Home on the Hill

No need to carry water.  The water line to the animal shed is thawed and flowing freely.  It had frozen in the un insulated wall and thawed when I cut the wall open and added  heat tape to the plastic piping.  And of course the warmer weather is really helping.  It's now hovering around zero and that's practically balmy after this winter. The increased temperatures mean that we are heating the joint solely with the small living room heater.  No need to fire up the huge wood furnace and feed it hefty log parts.  The upstairs heater takes smaller split wood. We have a system.  As the heaters in the animal shed and green house take the same type of wood. We can go through quite a lot.  Right now we don't have to burn wood in the green house or animal shed.  They both have small electric heaters.  The green house also has insulating curtains and this morning it was a toasty 26c. When it gets below -20 we o...

Made out of  five Quilts we bought at a second hand store in Prince George.  Just plopped some grommets in them and hung them off of double headed three inch nails. Let's let the light in: Heres the other way, I.E. towards the front door: And Open: Astounding what a difference they make.  My only regret was not doing it earlier - like in the depths of January and early February when the temperatures plummeted.  With only a small electric heater going last night it was 21.7C this morning when we checked.  Outside was only hovering just below zero. I think the increase in daylight has got everything sprouting like crazy.  The tomatoes have a bunch of new blooms and ripening  Roma tomatoes.  Small but tasty. This time of year fresh tomatoes and table greens are very much appreciated.  On the task list for this week is to trim back the tomato bushes. The Chinese cabbage has sprouted and will soon be out of the plastic lids....

Now that I have an exhaust fan working in the green house, coupled with the advent of warmer weather  growth has perked right up. The green house is heated with a wood heater and small electric heater during the coldest days and over night. A 1000 watts of HID lighting provides not only light but considerable heat also.  The problem is regulation. If the sun comes out, even briefly, the temperatures can soar.  And I thought the problem would be heating!  Adding a temperature regulated exhaust fan keeps the temperature at what ever I set it at.  Right now it's 32C. But it averages lower than that. The inside is approximately 16 degrees above ambient, without heating, and no sun. I've logged a 56 degree difference with heating.  I will augment the exhaust fan with an intake one to increase ventilation efficiency.  Six 45 gallon drums painted black, filled with water gather the heat and release it during colder periods. ...

Back to the Basics .With a bit of a break in the cold we went down to Brother Tom's to get a few more loads of wood.  This is the easy way to get wood.  The four in one bucket holds the logs up to make waist high cutting possible and then scoops up the blocks so I can stack them in the back of the truck.  Way faster and easier on the saw blade.  This is our new method for next winters wood, which we will get this summer, God willing, that it ever comes. I figure we go through about 12 cords of wood per season. The water in the Blue shed has frozen up. The only reason I can think of is that without the pigs sipping on the water the short span of pipe that goes through the wall has frozen.  The pigs got processed last week and we are awaiting some hams, bacon, chops and Mennonite sausage.  Hopefully I can get it unfrozen today after I get another load of wood.  Or it's back to carrying water in a bucket. Chop wood, carry water . I do believ...