Saturday, October 29, 2011

Container Clairol Color #4

The two storage containers we installed alongside the workshop for storage got a makeover today. We acquired on container for free from an insulation company in Redwood City and the other container Kyle had in Sonora. They were white and blue prior to this makeover.


Now they are a lovely green that matches the base of the workshop. Next step is to build a roof over them to drain the water away from them and keep the sun off of them. I am also pushing for new doors as container doors are cumbersome and difficult to open and close, that might be wishful thinking though.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Shake, Rattle and Roll

11:30pm PST the shaking started and I just thought it was Denali scratching. Well, low and behold we had an earthquake. Check it out here on USGS. The open star is where the epicenter was and the red filled in star is where we live.

This was my official first earthquake so it was cool that it was at our farm. Well, that was the excitement for tonight and Denali and Ziggy slept all the way through it. Wolf was behaving strangely, makes me wonder if he knew something was coming, not sure if they have that capability.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Goodbye Princess Puzzle


On Saturday we lost Princess Puzzle. She was 14yo and the vet thinks she had a stroke. Puzzle has been the matriarch of our puppy family for many years now. Her adoration of my mom was second to none. She was the loveliest of ladies but yet as tough as they come and known for taking a few kitties out in her time. 


Puzzle was rescued by my mom at the Fair Hill International 3-D event in 1998 right by a driving hazard named "The Puzzle". She wasn't with my mom 10 minutes when she got caught up in her leash and broke her leg (the thought was it was a previous break, unhealed). So Bagel and I's first introduction to Puzzle was her flailing around with a cast on her leg for a few weeks.


She was a great traveler and it wasn't long before she moved with my mom and Bagel down to Virginia. Throughout her life there were multiple trips to Arizona and California among other states she had listed on her passport.


She was the softest puppy and you could tickle her ears for hours. Obviously a very tolerant one (as seen in the shot above), she was very patient with "the boys" and when Wolf joined the family they became thick friends.


A few weeks ago Puzzle flew out to California to retire in the sunshine with no stairs to deal with and a nicer climate. She adapted well, bonded with Wolf again and enjoyed snoozing in the front of the house in the sun, barking at the deer that weren't there and coming for cuddles every 15 minutes.


Puzzle is buried at the house in California overlooking the property. She is sorely missed but we had the best life with her. She was a pure pleasure. So incredibly loved.

Payback on Eco Home Upgrades

A great graphic from the website One Block Off the Grid
As we know, increased insulation and leak proofing are your biggest and easiest bang for your buck. Especially for homes built by building companies and/or older homes. They don't go the extra mile on insulation and sealing leaks so its worth a close examination to increase your house's efficiency.

Home Solar Power Discounts - One Block Off the Grid