Glenn's Underground Cabin Update

[glenn kangiser]

Finally getting the double wide 7'8" tall salvaged oak church doors my buddy Sparky gave me installed in the entrance to the great room.  He said they came from an old church they tore down around San Francisco.

It was one of those jobs I have been dreading tackling, but I guess I have learned a thing or two over the years because it is going relatively well.  I took the chain saw and knocked the knots off of the oak cedar post on the right side so I could get a 2x6 stud attached to it without much problem. 

Vertical lean in and out a bit is not so bad with log posts because you are always going to be dealing with taper, but a swell leading up to a 2 inch knot sticking out is a lot more of a problem to frame around.

I'll get the inside wall boards put on then snap a pix so you can have a look. 

[MountainDon]

  I took the chain saw and...

I love it!     

What kind of chain? Std crosscut, rip, carving, anti-kick back....   

[glenn kangiser]

Well, Don.... It was a Stihl 044 with a 26" bar and a skip tooth cross cut chain sharpened at a 15 degree rake angle for fast dangerous cutting with no safeties on it.  Hope I don't have to pull it out of my forehead some day... that'll probably smart.......

Three big knots along with the typical swelling that accompanies them on cedar logs.... I was thinking cedar about the post above but the doors are oak so my fingers said it was an oak post above....

I decided I didn't care too much about how much sawdust I got in the great room because Sassy would be so happy I was finally working on the door after about 8 years, she would clean it up anyway....

[Sassy]

He's got me figured out 

[glenn kangiser]

Guess I'll try to get the walls done above the door and get the pix posted but that reminded me...

My broken camera.  I am currently using my older Lumix TZ4 and it does a decent job except closeups. 

I got my credit from Amazon last night after the successful Squaretrade Warranty paid me off.  It was time to decide on a new camera again.

I almost had myself talked into going with the new Lumix DMC ZS10 that is available everywhere.

Price on it has dropped to as cheap as $239.95...... Why?   

With a GPS, super wide angle like 24mm and super telephoto 386 mm lens equivalent it cant be beat for range.  The answer is they changed to a faster MOS sensor and somewhere in there they lost image quality.

Best review I found to change my mind.

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Panasonic_Lumix_DMC_TZ20_ZS10/verdict.shtml

Note that the DMC ZS8 (mono) and DMC ZS9 (stereo) are stripped down models of the DMC ZS10 with the same lens group so will suffer from the same image quality problems.


Problem is that the 2010 DMC ZS7 price is jumping as more find out about the problems with the new ZS10.

 

Several colors available.. I had to go with black this time as I go for the Warehouse deals with Prime shipping.  So I got a bummer last week - return policy is good so for a couple hundred savings I will try it again.

New are $418 to $479 - Other used or refurbished about $200.  They used mostly noted scratches and I prefer new open box over refurbished but if going for refurbished I would only go with a Panasonic Lumix refurbish to new spec.  I have had one computer that was refurbished (Sassy's old one) that was not satisfactory.

ZS7 review        http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Panasonic_Lumix_DMC_TZ10_ZS7/

An Amazon link to the ZS7 - note I do not get paid from Amazon... Just helping my friends..

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-ZS7-Digital-Stabilized-3-0-Inch/dp/B003966MRM/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1321626893&sr=1-2

Note that I did want the longer telephoto of the new one - but not at the sacrifice of image quality.

[considerations]

Sassy, I just noticed your comment about your veggies needing nitrogen.  I know, slow on the draw, sorry. 

Anyway baled alfalfa is a great source of nitrogen. Alfalfa is a legume, like beans and peas.  Baled alfalfa is usually for sale at the same places grass hay is sold. I feed it to my horses and use the "duff" as mulch, each time i clean out the "hay" storage. It doesn't matter what time of year I mulch a growing bed, as it breaks down (temperature dependent of course), the nitrogen leaches into the soil below and the plant matter becomes part of the soil, improving its friable and nutrient qualities.

So, for me, in the winter, flakes off a bale make "leg warmers" to keep the tender perennials from freezing and dying, and in the spring the compost from same augments the acid, clay, just generally poor soil here.

I've never seen alfalfa sprouting from mulch like grass can sprout out of straw mulch.   Hope this helps.

[glenn kangiser]

We are getting lots of sprouts from our grass hay waste, but currently Alfalfa here is 19.50 a bale.  Maybe next year it will be cheaper. 

I guess we got some pretty hot wood chips this time - lots of green leaves in them and the pile I pushed tight with the Bobcat is hot and making steam.  I put a bit of commercial nitrogen on them to help them along.  I think it is about 90 or 100 degrees inside the pile from the feel of it.

So.. finally got the door in place and the inside wall up.  What progress..... [ouch]



Now Sassy gets to work on them - cleaning, removing the old finish and seeing about getting some of the old water stains out of them.

Got a cool pix of the valley below yesterday.  Kind of wispy clouds down there..... kind of a Panasonic moment.....

[Texas Tornado]

Awesome doors!!!!!
Love the pic of the valley!!

[glenn kangiser]

Thanks TT.  The valley view was really neat that morning.  Nice thing about the doors is that Sassy gets to finish them.   

I got the zip line into the advanced experimental stage yesterday with a few low flight tests starting near the bottom...... 



Very glad I did that as when I finally got the nerve to test it , even with the extra tension, I was able to slam the seat pretty decently against the ground and left about a 2 foot skid mark..... 








....and that was just in my underwear....   [ouch]






....no ...just messin' with ya.  It was on the ground and about a half inch x 4 inches wide in the grass. 







AHhhh...the thrill of low flight...

[ben2go]

Why is the theme from "George of the Jungle" going through my head now? 

[glenn kangiser]

Does seem to be a slight resemblance.... He is a handsome dude.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4hXdsVUnp4

[Sassy]

Why is the theme from "George of the Jungle" going through my head now? 

Hey Ben, there is quite a resemblance!  I was trying to take pictures - got one but he was going so fast & I was laughing so hard couldn't get another picture in time    He bottomed out a couple times & then it looked like he had his legs wrapped around the post at the end of the line      It's a wonder I didn't fall down the hill 

Ya shoulda been there, too bad I didn't have it on the movie option 

[ben2go]

Hey Ben, there is quite a resemblance!  I was trying to take pictures - got one but he was going so fast & I was laughing so hard couldn't get another picture in time    He bottomed out a couple times & then it looked like he had his legs wrapped around the post at the end of the line      It's a wonder I didn't fall down the hill 

Ya shoulda been there, too bad I didn't have it on the movie option 

Thanks for backing me on this.A fence post or a tree, same thing.One was planted by nature,the other planted by man,Glenn of the jungle.

[mtman]

Hey Ben, there is quite a resemblance!  I was trying to take pictures - got one but he was going so fast & I was laughing so hard couldn't get another picture in time    He bottomed out a couple times & then it looked like he had his legs wrapped around the post at the end of the line      It's a wonder I didn't fall down the hill 

Ya shoulda been there, too bad I didn't have it on the movie option 

Lol, haven't laughed so hard for a long time. One things for sure Sassy, bet you never have a dull moment when Glenn is around. I would enjoy spending a day around him, wouldn't have to do anything but watch 

[glenn kangiser]

Come on in...the water's fine....

I do not understand why all of my friends think I'm crazy.......

If you get down this way, mtman, give us a shout.... we'll try to schedule a few activities...

[Texas Tornado]

Come on in...the water's fine....

I do not understand why all of my friends think I'm crazy.......

If you get down this way, mtman, give us a shout.... we'll try to schedule a few activities...

Now that would scare the begebs out of me!!!!!!!

[glenn kangiser]

 

We do lots of crazy things around here.......ride the Bush Hog..... ride the Bobcat... did that today and did not tip it over either....

Made a couple water collection areas on the property.  Brushed a decent sized area.....  Now I need to remember to get out there before the rain if possible and plant my dry land pasture seed so these horny critters can have a bit better food. 



See 5 horns in that picture?

[ben2go]

I see all 5. 

[glenn kangiser]

I had a better shot available but couldn't get the camera out in time and Clown doesn't trust me too well so he kept watching me instead of eating....

Beefsteak is the only one who got poked in the eye once but it seems to have healed up OK.  When it was damaged it did not shine in the dark so well - thought he may have lost it but it  seems OK now.

[Sassy]

Irene, I was visiting a friend in Kansas last year - we went to Branson, Missouri.  There was a place there, now can't remember the name.  Anyway, my friend & I rode the zip line there.  It was pretty high up & went really fast!  I laughed myself silly - it was lots of fun. 

Of course, Glenn offered to let me ride on the one he made...  only trouble is, the seat is about a 4"x4" piece of wood    didn't think I'd be able to stay on it - could just imagine me falling off & rolling down the mountain 

Mtnman - yes, Glenn keeps things stirred up around here pretty good    He is easily bored 

[glenn kangiser]

Actually the seat is about a 6 x 11 scrap of 1" plywood I found in the woodshed.  It just looks scary, but actually that is just my experimental seat.....

In order to get Sassy to approve such a project when I should really be working on the house or something meaningful, I have to slyly build a test seat on the side and put the cable up in the early morning or late evening as much as possible when I am under the radar... then pull it out and give it a try.  When she sees the fun and possibilities, I am then able to openly order a proper harness and other accessories so as not to lose any women or small children over the side of the mountain when they want to give it a try...........

I have to do the testing and make it safe before I allow mere mortals to attempt a ride...

[glenn kangiser]

Dug it out, tightened it up a bit and tried it again from the lower level...... 

Still able to make it bump the bottom when bouncing  on it.....  [ouch]

The tree at the bottom was in the right location but a bit small.  I put a double 2x6 prop against it and that beefed it up pretty good, but I need to inspect it then tighten the cable more and try again.

While working on the zipline, I noticed one of the Jerusalem artichokes  and thought I would check it out.......

I hate this picture... looks like I am mad at the artichoke for producing a good crop, but I was not wise enough to ask Sassy to take a second one just in case... I thought my good looks were sufficient.......






Needless to say, it had a great though somewhat lumpy crop.  We got 5 baskets full of Sunchokes (alternate name) from that one plant. 








They grew a great crop on totally hard clay soil on the huglekultur bed with very little water over the summer.  Not only that but the clay soil was all broken and cracked.... shucks... I can barely do that with a pick and shovel around here in the summer.  What a great crop and I will have to greatly expand it next year to insure food during the 2012 upcoming end of the world as we know it.... (Google TEOTWAWKI)


Well... I cleaned up a bunch of them and had myself a great bowl of them slathered in butter and salt.









I continued reading up on them... I like to study things I want to learn more about to become.....  not totally knowledgeable about them, but at least dangerous.....


http://www.selfsufficientish.com/artitchoke.html

http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=870

.....but as I continued my studies getting deeper into the subject.... I came across this.....

From Chapter 6, page 106:
"Human digestive enzymes do not target inulin. Around 89% of the inulin and fructooligosaccharides that we consume, on average, remain intact in the small intestine. As it is not digested, there tends to be a lot of it in the large intestine after eating a meal rich in inulin. However, none reaches the stools, and only a small fraction occurs in the urine. This is because inulin is completely fermented by the microbial fauna in the large intestine, especially by bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. The digestion is accompanied by the production of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and other gaseous products. This leads to an undesirable side-effect of eating Jerusalem artichoke and other inulin-rich food: flatulence.
The wind-inducing effects of Jerusalem artichoke have been known for many years. Although the tuber spread rapidly throughout France in the ten years after its introduction in 1607, it was not universally popular due to over-indulgence of the unfamiliar vegetable revealing its digestive downsides. Jean-Luc Hennig, in Le Topinambour et Autres Merveilles, writes of the less than complimentary nicknames the street sellers gave the tubers.... Meanwhile, in England....John Goodyer's entry for Jerusalem artichoke in the 1633 edition of Gerard's Herball concluded: In my judgement, which way soever they be dressed and eaten, they stir up and cause a filthie loathsome stinking wind within the body, thereby causing the belly to be much pained and tormented, and are a meat more fit for swine than man; yet some say they have usually eaten them, and have found no such windy quality in them".

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.com/2011/01/why-do-jerusalem-artichoke-make-you.html



Dangerous.... I had no idea how dangerous until I read that.... after eating the gigantic bowl of them and loving the turnip/potato/parsnip/artichoke heart like taste.




      Sassy.... lookout....


Dangerous..... 12 hours of danger approximately but ....can't wait to fix myself another bowl.... they taste great.

[Sassy]

Yes, I've given Glenn some nicknames...  a couple I've posted here, but you'll have to read through the Underground Cabin thread to find them 

The Jerusalem artichokes are very tasty...  I ate them raw - didn't seem to bother me any, but ANYTHING Glenn eats...  enough said. 

They seem to have a lot of good nutrition.  A popular supplement being sold now is "Cinnulin"  a combination of cinnamon & inulin to help control blood sugar.  I'll have to do more research on the effects of inulin - besides those Glenn posted 

[glenn kangiser]

Ummmm .... uhhhh ... what can I say but to bring up the fact that I am such a fine example of a perfect man that I have a highly efficient and a finely tuned digestive system......

There... that was a G flat......   

[Gary O]

Ummmm .... uhhhh ... what can I say but to bring up the fact that I am such a fine example of a perfect man that I have a highly efficient and a finely tuned digestive system......

There... that was a G flat......   

Glad you got the notes down, Glenn.
Been working on the twelve days of Christmas, myself.
Wanna know what a partridge in a pear tree sounds like?