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Post by steev on Jun 25, 2018 21:11:13 GMT -5
The contractor got info on a prefab that I'm gonna go for; less money and a lot less county hassles; also avoids the insanity of working my business in the East Bay while trying to build a house on the farm.
Looked up late Saturday to see a large plume of smoke SSW; still there Sunday and the wind changed, bringing ~4 hours of smoke into my valley; looked clear this morning, but started up again; driving home the back way, in Bear Valley, I passed under a 2-mile-wide smoke plume, luckily high enough that I wasn't breathing it.
A neighbor and I are getting organized to beef up some electric fencing so she can set her goats to grazing off the dry weeds on my unplanted acres, which will be a relief.
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Post by philagardener on Jun 26, 2018 5:47:26 GMT -5
Looked up late Saturday to see a large plume of smoke SSW; still there Sunday and the wind changed, bringing ~4 hours of smoke into my valley; looked clear this morning, but started up again; driving home the back way, in Bear Valley, I passed under a 2-mile-wide smoke plume, luckily high enough that I wasn't breathing it. Is that coming from the Lake County fire, steev , or something closer? |
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Post by steev on Jun 26, 2018 18:25:28 GMT -5
Lake County; those poor people have had a major fire each of these last three years; the season is starting very early. I don't want to know what effect this is having on fire insurance rates, but I'm sure I'll find out.
I've been checking the Cal Fire posts; they tell me I'll not be driving home the back way, as the Bear Valley road is closed; damn, damn, damn (I really do enjoy that boondocks road; it's a pleasure not to deal with dipshits with paper plates on the freeway)! Oh, well, I've not yet got a house built to be burnt, so it's good, I s'pose, worse come to worst.
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Post by steev on Jun 28, 2018 20:03:39 GMT -5
Today, Cal Fire posts that blaze is 40% contained and the Bear Valley Road open; I'm relieved, conditionally; still want those goats to graze off my weeds.
I so hope for a decent rainy season so I can regain my planting areas. Much of my seed is out-dated, but my cash is caught up in getting the house built. Oh well, theoretically, once it's built, I'll be able to deal with other things better. I note that Oakland, where I live, has begun a process of constructing 10'x 12' housing for the rampant homeless population. I don't oppose that at all, but that's what I've been crashing in on the farm for ten years. Wow, homelessness is lapping me.
Spoke to my contractor today about my concerns about changes to the design, stuff like not wanting a bathtub; neither I nor my sweetheart want to have to step into a bathtub to shower; we'll see what changes can be made and at what cost; so many "features" that don't suit individual needs/desires.
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Post by steev on Jul 2, 2018 23:41:56 GMT -5
NorCal is burning; that Lake County fire is mostly contained, but there was a new one started at the east side of the Central Valley near hwy 20 (closed it down); I sat up late Saturday watching its orange glow on the horizon, and there is a third fulminating a bit more south In Napa/Yolo Counties; Bear Creek canyon was very smoky, as was the Capay Valley all the way out into the Central Valley past hwy 505; there's a thick high pall of smoke down to Winters, and smears of smoke to SF. The folks running fireworks stands are open for business, the Fourth of July being Wednesday; I know they ordered their goods before things got so dicey, but I bet lots of them wish they were selling drugs, instead of things that shoot sparks.
There was a very young brown racer in the pump-house (couldn't catch it among the clutter to put it out for its sake, it being no threat to me) and a 3-foot king-snake in the veggie corral; we looked at each other until I got bored and moved, so it went into the weeds.
Spoke to the contractor's wife, firming up changes I'd like, where possible; I think we're nearing the point where figures will firm up, checks will be cut, and this show will come to town, all baton-girls, marching bands, and waving flags. Yee-ha!
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Post by walt on Jul 3, 2018 13:26:00 GMT -5
Make your place as fire resistant as possible. I'm sure many people are wishing they had done that. The best way to fight fire is to start in the planning stage.
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Post by steev on Jul 3, 2018 18:53:39 GMT -5
Fire sprinklers are mandatory inside; I'd rather not have the expense; I definitely plan on water cannons to be able to soak the house's perimeter, if needed.
That Napa/Yolo fire that broke out Saturday has made the Bay Area sky grayish all day.
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Post by steev on Jul 9, 2018 22:01:13 GMT -5
Today it looked like all fires were gone, but the Napa/Yolo fire rekindled early afternoon, so I had a long detour, Hwy 16 being closed.
I was told there had been a fire the other side of my west neighbor, but they'd jumped on it toot sweet, helicopters and all; perhaps because he's a county supervisor?
Picked a handful of Sungold toms, first of the season; heat has shot the purslane, but I'll gather seed for my landlady, who really likes it; it should have a longer season in Oakland, which is less scorching; mark-down onions (both red and yellow) I planted are producing both seed and bulbils.
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Post by steev on Jul 17, 2018 11:07:23 GMT -5
Turns out pre-fab housing isn't required to have fire sprinklers by the county; up to the local fire marshal, who's said they're not needed; that's a relief.
The Sungolds are producing well, but we're well into the heat, the toms will soon be in the summer slump.
What little stone fruit there is seems to be ~100% spoiled, there not being enough to outpace the insects and birds.
Peppers are blooming, but not yet any fruit set.
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Post by steev on Jul 27, 2018 0:08:40 GMT -5
The place where the pre-fab is to go is inorganic glacial silt; it drains like a sieve, and is a high point; county says it has to have a 4" pad of gravel for drainage; oh, well; coal to Newcastle; expense to me. I'm not saying I hate regulation, but I do resent regulatory bullshit that doesn't acknowledge local reality. My drip-emitters give me spindles until I get enough organic matter to get them to give me tops, but what do I know about drainage, on site?
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Post by keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) on Jul 27, 2018 9:39:14 GMT -5
I'm the same way. More and more things or places or items that add "features" that are both annoying and add cost and i find i would rather have "less features", but that is becoming increasingly unattainable or at high cost to remove or downgrade. My What an enlightened society we have become.
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Post by steev on Jul 27, 2018 13:00:16 GMT -5
I guess we're being protected against things we'd not have thought were dangers by those more aware than ourselves; makes me wonder how I've survived so many years without these well-meaning "experts" on my back.
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Post by ferdzy on Jul 28, 2018 9:15:49 GMT -5
The place where the pre-fab is to go is inorganic glacial silt; it drains like a sieve, and is a high point; county says it has to have a 4" pad of gravel for drainage; oh, well; coal to Newcastle; expense to me. I'm not saying I hate regulation, but I do resent regulatory bullshit that doesn't acknowledge local reality. My drip-emitters give me spindles until I get enough organic matter to get them to give me tops, but what do I know about drainage, on site? At one point Mr Ferdzy and I legally separated some townhouses purchased as a single property for individual sale. The city also required us to put in gravel, considerably more than 4" That's $30,000 spent on nothing. Actual conversation: *backhoe operator digs hole; examines results* *backhoe operator comes over to where I am standing* Backhoe operator: "You know, you've got excellent drainage here. You really don't need any gravel." Me: "City of C-----." Backhoe operator: "Oh. Right." *backhoe operator goes back to installing more gravel into a pile of naturally-occurring gravel* It actually drained worse* than it had before, but it was all legal 'n' stuff. *by which I mean, just fine, seeing as it was a pile of gravel. |
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Post by steev on Jul 31, 2018 1:25:12 GMT -5
Right; there's rules and there's reality; the two are often not in agreement, the rules not being fine-tuned to locality.
Driving north on Saturday, the Central Valley's air was gray, not smoke plumes, just ambient smoke. On the farm, the sun shone through it as a cerise disk (see, ladies, I'm learning more than primary colors); at night the gibbous moon was very orange and no stars could be seen; I had hoped to see Mars, which had been lovely last weekend, but no luck there; the closest to Earth in fifteen years, but not to be seen by me.
Two new fires started near Clear Lake, so the farm was smokey today.
Failed again to get that hare that's in the veggie corral (I know I could call it a rabbit, but I'm a zoologist, dammit! Bastard jackrabbit is what it is; I need a shotgun!)
Sungold toms continue productive, others mostly not at all; guess I'll have to grow Sungold regularly, just because they succeed, though I much prefer the black toms, flavor-wise.
I note that the asparagus seems happy enough; that's good; I hope for a good Spring feed of fresh "sparrow grass"; I do love to break it off and eat it raw.
I'm amazed that the quinces also seem not to be fruiting this year; couple of the apples are looking productive; Asian pears are looking a bit weird.
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Post by steev on Aug 6, 2018 21:59:36 GMT -5
Driving north Saturday, the Central Valley was very smokey. Heading west past Maxwell there was a sign saying the road was closed at Sites; at Sites there was a sign saying "road closed"; right; no prowler, so I ignored it. Driving in, the traffic was all RVs, trailers, jet-skis and such leaving the East Park Reservoir (aka Lake Lodoga). Getting to the farm, it was massive smoke from West to SSEast, about a 55 degree arc; ~5:30 I saw flames on the southern ridge; ~8:30 I saw flames at the base of the hills there and thought the fire had come through the pass from Bear Valley. Turned out it was a back-fire set to prevent that. No real excitement Sunday, just very smokey. Today I loaded Sukie, my skull collection, and the hammock into the p'up (one must prioritize what is valuable and essential to recovery, worse come to worst). At midday it was like twilight; there had been two 5-engine fire-truck convoys going west this morning; ash falling after ~1PM; saw flames at the base of the south-western mountains ~2:30; depending on the wind, it could sweep the valley. Oh, well; if it does, I'll be back where I was twelve years ago, facility-wise, and twelve years older than I was then.
I might not lose many trees, as the weeds aren't substantial enough to burn too fiercely; we'll see what happens. It's not like I'm in control; things would be different, if I were.
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