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View Full Version : New Home Stead - North Kakolaki



vahtryn
01-06-2012, 10:45 PM
So I figure I'll start a thread now that I have some time. Not too many pictures, haven't gotten the out doors yet been working all week but here's some of the goodness so far. Mind you we moved from San Diego across country towing a pick up truck behind a jeep cherokee. We filled up both vehicles and that means no furniture or any of those "nice" things. Basically living on the very basics that we have access to as we build things up. There will be a lot of things throughout the next few months as we build and get our new place of residence more sustainable.

I have to start off with my dog, my bad:

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/9169/20120106211207677.jpg

Forgot to buy a shower curtain, guess what we did instead with the extra one?

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/6753/20120102172944262.jpg

My friend and coconspirator smoking a cuban on night number one of living here:

http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/3259/20120102173930984.jpg

Ooops, accidentally set my hand on fire with a giant USMC lighter:

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/9011/20120102195325681.jpg

The important things to build what we need:

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/9610/20120106212524677.jpg

Quick view of my room, I mentioned no furniture right?

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/9527/20120106212535617.jpg

Guess what my sleeping pad is

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/9340/20120106212547587.jpg

My trash can, cheap as hell

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/6696/20120106212609224.jpg

General storage of things like ammo, camping gear, cables and anything else that could fit into these

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/5489/20120106212616697.jpg

Laundry hamper:

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/8374/20120106212621241.jpg

guess the rifles before I build my new gun rack for the room

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/5979/20120106212554495.jpg

I'll take some out door pictures tomorrow before we start working on my truck to get it running again so there will be before and after pictures.

Sourdough
01-07-2012, 12:50 AM
Nice "Honey Bucket" Mine is blue also. Congratulations.

Sparky93
01-07-2012, 01:23 AM
Looks like a bachelor pad in the making, thanks for sharing.

vahtryn
01-07-2012, 06:04 AM
today is get my truck working day then I'm gonna try to find some pallets and make some chairs on Sunday or Monday night. I believe next weekend is breaking ground on the garden.

pete lynch
01-07-2012, 07:17 AM
North Kakolaki = N. Carolina. Correct?

vahtryn
01-07-2012, 09:23 AM
Yeah, I'm in the Triad area now. Every time i hear that I keep thinking I'm part of a chinese gang. Gotta get that out of my head. I'll be taking some pictures of the yard in a bit and will upload them. Gotta get the "pre" pictures before we start building everything.

crashdive123
01-07-2012, 10:20 AM
I probably missed it, but why the move?

vahtryn
01-07-2012, 12:34 PM
As to the move I finally got offered a full time job at stupid money in a cheap rent area. So I took it and am very happy after my first week here and with the job. Here's some out door pictures before we start the construction.

First three are the back yard, the next two are the front yard, and the final is the front view of the house.

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/3995/20120107104731647.jpg
http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/6392/20120107104747533.jpg
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/4928/2012010710475278.jpg
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/5868/20120107111336717.jpg
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/5475/20120107111340532.jpg
http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/9052/20120107112439345.jpg

crashdive123
01-07-2012, 02:03 PM
Looks like a nice area.

Sparky93
01-07-2012, 02:37 PM
Like the DTOM flag hanging in the window.

Winter
01-07-2012, 02:38 PM
Brick house is a great thing.

vahtryn
01-07-2012, 06:24 PM
Didn't have my phone on me but Daffy and I went into the little wooded area right next to the house and we found two rabbits, she didn't catch either one of them unfortunately. More importantly I found a very nice broken pine tree and it's full of fat wood. Gonna harvest some of that to put in the fire kit tomorrow probably now that it's getting dark and I don't feel like finding my damn flash light.

Rick
01-07-2012, 06:34 PM
Nice. Is the woods just someone's property or is it a park/forest of some type?

vahtryn
01-07-2012, 06:43 PM
This little parcel of "woods" is part of the lot we live on. Across the road there's a bunch of open woods that we're probably going to do some hunting and trapping on in the fall once we've scouted the entire area and have it figured out.

My friend said he found a beaver dam in the creek that runs near where we live so that means come November of next year those little critters are getting trapped and consumed, plus we'll have some pelts to do something with I'm certain.

Also found wild onions already growing in the yard today. Figure by this time next year we really won't need to buy food anymore with the plans we have to do before March so we can get planting and raising rabbits, chickens, bees and fish in my larger aquaponics system I want to build. Think I'm going to go with perch because of the cold weather here in NC so I don't need much of a heater in my tank(s?).

I do believe I'll build a green house around the aquaponics though. That way we can grow certain things throughout the year.

Rick
01-07-2012, 06:49 PM
We've seen a marked increase in electrical usage at the house along with a large purchase of hydroponic equipment. Carl, you and Jeff hit the back of the house, Sgt. Gomez and I will go in the front. Steve will take the door. Any questions?

LowKey
01-07-2012, 07:46 PM
yeah, 'grow certain things' did sound kind of funny.

Nice starting place. Good luck!

vahtryn
01-15-2012, 05:33 PM
Started "tilling" the garden area today. Two people, one hoe one shovel

http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/8067/20120115162255641.jpg

I bought some pine boards and got some pallets, I'm gonna set my room up probably tomorrow instead of today because I'm bushed from the work we did today.

Also found a place that has almost everything I need for aquaponics, blade smithing. There's a great forge there that I'm gonna pick up for charcoal instead of propane like I have for my main forge. Once I get the shop area built I'll take some pictures.

natertot
01-15-2012, 06:46 PM
yeah, 'grow certain things' did sound kind of funny.

Nice starting place. Good luck!

Not to mention, aquaponics is close to hydroponic!

Willie
01-15-2012, 06:51 PM
Good deal. Love the dog! I'm about an hour southeast of Raleigh.

Willie

vahtryn
01-15-2012, 07:27 PM
there will be a sign on the road with us selling what we can't consume. So people will more than likely be buying all the excess we create which is a good thing. Fresh food is always better ;)

crashdive123
01-15-2012, 07:29 PM
You should think about canning and dehydrating. This way you can enjoy the bounty of your garden year round.

vahtryn
01-15-2012, 07:39 PM
That will also be happening. We dehydrate what ever we don't eat already. Forgot the damn pressure cooker in California so gotta get another one of those :(

Wildthang
01-23-2012, 10:02 AM
Vahtran, in an earlier post you mentioned trapping beavers. Before you do that, look at the habitat they are creating for other creatures. I would not go into those woods and just start trapping everyting that moves, because soon those animals will not be there when you really need them. If you wipe out a family of beavers, it is doubtful that anymore will move in, then the dams wil rot and let the water out of the lake they have created, and an important part of the system that keeps those critters there will be gone.
Trap the critters that are plentiful and help balance nature, not harm it!
Just some friendly advice!

vahtryn
01-28-2012, 05:51 PM
here's an update on what we've been doing. Today was a long day.


http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/3128/20120128120710440.jpg
http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/6797/20120128120717709.jpg
http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/4071/20120128120751630.jpg
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/6065/20120128135811960.jpg

Now let's take a look on the other side of the road and see what we gets.

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/9376/20120128141002644.jpg
http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/4663/20120128141210398.jpg
http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/3362/20120128141220116.jpg

and transplanted!

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/4151/20120128142954293.jpg
http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/566/20120128143000469.jpg

vahtryn
02-02-2012, 03:16 PM
Some more work has started with the garden. This time it's the beginning of a fence. Gotta keep the dog out of the plants, and protect them from wind so they won't expend as much water as needed. Oh and eventually I can cover these things with dirt and grow other plants.


http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/364/20120202124605109.jpg
http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/6031/20120202124609854.jpg
http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/5070/20120202124613318.jpg

crashdive123
02-02-2012, 04:07 PM
Coming right along.

vahtryn
02-25-2012, 01:53 PM
The garden is coming along. Will get better pictures once it's drained out (stupid clay) and the fence is completed. Just have one more side to do and that's completed.

This weekend we built a chicken coop. About to head to the feed store to order some chickens then off to the mom and pop hardware store to get a feeder and watering device for those evil birds ;)

Here's the coop, maybe not the best built in the world but it will handle 6 to 8 chickens with no problems:

The tools and materials:

http://hatred.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-24_11-58-51_469-1024x576.jpg
http://hatred.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-24_11-58-54_898-1024x576.jpg
http://hatred.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-24_11-58-57_943-1024x576.jpg

Where we stopped yesterday:

http://hatred.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-24_17-14-48_374-1024x576.jpg

Finished today:

http://hatred.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-25_12-14-51_905-1024x576.jpg
http://hatred.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-25_12-14-59_658-1024x576.jpg
http://hatred.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-25_12-15-09_654-576x1024.jpg
http://hatred.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-25_12-15-18_379-1024x576.jpg

crashdive123
02-25-2012, 01:59 PM
North Carolina + untreated pine lumber on the ground = termites. Just sayin.

Willie
02-25-2012, 02:46 PM
Yeah, you might get a season out of it but it won't last much longer. Might want to change it out for treated.

vahtryn
02-25-2012, 04:08 PM
I'll get a good two, maybe three years out of that 100 dollar coop. I'm fine with that. If I save enough I'll be gone from here in 3 to 5 years.

natertot
02-25-2012, 04:33 PM
I would also put a fair amount of rock around the outside. Coons will dig under the coop to cause bad damage to the Chix.

vahtryn
02-25-2012, 05:31 PM
Not terribly worried about raccoons. Dog tends to take care of that problem. I'm more worried about squirrels in my garden than anything else at this point.

If raccoons or possums become an issue the conibears come out and take care of the vermin while I sleep ;)