it but our road is a direct path for water running off of the San Tan Mountains to the Sonoki Wash (which runs across the North West Corner of our property) Both of which create a mess at our corner every time it floods.
So, after about 4 hours of Bulldozing and then dragging with the Gannon Box Blade at least the part of the road bordering our parking area is somewhat solid. Now Jeanne's Hair Clients can get to our driveway without getting stuck in the sand. The Toy Tractor takes hours to do what My neighbor's Case Loader could do in minutes, but it is broke down at the moment.
So back to the Greenhouse. I attached one panel after a couple of hours trying to do what the instructions said to do using the spring clips. I finally just looked it over and realized that with a pair of needle nose pliers I could do the job rather easily. By then it was so hot I just let it go till later. This evening I got out there and installed the next panel without incident, but as I was peeling off the protective film on the next panel the Dust storm hit with a vengeance and I had to drop everything and secure the Garage so everything doesn't blow away. I did get to watch one of the Roof Vent Window Panels fly off and almost end up in the pool. There was mention that you could use some Clear Silicone Glue when attaching the panels. Ok, I guess I'll do that when I replace the Vent Window Panel. It should have been more like a directive than a suggestion.
Here I am now inside watching the trees whipping back and forth in the wind, and the smattering of rain make a mess of everything. Dust and Rain makes mud!
The Alpacas are out there standing in the rain enjoying themselves. Ben the guardian dog is hiding from the thunder under and behind the water trough in the Boy's barn.
All is right with the world..... Gob the kitty and I have this understanding where if he stays off the table I won't squirt him with water.... So far so good. He now attacks Wonderdog and tries to steal his milkbone, but Wonder is very protective of them..... We have been watching plenty of Gardening and Cooking related TV lately since I cancelled the Dish Network and went back to the Rooftop Antenna to watch Broadcast Digital TV for FREE!!!!! There is plenty to watch, and almost all of it is in Hi Def (also for FREE!!!!) The picture is fantastic. I strongly suggest looking into Broadcast TV if you can let go of the Movie Channels and stuff...... Besides, we are saving about $60 a month. The PBS station in our area is pretty much run by Arizona State University so there is some really good stuff to watch. More later...... Bob

Rain? in Arizona? no way!

2008-07-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

Well, between rain showers yesterday evening I was able to finish the lower part of the Greenhouse. Now there is the roof rafter rails to install to the main beam, and the whole skeleton will be finished. I must get the thing attached to the ground better before I put on any of the Polycarbonate panels that the wind could catch and blow away. I'm sure that the skeleton doesn't have enough wind resistance to go anywhere. Especially with the foundation buried in the dirt. So perhaps if the weather will allow, I'll get the roof created this evening. Oh Boy what fun! What's the next project?

Who say's you'll need 3 assistants?

2008-07-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

Today I laid out a bunch of the parts for the Greenhouse around the Foundation frame. Then I put together the assemblies that created the lower sill, and the upper rails. Then Jeanne and I bolted together one side rail to a corner post followed by a front rail, and then while standing the partially built assembly, we bolted together the final posts to create the shell of the building.
Now there are 4 corner posts supporting the front, rear and side rails. The posts are attached to the Foundation and there are even a few diagonal braces in place.
Wow! it looks like a Greenhouse.... well, kinda..... I want to get as much of the diagonal bracing installed as I can, so it will withstand any wind we might get tonight. The Sun finally came out at about Noon and I came in to rest and cool off...... So who say's we have to have 3 assistants to build this Greenhouse? Just take your time and be careful not to bend anything and it goes together very well..... Of course when we get to the roof I'm sure we'll need help.
I'll try to get the other 4 diagonal braces on, and all the verticle wall studs too this evening so it is about as strong as it can be. What a day! Couldn't ask for better weather with a nice breeze and the heavy clouds.... Not your normal July day in Arizona.

Latest from the Greenhouse project

2008-07-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back inside where the Air conditioner can help me return to normal.
I started out by bolting the Steel Foundation Frame together and placing it on the dirt pad.
Then I checked for square (the measurements don't match the ones given in the directions) but the measurement is within 1/4 inch. (for square, but 4 inches off of their stated measurement) Level was checked and rechecked as I dug the trench to lower the frame into. Then once lowered into place and level and square, I back filled and checked level one more time..... Now I raked and leveled the pad and watered it down.
I took some Pictures that hopefully will eventually get edited into this blog....
Now we're really getting somewhere. The foundation looks good on the pad, and there is a nice sized path between the side of the Greenhouse and the Garage. I am thinking that once I place the Gatepost at the corner of the Greenhouse and cement it in place I can attach the Greenhouse to it and that will anchor it well enough to take any Westerly wind we may get. I plan to connect the opposite corner to the existing Wrought Iron Fence and then it can't fly away. I have taken most of the aluminum extruded parts out of the box and placed them here-and-about in the Garage so I can see what is there and can picture where they will go during the steps listed in the instructions. So, if I can just try not to fall off my stool and scatter nuts and bolts to the wind again, perhaps this project will be completed soon.

Those wonderful Veggies

2008-07-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

So, while the rest of the world was worrying about the Salmonella scare, we were eating our Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato sandwiches without fear. We have our own little Garden.
Jeanne calls it her Salsa Garden as it has Tomatoes, Cilantro, Onions and a few different types of Peppers. Over the past few years we have tried to plant other types of Veggies with less than happy results. We have even tried winter gardening, but got hit by an early frost just as things were about ready to harvest.
We have had to fight excessive heat, and early frost, and Critters too. We have an abundance of Ground Squirrels, and Bunnies, not to mention the hordes of birds that swarm in to pluck the baby sprouts just as they are coming up and looking healthy. We start most of our plants inside of a large Bird Cage that I put shelves in to hold starter cups. That protects them at least till they are ready for transplanting. Then they have to brave the predators.....
This year though I am building a Greenhouse. We had been looking for a while when we found this one at Harbor Freight on sale. It is 10 by 12 feet and is all aluminum framed and has polycarbonate panels. I have been working on the raised dirt pad next to the Garage where we plan to build it. The Pad now has a retaining wall, and has been back filled and leveled. I put heavy wooden steps up from the Pond area to make it easy for Jeanne to get to. When I am done it will have a Gate at the back end making it a part of the front yard so the Dog can patrol and hopefully ward off interlopers.
I have taken some Pictures of the progress so far, One of the dirt pad and retaining wall, and one of the stairs. I also took a couple of the boxes of parts, it will be much like the Erector Set I had as a Kid.... Hopefully with better results than most of my early creations.

I need to start with the Steel foundation, which must be square and level and then back filled with 40 cubic feet of gravel.... That should be fun to haul in the little dump wagon.
Needless to say, I am taking my time doing just a little bit every morning and evening before the triple digit temp. can beat me down....
I'll edit and re-post this once I collect the Pix to add..... Bob

A Brief History

2008-07-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

Jeanne and I have been on our property in Queen Creek, Arizona for about 9 years. We always wanted to do something with the property but it took us 7 years to decide what to do.
We had been looking into the Alpaca Business and after attending the Southwest Regional Alpaca Show in Phoenix, and meeting several Breeders, we made the decision to cautiously enter the business.... We met The Folks from Second Wind Alpacas, and after several E-mails, settled on the Male Alpacas we presently have. We have Avenger (a Fawn colored 1 year old) Magnum (a true Black 18 month old) and Bruto (a Rose Grey 2 year old). So, in addition to the two little Goats we had adopted, we now had the Three Amigos..... Things settled into a routine, and soon we heard about a White Female at a ranch in St Johns AZ. that needed a home. Now we have China Doll ( a 3 year old pure White female). China Doll was the opposite of the 3 Amigos... where they were the gentle friendly pets, She was wild as a March Hare.... She had been out in a pasture with little attention from humans. So, we have worked many hours with her to get her to be the gentle little lady she is today.
Then it was Shearing time in May and what a day that was.... We had helped Twin Star Alpacas with the shearing of their 30+ animals, and 7 more animals at a neighbor's ranch. Then it was our animals turn. They were the biggest crybabies, and carried on like they were being murdered instead of getting haircuts.
Well, that is over for another year. I don't look forward to that again next year.
We got into this endevour simply for the companionship of the animals, and the Fiber that Jeanne and our daughter Becky use in their Spinning and Crocheting.
We had received 2 bags of fiber with each animal when we got them, and Jeanne and Becky had finished all of that in projects and were looking forward to this years batch of fiber.
We got 8 bags of wonderful fiber in 4 different colors, plus the folks at Twinstar gave us a bag from one of their Crias we had helped shear. Jeanne has already made sweaters for the Granddaughters from the Crias' wonderful cream colored baby fine fleece.
Well, that should catch you'all up on our activities. I hope to fill this Blogspot with current events in our busy little farmlife.
As you can probably tell, I do the gruntwork, while Jeanne does all the artistic stuff. I am the tractor and wheelbarrow driver and get to play in the poo pile, while Jeanne has the critters wrapped around her little finger by feeding them treats.
So in addition to the Herd Guardian Dog "Ben" (a White Great Pyrenees) who lives in the Swamp cooler cooled Barns with the Alpacas, there are the two Goats Tinkerbell (the Doe) and Nibbler (the gelded boy) in their own pen. There is of course the indoor dog Wonder (a weimaraner) and Gob (the new kitten) It's a busy feeding time around here........
I'll post more as things of interest come up. Bob