Snake in the bricks 2024-04-02

When I moved this piece of steel roofing so I could park the truck there, a thin black snake looked at me startled.

Then it ran towards the bricks, then into the leaves.

[Snake in the bricks and in the leaves]
Snake in the bricks and in the leaves

I think it’s a southern black racer (Coluber constrictor priapus). Am I right? Continue reading →

Solar panel spring cleaning 2024-03-30

Once a year, we scrub off the pine pollen that builds up into a paste on our solar panels.

[Spring cleaning of old and new solar panels 2024-03-30]
Spring cleaning of old and new solar panels 2024-03-30

That’s all the maintenance they require.

[Old (2006) 20 solar panels]
Old (2006) 20 solar panels

Youtube playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLk2OxkA4UvyWjnmPf2_IoWUZMzvzlsvT&si=UUEQp_GztriKw28n Continue reading →

Arrow wants a treat 2024-01-23

Arrow is making a speedy recovery.

[Arrow wants a treat]
Arrow wants a treat

She has ehrlichia, which is a tick-borne disease. Supposedly if you catch it in the acute stage, which it appears we did, antibiotics will cure it.

Your dogs don’t want ehrlichia, so check them for ticks.

It came on very quickly. Continue reading →

Chimney cleaning 2024-01-06

Every year about this time, I wonder, why is the wood stove smoking so much?

I took the stovepipe off the top, but there was no creosote in there.

Finally I looked up at the roof. Yep, chimney screen completely clogged up.

Just like 2019, 2020, and 2022.

[Clean chimney screen]
Clean chimney screen

That’s the after picture.

I didn’t take a before picture, because I was busy trying not to slip off the dew-wet morning roof. Maybe you can see my white knuckles in the reflection.

-jsq

Steel Roof on Wood Trusses 2024-01-09

The roof trusses have sprouted steel roof sheets.

[Steel roof on wood trusses]
Steel roof on wood trusses

It wasn’t any trouble, even though I did lose 7 pounds in one day.

A few more screws wouldn’t hurt when the weather is better, but that will be it for the Last Roof that I plan to build.

-jsq

Four roof trusses 2024-01-01

Update 2024-01-09: Steel Roof on Wood Trusses 2024-01-09.

Previously we saw the roof trusses multiply from one to two.

They doubled again to four, and then leapt on top of the plates.

[Four roof trusses on the ground and on the plates]
Four roof trusses on the ground and on the plates

What next for these engineered products?

-jsq

Turpentine Afterburn 2023-12-22

Two things I had never seen before: a turpentine catface burning, and a guide metal for a McCoy turpentine cup.

[Catface burning, Turpentine guide, Nail that held the cup, the loblolly pine tree]
Catface burning, Turpentine guide, Nail that held the cup, the loblolly pine tree

This was during and the day after our prescribed burn of December 21, 2023.

Also, this catface was on a loblolly, not a longleaf pine.

And since it was hacked into the tree during the Great Depression, in the turpentining that paid off the mortgage on the farm, in the 85 or so years since the tree had grown out around it, yet left the actual catface exposed. Continue reading →