Cozy Through The Storms

Just checking in real quick!

We've been keeping pretty busy just keeping a path cleared to the tiny house! We made it through the first storm no problem, and I sit here nice and cozy as we ride out the second. I think all the snow around the base of the Pod is helping keeping us a bit warmer too. 

We are certainly loving our deck from a whole new perspective! I can't imagine thrashing around in snow up to my hips and then walking directly inside! I'd take a pile of snow right in with me! I think one piece I do miss about larger homes is the entry way or mud room. You don't realize how useful they can be until the first mud season or good Nor'easter. But we make do! We hand our snow dripping clothes in the bathroom and place a towel on the ground. 

Not much else has been going on here! Dan is in full swing with work and school, and I'm trying to adjust to having so many free nights. I am determined to get back to guitar and painting on a regular interval, so I'm making the most of it. Who knows- I may even start a quilt for our bed. I have decided on a pattern- simple, but still pretty and bright.

We were eager to see if the power would go out in either storm, but alas, it did not. I don't know why we are so tickled by it, but we are just so happy about being totally solar power based. I've also started noticing solar panels left and right, in all sorts of uses. HOORAY!


In other news- we are giving Wendy "free range" times and working towards letting her be a free range bun all day long. We are also very excited to meet tentative bonding partners for Wendy this Saturday! We've read a lot about the benefits of rabbits being in pairs, and they are less likely to get bored and be naughty. I've really learned a lot about rabbits and gained a much deeper appreciation and respect for the little fluffy creatures. :) We are going to visit a great little specialty shelter dedicated just to rabbits. It's called Sweet Binks and they are great people. I was astounded by how many rabbits are dropped off at a shelter or just abandoned each year. The biggest culprit is Easter. So many parents buy their children a cute little baby bunny with no regard for the 10 year commitment a rabbit can be. I read about an Easter present bunny that a couple girls "set free" in the heat of July. The poor guy was found collapsed in the beating sun, and nearly died of dehydration and heat.


I'll be the first to say I love dogs above all other types of pets. No question. They have qualities and a level of connection that no other animal can match, but Wendy has opened my eyes to respecting, loving and connecting with any little fuzzy creature. What's the point here? I didn't have one really, when I started, but I guess it would be: If you are thinking of getting a little chick or bunny for your kid for Easter, remember that's a life you are taking responsibility of! Make sure your child is ready for that level of responsibility or just get them some candy*!
 (*In this instance I condone candy.)

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Where does she immediately go? To investigate the blockade for weaknesses.

More Square Footage...Sort Of

The wood with a pinkish hue is reclaimed.

Last weekend we started putting together our deck!



I had almost started to accept that we would be headed into another winter without some kind of deck. To exit a house directly onto steps can be quite precarious at times, and leaves no landing space to knock off boots or set down bags when opening the door. Needless to say, I was bummed when the snow started to cover up our lumber pile and harden up the ground. 

I doubted nice weather would land on a weekend for some time. I'm glad to be wrong! And I'm glad to have a husband that has somehow cultivated a stubbornly motivated streak. We had other plans for the weekend, which included a good time with some family and friends, but that was all thrown off by our heater going on the fritz.

Saturday evening, the heater started acting funky and then just wouldn't do anything beyond hold a pilot flame. The first half of Sunday was then handed over to learning about thermocouples and other possible reasons for failure. We were both kind of annoyed at the sudden change of plans and new challenge. We just finally got the thing installed a few weeks ago! 

After a few hours of fiddling and research and a trip to the big box store for a piece that didn't fit, we figured it out. Our thermocouple had slipped down slightly from its original position in the stove and was no longer being hit by the pilot flame. Without the pilot flame to heat up the end of the thermocouple- the mechanism that opens gas to the additional burners in the stove does not function. 

We put the original back in place and made certain it gets hit by the pilot flame. We were peeved about missing the outing, but glad to have the heater working again and learning a little more about our stove. Good thing it was a fairly warm couple of days too!

After the heater was all set, Dan figured we might as well work on the deck. It wasn't too cold out and the snow was beginning to melt. We had started to get framing done on Saturday and then hoped to get a good amount done when the weather was nice again. 

Saturday, we were able to put together the framing and begin digging out the areas for the post blocks. It was definitely a weekend of crabby patty moments. We started to get frustrated when we couldn't agree on how to approach setting up the blocks for the deck. It is quite tricky when you have a sloping piece of ground and no larger tools to help you stay even and square to the house. We would get one block level and in place only to find that other blocks needed to be moved to account for what we just changed. 

Finally, we found an approach that seemed to work best. We laid the actual framing over the tops of the blocks to know where each should go. We decided we would cut the four legs to equal length and then dig down to make sure the deck remained level. We chose to start with the two legs at the front of the deck and then base the rest off of those. Once we had half of the deck framing in place, I held the second half of framing on the lip that connects the two halves, while Dan went around with the level telling me to lift and lower as needed. Once I was holding the deck at a level position, he measured how long the last two legs would need to be. 

With the way the ground slants, we would have had to dig down a couple feet to put the blocks in and then add legs. This was smarter, easier, and quicker. As we started to put the boards across the top of the framing, my excitement rose. It had been a challenging weekend, but the fruit of our labors was coming around. Seeing a nice level, CLEAN, surface begin to grow in front of our door gave us the energy needed to push on and work well into the dark. We didn't have quite enough wood to do the whole deck. We ended up using some pieces of wood to create additional support. We mixed new and re-claimed wood in a pattern as we went. Dan and I like the idea of that wood so much that we are thinking of going back to the pile and seeing if anything else could be salvaged--we also like not having to pay for that wood! 

Monday morning, when I walked out the door for work, I couldn't help but give a little whoop of joy. It may be a small thing, but I rejoiced in the fact that I wasn't immediately stumbling down steps while still trying to close the door behind me. Half the time, I would end up closing my bag or coat in the door, or even dropping something as I bumble out into the world. Somehow, our place feels bigger too. Maybe it's the fact that I have a space to leave some muddy boots for a few minutes or set out a bin of recyclables before we take it to the main barrel. I can even put my groceries down and open the door with ease! And I cannot wait for the first time we sit out on our deck and share a drink or a meal as we look out over the beautiful farm. :)

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