Topics to add, maybe

Chat GPT vision of the cabin

Potato

crittercam

New water system 

News from the raspberry patch.

 I have been mulching every year, and this is the first year that none was needed. Thank goodness! This is a labor of love, but spreading 50 bags of mulch each year was getting old. The bed is about 45' long and 6 to 8' wide. Originally planted in 2018 with a single row of 15 plants that expanded so much through their roots that there are now 3 rows. 

This was the first year I added bird netting, and what a difference! In previous years, I would be happy with a pint or two of berries. This year's yield was 6#! I ate them, I froze them, I gave them away, I made jam! The main harvest was every three days for the first two weeks of July. 

I cooked them into jam at the end of the season, back in the city. 

Recipe:

1.5 KG raspberry, frozen

1.5 KG Sugar

70 ml Fresh Lemon Juice

Cook down to 221 F.

Place in sterile canning jars

Seal and boil jars for 15 minutes.

This took a couple of hours and made 9 jars!

An Addition

 Been planning this for years and finally have time for it. 

Spec - 10 by 12 butting off the south wall of the cabin, with a 4' deck lining up with the existing deck. The entry will be from the interior of the existing cabin. The space will have grey water plumbing with space for a kitchen area and sink, a shower and a sink, and a composting toilet room. There will be a large window looking west, 2 smaller windows looking south, and a very small window for the shower room space.

The first task was getting the lumber, which I did in April. Our local lumber yard is the best, they deliver for free with a $35 fuel charge, and I tipped the guys too.

The equipment on the truck allowed easy delivery to the end of the driveway, I then had to carry it to the cabin site.

You're looking at over 200 pieces of lumber, plus the 4 by 8 sheets and the 12' metal roof panels.

I added all 4 by 8 sheets into MJ's studio space, hopefully in order so that I can use what is on top and work my way down. This was a great workout and I am glad I did it so early in the season before it got too hot.

The remaining lumber and 12' roof panels were taken all the way to the cabin site and covered. That was a brutal workout and was very glad when I was done. Except that I really wasn't. I made one pile of lumber, which meant I moved the pile a number of times throughout the season to get it out of the way, or to reach the lumber I needed. An excellent form of exercise - I don't know if I have ever been so fit. That pile of wood was the bane of my existence so I took no pictures.  I had days of feeling my age (66).

I did get side tracked on this project with doing the garden project - that will be another post.

By June I started again, as did the heat. I removed the existing 3' wide deck and all the stuff below it. The work site looks to be in shambles with all the stuff everywhere.

It took about a week to build the 16' by 10' deck frame.

Then I added the drainage, this was more difficult than I thought it would - between the heat and no experience, it took me close to a month to complete. Of course once it was done I could do it again in half the time. 2" pvc angled down to a grey water system which will drain into the field below the firepit.

It was right after completing this that I had to go back to NYC for awhile.

Once back, the framing began in earnest.

The first step was to insulate the floor with two layers of 2" foam. I did this with a saw and filled each space.

Once that was complete, I laid on the floor. I had some complications here because of the piping, but I figured it out. A bigger complication was that I ordered the wrong thickness for the floor, and will have to add another layer next year.

I framed using 2 x 4 on center every 16", and 2 x 6 for the roof, also 16" O/C. But was it really? Once I began sheathing I noticed something was askew. Most everything is 16" O/C, but some are not. Not sure what I did wrong but clearly I am getting old and tired. I did make it work. I took one picture of the framing.

I then sheathed the walls with a mix of T-111, all pre-stained. Some T-111 is very thin - this went to the south wall which was the most difficult to access.

By now it is September, and I still had to get the roof done.

And I did, in fits and starts because I had to either be off site, or the weather wasn't agreeing.

The 3/4" OSB was ripped to 2' by 8' for easier maneuverability. The joints were staggered as is industry standard. About half the roof was covered this way and then was tar papered.  

 

Once the paper was down the metal roof pieces went up for storage.

They had earlier been moved to be inside the addition for easier access to the roof. This was a fun challenge. 12' long, 38" wide, each one weighed about 40 pounds. The weight wasn't the issue as much the struggle of fitting each between the rafter and then with hoisting and working on a slanted surface that was also 12' long. Controlling the sheets took a lot of dexterity, and I was glad I only needed 7 sheets.

Once the metal was in storage on the roof, I completed installing the OSB. Then completed laying in the tar paper and the metal roof. I'm still not comfortable on angled roofs but I did get better as the construction continued.

The front section of the roof is covered with translucent roofing sheets, leftover from the porch job. It covers the deck and the room for the toilet. 

The roof was completed by September 13, as the leaves began to change. There has been a drought here so I did not get to see how watertight anything is. I sealed up the addition as best I could - only one window had been cut out and the doorway into the cabin has not been breached.

Next year will be:

Gutters and rainwater collection

move electrical wiring indoors

Controlled water piping

Windows

Insulation

Sheet rock

Shower room framing

Cabin Entry

Toilet and shower room doors

Shower & sink installation

Kitchen counter & sink installation

Maybe in that order

If time I will raise the existing deck that joins the two additions, plus reconfigure the roofing for that space.

CritterCam update Winter 24/25

The images continue to entertain. Another year of the batteries not dying, I had 540 videos to edit. As with every year, I saw and omitted the red squirrel, grey squirrel, white tail deer, raccoon, and rabbit.

I may or may not add more details here. If you know what you are looking at, leave a comment, or not. Enjoy!

 

More from the critter cam

 The usual suspects continue to walk/run/fly by, which is why it has taken so long to post this. Here are some of the highlights.

The turkeys seem to be everywhere this year, but I can never get this close. They are something to see.

The skunk (only one I hope) keeps dropping by in late Spring and early Summer between the hours of 12 and 4 AM. The video from this year looks identical to last year so I didn't post.

The Porcupine was seen waddling around again this year, another reason to not go wandering around in the middle of the night!

And we have someone new here, and they are not welcome.  I'm not sure what drew them here, we are pretty deep in the woods. I can only imagine it is from the new human neighbor on the property nearby. Fortunately, they were only seen for a week on the critter cam. 

Groundhog. Woodchuck. Pain in the butt if they start digging.

If you weren't sure of the difference between Fox and Coyote, this might help. 

Coyote above, Fox below

In April we had a brief visit from a Bear Cub in the rain. 

As the seasons progressed I moved the critter cam to see what else it could find. Crows, Ravens? Not sure, but it's kind of cool that the critter cam can capture birds in flight.

I have seen bear scat and signs of bedding here, so am curious what I will see as the year progresses. I also have seen signs of deer, so I have to include these - the first images captured from the new location.

I hope you enjoy the videos, and if you have further information about any of these critters, let me know in the comments.

  

Crittercam update, spring 2022

 As always the squirrels, turkey, bunnies, raccoons, fox, and deer filled the photo card of the crittercam - here are some of the highlights.

Porcupine in the daytime, a possible first here!

Is this a pollen storm or a poltergeist?

Yes, I am a sucker for newborn fawns. With great difficulty, I limited it to 3.

I don't know enough about bears to tell if this is a new bear or the one who comes by each year. 

One? It may be two!

As stunning as they are, never happy to see skunks. There seems to be a population burst around here - there have been sightings everywhere.

Enjoy your summer!

Crittercam update , Winter of 2021 & 2022

 This time the batteries didn't die, so I had 400 images to thin out. I didn't include the bunnies, the raccoons, the grey squirrels, the red squirrels, the majority of the deer photos - yes, they are cute as a button but they walked by twice a day, every day.

The bobcat is back, and it looks like a kitten

Too many deer trudging through the snow

coyote

Red fox

turn up your speaker - this deer is talking! This is a first for me.

Turkey

bird of prey, but I cannot ID it - any ideas?

Pileated woodpecker

Pileated woodpecker

Some kind of weasel

Enjoy!

Deck Maintenance?

 Wait - I have to care for these decks?!

It's been ten years since I installed these (this may be the best reason to have this blog - I can check dates!) and they clearly are in need of TLC. It's dark and wet around the cabin so the decks are now slippery when wet. :)

Onc Cup of vinegar to a gallon of water, a scrub brush, and a bunch of scrubbing gets me from here...

to here...

I don't have pressurized water, but I do have three 55 gallon drums of the stuff, so I think I can do this.

Onward!

 

Covering the deck

 The cabin has been standing for 10 years, and the rains in the Northeast have only increased, so I thought I would add a roof over the deck. The deck originally had a 10 by 10 tent that would cover a section, but it was a bother to put up and take down.

This portion of the deck is 10 by 16.

The first step was to attach a 16' 2 by 10 to the cabin. According to span tables I saw, the 12' attached to the cabin would allow a 4' span to float over the deck. This is super convenient because it allows me to omit a center joist in the most high-traffic spot.

The next step was adding the stud wall - this shook and swayed like all get out but I trusted my friends who said it would become well anchored once all the pieces were in place.

The rafters slipped in nice and easy although 12' 2 by 6 is a bit weighty. Cutting birdsmouth for the rafters still doesn't come naturally to me, but I finally did figure it out by the fourth try. My friends were right - the stud wall is now well anchored.

Next up was running strapping for the roofing - I'm just doing translucent plastic roofing for now, but the framing is strong enough to hold an actual plywood and metal roof.

Next, I added the roofing material and am very happy with the outcome

How happy am I?  This happy 

Of course, once I looked around I knew something was missing

So I added more roofing. :)

1

2

3

All in all a big change - it does have a bit of a 1970's feel with all the plastic, but it sure was simple and it sure is nice walking out of the cabin and hearing the rain instead of feeling it.

Next up cleaning the decks and adding water catchment.

Springtime Critter Cam

 Doesn't disappoint!

I know there are far too many deer in the Catskills, but my heart melted at this series of video's captured. I know little of the maturation rate of deer, but this felt like we could watch a deer making its first steps to practicing running laps with its mom watching - all within a week.

Crittercam update from the winter of 2020 and 21.

The batteries died!

But not before 137 videos of deer and squirrel, and then these three

Stay well

 Not a lot to say...

Critter cam for the summer of 2020 showed flying squirrel, red squirrel, grey squirrel... bunny, fox, raccoon...  a weasel so fast I could only see its tail...a pair of birds pre-dawn so black and white, walking along the path... ruffed grouse maybe? no deer!

The first summer of COVID is coming to a close, sigh. Happy to have land where no one is.

Just got Picture This app; not sure that it's 100% right all the time, but fun little toy. After an hour or so it IDed about 100 different plants.

Cut down 4 or 5 dead ash trees, solid wood for the fire. Went to save 10' straight logs for milling, but they all began to split. 

Y'all stay well.

critter cam 2019

This page is a work in progress....

My old critter camera bit the dust, so I bought a new one. Here are some highlights from the Spring. Because it is a new camera, the date & time are correct, and I can only assume the temperature is correct too - the camera does that on its own. These are all 10 second clips.

fox or coyote? Hard for me to tell but I lean towards fox - seems too small for a coyote, although they have been seen here before. Fox have not, but I'm guessing it's because of the improved capture optics on the new camera.

We have seen far too many deer, and I only post this because it shows off the improved optics of the new camera.

THIS! Been trying to ID the new scat I have been seeing - I think I figured it out!

Seen here is an altercation between a pair of blue jays and a red squirrel. I have more of these, request if you want more.

Porcupine! A long, long time ago, when living in the Berkshires, a porcupine once gnawed  into a tractor tire in it's quest for salt. The humans were not pleased. 

The new camera is much better quality than my first one, which got fixed. I'll add model numbers at some point.

Raspberries, second season

Last years planting was mostly successful - we had berries to eat by the late summer and no animals felt the need to break down the fence. I think two plants didn't survive the transplant last year. This year there was so much weeding that I didn't even count the plants, although there are plenty of volunteers popping up outside of the row.
This June (2019) I weeded, and added an additional row of fabric and another yard of mulch to either side of the row.
You can see in the images below what I found, what it looked like with the most offending weeds gone, and then when it was done.

Raspberries!

A gift is a gift when the giver helps plant!
I received ten August Red and five Boyne raspberries from a friend, and they were good enough to help plant them too.
The land wasn't prepped last season, so this was a shovel and a prayer kind of planting.
Dug a hole, added peat moss and topsoil, laid in the plant, and covered lightly with more soil.
Then covered everything with 36" wide weed barrier*, stapled that down, and covered that with ten bags of cedar mulch.
After that, a fence. First time for me to build a large enclosure; I usually build rounds for individual trees.
It is about 6 to 8 feet wide and 45 feet long. Just used bamboo posts, 48" chicken wire, tent stakes, wire, and yellow ribbon.
Like a said, a shovel and a prayer.

Weather report: We received 5 feet of snow in March. It's now the middle of April and snow is still on the ground in places. Trees and shrubs are just beginning to bud.


*Premium 5oz Pro Garden Weed Barrier Landscape Fabric By ECOgardener – Durable & Heavy-Duty Weed Block Gardening Mat, Easy Setup & Superior Weed Control, Eco-Friendly & Convenient Design, 3ft x 100ft

seven year itch

The cabin is standing, and still in use.  The past few years have been focused on maintaining the land.

Changes? The environment - trees and bushes grow and die, I still attempt to save them from deer... life continues. The most marked change is in me; seven years older and perhaps a bit wiser - at least a bit more patient.

Weather is a thing - it's why I bought the property. Last year there was a drought - nothing too severe, but enough of one so that the grasses weeds and flowers didn't need trimming at all through the season. The result was that all the plantings I have been doing over the previous years finally had a chance to get taller than the weeds. Now I need to remember what it is I planted. :) Lilacs, maples, Christmas trees (some of which still look like shoo -in's for Charlie Browns Christmas), and some other things are finally beginning to look like what I was expecting. What hurt during the year of the drought was that I planted 90 poplars. Without irrigation, only 18 survived. I planted 60 more this year, and there has been a lot more rain so they all look very healthy.

I also "upped the game" and rented a brush hog.

I always thought they were enormous and unwieldy machines that would decimate the sacred land. Then I got older. The weed whacker was a step up from the scythe, a tool I still enjoy using, but shorter time upstate and sorer arms and shoulders lead me to seek more mechanization. I took three (sometimes four) days to weed whack the driveway, weeks to do it with the scythe, and 3.5 hours to do it with the brush hog. Love technology.

Wild things are growing and dying too. Many trees and bushes are filling in and looking robust, others are fading. It looks like I have lost all the ash trees along the driveway, probably to the Emerald Ash Borer. The only positive there is I get to practice using a chainsaw, and perhaps get some firewood. A surprise this year was the loss of the pine that greeted us when we got to the cabin. It seemed to die overnight, so I am guessing it was Pine Wilt disease. I made very short work of removing the branches with clippers, hand saw, and a ladder for the higher spots, then shifted to the chain saw for the trunk. It was only about 30' tall so not too difficult. I counted about 25 age rings.

That's all for now...

critter cam collection

Here are a bunch of pictures collected from my critter cam. The camera has worked fine, except for when the batteries died over the winter. Now using rechargeable batteries, and hoping for better results.

The images labeled 2012 are really April 2015.

And the last three are a mystery. Any ideas?