Glenn's Underground Cabin Update

[glenn kangiser]

Sure Ben. Head West from Spartenburg about 3500 miles and you should be close....or possibly slightly offshore.....

[glenn kangiser]

Got the welding completed on the trellis.   96 feet on the top level. About 30 feet in the rest.  Took a while.

Got a ladder in after that. 




One to go after lunch then I will try to sneak off to the underground complex before the GC wants me to do some for him.

[ben2go]

Sure Ben. Head West from Spartenburg about 3500 miles and you should be close....or possibly slightly offshore.....

It's roughly 2400 to Mariposa county.

[ben2go]

Got the welding completed on the trellis.   96 feet on the top level. About 30 feet in the rest.  Took a while.

Got a ladder in after that. 




One to go after lunch then I will try to sneak off to the underground complex before the GC wants me to do some for him.

What is that latter lagged into,steel?

[glenn kangiser]

It's roughly 2400 to Mariposa county.

Hmm... didn't check my rough estimate, Ben.... I think I just sent you halfway to Hawaii.... sorry 'bout that.... It's sorta wet out there....

[glenn kangiser]

Our specs call for backing by others so the framer put in 2x6's every 4 feet and we matched our mounts to that.  I field measured them then gave the measurements to the office and called direct to the detailer in Missouri who then drew it up for the shop to build.  It is mounted with Lag Bolts and Concrete Anchors.

The plans were then e-mailed to the company, checked and released to the shop to build.  With my measurements and the detailers drawing, I hit backing at every mount point.  Yay...

They send me a set of prints on most steel upon delivery, though I don't recall seeing plans to mount these. 

I got the second ladder in by 5 this afternoon... resisted the GC's attempts to get me to help him with one of his problems on the trash enclosures then did the three and 1/2 hour drive home....

It is changing sizes but he doesn't know exact details.  I told him just to order per plan and modify as needed since he is in a rush but doesn't know what he wants.

[glenn kangiser]

Got home last night just before dark.  The cows heard my truck and the whole herd headed to the corral to hopefully get a treat of grain from me.  Of course I had it as I always keep a bag around so they will come up for me to check out.  Saves me from having to go looking over 55 acres of mountain for them just to check their general health.   

They are all remarkably fat considering we are in a pretty good drought this year.  The difference this year is that they can browse 55 acres rather than be randomly moved from 15 acres to 25 acres and can freely get to  the water at the spring or the house.



A coyote was following the cows tonight but also the neighbors cat was.  I think it is most likely that the cat was being eyed for dinner.

[glenn kangiser]

Harvested some Golden Amaranth grain this morning.





Actually small seeds that are pretty easily harvested.  Not all ready at once it seems so I shake them into a plastic garbage bag.




Along with various bugs and other small creatures....





Corn and other stuff is doing decent too.

[glenn kangiser]

Here is a shot that shows you the difference between the hugelkultur area and the normal ground here....and even that has been improved a bit..... [ouch]





There are 4 rows of corn with three different types in each row.  A block of the first type , a block of the second and a block of the third.

The double row at the left is on the edge of the hugelkultur bed without full benefit of the wood below it.  The double row on the right is over about two feet of wood and branches - logs etc.  There is roughly 8 inches of dirt, manure and compost mix plus or minus over all of it with dirt between the logs and brush also.

That is the only difference between the two rows of three types.  Equivalent amounts of fertilizer and the same drip tape on both rows.  Planted at the same time.  The hugel bed is not as Sep Holzer likes it... not heaped up in a hill, but it does have the wood under it and the rows are raised in small raised beds dug by me, with a shovel to deepen the soil in the growing area and define a walking space. 

I have added great amounts of wood and wood chips so I do add nitrogen to the garden along with an all purpose fertilizer until the soil is built up sufficiently so that it does not need it.  This is over clay so some of the wood underneath is anaerobic but the main concern I have here is that it holds the water for the crops and it is doing that well this year.

[Sassy]

Thought I'd post a pic of some of the veggies I picked yesterday.  Didn't include the 2 bushel boxes of onions I dug.  The garden has been producing lots of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, onions & squash - usually pick it a few times week.  This morning I picked the peaches off a couple of the peach trees & "nectaplums" off that tree - don't know if that is the real name but they are a cross of nectarines & plums - absolutely delicious!  I'm in a race with the birds & ants.  Also got a few more yellow crookneck squash & peppers.  Did a little weeding while I was down there.



...and no, I didn't wash the veggies...  have been running out of water since Sunday night    the bottom terrace gardens have been getting water but not the gardens near the house & I've been left without water except when I'm running the generator & pump in the late evening when the well has had a chance to fill back up to the level of the pump.  Now I know what they mean by the saying "if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down" 

Spent all morning wandering around looking for leaks, talking to Glenn who is at the jobsite 150? miles away.  He's telling me to turn off certain valves but forgot he'd changed them.  I took a couple pictures on my...  you guessed it...  Samsung Note & emailed them to Glenn.  Anyway, everything is turned off to the upper & lower gardens. 

Weather is supposed to be in the 100's for several days - hoping that the gardens survive.

And to add to my tale of woes    A couple weeks ago I was dumping out the chickens' drinking water - it's automatic fill but they like to jump on top of it & leave their blessings - no, not eggs - so I rinse it out everytime I pick up the eggs.  That time I got splashed in the right eye with the yucky water.  Didn't bother me for the 1st few days but the last week it's been really red, sore & watery.  I was able to manage an appt to have it checked tomorrow.  Also, a friend gave me some colloidal silver drops to put in my eye a little while ago.  (I'm allergic to the preservatives in any type of eye drops)

So lets see, is there anything I missed posting on the trials of Sassy & the Underground Complex 

Oh, yes, I did forget something.  Was harvesting more of the amaranth yesterday & looking at a little praying mantis.  Grabbed for the next head of amaranth & got bit!  Ouch!!  Looked over to where I'd grabbed & there was a huge praying mantis    I like praying mantises so let it continue eating the bugs.  Should've told it to work a little harder cuz there were a lot of green beetles & some black ones with red stripes.  I've gotten so brave that I just grabbed them between my fingers & smashed them    Even smashed a tick - now those things give me the creeps 

[ben2go]

Your grocery store is putting out some good produce. 

[glenn kangiser]

You got it, Ben.  Every time I go to the store I look at the produce just to see how much we saved by not having to buy it.....

Yes ... there does seem to be some kind of a problem with the water being very short this year.  Gophers have been eating the drip lines faster than I can fix them apparently as I failed to find leaks last weekend except gopher bites in the drip tape.  Fixed several of them.

Whitlock went by today and checked again for me as I am still in the big city building shopping centers for the unwashed masses....

Got this big sucker all welded up today.  Took the whole day working off of a ladder and improvising a bit on the scaffold... like putting boards up on the safety railings so I could reach the areas blocked by the scaffold.



Hmmm... I bet you guys are tired of seeing these stupid shopping center pix, but it's all I've got...

At least Sassy has some good garden produce pix from the underground complex and stories of how to survive without water.... 

Unfortunately I can't just drive 3 1/2 hours one way to check out whats up..... nice that Whitlock will be a good friend and check it out for me..... Mariposa... we look out for our own.. [ouch]

BTW.. I was able to tell Sassy what to turn off to eliminate a chance of leaks from the pix she sent from her phone...




She is getting to be real High Tech...... yup... another commercial for the Samsung Note GT-N7000.... (International version not to be confused with the locked up, scaled back, slowed down American Version).

[PEG688]

Someones gotta build those shopping center Glenn, might as well be you

The gopher's has figured out how to find water it seems, gotta give-um some credit for that!  Garden doin good nice work!

[CjAl]

i see your problem. you need a few more reducers on that pipe.

[ben2go]

Someones gotta build those shopping center Glenn, might as well be you

The gopher's has figured out how to find water it seems, gotta give-um some credit for that!  Garden doin good nice work!

I agree.I dig the work pics as well as the homestead pics.

[pmichelsen]

Wasn't aware that the front of grocery stores were now being used as "Earthquake Safe Zones", that sure is a lot of steel. I for one enjoy the job site pics, makes me wish I was out welding instead of stuck in a cubicle.

[glenn kangiser]

Someones gotta build those shopping center Glenn, might as well be you

The gopher's has figured out how to find water it seems, gotta give-um some credit for that!  Garden doin good nice work!

Thanks, PEG.  It helps pay for the underground complex....

The garden is doing good if we can keep water to it.  Sassy managed to get it watered while pumping this morning.  I am running some tests tonight to see where it might be leaking.  I shut off a valve that eliminates a lot of the garden water lines from the system... yeah... I planned it that way...  [idea]

I agree.I dig the work pics as well as the homestead pics.

Glad you enjoy the pix, Ben.

Got these two placed today but will not weld them until next week.  Had to get them up for the stucco guys to flash and out of the way of the pavers/graders then get out of their way.

i see your problem. you need a few more reducers on that pipe.

CjAl, that is the way we have to do it here in Mariposa.  We won't have one from a small one to a big one but we will have one each of the 16 sizes it takes to get there.....if we are lucky..... kind of like shopping at Home Depot......

Wasn't aware that the front of grocery stores were now being used as "Earthquake Safe Zones", that sure is a lot of steel. I for one enjoy the job site pics, makes me wish I was out welding instead of stuck in a cubicle.

pmichelsen, I wonder....earthquake safe zone.... the other shop trellis weighed around 6000 lbs.  The big one here around 2700 and the big one on the other building around 3000 lbs I think.  Do I want to stand under that.... well, yes... it is OK.... doesn't scare me as the engineers did their home work.  There are around 22  - 5/8x5 to 7 inch lags hooking it to the front of the building as well as the 8x8 tube steel columns - three on this one on the right.  Also 6x6 wood posts inside the wall as well as reinforced stucco and sheathing... that ought to do it... [ouch]

Well - looks like there is enough interest in the work pix so I will continue to post them occasionally.   

I end up with occasional scrap beams, columns, decking etc. from these jobs sometimes too, so some of this stuff makes its way into the underground complex or especially associated out buildings.  We have to keep our site cleaned up and many times it is better for the company to send the scrap home for me to use than it is for them to send a truck and labor on a 300 mile round trip to clean it up.

[rick91351]

Count me in to Glenn, I just love to watch other people work but remember Glenn you did not build it some one else did.......  Most likely someone smarter than all of us combined......... 

[pmichelsen]

I end up with occasional scrap beams, columns, decking etc. from these jobs sometimes too...

My dad is the same way, it never ceases to amaze me the things he brings home when he is on a big jobsite, brand new doors that weren't going to fit, steel drops, extension cords that had nicks in them, etc. For them it was garbage but to us it would be exactly what we needed.

This was his last job site for a few years:

[glenn kangiser]

Count me in to Glenn, I just love to watch other people work but remember Glenn you did not build it some one else did.......  Most likely someone smarter than all of us combined......... 

So now I suppose if I continue working diligently building someone elses business... I too can get a Nobel Peace Prize and possibly never again find my legitimate birth certificate....

Hate to argue with you on this one, Rick, but that is like saying if I was president of the United States, that I did not work my way up to that esteemed position... someone else did the work and put me there.... now does that even seem logical?...... 

Wow, pmichelsen, that is a cool project.  I once loaded a 35 foot beam onto the truck to send it back to the shop and the PM told me to take it off and take it home and make somethign out of it.  He said they don't care, really .  He said it would just lay around the yard in the way.  The steel on these jobs has to be traced back to the mill and while there are ways to take care of that, it is already billed to the job and not worth the time and trouble to restock it in most cases.


Now... about the water leak, PEG..... you nailed it right on the head.......

It appears that one of the gophers in a remote corner of a rose garden has learned to sneak up out of the ground, turn on the valve at the end of the hose and swim in his own underground private swimming resort and spa... lots of little lady gophers in bikinis running around under there cooling off from the hot summer weather above ground I'm sure. 

After digging holes for a couple hours and not finding anything in suspect areas, I shut off the water to the underground complex and the leak stopped.  A walk around to the far side of the complex revealed that some genius gopher had flooded himself and the ladies out by now and the water was running over the top of the ground......and down the side of the hill.....[ouch]

[mtman]

Your grocery store is putting out some good produce. 

Yeah Glenn you do have some nice produce! 

[glenn kangiser]

Thanks mtman.  Sassy has bee down there harvesting while I was away.  I want to get some more planted soon for the later garden.  Still enough time to grow about anything we want here before frost gets it.....if I get time to get after it.  The steel company is sending me to start another job Tuesday along with the one I have (it's winding down though).  [ouch]


Also, a job bid for an old customer came through so I have it too.   

[Sassy]

Now... about the water leak, PEG..... you nailed it right on the head.......

It appears that one of the gophers in a remote corner of a rose garden has learned to sneak up out of the ground, turn on the valve at the end of the hose and swim in his own underground private swimming resort and spa... lots of little lady gophers in bikinis running around under there cooling off from the hot summer weather above ground I'm sure. 

After digging holes for a couple hours and not finding anything in suspect areas, I shut off the water to the underground complex and the leak stopped.  A walk around to the far side of the complex revealed that some genius gopher had flooded himself and the ladies out by now and the water was running over the top of the ground......and down the side of the hill.....[ouch]

Yep, I was feeling sorry for the gophers in all this heat     Actually, I started watering the roses & there was only a bit of water so closed off the valve at the end of the hose & left it.  Only trouble was, I forgot that the valve didn't work very good    when we have plenty of water pressure I've been turning the hose off at the faucet - with the pressure so low...  I must have done it Tuesday sometime cuz I looked all over the property looking for leaks.  So did Whitlock & Harry 51.  I noticed that I could hear water running when I turned on the faucet in the master bath - I mentioned it to Glenn.  He went out to check on the chickens & there there was the evidence that the gophers had tried to build themselves a swimming pool 

Glenn just looked at me & said "those stupid roses..."  I told him I'd been punished enough during the week surviving with no water most of the time.  He just rolled his eyes.   

btw, I do try to do my share around here - probably doesn't sound like it...  I do the weeding & about 90 min to 2 hrs of watering/day, shopping, cleaning, laundry, cooking, take care of the chickens, pay the  bills, etc etc & also volunteer doing ultrasounds for a Christian crisis pregnancy center - I don't make Glenn do ALL of the work.   

[glenn kangiser]

Yes... I have to agree ... I let her off easy because she does do her share...       [ouch]

[PEG688]

Dang gophers!! Well at least you figured out the problem.  I'm sure Sassy pulls her weight around the place, Glenn is a  work horse though!  You sure keep busy!   Did you get all the moving of "treasure's" from the valley completed?