I thought we may want to do a catch-up blog post as it seems like it's been a while since I've shared our latest construction and development endeavors.
Let There Be Light
Bringing electricity to undeveloped land is no joke. It seems like everything is just about zipped up with SCE with one big exception... boring. Our SCE engineer has shared with us that we will have to bore under the main road outside of the sanctuary in order to bring electricity to the land.
The original quote for electric start-up costs has now doubled.
After having construction stalled for four months while we waited for permits (all permits are now approved) and SCE, we are beyond impatient to see some work start. But alas, it seems our new mission is to find a boring company. SCE doesn't have a contact and our construction company doesn't have a contact.
The mortgage company is not willing to fund construction for a solar-powered (off-grid) home, so we do not have any options but to take the hard knocks and find a source.
Just when you think things can't get any more complicated, they get more complicated.
The Cluck Cottage
The plans for the chicken coop were finalized and the materials purchased. Because the cottage is a little bit bigger than we originally anticipated, we ran the plans (again) by our home planner yesterday. We have a green light. The plan is to build the cottage first, and then the run.
Greenhouse and Gardens
The greenhouse was cleaned out from all of the items placed in there during the tropical storm. I'm pleased to report that I did not come across any snakes but there was one mouse, several frogs, and two lizards. All of the fall/winter seeds were sown, and seedlings are already making an appearance. The black bean seedlings grew so quickly, I had to clean out one of the raised beds from its summer plants and plant the black beans. Right now, I'm looking for a good place to build an onion and garlic patch. I'd like to get those bulbs planted by next weekend. If you'd like to see what was sown, you can check-out this blog post.
The plans for the Second Chance garden have also been finalized. We had an impromptu staff (staff = family volunteers) meeting yesterday where the plans were shared and received with head nods affirming the design.
Preparing for Winter
We are preparing for a wet winter and trying to get ahead of road and walkway considerations as well as land erosion. Last week, we had a small sapling along the dirt road fall over due to erosion. We have yet to deal with the second large oak, in the Shire, that broke in half last winter. The really amazing thing is that new life is springing from the haphazardly broken tree, and it has all kind of new branches. Nature is amazing.
Christmas is Coming
Christmas is my favorite holiday. Despite my 50+ years, the month of December still holds all of the magic that it did when I was a child. I've been thinking a lot about how we will decorate Rivendell, especially since all of my Christmas decorations are in storage and likely not easily accessible. I don't yet have a vision in my mind, but I am working on it.
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