The State of Our Borders, Part 2: The Weeds
The weeds are now taller than Agent Smith, so he’s mowing with Dino while I learn the weedeater.
Category: Exterior
The State of Our Borders, Part 1: Horse Residue
Our perimeter fences were left in bad shape, after a neighbor’s horses grazed here on a promise to fix the fences that never happened.
The View, Part 2 of 4
The second of four sunset shots as a storm system seeps into the valley.
And now we have a hot tub!
The trench is filled, the river rocks are raked, and we now have a lovely new hot tub.
Mud: we has lots of it
We have lots of sticky clay mud, shoe scrapers everywhere and signs of reptiles we’d rather not meet face to face.
If a tree falls on a power line,
A tree fell on a power line on our property, PG&E’s tech took the low road, and the line turned out to be connected to nothing.
Hot Tub, Step 4 – Electrical
The old hot tub’s circuit was a half-assed mess of shared power and rotted wiring, so the new tub gets a proper 220V circuit in a fresh trench.
Hot Tub, Step 3 – Delivery
Our new hot tub arrived, and the old one barely fit under the eaves on its way out.
Hot Tub Update – Pad done and new tub purchased
Our new hot tub is a Maxx 461 from Trade Winds Spas in Los Gatos, picked with no hard sell, and the pad is leveled and ready.
Neighbors up here…
Our neighbors’ horses escaped onto our property, and the rider who came to fetch them left a present on our driveway.
The final bit of the planter box story.
The final bit of the planter box story, from our SF balcony to a new home at Purgatory.
Different Days, Different Looks
Living up in the hills means ever-changing light and ever-moving clouds.
Drinking Hard
A happy water moment to lighten the day.
Forgotten nugget of PO craptasm
A very corroded pool light bulb, because the previous owner wouldn’t spend a few extra dollars on a new housing seal.
Next Project: Hot tub, Step 1
The 35-year-old hot tub that came with the house turned green, and the plastic was disintegrating, so it’s time to find a new one.
So many wood chips
Spreading the giant piles of wood chips around the property, a few cubic feet at a time. Who needs a gym?
Will it rot?
A varmint-proof composter and a Bear Cat chipper, so we don’t end up with a trash heap of our own.
Another pool post
Another pool post: the pump controller was installed improperly, so it’s rewired and replaced, and the persistent leak is sealed.
Stega cleans up
I clear out the pile of branches and logs the previous owners left to rot in the north pasture.
Trees: Before and After
Before and after: the giant gum tree, the fig and the walnut outside my office get some serious pruning.
The Trash Heap
Tree Techs By the Bay clears the previous owners’ giant trash heap by the barn, leaving us a lifetime supply of wood chips and a mystery farm relic.
Finished Fence Fotos
Photos of the long section of fence Agent Smith and his father finished last month.
A muddy start…
The grinders arrive to tackle the trash heap, and promptly get stuck in thick, heavy mud.
Pools, hot tubs, and other watery updates
Pool chemistry lessons after the circulation pooped out, plus other watery issues the previous owners left us.
Outside my windows, there is life
Wildlife outside my office windows: a squirrel with nuts, quail and a somewhat shaky ground squirrel.
Final Kennel Details
The Smith boys finish up the old dog kennel, and the dumpster is picked up.
Debris Removal Week
Debris removal week: filling a dumpster with some of the decades of junk the previous owners left behind.
The end of the little stable
Agent Smith and his dad take down the derelict little stable on the south side, all the way to the quasi-foundation in one day.
Dog House Down
The structurally unsound old dog shelter comes down, a great opportunity to put Dino, the new tractor, to work.
Great News Everyone! They’ve Fixed the Slime Pipes!
Able finishes the septic job, a county inspector checks things over and the hole gets filled.
End of Day One: Septic tank in place, and we can flush the toilets!
End of day one: the new septic tank is in place, and we can flush the toilets.
More Pics of the Septic Work
The septic hole is now much, much bigger, and the house is vibrating.