The End of November Update

Well the end of November is drawing to a close and things are slowing down around here. So with that said I figured I give a few highlights from Meigs County.

The Family

The big fall news is that Ana is pregnant (Wayne, our eldest son’s wife)! So big changes are soon to come for them, and Beth and I will be proud Grandparents. Boy, time really marches forward.

We had great thanksgiving this year. We all met up in Columbus at Wayne and Ana’s home. Sean drove up from Dayton, and Troy and Erica flew in from Arizona. Ana cooked a great turkey and wonderful dinner. We really had great time being together, drinking a few beers, playing some cards, and being together (yes I meant to be redundant).

Troy and Erica finally got orders for his new branch and is out in Arizona for training. They drove out there and along the way did a little sight seeing. Since arriving they have been getting in a little travel on the weekends seeing the southwest for the first time.

Sean is in his second internship for his program at school and is really enjoying the work. It’s the second time he has worked for this particular company, and he thinks they’ll offer him a position after graduation.

Hunting

We have struck up a relationship with our plumbers Bob, Rich, and Harold, from Dayton. Beth knew that they were all devoted hunters, so she came up with an idea that if they helped us plumb the farm house we would offer them full life time hunting rights. Not a bad deal when you consider the cost of plumbers and to hunt on good land anymore. So they have accepted and have been hunting here for two seasons.

Harold brought his two sons, Jerrod and Aaron, down for Youth Season. Both of the boys have been hunting small game with their Dad for years and came down to get their first deer. Only Jerrod went home with anything, a small buck. But Aaron wasn’t disappointed though because he had purchased a Honda ATV with the money he made working with his Dad plumbing last summer and he was able to get out on the trails around the farm. Beth took him for a couple of memorable rides, so he also left happy.

Bob and Rich came down for the start of Shotgun Season. The first day was unbelievably bad with pouring rain, strong winds, and cold temperatures. But on the second day Bob got a doe.

The House

We had been having some difficulties with our former contractor. So we started the search for a new one and luck was with us. We were able to get one of the best builders in the area who has some open time on his calendar. So we will have him finish the sill repair, then move to the exterior. We plan to have the clapboard removed and have OSB sheathing installed, house wrap, and then new vinyl windows and doors. The problem we ran into with the exterior is that when the house was built there was no planking used on the exterior; just framing and the clapboard. So for us to have a well insulated house we needed to have the full exterior removed.

Once that is finished we’ll start working on those areas that we can handle alone. But at least by knocking out the exterior we’ll be able to work inside over the remainder of the winter.

Tractor Woes

Things were going well in the fields cutting back the growth of brush, saplings, and briers that had taken over many of the fields. But then Murphy strikes, which is to be expected with a tractor built in 1962.

It seems the alternator wasn’t charging the battery so there was a continued drain on the battery. Joe and John, our neighbors to the north of us, came by to jump start me and get me from the “back forty” to the barn, and helped try trace the problem. Well four weeks later and replacing the majority of the wires “Old Betsy” is still down.

I brought the starter to be looked at and it turned out it was fine. But the guy said that since I had it out he’d clean the rotors and give it once over. But when I got it home the new bendix wouldn’t engage the flywheel. At the time Bob and Rich, old farmers besides being our plumbers, helped me find what we think was the main problem, the wire from the push starter to the solenoid, with Rich’s multimeter. (My brother did recommend this method earlier on but I was too lazy to track down my missing multimeter.) So I went back to electric shop and we noticed the shaft is slightly bent, so he is thinking that this could be the reason the bendix won’t engage. We will see.

The Farm

Not much to report here. The immediate plan is to buy 25 chicks for egg laying soon. I just have to settle on a brooder and growing hut design.

I have two worm bins built to start raising red wigglers. I want to start raising the worms first to increase fertility in certain parts of the hay fields, and in our garden; then in the second or third year start selling compost (worm castings) in 1 pound bags and compost tea (water run off from the worm beds) in half gallon jugs to a nursery.

Other than that it will be repairing the fence line that we still have standing and clearing away growth around the perimeter to put new fence up.

Well that about wraps it up for now. Take care and God bless.