Research, learning and training.

I haven't been back to the property since Thanksgiving week and am planning on heading over the 52nd week of 2015.  I'm not sure if there will be snow out there and if there is, how much.  There will not be a lot of work I can do, but there will be some.  If there is snow I will be able to snow shoe.

I have ordered an Oregon CS300-A6 chainsaw - cordless.  This will be a big help in clearing smaller trees and limbing bigger trees in order to cut them with a different saw.  It will be good for carrying on the hillside as I will not need to carry fuel can and oil.

I'm watching safety videos for using a chain saw and I am researching forestry methods to prepare for the land clearing I will need to do. I have found a free online beginning Basic Forestry course.  And I have learned a new word,  Silviculture.

Here is the first book I have purchased to gain an understanding of what I can do to make my homestead more fire resistant.  "Fire Smart Home Handbook" By Clyde Soles

Thanksgiving Weekend - Sunday

Today I spend 5.5 hours working in low 20 degree weather.  I am surprised at how warm I stayed, especially since I wasn't doing intensive heat generating work. 

My plan was to start cutting this carpet out of the trailer.  Since I had removed the doors and windows yesterday, I thought it might be a good idea if I cut up the rug, rolled it and prepared it for the dump before the trailer filled with snow and saturated the rug, greatly increasing its weight and doubling or tripling the amount I would have to pay at the landfill.

Since the trailer hadn't been lived in for at least 7 years, and mold is growing in the trailer, I figured I wanted to take precautions so as not to fill my nasal passages with dust and other pathogens.  I purchased a ventilator and disposable painter garb to protect my health and my clothes. 

About 4 hours of my day was spent removing the sticky caulking material from all the windows except for the one I haven't removed yet.  I didn't have a putty knife in my toolbox, but I did have a butter knife in my emergency food kit that I keep at the property.  My hands are sore from using the knife, but the task is almost done.  I couldn't get to the rear door, so someone will need to do that yet.  I was going to work until 3:30 and start cleaning up so I could be out by dark, instead, as I looked at how little I had to do, I pushed on and completed the task by 4:30.  I changed clothes, put tools away and headed to The Rainbow Resort for Fish and Chips for dinner.


I will be coming over again in December, maybe for the week between Christmas and New Years.  If anyone wants to join me for the drive over and back, there are many ski resorts in the area and other winter activities to participate in, and yes, I won't insist you work on the property, you can if you want.  I was told about a 2 bedroom rental cabin on the lake that will cost around $100.00 a night, if we split that 2 or more ways, it quite affordable.  

My quote of the day.  "I don't have many tools, but the ones I do have, are cheap ones"

Saturday's work

 

Today’s work.  Not much to write about, but will include pictures. (I updated yesterday's post with pictures)

I removed the windows and doors from the trailer and stored them alongside the container.















I then removed some attached rain gutters and pulled one section of “skin” off the trailer.

 Ever wonder why they get destroyed so easily in a tornado?



 

I finished my work day at The Rainbow Resort with a Cobb salad.                                                  

Thanksgiving Weekend Saturday morning

I headed to the property on Thursday, Thanksgiving, and arrived in Post Falls late in the evening.  I stayed at a motel I had stayed in on my last trip, an older place, but clean and quiet.  I noticed an unpleasant smell in the lobby when I entered and thought, it's not too bad.  It reminded me of nursing homes I had worked in when I was younger, sort of a cleaning solution trying to cover the smell of feces and decay.  I walked all the way to the end of the hall to my room and the smell (o oo o that smell) stayed with me.  I entered my room and it was a little better.  I had a beer and went to bed, I woke around 10:30 and then again at around 1:00 and the smell was stronger, it was so strong, I could not get back to sleep.  In the morning, I checked out of the motel, and told the person at the counter that the air quality was bad, so I couldn't stay the whole weekend like I had planned.  I told her what I thought it smelled like and instead of pretending to be concerned for my discomfort (customer service) and perhaps retaining a customer for the future, she dismissed my concerns and protested my feelings.  Oh Well.

On Friday, I went to The Back 40, a local big box farm store.  I picked up some rubber boots, some gloves a stocking cap and a 6' ladder.  Then out to the property where I sprayed the inside of the trailer with vinegar in an attempt to kill some of the mold, I removed the inside storm windows and then finished removing the screws holding the main windows and doors onto the side of the mobile home. 

With the ladder placed on the deck, I was able to see the top of the trailer and discovered the Wooden structure built to shelter the mobile from snow and trees(?) had settled down onto the trailer roof and

there is no way the trailer could be pulled out.  I am not sure how we will remove the trailer.

Listening to news reports, there must have been a wind storm out here last week.  There is no trace of the No Trespassing sign I had wired to my gate. 

I had to cut up a sapling that had fallen across the drive and there is another tree that would have fallen across the road if it hadn't been held by another tree.  I will need to figure out how to remove that tree before it becomes a danger.

Another large tree, in an area I am thinking of building a cabin,  snapped in the wind and there is a good 40 foot section laying across the trail.

I will need to be cognizant of "widow makers"

Veteran’s Day Weekend – Monday

I went to 11:00 church service on Sunday and met up with Steve and Kimberly, we talked for a while after the service about the property. I spent the rest of the day doing errands, shopping and I read all evening and went to bed early.

I joined the local gym today, it is pretty nice, I rowed 2k in 8:37 -  I tried a couple different stationary bikes and a weird ECO treadmill, then a treadmill that had videos of different trail runs.

I wanted to rent a battery operated chainsaw so I could test one out before I purchased one, but I could not find one.  I tried to purchase a bow saw for trimming branches – I chose not to purchase one yesterday because I hadn't heard of the brand and it seemed cheaply made – but the big box store I went to this morning on the way to the property had just put their garden tools away so they could put out Christmas toys.  I picked up an axe instead.

At the property, I grabbed the axe and headed down a trail to the spot a big tree had fallen across my water cistern; I had planned to use the chain saw to limb the trunk an see if I could cut it into small enough pieces to move out of the way.  I used the axe to limb the tree so I could climb under it and then I started to explore the hillside, looking for another stream I had been told about.  The axe came in handy on this adventure.  I didn’t find the stream, but I did find a pink ribbon hanging on one of the tress and wondered if that could be part of a “String line” denoting the boundary of my property.  Using basic sighting technique, of finding a tree or other feature, that was in a straight line from the ribbon, I was able to work my way down hill to that tree, and then I picked another feature and worked my way to it, I was finally able to see a certain group of trees along the road, and when I reached that point, I was pretty close to what I thought might be the property line.

I forgot to mention I met my first neighbours on Saturday, Bud and Joan.  They own the cattle and pasture across the road from me and had seen me walking up and down the road and climbing the embankments, so they drove over to see if I was O.K., if I had hit a deer or..?  I told them I was just looking for the property stakes.  Today, I met my second neighbour, He saw my gate open and drove up my driveway to introduce himself.  John Cotton.  He was friends of the previous owner and told me he had found the guy after he died.  He told me some stories. 

He asked if I know how the water system worked and I told him no.  He explained that he had built the system and asked if I had seen the cistern and was it full?  I told him it may be damaged and we talked about repairing it.  He was a little disappointed that I won’t be moving here for 4 years.  His wife of 45 years is dying of cancer and is in the Olympia area.  He is in his mid 70’s and is still driving a dump truck and actively working.  Bud is 92 or 97.

Veteran’s Day weekend - Saturday

Veteran’s Day weekend

I have Wednesday, November 11 off, so it is only natural that I take Monday and Tuesday off for a 5 day weekend, and head over to the property.  Up at 5:20, catch 7:05 ferry, stop at work pick up rain pants, leave Seattle about 8:00 and arrive in Post Falls at 12:30.

I met with the forester and we went over the timber management plan.  He recommends doing selective harvesting to take out an area of trees that has root disease and planting a different spices that isn’t susceptible to the root disease, some of this timber will be marketable.  He also recommends selective harvesting to thin out the trees to create a healthier environment by reducing the strain on the resources needed by the trees, and finally selective harvesting for the road to the top of the hill so I can build my home.  He recommended waiting 20 years for the trees to mature, before harvesting as a crop.

However, there is still lots of cleanup and thinning to make my little forest more fire resistant so I will be very busy for many years, I will not be retiring, I will be leaving my job at THE Seattle Public Library and going to work as a forest manager ;) 

Yesterday, Saturday, after the meeting with the ranger, I went out to the property.  I had thought I would need to purchase a jack to shore up the container I had purchased and had delivered on my last trip, but I used a level and discovered it was level and plumb.  I then scouted the trail to one of the streams to look at maintenance needs and to see what it would take to cut a fallen tree off the cistern.  After that, I used a measurement wheel to get a rough measurement of my frontage along the county road, and then climbed the banks of the road looking for survey markers.  They may be fence posts or they may just be a piece of rebar with a cap on it (or no cap.)  I found a possible marker but I am not sure.  I think I need to clean a lot of debris off the slopes and use a metal detector to try to locate the rebar. 

I closed up at dusk, around 4:15 and headed back to town.  I stopped at the RAINBOW RESORT for dinner and had the Prime RIB special.

Updates from September

This morning I am at the Riverbend Inn in Post Falls.  I’m spending the weekend here because I don’t want to camp out at the property.  Some things have been accomplished since my last post, so I am going to catch up here.

I met with a private forester and hired him to do a timber survey on the land and to write a Timber Management Plan I need to file with the county in order to receive a timber tax exemption.  The county, and maybe the state, offer the tax exemption, which lowers an owner’s property tax, the state then collects a tax when the timber is sold.  This is to encourage the owner to maintain and manage, their forest in a healthy manner.

My brother Frank and his wife Shirley came over a month or so ago and we did some work on the property.  We cleared some brush and trash from around the trailer and cut some saplings that were growing along the side of the trailer.  There is a hole about 3 foot across and 4 or 5 feet deep, a definite safety hazard.  We discussed a few ways to cover the hole and Frank manufactured a cover that I fill someone would have to work hard at to remove and access the hole.  Frank also fixed the gate to the property so it now swings open and closed.  Originally it was just 2 fence section that were chained to a couple posts.    We located the septic tank, but have not found either of the 2 wells that are suppose to have been drilled.

The next project we accomplished was to do some trail maintenance, cutting saplings out of the trail.  Frank did an excellent job using his chain saw to cut some timber snags out of the trail which made it easier and safer to hike to the top.  We found some skid trails we might be able to incorporate into a road to the top.  I saw a cat like creature in the brush along the trail, it didn’t look domestic, but it didn’t look like a cougar, I’ll need to do some research to figure out what it is.

My brother Frank is a craftsman I wish I had his talent when it comes to repairing and building and conceptualizing how to complete a task.  I tell him this, but I don’t know if he really believes me.

(some pictures of the work we’ve done will be added)

The property is now mine.

Well, Finally!  The property closed today.

I had scheduled vacation days one on each side of the Labour Day Weekend to go over and start working on the property.  I wasn't sure if the fianl signiture would happen, but it did today.

I have spent the evening gathering my camping gear and tools so all I will need to do is load the car and leave in the morning.  I am taking two cameras, one that takes video and then my older one that I seem to be able to take photograph quality photos with and will post new photos and video of the property.

I'm excited and some part of me wonders if I have bitten off more than I can chew. but, heck that is what life is about, new adventures, taking calculated risks and living it.

Here is an invitation to friends that wanted to go camping this weekend, but couldn't get a reservation at a camp ground.  Hit me up on Facebook and I will give you instructions on how to get there.  It is just North of Hauser Lake which is just North of Post Falls.  (I wont make you work)  You can visit Coeur d'alene or http://www.silverwoodthemepark.com/schedule/park-hours.php  or participate in one of many outdoor activities in the area.  http://coeurdalene.org/

Go sing it on the mountain

When I started this post, I reported I had made an offer and accepted the sellers counter offer for this piece of land. The land was part of an estate and needed to go before a probate judge for approval. At that time I said I made the offer and now I will turn it over to God, if he wanted me to have the land, it would be given to me, if not, I wouldn't get it.

Today, shortly after 9:00 A.M., the 3^rd case before the judge – who has the reputation of being “difficult”. In the course of the hearing, the judge discovered he didn't have an important piece of the documentation and this could have resulted in the decision being put on hold for 30 days. Luckily, the sellers attorney had the document and the judge approved the sale to me. Closing date is August 7, 2015.

So I give praise, thanks and gratitude to God for making this dream come true.

Here is a link to the property http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/14096-N-Three-Forks-Rd-Hauser-ID-83854/2105713343_zpid/ you can get the address from the link and type it into Google Earth.

Here is a satellite image with

rough boundary lines. 

Updates are few & far between, right now

Updates are few and far between right now as I am still in the waiting stage; waiting to hear if the probate judge approves our sale agreement.  The case goes before the judge on 7\28\2015, 5 more days.

I have been thinking about what I want to do with the land, and all the cabins, and my home are going to be green.  That means using recycled materials when possible, and when not, use quality products that will last which will result in less resources being used in raw material and energy in manufacturing.

Research includes, hopefully, a trip to Teton Valley, ID the first weekend of August to look at the Earthship I mentioned in my last post.  Reading books and searching the Internet for alternative energy options, alternative buildings, etc.
Here are links to what I have been looking at the last week or two.

Alternative heating and cook stove

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_mass_heater

the Liberator Rocket Heater - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne0vhvvt0_8

Composting toilets – alternative to normal/civilized toilets

http://www.weblife.org/humanure/pdf/humanure_handbook_third_edition.pdf 

Until, probably next week, when I share the news from the probate judge, enjoy life.

Research Continues - 1 link leads to another

While searching the Internet, using a term something like "sustainable green houses in Idaho" I found a link to a page that linked to other pages and I found this: http://www.highere.org/  I read many of their Blog posts before contacting the owner and asking some questions, the most import was, "Can I come visit and talk to you?"

"Hi Dave,  thanks for the kind words.  The Earthship is coming along beautifully.  I would be happy to show you around some time.  For the most part, we are home and working on the place, so most times would work, but please propose some days and I will see if there is anything conflicting.  

The second half of August I will be gone, but between now and then, we'll be plugging away at it.  ~ Christian"

I can visualise a visit to the Tetons during the first two weeks of August, hopefully, coinciding with the signing of the paperwork for the property.

One of the links from the higher.org blog is about a type of gardening, something I will try here in Poulsbo on my current property.

I may also take the opportunity to build an earth sheltered green house here in Poulsbo, just to gain experience in building one.  I will gain valuable experience sourcing and using recycled materials, which will serve me well when I start to build in Idaho.

I also checked out a DVD from the library telling the story of the building of a "Straw bale" home.  I guess it is available on youtube also  

In a waiting phase, it doesn't mean you sit and wait.

The property is waiting to go before a probate judge for approval on July 28th.  I put it before God, and if this isn't his plan for me, then he can cause the judge to deny the sale.

Meanwhile, I am doing research on different types of green, sustainable homes and energy using renewable/natural products.  My house is to be designed so it isn't a visible scar on the landscape and will have as low an impact as possible, yet be a comfortable pleasing structure.

I checked out Wind Power For Dummies and browsed through the book, and decided that at this time, wind power isn't an option, but may be viable down the road.

I also came across this page, http://www.hollowtop.com/cls_html/clinks.htm, which, I am sure will lead me to more ideas.

If you know the location of an Earthship house, Earth sheltered homes Bale house, or other types of green sustainable homes, shows, conventions or expositions spotlighting these technologies please forward the information to me.

Retirement is fast approaching and I decided instead of waiting for retirement to get here, I would purchase a bit of land and start implementing my plan so when I retire, I can transition to retirement life. So, I purchased a bit of land in Idaho, and will spend the next few years developing it; developing includes restoring a single wide trailer or dismantling it and building a tiny house on the frame. I will also need to clear downed trees, see what roads still remain from past logging. I also plan on building a few rental cabins so I can have an income when I retire.

I guess, I wont really be retiring, I will be changing jobs. Living surrounded by trees and mountains, yet only 20 some minutes from a cultural center. Although maintaining 40 acres will be a lot of work, it is work I will enjoy, always remembering to take the time to enjoy my surroundings and participate in the outdoor activities of the area. Bike riding, street and trail. Running, hiking and riding roller coasters; yes, I will only be about 30 minutes from Silverwood amusement park.

I am a Christian, and this is my blog, so I will be posting about my gratitude towards God and about how he is building my dream. In future posts, I will include photos, video and a list of lessons I learn along the way. This is an exciting time in my life. I have turned the completion of the sale over to God, just as I turned over the search to him. It is not my job to figure out how things will come together, but to give God his due and my faith.

Offers have been made on the property and on July 28^th, it goes before a probate judge and if he approves the disposition of the estate, a few days after that I will own a “mountain top”. It will be another one of God's toys he is letting me use.

 This is the top of the hill, facing South West, Currently I am considering this as one of the views from my front window. I may decide to have a more Southerly facing house in order to capture more winter sun.

The next three pictures are in one of the Cedar groves on the property.

 If approved, this will be one of the locations for a rental cabin.  It sits among cedars and is relatively flat and easy to cut an access drive from the road you can see in the picture.

The same cedar grove

More of the same grove

One of the ways up the hill on the property.