No water. No Xterra.
How 'bout Ken and a Jere?

Yup! September saw the return of a Jere, The Jere; contributing special Jere-brand joviality and lots of good ol-fashioned hard work. Yippee!

Before there was a Jere, there was a Ken; Ken is the older brother; but also, Ken's September visit occurred prior to Jere's. Ken contributed his special brand of riotous remarks and vigor at hacking apart trees! Yippee!

In between the brothers' visits, the Xterra returned! Yippee, yippee, yippee! An incredibly happy Chris drove the incredibly happy Xterra (Chris says, he knows. It told him. Um, perhaps Chris needs more sleep.) on Monday, 9/17, five weeks and two hours after submitting it to Nissan of Keene for work. Holy Jeebus, Batman! Fortunately, the truck seems to be OK now and all work was under warranty, so the expense was "only" gas for the rental and five weeks of daily damage waiver fees on that guzzling monstrosity.

The Xterra's return allowed Project YIPPEE to finally purchase their materials-hauling trailer. The trailer (Xtrailer its official Project name) began work mere hours after joining the YIPPEE fleet. Chris loaded this and the Vermoose with firewood; the Vermoose remained at Poocham while the Xtrailer ended up at the bottom of the Vermont driveway; both awaited Saturday's Firewood Fun in their respective locations.

Firewood Fun: stackin', loadin', travelin', stackin', unloadin' and stackin' (times three!), snackin' in the middle, and lunchin' on the deck afterwards, woo-hoo. Jere's truck bed was filled with firewood at Poocham, after his arrival Saturday morning. Chris and Jere trekked to YIPPEE-Land in their respective trucks, resulting in three firewood-laden vehicles at the bottom of Main Drive. After snacktime and coordination for Cassandra's safety, the firewood of all vehicles was driven uphill and unloaded in front of Woodshed#2. There is more firewood to bring over, and lots more stacking and splitting remains, but the task of "Park Ave Firewood, Year 3" is well under way. Why purchase yet another year of firewood, when so many trees are available on-site? Sadly, another winter without a home, living in Camp YIPPEE Park Avenue, approaches. The simplest path to firewood, without overly detracting from site-work time, is the purchase of cured firewood, delivered to Poocham and brought over to YIPPEE.

Perhaps next year, with woodsheds full of wood from their own land, C+C will finally be in a home; a cozy and warm home. Woodshed#2 sure has a good start on being full, with the leftover 1st and 2nd year firewoods that Chris has been managing, the huge logs stacked there in July and August, and the recently added large pile of firewood.

The original woodshed, up by the boiler, finally holds wood! Logs from the Utility Shed area, cut in July, were collected, hauled down and stacked inside the woodshed by Mike and Chris on the final day of Mike's visit, September 1st. During Ken's mid-September day onsite, a stack of much larger logs was assembled next to the woodshed as the mighty tree, downed between the Utility Shed area and boiler, was taken apart by Ken, Chris, sweat, hard labor with hand-tools, and requisite manly grunting. One particularly resistant section was sawed, jumped upon, rolled, axed, dragged, pried, cursed at, and, with a cameo by Cassandra, finally separated! One half of that difficult section remains on a large rock behind the boiler; the other half's beligerent nature having convinced the guys to quit logging for the day. Chris and Ken, under the impression that they had been successfully adding the log to the existing pile, were surprised when it jumped away and rolled past numerous viable stops, all the way down to a large ditch midhill. The log was retrieved and hauled back uphill by a chuckling Chris; he was too exhausted to curse.

Exhaustion and cursing: uh-huh, it happens. Unlike logging, some tiring tasks do nothing to further progress, and even inhibit progress. Some tasks produce exhaust, while exhausting. Considerable cursing and creative coping continues...

No water! Got to get us some water!
Ghetto Us Some Water!

Shortly after Chris left for work on 9/4, water stopped running to Park Ave. No water! The water backup plan neglected, Cass scrounged around for water until Chris returned. That Sunday, task #852.22 Ghetto Us Some Water began; a task so named to capture Chris' initial idea for repleneshing water. Chris' plan: fill twenty 5-gallon buckets with brook water, haul uphill and dump into spring reservoir, repeat, making several trips until water is high enough to gravity start. Chris' reality: exhausted and cursing, he stopped after two trips, drenched not from bucket water but from sweat and a sudden downpour. As the Xterra had not yet returned, the trailer plan was foiled; the rental Nissan proved so cumbersome that Chris assigned it a nasty name.

Water, for frugal use at YIPPEE-Land, continued to be obtained from Poocham, throughout September, with one exception. The first time Chris came home after the water stopped, the empty water jugs were all sitting at YIPPEE-Land. So, he purchased 10 gallons of water instead. C+C only remembered that water stored in soft plastic containers makes Cassandra ill, one day afterwards. Throughout the month, Ghetto Us Some Water resulted in additional sickness as Cassandra coped with exhaust; she was sequestered in the little yurt during production of exhaust from powering the pump, from the Vermoose, and from Mungo, but unfortunately, the yurt doesn't close too securely. Exhausting exhaust, indeed! But, surprisingly little cursing happened on Cassandra's side; she was more likely to curse at the rowdy relentless rodents.

Ghetto Us Some Water continued two weekends later, after new supplies arrived: flexible tank, hoses and a pump. The first day, Chris and the Vermoose only made three trips uphill with brook water, due to a variety of frustrations. Jere, who had been setup on the deck, cutting railing posts with the aid of Harriott, was nearby to lend a hand with one problem, the discharge hose. The following evening, Chris used an alternate discharge pipe, rigged up from spare plumbing supplies. This, and other tweaks, assisted in a smoother, faster operation, but dwindling daylight and consideration for the neighbors meant another night without running water success. Plans to finish in a few, quick, morning trips went awry when Chris discovered the water level dropped a foot overnight. Numerous trips were made and problems overcome. Chris cursed considerably because water didn't end up running as it should have, and he was supposed to already be doing other tasks, and Cassandra was now being confined in the yurt until afternoon.

Water flowed a bit down to Park Avenue, enough for some very welcome, albeit limited, toilet flushing and an extremely minimal flow through the sink's water filter. This didn't last through the week though. As September closed, "Ghetto Us Some Water" remains a much needed task to be addressed: cistern(s) of some sort will be obtained and hooked up for temporary supply, until rains refill the reservoir and/or a more permanent solution is implemented.

Curse-worthy critters: exhausting!

Munching maurauding mice and carnivorous clawing chipmunks under the Park Ave yurt provided many restless nights and irritable mornings. Several mice were caught in traps. Some unknown number of mice were caught and later released, by the inadvertently charitable chipmunk during his effort to acquire the trap-enclosed peanut butter for himself. To stop his incessant clawing, Chris moved the mice-empty traps away from the yurt, opened them and let the chipmunk go at it.

Thou shalt not curse the Tamper!

Curse the rodents. Curse the miniature biting bugs, that gave Ken and Chris nasty itchy bites for days (unlike wise woman Cassandra who wore a bugshirt!). Curse the wildly fluctuating weather and grossly inaccurate weather chimps. But, do not impugn the hard-working tamper! Twice in September C+C discovered that digging, tamping and shaping the ground was not acceptable to Team members. Hmmm... Its not as if C+C actually think doing groundwork is pleasant or easy, but since it was the most important and necessary thing to be done next, they proceeded with the Power House ground shaping on their own while Mike moved off into the woods to play lumberjack with the ever popular bow saw, Grace Jones. At the Utility Shed, Ken showed no aversion to digging, and heartily heaved shovelfuls aside. Shortly thereafter, he gave equally hearty energy to refusing to tamp, cursing the tamper and questioning the vailidity of its use. With Ken's strongly voiced objection to, and firm boycott of, tamping, an impass was met. On that day, there was equally important work to be done down as the Power House: levelling of the PH platform and joist-nailing races consumed the remaining site-day. C+C are undeterred by Ken's tamper related opinions and continue ground work for the Utility Shed on their own. Pogress is slow; Cassandra must take care not to exert herself too much lest she get incredibly sick, and this results in her doing only small sessions of digging, awaiting Chris' help with the tamping. C+C continue their belief that the tamper is effective! Groundwork done prior to obtaining a tamper has suffered, whereas tamped groundwork retains its desired shape and function.

September's Closing Construction Status:

*
The deck angle add-on is done, and proven quite helpful on several occasions!
*
The South Side Stairs' platform is almost finished, bridge joists ready for install, footing holes partially dug.
*
No more wobbly ladder access to the deck! The ladder hangs neatly, and the North Side Stairs are nearly done. Stair nose will be added, as well as landscaping underneath.
*
The Power House area has been cleared, shaped, tamped, covered in landscape cloth and gravel. The building's platform sits, levelled, temporarily up on scrap stacks, with joists installed and sheet metal bottom halfway attached. Posts are prepped and await install.
*
The Utility Shed area has seen digging, raking and tamping. More work is required before landscape cloth and gravel. The building's position, and thus footings placement, was confused, making door placement a glitch in the groundwork. Adjustments are underway. One of the platform triple built-up beams is built.
*
The walls inside of the 20' yurt have aspen tops installed. Moulding installation is nearing completion.
*
Deck railing posts were cut by The Jere. Cass started sanding and staining.
*

The last week of September began C+C's crazy month of stressful scheduling. Add on the lack of water, lack of sleep, dwindling daylight, cold weather, stinky woodstove, too many chores that do not further progress, and by golly... a bit of cursing just might come to mind.

No, no, no. No cursing.
How 'bout a blessing...

May the exhausted C+C have zero running rodents, sufficient running water and a heck of a good, productive October together!

September Journal

09/01/07 - Saturday

Notes:

• C&C enjoy the gorgeous sunny warm weather. Mike insists a gorgeous day should have much less sun and much more rain.

288.09 cut and store downed trees

• To start the day, Chris makes space in woodshed #1 for some logs from the Ken and Steve tree-felling sessions earlier this year.
• Mike starts filling that space after breakfast. Chris joins in after lunch to help finish up.
• Later, Mike starts limbing other downed trees, first at the Powerhouse and then at the Utility Shed.
• time: 5.25 hrs

213.52 Construct South-side stairs

• Chris drills out post bottoms to fit over steel rods that'll be embedded in the rock.
• Mike measures out the rods and discovers some of the drill holes are too deep. Chris and his trusty hammer drill got a bit ambitious, it seems. So, Mr. Reciprocating Saw comes along to hack out some rebar filler sections and all is well.
• Chris end the day with epoxy hits.
• time: 3.25 hrs

213.64 Construct Deck Angle Add-on

• Chris installs the remaining joist, no simple task given the angles and tight spaces.
• C&C review deck boards and figure out an alternate layout, which Cass starts marking out
• time: 1.25 hrs

999.99 Holding Down the Deck

• Mike makes sure the deck doesn't float away by laying on it (in a shady spot, which is critical).
• time: varied

213.50 Construct Power House

• Digging, tampimg, shaping, cursing confounded roots, and discovering Mike is not keen on digging.
• Chris and Mike and Cass transport beams and joists down to the PH site.
• time: 4.25 hrs

213.36 Site Cleanup

• While heating water for showers @ GIPPEE, Chris thinks to himself, "Hey, those ditches have a lot of crap in them and I should clean it out." So, he does, and a pile of kindling is born.
• time: 30 min

213.17 Construct 20' walls

• Cass continues doin' it.
• time: 0.75

09/02/07 - Sunday

Notes:

• Another day of 40 degree temp swings.
• Mike heads back to Arkasas
• Chris does a mini-Friday at the Hellhouse.
• Chris has another episode of Unexplained-Unprovoked-Stabbing-Knee-Pain-With-Subsequent-Swelling (or, concisely, UUSKPWSS) which, he says, "Sucks!"

213.64 Construct Deck Angle Add-on

• Cass finishes fimagling layout for Chris to cut. After so.e additional fine-tuning C&C call the angle ready for staining.
• time: 2 hrs

213.05 Deck: stairs (north side)

• Cass finishes sealing, and discovers tiny things that look like mineature mouse turds. Hmmmmm...
• time: 2.5 hrs

213.50 Construct Power House

• Cass carried 2*8 joists down to PH area in four trips.
• time: 0.75 hrs

213.52 Construct South-side stairs

• Hmmm....that doesn't look quite right...
• time: 0.75 hrs

213.17 Construct 20' walls

• Cass continues doin' it againf
• time: 1.5 hrs

09/03/07 - Monday

Notes:

• The animals of YIPPEE land must've found some secret stash of intoxicating goodies. First, a bird flew into the SIPPEE screenhouse, bounced off, shook itself, then perched onn the screen momentarily before heading away. Later, Mom-and-Bambis were rac
• Chris owes Cass a brownie after confirming that Jere has today off, thus winning a bet made in August.

288.08 Split and stack firewood

• Chris finishes picking thru the 2 year old pile of firewood and has found all the potentially good chunks. The rest are in the process of getting chucked into the woods.
• time: 0.5 hrs

213.17 Construct 20' walls

• Chris cuts some moulding.
• C&C review some issues and address a screwy nail.
• time: 2 hrs

306.01 Tasks for Cass during week

• time: .75 hrs

213.52 Construct South-side stairs

• Cass explains why the stair platform looks weird...the posts are in the wrong spot! C&C decide on a ...workaround. D'oh...Chris starts on repair attempts
• time: 0.25 hrs

679.99 Structural Integrity Testing

• C&C test out a footing at the Utility Shed and discover it meets or exceeds their rigid standards.
• time: 025 hrs.

213.50 Construct Power House

• C&C lay out landscape cloth and start putting gravel on it. Gravel hauled up from Woodshed #2. Uphill, too.
• Cass carried remaining 2*8 joists down to PH area, including two beams built fro. 2*6s
• time: 3.25 hrs

323.01 Rodents Under WC

• "Grumble, grumble, grumble," grumbles Chris as he opens the platform to block up another mouse hole.
• time: 1.25 hrs

288.09 cut and store downed trees

• Cass collects, sorts, and cleans up from Mike's cutting on Saturday
• time: 0.75 hrs

226.31 Close GIPPEE after guests

• Mike had quite the nice setup!
• time: 0.5 hrs

09/04/07 - Tuesday

Notes:

• Chris back to work. Cass solo again.
• Thin cloud cover despite claims of clear sunny skies, but still... Very sunny and low humidity is nice! Need the rain, but the clear weather feels nice too. Cold clear nights and warm midday.

300.52 Clean Sediment Filter

• Cass wakes to find water only trickling...Chris says water filter needs cleaning. Cass ends up spending over 2hrs taking apart, cleaning, reassembling, taking apart, cleaning again (she didn't realize how hard you were allowed/supposed to scrub), reas
• Time: 2.25hrs

213.17 Construct walls 20'

• installed cut board by door, measured-marked-began cutting for next door. Lots of back and forth cutting and testing cutouts for the brace.
• Time: 2hrs

213.52 Construct south side stairs

• measured posts and seems they ended up 1" closer together on the side we're shortening than plan says.
• All joists got cut to the adjusted joist length: made one cut to first joist, then banged out both of the temp installed joists; uninstalled only one side of the fully installed joist and cut in place to save reinstall.
• Time: 1hrs

213.05 Deck: stairs (north side)

• started working on this but discovered a glitch in the angle where hanger gets installed. Put supplies back to consider and come back to this later
• Time: 0.5hrs

213.64 Construct deck angle add-on

• stained the cut ends
• Time: 0.5hrs

09/05/07 - Wednesday

Notes:

• Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! This must be the weather the radio was saying was on for yesterday. Clear and beautiful. Cold in AM! Cold cold cold at night. But still very very pretty day.
• The water is definitely gone. C+C scramble. Cass is pretty sick (unrelated). C+C didn't make sure all water buckets were full prior to Chris leaving. Argh. Argh. Argh. Cass might get a little more water from gippee, but lots of unsafe stuff there. Argh

213.64 Construct deck angle add-on

• since low on water, cut apart a little water bottle and used that rather than pan. watershielded the cut ends.
• Time: 0.25hrs

213.52 Construct south side stairs

• watershielded cut ends. Later, started reassembly. Measured and seems ok to install joist hangers for outer joists, so used the 2 Chris had gotten out. Only found more joist hangers later on, while looking for wall nails... so, can finish tomorrow. Hop
• Time: 1hrs

213.17 Construct walls 20'

• finished fine-tuning the board around the brace and got it to work! Woohoo! Didn't install it though, because the corner needs discussing and one idea might require another cut to that board before install.
• started and finished installing the half-wall boards. Found a scrap that was just the right size for ending that wall. Woohoo. Cut to length and installed.
• Collected cut moulding and, checking against chart/notes, laid it all out in appropriate places. A huge black spider darted out from under moulding pile... freaked Cass out!
• Marked and tried cutting last aspen pc again, but found the board wanted to split all along where it had started when Chris tried to cut. Marked again at different end of board, it worked.
• Got too dark to see detail clearly and quit.
• Time: 3hrs

09/06/07 - Thursday

Notes:

• Humid! Yucky again. Oh well.
• If its gonna be all cloudy (meaning problems with having to cold shower...grrr), at least it should rain and fill the reservoir!

213.52 Construct south side stairs

• remaining joist finagled in. This whole redo is some poor quality work! A not-working-out-right hassle.
• Time: 0.5hrs

213.64 Construct deck angle add-on

• cass forgot how much she disliked deck work. It is a frustrating frustrating frustrating task.
• Cass inadvertently exposed to the right-angle drill in gathering tools to do the angle add-on... Only realized this when putting the tools away and exposed again... Argh! So, all the frustration can't be attributed to just a matter of deck-work.
• These boards are on. Unless chris sees something to correct, this task is done.
• Time: 2.75hrs

213.36 site cleanup

• while cass had to go under yurt (with mask) to obtain deck screws, she took some time to pull weeds along and under deck
• Time: 0.25hrs

09/07/07 - Friday

Notes:

• HAG! After a cold few days it is up over 90F and very very (yes very!) humid.

288.09 cut and store downed trees

• Chris rolls logs down to woodshed from PH. Later,
• Cass helps Chris roll downhill and lift onto pile several of the larger logs laying in driveway
• cass takes down a few small trees around PH and works more on cleaning up cutting and stacking from mike's limbing/'lumberjacking'
• Time: 2.25 hrs

852.22 Getto Us Some Water

• move PH beams/joists off to side of driveway for carting water uphill tomorrow/sunday
• Time: 0.25hrs

213.36 site cleanup

• cass does some cleanup in yurt and sealing screenhouse
• Time: 0.75hrs

213.17 Construct walls 20'

• aspen tops all on now, with fine-tuning and addition of last tricky pc.
• Cass goes back to tackling molding work, fine tuning with help of hand saw, mitre and some smaller clamps. Mudroom is finished.
• Time: 3.25hrs

09/08/07 - Saturday

Notes:

• in the 90s again with at least that much humidity. Very HAG. Chris wears the superstretchysmall shirt and after the first session in AM switches from jeans to shorts( bugs be damned, he's to hot!). Cass switches to a pr of old lightweight cotton pajam
• chris takes a well-earned and much needed post dinner doze

288.08 Split and stack firewood

• Chris continues hurling rotted wood chunks into the woods.
• time: 15 min

213.50 Construct Power House

• C&C work on grading over the landscape cloth. Chris and Burly Bob haul 1850 pounds of gravel from woodshed #2 to the PH. Whew! Cass gets the gravel spread out and this part of the task is complete.
• time: 6 hrs

288.09 cut and store downed trees

• C&C review trees and limbs by PH, and take down another small tree.
• time: 30 min

213.05 Deck: stairs (north side)

• C&C get stringers lined up with cement blocks under the bottom.
• time: 2.75 hrs

09/09/07 - Sunday

Notes:

• while cass sleeps a little elf fills the reservoir!

852.22 Ghetto Us Some Water

• time: 4 hrs

213.17 Construct 20' walls

• Cass works on moulding. Chris helps out a bit.
• C&C review a few boards in the closet and sketch out plans for a half-wall to hold light switches.
• time: 4.5 hrs

306.01 Cass Tasks

• time: 15 min

213.05 Deck: stairs (north side)

• Chris nails in stringers
• time: 0.5 hrs

213.52 Construct South-side stairs

• Chris levels posts for cutting
• time: 025 hrs

09/10/07 - Monday

Notes:

• Brr! Cold, cold, Cass is cold. Brrr,brrr,brrr! Rainy, grey, HUMID. HUMID. And much colder.
• What a weekend! Friday and Saturday's 95F and humid, had C+C struggling in HAG conditions, wearing lightweight and few clothes. Now Cass back to numerous layers including long underwear and sweatshirt. Cass was also struggling from drinking water, pur
• A very cold shower in eve!

213.17 Construct walls 20'

• Moulding, including around doorway, is just about done inside the bedroom closet. Argh! Tedious work.
• Time: 5.75hrs

09/11/07 - Tuesday

Notes:

• The 3rd day of grey cold cloudy AND rainy. Cass suffering, cold and miserable. Keeps reminding herself that at least there's hope for the water getting into the reservoir now.
• Cass wishes she could rationalize spending time on coraling lots of falling water from various places into storage for C+C. But anything she could do would be risky (for safety of materials), time intensive and her time is better spent getting constru
• Fire made in AM. Stinks really horribly. Unpleasant as it was, a warm shower in evening was good.

213.17 construct walls 20'

• more molding work: fitting adjusting and installing
• Time: 4hrs

09/12/07 - Wednesday

Notes:

• Whew. Clearing up. Blustery and cold, but some sunny blue at least.

213.05 Deck: stairs (north side)

• installed tops that are stained, until ran out of deck screws. Ratchet strap used to pull one warped stringer into line.
• Time: 2.75hrs

213.17 construct walls 20'

• more molding work: fitting adjusting and installing
• Time: 2.25hrs

09/13/07 - Thursday

288.09 cut and store downed trees

• cleanup of a fallen dead tree - which could be called "site cleanup", but did kindling work too and just recording both here
• Time: 0.5hrs

213.50 Construct Power House

• carried 2*8 joists uphill and inserted. Went up to mla and got tools. Handy dandy ratchet straps employed. Joist hangers super tight and maybe not fully 1-1/2" width. Hammer+mallet helped get joists in. Started putting scraps under level. Getting la
• Time: 1.25hrs

213.17 construct walls 20'

• more molding work
• Time: 0.75hrs

213.36 site cleanup

• cleanup of sawdust etc, floor "mop" in 20'. The spots are returning!!!?!???? argh!
• Time: 0.5hrs

226.41 clean and prep sippee/gippee

• Time: 0.5hrs

09/14/07 - Friday

Notes:

• Ken makes another stop to YIPPEE-land on his whirlwind weeked tour of Vermont.
• Obnoxuis minuscule bugs feast on the team
• K&C attempt to restart the GIPPEE guesthouse but a false positive leaves them dry.
• Ken says diesel solves every problem.

288.09 cut and store downed trees

• Ken and Chris saw apart the big tree near the Utility Shed, the one that fell the wrong way and missed all structures in the vicinity.
• the trunk was at least 18" wide.
• Cass helped break apart the last large section that was causing Ken & Chris problems.
• Logs are now piled between the boiler and woodshed.
• time: 5.5 hrs

213.05 Deck: stairs (north side)

• Cass works on tread boards and shaping ground around the bottom step.
• time: 2.5 hrs

213.12 Utility Shed built

• Cass and Ken and Chris start grading. Ken has an insane moral objection to the tamper. Not tamping, per se, but to the tool itself.
• time: 2.5 hrs

213.50 Construct Power House

• C&C&K level the powerhouse floor frame, measure for posts, and nail in joist hangers.
• time: 1.5 hrs

09/15/07 - Saturday

Notes:

• Chris and Ken depart for the house way early, for Ken to head north and Chris to do Friday tasks.

213.52 Construct South-side stairs

• While @ Hellhouse Chris sands platform boards
• time: 1.75 hrs

213.17 Construct 20' walls

• Chris attempts to cut 135 degree wall moulding on the table saw. The cutting order was wrong so the last cut was all jacked up. Besides, the boards Chris used were from a previous project and had too many screw holes in way too deep. On the plus sid
• Cass continues moulding install. Chris is impressed with the results.
• time: 6.75 hrs

300.48 Get water flowing again

• C&C try jumpstarting water again. No luck.
• time: 15 min

213.50 Construct Power House

• Chris starts marking posts for cutting.
• time: 1.25 hrs

09/16/07 - Sunday

213.52 Construct South-side stairs

• Chris marks posts for cutting and cleans off the rock ledge. After breakfast he carts the platform boards up to the MLA, then cut posts and sealed them with both Watershield and Dynoflex
• Cass marks platform boards for cutting, which Chris cuts.
• Chris gets the posts set, nails the post caps on, and drops the platform frame in place. Cass joins in and, together, she-n-Chris level the platform and nail it into place. Then, they measure for the bridge parts and mark footing locations.
• time: 6.25 hrs

742.00 Just a Bunch of Stuff That Happened

• Chris takes sheetmetal for Powerhouse down to the Powerhouse from its spot in the driveway, hauls up some water and gets some hose and the leaf blower out of the shed.
• time: 30 min

306.01 Cass tasks

• time: 45 min

213.05 Deck: stairs (north side)

• C&C review remaining work and plan next steps.
• time: 30 min

213.12 Utility Shed built

• Cass continues grading.
• time: 1 hr

300.48 Get water flowing again

• C&C try jumpstarting water again. No luck.
• time: 30 min

288.08 Split and stack firewood

• It begins again
• time: 15 min

226.31 Close GIPPEE after guests

• time: 0.25 hrs

09/17/07 - Monday

Notes:

• cold. 34F in morn when chris leaves around 5ish.
• Darn rodents! Cass not happy to be kept awake by them.
• Darn noisy equipment... Constant noise of heavy machinery didn't let up until 12:19 and not for good until later in afternoon.

213.05 Deck: stairs (north side)

• staining last step
• Time: 0.5hrs

213.52 Construct south side stairs

• Chris does some structural work
• Time: .75 hrs

213.17 Construct walls 20'

• more moulding work, measuring marking cutting fitting cutting installing
• Time: 2.75 hrs

09/18/07 - Tuesday

Notes:

• cold again. Fire gross again. Cass has yucky morning.
• Beautiful daytime thought, blue clear sunny skies!

323.01 Rodents under WC

• cass so desperate to stop the little f-ers that she dons mask and goes where she prob shouldnt be to get traps and bait/rebait/reposition
• Time: 0.25hrs

313.02 Yurt entry awnings: Design and Create materials list

• reviewing notes/plan to get supplies list for 20' entry
• Time: 0.25hrs

213.12 Utility Shed built

• digging and raking
• Time: 1.75hrs

213.05 Deck: stairs (north side)

• watershield last step
• Time: 0.25hrs

213.52 Construct south side stairs

• watershield boards
• Time: 1.75 hrs

213.17 Construct walls 20'

• more moulding work, measuring marking cutting fitting cutting installing
• Time: 1.25 hrs

09/19/07 - Wednesday

Notes:

• little bit warmer this AM. Cass adds more layers rather than go thru horrible nasty smoke, stench and such.

213.17 Construct walls 20'

• more moulding work, measuring marking cutting fitting cutting installing
• Time: 2 hrs

213.05 Deck: stairs (north side)

• last step attached (to warped end of one of the stringers. Grrr)
• Time: 0.75hrs

213.12 Utility Shed built

• digging and raking
• Time: 1.5hrs

213.36 site cleanup

• hung up ladder, cleaned up some tools and scraps/trash, shook out entry paper and cleaned floor
• Time: 0.5hrs

213.50 contruct power house

• unloaded sheet metal from micromoose and piled up nearer structure
• Time: 0.25hrs

288.09 cut and store downed trees

• loaded up kindling pile from PH area into MicroMoose and carted down to PA, broke all up
• Time: 1hrs

09/20/07 - Thursday

Notes:

• warmer and humid but still sunny
• cass slept poorly last night, in part due to various creatures outside, one of which was big enough to trigger the solar light sensor.
• Welcome home Xterra!

213.52 Construct south side stairs

• got boards over to structure and laid out, measuring to mark for placement and discovered a glitch. Too many boards, too little platform. Using phone's calculator for assistance, cass comes up with a plan but wants to dbl check with chris. Besides, its
• Time: 1hrs

213.12 Utility Shed built

• cass asked chris last night where door on bldg would be, he suggested where the laminated plans would be, she locates them today and reviews site to consider. Hmmm... Footings are really in wrong places, but as they're not moving, she comes up with a p
• Time: 0.25hrs

861.39 Movin' Stuff Around

• cass moves stuff around inside yurt to uncover the railing posts for this weekend
• Time: 0.25hrs

213.17 Construct walls 20'

• calc'd for the electrical half wall, found one 2*4 scrap to use and noted others needed.
• more moulding tweaking and installing. Bedroom is done except for doorway and funky angles.
• Time: 2hrs

288.10 Park Ave Firewood, year 3

• Chris loads up the new trailer and the Xterra hauls it home.
• time: 30 min

275.13 Purchase trailer for Xterra

• done!

09/21/07 - Friday

742.00 Just a Bunch of Stuff That Happened

• Chris moves cement from US area to deck bridge area, gathers up buckets for tomorrows sand transport, grabs posts for cutting @ house, takes all to Woodshed #2, unloads buckets and sets them out to dry off, takes posts to Xterra, then caulks a seam in
• time: 1.25 hrs

213.17 Construct walls 20'

• more moulding and fitting, installing work
• Time: 3hrs

09/22/07 - Saturday

Notes:

• During the yurt tour Jere closed himself into the connector, unaware of the random temporal transport that would happen. He disappeared. Thankfully he apparated into the closet with all parts intact.
• Chris could not get Dexy's Midnite Runners' "Come On Eileen" out of his head so he tried to share it with the group. That didn't help. Shortly thereafter Chris fell asleep. Cass tried to awaken him by singing "C'mon...". When that didn't work she start

288.10 Park Ave Firewood, year 3

• Jere shows up and loads up his truck with firewood while Chris stacks. Then Jere stacks for a while, and Chris comes back to help finish. The Vermoose and the Jeremobille trek from the house to YIPPEEland. After a snack (and Cass heading up top) the
• time: 6.75 hrs

213.50 Construct Power House

• Chris cuts posts while @ house.
• time: 0.5 hrs

852.22 Ghetto Us Some Water

• Chris cleans new hoses and tank. Jere helps give the tank a rinse.
• Chris tries out the new pump. the discharge hose is a PitA! Eventually Chris fills the tank and gets up top. But, lo and behold, the dicharge hose sucks and won't stay in the reservoir unguarded. Jere lends a hand. Chris eventually makes three trips
• time: 4 hrs

213.06 Deck: railing

• C&C&J prep for generator-powered post cutting.
• Jere cuts posts until the light disappears, helping Chris with water periodically.
• time: 3.25 hrs

213.52 South side stairs

• Cass gets most of platform boards on.
• time: 2 hrs

275.04 Materials Transport

• Chris and Jere get 2*8s from Park Ave and shed, plus sand, up to the MLA.
• time: 0.5 hrs

09/23/07 - Sunday

Notes:

• C&C&J watched a chipmunk eat a live grasshopper. Who knew? Chris got cloe enough to confirm that, indeed, it was a grasshopper. This was the same chipmunk that tried, in vain, to get to the peanut butter in the mousetraps.
• Chris finds a deceased mouse in the snap trap by the Xterra.

213.06 Deck: railing

• Chris set up for generator-powered cutting. Jere cuts for a while before breakfast, then switches to the cordless saws later. All marked posts are now cut.
• time: 2.25 hrs

213.50 Construct Power House

• Chris seals posts.
• Jere and Chris start adding sheet metall bottom to platform. They raise one end of the platform 12" on more lumber scraps.
• Cass and Chris and Jere work together on sheet metal install. Good thing the clamping queen was present!
• Cass & Chris add an additional sheet after lunch.
• Cass hunts down scraps for blocking.
• time: 5.75 hrs

288.09 Cut and store downed trees

• Cass does some @ PH in between assisting with Powerhouse.
• time: 1.25 hrs

852.22 Ghetto Us Some Water

• Chris wonders whether either of the two unfilled spring test pits could be used for water. Since they are dry...nope. Another potential source, uphill from the MLA, is also dry.
• Dang! Tis truck again.
• Chris rigs up an alternate discharge pipe using some spare plumbinn supplies and a 50' hose. This proves much better than yesterday. Chris can put the pump right by the truck and take advantage of the tank valve that ends up on the downhill side when
• The pump was getting red-hot at one point. Chris decides not to run it at full throttle subsequently, and no futher glowing occurs.
• Chris discovers that rotating the discharge pipe slightly helps it fill faster.
• Still need 1-2 more trips. No water yet.. Close, so close.
• time: 5.5 hrs

213.12 Utility Shed built

• Chris hauls sand from driveway to Utility Shed.
• time: 1 hr

213.52 South side stairs

• Chris does some structural work
• time: 1 hr

213.05 Deck: stairs (north side)

• Chris brings up pea gravel.
• time: 15 min

09/24/07 - Monday

852.22 Ghetto Us Some Water

• Plans to quickly fill reservoir and get water going went awry when Chris discovered the water level had dropped a foot overnight. Cass stayed confined in the yurt all morning and into the afternoon. Chris made numerous trips and, with a few trips sti
• time: 5 hrs

300.48 Get water flowing again

• Chris attempts to get water going at the MLA while Cass works the receiving end at Park Ave Evebntually water goes but the water filter has nearly no pressure Cass delegates taking apart filter to Chris so she can finally get outside. No problem is f
• time: 2 hrs

861.39 Movin' Stuff Around

• Cass moves 2*4s n then Chris helps her move scraps from Jere cutting
• time: 0.5 hrs

306.01 Cass tasks...

• time: 1 hr

213.50 Construct Power House

• Chris cuts blocking that Cass had marked. Cass continues marking after Chris heads to the house.
• time: 1 hr

213.56 Construct Yurt Entry Awnings

• Cass works on.
• time: 15 min

213.17 20' Walls

• Cass works on door moulding.
• time: 45 min

09/25/07 - Tuesday

Notes:

• Hot. Sudden heat wave, without cooling in eve. Cass had planned on using woodstove for shower water since past few nights ok for that. But, was still 80F inside at night. So, a cold shower was braved. Brr. Argh. Urgh. Ack!

861.39 movin' stuff around

• landscape cloth and batteries up top and put away.
• Time: 0.25hrs

213.36 site cleanup

• leaf blowing to clear deck -for work area, but also all around
• Time: 0.25hrs

213.52 construct south side stairs

• had to stain and seal the 3-16' joists out of screenhouse. Too long. Stain turned out very much less than ideal - cass kept reminding herself they are only underside structure - sun and hot temps had stain drying as she went. Not good. Managed, but not
• Time: 3.25hrs

213.06 Deck: railing

• Ack! Post cuts need a lot of tweaking and sanding. cass unsure best way to proceed. tried best to even out on two. (wanted to use up extra stain from doing stairs joists) went ahead and stained two posts and will ask chris about proceeding.
• Time: 1.25hrs

213.50 construct power house

• for blocking boards cut by chris yesterday: sanded cut edges, wiped boards down and sealed ends. (these were cut from already sealed scraps)
• Time: 0.5hrs

09/26/07 - Wednesday

Notes:

• Hot again. Figuring out shower water that is not cold is time consuming and annoying. Starting a fire when its 90F out not viable. Sun not strong enough for heating with options avail to cass. Argh argh argh.

213.52 construct south side stairs

• hauled 16' joists over (the deck angle was quite helpful!!), got tools and set about setting up placement, measuring and marking.
• Time: 1hrs

213.50 construct power house

• cass does some hard workin' handsawing of rest of the blocking and add-on joists, amidst sweaty hot humid sawdusty buggy conditions. After sun behind ridge, cass rinses off arms and shoulders and dons bugshirt.
• Using scraps is frugal and good to do, but holy heck they are dirty dirty dirty! Cut boards are wiped down to get at least first layer or so of dirt off, and then cut ends are watershielded.
• Time: 4.5hrs

213.56 construct yurt entry awnings

• 2*8's are handsawed
• Time: 0.25hrs

09/27/07 - Thursday

Notes:

• Chris tries making up new acronyms to brighten Cass' day in the gross gross gross humid humid yucky conditions. Cold shower again in eve.

213.52 construct south side stairs

• cass doublechecks measurements on joists, hauls them up again, and successfully (and pretty dang accurately too!!!) cuts the angles. Woohoo! After hauling them back and inserting in place to check, she lines up the footing placement, discovering the s
• Time: 2.75

213.05 deck: stairs (north side)

• moved rocks and finalized land surrounding. Didn't want to deal with the cloth today, so stopped.
• Time: 0.5hrs

213.17 construct walls 20'

• worked on moulding around entry door
• Time: 0.75hrs

09/28/07 - Friday

Notes:

• A friday at YIPPEE with Cass solo. Chris gone for the first weird weekend of the hectic schedule.
• Weather shifted to less humid. Looked like sky might clear up. Rain overnight, and in morning with drizzle in afternoon and eve.
• Cass worked outside some since it was so much cooler and cloudy, but was still annoyingly buggy though. Bug hat and sweatshirt req'd. Oh well.

213.17 construct walls 20'

• more door moulding work, but cass starts screwing up as light too dim and quits.
• Time: 2.25hrs

213.52 construct south side stairs

• marking of footings and digging commenced, until hitting too many large rocks; wait and review with chris
• Time: 1.75hrs

325.02 Baking Soda MLA Shrooms

• Time: 0.25hrs

09/29/07 - Saturday

Notes:

• Another Cass solo day and she decides to catch up w/a friend for a long phone call, since she hardly ever gets chance to talk. Between this and switching cleaning day to to today, site time greatly reduced, but whatever...

213.17 construct walls 20'

• more door work, when getting too frustrating, moved on to doing moulding in closet.
• Time: 1.75hrs

213.12 Utility shed built

• got boards up onto deck. one 3-pc beam built.
• Time: 1.75hrs

09/30/07 - Sunday

Notes:

• Month ends with a FUD, and very little site time.
• Too bad this weekend was so screwy because it was actually a pretty one weatherwise. Today's morning was cloudy, but it cleared up to be pretty.
• September ends, and the days of darkness are descending fast. Sun off deck entirely by 3-4pm, headlamp needed for indoors working around 6-6:30. Light at ParkAve has to go on earlier and earlier. Coming back to a dark yurt sucks.

213.17 construct walls 20'

• moulding work in the closet, including mockups for how to do one length.
• Time: 1.75hrs