Homestead mistakes - the sequel nobody wanted

 Recently we lost power when the transformer blew across the street.  We were without power for about five hours.  Another day we went without power for about two hours due to a fierce thunderstorm.  As luck would have it both these instances occurred when I was off of work (I work from home on a semi-permanent basis) and during the day.

            As such, they proved to be not much of an issue, however it did give me time to test the generator, which has been setting out on our covered back porch awaiting this very opportunity.

            Only it would turn over, but not start.  That could be due to a variety of reasons but old gas in the carburetor would seem the most likely culprit however.  It would also be the easiest fix to the problem.    

     I would simply have to open up the carburetor drain screw, let the old gas drain then make sure to tighten the carb drain screw then let the new gas flow in and try it.   It should start right up.        

            Only we had another issue.   My neighbor was trying to be helpful and tried to start it with the pull chord.  He pulled to hard and ripped the cord right out of the machine.  The generator was not even turning over by now, as it appears to have a dead battery.  How that battery went dead is a mystery but the most likely event is someone (that being me) left the generator in the “on” position therefore draining the battery.

            I've sunk a lot of money into something that I want to use if and when needed.   So far, since moving to Western Pennsylvania we have had at least three instances where we lost power.   When we lived in Florida for just under 15 years, and during that entire time, I think we lost power for a grand total of three times!

             To say that I'm a bit frustrated over the whole thing is an understatement.  I'm not ready to give up on it yet however and am trying to take whatever positive I can from this experience.  In this case, I’m learning a new skill as simple as it may be.

            My dry creek bed project was something that I had planned to do sometime in the future, however when a friend of mine offered to do it for me on a slow week for him, it got moved to the top of the timetable.  I’ve written about this before, how the landscaping was designed to keep our basement dry but having the water flow away from it and into an artificial “creek bed.”  Over time that got filled in.  When my friend Aaron dug the ditch for us, I did not have any money put aside for the project, resulting in my dry creek bed NOT having landscape fabric as a base.  We placed the boulders in place and even created two little waterfall features, as well as determined where we would add a small bridge to cross the creek in the future.

            Sadly I had no way to calculate the amount of river rock I would need nor was it really in the budget.   So I’ve been slowly but surely been adding natural rocks and stones to the creek bed whenever I get the chance, and Aaron did dig up a lot of them for us.  However this is basically spitting in the wind as the amount of rain we have had in the last several weeks deposited a lot of loose sediment in and around our planned features as well as erode areas of the creek bed.   It’s still serving its purpose, but will require me to adjust some things.

            Due to the amount of rain we had in the last few days, we also discovered that our basement was damp.   Not wet mind you as we found no puddles but just a feeling of “dampness.”  A few minor other indicators of possible leakage were showing up on the walls of the basement as well.  Thankfully, no cracking.

Since we used the basement as our pantry, we will have to paint the walls with some sort of water blocking material.  Again, a hit to the budget that was getting stretched thin due to a variety of reasons (which I won't bore you with) however putting this project off would result in more issues down the line. 

            Buying a dehumidifier could also work, however I see that as only a short term solution, and it will only add to our carbon footprint. 

            I don’t really see this as a “mistake” on our part, but it does have to be done correctly the first time.   Miss a spot and water will get in.  This will be the last home that either Sue or I will ever own, and frankly keeping it in good shape is part of the retirement plan in the next 15 to 20 years, assuming life works out that way.  Having it done by a professional should solve the problem the first time.

            On top of everything, it appears that the electric stove is not functioning properly.  It could be as simple as a bad element.  Or it could mean the replacement of the unit altogether.  Which, if we are going to replace the stove then we may as well do the complete kitchen remodel that was planned.  Upgrading the kitchen to more efficient appliances and making the kitchen a much more workable space with additional counter and storage space as well as the addition of propane.

    I am calling that a mistake because we both knew that an upgrade to the kitchen was needed.  However at the time we decided that losing out on a more modern and updated kitchen was worth buying the home.   Now it appears that we may have to move up the timetable on that one too.

            We knew moving in that the house was older and had some issues.  We also knew that I would have to stretch out of my comfort zone for the home to be successful.  In the past year we have done very little “homesteading” and more home improvement that I expected.  It looks like we got more to go.

            One day I have no doubt that I will have the garden I want.  Maybe a few chickens too, but for now both Sue and I will concentrate on the here and now and work towards that dream of being more self sufficient.