After going i to work an extra shift out of the kindness of my heart ( and hole in my wallet) I proceeded slowly through various "puddles" after one of the worst rain storms I have ever witnessed. All I really wanted was to get home to my bed. On Gavilan Rd there is a large wash but I see several cars and trucks go through. I proceed with caution and note a fire truck on the other side of the wash. I get about a third of the way across and my car stalls. Several trucks, vans and cars pass me. And my car still will not start. One nice man from the Dept of Water (teehee) stops rolls down his window to ask if I am ok. I tell him my car won't start and he assures me he will find a way to help, "The Water Man" forges through and tells the Fire Deptartment ahead that I am Stuck. Mean while my window is suck half open and it is still raining..
After communicating through loud speaker and flashing light (No cell signal) the FD lets me know that Water-Rescure in on the way. REALLY?! I just want to get my car out of the water, Later I learn that my car will not be towed until the water is no longer going over the road. Next a Not good Samaritan speeds by and a fin of dirty water flys through my half open window. I am now soaked and baby it is cold out side! Crying snd swearing may have ensued at this point.
After a total of about an hour stuck on the road water rescue arrives. I don a hemet and safety vest, Grab my purse which I have loaded with keys , cell phones, chargers and my litman stethascope and we are off. The water was slightly more than ankle deep, very fast and very cold.
An ambulance was waiting for me-once again- REALLY?! but it was dry and warm, with blankets and heat packs I hear them giving report- 50 y/o white female stranded for approximatlly one hour....etc, surreal-
Since no cell phones are working and I declined going to the hospital-(Ijust left there...)The guys in the ambulance drove me home. I'll make fresh coffee for them on their next run to RCH.
I was disappointed that my adoring family was not waiting on the front porch for my arrival. I carried my shoes into the house, got itno dry jammies and finally went to bed.
Special note to Karen and Amy: The springs are full and we are expecting quicksand any day now.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
December Update
Well it seems that little progress has been made on the Ranch. We have decided on the name Hidden Owl Ranch, in honor of the owls that are in the area. We spent some time and money on patching the roof and rebuilding the part over the front door, with some improvement but it still leaks. Windows are in the kitchen, one in Michael's room and one in the Master bathroom. The boys installed a lot of drywall in the kitchen and living room ceiling. We are still running the house off of the temporary generator, so no water pump, hot water or washing machine. (Note to those I'm working with Monday night, can I come home with someone and do laundry on Tuesday AM?). Hopefully we will have the temp kitchen installed before Christmas. The burnt out mobile home on thelot diagonal to ours has been removed, not sure why or by whom but it sure does improve the neighborhood and the view from communication rock. Lots of rain lately but no quick sand yet. Our horse Snip aka Stinky is home from being boarded during the move, Treasure had to be euthanized on Thanksgiving, so he is very lonely, wet horse these days. My wish for Christmas is for another horse, a puppy and some barn cats. (Shelley)
I'm off for 3 weeks from teaching, but there's no money for projects. Hopefully, we have enough material on the ranch to accomplish some tasks, though. We must, must, must get the permanent generator going or Shelley's gonna kill somebody. I love the girl, I don't want to see her jailed. Sorry for not blogging more; we've had some internet access problems... still. (Steve)
I'm off for 3 weeks from teaching, but there's no money for projects. Hopefully, we have enough material on the ranch to accomplish some tasks, though. We must, must, must get the permanent generator going or Shelley's gonna kill somebody. I love the girl, I don't want to see her jailed. Sorry for not blogging more; we've had some internet access problems... still. (Steve)
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Things that Go Thump in the Night
Or is it bump? Or in our case, crunch, plunk, rattle, splash, thud, and crash.
I was awakened several times during the night by a single note on our piano a couple of nights ago. The first time, I thought maybe I was dreaming. Nope, there it was again! Now this is weird; were one of the boys playing a note on the way to the outside privy? Nah, that couldn't be it. The next time I called out, just to be sure. Nada. Ghost of ranch past? Yeah, right. Piano playing dog!? Hmm, but why just one note? BTW, it is way too cold to get out of bed to find out.
The next night, it happened again, but more often. You may wonder why I didn't just close the lid. I would have sworn that I did, but I'm not the only human in the house. The next morning, I saw a frog, but dismissed that thought immediately. The next evening, I closed the lid and put a box on top!
No more isolated piano playing, but my adventuresome noise visitors have started finding other means to wake me. Last night, I heard assorted crunching and rolling sounds coming from our bedroom. Mice! has to be! Bold, big ones! Then, a cup of water on the bedside table was knocked to the floor! A little later, there was a little bump on the bed and a thump on the floor... I want my Mommy!!!
Mice or ghosts, we gotta get a mouser or something. this is driving me crazy!
I was awakened several times during the night by a single note on our piano a couple of nights ago. The first time, I thought maybe I was dreaming. Nope, there it was again! Now this is weird; were one of the boys playing a note on the way to the outside privy? Nah, that couldn't be it. The next time I called out, just to be sure. Nada. Ghost of ranch past? Yeah, right. Piano playing dog!? Hmm, but why just one note? BTW, it is way too cold to get out of bed to find out.
The next night, it happened again, but more often. You may wonder why I didn't just close the lid. I would have sworn that I did, but I'm not the only human in the house. The next morning, I saw a frog, but dismissed that thought immediately. The next evening, I closed the lid and put a box on top!
No more isolated piano playing, but my adventuresome noise visitors have started finding other means to wake me. Last night, I heard assorted crunching and rolling sounds coming from our bedroom. Mice! has to be! Bold, big ones! Then, a cup of water on the bedside table was knocked to the floor! A little later, there was a little bump on the bed and a thump on the floor... I want my Mommy!!!
Mice or ghosts, we gotta get a mouser or something. this is driving me crazy!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Little house in the desert.
Week one on the ranch was certainly an adventure, no running water, no electricity, no propane, no windows or doors. I do have a wonderful husband, three sons and two protective dogs on the ranch. Every one has been working hard unloading and unpacking.
The dogs seem to love it here, they roam the house at night making sure every one is safe. One evening I took a stroll down the dirt road and had the funny feeling I was being followed. I turned around a few times but didn't see any one, maybe it is a coyote in the brush. Then up comes Julie , our black and white Akita mix, she just wanted to make sure I was ok.
.
I dont mind the hard work, but the lack of running water is driving me crazy. The well guy came out one evening while Steve and I were running errands and suggested we use trucked in water until the well issues were solved. Our neighbor Mike has been very helpful. The plumbing in the house is almost complete. For showers we have guest memberships at the YMCA. I just dont like having to go into town to take a shower.
All of this brings me to the title of todays blog, My favorite books as a little girl were the Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, I was fascinated by how everything was done from building a cabin to preparing food and settling in for the winter. I am now living my own little house adventure in the desert. Just like Laura we are having adversities and overcoming them as a family and that is what I like the best. No TV means that we talk and play with each other more. I'm planning on no TV satellite until after Michael has graduated high school. This should motivate him to work quickly and we all will interact with each other more.
Closer to my heart I think of my Grandmother's family moving from Arkansas to Oklahoma and Texas by an ox drawn wagon. Granny remembered as a little girl having to get out of the wagon to find rocks to put behind the wheels while going up hill so that the oxen could rest. My mother remembers the family driving out to Modesto, California from Munday, Texas as a five year old. Grandad had gone out earlier and was building their house and sent a hired man to drive Granny and the Kids to California. When they got there the kitchen and living room were done and there was an outhouse in the back yard. Compared to these adventures mine is a walk in the park. I will be comfortable in my new house very soon.
The dogs seem to love it here, they roam the house at night making sure every one is safe. One evening I took a stroll down the dirt road and had the funny feeling I was being followed. I turned around a few times but didn't see any one, maybe it is a coyote in the brush. Then up comes Julie , our black and white Akita mix, she just wanted to make sure I was ok.
.
I dont mind the hard work, but the lack of running water is driving me crazy. The well guy came out one evening while Steve and I were running errands and suggested we use trucked in water until the well issues were solved. Our neighbor Mike has been very helpful. The plumbing in the house is almost complete. For showers we have guest memberships at the YMCA. I just dont like having to go into town to take a shower.
All of this brings me to the title of todays blog, My favorite books as a little girl were the Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, I was fascinated by how everything was done from building a cabin to preparing food and settling in for the winter. I am now living my own little house adventure in the desert. Just like Laura we are having adversities and overcoming them as a family and that is what I like the best. No TV means that we talk and play with each other more. I'm planning on no TV satellite until after Michael has graduated high school. This should motivate him to work quickly and we all will interact with each other more.
Closer to my heart I think of my Grandmother's family moving from Arkansas to Oklahoma and Texas by an ox drawn wagon. Granny remembered as a little girl having to get out of the wagon to find rocks to put behind the wheels while going up hill so that the oxen could rest. My mother remembers the family driving out to Modesto, California from Munday, Texas as a five year old. Grandad had gone out earlier and was building their house and sent a hired man to drive Granny and the Kids to California. When they got there the kitchen and living room were done and there was an outhouse in the back yard. Compared to these adventures mine is a walk in the park. I will be comfortable in my new house very soon.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Some Homestead Ramblings
We have actually spent a couple of nights (3 now) in our project. The daytime weather has been unusually warm for November, and the night time has been pretty nice. The Lord is good – all the time (yes, even if it wasn’t temperate), and we are thankful for pleasant evenings, especially since we have no doors or windows installed!
Everything seems to cost more than we thought, so of course we’re running out of funds. We really need to establish water and power; we really want to get up doors, windows, and heating before winter hits.
Again, wiring is done for 110 and low voltage lighting, although I also want to add low volt receptacles before drywall. Tomorrow, Mike R is going to help me with the water tank and getting water into the house. The generator is in for a tune-up and propane fittings. The propane company wants us to put in huge tanks because of our questionable road; it’s a good deal for getting a great price ($1.99 per gallon for 1st fill vs. market price later (@$3.50)), but it’s a lot more money up front. Two free 500 gallon tanks, filled to 400 gallons, equals.... yikes! $1600! All the interior and exterior doors have been purchased, but only a few of the windows have been bought.
My commute has not been pleasant, since I’d gotten used to avoiding the freeways. My very first commute had major accidents slowing both ends of my commute. Fortunately, it’s been a conference week without students, but the travel is a planned inconvenience.
More later, Steve.
We Made It!
OK, the POD driver arrived early, so the whole time schedule got thrown into chaos.
Some of Michael's friends from CBU had helped load the 2nd POD and 26' U-Haul and unload it the night before. We still had stuff at the house! Argh, another trip for the U-Haul to get the rest of the stuff from the house. It was my plan to load the truck in the morning, unload it, and get it back to U-Haul before 2:00 PM to avoid second day charge. But then, the POD guy called and said he'd be there at 9:00 AM instead of 2:00 PM.
Sam helped me load the corral panels onto the U-Haul, then drove the pickup out to the ranch to lead the POD truck driver, and stayed to help out there. That left me alone to work on the U-Haul. Shelley had gone to Escondido to help Katie, Jonathan and Michael had spent the night with friends. After Sam left, the corral panels fell as I maneuvered the truck back into the driveway. Being the young, strong man I am (HA!), I decided that I could lift the panels one at a time back up into standing position. I actually had all but the gate up, but had to reach down too far to retrieve it, and all 13 panels started to fall again - ON ME!!! By God's grace, I was able to duck under and escape with only a few bruises instead of getting crushed. At this point, I slowed waaaaay down on the loading and waited for the younger boys and Shelley to help. We left some items I really wanted to bring, but we left around 4 PM, said goodbye to our Pedley home of five years, and hit the road for the ranch. We got everything on the U-Haul unloaded, and dropped off the truck around 7 PM.
We decided to spend that first night at a motel in Riverside so that I could go to work in Fontana the next morning. The hot shower was very, very welcomed. Hopefully, that is the last night spent in a motel! We've spent a few nights at the ranch, but this post was actually written after the next post, which I will cut and paste in a few minutes.
God is so good!
Steve
Some of Michael's friends from CBU had helped load the 2nd POD and 26' U-Haul and unload it the night before. We still had stuff at the house! Argh, another trip for the U-Haul to get the rest of the stuff from the house. It was my plan to load the truck in the morning, unload it, and get it back to U-Haul before 2:00 PM to avoid second day charge. But then, the POD guy called and said he'd be there at 9:00 AM instead of 2:00 PM.
Sam helped me load the corral panels onto the U-Haul, then drove the pickup out to the ranch to lead the POD truck driver, and stayed to help out there. That left me alone to work on the U-Haul. Shelley had gone to Escondido to help Katie, Jonathan and Michael had spent the night with friends. After Sam left, the corral panels fell as I maneuvered the truck back into the driveway. Being the young, strong man I am (HA!), I decided that I could lift the panels one at a time back up into standing position. I actually had all but the gate up, but had to reach down too far to retrieve it, and all 13 panels started to fall again - ON ME!!! By God's grace, I was able to duck under and escape with only a few bruises instead of getting crushed. At this point, I slowed waaaaay down on the loading and waited for the younger boys and Shelley to help. We left some items I really wanted to bring, but we left around 4 PM, said goodbye to our Pedley home of five years, and hit the road for the ranch. We got everything on the U-Haul unloaded, and dropped off the truck around 7 PM.
We decided to spend that first night at a motel in Riverside so that I could go to work in Fontana the next morning. The hot shower was very, very welcomed. Hopefully, that is the last night spent in a motel! We've spent a few nights at the ranch, but this post was actually written after the next post, which I will cut and paste in a few minutes.
God is so good!
Steve
Saturday, October 30, 2010
So Slow
Everyone still seems to be moving in slow motion on our move. Aaaargh! I also get the feeling that we will need more trips to get everything out of the house. We're loading a second POD, but I think we'll only get the living room, dining room, and maybe one of the bedrooms in before needing more space. I need to check to see if I can get an emergency U-Haul to finish up.
The POD didn't arrive until almost 3 PM, but we were expecting it before noon. I never even got out to the ranch today. Marian (Lazy J Ranch) picked up the horses a bit later. I'm actually feeling a bit off today, accidentally drinking more coffee than I realized, having a caffeine rush, anxiousness, then a major letdown. It is also remotely possible that I'm feeling my age a bit.
Jesse says we need to rent a jackhammer to finish the trenching. We are quickly running out of funds, I fear. Fortunately, payday is Monday, but even with that, things will be tight.
Feeling old, Steve.
The POD didn't arrive until almost 3 PM, but we were expecting it before noon. I never even got out to the ranch today. Marian (Lazy J Ranch) picked up the horses a bit later. I'm actually feeling a bit off today, accidentally drinking more coffee than I realized, having a caffeine rush, anxiousness, then a major letdown. It is also remotely possible that I'm feeling my age a bit.
Jesse says we need to rent a jackhammer to finish the trenching. We are quickly running out of funds, I fear. Fortunately, payday is Monday, but even with that, things will be tight.
Feeling old, Steve.
I Hate Moving
Yeah, who doesn't, right? Anyway, the second POD is supposed to arrive late this morning, we're still packing, Marian (our horse trainer) is picking up Treasure and Snip (Stinky) sometime this morning, too. It's amazing, all the stuff you accumulate over the years; AND, we only moved 5 years ago, so this is newly accumulated stuff.
I'm probably gonna get in trouble for it, but I plan on taking several railroad ties and other lumber to cut up and make steps up to Communication Rock, as we have been calling it. Portions of the path are a bit steep and slippery. Horse stuff, planters, outdoor furniture, exercise equipment, round pen, metal poles, large barbecue, composters, storage lockers, and canopies need to be moved - and that's just outside stuff that's not already been moved!
Most of the garage stuff is already in storage POD #1, but there's still more to go. We also have to load up all the living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture, paintings, clothes, bathrooms, kitchen, rugs, and school room stuff.
I need to call all the utilities, creditors, subscriptions, family, and friends on our new address. Oops, DMV too. The US Postal Service website did not recognize my new address, so I altered it to the address used on the mailbox by previous occupants. I need to go by the new post office to confirm that mail gets forwarded to the right place.
So far, Shelley and I have been getting along OK without biting each other's head off, but it is real stressful right now. Pray for us. Our old saying, "Divorce Never, Murder Maybe" still holds true, so if you find me dead, you'll know who did it! (This is kinda stupid to write in a blog, since Shelley will see this and comment!) HAHA honey.
Yikes, Steve
I'm probably gonna get in trouble for it, but I plan on taking several railroad ties and other lumber to cut up and make steps up to Communication Rock, as we have been calling it. Portions of the path are a bit steep and slippery. Horse stuff, planters, outdoor furniture, exercise equipment, round pen, metal poles, large barbecue, composters, storage lockers, and canopies need to be moved - and that's just outside stuff that's not already been moved!
Most of the garage stuff is already in storage POD #1, but there's still more to go. We also have to load up all the living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture, paintings, clothes, bathrooms, kitchen, rugs, and school room stuff.
I need to call all the utilities, creditors, subscriptions, family, and friends on our new address. Oops, DMV too. The US Postal Service website did not recognize my new address, so I altered it to the address used on the mailbox by previous occupants. I need to go by the new post office to confirm that mail gets forwarded to the right place.
So far, Shelley and I have been getting along OK without biting each other's head off, but it is real stressful right now. Pray for us. Our old saying, "Divorce Never, Murder Maybe" still holds true, so if you find me dead, you'll know who did it! (This is kinda stupid to write in a blog, since Shelley will see this and comment!) HAHA honey.
Yikes, Steve
More Work
Well moving day is Monday ready or not. This house is almost packed and ready to go. At the the homestead work is progressing nicely. The house is wired and lights installed. Best of all the generator has been moved to the garage and IT WORKS. (Sorry for doubting you dear.) Trenches are dug, Water Storage container is on the property. Bruce McG the well guy will be there tomorrow afternoonish and hopefully get the well working.
Shelley (found and posted by Steve)
Shelley (found and posted by Steve)
Moving On Up (or other prepositions)
Finally, I have a chance to sit down and write a bit. We have to move out of Pedley over the next three days, and it has been a little hectic. So, here's an update on the last week:
Electricity: The wiring was almost finished with both 110 and 12 (battery low voltage), but while drywall is still off, we decided to add TV and speaker wire throughout. Jesse should finish by Monday. We rented a trencher to dig from the side of the garage to the house junction box late Thursday afternoon, and finished yesterday.
Generator: (Also electricity, but a separate paragraph). We managed to get the Onan gas generator pulled from the old Winnebago after cutting some bolts and an exhaust pipe. It was then maneuvered into the garage. Guess what - it actually started!! (Angels sing in resounding chorus - Hallelujah!) It is pretty loud, so I need to get a car guy up (or take it to him) to tune it. We need to put the muffler/exhaust back on and vent it out towards the back. Also, I've got to build walls in to insulate the sound. Oh yeah, I also need to get power storage batteries (truck 12 volt to start, paired 6 volts later for longer storage.) (I know, waaay too many alsos and oh yeahs, one more thing. ROFL)
Water: I had a water tank guy come out and drop off a 2500 gallon water storage tank. It's a big, green cylinder that still needs to be rolled up to it the pad. Interesting, Sam is from Iraq, served in British intelligence, speaks 9 languages, a very typical pronounced accent, and promises me the absolutely best deal, ever! He said he grew up Iraqi Catholic, but loves attending Shadow Mountain (recently joined Southern Baptists) in El Cajon, David Jeremiah, pastor. He delivered the tank in his pickup truck, bed bowed by the multiple ratcheted tightenings, and paint job ruined from scratches and ratchet buckles.
Bruce McG. (well guy) may be out later today to show me how to set up the tank and fittings, and update me on the well.
More is happening, but I'll go ahead and post this; maybe i can get more later today.
Steve
Electricity: The wiring was almost finished with both 110 and 12 (battery low voltage), but while drywall is still off, we decided to add TV and speaker wire throughout. Jesse should finish by Monday. We rented a trencher to dig from the side of the garage to the house junction box late Thursday afternoon, and finished yesterday.
Generator: (Also electricity, but a separate paragraph). We managed to get the Onan gas generator pulled from the old Winnebago after cutting some bolts and an exhaust pipe. It was then maneuvered into the garage. Guess what - it actually started!! (Angels sing in resounding chorus - Hallelujah!) It is pretty loud, so I need to get a car guy up (or take it to him) to tune it. We need to put the muffler/exhaust back on and vent it out towards the back. Also, I've got to build walls in to insulate the sound. Oh yeah, I also need to get power storage batteries (truck 12 volt to start, paired 6 volts later for longer storage.) (I know, waaay too many alsos and oh yeahs, one more thing. ROFL)
Water: I had a water tank guy come out and drop off a 2500 gallon water storage tank. It's a big, green cylinder that still needs to be rolled up to it the pad. Interesting, Sam is from Iraq, served in British intelligence, speaks 9 languages, a very typical pronounced accent, and promises me the absolutely best deal, ever! He said he grew up Iraqi Catholic, but loves attending Shadow Mountain (recently joined Southern Baptists) in El Cajon, David Jeremiah, pastor. He delivered the tank in his pickup truck, bed bowed by the multiple ratcheted tightenings, and paint job ruined from scratches and ratchet buckles.
Bruce McG. (well guy) may be out later today to show me how to set up the tank and fittings, and update me on the well.
More is happening, but I'll go ahead and post this; maybe i can get more later today.
Steve
Saturday, October 23, 2010
A Day at the Ranch
Michelob and Corona bottle caps, cigarette butts, wire coat hanger, shot gun shells, broken windows, dry wall crumbs, paper clip, rocks bricks and weeds, baby bottle, dead basket ball, faded t-shirt, and 6 feet of smashed plastic pipe==guess what I did this morning? Raked the front yard of the ranch! Yes it was fun, it was a beautiful day to be outside. Shelley.
I was at the ranch, too. Bruce McG., the well guy came with his crane well truck; we lowered heavier pipe into the well and got a picture using the camera's zoom. It now appears that the previous well head was broken off and dropped to the bottom of the well. The picture shows a pipe and maybe some wire. We need to contrive a way to grab the pipe and lift perhaps 250 feet of it and a 4" pump on the bottom.
Jesse brought his Dad and framed the master bath and walk-in closet, and we started some more drywall demolition in the kitchen. We also worked on getting the generator out of the motor home and working. Wow, it's heavy! Ha, we'll get it out tomorrow. BTW, I've got a good name for the ranch, maybe. Bryn in Irish means hill, so why not name our ranch Bryn Flynn? I dunno, maybe too much rhyming. Steve.
I was at the ranch, too. Bruce McG., the well guy came with his crane well truck; we lowered heavier pipe into the well and got a picture using the camera's zoom. It now appears that the previous well head was broken off and dropped to the bottom of the well. The picture shows a pipe and maybe some wire. We need to contrive a way to grab the pipe and lift perhaps 250 feet of it and a 4" pump on the bottom.
Jesse brought his Dad and framed the master bath and walk-in closet, and we started some more drywall demolition in the kitchen. We also worked on getting the generator out of the motor home and working. Wow, it's heavy! Ha, we'll get it out tomorrow. BTW, I've got a good name for the ranch, maybe. Bryn in Irish means hill, so why not name our ranch Bryn Flynn? I dunno, maybe too much rhyming. Steve.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Another Update
I haven't blogged for almost a week, now.
Work has been progressing on the electric wiring by Jesse. I asked him to wire for both 110 with generator power and low voltage for battery-stored power from generator, solar, and wind. He's also going to frame in a master bath and walk-in closet for what will become the master suite.
We disassembled 9 interior doors with the frames at a contractor's house. Gary is a nice guy with a good amount of building experience; he gave very practical tips and showed me how to take out the frames and remove the 5 ceiling fans.
BTW, Shelley drove out to Sun Valley and bought a Shopsmith Mark V for $360! Yeah for bargain shopping through craigslist! Good job, Shell.
The dirt road has quite a few more ruts and bumps after our little rain; I hope we can maintain a decent road this winter.
The boys are working with Jesse today on the house, and I'll be at the ranch tomorrow with well expert, Bruce. I'm still researching cell coverage improvement and solar systems.
This blog entry is a bit disjointed without a unifying theme; not my best writing. Sorry about that.
More stuff to come.
Steve
Work has been progressing on the electric wiring by Jesse. I asked him to wire for both 110 with generator power and low voltage for battery-stored power from generator, solar, and wind. He's also going to frame in a master bath and walk-in closet for what will become the master suite.
We disassembled 9 interior doors with the frames at a contractor's house. Gary is a nice guy with a good amount of building experience; he gave very practical tips and showed me how to take out the frames and remove the 5 ceiling fans.
BTW, Shelley drove out to Sun Valley and bought a Shopsmith Mark V for $360! Yeah for bargain shopping through craigslist! Good job, Shell.
The dirt road has quite a few more ruts and bumps after our little rain; I hope we can maintain a decent road this winter.
The boys are working with Jesse today on the house, and I'll be at the ranch tomorrow with well expert, Bruce. I'm still researching cell coverage improvement and solar systems.
This blog entry is a bit disjointed without a unifying theme; not my best writing. Sorry about that.
More stuff to come.
Steve
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Bargains
Who doesn't love a bargain? There's an old saying that tempers an affirmative answer: "One man's trash is another's treasure." Another truism: "You get what you pay for." Shelley and I have often bumped heads on what to keep or trash. Basically, I'm a hoarder, and Shelley is much more prudent in deciding what is kept (some crazy two year rule!)
Anyway, I think we've gotten some pretty good bargains lately, but the above quotes are certain verbal fodder for friends, family, and foes. We purchased our ranch for 39k, but it really is quite a project. I also decided to buy an old motor home for $300 for an untested generator and propane refrigerator. We just bought three fancy exhaust fans for $30, and a house full of doors with frames for $100. Cool thing about the doors, though, the seller is also giving us five ceiling fans for that price.
Jesse, our next door Pedley neighbor is an electrician, gave us a pretty decent price (we think), to install the house with both 110 and low voltage wiring. He starts tomorrow, and should finish in a week. Someone will need to stay in the motorhome to watch the place. Shelley has found a couple of really nice entry doors for a good price, too. Windows - maybe contracted, maybe pieced, we haven't decided yet.
More adventures to come.
Steve
Anyway, I think we've gotten some pretty good bargains lately, but the above quotes are certain verbal fodder for friends, family, and foes. We purchased our ranch for 39k, but it really is quite a project. I also decided to buy an old motor home for $300 for an untested generator and propane refrigerator. We just bought three fancy exhaust fans for $30, and a house full of doors with frames for $100. Cool thing about the doors, though, the seller is also giving us five ceiling fans for that price.
Jesse, our next door Pedley neighbor is an electrician, gave us a pretty decent price (we think), to install the house with both 110 and low voltage wiring. He starts tomorrow, and should finish in a week. Someone will need to stay in the motorhome to watch the place. Shelley has found a couple of really nice entry doors for a good price, too. Windows - maybe contracted, maybe pieced, we haven't decided yet.
More adventures to come.
Steve
Of Rats and Quicksand
...with apologies to Steinbeck. The kangaroo rat has proven to be a thorn in many a developer's side, and guess what - yep, we got 'em. Cute little critters, really, and they are certainly NOT endangered in our biome. A favorite meal of local coyotes by evidence of their scat, we actually host two varieties. I forget which is which, but one cousin lives in the rocks, the other in the flats. They hop like kangaroos on hind legs; to date, I have only seen them in my headlights, but Mike R. says there are quite a few that come out after dark.
Probably the most surprising revelation from Mike R. is the occasional danger of quicksand. Hello, quicksand? Apparently, Mike lost a truck to the sneaky stuff, and there is a real danger in the area after rains. Springs and artesian wells bubble up and create a nearly invisible danger that also nearly claimed one of his horses. I will definitely read up on the stuff and look for danger signs.
Probably the most surprising revelation from Mike R. is the occasional danger of quicksand. Hello, quicksand? Apparently, Mike lost a truck to the sneaky stuff, and there is a real danger in the area after rains. Springs and artesian wells bubble up and create a nearly invisible danger that also nearly claimed one of his horses. I will definitely read up on the stuff and look for danger signs.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
More Well News
I should have written more while my meeting with the neighbors was fresh on my mind... ah, who're we kidding here? Nothing stays fresh in my mind these days - Haha! Rambling on, the R.'s truly seem to be a great source of information, and I feel we will become good friends in our adventures.
Before I forget, there's some good news, I think.
At the suggestion of Bruce McG. (well expert), the three of us - Shell, Mike, and I took some galvanized pipe to try and break through a blockage in the well at 28 feet. We coupled together three 10' half-inch pipe with a "T" on top with two 1' pipes for a handle/stopper. Our first attempt to lift the 30' pipe actually broke at the threads of the first joint. Rethinking, we lowered the pipe into the well in 10' sections and attached the couplings over the well while one held it firm. When we lowered the last piece, we attached the tee handle, and were able to start lifting and dropping the pipe with some force. At first, we hit what seemed to be rocks and dirt. A few forceful blows later, it felt like most of the rock was gone and we were pushing into mud. In a couple of spots, the pipe dropped all the way to the stopper, so we continued to lift and push until the pipe consistently dropped to the handle. There still seems to be a small solid shelf at the 28' mark, but I think we got most of the debris pushed down. The most encouraging sign was a welcome reflection of lantern lights down the 6' pipe. I need to get another coupler to add a fourth 10' to drop our puncher down further, but we are jazzed right now.
(Going back a couple of days.) On his first trip, Bill (the irrigation camera guy) got lost, of course, on his way to the ranch. It's kinda hard to play phone tag when you can't get cell service! When we were able to connect, I led him out there. He commented that he had lived many years in the area, and never knew places like this existed - ROFL. Anyway, he got out his battery-pack irrigation pipe camera, powered it up, and ... voila, no picture. He grumbled that it, "always worked before." Nice guy, coming out as a favor, I'll have him come out again, now that we can see a reflection. I also want to call Bruce McG back out to test the water and tell us what kind of pump we need.
More adventure to come.
Steve
Before I forget, there's some good news, I think.
At the suggestion of Bruce McG. (well expert), the three of us - Shell, Mike, and I took some galvanized pipe to try and break through a blockage in the well at 28 feet. We coupled together three 10' half-inch pipe with a "T" on top with two 1' pipes for a handle/stopper. Our first attempt to lift the 30' pipe actually broke at the threads of the first joint. Rethinking, we lowered the pipe into the well in 10' sections and attached the couplings over the well while one held it firm. When we lowered the last piece, we attached the tee handle, and were able to start lifting and dropping the pipe with some force. At first, we hit what seemed to be rocks and dirt. A few forceful blows later, it felt like most of the rock was gone and we were pushing into mud. In a couple of spots, the pipe dropped all the way to the stopper, so we continued to lift and push until the pipe consistently dropped to the handle. There still seems to be a small solid shelf at the 28' mark, but I think we got most of the debris pushed down. The most encouraging sign was a welcome reflection of lantern lights down the 6' pipe. I need to get another coupler to add a fourth 10' to drop our puncher down further, but we are jazzed right now.
(Going back a couple of days.) On his first trip, Bill (the irrigation camera guy) got lost, of course, on his way to the ranch. It's kinda hard to play phone tag when you can't get cell service! When we were able to connect, I led him out there. He commented that he had lived many years in the area, and never knew places like this existed - ROFL. Anyway, he got out his battery-pack irrigation pipe camera, powered it up, and ... voila, no picture. He grumbled that it, "always worked before." Nice guy, coming out as a favor, I'll have him come out again, now that we can see a reflection. I also want to call Bruce McG back out to test the water and tell us what kind of pump we need.
More adventure to come.
Steve
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Meet the Neighbors
Overwhelmed. That's how I feel after sitting down with the only neighbor past us on our lonely road. Turns out, Mike R. has lived there for more than 30 years. I could double my blog entries to date with just what I picked up today. Here's a few highlights:
My property used to be in Perris, and the previous owner actually filed building permits in Perris. So that is where I might find some missing information about the history on the property. He had the property insured, so the documents have to be somewhere.
Also, there is not a septic tank, but a cesspool field to the north of the house. The well that was drilled behind the house had to go down 300 feet! He pumped the water to a stainless steel tank on top of the hill for water pressure gravity flow. I asked him how the tank got up there, he said it was brought in by helicopter! The tank was rolled down the hill by thieves. BTW, there is still a large circular plate on the hill.
There is another gun club nearby used by police and military shooters. We had heard some automatic gun fire, and now we know it comes from the "Rock Pile." (Turn right instead of left at the first fork.)
More adventures later.
Steve
My property used to be in Perris, and the previous owner actually filed building permits in Perris. So that is where I might find some missing information about the history on the property. He had the property insured, so the documents have to be somewhere.
Also, there is not a septic tank, but a cesspool field to the north of the house. The well that was drilled behind the house had to go down 300 feet! He pumped the water to a stainless steel tank on top of the hill for water pressure gravity flow. I asked him how the tank got up there, he said it was brought in by helicopter! The tank was rolled down the hill by thieves. BTW, there is still a large circular plate on the hill.
There is another gun club nearby used by police and military shooters. We had heard some automatic gun fire, and now we know it comes from the "Rock Pile." (Turn right instead of left at the first fork.)
More adventures later.
Steve
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
All Is Well
Well, not really, but this blog entry is mainly about recent adventures with our well.
Bruce McG., the local well expert, had a good time checking out our remote acreage, but came to the conclusion that the well has been blocked at 28 feet. He suggested taking a long pipe and trying to punch the blockage down into the well. I stopped by the local hardware to get some galvanized pipe, but I was worried about the weight.
The saleslady suggested using PVC pipe with an epoxy on the end to glob onto the rocks to pull them out. Hmmm. We spent some time figuring out how this could work, problems including: getting stuck on the side of the well casing, having the epoxy drying too quickly or too slowly, and getting enough goop on the end of a pipe. The nice lady ventured her friend who had snaked a camera into a sewage line to search for damage. I talked with Bill for a few minutes, and he graciously offered to meet me tomorrow afternoon to take the plumber's camera snake down the 28 feet to see what's down there.
More good adventures to come! Or is that well adventures? Teehee.
Steve
Bruce McG., the local well expert, had a good time checking out our remote acreage, but came to the conclusion that the well has been blocked at 28 feet. He suggested taking a long pipe and trying to punch the blockage down into the well. I stopped by the local hardware to get some galvanized pipe, but I was worried about the weight.
The saleslady suggested using PVC pipe with an epoxy on the end to glob onto the rocks to pull them out. Hmmm. We spent some time figuring out how this could work, problems including: getting stuck on the side of the well casing, having the epoxy drying too quickly or too slowly, and getting enough goop on the end of a pipe. The nice lady ventured her friend who had snaked a camera into a sewage line to search for damage. I talked with Bill for a few minutes, and he graciously offered to meet me tomorrow afternoon to take the plumber's camera snake down the 28 feet to see what's down there.
More good adventures to come! Or is that well adventures? Teehee.
Steve
Monday Monday
OK, so now it's Tuesday Tuesday, but sometimes it's hard to come up with titles to these updates. Also, Monday just ended and I wanted to give a little update on yesterday's events.
The well expert came out yesterday and found that rocks had been thrown in the well to a depth of 28 feet. He used some colorful, unkind words for people that engage in this kind of vandalism. He suggested that we get some pipe to try to break the rock down into the well. I'll buy and join together some lengths of galvanized pipe, and let the boys take turns lifting and pounding that heavy pipe onto the rocks below. Hopefully, not too many rocks were thrown down, but we will just have to see. Otherwise, I'll have to buy a tank and have water trucked in and/or have a drill company drill though the old and/or completely drill a new well. Oh joy. BTW, apparently the previous owners had built the tank seen in the photo just for storage and pressure as we could not find how a truck could get to the spot to drill.
We also finished loading the POD and had it picked up and delivered yesterday afternoon. It's fascinating to watch the "podzilla" at work! I rode out with the driver (he would never have found my place!) and showed him where to place the storage unit. We'll start unloading it this week into the garage/workshop.
The trash company is supposed to deliver the roll-off dumpster today, but the boys will be in charge of showing them where to put it. The company will probably just put it where it's most convenient for them to pick it back up.
More to come! Steve.
The well expert came out yesterday and found that rocks had been thrown in the well to a depth of 28 feet. He used some colorful, unkind words for people that engage in this kind of vandalism. He suggested that we get some pipe to try to break the rock down into the well. I'll buy and join together some lengths of galvanized pipe, and let the boys take turns lifting and pounding that heavy pipe onto the rocks below. Hopefully, not too many rocks were thrown down, but we will just have to see. Otherwise, I'll have to buy a tank and have water trucked in and/or have a drill company drill though the old and/or completely drill a new well. Oh joy. BTW, apparently the previous owners had built the tank seen in the photo just for storage and pressure as we could not find how a truck could get to the spot to drill.
We also finished loading the POD and had it picked up and delivered yesterday afternoon. It's fascinating to watch the "podzilla" at work! I rode out with the driver (he would never have found my place!) and showed him where to place the storage unit. We'll start unloading it this week into the garage/workshop.
The trash company is supposed to deliver the roll-off dumpster today, but the boys will be in charge of showing them where to put it. The company will probably just put it where it's most convenient for them to pick it back up.
More to come! Steve.
Friday, October 8, 2010
More Adventures
Yeah! The trash company found us and will provide service.
Boo! It's $538 to put a 40 foot roll-off for our reconstruction mess (as long as weight is under 5 tons.) I called a couple of other guys, but they said that this is a good price. Whew! Whodathunkit? Anyway, they'll take it out there on Tuesday, and we can fill it up with the old carpet and drywall, and other tear-down materials later.
The expert water well guy is supposed to meet me Monday to test from scratch since Riverside County couldn't find earlier reports. I'm hoping all goes well here; it could take a big chunk of change to get decent water. I still need to wander around and see if I can find the other well seen in the photos.
Monday is also POD pickup and delivery day. What a great way to spend my furlough day (read as unpaid teacher vacation.)
BTW, I checked with Edison about costs to bring power out. They don't just quote, but I was able to have their project guy look on the map, and have him say it would likely be over 100k. Wow. (pause....) Wow. Pretty much makes that decision easy now, doesn't it? LP generator, solar, and wind it is.
Steve
Boo! It's $538 to put a 40 foot roll-off for our reconstruction mess (as long as weight is under 5 tons.) I called a couple of other guys, but they said that this is a good price. Whew! Whodathunkit? Anyway, they'll take it out there on Tuesday, and we can fill it up with the old carpet and drywall, and other tear-down materials later.
The expert water well guy is supposed to meet me Monday to test from scratch since Riverside County couldn't find earlier reports. I'm hoping all goes well here; it could take a big chunk of change to get decent water. I still need to wander around and see if I can find the other well seen in the photos.
Monday is also POD pickup and delivery day. What a great way to spend my furlough day (read as unpaid teacher vacation.)
BTW, I checked with Edison about costs to bring power out. They don't just quote, but I was able to have their project guy look on the map, and have him say it would likely be over 100k. Wow. (pause....) Wow. Pretty much makes that decision easy now, doesn't it? LP generator, solar, and wind it is.
Steve
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Verrrry Eeenterestink (Sgt. Schultz)
Well, this is an interesting observation. Lee B. looked on the bing.com map satellite photos and found another previous water tank on top of the hill with pipes coming down. He thinks the rusted out tank and metal well casing closer to the house were not used by the previous owners, perhaps deserted in previous drought when the water table dropped. I need to wander around up on the hill some more and see if I can find this other well.
Riverside County can't find the Well Completion or Septic reports, so I have to pay people to start from scratch! Yes, it's frustrating. The trash company that serves Lake Elsinore sent a supervisor out today to see if they can "find" the property. Really, find the property. I gave them the address and street directions, but they were unable to find it. This time, I gave them APN, satellite maps, and country-fied landmark directions. I'll call them tomorrow to see when I can get a dumpster out there.
I bought a very old motorhome from somebody on Craigslist for $300 (another $500 to get it out there) because it has a 6.5 kilowatt generator and a propane fridge. Son Michael thinks it will serve really well for site living quarters; we'll see. Monday, the POD will be taken out to the property. We'll put the stuff in the garage workshop and padlock it. Hopefully, people will see that folks are working here, and will stop vandalizing the area; again, we'll see.
Steve
Riverside County can't find the Well Completion or Septic reports, so I have to pay people to start from scratch! Yes, it's frustrating. The trash company that serves Lake Elsinore sent a supervisor out today to see if they can "find" the property. Really, find the property. I gave them the address and street directions, but they were unable to find it. This time, I gave them APN, satellite maps, and country-fied landmark directions. I'll call them tomorrow to see when I can get a dumpster out there.
I bought a very old motorhome from somebody on Craigslist for $300 (another $500 to get it out there) because it has a 6.5 kilowatt generator and a propane fridge. Son Michael thinks it will serve really well for site living quarters; we'll see. Monday, the POD will be taken out to the property. We'll put the stuff in the garage workshop and padlock it. Hopefully, people will see that folks are working here, and will stop vandalizing the area; again, we'll see.
Steve
Monday, October 4, 2010
My Kitchen
Today we started demolishing the kitchen of our homestead, in the process we took off the security covers on the windows and I could see the view. One is up the mountain and the other is across the future orchard to the road. I like both. I will be able to see the horses and watch for kids and grandkids driving in.
Todays purchases included a shotgun and a sledge hammer. The shotgun is for chasing off coyotes and other invaders. The sledge hammer for the rest of the demolition in the kitchen and bathroom.
Todays purchases included a shotgun and a sledge hammer. The shotgun is for chasing off coyotes and other invaders. The sledge hammer for the rest of the demolition in the kitchen and bathroom.
AAAARRRRGGGG!!!
This is really frustrating! Everybody else on my dirt road has one trash company, but I'm lucky enough to have my property in the annexed city of Lake Elsinore! The trouble is, you can't get to Lake Elsinore without going through Perris (obviously not France!) Trash company #2 can't find me either, and I'm waiting for them to get back to me so I can get some service. Right now, we need a dumpster to haul off deconstruction materials (old drywall, carpet, & other trash.) I'm sitting in Lake Elsinore city hall getting a printout to take to the city trash company. The annexation map shows that I'm the only one in my area in the city. (Take a deep breath.)
I'm also in trouble with my son for publicly posting that the drywall nails and screws also have to come out. Samuel, if you are reading this, "Thank you for all your good, hard work in taking out the drywall. I truly appreciate your efforts and family contributions. I'm sorry for posting negative feelings on your work."
More adventures to come!
Steve
I'm also in trouble with my son for publicly posting that the drywall nails and screws also have to come out. Samuel, if you are reading this, "Thank you for all your good, hard work in taking out the drywall. I truly appreciate your efforts and family contributions. I'm sorry for posting negative feelings on your work."
More adventures to come!
Steve
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Concerns
Out at our property today, I noticed quite a few dog-sized scat. Breaking one open with a stick, I found a lot of gray fur. Hmm, rabbit? mice? Kangaroo Rat? Yikes! We will definitely have to plan coyote-safe enclosures for any animals we bring with us.
Also, our area seems to be very popular for shooting guns. There is a gun club close by, but it sounds like shots are coming from everywhere. Several friends have told us that we need to get a gun, but I waffle between wanting to protect my loved ones by showing aggression, and fear of escalating violence by demonstrating aggression. Any thoughts either way appreciated.
We're still having problems finding the Well Completion Report from the County of Riverside; have to check tomorrow again with County guy, and check City of Lake Elsinore. We also need to get a trash dumpster on the property to get rid of old carpet, drywall, and other deconstruction to come.
The boys will go back out tomorrow with drill to take out screws and nailbars to finish cleaning out the old drywall. Seems funny that you have to tear down before you can build up.
Here's a couple of pics I took today.
Also, our area seems to be very popular for shooting guns. There is a gun club close by, but it sounds like shots are coming from everywhere. Several friends have told us that we need to get a gun, but I waffle between wanting to protect my loved ones by showing aggression, and fear of escalating violence by demonstrating aggression. Any thoughts either way appreciated.
We're still having problems finding the Well Completion Report from the County of Riverside; have to check tomorrow again with County guy, and check City of Lake Elsinore. We also need to get a trash dumpster on the property to get rid of old carpet, drywall, and other deconstruction to come.
The boys will go back out tomorrow with drill to take out screws and nailbars to finish cleaning out the old drywall. Seems funny that you have to tear down before you can build up.
Here's a couple of pics I took today.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Bing Map pics
Here's a cool way to see our property: go to bing.com maps, put in our address: 19205 Santa Rosa Rd 92509, click on the world icon on map, choose bird's eye view, + sign to zoom in, rotate to view from different angles. VERY COOL! Thanks, Bing.
Steve
try this link http://www.bing.com/maps/explore/#/npfb3n2sqs51xs2g
Steve
try this link http://www.bing.com/maps/explore/#/npfb3n2sqs51xs2g
A Little History...
We've been working on getting totally out of debt (who isn't?), and ultimately decided to try to buy a fixer on acreage, hoping to buy cheaply and pay it off in just a few years. We actually found a few decent properties under 100k in southern California, most of them south of Hemet and east of Temecula. They are still listed, by the way, for those of you interested in cheaper digs. We made a few trips to Aguanga and Anza, but decided that it was just too far to commute.
Two properties with Lake Elsinore addresses caught our eye. One was a small block house with one bedroom and one bath (extra bedrooms in separate buildings) on 5 acres fairly close to the 15 freeway. They were asking 99k; we really saw some potential there. We made an offer of 85k, and NEVER got an up or down to our offer. There's a longer story there, but at the end, we had to move on.
The other Lake Elsinore property was listed for $50,900 and we had quite an adventure with Doug Newkirk, our realtor, in just finding the property. Doug absolutely loved the property (he's a bit quixotic), and so did Shelley. I liked the price and the idea of owning someplace free and clear. There's really cool rocks for climbing, too. Ok, so I'm not a kid anymore; I still like to scramble around boulders. We made an offer of 39k cash, but found there was another offer. We were instructed to make our best offer, and told the bank that this was our highest; the offer was rejected. We scrounged, and figured we could make a new offer of 44k, and the bank (REO) accepted our new offer. Elated, we made all the money transfers to our accounts to make the purchase. Weird thing though, the bank-prepared paperwork stated the price was 39k (our original offer.) Our agents called, and were told the price is correct. Hmm. (5 second pause) Woohoo! We really need the extra 5k for repairs.
We closed escrow, and now the real fun begins. Pray for us, wish us luck, and bring batteries.
Steve
Two properties with Lake Elsinore addresses caught our eye. One was a small block house with one bedroom and one bath (extra bedrooms in separate buildings) on 5 acres fairly close to the 15 freeway. They were asking 99k; we really saw some potential there. We made an offer of 85k, and NEVER got an up or down to our offer. There's a longer story there, but at the end, we had to move on.
The other Lake Elsinore property was listed for $50,900 and we had quite an adventure with Doug Newkirk, our realtor, in just finding the property. Doug absolutely loved the property (he's a bit quixotic), and so did Shelley. I liked the price and the idea of owning someplace free and clear. There's really cool rocks for climbing, too. Ok, so I'm not a kid anymore; I still like to scramble around boulders. We made an offer of 39k cash, but found there was another offer. We were instructed to make our best offer, and told the bank that this was our highest; the offer was rejected. We scrounged, and figured we could make a new offer of 44k, and the bank (REO) accepted our new offer. Elated, we made all the money transfers to our accounts to make the purchase. Weird thing though, the bank-prepared paperwork stated the price was 39k (our original offer.) Our agents called, and were told the price is correct. Hmm. (5 second pause) Woohoo! We really need the extra 5k for repairs.
We closed escrow, and now the real fun begins. Pray for us, wish us luck, and bring batteries.
Steve
Work, work, work
Here's a small update. The Riverside County guy couldn't find the Well Completion Report, and is going to email me the number of some other department in County to see if they have an older record. grrr. If I can't find it, I'll have to pay the well expert tons more to get basic well information.
Our friend from church, Lee B. took a look yesterday at our property, and is teaching our boys to remove the broken drywall, put in wiring, insulation, install and tape drywall. They also need to prune back bushes near the drive so our truck and cars don't get scratched up. Wahoo!
Steve
Our friend from church, Lee B. took a look yesterday at our property, and is teaching our boys to remove the broken drywall, put in wiring, insulation, install and tape drywall. They also need to prune back bushes near the drive so our truck and cars don't get scratched up. Wahoo!
Steve
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Steve's update 1
We closed escrow on Friday, September 24th, and I've discovered that almost nobody can find our property! That's great for avoiding annoying people, but it's really inconvenient for getting service people we actually want to find us. The biggest problem is that the street address does not show up on any maps. You can find it by Assessor's Parcel Number, and by satellite maps (if you know where to look!), but even GPS can't find it! Even the MLS to sell the property initially printed a map on the wrong side of Lake Elsinore. So.... if you want to come visit, call first.... oh wait, there's almost no cell service there. WWWT?
I really should've figured some stuff out BEFORE we closed escrow; it was just so great a deal, we let some important items just kinda slide. Pretty much, there's an endless loop of people saying "this" has to be done before "that" can happen. Septic, oh, you need water and power first. Well water, oh, you need power and a Well Completion Report. Satellite, you need power to install.
I stopped by Riverside County to get some water well information, and after walking in circles for a while, finally got to the right department to pull up a Well Completion Report order. They'll do the research and call me tomorrow (yeah, we'll see. I'm not skeptical, nah.)
Overall, though, we are really excited and still think we got a great deal on decent property. We are "free and clear" with no mortgage, and we'll pay for improvements with cash. If you want to come see our gem, our diamond in the rough, you are quite welcome to do so. Bring work gloves, maybe some tools, some bottled water... and oh yeah, an open mind.
I really should've figured some stuff out BEFORE we closed escrow; it was just so great a deal, we let some important items just kinda slide. Pretty much, there's an endless loop of people saying "this" has to be done before "that" can happen. Septic, oh, you need water and power first. Well water, oh, you need power and a Well Completion Report. Satellite, you need power to install.
I stopped by Riverside County to get some water well information, and after walking in circles for a while, finally got to the right department to pull up a Well Completion Report order. They'll do the research and call me tomorrow (yeah, we'll see. I'm not skeptical, nah.)
Overall, though, we are really excited and still think we got a great deal on decent property. We are "free and clear" with no mortgage, and we'll pay for improvements with cash. If you want to come see our gem, our diamond in the rough, you are quite welcome to do so. Bring work gloves, maybe some tools, some bottled water... and oh yeah, an open mind.
Finally the begining
We are Finally Homesteaders, Well, we have a property that will be a homestead. We never thought a big enough piece of property would be affordable in So California. So now we own 5 acres, most of it a rock hill, but enough for our horses and chickens and to start a garden and plant fruit trees. The house is off-grid, meaning no So Cal Edison or Gas comes directly to the property. We will be in learning mode and installing a generator and solar for power and trying to improve our cell phone reception. Also we will be rewiring and plumbing the house. So many decisions to make and jobs to do! This blog will be for friends and family to keep up with our progress. And for wanna be homesteaders to live vicariously through our experience and finally for experienced homesteaders to look back and give advice.
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