Clattering into the New Year

As we come into the new year I am not one to make a hundred resolutions or even finish projects before the new year.  If anything I get less done at the end of the year with the holiday season than I usually do.  With that being said I have put off blogging just a little with the holidays and work being so busy so you are in for a long read and a bunch of pictures. 
     To start off on a year ending beat I did get the furnace and oil tank completely hooked up in the shop. 

I got the nice stand for the oil barrel from work and the barrel I got from my brother.  Since I am mainly burning oil I get from work I cut a hole in the top of my barrel and using a five gallon bucket made a screen of sorts to keep the larger debris out of my oil barrel.  I did install an in line filter on the furnace but the cleaner the oil the better. 

On Christmas weekend it warmed up and rained so we subsequently had a flood in our lower field.  The rain alone did not cause the flood but the stream was iced over and the excess water caused the ice to break up and jam.  This water is over 200 yards further into the field than it normally is. 

 The ice was so big Cricket, Emily and I were able To have a photo shoot standing on one of the "icebergs" that had come inland before the water went back down.

 

The ice that was jammed was about eight inches thick and there were some huge pieces left behind.  There were a few at almost 100 yards ashore that measured at least six foot by six foot. It was strange to see our usual slow moving shallow stream raised up around seven feet and moving chunks of ice downstream at record speed. 
             Another project that I have started in this year that I definitely plan on carrying into the new year is not so much a project but an interesting change of scenery.  This past Sunday I got to haul logs again.  I am driving for Hillside Excavating On the Paper mill property.

For now we are just hauling softwood from one of the mill's wood yards on the property down to where they feed the wood into the mill.  It is by no means a long haul but it is fun and a change of pace.  For this post I am going to call it good and have another one ready for your viewing tomorrow. Here at Rusty Gold Farm we wish you all an amazing new year!!!

Christmas Time is Here

With Thanksgiving gone by Allyssia decided we had to have a Christmas tree and all of the decorations.  Now we did not get a perfectly manicured tree from a tree farm but we did get a big tree.  Being one of the last trees off from the Oullette tree farm and topping out at eight feet tall I give you this years Christmas tree. 

Luckily we have Cathedral ceilings!  My favorite part of Christmas decorating is the Christmas village.  Last year was only our second Christmas so we didn't have many houses or village items.  Well over the summer and when the villages are on clearance we bought quite a few pieces.  What we found out when we took it all out is that we needed more room to put all of the village.  Allyssia found the idea of using an old ladder with boards across the rungs for the village but alas I couldn't find one that would work.  So with some of my hidden 2x4's and pine boards I built a Christmas ladder. 

Allyssia is already planning on expansion so next year I will have to build another one to fit all of our villages on!  Until next time stay tuned and check back often. 

Introducing (sir) Galloway

As I slowly continue working in my shop I have come to the realization that I have not introduced you to the newest "member" of Rusty Gold Farm.  As usual this new member showed up needing work and not running and so far we haven't come very far.  Rolling in at a whopping 5 horse power I am glad to show you the Galloway engine!

The Galloway needs some care and fixing up but on the bright side it has an original Webster Magneto and a reproduction brass carburetor.  Now the carburetor was something that was custom made that Grampa bought for the engine.  The Galloway is complete and there will be updates soon as I make progress as well as more progress on the Oliver soon and a whole slew of new projects.  Until next time stay tuned and leave me a comment. 

Closing in the Front Porch

Home ownership I have found is just one long project that never ends.  On today's segment of the never ending fun I am finishing off my front porch/mud room.  The previous owner framed the porch up and had the windows framed out but, no windows.  When Allyssia and I bought the house I had high hopes of getting the porch closed up quickly and I went out and bought windows.

For the six months after the porch looked just like this, with the windows leaning against the wall inside the porch.  Since it is getting colder and I am remembering how much of a mess 2 dogs and 2 humans with barn boots make, I decided to get my rear in gear and put the windows in and finish that mud room!  Now I have never installed windows before but it was surprisingly easy as long as I had shims and followed the directions.

I am rather proud of myself because I don't think of myself as a great carpenter but I think that these windows came out really well!  Next step is putting the last board around the bottom of the wall and then on to the inside.

The next step (which took until winter) was to put the last board on the bottom of the wall and insulate the room. 

Using Roxul and lots and lots of spray foam - the mud room is finally all sealed up.  I still have to put a ceiling in the room and insulate the floor but I laid plywood on the floor for a sub floor and that sealed up all the cracks and gaps until spring.  This weekend I plan on framing the ceiling up but I am on call so I can guarantee nothing.  Stay tuned as we finish this room off, add heat, and make it into the nicest little mud room possible