June 2018 Aerial Shots
Aerial shots from June 2018. Not our animal pens, and they’re almost all gone now!
Author: stega
May 2018 Aerial
Aerial shots of Purgatory from May 2018.
December 2017 Aerial Shots
Aerial shots of Purgatory from December 2017.
The Extent of Damage
Video of the extent of the fire damage.
Post-Fire Wrap-up
Drone footage of the post-fire conditions.
Yesterday
A downed power line started a grass fire just below our south pasture. We packed our go-bags, and CalFire responded quickly.
Studio Windows In and Stucco Done!
New windows for the studio, and stucco over the hole left by the previous owners’ RV shower.
Dead Cows
Someone dumped a dead cow on our road, with its ears cut off, and County Animal Control is involved.
Purgatory Printing
Finishing the guest bedroom, and the north hall, with prints of photos taken here at the ranch.
Administration Issues
Trying out a game camera to see whether larger wildlife want a fresh water source.
View from the Studio Roof
The view from the studio roof: the pool, the arbors, the tile lines for laps and Silicon Valley a thousand feet below.
People Come and Make Things
Our posts now auto-publish to Facebook, and summer visitors make things here, like a little jointed stega.
Fires to the North, Fires to the South
With fires burning across California, smoke fills the valley below us.
Purgatory got an upgrade
A closer tower takes our internet from 10/4 to 85/43 Mbps, and the tech removes the old satellite dish and coax while he’s at it.
How to safely remove a skunk from your cat trap
A step-by-step guide to safely releasing a skunk from a cat trap. And we’re back to posting after a long hiatus.
More Kitchen Chairs
Slipcovers for the refinished wooden kitchen chairs, and taking apart my great aunt’s 1969 metal chairs to refinish them properly.
Year in Review
Our 2017 year in review: from the fences, driveway and pool to the studio remodel and a new garden.
2017: another year in review
A 2017 year-in-review video.
Third Christmas @Purgatory
Our third Christmas at the ranch, and a new oven on the way.
Knobbly Bits
Agent Smith rebuilds the broken original drawer pulls in the linen hallway.
Finishing Touches in the North Hallway
New drapes to screen off the boys’ space at night, so we can sleep past 7:30.
Painted Hallway and Bath
The hallways and the bath, painted at last.
Impromptu Painting
Professional painters tackle the north and linen hallways and a half-bath.
Bird + Water bottle + Underworld
A bird, a water bottle and Underworld.
Patching and Studio Speaker Removal
Patching the studio’s many holes and pulling out its speakers, while we wait for the new windows.
Blooms Around Purgatory
Flowers blooming around the ranch.
Tree Removal
Agent Smith and his dad take down a dying gum tree, and the stump ends up in the Pit of Sarlacc.
Studio Window and Door Kvetching
Why the studio had four doors, and taking out the one with 15 panes of glass.
Another Appliance Story
Our sagging dishwasher door finally gave out, so now we have a Miele.
Studio With New Flooring
New tile downstairs and laminate in the loft for the studio.
Studio Flooring Prep
The old tile and carpet tiles come out of the studio, and the floor prep begins.
Studio Prep
Clearing out the studio to repair the flood damage and renovate the space.