May 27, 2020

15 years of moving piles does add up

it feels like when ever i get to spend time at the Fort, one of the things I do consistently though the years is move piles. From one place to another, then that one to over there. Start a new pile from the left over pile and then move it to there.
Good things come of from the total of piles moved.

15 years ago this May i started moving pile out in the Solitario when D.B.(daddy-boy)Smith handed of the raw piece of dirt. On Cinco de Mayo 2005 (05/05/05) Fort Cinco Cieto, Terra Incognito, Salvage Yard Ranch was established.

This Memorial Day extended weekend trip the plan was to bring out a new tote water tank and build a water guzzler for the animals.
Plan A, went form plan A to plan B then to plan C the first day real quick. Plan C allowed for easy access to materials (less distance to move the pile), and less up and down the slopes. I was able to back up right to the location due to all the pile moving I have been doing that has cleared out the driveway.
I was also lucky to have the great helping hand of one of our new neighbors in the area. Thanks Jeff! Would not have got as much done with out his battery operated impact wrench, strong back and keen eye for possible mistakes.

When headed out to the Fort a block away from my house i noticed that the tote tank did not get strapped down. Ah, it's not gonna blow out I said, besides the steps are buried under the black dog Daisy. We were only on the highway for a few exits and yep, look up in the rear view and watch it blow up and against the trailer rail, bouncing, sparking and rolling off the shoulder and landing upright on the grass. I was so lucky as it would have been a mess if someone was behind me. Looped around and reloaded it's bent frame undamaged tank. The full 12 hr drive, all I could do was keep looking back to see if it was still there. Eared the new nickname "Straps"

This trip included a lot of animal sightings. On Saltgrass draw as we arrived, two aoudad were spotted. There was cotton tail rabbits, jack rabbits, a tarantella that has made its home under the bath sink, as well as red tails and ravens who came by every morning. We saw a doe when trying to find David's bother Jody, who may be a new neighbor as well. Scorpions were found under one of the wood piles that needed to be moved, as well as one in the bed at night that came out of no where after the sheets were pulled back and inspected. Christine got bit by a bee two days in a row. The bees covered any open water surface. Canon birds were all over the land. Lots of animals were out and about.

Short in and out get a project done trips are always a toll.

Watched the yeti cooler bounce on the rocks tied to the trailer ripping it open on a curve and this was just the start headed back to the hard pavement home.

Straps had even strapped it down.

some Pic's

Filling up for the trip- prior to getting on hi way. Notice unstrapped tank and our new bench Meaux and I made.

The water guzzler roof shade structure down on the point. Notice dent tank cage

Rattler, Daisy, and clouds
thanks to my neighbor for the canopy structure minus the posts...now that's some good salvage!

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Dec 15, 2019

PoopBox build & Big Buck

Mar 7, 2013

urban homestead update

here are some pics of sarah and i's homestead. We have added a raised garden bed with a planting table made out of pallets. A green house to get the seeds started made out of found windows. A composting bin made of pallets and the chickens from the ranch to fill it. The weather has been great and the orange tree is in full bloom.

We have also done a small experimental herb garden aquaponic system.


So you see, I been buzzy around here. I am even working on pre-fabbing a shower room to bring out to the ranch. It seems like I get more done at the ranch while living back in the real world again.
Made the sink out of some ones trash and some more of those free pallets. The table is going to be the new wash station for the kitchen we worked on last visit. But you all know it can not be all work and no play. So, since I can not shoot guns off the back porch like you can in Terlingua, I got something I can.


Oh and thanks to the ice cream man for providing the background music for the video. We also got out to the rodeo

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