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Post by kiwibutterfly on Nov 4, 2021 1:30:07 GMT -6
Yumm...vegemite.....
Great story
Thanks
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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 4, 2021 16:13:32 GMT -6
Chapter 39
The driveway alarm went off. "Oh crap! I'll bet that's the guys from the greenhouse company here to stage their equipment. I'll be back."
Gil raced down the hill in the Gator and drove up to the first truck.
"Mr. Conner? Bill Rixby." A man said, holding out his hand.
Gil shook his hand. "I almost forgot you were bringing your equipment today."
"No problem. Where do you want the greenhouse?"
Gil drove him down to the garden site and showed him the site."
"Oh good! It's already pretty level." Bill waved to the drivers and they brought their trucks and trailers over.
"Mr. Conner, we'll be back out here before 9:00 in the morning."
"That's fine, and please call me Gil."
"And you can call me Bill. Okay then Gil, I'll see you in the morning."
Gil watched them drive off in a van before he got back into the Gator and went back to the house.
The next morning Gil was sitting in the Gator drinking a cup of coffee when Bill and his men drove up. They unloaded a Bobcat skid steer and two men worked the transit with the Bobcat did the elevation work.
"Were you going to run water to here?" Bill asked.
"Yes, I had planned to."
"Well, if you've got everything, we can run the line and put it in for you."
"I'll have to run down to Tractor Supply to pick some things up."
"Go ahead, we've got plenty to do just to dig the prepared support bases."
"Oh? What are those?"
Bill took Gil over to some concrete bases with threaded bolts sticking up.
"Once we lay out the locations, The guys will take shovels and place these in."
Gil looked at the diameter of the blocks.
"Bill, come with me."
Gil walked over to the equipment barn and stood up the largest auger bit he had.
"Would this help?"
"It looks about the right size. If not, it would just be a little cleaning out of the hole."
Bill and Gil mounted the auger on the tractor and drove it down to the building site.
"Bill, I'll go pick up the hose and connections. Oh, I have a trencher attachment for the tractor also."
Bill grinned. "More the better."
When Gil got back, They were almost finished digging the holes. The anchor blocks would fit perfectly, but they cleaned the holes out a little larger in order to be able to align the holes in the bottom plate of frame posts. They would finish filling in the holes later. When they had finished with the tractor, Gil took it back to the equipment barn and exchanged the auger for the trencher. He borrowed a shovel and dug down around the spigot near the equipment barn, found the water line and began trenching from there. When he had had trenched to the edge of the parameter of the greenhouse, Bill showed him where the center would be and Gil cut the trench to there. By the end of the day, Gil had the 4x4 posts in, supporting spigots, and all the wall support posts on the greenhouse were bolted on.
Gil had just finished putting the equipment away when a delivery truck showed up with the outdoor furnace. After putting the forks on the tractor, Gil sat the crate off the truck and off out of the way. He would have to pour a slab for it. He didn't have to do it right now and had time before winter came to get the slab in and everything installed.
The trusses and battens would go on tomorrow. The day after, the poly-carbonate panels would go on and then the final installations of the equipment and double doors at each end, plus a layer of gravel on the floor. Gil was working on parts for the planting beds in his woodworking shop, intending to put them together in the greenhouse when it was completed.
On the last day, Gil went down and watched as men were hauling in the gravel with wheelbarrows, dumping and spreading the gravel as another man ran a compactor over the floor of the greenhouse. When the men left, Grace came down and was thrilled with the final results. She was eager to get the plant beds in and helped Gil put the beds together and lined the beds with the pond liner. When they were finished, Gil had ordered 38 yards of potting soil in bags to fill the beds, but probably wouldn't be in until next week.
Gil sat down on the edge of a raised bed and looked around the greenhouse.
"Well, We don't have the potting soil yet, but I wouldn't plant anything in here until we have the fans working. It can get hot as hell in here. Where are you planning to put your herb garden?"
"On the right side. I may take up two of the beds. Where did you put the heirloom seeds?"
"They're in a box in the basement, marked 'SEEDS.' I think next to the stairs."
"Okay, I'll go through them tonight. We need to go to the nursery to get seed starter cups tomorrow. Let's go. I've got a Lasagna ready to go into the oven."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 4, 2021 16:16:06 GMT -6
Chapter 40
After Grace's Saturday morning ride in the hovercraft, Gil loaded up the door, his gas welding kit, hinges, grinder, bolts washers, wedges and any other thing he thought he might need to install the door into the trailer hooked to the Gator. He did his measurements and trimmed the door. After drilling pilot holes and mixing up epoxy, he put the glue into the holes of the first hinge. Using the drill with a socket attachment he screwed the bolts in for the first hinge on the door. After attaching the second hinge to the door, he man-handled it into position. Placing wedges under the door, he leveled and plumbed it. Gil drilled pilot holes into the door post and repeating the procedure, attached the door to the post. Taking his welding kit, he put a heavy bead around all the exposed bolt heads and using the grinder, rounded the bolt heads so you couldn't get a grip with a wrench on the bolts. Attaching the latch in the same manner, he locked the door with a high-security padlock. Picking up a rock chip that matched the rock wall face, he put it in his pocket, loaded the equipment in the trailer and went back down to the house.
"Are you done?" Grace asked as he walked in.
"Yes Ma'am
"Get a shower and let's go to the nursery."
"Yes Ma'am."
Sunday, Gil and Grace arrived home from church.
"God, that smells good!" Gil said, coming in the door.
"Let me get the rolls in the oven while you get comfortable." Grace replied.
Gil went upstairs and got on his Jeans and a work shirt and carried his Wellingtons back downstairs.
"Oh no you're not!"
"What?"
"You're not going to work this afternoon. You've been working like the Apocalypse was coming tomorrow. From now on, I want you to take Sunday off as a day of rest, and rest. The hardest thing I want to see you doing is pressing on a computer key or hugging me."
"Well, I can possiblly agree to part of that." Gil said, hugging Grace from behind.
"Good!. Now go sit down and watch some football or something."
"Nahhhh. I used to enjoy football until they brought personal politics in and started disrespecting the Flag. I might look up some solar lighting options for outside the garages and greenhouse areas."
"Go ahead. The rolls will be ready in a few minutes."
Gil opened his laptop and booted it up. DuckDuckGo listed several solar lights that interested him. Soon, Grace called to him to wash up to eat. When he came back, she had plates loaded with pot roast with vegetables and a warming basket of hot yeast rolls sitting on the dining room table. Grace poured iced tea, Gil said grace and they began eating.
"Did you find any lights?" Grace asked.
"I think so. I'll call Drake tomorrow and get his advice."
After lunch, Gil helped with the dishes and piddled around in his office, then finally went out and laid in the hammock on the deck. He was soon joined by Grace and the two napped for a couple of hours.
The driveway alarm went off.
"Who could that be?" Grace asked.
They got up and soon Don and Annie pulled up next to the garage.
"Hi guys! Grace called out."
"Hey Grace. I finished canning green beans yesterday and brought you a couple of jars."
"Oh! Thank you! You want some Iced tea?" Grace asked.
"I'll help you."
The two women went inside and Gil and Don sat at the table.
"You've been busy Gil." Don commented.
"Yeah, they finished the greenhouse the other day. We're waiting for the soil to fill the planting beds."
"That's going to be a lot of dirt."
"Yeah, and it's all in 40-lb. bags."
"Ouch!."
"You're telling me. And the doorway is a little narrow to get the tractor with the forklift blades in. You been busy?"
"Yeah, we just finished a driveway for a building site up off 66 that was a little difficult."
"I can imagine. That's some hilly country up there."
The ladies came out with a tray with ice-filled glasses and a pitcher of tea.
"So, what are you planting in the greenhouse?" Annie asked.
"Herbs to begin with. Want to go see it?" Grace asked.
Annie and Grace rode in the Polaris and Gil and Don took the Gator.
Oh my! Annie said, stepping through the door.
"Now that's gonna take a lot of bags of dirt." Chuckled.
"I expect we'll have some sore muscles before these beds are filled." Agreed Gil.
"You going solar on your power here too?"
"Yeah. Drake Simpson is designing me a system.
"You're going to plant this and the garden?"
"Probably not. In the summer we might just plant the garden and Grace will have her herbs in here.
They went back up to the house and visited for awhile and then the Grays left. Grace selected a movie and they watched until bedtime.
Early the next morning, a 53' rig rolled in with ten pallets of all purpose grower's mix. Gil had begun taking the pallets off and stacking them by the greenhouse when Drake rolled in with a five man crew. Gil finished unloading the pallets and the driver drove his rig away. Gil stopped the tractor near where Drake's men were working.
"What do you have Drake?"
"Six 200 watt PVs with SunTracker and a vertical turbine. Can we use your auger?"
"Sure. What size bit do you need?"
"Do you have an 8"??
"Yep."
Gil drove over to the barn and changed out implements and brought the tractor back.
"I was going to call you this morning. I was on the internet checking out solar lights to go over the garages and here at the greenhouse. I ran across an All In One by Sunmaster. Have you heard of them?"
Drake grinned. "They are excellent and we carry them."
"Are they hard to put up?"
"Nope, just bolt them to a pole or the wall and set the switches to the settings you want. Dummy-proof."
"Hm-m-m. I was thinking on going into Knoxville this morning…"
"Stop by the shop and have Alice point them out."
"Okay, thanks Drake."
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Post by sniper69 on Nov 4, 2021 16:20:37 GMT -6
Thanks for the latest chapters.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 4, 2021 16:26:39 GMT -6
Chapter 41
"Honey, I need to run into Knoxville to pick up some stuff. Do you want to go with me?" "I don't think so. I want to get the herb beds filled and do some starter cups."
"Well, don't overdo it."
"No problem, I can easily carry two bags in the wheelbarrow."
"Well, it's going to be around 42 bags of mix to fill up each bed. Just take it easy. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Gil went up and got his truck and was headed to Knoxville when Drake waved him down.
"Where do you want to put the battery bank?"
"I'll call Smokey Mountain and have them deliver the storage shed I bought."
"Okay, good enough." Drake said, waving him off.
Gil was driving up the ridge thinking of having to move all those bags with a wheelbarrow, when he came to a stop at the top of the ridge and pulled out his phone and did a search. He found just what he was looking for and was going to need anyway. Putting his phone in his shirt pocket, he hurried to Knoxville.
Because of its location on the other side of Knoxville, Gil went to the Bobcat dealer first.
Gil walked over to the first salesman he saw.
Do you have a Bobcat MT100 Mini Track Loader?"
"Uh, ah…let me check sir."
Going over a computer, the salesman hit a few keys and scrolled down the screen.
"Yes Sir, we do!"
"What attachments do you have for it?"
The salesman went back to the screen and read out a list of attachments they had on hand.
"I'll take the loader and bucket, pallet fork and the wood splitter. Do you deliver?"
"As long as it's within 100 miles."
"Good. The delivery location is this side of Rogersville. I need it there this afternoon."
The salesman grinned and started the paperwork.
Walking out of the dealership, Gil headed to the Home Depot he passed on the way to the dealer. He went in to the gardening section and got one of those orange buckets, a tool caddy you hang on the rim of the bucket, and a large assortment of hand gardening tools, a couple of pairs of pretty work gloves (they had to be for women), A nice box cutter (he bought one for himself too), and a 12' tape measure. He paid for everything and headed for Drake's shop. Drake must have called Alice because she had four of the lights waiting for him. Gil paid her for the lights, loaded them into the truck and was pulling onto the on-ramp on I-40 less than and hour and ten minutes after he had arrived in Knoxville.
The barn people were just finishing up leveling the building when Gil pulled up. Gil took his purchases into the greenhouse and sat them on the first empty planting bed. Grace was drinking water and wiping her face with a bandana.
"You were right. The more I do, the slower I get." She said.
"Rest, and put your gardening kit together," dumping the bags out in the bed.
"Oo-o-o-o, presents!"
While she was playing with her new things, Gil brought in 16 bags of mix into the greenhouse and using his new box cutter, slit the bags open, dumping them into the herb bed. Grace finally came back over and dumped bags as Gil brought them in. They soon had the bed filled.
"How many bags did it take?" Grace asked,
"It takes 40 to fill a bed 8'x4'x12". Gil said.
"Do we have enough to fill all these beds?"
"Honey, I have another truck coming with the same size load."
Grace groaned.
"Look, you work on your first herb bed and I will worry about filling the rest of the beds."
"Okay, thank you. Do you mind if I go to the nursery and get some herbs already potted?"
"Go, I'm taking a break and see how Drake is doing with the installation."
Gil walked over and saw they already had the support post for the PV panels temporarily guyed off as well as the wind turbine, which had permanent guys. Two of the men were in the shed running tests.
"Almost done, Gil." Drake said. "Did you get the lights?"
"Yes I did. You saved me some shipping charges."
"They are really good lights. They'll burn at half power and come to full brightness if there is movement near. Everything is integrated."
"Yeah, that's one of the things I liked about them."
Drake walked Gil around on an inspection. "Take the guys off the panel pole in around four days. Everything will be set really good by then. Everything is wired in, so your greenhouse is ready to go. When we powered everything up, the vents immediately came open so you may want to check the thermostat."
"I will, thanks Drake."
Drake and his men cleaned up, loaded their tools, and drove off.
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Post by gipsy on Nov 4, 2021 20:33:44 GMT -6
Thanks for the fine update
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Post by udwe on Nov 4, 2021 21:07:55 GMT -6
Just keep writing!
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Post by ydderf on Nov 5, 2021 7:51:27 GMT -6
Thanks for the updates.
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Post by boomerweps on Nov 5, 2021 10:00:41 GMT -6
Love your stories. However, it seems like Gil spends a lot of time putting pallet forks on his tractor.
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Post by gipsy on Nov 5, 2021 12:30:21 GMT -6
Thats why he is buying the Bobcat
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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 5, 2021 19:31:20 GMT -6
Chapter 42
Gil went to the house and made a sandwich for lunch. Grace came in as he was starting on his second sandwich." "Did you find what you wanted?" Gil asked.
"Mostly, I'll start cups for the rest."
Grace made a sandwich, got some chips and tea, then took a seat in the nook with Gil.
"What else did you get in Knoxville?" Grace asked.
"Some solar lights to hang above the greenhouse and garage doors and a forklift."
Grace put down her sandwich. "Why in the world did you buy a forklift? You have the tractor."
"Because it is only 36 inches wide, will fit in the greenhouse aisles AND the tunnel with a pallet. No more hauling bags of mix with the wheelbarrow. I can drive a pallet of mix in next to the bed, drop the pallet so it is close to level with the bed, drag the bag off and empty it. We won't have to lift the bags anymore."
"Well, aren't you smart!"
The forklift didn't arrive until after two, but Gil had it fueled up and running within a few minutes, Taking a pallet in next to Grace's second herb bed, they had it filled in 45 minutes. By 5:00 PM, they had all the beds filled on the north side of the greenhouse and quit for the day. Gil left the forklift parked in the greenhouse and shut the doors.
Grace got her shower while Gil cooked some smoked sausage with potatoes and onions.
The second load of planting mix arrived the next day with Gil quickly off-loading the pallets and continued filling the planting beds. With other little chores interfering, it took them two days to finish filling the planting beds. Taking all the plastic bags they had collected into large contractor bags, Gil threw them into the trailer and hauled them to the county recycling center.
"What do you have?"
"I've got 16 contractor bags filled with potting mix plastic bags."
"I'll need to see one."
Gil opened one of the contractor bags and pulled out one of the mix bags. The man turned the bag around and over.
"Yeah, see this? If it has a '2' or a '4' then it is recyclable. We can take them."
Gil threw all the bags into the big bin and headed home. He stopped by the building supply store and had them mix up a gallon of custom colored, all-weather paint, using the rock chip he had picked up outside of the tunnel to match the color. Purchasing the paint and a cheap brush, he continued home.
The next morning, Gil loaded the paint and brush in the Gator and went up to the Tunnel. After painting the wood door and posts, Gil picked up lumps of dried rock dust that had pooled and dried when he had cut the rebate out, rubbed the lumps between his hands and tossed it on the wet paint. When he finished covering the painted wood, he stepped around to different positions, the wood sparkled in tiny areas just like the rock face. He moved away and kept turning back, looking at the door. From 25 meters away, you couldn't tell there was a door there, unless you knew where it was.
Gil helped Grace in the greenhouse transplanting eight sickly tomato plants she got from the nursery for greatly reduced prices. Then a delivery truck pulled in and Gil helped unload the two Pikasola wind generator kits and the composting toilet components he had ordered. After the deliveryman left, Gil used the tractor with the forklift blades and took everything up and stored them in one of the containers.
Gil looked at his watch. A pot of beans had time to cook so he got a smoked ham hock out of the freezer and made the pot of beans. He set the alarm on his watch to make sure he checked them. He sat down and made calls to quarry equipment suppliers in the area trying to find something that he could use to drill through the wall of the Chamber. He gave himself two weeks before he started on that project. He wanted to get the outdoor furnace installed next to the greenhouse and would buy the initial firewood for this winter and cut wood this winter to season for the next.
Pulling out the manual for the furnace, Gil went over the instructions for the foundation and trench. The greenhouse would be heated by six hydronic heaters fed by the outdoor boiler furnace. Fans on the heaters would be controlled by three zone thermostats to keep the greenhouse at whatever temperature they wanted. He thought he could get everything done in two weeks.
The next morning Grace helped Gil as he leveled the area next to the greenhouse and set the form. Once they had everything in place, Gil went to the building supply store in town and got some long and short pieces of rebar and tie wire, plus enough Sakrete to do the 6" floor. By the end of the day they had the rebar in place, bending it by heating it with the cutting torch and using a pipe wrench. The pad would end up being 12'x20', giving enough room to store wood. He would put a shelter over the whole thing. Before going to the house that evening, Gil attached the PTO Cement mixer to the tractor.
They were up early the next morning to pour the pad. Gil mixed the first batch and started pouring. Grace used a screed board to level the concrete. After they had the whole pad poured, Gil went over it with a bull float and smoothed it out. Thankfully they weather was supposed to be good so they wouldn't have to protect it from rain. Waiting for the concrete to cure, they went and purchased the materials to build the covered shelter for the furnace pad. He would have to come back for the roofing. There just wasn't enough room left on the trailer for it.
That Saturday morning they took the hovercraft out but only went down to Cherokee Lake and fooled around. That afternoon, they just worked around the greenhouse. The sickly tomato plants were now robust and blooming. Grace set tomato cages over them and talked to them like babies. The starter cups were sprouting and Grace misted them with a wand. They made starter cups for heirloom carrots, bush beans, radishes, lettuce, onions, Nepal and San Marzano tomato, and potatoes. Gil took Grace out that night for Mexican food.
Sunday after lunch, they went down to the river and fished for the afternoon. After catching 12 nice crappie, they went back to the house to clean them. Gil decided they needed a fish cleaning station somewhere around the equipment barn to clean fish and keep the fish smells away from the house. They took the fish and froze them to eat later. Gil opened a bottle of wine and they spent the remainder of the afternoon resting in the hammock, listening to music and talking quietly to one another.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 5, 2021 19:32:09 GMT -6
Chapter 43
Gil thought he had found what he needed to breech the Chamber wall. Tuesday, he went up to Kingsport to a quarry equipment company. He told the manager what he needed and was led to a piece of machinery he said would do the job. The high efficiency pneumatic rock drill rig was rated for 30 meters and would drill a 3' hole. He just needed a compressor to run the thing. It broke down into four sections so he could easily get it through the Tunnel. Luckily, he had brought a trailer with him. He leased it for two months and with a hefty deposit, they loaded it and he headed back home. Gil also bought two more diamond bit drill heads. On the way home, he called Don.
"Don, do you have one of those big compressors they use for jack-hammers?"
"Yeah, I've got two of them."
"Will you lease me one for a while?"
"No, but I'll let you borrow one."
"I appreciate it Don. I'll get with you later about it."
That evening, Gil got an email notifying him the blast door was on the way.
"Damn, the work keeps piling up!"
Gil sent a reply acknowledging the notification and sat there thinking. He'd go ahead and finish the furnace and shelter first. He could always work in the Chamber during inclement weather.
Gil tore the form away from the slab, cleaned the boards off and stored them at one end of the equipment barn for use later. Going back up the house, he picked up the smaller furnace model he had ordered when he bought the one for the house and carried it back down and set it next to the pad. Cutting the bands, he removed the shipping material from the sides and unscrewed the legs from the shipping pallet. He laid the extra rolls of ThermoPEX flexible pipe to the side to be run later. Gil marked on the floor where the legs should sit and Grace guided him in placing the furnace. Taking a pry bar, he shifted the furnace a little more into position near the wiring and pipe tubes. Grace helped run the hot water pipes and wraps as Gil connected them to the radiators. Wiring the fans using 12/4 wire was quickly done and they were ready to test the system. Gil connected a set of adapters to the ThermoPEX and ran pressurized water through they system, looking for leaks. None were found so Grace began putting polyethylene foam pipe insulation on the pipes while Gil finished connecting the wiring and pipes to the furnace. He filled in the trench and packed it down. When Grace finished applying the insulation, Gil cut up broken pallets and cut up cardboard and fired up the boiler. The outside temperature was 76 degrees so Grace set the thermostats to 90 degrees and it wasn't long before the fans came on, blowing the heat from the radiator fins out into the greenhouse. Grace turned the thermostats back to 76 degrees and the vents automatically opened, allowing the heated air to escape. Gil and Grace looked at one another and grinned. Now, all they had left to do here was build the shed and get the wood. They would go down and visit Mollie and Bill and see if Bill knew of anyone who sold firewood. They cleaned up the debris and raked around the greenhouse then went back to the house.
Bill and Mollie were sitting in their back yard in the shade when Gil and Grace drove up in Grace's Polaris.
"Well, hello strangers!" Mollie called out.
"Hi Mollie, Bill. Sorry we haven't visited. We just finished with the greenhouse."
"Bill was telling me ya'll were building one. Bill we aught to go take a look at it!"
"I've seen a greenhouse." Bill mumbled.
"Come on Mollie, I'll take you to see it." Grace said, standing up.
"Mollie got into the Polaris and they went quickly up the road."
"How big is your greenhouse? I saw it from afar when Joe was cutting the hay, but couldn't really tell."
"It's 75'x25' and heated with a wood boiler. That's one of the reasons I stopped by. Do you know anyone who sells seasoned fire wood?"
"Shore. Jason Hasty sells a heap of it down to the folks Sevierville."
"I wanted to get about six cords to last me until I could start cutting my own wood."
"Oh, he'll have it all right, but you best get to it now or he'll be hauling it down to Sevier County."
"Been busy hunh?" Bill asked.
"Yeah, I've had a lot to do. Finally getting caught up a little. There's just not enough time in the day, it seems."
"I'll stop by tomorrow. Joe's gonna be baling the hay." Bill said.
"Stop by anytime Bill. You're more than welcomed."
"I saw you put a fence around your garden area. That was a good Idea. Deer would have eaten everything down to a nub."
"I know. I see them all the time. There's some pretty big bucks running those ridges. I plan to get a couple this year."
"Yeah, you should They need to be thinned out a mite. Season starts in three weeks. Iffen you don't want to cut it up yourself, There's a man that does deer processing over on Old Mill Road."
"I'll keep that in mind."
They heard the Polaris return. Mollie's grin spread all the way across her face.
"Bill, they have a BIG greenhouse. They'll be able to grow things all winter! I'm going to help Grace out some."
Bill grinned at Mollie's excitement.
"Well, we need to get going. I need to go see a man about some firewood." Gil said.
Grace pulled out and eased the Polaris across the ditch and took them back home.
"Gil, I want to get another Polaris."
"For what?"
"For Mollie. She loves mine and she wouldn't have to get Bill to drive her down here. Besides, she's going to be helping me in the greenhouse."
Gil thought a minute. "Okay, help me build the furnace building and as soon as we are through we'll go to Knoxville and pick up another one. The guy that sells the firewood is on our way, off of 66. It'll be tomorrow though."
"Well, let's get started!"
"Hold on. I need to go get the roofing for it. I'll go in and pick up the roofing in the morning."
"Okay, I'll go and start dinner."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 5, 2021 19:33:19 GMT -6
Chapter 44
Gil was at the building supply store when it opened at 8:00 and they loaded the metal roofing and ridge cap. He also picked up a powder-actuated strike tool, loads and nails to secure the wall to the concrete pad. Not stopping there, he got a nail gun and compressor and a large assortment of nails. He would be building things in the Chamber in the near future also. Grace came down and helped him lay the first wall out and set it up. After temporarily bracing it, he used the strike tool to secure the pressure treated bottom plate to the concrete pad. He put a double door at each end wide enough to slide a pallet of wood in on one end and a set of double doors at the furnace end to have access to the rear of the furnace. Having the right tools really made a difference. They built the walls quicker with the nail gun and after building the first rafter, Grace copied it and built the rest. Grace became quite skilled at cutting angles with the chop saw. The sun was going down as Gil finally installed the roof vent flashing for the furnace chimney pipe and re-install the pipe. The doors weren't done yet and the OC plywood sided needed priming and painted, but that could wait for now. Grace was anxious to get Mollie her "loaner" Polaris.
They were up early the next morning. Grace fixed sausage and egg biscuits to eat on the road and shooed Gil out to the truck. They were at the Polaris dealer fifteen minutes before they opened. When the doors opened Grace marched right in and told the salesman she wanted a Polaris Ranger 1000 with premium roof, doors, and cab heater. The salesman looked at Gil, who just shrugged.
"Don't look at me. I just pay for them and haul 'em for the lady."
Grace chose the color scheme she wanted and the salesman began doing the paperwork. Gil backed the Ranger into the 20' trailer and made one stop on the way home….to pick up a six-pack of Motorola GMRS radios with belt pouches..
"And we need these because…..?" Grace asked.
"Honey, we're frequently going to be working at different areas on the property. If you need me, all you have to do is call me on the radio."
"Oh, that's thoughtful."
Grace wanted to off-load the UTV at the house then she would drive it over to Mollie. Gil would follow in her Polaris.
So, that's what happened. When Grace got out of the Ranger at Mollie's, and told her they were giving it to her on loan, Mollie was floored.
"I don't know if I can drive that thing!"
"Grace, why don't you take her down to the hay fields and explain what everything is and let her practice." Mollie and Grace rushed and got in and took off. Gil grinned and sat down in the chair next to Bill.
"I see you got all the hay shipped, Bill."
"Yep, even with that space taken up for the garden, we got more bales per acre than we usually get. Why did you get the vehicle for Mollie?"
"I was Grace's idea, and I think a good one. Neither Grace nor Mollie get out much and I think they both have a good time working in that greenhouse. I don't mind, as long as they come up with some food to eat. The UTV will give Mollie the freedom to go there whenever she wants."
"Yeah, all she's been talking about since she first saw that greenhouse and how you don't have to bend over to work." Bill grinned. "What else you got going on over there? You find that mine?"
"Uh, it's not a mine, Bill."
"I figured it was. I stumbled on it onct and didn't go in. Those things have a habit of fallin' on your head."
"Well, I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention it being there to anyone. I'm playing with some ideas on using it for some things."
"My mouths shut. You got your huntin' license yet?"
"No not yet. I'll get it this week. I'll go ahead and get my deer during bow season."
"Mighty sure of yourself ain't you?"
"Oh, I'll get one. I'd get two but those bucks are awful big to have to drag out of the woods together. I'll get my two antlered bucks and two does this year. You like venison?"
"Shore do."
"I'll make sure you get some then."
"Now, if a man had a mind to, he could pick up one of them game feeders up at Tractor Supply and set it to spread some seed in the morning and in the late evening, he could probably get a couple of turkeys before the fall season ends."
"Yeah, that is an idea."
They turned toward the ridge when they heard the UTV coming down the drive. Mollie slowed and eased through the ditch, coming to a stop.
"I guess she got thuh hang of it." Bill grinned.
"Bill, I need you to put that piece of culvert behind the barn in that ditch and make me a way to get on their driveway." Mollie said.
Bill turned to Gil and saw Gil was trying to keep from laughing.
"Bill, I'll bring the tractor down in the morning and we can lay that culvert in the ditch and cover it up." Gil chuckled.
On the way back home, Grace was laughingly telling of Mollie's antics as she got accustomed to driving the Ranger. Grace was happy, so Gil was happy.
After dinner that night they both were on their computers in the dining nook.
"Grace, I want you to order five more Family food units to put into the Chamber. Look around, order new things, try some sample packs. I want us to put away a variety of food for a number of years. At some point in time we have to do without electricity, so think about things we could use without electricity. There are a lot of things we can do and for some reason I think we are behind on getting things together."
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Post by udwe on Nov 5, 2021 20:06:37 GMT -6
I want us to put away a variety of food for a number of years. At some point in time we have to do without electricity, so think about things we could use without electricity. There are a lot of things we can do and for some reason I think we are behind on getting things together."
I Think about that all the time.
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 5, 2021 20:47:35 GMT -6
We would have a little solar power for a while, but primarily for a small fridge and lighting. If natural gas survived, we could close off much of the house and use the gas-fired furnace - the blower still needs 460 watts but closing registers and perhaps blocking some ducts (all accessible over the dropped ceiling in the basement) could cut the square footsge to be heated appreciably and that would reduce the furnace run time and the daily power needed. In a similar manner, we could use the gas logs in the masonry fireplace to heat a few rooms using battery operated fans to move the air as needed (have two 8" fans and one 10" fan) and power those fans from the solar system or just charge batteries for them daily. The gas logs also have an LP port on them so they could be run on 20lb LP tanks acquired from gas grills as people die off - or maybe in exchange for a roll or two of toilet paper?
I have an electric fuel pump - probably intended for diesel instead of gasoline, but I could mix diesel from the nearest gas station with kerosene to have a mix better suited for a kerosene heater but at the expense of a dirtier/smellier burn and shorter wick life. It's also possible to build a small 'waste oil' heater and fresh diesel should burn even better. I can see using gasoline in a generator big enough to run an angle grinder and a small welder (I have small stick and wire welders) and build small woodstoves or 'waste oil' heaters from empty 20lb propane tanks. That provides two more options for heat without grid power. Some of the 'waste oil' heaters I've seen on YouTube use very little fuel, so pumping a 55 gallon barrel from the gas station's XX thousand gallon tanks could be done many times - and I have the Pri-D to preserve as much as I am likely to use.
Currently looking for an undesignated $3600 to do a major upgrade of solar panels and batteries. I have multiple spreadsheets - even have a "How long does the furnace run each day?" cell which computes that based on thermostst setting and the average outdoor temperature. It's interesting to compare thermostat at 68F with thermostat at 65F or 62F. Closing off part of the main level would decrease the run time as well. We did that when the then almost new furnace died in a cold January (lows in the teens). We used the kerosene heater and some fans plus the gas logs to keep the space we used comfortable - and an electric blanket to sleep warm when the fires had been doused for the night. The masonry fireplace stay warm for a long time once heated by the gas logs and the ceiling fan in the kitchen blew warm air from the kerosene heater down on the ceramic tile for for another 'heat reservoir'. With no heat overnight, the house dropped to maybe 60F by morning.
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Post by gipsy on Nov 5, 2021 21:46:07 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
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Post by cavsgt on Nov 5, 2021 22:20:58 GMT -6
I want us to put away a variety of food for a number of years. At some point in time we have to do without electricity, so think about things we could use without electricity. There are a lot of things we can do and for some reason I think we are behind on getting things together." I Think about that all the time. We have a generator and some gas supply on hand but not near enough. With our food, wood burner, well and solar charger for 12v batteries we can make do for an extended period of time. Probably longer than I can make it without my meds., that is my next project.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 6, 2021 16:12:31 GMT -6
Chapter 45
Gil went to Don’s workplace to pick up the compressor, but first stopped to get hunting licenses for deer and turkey. While he was out, he decided to check out the meat processor that he hoped could do his deer. When he pulled up to the business, he grinned to himself. The proprietor’s name was “Hirschfeld,” which translated from German was “Deer Field.” He walked in the front door and heard a man loudly saying, "Nein, nein, stellen Sie diese Kisten hier drüben. Wir werden sie zuerst benutzen!" (No, no, put those boxes over here. We'll use them first!)
Gil rang the bell on the counter and a portly man came through the door. “Yes, how can I help you?”
"Mir wurde gesagt, dass Sie Wild verarbeiten." (I am told you process wild game.)
The man’s eyes brighten and he smiled. „Ja, wir verarbeiten Hirsche, Bären und Elche. Kleinere Tiere machen wir nicht. Haben Sie Ihr Tier dabei?“ (Yes we process deer, bear, and elk. We don't do the smaller animals. Do you have your animal with you?)
Gil switched to English. “No sir, I wanted to make sure I knew where your business was.”
“My name is Aldric Hirschfeld, the owner. You speak German very well. Did you live there?”
“Yes, Mr. Hirschfeld, I was stationed there for three years with an American army unit.”
“You speak with a slight Bavarian accent, but yes, we can process your animals.”
Mr. Hirschfeld handed Gil a business card. “These are our business hours, but if we are closed, just call this number. I live next door and can open up and we can hang your animal in the cooler.”
“Thank you Mr. Hirschfeld, I hope to see you soon.”
"Viel Glück!"
"Danke. Auf Wiedersehen!"
Gil picked up the air compressor and unhitched it in the back yard. He’d tow it up to the shelf with the tractor. He went in to have lunch with Grace before heading up the ridge and setting up.
“How long are you going to work this afternoon?” Grace asked.
“Just until dusk. I’ll watch my time. It will probably take me a few days. I’m drilling one hole for a cable run and one to drain water from the shower.”
“Another one of those shower bag things?”
“No, I’ll have a 50 gallon tank set up for the shower.”
Gil finished his lunch and hooked the compressor to the tractor and slowly drove it up to the shelf and positioned it next to the door. Taking the tractor back down, he brought up the trailer with the drilling rig. After getting the generator running and the lights on, Gil set up the water pump and ran the water hose over to where he would drill the drain hole. Bringing in the mount, piece by piece, he re-assembled the mount and set the drill in place. Going out to the air compressor he cranked it and saw the pressure jerk the hose. He went in, turned the water on to a slow flow, opened the pressure valve and the drill began turning, hammering it’s way into the rock wall. Two hours later, he had gone almost the length of the drill shaft into the wall. He backed the drill shaft out and added another section, but didn’t begin drilling again. It was almost 5:00 and he wouldn’t have time to do much more. Gil shut everything down and unhooked the hoses and extension cords and threw them back into Tunnel, locking the door. He drove the tractor back down to the equipment barn, walking back to the house.
“How did it go?” Grace asked.
“Slow, and noisy. I’m taking up a set headsets tomorrow.”
It took Gil three and a half days to break through to the outside. He shut the drill down as the pooled water quickly drained through the wall. Walking outside, it took him a while to find the hole. The hole had come out behind a medium-size boulder and the water quickly disappeared into the rocky soil.
Gil looked at his watch and seeing it was already almost 4:00, shut everything down and went to the house.
“You’re early!” Grace squealed.”
“I can always go back.”
“NO! Wash up and come sit in your chair and I’ll get you a glass of tea.”
“I’m going to take a shower.” Gil said, tiredly.
Gil donned a set of sweats and tugged on a pair of moccasins after his shower and went back downstairs.
“Ah-h-h-h, that feels better.” Gil said.
Grace brought him a glass of tea. “How did it go today?”
“I broke through. I’ll start on the cable run tomorrow.”
It took Gil a little over four days to break through with the cable run. The wall was thicker there than it had been at the drain.
During the period of monotonous drilling, Gil built a smokey fire in the middle of the Chamber and when the smoke got high, Gil cut the lights out and shined the more powerful spotlight at the ceiling. He walked around until he finally saw an area where the smoke seemed to be vacuumed through a shadowy area. Gil walked around a while longer checking the ceiling and saw that the smoke wasn’t accumulating, but being drawn out. He went outside and looked around but never saw any smoke. Good. That was one problem taken care of.”
Gil disconnected all the hoses and cleaned them up, placing the water hoses and the pump near the second room opening, he laid the extra air hoses in the loader bucket, returned the generator to the Tunnel and locked the door. Gil parked the tractor and compressor next to the garage and called it a day.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 6, 2021 16:20:06 GMT -6
Chapter 46
"We need to build a fire in the greenhouse furnace tonight. It's supposed to drop into the 40's." Grace said. "What's the temperature going to be today?"
"They say mid to high 60's."
"I'll build fires in both furnaces before I go take the drill back. That's the next thing I've got to do…build a woodshed for the house furnace. I need to get that done before it rains. I'll pick up lumber on the way home for it."
"I want to watch you fire the furnaces so I know what to do." Grace replied.
The 12 cords of wood had been delivered late the day before. Gil put six in the greenhouse furnace building and set six next to the garage near the furnace for the house.
On the way back from Kingsport, Gil stopped and got the lumber to finish the doors in the lower furnace shed and the wood shed. Prominently on display were deer corn and seed for feeders. He got his lumber and wood screws loaded and went back in and picked up two directional feeders and 4 sacks if seed mixture.
Gil parked the trailer next to the upper furnace building and loaded a 50 pound bag of seed mix plus the two feeders in the back of the Gator. He drove down to the southernmost hay field, got out to walk around, looking for possible hide sites. He selected one and using a tree climbing spike, hung the feeder and filled it up. Setting the controls to feed at 6:00 AM and 4:00 PM, he went further north to search for another feeder site.
Gil stopped by the equipment barn and took the tractor with the auger bit up the ridge and dug the holes for the 4x4 posts. He wished he had told Jack to set up something like he had down at the lower furnace, but he wasn't thinking at the time. Still, they had built the shed to put ½ of a coed of wood at a time. He was going to build an open faced-saltbox roof shed facing southeast. It would work well enough. He was building the shed tall enough to stack eight ½ cord pallets on top of one another.
Buy 4:00 PM, with Grace's help, he had the walls an siding up. He had to figure the math out on the saltbox rafters tonight.
"You are getting the shed done just in time. The weatherman is predicting 3 days of rain beginning on Saturday." Grace said, stirring the beans.
"Yeah. All the leaves will be gone off the trees by the end of next week. Weather is going to get worse over the next couple of months. How did the greenhouse do last night?"
"Fine. I added more wood this morning. It burns nice and slow. I have the thermostats set at 80 degrees. I'm going back down and fill the firebox for tonight and it should last 'til noon tomorrow."
"I'll go down with you. I want to see how much ash is accumulating."
The next afternoon, as Gil was putting the final screws in the ridge cap, drops of rain began falling. Cal quickly got off the roof and began moving the pallets of wood into the shed. Only a few drops fell though, and Gil got the tractor back into the equipment barn. While he was down that way, he took a large, galvanized bucket and began removing the ashes from the furnace. It was easy. Push a button and the ashes and an auger carried the ashes out a chute into the bucket. When the bucket was full, he took it out and dumped it on one of the compost piles. When there were no more ashes coming out, Gil emptied the bucket and washed it thoroughly.
The batteries and charge controllers came in for his Chamber setup. Gil looked at the weather report and decided there was work he could do up there during the rain. He wanted t get the battery bank, PVs and wind turbine set up as soon as he could. He wanted power up there without having to run the generator.
Saturday morning, there was a slow, steady rain so Gil went out to the woodshop and began cutting out the components for the bench the batteries would go on. It would be too heavy to build and carry it up so he cut and pre-drilled all the holes. Taking the lag bolts and washers for each piece, he taped them to their corresponding piece and checked them off his rough-drawn plan. With that done, he did the same with the toilet and shower enclosures. Caught up he decided to go in and chase Grace around a little.
"Grace, have you ever fired a gun? Gil asked.
"I fired a BB gun one when I was 10."
"Okay, come up to the office with me."
Gil opened the gun safe and took out an AR-15, a Smith & Wesson 9mm Shield, magazines for both the rifle and the pistol, and two dummy bullets.
Gil made sure there was no magazine in the weapon and the chamber was cleared, locked back the slide and handed the pistol to Grace….butt first.
Grace gingerly took the weapon in her left hand and looked down at it.
"Grace, point the weapon to the side and push down on that little lever on the left side of the gun."
Grace squealed as the slid slammed forward.
"Now, whenever someone hands you a gun, always consider it loaded and ready to kill. Hold the pistol in your right hand and grab the slide with the 'V' portion of your left hand, pull back on the slide and lock it."
Grace completed the action and had the slide locked.
"Now, tilt the gun slightly to the left and look in the chamber. Do you see anything?"
"No."
"To check the gun, you remove the magazine, if one is in the gun, lock the slide to the rear and check the chamber. The gun can then be handled safely."
Gil loaded the Shield mag with the one dummy bullet, inserted the magazine in the pistol and let the slide go forward.
Handing the pistol back to Grace, butt first she took hold of the pistol, fumbled with the magazine catch until the mag fell out pulled the slide to the rear, watching the bullet being ejected, and checked the chamber.
"Very good. Make sure you always keep the gun pointed away from anyone even though you are just clearing and checking it. The only reason you point a gun at someone is to kill them. Never shoot to wound."
Gil picked up the AR and walked her through the same procedures, letting her tell him what she was going to do and correcting her when needed.
"I'll take you out and we'll practice shooting them when the weather clears. You should already be a pretty decent shot because you don't have to unlearn any bad habits."
"Gil, why are we doing this?"
"Because I love you and want to see you to have protection when I'm not around. There are lot's of bad people in this world. They are those not willing to hold a steady job and attempt to take what they want from you. Others, have plenty want more and try to take more. These people are unreasonable and stupid. Essentially stupid people are dangerous and damaging because reasonable people, like yourself, find it difficult to imagine and understand unreasonable behavior"
Gil went back over to the gun safe took out a holster for the Shield. He had her loosen her belt and slide the holster on. Placing the gun in the holster, he had her draw the pistol and point it at the wall, having her do it three times and watching her hand movements. Taking the pistol out of the holster and removing the holster from the belt, Gil made some screw adjustments, giving it an FBI cant. Replacing the holster on the belt, he had her draw the pistol three times again.
"Oh! That is better!" Grace said.
"Okay, from now on, I want you to keep the pistol on your hip, or in a special place in your purse if you're wearing a dress. Get used to carrying it at all times. I'll work on getting us Concealed Carry permits."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 6, 2021 16:23:41 GMT -6
Chapter 47
Gil and Grace were into town Tuesday and stopped by the police station and ran into Officer Wells. "Officer Wells, how do I go about getting a Concealed Carry permit for my wife and I?"
"State handles that in Tennessee. Check with the State Police."
They did a little grocery shopping and stopped by the diner for lunch, Grace making sure they stayed out of Reba's section. They had a delightful meal of liver and onions with mashed potatoes and green beans and were just about to leave when Gil noticed a State Patrolman sitting down at the next table.
"Sir, could I bother you for a second?"
"Sure, what can I do for you?"
"Who would I see about getting Concealed Carry licenses for my wife and I."
The patrolman looked at Gil and Grace. "You Gil Conner?"
"Uh, yes Sir."
"Yeah, Glen Wells told me you might be asking. Well, you can get a concealed handgun carry permit (HCP) by taking a 90-minute online course, but what you really want is an enhanced permit. An enhanced handgun carry permit (EHCP) requires completion of an 8-hour live training course from certified instructors and allows permittees to carry a gun openly or concealed to more places. One of our instructors just happens to be giving a course at our District 5 Headquarters Saturday over in Fall Branch."
The Patrolman wrote down a number on the back of one of his business cards.
"Call this number and tell the man I said for you to call him and he'll put you on the list….and thank you for you service."
Gil took the card and thanked him for his help. Walking out to the truck, Grace tugged at Gil's arm.
"How did he know you had been in the Army?"
"Any Law Dog worth a damn would have run a background on me after that first incident with Henry. After the second incident with the car door, that probably sealed the deal."
Gil called the number at District five State Patrol Headquarters and was told to be there at 7:30 Saturday morning.
Gil set up a little firing range, shooting into a dirt bank and had Grace shooting at Bull's Eye targets at 7 meters. He had to correct her a few times, but she was doing very well. Moving the target out to 15 meters, she was doing extremely well. Switching to Law Enforcement Silhouette targets, Gil always called them B-27s, Gil had her holster and draw the weapon. She did six magazines like that, placing kill producing shots. Just to see how she would do, he showed her the Failure to Stop drill and she was soon consistently putting two in the chest and one through the forehead. Gil explained that drill was effective in case the assaulter had on a protective vest. Grace asked how much of the body was covered by a vest and Gil explained the lengths of vest. She then fired four magazines in a "modified" version of the Failure to Stop drill; two in the groin and one in the forehead. Gil finally had her stop. She was having too good of a time with those crotch shots.
The Saturday morning class was conducted very professionally. It wasn't much different from what Gil had received, and at times, conducted before….just some differences in Tennessee laws. Grace soaked it all up like a thirsty sponge. They both aced the little written test the instructor gave at the end of the classroom period. They went out to the range next for familiarization firing.
The range was within walking distance of the classroom so Gil and Grace went out to get their pistols. Grace opened the truck's gun vault and handed Gil his Glock and she took out her S&W. Making sure it was cleared, she put it in her holster. When they reached the benches set up at the firing line, Grace removed her pistol, cleared the weapon, locked the slide and placed the pistol on the bench, then began loading magazines per the Range Officer's instructions. The target was only 7 meters so it was a piece of cake. They were then told to fire three rounds at their targets. Grace made three head shots. They fired at the target until they had shot two magazines. The Range Officer had been watching Grace the whole time. It didn't hurt that she had a tight pair of jeans.
"Ma'am, why did you make all head shots?"
Grace looked up at him and blinked her eyes. "I don't shoot to wound, Officer."
Their next target was a Law Enforcement Silhouette at 15 meters. They were told to fire two magazines at it and clear their weapon. When told to commence firing, Grace began firing the "modified" Failure to Stop drill, placing the 7th round into the head area. When they had finished firing and cleared their weapons, the Range Officer came back over.
"Your shots were a bit low there ma'am."
Grace looked at the officer. "Oh no. That was my "modified" Failure to Stop drill. One in the head and two in the groin."
The Range Officer flinched and grimaced, then walked away.
They would be getting their permits in the mail but were given a paper to carry authorizing them the privileges of the EHCP permit. As they got into the truck in the parking lot, Grace started laughing.
"Did you see the look on the Range Officer's face?"
Gil grinned. "Sometimes the smart-ass in you comes out at the most inopportune times."
Grace quit laughing and moved over in the bench seat up against Gil, looked deeply into Gil's eyes and whispered, "but this ass belongs only to you and don't you forget it."
The next day, Annie and Don invited them over for the afternoon. Grace took over two loaves of fresh-baked bread and a dozen blueberry muffins. The women immediately split off to talk women things while Don and Gil retired to the den with a bottle of beer each.
"So, did the air compressor turn out to be what you needed.?"
"Just the thing. I used a pneumatic rock drill to bore a couple of holes through around 10 meters of granite."
"Youch! I'll bet that took a while!"
"Yeah it did, and it just opened up more work for me to do. But, it keeps me out of the strip clubs."
Don chuckled. "Well, If you need any help, just give me a shout."
"I'll probably ask you to help me haul up the wind turbine when I get the base done."
"You've got it!"
The women came into the room. "Gil, I've invited Annie and Don over for Thanksgiving dinner. I'll ask Mollie and Bill too."
"Sounds great! Looks like I'm going turkey hunting." Gil grinned.
Gil and Don talked the rest of the afternoon about the plans Gil had for the Chamber while the woman compared lists on what they were going to provide for the dinner. The old Yiddish adage, "Mann Tracht, Un Gott Lacht." meaning, "Man Plans, and God Laughs," never crossed their minds.
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Post by cavsgt on Nov 6, 2021 16:52:51 GMT -6
THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 6, 2021 17:00:47 GMT -6
"Mann Tracht, Un Gott Lacht."
I see something hitting the fan - soon...
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Post by gipsy on Nov 6, 2021 19:17:50 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
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Post by iamnobody on Nov 6, 2021 20:06:33 GMT -6
Fried liver with onions, mashed potatoes and gravy. YUM!! You're making me hungry! I would love a plate of that!
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Post by ydderf on Nov 6, 2021 20:36:59 GMT -6
thank you
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