Crisp fall weekend.

Saturday was kind of a lazy day.  It was another nice crisp fall day.  I did most of my chores in the morning while it was warming up, and I went out for a bike ride in the afternoon when it warmed up a bit.  It was a bit breezy, but the rail trail is fairly well protected from wind.  I didn't take any pictures (I left my phone in the truck), but it is the same one I used to ride.

I was kind of tired when I got back (I am not in as good a shape as I had hoped), but I did some other minor odds and ends.  The new cupholders for the truck came in while I was hanging my laundry in the morning, so I got that installed.  I kind of wish the holders themselves were a bit taller, a tall bottle will flop over, but they are better than nothing.  

This is how it latches into the center seat.

I also went and took a poke around the shed.  The main piling I was concerned about was this one, and it hasn't been undermined or anything, so the shed should be good for the winter.  I checked the other ones to be sure, but the rest are actual concrete pilings, this is the only one that is still blocks on dirt.

 

While I was up there I noticed that apparently this is still water tight.  This was the thing I had made for a plow to hook on the wheeler all those years ago. I generally use it as a cover to keep the rain off of stuff.  It was covering the jack that I used to jack up the floor joists in the shed, but when I took the jack back down to change tires on the Tundra right before I got rid of it, I just flipped it over and out of the way.

Sunday I went back to yard work.  It took me most of the morning, but I got all the carpets and tarps dug out.  

Or at least most of them.  The rest are deep enough that I am just going to bury them.

I got that area smoothed out and since I had my old missing chunk machete down there (I was using it to hack up the tarp), I also went through and chopped down the knotweed stalks in the next area as well.  I stopped shortly after stepping in an ant nest, whereupon I spent the next ten minutes killing ants on my legs and I left my shoes outside.

Right at the end of my finger there is a rock that was too large to move with the shovel.  I might still need to build that up a bit more around that, but otherwise it is good.  

I stopped when it started drizzling on me.  Still no word from the town or the zoning board.  At this point I don't think it will be the October meeting, I am guessing I will get the November meeting.  The shed pilings are done for the year.  I intended to start the slab and carport on Sunday, but got lazy and didn't.  Most of the stuff on the slab though goes in the carport, so I have to do that first.

Before winter:

• Deal with town and get the variance.
• Finish distributing pile of dirt.
• Determine method of clearing snow. 
• Driveway winter prep.
• Clean off the slab.  
• Clean out the carport.  Decide what to do with the power center.
  
• Mulch the leaves.
• Ensure the shed will make it through the winter.  Shed pilings
• Knock down the dead knotweed. 
• Winterize equipment.  
• Run mowers out of gas, put diesel treatment in the tractor, change oil in snowblower, rearrange the carport, put weight in the back of the truck, prep heat pump (clean filter), disconnect hose.  Fire up generator.  Take down bug zapper.
  
• Also note that my tractor is due for its first servicing.
  
• Install the driveway markers.

Winter projects: 

• Get the building permit.
• Complete detailed house plans.
• Work with La Valley to get a concrete contractor.  Get the plan/schedule in place. 
  
• Design future method of travel.  Consider building the prototype.
  
• Shed floor.
• Shed windows.
• Fix generator box.  Decide/do something about power center.
  
• Clear/mark walking trails.