Christmas Light Hooks

The biggest post-holiday pain in my ass is setting up the ladder in a snowbank to take down Christmas lights. The tiny teacup hooks were all bent and rusty, so they got pulled out in preparation for the painting of the eaves. My new system lets me install and uninstall Christmas lights from the ground. I now have 23 evenly-spaced hooks, and an extending pole that reaches up to hang the string lights.

• 1.25” Vinyl-Coated Hooks

• Handy Hook

• 6 - 20’ Telescoping Pole

Back Yard Floodlight

The back yard floodlight had been installed on the same line as the exterior outlet, so that the switched controlled them both. I wanted to be able to power exterior string lights without wrecking the ambiance with bright floodlights. I opted for a hard-wired floodlight camera from Ring, which means I can control it with my phone or set it to operate on a motion sensor. No light switch required.

The old floodlights.

The new floodlight camera.

I was on the verge of getting the pergola built, so I knew it would be my last chance to get the light replaced.

Simple bracket

Wire had been pinched and slightly cut

Plus, it has the added advantage of allowing me to keep tabs on what’s going on in the back yard.

Mommy & Maddox Tour Vermont

Maddox and I spend the day driving the meandering roads through the hills of Vermont. The weather didn't cooperate initially… I suppose the overcast skies lend a sort of gloomy mood. But the afternoon sun peeked out long enough for us to enjoy some walks in the woods and snacks on a blanket outside the Vermont Country Store.

Buttercream Falls

Horses graze at Jenne Farm

Jenne Road

View from Coolidge State Historic Site

Breakfast at the South Woodstock Country Store

Rock Candy at the Vermont Country Store

Maddox at Buttermilk Falls

The Pergola

I have been thinking and imagining a pergola since I fell in love with one I saw during the house-hunting adventures of 2013.

When I moved in, the lower yard had a pile of rocks, an ugly bush causing blackened stains on the siding, path of pavers (removed in this pic leaving grass-less holes) leading half-way into the yard, another bush blocking the windows, glaring white concrete retaining wall, and screen room on stilts.

Patio, furniture set, painted concrete, grill, dining set. To see more about the in-between steps, go read my posts about the herb garden, patio, painted wall, and screen room demolition.

Hole dug for the footings revealed a stepped foundation… perfect for ensuring that the pergola (which will be bolted to the house) is on the same solid ground as the house itself.

Concrete poured in a box shape to level up the footings.

Concrete deck pier supports the post above the ground to prevent the wood from rotting in the wet soil.

Large 7x7” posts are hand-chiseled down to 4x4” to fit into the concrete pier supports.

The post is bolted into the ledger beam (the supporting member that holds up the floor of my house) with a tempered aluminum Maine Deck Bracket. This will stabilize the post, even though it is not expected that any additional weight load will be added to the ledger. The 7x7 vertical post and 4x6 horizontal beam are dadoed together.

Next came the three front posts… the approach was to use 8” Sonotubes, since we didn’t have to contend with the foundation of the house. The entire outline was done… and then came the ‘oh sh*t’ moment. We had intended to make the pergola overhang the posts by about a foot on each side, for a total width of 22’ feet. As you can see in this picture, the beams don’t stick out past the posts. #%@#%

So, after a restless night’s sleep, Marc suggested a plan. He would replace the beams at the rear, since those were held in by a few bolts that could be easily undone. He cut new, longer beams.

The beams at the front presented a different problem, since the angle brackets had all been custom cut and toe-nailed in. He bought heavy-duty metal brackets (600-lb load rating) and affixed an extension to each end. The 45-degree supports add additional stability. Once all the rafters and decorative flourishes are added, no one will ever notice.

Back replaced with longer beams.

Front extensions.

The center beam is smaller (4x3”) and slightly higher than the outer beams to allow extra head clearance if I want to attach a light fixture someday. The horizontal center beam is cut into the vertical post, and the black metal bracket held the joint together until the rafters could be installed.

Close to done… next week the ends of the rafters will be trimmed and shaped, the patio pavers will be cut to fit around the post holes, and the plexiglass roof will be added.

For now, it’s done enough that I can put my feet up and shop Amazon for cafe-style string lights. (Edison bulbs on the way!)

My back yard setup is taking shape.

Arguably the most important accessory.

Second most important: hanging cooking tools away from curious dog tongues.

Swing seat (cushions forthcoming)

Fitting patio blocks around the posts and slab.

Front posts have trim to hide the concrete posts.

Edison bulb cafe lighting.

Rafter ends trimmed and shaped

Next it was time to get the clear polycarbonate ordered… giant sheets (6’ x 9’8”) of 1/4” Lexan. Extra strong to hold the weight of snow, and clear to let the morning sun shine into my office.

This introduced a new pain in the butt… apparently ordering 6’ wide sheets of Lexan gets you sheets that are cut at the factory at precisely 6’ and 3/4”. Which means that rafters positioned exactly 24” on-center are now a little too close together. ARGH. Rather than send these giant heavy sheets back to the glass supplier, Marc (my carpenter) grabbed the closest crowbar and yanked out a few rafters and moved them just slightly… so, if you were to climb up there with a measuring tape, you’d find that the span is no longer a perfect 24”, but roughly 25” on one side and 23” on the other. This is the kind of stuff that makes a perfectionist nuts, but I know it’s not going to bother me… until the next time I order 6’ sheets of Lexan from a place that actually knows how to measure.

Sadie’s Luxury Cruise

As an elderly lady, Sadie signed up for the all-expenses-paid luxury cruise lifestyle. She got to have the primo-fancy food (seriously - you could add breadcrumbs and serve it up as meatloaf), of course served in bed. Walks in the stroller, like her own princess-style carriage. Endless adoration. All of the cheese topping from Mom’s Panera danish.

As I knew it must, the time came for me to say goodbye. I spent the night snuggling with my little girl, trying to ease her suffering… but in the morning, I was certain of my decision. She had told me she was had had enough, and I needed to be brave enough to listen.

Good bye, my sweet girl. I adored you every single day. I love you more than I thought possible, and will continue to treasure your memory for as long as I live.

Breakfast in Bed (for 2)

Wall decal in the quiet room at the oncologist’s office.

She Is Gone

You can shed tears that she is gone
or you can smile because she lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see her
or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her and only that she's gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and lose your mind,
be empty and turn your back
or you can do what she'd want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

-- Author Unknown

Solar Driveway Light

Related: Entrance Lights

Well, no WONDER the circuit trips every time there’s a heavy rain. Ugh.

The guys who installed the underground tubing for the irrigation were perplexed why the buried wire for the driveway light didn’t offer more resistance… normally they’d feel it and navigate the machinery up and over. I suppose that would have been true if the underground wiring was properly installed… in a PVC conduit buried at least 18” below grade. Oh, no… not at this house.

This wire was not encased in anything, and probably only 6” below the surface. Even worse, it had already been broken and crudely patched back together in several places. It doesn’t take a whole lot of common sense to know that a giant wad of electrical tape is NOT the way to fix a broken underground wire.

Giant wads of electrical tape

Even after splicing the wire with a kit made for this job and confirming power on either side, I still wasn’t getting power at the light post. I chased the wire until it went under the maple tree, and then I gave up. I ripped it all out… and found three more breaks (also crudely taped) closer to the light.

Yeah, so solar will have to do for now. I’m not trenching through my yard today. At least I can get rid of the string of Romex that is loosely draped under the front door.

Big Sink

Time to stop washing paint brushes and putty knives in the bathroom. This utility sink is big enough to fit any tool that needs cleaning, as well as the dogs. Sadie is unimpressed, but I'm thrilled!

Mustee 28 SF Utility Tub

Glider

Country Cottage Furniture
717 NH Rt 104
New Hampton NH 03256
https://countrycottagefurniture.com/outdoor-furniture-made-recycled-poly-new-hampton-new-hampshire/poly-benches-and-settees-made-recycle

Green, Burgundy, Weatherwood, Cedar, Chocolate, Black, Gray, White, Turquoise, Red, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Patriot Blue, and Purple.

Glad Corner

In my attempt to avoid weed-whacking, I carved out this inside corner of the fenced yard for my gladioli and dahlias. These tender perennials wouldn't survive my zone 5 winter, so I uplift the corms/tubers before the first frost and store them dried in the basement. As soon as the ground is soft enough to work in the spring, the whole corner gets tilled and prepped for re-planting.

• Info on gladioli from The Old Farmer's Almanac
• Info on dahlias from The Old Farmer's Almanac

An added bonus - the hummingbirds LOVE this corner!

Bird Feeding Crossbow

Okay, it's NOT a crossbow at all... but doesn't it look like one? 

There were bird feeders hanging from the screen room when I bought the house, and my dogs took great delight in chasing the squirrels that were always on them. When I demolished the screen room, I had to figure out a new place to put bird feeders. The back fence line seemed the best place.

I decided that dealing with high-up bird feeders required pulleys. My ten-foot post now has three pulley-equipped arms... two feeders, one suet cake. We'll see if the squirrel baffle does any good.

I used:

• Mayne 580D-BK No Dig Ground Anchor

• Black 3.5” x 3.5” post-topper

• 10’ long pressure-treated 4x4

• Woodlink Wrap Around Squirrel Baffle designed to wrap around and secure to the 4x4” vertical

• Three black wall hook plant brackets - Ocean State Job Lot has a good affordable selection

• Six small pulleys

• Three small cleats

• 1/8” black paracord - also got mine at Ocean State Job Lot

• Three tiny S-Biners to clip the feeders to the rope… I like being able to snap them off quickly without having to fuss with knots, especially in the winter when my fingers are freezing.

• Zip ties or wire wrap to connect the pulleys to the wall hooks

• Assorted bird feeders

• Black spray paint

There are probably rust- and corrosion-resistant alternatives for the pulleys and cleats… but I was putting this together as a proof of concept. Maybe when it rusts out I’ll search harder for different products. (Update May 2021… everything still holding strong!)

Greenhouse Part 3: Gravel & Pavers & Gadgets

Now that the greenhouse is assembled (go see that post), I'm anxious to get it decked out with good drainage flooring and other fun toys.

I figured I'd need about a yard an a half of pea gravel, so of course I ordered two. And a pile of pavers. I've probably used less than half of the pea gravel... but I plan to use it outside the greenhouse as well, so I figured I'll see how far it goes and then top up the greenhouse floor with whatever I have left.

More bells & whistles... 

Automatic vent openers

Fold-out potting bench with running water

Bushel basket from the local farm stand to hold all my veggies and herbs, plus suction cup hangers to stow my hat & apron.

Bins for potting soil, composted manure, seed-starting medium, and whatever else.

Wireless thermometer

Greenhouse Part 2: Assembly

First, go read the previous greenhouse post.

My project started with needing to bump out the top shelf of the garden terrace. The top step was plenty big for my little 5' x 5' temporary greenhouse, but it needed to be a little wider to accommodate new the 6' x 8' footprint. Also, since the sandy slope was likely to erode if not properly stabilized, I lined it with plastic and stone dust to direct water out the edge rather than down slope.

Here's the base kit resting on top of the in-the-way rocks. Also, notice the spigot that I’d added when the irrigation system was installed… this will give me easy access to running water inside the greenhouse.

The earth anchor kit provides (10) 12" L-bolts that are sunken into concrete. Of these 10 anchors, I opted to put two of them into 24" deep cylinders. These are on the down-slope corners, specifically where the softened terraced earth might not be very stable. Since the greenhouse is exceptionally light, the anchors are more about keeping it from blowing away, and less about supporting it. 

Here's the stainless steel base kit leveled, squared, and ready for concrete:

Day 1: Time for assembly! Start at the beginning... of the SIXTY-FOUR page assembly instructions. (Yeah, I was a little intimidated, but I wanted this pile of parts out of my carport.) My first day at this took about 6 hours. This included finding all the right parts (there are a LOT of parts), and learning all the tips and tricks of the kit. Plus a hundred water and subsequent potty breaks, since it's a million degrees out. But finally I had something that resembled the ends of a giant clear gingerbread house. I left these flat on the driveway overnight.

Day 2: Stand it up! The sides and roof went significantly faster... maybe because I had learned from all my Day 1 mistakes. Roof, sides, vent windows, gutters, sliding doors... all done in about 12 leisurely hours. 

Assembly complete! I still have some finishing touches... the downspout kit, the automatic vent openers (they're cooling off in my fridge to retract the piston)... but it's pretty much assembled. 

Now ready for a floor. The plan is to do pea gravel and pavers... but that's going to need to wait until next weekend. (Go see!)

Painted Eaves

When I bought the house, the reddish-brown roof tied in nicely with the rust-red colored eaves... the painted soffit and fascia with a brown aluminum gutter. The problem was... I didn't much like the roof color, and it was in bad shape. When I replaced the roof, I chose green. And it contrasted hideously with the red paint.

Glidden Premium Exterior Paint: Deep Forest Pine, Flat Finish

The professional painter community started out skeptical of Glidden... but since it's been reformulated into the 'Premium' line, it offers a good thick paint with excellent coverage and color density... at about $20/gal instead of the competitor's $75/gal. Now, I'm totally willing to pay more for high quality, but if I can get very good quality cheaper, I like that, too.

I'm exceptionally pleased with the end result. No more peeling, flakey brick-red-fading-to-odd-mauve. It's a thick, velvet smooth coat of lush green. Flat, but washable. Bingo.

Irrigation

After enjoying the benefits of my vegetable garden irrigation, I decided to upgrade the entire yard. The guys at Rainmaker Irrigation were awesome… they did a fabulous job scoping out the work, running the water lines through the yard, and coming twice a year to perform system start up and shut down. The owner David had lots of knowledge about how to best run drip lines to keep my flowers and vegetables irrigated as well.

While we’re at it, I added three spigots so eliminate the need to drag hundreds of feet of hose around the yard… one by the shed, on in the greenhouse, and one in the far front corner.

How not to water

Rachio 3

I insisted on installing a smart controller. Some controllers have taken the first step… which means if I happen to be awake at 5 am when my system is watering in the rain, I can use my phone to turn it off. UM - NO. Not smart enough for me. I want my controller to know if it has rained, or is raining, or will rain, and water accordingly… enter Rachio. (Bonus: geo geeks will appreciate the soil science write up in the Help menu. Precision watering is no joke!)

Poop on the Corner

I know how much it stinks (literally) to carry around a smelly turd on a hot day. Since my neighborhood is great for walking, I have a lot of friends who pass by with their humans in tow.

I decided to add a doggie amenity station to the corner of my fence: water, trash, poop bags. I had a small seasonal faucet installed in this corner when I had the irrigation installed... partly so i can easily water in my new plantings on this side of the yard... but really... let's be honest... partly for the dogs.

• Self-filling water bowl
• Fence-mouted trash can
• Poop bag dispenser with solar lantern

Disposer and Dispenser

• Hot & Cold Water Filter
• Hot Water Heater & Dispenser
• Garbage Disposal
• Dual-Outlet Sink-top Switch

When my garbage disposal started to die, I figured it was a good time to deal with the awkwardly wired switch below the cabinet. The old disposal was hard-wired, with a switch box mounted to the vertical trim board between the two cabinet doors. Not a bad solution, but it meant that I couldn’t easily unplug the dispenser and plug in a new one. And I couldn’t simply plug in an additional appliance... say, an instant hot water dispenser.

Generator Wiring

The power doesn’t go out at my house that often, and when it does, it’s typically not for very long (one notable exception being Thanksgiving 2014.) With propane-powered stoves for both cooking and heating, I’m perfectly capable of keeping myself fed and warm(ish). The one mild pain in the butt is the on-demand hot water. It’s propane-powered, but requires electricity to start up. And with no reservoir tank to hold heated water, my water is icy cold as soon as the power goes out. It’s also going to be nice to keep my groceries from spoiling.

This kind of stuff really does require a professional. Now that this is done, I need to shop for a portable generator.

The power inlet that feeds juice from the generator into the circuit breaker.

The interlock that prevents the electricity from flowing into the circuit breaker if the master breaker is on.

Tick Tubes

I enjoyed 7 years of tick-free frolicking while living in Seattle with dogs. This is one drawback of moving to New England, where ticks and anaplasmosis and lyme disease are real threats. The first summer I lived in New Hampshire, I would find 10-15 ticks on each dog every time we walked in the woods.

C'mon science... let's kill these little assholes.

It's simple: baby ticks feed on little critters, like mice. If you provide mice nesting materials treated with tick poison, ticks die before they can grow up and feast on big critters like me & my dogs.

Since I put out lots of them, I assembled my own rather than purchasing them online. It's neither complicated, nor expensive. Do this in April and July, to coincide with the nesting and mating patterns of mice.

1. Collect the supplies:
   1. Save up your toilet paper tubes.
   2. Big fluffy cotton balls.
   3. I paid $22 for a 32 oz bottle of 36.8% Permethrin SFR solution from Amazon.
   4. Trash bag/drop cloth, or some container in which to spray
2. Dilute the permethrin in a household spray bottle. The concentration of permethrin in tick tubes is 7.4%, so my dilution is about one part permethrin to 4 parts water.
3. Spread the cotton balls out on a drop cloth. (Alternately, Organic Daily Post suggests using a closed container which can be shaken.) Spray cotton with the permethrin dilution and allow to dry.
4. Stuff a few cotton balls in each tube, and place every 10 or 15 feet where mice are active. I put mine at the base of trees all along the hiking trails behind my house.

You can buy 6 Thermacell tick tubes for $25.

• Sawyer makes a fabric spray (makes your clothes insect-repellant for up to 6 washes), and their website has lots of good information about use and safety of permethrin.
• Organic Daily Post includes more detailed instructions and safety information.

After a few cycles of treating the woods with tick tubes, I now find one or two ticks a month. It's not none, so I still have to stay vigilant... but it's not nearly as disturbing.

Greenhouse

Time for a greenhouse! I have been talking about getting one for years, and I even bought the 5x5 Ocean State Job Lot deal last year as a proof-of-concept. (You can see it at the top of the terraced vegetable garden.) I love it. I love that I can go in there in the middle of winter and smell dirt. I can store all my different kinds of soil and compost and peat. I have a remote weather sensor inside, so I can see that on a sunny day when the deck temperature is 30, the greenhouse is 65. Love love love it.

So, yesterday I ordered the real deal. I chose the Grandio Element 6x8 Aluminum Greenhouse. I opted for the premium package, which includes:

• Earth anchor kit - creates a foundation for the greenhouse to be installed right on the ground.
• Steel base kit - Securely mount your greenhouse with one of our all-steel base kits.
• Plant hangers
• Automatic roof vent openers (2)
• Trellising kit
• Drip irrigation watering kit
• 8-oz panel cleaning kit
• Four frame-to-base brackets

View fullsize

Here's the catalog pic... mine will be mounted on the ground.

Then I also tacked on:

• Snow Load Kit
• Moisture Control Kit - prevent insects, dirt, mold and algae from entering the channels of your twin wall polycarbonate panels.
• Shade net
• Drain downspout kit
• Slatted Potting bench (2)
• Solid Staging table

Now it's sitting in the carport... a big pile of pieces and an assembly guide thicker than your average magazine. I'm a little intimidated. 

That will be for a later post... go take a look!

Travel Map

I had tried to make a framed map with plywood, cork, molding... it came out all warped and wrinkly and terrible. So, I finally sucked it up and bought one. The one from Frontgate is magnetic, so I don't have to fill it with holes. I didn't care for the plastic magnets that came with it, so I found some nicer ones on Amazon. The catch is that they're strong enough that they pull together if the places you've visited are close together. More reason to travel far and wide, I suppose!

• Magnetic World Map with Burlwood Frame

• Gold Metal Cylinder Magnets