Life with Jane

[okmunky]

Harvey,

Back in 1989 I bought 2 acres in VERY rural Oklahoma. No zoning, no inspections so I understand the flying by the seat of your pants construction. I did about 60% of the work myself with help from some construction textbooks that I bought used.

One really big cost saver was building my own septic system using 2 recycled 55 gallon plastic barrels and some 3” PVC pipe and fittings. Only the black water went thru the septic system. The gray water went to an evaporation pond down hill from the house.

It was hard work but I really enjoyed building that little house. Have fun with yours!

[Wroughtnharv]

I was talking (texting) to cuz, wife of cuz in law last night and they think we’re a little crazy taking this on at this age. But they’re dropping by in a couple of weeks. We had so much fun building the little building in Yuma that they have to see how we do a big project I guess.

I got in after nine again last night. Chances are most likely tonight will be the same. Heading home about 7 pm and having to visit a hardware store on the way is becoming routine. I’ve always been a sucker for hard work. And I’m so glad that I have the health to tackle this at my age. For most of my peers it isn’t as much of a situation where they won’t as it is they can’t. The old boy giving the mobile home wings is 79. Yesterday he was working with a grandson in his thirties ripping off the poison ivy off of the trailer. He can’t do much but he does all he can. He’s an inspiration. And it’s good to see the trailer will have a new life, it will become part of a mobile home community providing housing for farm workers just over the border in Oklahoma.


Glenda has been on me about the shoulder, need to get it fixed. Our compromise is we get it done in Yuma this winter. Of course if I do something stupid and cause the tendon to rip out of the sub whatever then everything will change. Thank gawd for pain, without it we’d tear ourselves up.

Back in 07 I made the DNA fence sample for a project for Texas A&M Dallas. It was a theme idea made possible by smart people telling me i couldn’t do it. Project didn’t happen because of the crash but I got the sample back and brought it to Casa de ItisWhatItIs as a reminder that we can do this. Something I’m sure you can relate with. DNA Fence Project | harveylacey.com

[okmunky]

So Harvey - correct me if I’ve got this wrong. You and Glenda have bought some property and you are planning to build a house on it. And it's not just a cabin in the woods, it's a lot of roof with room below it for living quarters, large workshop and housing for Jane. And you have a bad shoulder that needs surgery and a LONG recovery period. Some folks might call you insane. But I’ll just call you Harvey, smile and shake my head.

Have you considered any super energy efficient building methods? I have a friend, Bob, in Montana who lives totally off grid - by choice, not necessity. He has been designing and building on his place for 10+ years now. The exterior walls are concrete poured into styrofoam forms. He also reuses the shower and washer water for the toilets after filtering it. All his power is solar and he captures and filters rainwater rather than digging a well.

I think you and he would enjoy sharing ideas. He's also an innovator like you. I'll introduce you to Bob if you'd like.

[Wroughtnharv]

I think you’ve pretty much got it Barb.

If you’ve Googled my name the biggest thing to come up is Ubuntublox. I got involved with trying to make the world a better place after the earthquake that ravaged Haiti January 2010.

If you want a green building use Ubuntublox made with styrofoams. The house we made with SMU survived category 1 hurricane force winds and rain. It also survived a shake table test of 8.2 with only cosmetic damage. And we’ve estimated that the insulation value of the wall better than just about anything else out there. I would love to build an Ubuntublox house. But we don’t have the time nor the support required to do so. There are a bunch of videos out there on YouTube and Vimeo of Ubuntublox projects.

So we’ll build as green as we can and as energy efficient as possible with our limited funds.

As for the shoulder, it hurts so I try to work around it. One of the pleasures to be found in work if figuring out how to do it with the available tools at hand. The shoulder inspires creativity.

[okmunky]

Wow! That's an amazing idea, Harvey. Do you know where the Ubuntu-blox are being useD now?

I understand the idea of limitations encouraging innovations. I havei to find different was to complete jobs that I'm not strong enough to do alone. I also enjoy coming up with new, cost effective ways to solve problems. The latest project is a solar hot water heater for my RV using less than $100 in parts. I only wish I was 40 years younger so that I'd have more energy and time.

[Wroughtnharv]

Originally Posted by okmunky

Wow! That's an amazing idea, Harvey. Do you know where the Ubuntu-blox are being useD now?

I understand the idea of limitations encouraging innovations. I havei to find different was to complete jobs that I'm not strong enough to do alone. I also enjoy coming up with new, cost effective ways to solve problems. The latest project is a solar hot water heater for my RV using less than $100 in parts. I only wish I was 40 years younger so that I'd have more energy and time.

South Africa, Nigeria, Vietnam, South America, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Nepal, etc all have young people trying to adapt the Ubuntublox concept to be used locally. I have pulled away, soured by the profiteering of philanthropy, especially the faith based ones. I shudder to think how much money has been raised to do the ultimate green housing projects and how little money has filtered out to do the actual work.

[Wroughtnharv]

Yesterday was pretty huge at Casa de Lacey in Denison. I flipped breakers and had legitimate electricity in the little house. The water company replaced the meter and I now have water on all of the time instead of having to go up and turn on the meter. Their leak was substantial and they told me last Friday that they would pay for the water lost and not to worry about it. But i don’t like water waste, even if I don’t have to pay for it.

And I found and exposed the septic system for the little house and mobile home that is taking flying lessons. They will pump it Monday for us.

The old home is just about finished being painted outside. The interior will be done when we get our stuff out.

It’s all coming together. This week I hope to have Jane sitting up in Denison with full hookups so we can stay overnights when I don’t need to go back to Wylie.

[Lloyd in S.C.]

Looking good Harvey! Nice to have elec and runing water.

Easy on the shoulder now, got to make it last to the end of the race!

L.

[olcarguy]

Place is looking good Harv.

[veraken]

Keep thinking "Progressive improvement is better than postponed perfection".

[Wroughtnharv]

Originally Posted by veraken

Keep thinking "Progressive improvement is better than postponed perfection".

I love that quote. It’s right up there with frozen with fear of failure.

Yesterday was tough. Then I discovered a fine mist spraying from existing water line under the kitchen sink. Of course it was the line coming into the house so lost all water. I turned off the water supply and have purchased what’s required to provide temporary PEX service to the toilet and bathroom sink. And a borrowed thirty plus year old Stihl saw died. I borrowed it and one of the rules of borrowing is if it dies, you own it. Bud’s got a new Stihl.

The good news is real estate prices here are going crazy. Agent called yesterday wanting to know status of the old house being updated and vacated. She’s saying market is suggesting we list for ten grand more than we planned on last week. Last week’s price was fifteen grand more than our original price a month ago.

Glenda’s steadily getting after the boxing up. Man she’s a trooper. And she is so excited about the move. Yesterday I had to come into Plano to pick up the new saw, traffic, I had almost forgot about it. Then I got in the bumper to bumper of three lanes each way traffic coming home to Wylie, explains why the housing prices are so crazy, you either spend your money on real estate or vehicle costs on the road because of the commute.

[Wroughtnharv]

Cinco de Mayo and another trip to Casa de Lacey. Old house is Harvey’s House Texas and the new place is Casa de Lacey.

Thursday we took up two pallets of surplus rock from my son’s new house. We like rocks as you’ll see later. Hand loaded them at the old place and hand unloaded them at the new place.

Yesterday was a rain out and we took the time to take care of loose ends, they’re everywhere. And last night we loaded up the old arbor and some flagstones we picked up in Arizona twenty years ago.

[Wroughtnharv]

Back in the day, middle of 2007, when Glenda retired the first thing we did was build an arbor over the deck. Then spring of 2016 we lost the arbor along with the roof in the hail storms. We were going to put it back up for the sale and then decided we would put it up at the new place. So we’re taking it with us.

As you can see we like rocks. Check out the load on Lucille and the one of a kind mailbox that will stay with the house.

[ronjhall]

Originally Posted by Wroughtnharv

Back in the day, middle of 2007, when Glenda retired the first thing we did was build an arbor over the deck. Then spring of 2016 we lost the arbor along with the roof in the hail storms. We were going to put it back up for the sale and then decided we would put it up at the new place. So we’re taking it with us.



As you can see we like rocks. Check out the load on Lucille and the one of a kind mailbox that will stay with the house.

Come up here to MI. Lots of rocks. [emoji1]