First Calves Arrived! - and a new shed plus water on the tiny homestead.
Good things come to those who plan, envision, and have faith. Two new calves (one below) plus shed build pictures, and first digs on our tiny acreage homestead.
Hi,
Thanks again for being here and opening this. For being part of this community.
(Note: this is probably too long for email, and so may cut off. In such case, there’s a link at it’s end to read all the verbosity online…)
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Farming News - New calves! And a shed completed in 10 days from last week’s lumber arrival. Water line installed.
Writing News - Researching success with paid newsletters.
Fiction News - The Hooman Saga completes this week. Interesting twist at its end
Expectancy Factor - A new Nightingale essay that sheds light on using imagination to improve your world.
Farming News
First calf arrived. Followed by the second two days later. (More on that later one next week.)
For now, dig out your Namerator and get it busy. The calf is a heifer (meaning young female) No white anywhere except that stripe. Her momma is known as Big Toe as she had white stripes on her hooves. (Yes, seldom visible in muddy ground.) Just reply to this email with your naming suggestions.
Tiny Home Progress
At last we have some real change in that land we bought.
I was surprised to hear they were ready to trench in our water line. Since I didn’t have a meter in that housing, it’s currently sitting there waiting for our water district to show up and connect us to their mains.
This is an early photo - it’s now been covered up, all but the splices. I provided hedge posts so he could mark the splices for later. They are also close to the existing fence, and might come in handy later as much as cows like to scratch on those fence poles.
Plans Changed
We’re mostly final with our plans - again.
I agreed to go out another four feet wide, as it helps squeezing things in. Of course, that makes costs go up. She wanted 18 feet wide, but I said that 20 feet would be more sensible (you want to work with 4x8 standards, as then a lot of the “stick-build” conventions work simpler and faster.)
That will mean doubling our original mobile frame width. But the planning works out better. I’ll give you an update on the floor plan once my wife has finished her adjustments. (But she was so elated, she brought out the plan to me as I worked on this latest shed - with a wide smile.)
Our Next Tiny Shed
I’d sent off for a kit, which had all steel angles. It was just needing 2x4 wood framing and exterior.
As luck had it, a local lumber company was clearing out their “bent and curly” wood and was selling it for below their cost - one price takes all. Delivery was free.
And the roofing was causing most of the problems, as I didn’t want to do asphalt. I was considering this through and then found out that the old, well-worn camper shell on my truck was about the size I needed. On top of that, over the 30 years I’ve had that truck, it’s never leaked in any storm. Mostly. the inches of spring rain this year confirmed it. Plus, I’ve had another shell that size up in the barn loft that is a good replacement for it - and needs to come down to start repairs on that barn roof. So I “donated” my camper shell for a shed roof and otherwise, just built up the walls with standard framing. Yes, sheds don’t need a lot, but short-cutting won’t make anything that lasts.
I most like the fact that the shell has windows on all four sides, so it’s got plenty of ambient lighting coming in.
There’s the end product. Some cleaning and painting still needed. I went ahead and paid for finished exterior sheathing that’s already primed, plus matching trim boards. The door came off a storage shed that’s been unused for years (muskrat made a home under it and there was some flooring rot.)
This was built on top of a dumping trailer, with the idea of being able to move it anywhere I wanted. I’ve got two trailers with that 6’x10’ footprint. And plans for another shed on top of the other trailer are percolating. Once I drop that first shed off that trailer, I’ll be able to use it again for other things on the farm that need hauling.
BREAKING: My foundation and excavation guy just called, as I was writing this, to tell me that he’s going to put some driveway rock down today. Should be a lot of news for this coming week.
If you’re following me on the Substack app, I’ll be sharing all week as progress happens.
Writing News
Still needing to get proofs for that pentalogy of books (my five Writerpreneur books). I keep this sentence here to remind myself.
Newsletter News
I’m digging into making a success on Substack and getting enough value that paid newsletter subscribers will become an actuality. That’s taking some study, and you’ll hear more about this as I boil it down.
I will move to four or five newsletters a week, but right now I’m deep into building it so everything makes sense.
Also published this week (ICYMI):
Writerpreneur Lessons
Your own breakthroughs are found where you look for them. This above is the last in this series, and summarizes the lessons.
Fiction Posts
The Hooman Saga - XXXII & XXXIII - Serial Fiction
XXXII DOWN THE TRAIL FROM the Chief's den came the Chief at his slow, limping pace, with a lone strange wolf at his side.
SO FAR: Justice comes to Snarl, and a surprising twist resolves the sentient/feral conflict.
Expectancy Post
MOST PEOPLE LIVE IN TWO WORLDS: There’s the real world, in which they move and work and live, the world of the nitty-gritty; and there’s the world of the imagination, where they want to live...
Thanks for being there, opening this.
Sharing is caring. You’re who I do this all for. I value your input.
Leave a comment if something strikes your fancy.
I hope your life is not too interesting to be overwhelming, but sufficiently engaging to keep you amused. (Like some of us here...)
Robert
PS. Again, you can always email me about anything.
PPS. And you can always buy me a coffee…
Bonus:
Here’s the nearly-final version of a book-in-progress the beta Expectancy Factor.
2 1/2 decades of research compiled into one massive book and a supplement.
Currently available as ebook (epub and pdf).
Audio lessons available soon.
As it’s updated, you’ll be able to download the most recent version, as well as the course lessons for no extra cost. (I have to set it at a $1 minimum so Gumroad will host the audio files. As usual, it’s pay what you want, so you can come back to contribute more at any time.)
And a bonus supplement: the Magic of Believing Field Guide (isn’t pictured - yet.)
