Things are coming into alignment, literally. I have acquired many of the needed tools and equipment I was lacking to really get going on the land grading and cabin construction.
We are now hoping to get started in mid October with actual earth moving, grading and foundation work. We still have to close up our driveway and finish our columns. As my business back east had dragged itself into monthly trips to Florida and South Carolina, I am pleased to report that at least for the somewhat distant future, I will not need to return there. All for the better as I cannot stand to travel via airline any longer. That is quite a shame too for when I traveled regularly with my job and on vacation trips with family, I enjoyed flying. But I digress.
In any case, we have roughed in our plans for accommodations at the little desert place. We had already purchased and semi-located a shipping container. We just purchased another and will locate it in the next few weeks, probably then set it permanently and move things from the first container either to be left outside or located inside the new container depending on how easily they could disappear or be weather damaged. We also plan to repair the damaged blackwater tank on our small RV trailer and also swap the axles from over the springs to under the springs to add ground clearance. We have visitors planning to swing by in mid October and after they come and go we will locate the little camper at the little desert place. BTW, we still have not reached agreement on names for our little desert place. Many possibilities, many ideas...
While the idea of shelter may seem simple to many, to me much more comes to mind. While a tent can provide shelter it is too temporary, too non-secure, too weather sensitive for us, so we will ratchet our structure up some from that basic level. We have decided to do a steel framed cabin as they have excellent protection from weather, are structurally vastly superior to stick built, basically fire resistant depending on interior framing, and much more secure from tampering and burglars.
with the coming of cooler fall weather we should progress quickly. I will make an honest effort to photograph and document what we are doing while we are doing it in the future. I realize the value of this for my own future reminiscing as well as construction methods for others interested in my choice of materials and how to.
Without lots of boring resume type details on my background, I will offer this general outline of my past experience which I believe qualifies me for this job: I learned carpentry from my father, concrete work and masonry from hobby projects aided and advised by a journeyman mason friend. Mechanics and welding from trade classes in school, one year in a machine shop welding and forty five years of projects from building and drag racing cars, auto repairs, welding, hardfacing and equipment or utility trailer construction. Now add in my career in telephony and radio frequency applications. It may be easy to see why I find most things mechanical are easier to learn and even if not mastered are learned well enough to be useful.
So now as an early retiree, I look with great pleasure at my future. It is time to put my skills to use for my wife and myself.
As always, Cheers!!
