The weather has been hotter and drier than usual, making it quite a challenge to maintain the gardens. I’ve even thought about scaling back on my planting plans. It’s tough to keep up with hauling water from the spring to nourish the plants. If only it would rain! More on that later. Despite the dry conditions, some plants are thriving, while others are struggling or trying to flower too early. Our food forest is becoming overrun with weeds, but we’ll tackle that soon. On a positive note, we've been harvesting lettuce, radishes, and green onions, enjoying a variety of salads that I try to keep interesting.
Cat's parents are set to arrive on April 30th and will stay until Monday. We’re beyond excited! In our excitement, we realized we had a long list of tasks to complete before their arrival, so we got to work immediately. Cat tends to thrive under pressure, but Rick does not. Together, we compiled our list and enjoy checking off each completed item.
Our top priority was to get the rain catchment system operational. With rain predicted in the long-term forecast, we wanted to act quickly. Unfortunately, weather forecasts can be unreliable, but we remain hopeful. The good news is that we already had the IBC totes. However, setting them up wasn’t as simple as placing them in position; we had to rearrange them to find the best layout that wouldn’t interfere with existing systems. Next on our list was to write down the supplies needed for the eaves and skirting for the utility corner. Both tasks took longer than expected, and Cat had hoped to simply jump in the Jeep and get everything done.
The following day, we visited the metal company to order the skirting for that part of the cabin, then headed to Lowe's in Columbia. If we haven’t mentioned it before, that’s an hour away, so accuracy in our list was crucial. We used their app to compile our shopping list, assuming everything would be in stock. Unfortunately, we were missing three items. Customer service ordered them for delivery to the cabin. Meanwhile, Rick set up the cinder blocks for the totes and began installing the skirting.
Our tenants, Dan and Kathy, finally had their house delivered. There were some hiccups, but the company made things right, and they’re very happy in their new home, which is quite spacious. They’re currently waiting for their belongings to arrive from Arizona. We wish them all the best, and since they’re only a few miles away, we’ll see them often. We’re also thrilled to enjoy a real shower again, as the camper will serve as a temporary shower and storage space.
We picked up gravel at Ace Hardware and laid it out in the utility corner, which will help keep things tidy. Rick installed the overflow in the tote and connected the lines, including one with a spigot for water leading into the house. He buried the line, added a filter, and created an access hatch for easy filter changes. When the parts for the eaves arrived, Cat realized she had ordered one incorrectly. We checked Lowe's online, which stated the part was in stock, so we drove into Columbia again. After returning the incorrect parts, we discovered we had forgotten a few components, so we picked those up as well. Unfortunately, the part we needed was not in stock despite what the website indicated. We had to choose between another hour-long drive to find it or waiting several days for delivery. We opted for the road trip, determined to complete the project. The silver lining was a Waffle House was next to the store. Though they were short-staffed, the wait was worth it; neither of us had been to one in years. Our day turned into a long six-hour outing.
The ladies were ready for the remaining stacks of wood, so we took the time to help them load and unload. It turned out to be a win-win; they received free wood, and we cleared out a mess. That area, soon to be home to bleeding hearts, has never looked better. We both have fond memories of them—Cat's mom had a beautiful patch at our childhood home, and her sister has a lovely bed of them at hers. While Cat cleaned up that space, Rick used the weed whip to tidy up the surrounding areas. The place looks so much nicer now.
Cat dedicated two days to deep cleaning the cabin. Our next major project will be installing cabinets after her parents leave, so she needed to clear some space in the camper. Everything was scrubbed from top to bottom, a task that hadn’t tackled since we built the cabin. Meanwhile, Rick constructed a shelf and roof for the diesel heater and a cover for the generator, doing an impressive job with mostly scrap materials. He only needed to buy a few screws.
The remainder of the list consisted of smaller tasks that had been set aside. We tackled most of them efficiently. Cat needed to plan the menu for our guests' arrival, and we completed the shopping today. Tomorrow, we’ll organize the back of the conex, and the jeep will undergo some maintenance. We’re installing the soft top, detailing the interior, and putting on the new tires we scored at a fantastic deal thanks to our neighbor. On Thursday, we’ll tidy up, freshen up with showers, and eagerly await her parents' arrival.
Here’s the moment you’ve been waiting for! Our water catchment system faced a real test last night as a powerful storm swept through. In preparation, we took down the flag and covered the solar panels. The winds were fierce, and the lightning and thunder were quite unsettling for us—and especially for the cats. Thankfully, we made it through the night safe and sound.
This morning, we were eager to check how much water we had captured. To our delight, one of the tanks was overflowing! Rick hadn’t opened the equalizer line or the other tank yet, so we still have to test all the seals. We’re thrilled about the amount of water we’ve stored. We even placed buckets under the eaves of the camper, which collected additional water for our overflow container. We also emptied the last of our water jugs into that container.
Afterward, we ran errands in town, including refilling our water jugs. While doing laundry, the power went out at the laundromat during our prewash cycle. I called the owner, who promptly came over, and luckily, the power came back on. He refunded our money, and we decided to dry our laundry there since we were expecting more rain tonight.
Tonight’s storm is less intense than yesterday’s, but we still managed to collect about 60 gallons of water. We anticipate a few more rain spells overnight and hope it will top off all our tanks. Regardless, we’re very pleased with what we’ve gathered. Our plants are well-watered, and we won’t need to visit the spring for a while!
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