Weblog Web Log - From the Beginning
2008
After not much searching and through word-of-mouth I have found exactly what I was looking for in an acreage. Even though I would have moved anywhere in the province, amazingly it is only seven miles from my dad's homestead. The price is right though it will be a lot of work on the house. But this will hopefully, with any luck at all be the last voluntary move. So I'd like to bring the house up to code electrically, install present technology insulation and new mechanical systems with a wood/oil combination forced air furnace and demand electric hot water system. Also re-do the initial floor plan.
Seeing as the house will be a 'gut-to-studs' I got a good deal on a 35-1/2 foot fifth wheel camper to live in. Will be very comfy as is air conditioned and has a washer and dryer. Hook it up to water and power first thing and I'll be officially installed. I parked it across the road at the neighbors as didn't want something easier for the squatter to move into.
2009
January
Finally.....after one bank losing cheques and the other ignoring requests to cancel and reissue same, we have cleared all the hurdles, paid everyone their due and the title with my name is now in my sweaty hand. Still have the squatter, who is the owner before the one I bought it off of, visiting the place now and again. But I think he may have finally gotten the message as every time I go out more of his belongings are leaving. I'm amazed I haven't crossed paths with him. Not too worried as nothing I can really do about it till I am out there permanently in residence. He has already stripped out all the exposed wiring and plumbing and as the house is going to be a gut to studs, not much to worry about other than how much of his leavings I'll have to cart to dump. The wrecks in the quonset have left and looks like he was working on the truck in the yard so probably just inherit the two last wrecks in the yard.
The wildlife at the new place is incredible, saw bear poop, deer to numerous to count and even a moose. Being next to the water I'd imagine I'll have lots of everything including coyotes. So in anticipation bought a Great Pyrenees girl puppy, named 'angel'
I picked her up along with the Black Wyanadotte rooster down by Maple Creek. Where the rooster was they had the biggest dog I've ever seen and also a Great Pyrenees boy. So made a deal with them to use him as sire after angel goes into heat for the second time in exchange for them having pick of litter. He was a nice boy and as coyotes will gang up on a dog in packs two GP's will be able to handle any threats up to and including a grizzly bear. So the pair should keep the deer off the fruit trees and garden as well as coyotes etc. off the birds. I will name him 'guardian' and then will have my guardian - angel on the job.
February
Had an estimate for geo-thermal heat and was astronomical as well as didn't tie into the existing duct-work, dig the trenches for the field or do the electrical. Some heating installer, so have another outfit coming out that would be a turn-key operation but will see what the price will be. If still too much will go with a efficient oil/wood combination forced air furnace. Also had an energy audit done to get some of the grants for upgrading insulation, doors, windows furnace etc. and further learned there is 1 inch of fiberglass insulation in the walls without a vapour barrier, 3-1/2 inches of zonolite topped with 4 inches of celullose in the attic. Priced a few options out and have decided to spray the ceiling, the outer side of the inside main floor walls and basement walls with one inch rigid high density urethane foam spray in insulation and then fill rest of cavity with fiberglass batts. I can do it myself, the gain being it will give a super vapour barrier that way and as the foam will be on the outdoor side of the batts will also greatly improve the 'R' value of the batts in cold and windy weather.
Talking with the guy who came out to do my energy audit I found out he farms not thirty minutes from my place and was looking for pasture for up to 700 sheep. Immediately made a deal with him that if he fixes my fences and cross fences properly he can pasture as many as he wants on my place as long as I don't have to be the shepherd. I think it is win - win for both of us as my pasture hasn't been grazed for quite awhile and the brush is growing in. His sheep will do an excellent job of grazing it all back, probably even better than cattle. As well, having the fences fixed it will open up all sorts of opportunities as would have been too busy to do myself till probably a few seasons down the road. Never mind I now know where I can source lambs to butcher for meat sales.
Started eggs in my incubator. Started 42 black sex link eggs but as will have twice more culls than keepers will start another 42 as soon as the girls poot them out. Will cull all but the hen chicks as have ordered some cornish X day old chicks to try for meat production. They are the same as super market meat chickens but will let them free range. The sex links last season were 'tough' and light on the breasts. I also ordered some Broad Breasted Bronze turkey poults too.
So with the 40 (B)lue (L)aced (R)ed (W)yandotte chicks coming in March and the herd I have including now seven guinea fowl, and a pair of pea chicks I get in exchange for picking up a neighbor lady's bird order when I drive back to Maple Creek to get the BLRW's. I have also gotten closer to a floor plan.
The end of February is here and is winter is not giving up. The last three days had minus forty degree temperatures at night. It is day twenty two for the first batch of eggs and have only had one hatch out. I hope there would be a few more. I mean if one makes it seems that there should be at least a few. I can't see it being the incubator as kept perfect temperature and humidity. Day eighteen for second tray so will stop egg turners and hope for better. Received electrical wiring manuals in the mail and looks very easy to do. House sale in Prince Albert is done and will pick up half the down payment tomorrow or next day. Started flats of onion seeds today. At least that is sort of 'springy'. Did one flat of the heritage seeds and also one flat of onion seeds I bought at a Asian Market as a spice. I'm pretty sure onions are to East Asians what cabbage is to Chinese. So will see what they produce. They are as good as caraway seeds in breads. Looks like is another chick pipping in the incubator so maybe I'm just a day or so slow. Hope so. Waiting for Jean and see if I can talk him into going along to pick up cousin Garry's truck and trailer and drive tomorrow morning to Langham and pick up fifty bundles of shingles I bought for $250, which is about one quarter the price at the lumber yard. Will drop off at acreage on way home and there is job number two's materials ready for action.
Pixie and Angel Now are the same size.
March
Came in like a lion and not letting go. But been busy shopping and got some good deals. The shingles are on site. I bought off ebay the special breakers and outdoor receptacles so I will be up to code. I got enough new-in-the-box ground fault receptacles and arc-fault breakers that will have more than enough for the project and still half left over. Even if I sell them for less than retail price can easily break even. In fact I saved more on those add-on's that it cost for the 200 amp panel to put them in. Needed a brand that would take the breakers I bought and worked out well as will move the service now in the house to the quonset as I needed one there anyways. Got the furnace guy going on the oil/wood combination furnace and have to remember to see how that is coming. Got approval for $4K in a grant from province towards the furnace and got the papers for another grant today. So funding must have come through on that one. So far so good as far as money goes.
Picked up my Blue Laced Red Wyandotte chicks on the 22nd and have thirty one out of forty that started out.
Blue Laced Red Wyandotte Chicks from Iowa.
Little cuties. They sure are fast, small as they are. Like little blurs. Have already had a few calls for chicks from this website. Sold 15 of my mutts to a nice lady from Belarus who now lives between here and Saskatoon at Dalmany.
My Mutt Chicks.
I have added another tray of 42 to the incubator and put an ad on kijiji. Ya never know. My BBB turkey poults and CornishX's will be here the end of April so that will give me a chance to get ready for them although the coop there is big enough they should all fit in there without any crowding. they'll be babies so mainly make sure there is enough power to run some heat lamps the way the weather is. The poor first hatch in the outside coop really huddle under the heat lights in these -20ºC nights. Started head lettuce and pepper seeds.
April
Sold the first hatch of chicks and more in the oven. The Wyandottes have been in a pen inside the coop outside under lights for awhile now. I think it will be nice later in the week so will open the door on their pen and they can explore a little further. The older girls are happy as the more yard dries up the further their range and looks like in the reflection of the buildings green grass. That will please them to no end.
Made a few trips to the place, went with Jean just to suck up the ambiance as well as drive out one of my spare cars packed full with stuff I won't use for awhile. Then went again with Neil Cote, a friend from Shell lake, him and his 'bike' cleared the snow off the yard. It was beautiful day
Step One, Clear the Landing Pad.
Picked up the propane tanks from the trailer and as I finally remembered the keys, sat in and had the first good look what home will be. Very comfortable. This week will be busy. Looking at the mountain of third last owners stuff there think will do a small change of plans. Will go Monday with Mavis’s boy who is a apprentice electrician and just got layed off, so with him go and move the panel from house to quonset, install new panel in house and pull one curcuit and put in hook up for trailer as well as pull another temp curcuit in house so I can run electrical tools and take all the boarding off the house. Phone Sask Power/Telephone for a hook up.
Tuesday will go into Prince Albert and pack up all my stuff. Don’t really want to take it out till past owner and his stuff is gone but Jean will let me store it here in the shop for awhile. Take the van and a trailer load of my stuff back with me to store here. Then......
Wednesday go back to acreage where Jean said he’d install the water heater in trailer while I go see if I can beg one of the close neighbors to move the trailer across the road into my yard, plug it in and get it working for........
Thursday, hope to hear from the lawyer by then EXACTLY what to do with this guy's mountain of stuff.
Friday the 10th is the big move. Meet up in Prince Albert with cousin Garry, his truck and trailer, me with the van and rented trailer as well as Mark and maybe Jeff if he's feeling better. Brother Tony says he'll try to make it from Saskatoon too. If still some more of my stuff in Prince Albert might have to swing by here in Spiritwood to drop off. Then take all the crew and the fireworks equipment out to acreage and move all his stuff out. If necessary (see:lawyer Thursday) get another cover all shelter. Take it as well as my coverall shelter that my fireworks equipment is in right now down to the far end of the property. Pack up his vehicles that are in the quonset with all his hand tools. Take the vehicles and set up the two shelters out there in the hayfield beside the approach and fill the shelters with his stuff so at least the house is empty, this guy is away from the yard, and all will then be ready for de/construction. As well, and if enough hands, haul the cookstove out of the kitchen into the quonset (makes a piano look light lol) and move the freezer from upstairs to downstairs. So the house will be empty and can start on that.
So that is m.o.l. the plan (subject to changes lol) Though the Friday part is pretty cast in stone as only time can get all the help.
Been trying several times a day for the last week and a half to get a hold of plumber/furnace guy out at Hafford again but nada, no message manager, so Jean’s b.i.l. is a plumber/heating guy. I'll get a hold of him and see if I can order the furnace through his wholesale account for pick up in Prince Albert and I can pick it up from there. Maybe I can even hire him to install it, but if is paid for and in basement ready to hook up will be a relief anyways.
So..... as of this morning, that’s the plan
peter qz gordonlakehomestead.ca