tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088Sun, 22 Sep 2024 18:34:17 +0000problemconstructionchickenseggsgarageplansAraucanascottagecoopmain housepredatorroostersbaby chicksrentalBuff OrpingtonsbuildersnowwinterICFdeathfree rangelandlordmapweatherwell2001 suburbanbroody hencolumbusdogslandrumnesting boxproperty linesBlack StarsPharoah Constructionconcretegarbagelogsmysterynew urbanist homesoakley custom homesregionsatellitesnaketrashwildlifePlymouth Barred RocksRhode Island Redsbasementbiteblue harvestbugscommutecovenantcoyotecullingdeeddeerdevelopmentdrivewayelectricityfarmhousefireplacegashomeschoolincubatorinternetlogomiceneighborsplumbingsplitspursstar warsstingtickstryontwitterwoodThe ongoing story of a modern family pursuing the dream of living on a farm in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Oh, the sacrifices, the rewards, and the learning curve!http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))Blogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-1919104859484271064Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:26:00 +00002010-01-19T14:40:58.024-05:00constructiongarbagemain housemapproperty linessatelliteGoogle Maps recently updated its satellite imagery of our property and, interestingly, the new images seem to be chronologically earlier than the previous shots. I'm wondering if Google will make time and date stamps publicly available at some point. Anyway, the nice thing is that they added another level of magnification and the ICFs (Insulated Concrete Forms) are visible piled up in what is nowhttp://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2010/01/google-maps-updated-part-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-7571456817809603909Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:49:00 +00002009-12-29T09:21:38.764-05:00chickenseggssnowweatherwinterWe usually don't get any snow until after the new year, but we got a good 4-6 inches on December 18th and Collinsville Road right in front of our house was particularly treacherous. The ice pellets and freezing rain did make for some good sledding though! We'll see if there's any more in store for us this winter.The chickens (including some new pullets) didn't care for cold feet and stuck mainly http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2009/12/snow-came-early.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-1417258720526732539Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:23:00 +00002010-01-19T14:41:26.416-05:00constructiongaragemain housemapproperty linessatelliteLooks like Google finally updated their satellite photography and our house is now "on the map." Interestingly, this is not a recent photo as indicated by the lack of circle driveway, various piles of construction material and dumpster. Anyway, now you can see the placement of the house and garage in relation to the property. Enjoy!http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2009/11/google-maps-updated.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-1921364628188421469Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:33:00 +00002009-04-30T08:42:50.942-04:00twitterHad to jump on the bandwagon and set up a Twitter account for Blue Harvest Farm. Twitter is a microblog limited to 140 characters or less per "tweet" (post), so it's not replacing this blog, just supplementing it. The nice thing about Twitter is that it allows us to post more often. You can follow us at www.twitter.com/blueharvestfarm and we'll also show the most recent posts on this page in the http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2009/04/follow-us-on-twitter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-1663504062974788437Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:49:00 +00002009-03-02T21:22:08.285-05:00snowwinterIt's interesting that some of the heaviest snow in this area seems to come late in the winter. We finally got some decent snow---about 4-5 inches of very fluffy white stuff---and had an official snow day complete with downhill sledding, snowball fights and tauntaun building.http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2009/03/in-like-lion.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-985544361636123158Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:03:00 +00002009-01-10T15:40:20.211-05:00AraucanaschickenseggsmysterytrashYesterday, All Bright Sanitation (828.894.5009) came to swap out the big yellow construction dumpsters. Despite the treacherous nature of giant machines lifting and pushing a 22-foot-long steel container filled with a ton of debris, 12 delicate eggs were found unscathed in a small nest beneath the dumpster. A little backstory: Checkers, the only hen of our three hatchlings from last July, seems http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2009/01/missing-dozen.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-6563139039494745643Mon, 15 Dec 2008 03:38:00 +00002008-12-15T13:24:34.359-05:00chickenscottagegarageinternetlandlordThis past weekend, we acclimated ourselves to the new sounds and new smells of a new structure as we moved into the garage apartment. Bathroom and foyer tile have been laid and floated but still need to be sealed. Some spots on the wall are uneven and need to be repainted. The kitchen cabinets and microwave need to be lowered a few inches. The stairs need to be sanded and stained. While there's http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/12/garage-move-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-1172482534623012496Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:04:00 +00002008-12-12T09:26:17.698-05:00commuteproblemThe commute from Columbus to Charlotte is brutal. Google Maps says 105 miles...each way. That's almost four hours of "me" time in the car five days a week, and about 54,600 miles per year. I know, ridiculous. Factor in fuel (even though prices have dropped to about $1.60 per gallon) and it's ludicrous. Can you tell how committed I am to farm and family? So, I woke up a bit later than usual this http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/12/license-and-registration-please.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-8602874420974806391Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:03:00 +00002008-12-11T16:25:25.676-05:00cottageplumbingproblemrentalwellAfter three days of no water at Rose Cottage, the landlord had the well pump replaced. Not only was the initial service man a bit slow getting out to respond, but it turns out he was not really a well specialist. The result? Water came back on, but was so terribly discolored that we didn't dare use it anyway. It began to clear up a little bit, but then the water stopped once again on the http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/12/geeeeetttt-ouuuuuutttttttt.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-550805252649890380Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:03:00 +00002008-12-08T10:11:46.377-05:00electricitygarageElectric is all hooked up at this point on the garage, but there are still some wiring issues that are causing breakers to flip when certain switches are turned on. This should be addressed prior to our move-in, which we are hoping is within a week at this point. We picked out barn-style lamps for the front of the garage with a single metal halide lamp at the top in case we ever need to be http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/12/let-there-be-light.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-1577616213464709659Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:12:00 +00002008-12-08T10:24:02.074-05:00drivewaygarageThe days of contractors getting mired in the slick red mud are finally over. The circular driveway was graded and crush and run was laid down to create a more definitive driveway. The circle has a 70-foot-diameter, the exact distance required by delivery trucks to ease with co-op or feed drop-offs. We'd like to widen it just a bit more on the side nearest the garage, and eventually we'll get http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/12/circle-drive.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-924971233278257817Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:05:00 +00002008-12-04T21:38:04.561-05:00deathdogsLast night, Sasha the chihuahua passed away from congestive heart failure. Sasha was a surprise gift from us to Danna (Dionne's mom) in 1996. I remember the look of shock on Danna's face when we first told her we had a "Mother's Day surprise" for her---she thought we were going to say we were pregnant! And like a new child, Sasha always received royal treatment; she wore sweaters in the http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/12/remembering-sasha.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-3051023268421797004Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:30:00 +00002008-12-02T14:52:21.700-05:00landlordproblemrentalwellWater covers 71% of the Earth's surface and yet it remains a precious resource, especially when you're not on the city water system. When I returned home to Rose Cottage last night, Dionne sent me right back out into the cold night to find out why we had no water pressure. We thought we heard a "running water" sound, which might have meant a broken pipe, but it turned out to be the water boiling http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/12/importance-of-water.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-6593972312582747869Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:50:00 +00002008-12-01T15:51:29.281-05:00snowwinterDionne e-mailed me this afternoon to report some flurries of snow. Can you tell we're excited for winter? That is all.http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/12/flurries.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-6637726667745804278Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:53:00 +00002008-11-28T09:48:07.325-05:00columbusgarbagemain housetrashLiving in suburbia, weekly trash pickup is a part of life. Your refuse goes from the table to the kitchen or bathroom waste receptacle. Then it gets transferred to a larger container in your garage or just outside. Then it's dragged or rolled to the curb once a week either the night before or, somewhat more grumpily, the morning of city trash pickup. Well-paid guys in coveralls drive a noisy http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/11/its-time-to-take-out-garbage.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-1213186363216991916Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:18:00 +00002008-11-26T16:38:32.292-05:00coopsnowwinterThe leaves have dropped and we had some nice color this year. The shorts and sandals are packed away and jackets and knit hats are once again hung by the door. The Farmer's Almanac (using their 200-year-old secret formula) seems to predict a wet, snowy winter. Sure enough, we've got snowfall in the nearby mountains already, but, as we live in the foothills, the weather is usually a bit milder forhttp://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/11/cold-and-getting-colder.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-8721655589736575972Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:58:00 +00002008-11-24T14:06:28.196-05:00deerlandrumwildlifeOn the way out of local Ingles grocery store, I came across an interesting "lost pet" flyer on the neighborhood cork board. While lost dogs, cats and even birds would not have surprised me, I didn't suspect a lost deer sign. The proposition of a young pet fawn (that sleeps on a bed no less) was one that left me somewhat giddy despite the obvious impracticalities. Ah...living in the country opens http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/11/lost-pet-deer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-6196284443994583975Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:40:00 +00002008-11-24T18:52:55.363-05:00chickenscoopPlymouth Barred RocksRhode Island RedsPaid a visit to Foothills Alpacas and picked up 11 Plymouth Barred Rock pullets and one Rhode Island Red this weekend to replace some of the hens we've lost over the past year.These new birds will be kept separated from the rest of the chickens until they mature a bit more. They are too young to compete with the larger chickens for food and we worry about free-ranging them at the rental cottage http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/10/replenishing-flock.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-5105838268938048659Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:53:00 +00002008-09-25T09:27:55.945-04:00constructiongarageIf you've been watching our blog, perhaps you've been eagerly watching the Construction Progress countdown in our lefthand menu. Now it reads "Countdown Complete" as we've passed September 15th. Unfortunately, due to the change in builders a while back, we've missed that deadline and are hoping to be in the garage apartment by mid-October. As of today, we still need to finish up the drywall, get http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/09/countdown-complete.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-8435239255339063976Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:25:00 +00002008-09-25T08:52:01.064-04:002001 suburbangasproblemDuring the construction of our new home, I've been commuting from Charlotte to the homesite each weekend. It's a respectable drive and one that I'm not particularly fond of. To make matters worse, the current gas crisis makes the weekly trek an expensive one. While I was born in the 1970s, I've never witnessed this absurdity in my adult life. Last night, for example, I drove around two states (I http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/09/gas-crisis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-6439607616326164725Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:00:00 +00002008-08-19T17:04:57.342-04:00main houseplansI told you Heather was fast...here's more elevations for your viewing pleasure. Click to enlarge.We are supposed to get the actual hardcopies soon and they will include little cut-outs of mini-furniture to play with. This scored bonus points with Dionne, who is the quintessential homemaker.http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/08/more-elevations.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-2285820115110746634Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:39:00 +00002008-08-19T10:47:04.230-04:00main houseplansJohn of Pharoah put us in touch with a draftsperson named Heather Barnette. Heather's work is fast and affordable, and she has been able to recreate our main house plans to include all of the changes and updates we made which varied from the original Healthy Home Plans blueprints. Above is a preview of what the north elevation (back of the house) will look like when viewed from our backyard http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/08/north-elevation-sneak-peek.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-8933974775281698031Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:13:00 +00002008-08-18T14:51:14.463-04:00constructiongaragePharoah ConstructionIt's been a long 3 weeks since we mentioned anything about the home construction, but there's certainly a lot to tell! Pharoah Construction is working out well and is well-connected to the local contractors. Here's the garage when we last saw it here on the blog:And here it is as of Friday, August 15th:Despite the ominous clouds, framing is complete and everything is moving along nicely! As you http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/08/so-what-about-that-house-you-were.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-5052108979573603457Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:49:00 +00002008-08-14T10:32:10.266-04:00constructionneighborsproblemweatherWe've been getting more rain recently. It serves to replenish underground water sources, rejuvenate flora, reduce dust and generally cool things off (Dionne read 107 degrees Fahrenheit in the Suburban's thermometer the other day!). But it also creates a serious lack of traction for construction vehicles on our home site. The ground quickly turns to a slippery red mud and we've had several victimshttp://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/08/no-traction-means-need-for-tractor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35298088.post-7931068997097681754Sun, 03 Aug 2008 22:06:00 +00002008-08-04T09:07:29.382-04:00Araucanasbaby chicksBuff OrpingtonsFrom Chicken and EggsThe kids finally settled on some names for the three new chicks. The photo above shows them dirtbathing with mother hen "Beach Bunny." The golden chick with the black stripe is a Buff Araucana mix called "Cheeto" (born second). The Araucana Black Star mix next to Cheeto is known as "Sleepy" although it's sometimes called "Little Red". The largest one (shown sitting) is a http://blueharvestchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/08/name-that-chick.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (DEAN (TK-899))0