Journal of Progress--September 21-October 4, 2020

 You get two weeks at once this time.  We didn't post last week.

It looks like this rooster just walked out of this painting that Don's father painted.

 

 The deer coats are getting quite dark.  These babies are growing up.  We are seeing fewer deer as winter approaches as they migrate to a different place.  Sadly, deer hunting season is soon upon us.

Don is beginning to build Barbara's grow box.

 

He's adding drainage holes.

Here he is putting a frame around it to hold netting to keep the deer out.  The netting is held on securely in some places, but along one side and the bottom, it just hooks around screws for easy removal in order to harvest.

 

 Oh, oh.  The guy at Home Depot insisted the wood wasn't green.

 

 The box has been repaired.  Manure picked up from a goat farm which is sadly going out of business as the owner is moving, and the strawberries from last summer have been transplanted.  Straw will be put on top of them after the first hard freeze which probably will happen next weekend.

 

And other plant information:  Barbara bought this mulberry tree since birds, deer, and people all enjoy the fruit.  She paid enough for it to not expect a baby tree.  It is supposed to be fast growing.  We'll see what that means.  In the meantime, she prepared the soil and protected it from the ravenous deer.

Barbara also brought in the tomato plants from outside.  When we lived with the couple in Eureka two winters ago, they had a tomato plant in a south facing window which produced all winter.  These are in west facing windows.  They may never produce enough tomatoes to make it to the dinner table, but Barbara harvests an occasional one to pop into her mouth when she waters them.  She has to be the bee to the flowers they produce.

Do you see what I see?  Upper Cupboards!

 Barbara has been painting the pieces for the balcony.  Should be ready to go outside by the end of next week--when it is supposed to drop to the low 50s in the daytime.

Oh, Oh!  This picture doesn't show it very well but the washer lacks 1/2 inch of fitting in the space allotted for it. Don measured the space and the cabinet, but didn't allow for the countertop overhang. Dang!

 Only alternative to moving a wall: cut out the drywall to allow the countertop to move over. It just fits!

Not the end of the story. Dryer was from an old house and has a 30 amp. cord. Code requires a 50 amp. receptacle in all new construction. You can't plug a 30 amp. plug into a 50 amp. receptacle. So Don gets to rewire the dryer.

Still need two pieces of the stovepipe. The one long piece we had is 2" too long. And we cannot use the single wall elbow with triple wall pipe. This manufacturer does not make elbows, so we have to buy another expensive Tee and close off one end.  Parts are on order.

Don dropped a piece of pipe into the cistern while filling it. His arm is not five feet long, so he had to invent a tool for grabbing it. He did it by duct taping a grabber to a long piece of pipe. Hope it works!

Success!

Cutting plywood subfloor to go around the hearth.

Installed. It fits exactly.

Washing machine outlet is too low for a night light or other bathroom uses. We need another outlet above the sink for things like a hair dryer, night light, etc.

Cutting out the hole for the new outlet.

More cutting, using a multi-tool.

Pulling the wire.

Receptacle installed.

Cutting tiles. Don is making a decorative cover for the hole in the wall where the stove pipe passes through. Very noisy and slow, but his little "Blade Runner" saw will cut tile!