looking back

2016 In Retrospect

current project- ignore time stamp

   This hasn’t been a year for me to write a lot, apparently. In comparison to previous years I was keeping up with the writing and even feeling guilty about missing a couple of days here and there. That hasn’t been the case in the last year. What I did focus on was my priorities, whether I write or not won’t keep me warm in the winter. As of yet I haven’t received any compensation for my writing thus far. Maybe I need to change that and start submitting. Guess that would be a New Year’s resolut6ion I need to work on.

       According to rule 657. 321 of the wc code, it states, there are no rules to blogs and it is yours to do with as you please. I think I have fulfilled my obligation to you as a reader by doing just that, and not following any rules and in fact and although I shouldn’t allow you too, I still feel as if I owe you the reader more. so in an attempt at brevity, I will just get on with what I didn’t write about , that I thought was relevant to where I am at here on the farm.

     I am still trying to manage my pain and at times it feels as if my right hip is just going to drop off as I walk away, with my hip dangling in the air and blood pumping through arteries as I hop around in circles trying to miss stepping on a cat or a dog or a chicken. This would be my luck, and if the dr. would ask me what my pain level is after I get done throttling him I would say easily a 9. 9.  Not knowing if a 10 would be that same leg landing in a mud puddle and then having it reattached and walking on it again only realizing that they forgot to wash it off first. So not only would have gang green and festering union of two organic surfaces coming together and having dirt and debris in the juncture , and maybe a couple gum wrappers and a cigarette butt wandering around inside. This would be close as I can possibly think one could get to 10. Needless to say I have had to make adjustments for this in my life. Also when you are in pain it is hard to concentrate on what you are writing as I am usually trying to figure out what tyo say as early as possible before I am even writing. And rarely have to stop writing except for mistakes as it should be.

      Sentence structure and all that stuff they taught you go to heck in a sec as I, myself need to keep moving as if I am talking. This is hard and frustrating to do when I am hurting so bad. Oh well  back to my plans and accomplishments for 2016.

     I have had to change my plans as of recently as to the design of my house. I need to build something I can build by myself and using logs is hard and so I have been thinking of using the same floor plan but doing it in a post and beam structure. I can buy 8x8 dimension lumber and notch accordingly and install by myself fairly easy this will give me more free span distance and better control of dimensions. I might still do this with a smaller band-saw mill as I haven’t completely given up on that idea. I still plan on using logs and carvings but more as support posts that are carved and more for aesthetics lending itself to a more rustic charm

     My wine worked as far as I know. I sent one bottle to the neighbors and still have 2 bottles in reserve for what I don’t know. My sauerkraut didn’t do so good and although it may have been ok, I just wasn’t comfortable with it. I made app-le sauce and canned it, as well I canned my own spaghetti sauce, and it is a little hot but still very flavorful. I bought a freezer and from sales and other sources have managed to fill it completely and have the one over the refrigerator an average half full most of the time. I didn’t make hay but instead rented it out and that didn’t go the best in the world as they still left half or better to be brushhogged, so I still haven’t figured out what I am going to do this year for sure. Maybe make myself a bio mass furnace I can drop a whole hay bale into at a time. That way I can use my hay to burn and make hot water to heat my house. Would be easier to handle than wood, would. Might have to burn a bale to see how long they last. I can always take the ashes out and spread on field or include in compost to make better compost.

     I started the drainage around the back room and that has made a difference in my current place as I also included good downspout hooked into a regular drainage system . I covered the whole are with pea gravel and it seems to have cut down on mud in the house. I am working on stuff inside the trailer also as it will still be a couple of years before I remove it , so I need to try and improve and also get it ready to be dismantled when the time comes. When it is cold like this it isn’t hard to try and get things done inside. With my back the way iut is I spend time sitting more than I want top. I now kneel and avoid as much as possible just bending over at waist. I try to keep five gallon buckets close to where I am working or just take breaks when I can’t stand the pain. It sucks, and so does the pain, but I need to persevere to get myself in a better place.

     I am focusing more time on important things that will pay me back in the future. Or paying me forward, as it may be. 2017 will be here shortly so I will go for now and post this and tell everyone happy New Year , only 4 more to go with trump as president. We haven’t impeached him yet? Damn.