BYYB Forums

How is the homestead coming along? Grizzly Adams still snooping around? I would imagine it is hard to get much done when you are concerned about being lunch. Tell me where it is, so I can look it up on the map. What is the temp. like there now? Got any help or are you doing most of it alone?

Ruby, my old truck, decided we need to take a break. She spit the bit on me Saturday. She let me get all my chores done and the trailer back to the house, she even broke down on a good stretch of the road with a nice wide shoulder. She is off to the doc to get a rebuilt tranny.

My helper went back to college this week, so I am looking for someone new to pound nails with. Vaulting out the ceiling in the cottage I am doing now so lots of overhead heavy work, but it is coming along nicely.

Angie,

I'm hoping the bear went for a swim :roll: I'm not sure if you saw my other post with Craig, but the river did its twenty year thing and washed off her shoreline.

I was ready, having survived the last flood and built up on concrete pilings. The dang mud is keeping me from hauling materials in, so I am building a better road in. Instead of gold, I'm mining gravel :wink: Lucky for me, I have a bucket loader.

The cabin is on the Little Susitna River, out of Wasilla, Ak. If you find a map of the area look for Shrock Rd, at the end, after it crosses the river, the road changes to Sunrise Rd. Follow down river to the end of the road, that is where you'll find me.

I cheated and bought a Dewalt framing gun, beats banging nails that's for sure.

The cabin will be a two story 16x24 with a steep roof and covered deck/porch all the way around. I might put a mud room on the back deck later.

Joan named the place the Water House, I think she jinxed us, because it rained for a month. The flood water went down and the sun finally came out two days ago. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

It is almost too muddy for even the loader, my friends are starting to call me Once-a-day, because that is how often I get stuck it seems.

My son went to Valdez on a job so I won't see him for three weeks, bad timing, but what the heck.

Mike

I just spent time learning about the Little Su. That is beautiful country, I see why old Grizz was hanging out, since it is a trophy salmon area. There is a web site that takes you down the George Parks Hwy.

Checked your weather, partly cloudy chance of rain (means-- partly sun, very good chance NO rain). :wink:

Ahoy, Angie,

You do love your maps, don’t you?

The clouds rolled in again, but it hasn't dumped on us yet. And as long as it is not raining, I don’t care. :roll:

8) I got my gravel pit mucked out, today, and started my new road/dike extension project out to the new house site. Very happy about that, now even if it rains, I can keep spreading gravel.

I also moved the twin-keeler to the new boat shed location, this is up on the bluff next to my old pole barn. Hopefully, my friend Tom will be delivering two forty foot vans this coming month. I am going to set them about twelve feet apart and lay some sixteen foot galvanized steel panels across the space. Skirt them in and sling some used overhead doors in. (Complements of my son’s overhead door business.) This way I’ll have room for all my boats this winter. Plus storage for all my tools in the vans, steel shop on one side, carpentry on the other.

At least that’s the plan for now, I do have my fingers crossed.

If I’m lucky, I’ll have the road punched through to the house site by this weekend. I ran out of materials and need to get the rest of the building package in. Time is running out and I have a long ways to go.

As far as critter tracks, I have only seen moose sign in the past couple of days. But I’m not letting my guard down. The Silvers are starting to come upstream, so the beasties will be feasting.

Thinking of getting myself a pair of German shepherds, the black saddle, tri-color ones. Good watch dogs, and very protective. They seem to take to the cold well, too. Yeah I miss last one, big time bad. Poor boy, just got too old.

I will be going sailing on the first of September, I’ve promised myself a break. I’ll try to take some pictures, soonest, and post them in the Aurorawolf.com gallery. The weather has not been kind to my camera, and I didn’t dare take it out during the flood. Mr. Murphy has been hanging about, checking to see if I’m alert.

Like during the flood, I thought I would be a smart guy and put my hip waders on. You know, stay as dry as I could. Despite my caution on the way back from the house site, I tripped over a rock and went down face first. I remembered to spit out the water, despite the fact it tasted pretty good. I was mad, and laughing at my insane self, all at the same time. Next time, I’ll use a wetsuit.

Well my friends, across the continent, that’s my update. I haven’t lost interest in building or sailing boats, just trying to get setup for the next couple of decades. Just so that I will have a place to do what I like best.

That sounds fantastic Mike. I'm glad things are looking up.

I have a running joke when I am cutting over my head and saw dust is blowing in my face..... "you can eat it, but it taste like shit"... I think the same adage applies to dirt. :lol:

The end of the road is now longer, but well disguised, I managed to put an extra turn in it's path. Plus any inventory takers will have to get by the front gate at the old place.

The new cabin is being built out on a bend in the river, about twenty acers, big trees, good view and surounded on three sides by water. And the Silvers are running. :wink:

The road could use some more work, but I'll let my pit run settle for a few days. Besides time to shoot some nails. This beast does not get his jollies from heavy equipment alone.

The leaves are just turning yellow on the birch trees, so I got a few weeks, I hope. Marathon, house building, yeeha! :roll: