Lots of lightening flashes and then rain all at once. The wind tore two grommets out of the sun sheild over the deck and the one over the little garden. My round gardens were completely flooded, as I forgot about all the runoff from under the deck. It was sure cool this morning. Openned the windows and cooled the whole house down quickly. I headed for Home Depot and got more rain gutters. I fixed the one on the south side of the house so it does not leak and put in a larger rain barrel (85gal). That barrel is moved to the back (North side) of the house. Most of the deck is guttered enough to catch any rain tonight.
I picked up a free red Oak about 18" tall, and some small elms and put them in the island until they mature. Maybe tomorrow I will cut more from the cedars.
time for bed.....
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Last Days
Spend most mornings in the attic turning the insulation paper side up and stapling it to the rafters. I figured how to use our red fiberglass ladder to get up. Still more to do but it will be finished in a month. Its cramped and hot and dangerous ( nails protrude from the nailed on asphalt shingles) and I can only spend a hour or so and then want to come down and get shower. I have 4 bays done and maybe 20 to go.
Fathers Day I got a long phone call from Liz and later in the day with Ryan. It made it a very happy Fathers Day. I went to South Austin and visited the Natural Gardener. Spotted some great trellises, trees and even some Pomegranates that might work as a screen down at the bottom of the property. Need to get at least one to see if it can survive down there . They are hardier then bamboo and won't need as much water. Shade clothe is the same price as HD (Handy Dan). Bought some seeds and got some Texas/Mexican Buckeyes. Not the same as the German ones but still a sturdy tree with a three seed pod.
In the afternoon I helped Maggie choose two ceiling fans, weather stripping, Hot water heater blanket, and reostats for the lights. Even got one reostat to work with a two switch light ( 9$ in stead of 5$). It was late and just got the main ceiling fan and light installed before it got too dark to work ( you have to cut off the power when you put up a ceiling fan) Got some dinner and saw the Central Market down in South Austin.
The heat continues............
Saturday, June 18, 2011
and Two more this morning
And this morning before the heat got going I did two more soffets. This time it was on the top roof. I pulled the soffet, drilled a hole and then sawed out the openning. The insulation was easy to move on one and not so easy on the other. I guess I will have to do that from the inside in the morning.
Time for a shower and some breakfast or maybe brunch.Friday, June 17, 2011
Got two soffet vents installed
I started with the easiest vents, those on the lower roof and in front on the south side and for summer thats the side with the prevailing wind. Two working soffets are now located on either side of the large window under the eaves. I called Dana the installer and she talked me thru the required procedures.
I also made a small tool to pull the panels apart.
After removing the nails along the green metal edge I removed the soffet and added a large hole to allow air to enter the attic. I also added a chute to make sure no one could push the ceiling insulation and block the soffet. Its important to have good air exchange to remove moisture from the attic and keep the temperature oderate. All our air conditioning ducts are in our attics and will pickup any extra heat from the attic air. Anyway the lower roof is done, I know the procedure and tomorrow I get to do the two story side of the house. That should make a big and measureable difference.
I also started some bean sprouts and set up two small container gardens on the north and shady side of the house. There is talk of 20% chance of rain later next week. We even had a small forest fire in Leander over near Mike's house. Its out now but things were touch and go on thursday.
time for another shower and bed, night all
Catching up
Well its Friday and I need to catch up on whats been happening..
I finally got water delivered from The Water Drop at 1130pm on Monday night 13th. I made some spinach spatzle for Steve and Laura. They are starting their business in the middle of what may be the biggest drought in Texas History. He lived the other side of Kitzingen DE around 1982-5. Hindenberg Kaserne was his location where he worked as a diesel mechanic. I heard several Hohenfels and Graf stories as we topped off our big black cistern. Took a shower and ran the dishwasher.
Maggie (Henslee) Moody lives in South Austin in a new subdivision retro styled in bungaloes reminding me of the Heights and Montrose neighborhoods. Shes been my tour guide around South Austin. Went to the Zilker Botanical Garden to an annual Butterfly Count ( count or list the varieties found within a large circle arount Mt Bonnel). " Watch for a bunch of folks with big floppy hats", she said Everyone was carefully turning over leaves looking for various caterpillars and their eating marks. Further along there are nectar plants for the mature animals ( butterflies and moths) . We spotted about 6 varieties. Maggie and I took a break for breakfast at Motzarts on Towne Lake and split a bagle and cream cheese and a chocolate croissant. We continued tours of local spots from inside the car and eventually had an early dinner at Torchies on of Austins Trailer Restaurants.
The next day was the Cool House Tour a self guided tour of solar and energy aware homes and rebuilds around Austin.
Well what have I done on the house. Changed out the front window glass oval in the front door for the really nice one we got from Uncle Greg. Installed a new programable thermostat with settings for Morning, Day, Evening and night. It will also allow programmng for each day of the week. I added a sunscreen outside the masterbed room windows. Took the rest of the screen and made two trianglar sunscreens ( they dont get caught by the wind like the square ones). One shades the upstairs patio sliding glass doors. The second one is set to shade the Jasmine garden on the east wall. It's shade plants or watch them wilt before your eyes. Karen and Roberts tomatoes got moved close to the west wall of their house from the west edge of the slab.
The Kamenzind rainbarrels were nearly dry and Robert and I replenshed them a bit from our cistern. The wind continues as has the temperature stays in the hundreds. The plants are growing but very slowly. I picked up some straw and manure from the horses and the goats down the by Trails end and Johnson road. The Jasmine garden, the Burr Oaks and even the piracantha got a got dose of manure and some straw and bark mulch. The piracanthat will ventually be moved but its providing great shade on the west side.
I am cutting back the cedar to allow any other trees a chance to grow. I have trimmed the one out by the mailboxes and added some manure and mulch inside the rock enclosed area. I would sure like to have it as lush the Kamenzind area across the road. Neither is watered but the difference is night and day as some would say, will change when I remove the cedar trees and let the oaks and elm grow up more. Each time I cut a limb down I try to cut all the limbs off and they go to debris dams on the west side of the property along the road. When it rains.... the dams will slow the water and direct it to the property and our meadow. Our backyard meadow is the largest on Mount Chalet except for JW's lawn in the center of the circle. Its just "watered" by runoff from the circle and the spur and a tiny bit from our drainfield.
The hummingbirds are back at the feeder, the cardinals are diving thru the cedars, and there is a Road Runner who showed up and cruised the back porch. I hope he returns, very majestic. The hawks and vultures are circling higher and higher with the rise in temperature and wind speed.
-time for a quick nap stayed up late reading Water from Stone, the story of Selah, Bamberger Ranch Reserve
I finally got water delivered from The Water Drop at 1130pm on Monday night 13th. I made some spinach spatzle for Steve and Laura. They are starting their business in the middle of what may be the biggest drought in Texas History. He lived the other side of Kitzingen DE around 1982-5. Hindenberg Kaserne was his location where he worked as a diesel mechanic. I heard several Hohenfels and Graf stories as we topped off our big black cistern. Took a shower and ran the dishwasher.
Maggie (Henslee) Moody lives in South Austin in a new subdivision retro styled in bungaloes reminding me of the Heights and Montrose neighborhoods. Shes been my tour guide around South Austin. Went to the Zilker Botanical Garden to an annual Butterfly Count ( count or list the varieties found within a large circle arount Mt Bonnel). " Watch for a bunch of folks with big floppy hats", she said Everyone was carefully turning over leaves looking for various caterpillars and their eating marks. Further along there are nectar plants for the mature animals ( butterflies and moths) . We spotted about 6 varieties. Maggie and I took a break for breakfast at Motzarts on Towne Lake and split a bagle and cream cheese and a chocolate croissant. We continued tours of local spots from inside the car and eventually had an early dinner at Torchies on of Austins Trailer Restaurants.
The next day was the Cool House Tour a self guided tour of solar and energy aware homes and rebuilds around Austin.
Well what have I done on the house. Changed out the front window glass oval in the front door for the really nice one we got from Uncle Greg. Installed a new programable thermostat with settings for Morning, Day, Evening and night. It will also allow programmng for each day of the week. I added a sunscreen outside the masterbed room windows. Took the rest of the screen and made two trianglar sunscreens ( they dont get caught by the wind like the square ones). One shades the upstairs patio sliding glass doors. The second one is set to shade the Jasmine garden on the east wall. It's shade plants or watch them wilt before your eyes. Karen and Roberts tomatoes got moved close to the west wall of their house from the west edge of the slab.
The Kamenzind rainbarrels were nearly dry and Robert and I replenshed them a bit from our cistern. The wind continues as has the temperature stays in the hundreds. The plants are growing but very slowly. I picked up some straw and manure from the horses and the goats down the by Trails end and Johnson road. The Jasmine garden, the Burr Oaks and even the piracantha got a got dose of manure and some straw and bark mulch. The piracanthat will ventually be moved but its providing great shade on the west side.
I am cutting back the cedar to allow any other trees a chance to grow. I have trimmed the one out by the mailboxes and added some manure and mulch inside the rock enclosed area. I would sure like to have it as lush the Kamenzind area across the road. Neither is watered but the difference is night and day as some would say, will change when I remove the cedar trees and let the oaks and elm grow up more. Each time I cut a limb down I try to cut all the limbs off and they go to debris dams on the west side of the property along the road. When it rains.... the dams will slow the water and direct it to the property and our meadow. Our backyard meadow is the largest on Mount Chalet except for JW's lawn in the center of the circle. Its just "watered" by runoff from the circle and the spur and a tiny bit from our drainfield.
The hummingbirds are back at the feeder, the cardinals are diving thru the cedars, and there is a Road Runner who showed up and cruised the back porch. I hope he returns, very majestic. The hawks and vultures are circling higher and higher with the rise in temperature and wind speed.
-time for a quick nap stayed up late reading Water from Stone, the story of Selah, Bamberger Ranch Reserve
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Sundasy
took the cool house tour around Southern Austin. lots more retro fits this year even had a rainstorm in the middle oft afternoon.
Monday
still no water, got up early and blocked off some more of the rafters in the attic. Its still really tigh to crawl around up there. and it gets hot pretty fast.
Went down toJodys and picked up more old bedding for the garden. maybe 6 bags full planted an iris, and the shrimpplant. planted the souvenir garlic upstairs in the deck planter. uses automatic watering from the air conditioner water. made dutch wicks they seem to be working pretty well
several of the homes we visited used low pressure drip irrigation and rainbarrels to irrigate their landscaping and gardens.
I wrapped the new insulation aroundthe cold freon line of the air conditioner had to wrap entire line as the temperature difference pops the adhesive slit open. Its the same foam but nod==w the whole thing is wrapped in duct tape not spiralled just around.
mexican heather is getting dryed out and still have not figured out where to plant the other two irises. I want a planter area under the trees on the back porcsh somewhere. maybe I can get by with some buckets. If I can keep them in the shade they may do better then the other planter spots. Lots of mulch seems to help all the planters even at the Kamenzinds. planted some heirloom beans, I just wanted to replace on planter but after soaking so many beans I just planted them everywhere even around the trees just to see if the soil will handle it. I will have to make a cage for thme to keep the deer away butat least will know if I can add somemore plants arond the trees. The mulch has really changed the ecosystem.
Wednesday projects includea trip to the post office to mail stuff to MEB and liz, get $75 for the water drop.move the canopy from the west. see if the Home depot still has the corrugated special will also need some 1 b 2 and eventually some paint. see aout new gable door for the upper story. Temperature got up to 130 in the attic outsidewas about 105 F
took the cool house tour around Southern Austin. lots more retro fits this year even had a rainstorm in the middle oft afternoon.
Monday
still no water, got up early and blocked off some more of the rafters in the attic. Its still really tigh to crawl around up there. and it gets hot pretty fast.
Went down toJodys and picked up more old bedding for the garden. maybe 6 bags full planted an iris, and the shrimpplant. planted the souvenir garlic upstairs in the deck planter. uses automatic watering from the air conditioner water. made dutch wicks they seem to be working pretty well
several of the homes we visited used low pressure drip irrigation and rainbarrels to irrigate their landscaping and gardens.
I wrapped the new insulation aroundthe cold freon line of the air conditioner had to wrap entire line as the temperature difference pops the adhesive slit open. Its the same foam but nod==w the whole thing is wrapped in duct tape not spiralled just around.
mexican heather is getting dryed out and still have not figured out where to plant the other two irises. I want a planter area under the trees on the back porcsh somewhere. maybe I can get by with some buckets. If I can keep them in the shade they may do better then the other planter spots. Lots of mulch seems to help all the planters even at the Kamenzinds. planted some heirloom beans, I just wanted to replace on planter but after soaking so many beans I just planted them everywhere even around the trees just to see if the soil will handle it. I will have to make a cage for thme to keep the deer away butat least will know if I can add somemore plants arond the trees. The mulch has really changed the ecosystem.
Wednesday projects includea trip to the post office to mail stuff to MEB and liz, get $75 for the water drop.move the canopy from the west. see if the Home depot still has the corrugated special will also need some 1 b 2 and eventually some paint. see aout new gable door for the upper story. Temperature got up to 130 in the attic outsidewas about 105 F
Monday, June 6, 2011
Last weekend in Austin
0500 Saturday Morning I got up and spread some of the old horse bedding and straw around the plants. [ I picked up bunch of straw and pine bedding from the little stable at the bottom of the hill] I will be away for a while today going to Zilker Park for the annual Butterfly count with the local butterfly group at 0800. " Just watch for a bunch of nerds in floppy hats" said Maggie. We started thru the Botanical Gardens carefully watch for eaten leaves ( evidence of caterpillars) and then turning them over to spot the caterpillars. Pretty soon the butterflys were flittering about the various plantings. There are two kinds of plantings in the garden. One is food for the caterpillars and the other is nectar plants for the brief life of the butterfly. After a few hours the group decided to head for Mount Bonnel . The Count is supposed to use that as a center point for the count.
Maggie and I headed down to Motzart's on the dam above Town Lake and split a bagle and cream cheese and a chocolate croissant washing everything down with a cold latte. Like so many areas around here it also has free wifi. We toured around and then returned to my car and I headed back to Leander.
I headed north up I-35 to Georgetown to visit my cousin from Philadelphia who lives in Georgetown off exit 266. Its in one of those golf course subdivisions with the course stretching all through the area. Guarantees lots of homes "on the course" and a goodly share of broken windows, lost and unretreiveable balls. Jay Hirsch and his wife Rachal don't golf, have a house in the back of the subdivision up against some raw land and of course marauding deer. Front yards need to full of plants the deer don't like or they are gone.
The Hirsch's are foster caring a baby and hope to have the legal items squared away in the next week for full adoption. Jay is a physician assistant specializing in cardiovascular surgery and Rachal is a high school biology teacher originally from Long Island. We talked about all the various brothers and sisters and cousins. Jay's hobby is cabinet making and Rachal is a parttime chocoatier among of things. The house is shared with an older siamese cat and two blue point siamese brother cats and upstairs there is a yellow brown lizard as long as the cats. They all get along famously in the Den upstairs. We went out to the Monument Diner in Georgetown and had a late lunch. Took a drive through the town square and then headed back.
Maggie and I headed down to Motzart's on the dam above Town Lake and split a bagle and cream cheese and a chocolate croissant washing everything down with a cold latte. Like so many areas around here it also has free wifi. We toured around and then returned to my car and I headed back to Leander.
I headed north up I-35 to Georgetown to visit my cousin from Philadelphia who lives in Georgetown off exit 266. Its in one of those golf course subdivisions with the course stretching all through the area. Guarantees lots of homes "on the course" and a goodly share of broken windows, lost and unretreiveable balls. Jay Hirsch and his wife Rachal don't golf, have a house in the back of the subdivision up against some raw land and of course marauding deer. Front yards need to full of plants the deer don't like or they are gone.
The Hirsch's are foster caring a baby and hope to have the legal items squared away in the next week for full adoption. Jay is a physician assistant specializing in cardiovascular surgery and Rachal is a high school biology teacher originally from Long Island. We talked about all the various brothers and sisters and cousins. Jay's hobby is cabinet making and Rachal is a parttime chocoatier among of things. The house is shared with an older siamese cat and two blue point siamese brother cats and upstairs there is a yellow brown lizard as long as the cats. They all get along famously in the Den upstairs. We went out to the Monument Diner in Georgetown and had a late lunch. Took a drive through the town square and then headed back.
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