Man, you just have to love summer!

Nine at night, it is currently 92 inside the house and 86 outside... This is the time of year that separates the men from the boys. We could start up the noisy generator and cool it off, but it wouldn't stay cool for long. The only brite side, it'll cool off enough to sleep around 11! Early mornings at work are hell!

-------------------------------------------------My insanity on display www.pioneeringaz.blogspot.com

Amazed

I'm always amazed at how much we do when we pick a day to do nothing. Today was to be a day of relaxing and regrouping. The wife and daughter are back home after a two week vacation in Vagina visiting family. The day after she came back, her mother and brother came to visit. After all that, we do have a house guest for the next few weeks, and possibly more visitors after that! Whew! Yep a day here and there to regroup would be a good thing.

So during our day of nothing, my dad came out to hang up a couple of cabinet doors he made for us, then we decided to hang up a canvas wall on the end of the boardwalk to cut the harsh afternoon sun down on the saloon, and front of the house. Then the wife wanted to hang a couple of things up on the walls of the saloon. After all that we were hot and tired and needed a rest. Inside the house is 102.4 and its 101.1 outside. So yet another project to get the water cooler and generator up and running.
Now its a quarter to five we just sat down, working out what's for dinner. So glad we had a relaxing do nothing day....

-------------------------------------------------My insanity on display www.pioneeringaz.blogspot.com

Summer, summer, summer time....

We knew after such a long winter, cold spring, that when summer hit, it would hit hard! We also knew that with the increase of wildlife we've seen out here in the past 6 months, would also mean more snakes, and yes we've already seen more in the past three weeks than the past two years combined! In fact, I had to dispatch a 30" Mohave Green Rattler this evening, as he was cruising toward the safety of under our saloon. Tried as he did, he wasn't faster than than a 12 gauge shot! I would've posted a picture, but there wasn't enough left! Did I mention I hate snakes!

On the lighter side, the temps have been holding steady in the triple digit range. We haven't had a chance to get the evaporative cooler up and running yet. I wanted to change out the main drive motor and the pump with smaller units. That way we could run it with a smaller generator and maybe save a few dollars on gas. Not to mention less noise! In the meantime, we've been staying in the saloon under the ceiling fan. It works much better than I thought and the inverter we have running it uses very little power. In fact tonight we ate dinner after sunset, under the fan by the light of 120v chandelier all while listening to our new 60w radio! After dinner when we checked the battery bank we were still at 12.8 volts!
So to answer the question, can a cheap solar array, and deep cell 12v batteries run a house? The answer is yes, we have lights, a 32" wide screen LCD TV, DVD player, ceiling fans, radios, not to mention using a sowing machine, small power tools, etc. The only difference is, you use things at different times, and the heavy use items, only during the day. A small mindset change which really isn't any inconvenience at all.


-------------------------------------------------My insanity on display www.pioneeringaz.blogspot.com

Beat the summer heat...

Well summer is here, and is showing us who's boss!

With the changes we've made to the ranch, we are less dependant on a generator during the fall, winter, and spring. But keeping cool during the summer months without running one to power an evaporative cooler is challenging. As long as there is a breeze, the misters do a great job of keeping the heat manageable. In the saloon, the ceiling fan combined with the misters (right outside the large window) makes it at least comfortable. We've found that keeping the window screens sprayed down with water also keeps it a few degrees cooler inside. A bit time consuming, but anything that helps.

So here we are, in triple digit temps, and we are surprisingly comfortable. And we don't have to listen to generator run!

-------------------------------------------------My insanity on display www.pioneeringaz.blogspot.com

How time flies...

Wow, I completely forgot that June 12th was the two year anniversary for us moving to the ranch!

--
I will not be tolerant. I will not be politically correct. I will not be silent. I will speak the truth. I will do all that is in my power to oppose the Marxist subversion and destruction of this Country and I will not go quietly.

What to do on a father's day weekend with no family?

Put down some wood flooring! And that's just what I did, in the saloon behind the bar, the OSB flooring was already showing its age with the water and oil splash from the sink and stove. We were trying to think of some kind of floor covering, that wouldn't cost an arm and leg, be durable for a kitchen application, and look right. Why I didn't think of laminate wood flooring I don't know, the kicker is we had some out here already and I just had enough to finish the job! A big thanks to the wife's uncle who gave us the flooring, it turned out great.

So 60 sq. feet is covered, now for the remaining 150 odd sq. feet of the room? For now bare OSB and wood chips! Hey it's a bar!

-------------------------------------------------My insanity on display www.pioneeringaz.blogspot.com

I think summer may be here...

Just got home from work, and its 100 outside, and 103 inside the house! Yep, summer is here! No problem, though sitting in the shade of the boardwalk, misters going, slight breeze, and four dogs at my feet... Cold beer and I'd be set for the night!

-------------------------------------------------My insanity on display www.pioneeringaz.blogspot.com

Redneck toaster...

Yep, best way to make toast, on the BBQ!

-------------------------------------------------My insanity on display www.pioneeringaz.blogspot.com