I try to not get too far behind on these posts but here I sit firmly in the middle of the June Calendar with barely any idea on what to put in this post. In my defense, I have been very busy and have really bad internet so far this summer. I only have my phone service to watch the “how to build a cabin” Youtube videos, so it has been slow going. It was getting so bad that I finally ditched T-mobile and went back to ATT. It is just a little bit better now but still better. Its a lot more expensive but a small price to pay to start making progress again.
I got back at the beginning of May. There was no snow anywhere except for the very tops of the far off mountain peaks. My neighbor stayed all winter and kept the road plowed. It was in good condition when I drove it for the first time and that is a big improvement over previous years of suspension busting erosion ruts. It bodes well for staying in the winter. Someday.
My trail camera died just days after I left in December so I can’t be sure but on a quick look around though, it looks like the winter wasn’t too harsh. The snow load damaged a gutter and snapped the roof vent pipe but for the most part everything is still standing. I was hoping to not get back on the roof this year but it looks like it should be pretty easy. Other than that, everything is still standing so I have been working to get everything ready for the next inspections.
The solar panels are charging the batteries and in turn providing electricity for the lights. During the long sunny days, I am getting about 2.5 KwH per day. I don’t know if that will be enough to run the house, especially during the short winter days when I will need it the most. Regardless. that is a pretty big win. I am trying to figure out how to fill out the form to get the electricity inspection scheduled. It is a lot more detailed and complicated than the usual building inspections that I have done so far. I am tempted to just submit it and take the fail just to see what I need to fix.
I have almost all of the water plumbing connected plus enough PVC and PEX connectors left over to build another cabin. What a pain in the Ass! Finding the right size and type amongst the wall of PVC connectors is a challenge. It is not just me judging by the customers next to me cursing under their breath. My local hardware stores are pretty small with limited selection even for my limited needs. More often than not, I have to drive to the Home Depot 70 miles away for a 2 dollar piece of plastic. Some would say that I should just buy a bunch and return them to save the effort. A seemingly good idea and the reason why I have $50 worth of connectors from 5 different stores in my car. And a jumble of cryptic receipts that I have have failed to decipher in order to return them to the respective stores I bought them from. Probably just as well, I expected there will be some rework once I get around to filling the system with water.
The propane guy came in and gave me a list of things to do to get ready for him to put in the tank. I was talked into the large 1000 gallon tank because of the challenge of filling it in the winter, Just when I will need it most. I have dug the 150 foot trench for the propane line. The job is too small for an easy pour out of a concrete truck. I think I am going to have to mix and pour another 60 bags of concrete. Ugh.
It wasn’t until early June that I was able to have my morning coffee without a coat. That is the start of summer for me. I am not putting my coats away yet. I have a feeling that there are still some cold nights ahead.
I did just realize that there was some serious winter damage. I must not have cleared the lines on my hot water heater in the trailer and it is leaking A LOT now. So no showers for a while. It has finally warmed up enough that I could have a much overdue bucket shower. Hopefully I can get that repaired soon so I can finally get a good scrub but it is a low priority. At least for me, I think the folks at the shops in town would disagree.
I have the cabin’s hot and cold water lines run and capped off at the sinks and shower. A lot of my time has been spent working on connecting the well system to the house water system. Lots of trips to the hardware store to get the right connectors and return the not so right ones. I am almost done with that. Without the bathroom or kitchen even started, they are just there for decoration now.
So it has been a busy full weeks already. I’ll know if my efforts so far have been successful once the inspections start. I am stuck on putting up the walls until all the inspections are done. Fingers crossed.
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