I am going to Clyde NC. West of Asheville, north of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. An early inheritance of 3 acres of land on a mountaintop was an offer I did not want to pass up.
You can always go back to the land.
I sent off all the paper work for a job at the NC Arboretum on tuesday. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
JG, Christopher's land is about 20 miles from where I live. Amazingly small world sometimes, huh?
"because of the light spectrum thing." Question: If we had a red sun would the sky be green? Blue sun...yellow? What about a white sun...would the sky be grey or colorless?
Here's to hoping that the Arboretum finds you irresistible as an employee, Christopher.
"I am going to Clyde NC. West of Asheville, north of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park."
Cool! We'll be neighbors. When I left Hawaii I cried and miss it to this day. More than I miss anyplace else I ever lived. North Carolina is pretty country though. Maybe we can all get together when you settle in?
"Question: If we had a red sun would the sky be green? Blue sun...yellow? What about a white sun...would the sky be grey or colorless?"
Well it is only blue to us because we are some of the few mammals which can see color and the sun may very well be red,(here comes that Enterprise thingy) but we see something else because of the way our eyes interpert light and color? All other mammals see black and white.
Reminds me of a disagreement I had with the president of the local bass master's club at their tournament meeting about wal mart and their fishing lures. I told him they came out with different colored lures of the same construction to fill more aisle space and sell more lures because fish did not care, they were color blind. It was a marketing scam and he was victim. Eventually he got the bass manual and proved me correct to his embarrassment, two weeks later he was no longer prez...oooops.
Go to howstuffworks.com/bluesky
Just tell them the one about you being made of the same stuff as the mountain and your hired...
Congrats on the new computer, Judy. My next computer might be an apple. I haven't worked on one in ages, but in the personal computers early phase, when apple gave tens of thousands to schools, I used them at school and found the programs to be quite easy.
Let us know what you think.
Hope all of you have a very blessed Easter weekend:-)
If you think it's air, and it sounds like it could be, turn on the pump, then start opening valves one at a time until nothing but a solid stream of water comes out of each one. Make sure you don't miss any, including the toilets. Set the pump to run continuously while you're doing this.
The idea is to flush the bubble out of the system so that it can't migrate back to the pump.
The next time you have to replace the pump, invest in a submersible one.
If that doesn't solve the problem, check for critters in the line.
My new wife was in the tub in our A-Frame that was connected to a spring. Gravity feed; 2.5" pipe to the house. When she added water to her bath, she was joined by a poached salamander. It could be that something is living in the pipe until someone starts banging on it near the pump. If there isn't a fine meshed screen in the spring house, you might want to consider one - just make sure there's no critter in the line when you install it.
At the moment, we have 7500 in corrugated plastic tanks, primarily for reserve stock water and fire fighting. The tanks were left-overs at the feed store and cost us less than $200 each. Saved that in fire insurance in the first year.
We'll have a static tank above the new house. I'm hoping that the County will allow us to use it for dual purpose: to charge the wet pipe fire sprinkler system and for domestic use. Don't know the size yet - that will depend on the fire department's requirements.
I think you may be thinking of a system that I described but never built in Millbrook: two 100K tanks, one above and the other below the intended house. Excess solar energy would have pumped the water from the lower one to the upper one. When power was needed, water would have flowed from the upper to the lower through a Pelton water wheel to drive a generator. The water would have been available for fire fighting at a house that would have been in the middle of the woods and well away from the road. The tanks would have been concrete and cubical. 13,000 cu ft provides 100K gallons. If each had been 12' deep, something on the order of 30' square, would have done it. That would have provided 4-5 days of back up power. With modern equipment, probably more.
Now that you've described your system more fully, it's clear my solution isn't the problem. I'd pictured as system without the pressure tank. The leak has to be on the pump side of the pressure tank. I always like to have the water source above the pump if I can.
Same thing happened to my well two weeks ago. It was the pressure switch coming out of the tank.I had to keep going out there every morning and manually reset it. Then I got the bright idea to replace the switch... When my Father's went out several years ago it was because the water table had shifted, so he just connected to city water. My solution was far less expensive and I live to far away from the city for his solution to work. Good luck.
Christopher, I hope the Arboretum has enough sense to hire you. Good luck with your move. Once you settle in, I'd love to see some photos of you new mountaintop acreage.
I am reading this well, pump and storage tank stuff and not understanding it at all. I will be on a well in the mountains and will need to figure this out.
Temporarily if needed before I drill a well I can tap into a line my parents have run to their vegetable garden. I don't think they have a storage tank. If they do it is small and well hidden.
Dan when I get to NC it may be a few months before I am fully back on line. I can borrow, maybe tap into my dad's satellite high speed internet. It is called Hughes Network.
It will be interesting to see what sort of a turn my blog might take.
Christopher, didn't you say that a stream runs through the property? We are close enough to a stream for a pumper truck to access it. We did buy a pressure tank because the well doesn't have a lot of pressure...I prefer a shower over a sprinkle;-)
Hope your water system is fixed Judy...keep us posted.
Yes there is a small stream on the property. That is what my parents used for many years until the guy across the street carved roads all over the mountain and it silted up their cistern. That's when they drilled their well.
The only part you see of their well is a 12" x 12" cement cap with the pipe coming out. I am quessing there is a pump. They use very little water. Just for two people in the house and rarely if ever irrigate. The water there is very stable so I think that is why they would not need a storage tank.
It is likely that the pump is submerged near the bottom of the well. Motors and pumps are so reliable now, that they can be put at the bottom of the well with confidence that they'll perform for many years.
Usually, water is pumped to a pressurized tank that is filled with air. (These expansion tanks have a bladder between the water and the air so that the air is not absorbed by the water.) The pump pressurizes the tank and shuts off. It won't come on again until the pressure in the tank drops (usually about 20#) so that the pump doesn't have to run continuously or switch on and off frequently. If there's no pump house over the well, that tank is probably in the house.
There is a new pump design on the market now, variable speed, that allow for use of a much smaller expansion tank. They're more expensive but have many advantages. They pump just the amount of water that's needed.
Without seeing the system, it's hard to diagnose, but there are so many possible sources of an air leak sufficient to drain the system....
The seals at the pump itself; whether there is any water stored above the pump to allow for leakage without breaking prime; corrosion of the pipe in the well above the static water line; and any leak at a fitting or in the pipe itself whether visible or in a ditch.
I've already declared for submersible pumps. Properly sized to match the well, they make a lot of sense.
If your state files well logs, you should be able to find the depth of the well, the capacity (determined by pumping tests when the well was drilled, static water level and draw down at the published flow rate. You need all those to size the pump. If you can't find them, see if you can find out who drilled the well and ask them directly. I did that in NY and found the guy who'd drilled the well almost 50 years before I talked to him - he remembered the stats and was right!
If you can't find them, I think it's worth having the pump installer do the tests - takes about two hours.
Here's one of many sites that will help with designing a system, including information on sizing and maintaining the pressure tank:
http://www.inspect-ny.com/water/watertank.htm
One device that I encourage you to install is a load sensing switch that will not allow the pump to run dry if it draws the water down too far. (This shouldn't happen if the pump is correctly sized, but could if there is any fluctuation in the well's flow rate.)
My preference is to install a pump that's just big enough to draw all but a small fraction of the well's capacity rather than to install a pump that's just big enough to satisfy your current needs. Those can change. But then, if you have so much water you don't need it all and never could, that's a different story.
I will see how their system works when I get there. Most likely there is a small pressure tank in the basement utility room. I have never stuck my nose in there and inspected.
I do know they have a Procedure for turning the house on and off when they come and go and were a bit concerned about "The Procedure" when one of my siblings was going up there before them and had to turn on the house.
Anyone else having a hard time signing in? I had to get a new Google account and when I sign in it takes me to a "create your own blog" page. And it does one of those "type the letters seen here" things. Then I have to find breadcrusts again. Bit of a hassle.
It's going to be a pain until blogger gets around to upgrading bread crusts. When I log in, I get taken to my dashboard, no matter where I was. That's so I have to look at the latest blogger "news".
If you have a google account (I have a gmail.com account), allow google to set a cookie on your machine, then signing in to Bread crusts is a matter of clicking on "Sign in using your google account." Gmail, FWIW, has one of the best mail handling routines around. They take care of the filing system and you can find mail you know exists in your account, by searching within gmail.
I'm putting together a group donation toward a Play Pump to be installed in a village in Malawi where a classmate runs one of is several clinics and social services outfits. He just got a large Gates' Foundation grant to expand to other parts of Africa, but that money cannot be used for other purposes. The pump project will enhance the operation, to say nothing of the health, of the residents.
If anyone has an inclination toward putting up a donation, however small or large, please let me know privately. I hope to be able to raise enough for one pump. At this point, all I'd like is a tentative commitment so I have some leverage with Play Pump. They have already said they would only reject the offer if they cannot find a suitable water source - the aquifer cannot be more than 300' below the surface. The price does not include drilling the well, but they either develop an existing source (seal it and deepen it if needed) or have a local driller donate the job. The have already announced they will be installing pumps in Malawi this year.
If anyone would like to join this worthy project, let me know, either here, or privately at ryarnell@iwon.com. No money now, please, unless you put my name on it. ;) If you know of others, I'm not shy about where I ask.
Richard, I will donate $50. to the cause. Wish it could be more since it is such a worthy endeavour. Let me know when/who to send the check.
I would highly recommend approaching your local elementary school (s) for the donations necessary. You could show a video and do presentation for each grade (the teachers would LOVE the break, esp. this time of the year)and do a follow up showing the recipient community next year. Talk to the principals, and as this is such a noble and worthy cause I believe that it might be possible.
It appears that Bread Crusts was switched to the new blogger format in the middle of the night. I have wandered through the new controls, checked and saved all the settings and everything seems fine.
Did any of you notice a thing?
I also sent Cheryl another invite to get back on as an administrator. I hope that works to give her access.
Marilynn's name has also returned to the top slot of the administrator panel.
I have about another four weeks before I disconnect my computer and box it up for shipping to NC. I may pop in on borrowed computers after June 1st and should be able to access the controls if there is a problem.
Well, I think I have finally conquered the sign in parameters>>> can"t say that i am happy with being forced to get a gmail account>>> seems like the BIG guys find ways to make you comply in doing jusst the simplest things>> this is the way they take over the world>>>> and i am not sure how to fight back>>>
Cute Cheryl...that works for many holding office right now.
I have 2 backhoes, and a trackhoe moving large rocks and pushing dirt all around the house. We're working from dawn to dusk...I'll read the rest of the blog and catch up soon.
Let's guess how many times deb will think about the pyramids and coral castle while they move them rocks with heavy equipment... I say 7 times and she starts one conversation with heavy equipment operators trying to get their insight on how they were built...
That 42 thing is very very interesting to me...thanx Cheryl.
Hi everyone, I just wanted to let you all know I've still been reading up on all the candidates (and checking out their new YouTube videos as they come out). So far, I'm hoping that either Mike Gravel or Dennis Kucinich wins the nomination (and chooses the other as a running mate). I've come to know that the term "moderate" attached to a politician actually means "will maintain the status quo".
I feel so strongly about giving control of our government back to the masses (taking control AWAY from large corporations), that I would even choose Ron Paul over Hillary Clinton. However, I would still choose ANY of the Democratic candidates over any of the OTHER Republicans running right now.
I've always liked Kucinich and Gravel's blunt honesty is refreshing in a politician. I don't think that either of them expect to win the nomination, but I hope they can stay in the race till the end because the others need to hear what they have to say.
It is up to us to spread the messages from Congressmen like Kucinich and Gravel...sigh...I KNOW that y'all don't want to hear my "the media sucks" spiel.
I KNOW that y'all don't want to hear my "the media sucks" spiel.
I do...
cough,choke,gasp... The smoke from the south Ga. and fla. fires is horrible today. And we want to run this stuff in our gas tanks? This smog moved in pretty thick yesterday and the local media did not report on the source and remedies for hours... We need some rain.
Hope you recieve rain soon JG. My media complaints have to do with corporations and the current US administration owning our media and carefully selecting what information people hear/see, including stating lies so many times that people take them as "fact".
The Fairness Doctrine would help with critical issues such as the fiscal 2008 intelligence authorization bill. I haven't turned on a TV in weeks, but I'm guessing that if anything is being said about this bill it is reported in a way that is biased against what benefits citizens and the environment and for the lame excuses that support the current status quo.
"Scrupulous transparency between the intelligence community and this committee is an absolute necessity on matters related to covert actions," the report said.
Republicans, accusing Democrats of caring more about "bugs and bunnies" than hunting for al Qaeda, yesterday failed to strip a global warming study from an intelligence policy bill as lawmakers tacked a similar climate change provision onto a separate defense bill.
Last night Frontline had a show about the government spying programs, including the telephone companies cooperation, the Los Vegas data mining, and TSA. I knew parts of this already, but it was very sobering to see it all presented together.
I consider the fact that Frontline produced such a show to be a serious improvement in media. As sobering as the facts are at least people are actually hearing about what is going on.
Wanted to share that American Express is having a contest for ideas. They will give up to 5 million for the project that they choose.
Hi Debbie. I'm glad you found a way to promote your wonderful idea. I was going to add a favorable comment but the site requires that you register first, and you must have an AmEx card to do that. In any event, thanks for bringing the site to our attention and good luck with your entry.
thanx. Does anyone remember that show Simon Cowell produced where people could take their inventions and perhaps win help in it's development? What was the name of it and is it still in production? I have an invention I believe could be a winner...
I think the Prius is the best engineered car I've owned. Its fit and finish is amazing.
Mileage on long trips (Seattle twice) has been better than expected (about 57) while around town hasn't lived up to the hype. But that may be because I have to climb 600 feet everytime I go into town.
I suspect that the solar addition will void the Toyota warranty just as the larger battery pack and plug in charger offered in California does. That's a lot to give up.
I'd hoped to wait until Toyota offered the Plug in Prius. I'll probably replace this one once they've gotten the bugs out of the plug and play version. That way, when I plug in, I will, in fact, be using solar juice from the 6-7 KW I expect to install.
Speaking of which: we're officially started on the house. I bought an 8x8x40 container (one trip from China) in which we'll move our stuff while the house is built then turn it over to hay - way cheaper than a new barn. Picked up a nice sink for the "Craft workshop" (can't call it a studio and can't put a stove in it, even though we need one for processing wool, honey, and dyed materials! "You could live in it!" But that's why we're building a new and bigger and real house.
The (usually design and build) GC has reduced our design to preliminary floor plans corrected for common dimensions and will meet with us Monday to make sure they've interpreted our work correctly. Perc test hole gets dug Monday too.
Although the whole project, well, new perimeter fence around 20 acres, the surveys, privacy walls, the studio, and its deck, will be more than anticipated, it appears the house will come in right around our original estimate (knock knock.)
LOL Cheryl. I used to think that I just wouldn't be able to stand it when my kids grew up and left home. Teenagers can totally cure a parent of those thoughts.
Congrats Richard. Hope your timeline for building works out better than mine. I totally didn't do enough homework before starting a log house...or enough thinking about it being all wood with no way to cover any flaws with paint and putty. Since Jan. I have mostly taken over the task of doing the house DYI style. I am still at it.
On the plus side I am about as strong and fit as I ever have been, am learning tons, and every day I get to stretch my mental capacity as to coming up the best possible solution. On the negative I have only taken 4 days off since Jan 1 and typically work 10 or more hours a day. And my project is not coming in anywhere close to what I originally budgeted:( But, hey, it really is an awesome house:-)
Christopher finally made it to NC. He called yesterday and will be coming over to see my house. He has only been here a couple of days and has already started clearing the road to his new homesite.
Good luck Cheryl. Communicating with your teens can be tricky as this mother found out.
Quote: It isn’t easy to see the formerly loving child who once curled up in our laps turn into a surly stranger who cannot spare us a kind word. One mother ... was taken aback when she called, as her daughter was going out the door, “Have a good time,” and her daughter angrily replied, “Stop telling me what to do!”
Hi Deb. Pass along my best wishes to Christopher. How far away is his property from yours?
Many tradesmen would have compromised their standards to meet a deadline, but that's not the way you operate. You'll get your house built and I'm sure it will be "awesome".
Judy, as I recall, you are a Detroit Tiger fan so I thought you might be aware of young Justin Verlander's no-hitter last week. It so happens that some 56 Bridgewater residents went by chartered bus to that game. We would of had fun regardless of the outcome of the game but that night turned out to be very memorable.
I think Christopher's land is about 25 miles from mine. The road from here to there should be reclassified as a roller coaster, so it will take 45 minutes or so to get there...but its a beautiful scenic road.
I just checked Christophers "Tropical Embellishments" blog and found that he has started a new blog Outside Clyde...awesome photos!
Hi Christopher (if you happen to peek) and welcome.
We do it on dial up very slowly, keeping photos down in the 25-50K range.
A lifetime of chores is what you signed up for when you opted for a rural life. Welcome to my world.
And, a bit of pique: had you let me know you were passing through, I would have enjoyed meeting you, directing you to the Chinese garden downtown as a counter point to the exquisite Japanese garden in the park, and could have put you on to a couple of awesome meals.
I thought of you Richard and Judy too when I was in your lovely part of the country and thought I should have been better prepared and to have made advance arrangements to come see you if possible. Next time you are in Clyde, look me up.
Christopher, it looks to me like you've swapped one paradise for another. (I loved your photos at "Outside Clyde"). Clyde, N.C. is very fortunate to have you as their new resident. I believe you'll also fit in well with the progressives in nearby Ashville.
Thanks Dan. I have been doing some exploring from Asheville to Sylva, plenty of chores around the place, getting accounts and info and papers gathered for other legalities and trying to settle in as much as I can in my parents house. I share computer time now, so I don't have as much time online. My Dad is addicted to the "Market" online.
The mountains do not make for linear roads or cities so It takes a while to get your bearings. All things in good time.
Heat? What heat? It has yet to get above 74 degrees up here on the top and now we are in a Monsoon. The daily passing showers have become daily drizzle, mist and rain most of the day.
I am making progress on building my little cabin, not as fast as one could hope, but inching closer bit by bit.
Deb has moved into the unfinished new house and was going to be on dial-up for a while until she figures out what she can get up on her mountain. The slowness is going to put a major crimp in her internet activities.
Hi everyone, I think this blog has finally split right down the middle....those who are building a house and the rest of us who are glad we're not. I'm very impressed with the ambition of all you home builders and wish you great success and satisfaction.
I'm having a great time pursuing a variety of interests, staying busier than I have in years. I do miss the high quality conversations at this blog and hope everyone checks in from time to time.
Cheryl, as soon as the heat wave breaks there in Al., I hope you find time to do some more posting at Hen's Teeth. I'm a big fan of your writing.
Christopher, good luck finishing your cabin. I hope your post some photo's of it and your land when you get time.
And Deb, you poor thing, you must be exhausted. I hope now that you've moved into your new place, that you can pace yourself a bit for the finishing touches. I know your house must be awesome nestled in that beautiful mountain setting.
Hi ya'll. Yep, still working on the house but have moved in. It has warmed a bit here since Christopher's post, and with all of the rain it is a sauna. I don't have the permanent electric hooked to the house but have temp fed into my box. I am able to run the fridge...kind of sort a...I'm playing musical appliances so as not to starve any one of juice. I'm currently working on banisters and as soon as they are finished I'll have a certificate of occupancy...WOO HOO...then I will have full juice.
BTW, my house is at 2,300 ft altitude and I think Christophers' is in the 4k foot range. It's a bit warmer here. I surely can't complain to Cheryl and JG, who are still in a drought with high 90 temps. I haven't checked south Texas...but bet that Marilynn is a bit toasty, too.
I have little in the way of pc time, mainly due to needing the phone and not having any sort of internet call waiting. Question: Is there a way to prevent web pages from downloading all of the pics? That is what takes so long for pages to load.
73 comments:
Awesome pic Christopher.
"Why do we insist on concrete proof of the unknowable?"
Our nature? Some people are just driven to know why the sky is blue. And I'm guessing that Richard already knows;-)
Safe journey my friend!
I'll never tell.
The sky is blue because of the light spectrum thing.
Where are you going?
I am going to Clyde NC. West of Asheville, north of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. An early inheritance of 3 acres of land on a mountaintop was an offer I did not want to pass up.
You can always go back to the land.
I sent off all the paper work for a job at the NC Arboretum on tuesday. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
JG, Christopher's land is about 20 miles from where I live. Amazingly small world sometimes, huh?
"because of the light spectrum thing." Question: If we had a red sun would the sky be green? Blue sun...yellow? What about a white sun...would the sky be grey or colorless?
Here's to hoping that the Arboretum finds you irresistible as an employee, Christopher.
"I am going to Clyde NC. West of Asheville, north of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park."
Cool! We'll be neighbors. When I left Hawaii I cried and miss it to this day. More than I miss anyplace else I ever lived. North Carolina is pretty country though. Maybe we can all get together when you settle in?
"Question: If we had a red sun would the sky be green? Blue sun...yellow? What about a white sun...would the sky be grey or colorless?"
Well it is only blue to us because we are some of the few mammals which can see color and the sun may very well be red,(here comes that Enterprise thingy) but we see something else because of the way our eyes interpert light and color?
All other mammals see black and white.
Reminds me of a disagreement I had with the president of the local bass master's club at their tournament meeting about wal mart and their fishing lures. I told him they came out with different colored lures of the same construction to fill more aisle space and sell more lures because fish did not care, they were color blind. It was a marketing scam and he was victim. Eventually he got the bass manual and proved me correct to his embarrassment, two weeks later he was no longer prez...oooops.
Go to howstuffworks.com/bluesky
Just tell them the one about you being made of the same stuff as the mountain and your hired...
Good Luck!!
Congrats on the new computer, Judy. My next computer might be an apple. I haven't worked on one in ages, but in the personal computers early phase, when apple gave tens of thousands to schools, I used them at school and found the programs to be quite easy.
Let us know what you think.
Hope all of you have a very blessed Easter weekend:-)
Thank you for the good wishes Judy. So far everything seems to be flowing with amazing ease despite my own perceived procrastination.
I already have a NC area code cell number and phone here in Hawaii. Technology is great
If you think it's air, and it sounds like it could be, turn on the pump, then start opening valves one at a time until nothing but a solid stream of water comes out of each one. Make sure you don't miss any, including the toilets. Set the pump to run continuously while you're doing this.
The idea is to flush the bubble out of the system so that it can't migrate back to the pump.
The next time you have to replace the pump, invest in a submersible one.
PS:
If that doesn't solve the problem, check for critters in the line.
My new wife was in the tub in our A-Frame that was connected to a spring. Gravity feed; 2.5" pipe to the house. When she added water to her bath, she was joined by a poached salamander. It could be that something is living in the pipe until someone starts banging on it near the pump. If there isn't a fine meshed screen in the spring house, you might want to consider one - just make sure there's no critter in the line when you install it.
At the moment, we have 7500 in corrugated plastic tanks, primarily for reserve stock water and fire fighting. The tanks were left-overs at the feed store and cost us less than $200 each. Saved that in fire insurance in the first year.
We'll have a static tank above the new house. I'm hoping that the County will allow us to use it for dual purpose: to charge the wet pipe fire sprinkler system and for domestic use. Don't know the size yet - that will depend on the fire department's requirements.
I think you may be thinking of a system that I described but never built in Millbrook: two 100K tanks, one above and the other below the intended house. Excess solar energy would have pumped the water from the lower one to the upper one. When power was needed, water would have flowed from the upper to the lower through a Pelton water wheel to drive a generator. The water would have been available for fire fighting at a house that would have been in the middle of the woods and well away from the road. The tanks would have been concrete and cubical. 13,000 cu ft provides 100K gallons. If each had been 12' deep,
something on the order of 30' square, would have done it. That would have provided 4-5 days of back up power. With modern equipment, probably more.
Now that you've described your system more fully, it's clear my solution isn't the problem. I'd pictured as system without the pressure tank. The leak has to be on the pump side of the pressure tank.
I always like to have the water source above the pump if I can.
Same thing happened to my well two weeks ago. It was the pressure switch coming out of the tank.I had to keep going out there every morning and manually reset it. Then I got the bright idea to replace the switch...
When my Father's went out several years ago it was because the water table had shifted, so he just connected to city water. My solution was far less expensive and I live to far away from the city for his solution to work. Good luck.
Christopher, I hope the Arboretum has enough sense to hire you. Good luck with your move. Once you settle in, I'd love to see some photos of you new mountaintop acreage.
I am reading this well, pump and storage tank stuff and not understanding it at all. I will be on a well in the mountains and will need to figure this out.
Temporarily if needed before I drill a well I can tap into a line my parents have run to their vegetable garden. I don't think they have a storage tank. If they do it is small and well hidden.
Dan when I get to NC it may be a few months before I am fully back on line. I can borrow, maybe tap into my dad's satellite high speed internet. It is called Hughes Network.
It will be interesting to see what sort of a turn my blog might take.
Christopher, didn't you say that a stream runs through the property? We are close enough to a stream for a pumper truck to access it. We did buy a pressure tank because the well doesn't have a lot of pressure...I prefer a shower over a sprinkle;-)
Hope your water system is fixed Judy...keep us posted.
Yes there is a small stream on the property. That is what my parents used for many years until the guy across the street carved roads all over the mountain and it silted up their cistern. That's when they drilled their well.
The only part you see of their well is a 12" x 12" cement cap with the pipe coming out. I am quessing there is a pump. They use very little water. Just for two people in the house and rarely if ever irrigate. The water there is very stable so I think that is why they would not need a storage tank.
Christopher,
It is likely that the pump is submerged near the bottom of the well. Motors and pumps are so reliable now, that they can be put at the bottom of the well with confidence that they'll perform for many years.
Usually, water is pumped to a pressurized tank that is filled with air. (These expansion tanks have a bladder between the water and the air so that the air is not absorbed by the water.) The pump pressurizes the tank and shuts off. It won't come on again until the pressure in the tank drops (usually about 20#) so that the pump doesn't have to run continuously or switch on and off frequently. If there's no pump house over the well, that tank is probably in the house.
There is a new pump design on the market now, variable speed, that allow for use of a much smaller expansion tank. They're more expensive but have many advantages. They pump just the amount of water that's needed.
"(These expansion tanks have a bladder between the water and the air so that the air is not absorbed by the water.)"
OH! That is what that valve is on top of the tank! Low air pressure, low water pressure!
Thanx Richard!!!
How much air pressure should be in the tank?
I've been thinking about the problem:
Without seeing the system, it's hard to diagnose, but there are so many possible sources of an air leak sufficient to drain the system....
The seals at the pump itself; whether there is any water stored above the pump to allow for leakage without breaking prime; corrosion of the pipe in the well above the static water line; and any leak at a fitting or in the pipe itself whether visible or in a ditch.
I've already declared for submersible pumps. Properly sized to match the well, they make a lot of sense.
If your state files well logs, you should be able to find the depth of the well, the capacity (determined by pumping tests when the well was drilled, static water level and draw down at the published flow rate. You need all those to size the pump. If you can't find them, see if you can find out who drilled the well and ask them directly. I did that in NY and found the guy who'd drilled the well almost 50 years before I talked to him - he remembered the stats and was right!
If you can't find them, I think it's worth having the pump installer do the tests - takes about two hours.
Here's one of many sites that will help with designing a system, including information on sizing and maintaining the pressure tank:
http://www.inspect-ny.com/water/watertank.htm
One device that I encourage you to install is a load sensing switch that will not allow the pump to run dry if it draws the water down too far. (This shouldn't happen if the pump is correctly sized, but could if there is any fluctuation in the well's flow rate.)
My preference is to install a pump that's just big enough to draw all but a small fraction of the well's capacity rather than to install a pump that's just big enough to satisfy your current needs. Those can change. But then, if you have so much water you don't need it all and never could, that's a different story.
Hope you get it solved soon.
I will see how their system works when I get there. Most likely there is a small pressure tank in the basement utility room. I have never stuck my nose in there and inspected.
I do know they have a Procedure for turning the house on and off when they come and go and were a bit concerned about "The Procedure" when one of my siblings was going up there before them and had to turn on the house.
Anyone else having a hard time signing in? I had to get a new Google account and when I sign in it takes me to a "create your own blog" page. And it does one of those "type the letters seen here" things. Then I have to find breadcrusts again. Bit of a hassle.
It's going to be a pain until blogger gets around to upgrading bread crusts. When I log in, I get taken to my dashboard, no matter where I was. That's so I have to look at the latest blogger "news".
And you have to sign in every time. Blogger hasn't activated the remember me and this computer feature yet.
It isn't just you Deb.
If you have a google account (I have a gmail.com account), allow google to set a cookie on your machine, then signing in to Bread crusts is a matter of clicking on "Sign in using your google account." Gmail, FWIW, has one of the best mail handling routines around. They take care of the filing system and you can find mail you know exists in your account, by searching within gmail.
Speaking of pumps:
I'm putting together a group donation toward a Play Pump to be installed in a village in Malawi where a classmate runs one of is several clinics and social services outfits. He just got a large Gates' Foundation grant to expand to other parts of Africa, but that money cannot be used for other purposes. The pump project will enhance the operation, to say nothing of the health, of the residents.
If anyone has an inclination toward putting up a donation, however small or large, please let me know privately. I hope to be able to raise enough for one pump. At this point, all I'd like is a tentative commitment so I have some leverage with Play Pump. They have already said they would only reject the offer if they cannot find a suitable water source - the aquifer cannot be more than 300' below the surface. The price does not include drilling the well, but they either develop an existing source (seal it and deepen it if needed) or have a local driller donate the job. The have already announced they will be installing pumps in Malawi this year.
If anyone would like to join this worthy project, let me know, either here, or privately at ryarnell@iwon.com. No money now, please, unless you put my name on it. ;) If you know of others, I'm not shy about where I ask.
ry
Richard, I will donate $50. to the cause. Wish it could be more since it is such a worthy endeavour. Let me know when/who to send the check.
I would highly recommend approaching your local elementary school (s) for the donations necessary. You could show a video and do presentation for each grade (the teachers would LOVE the break, esp. this time of the year)and do a follow up showing the recipient community next year. Talk to the principals, and as this is such a noble and worthy cause I believe that it might be possible.
Richard, put me down for $50 also.
roy246@comcast.net
The PBS site has a good bit of info on the play pump:
South Africa: The Play Pump
Turning water into child's play
Oh, sorry Dan...I see you had already given a link to the PBS playpump video and article on the Ice thread.
It appears that Bread Crusts was switched to the new blogger format in the middle of the night. I have wandered through the new controls, checked and saved all the settings and everything seems fine.
Did any of you notice a thing?
I also sent Cheryl another invite to get back on as an administrator. I hope that works to give her access.
Marilynn's name has also returned to the top slot of the administrator panel.
I have about another four weeks before I disconnect my computer and box it up for shipping to NC. I may pop in on borrowed computers after June 1st and should be able to access the controls if there is a problem.
Looks like it worked this time. If anyone else is interested in being added, let me know.
Christopher good luck with your move. Take care and pop in when you can.
test comment
I saw this on SackSessions.com
HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK
1. Open a new file in your computer.
2. Name it “Jeff Sessions”
3. Send it to the Recycle Bin.
4. Empty the Recycle Bin.
5. Your PC will ask you……………….
“Do you really want to get rid of “ Jeff Sessions?”
6. Firmly Click “Yes.”
7. Feel better.
retest
Well, I think I have finally conquered the sign in parameters>>>
can"t say that i am happy with being forced to get a gmail account>>> seems like the BIG guys find ways to make you comply in doing jusst the simplest things>> this is the way they take over the world>>>> and i am not sure how to fight back>>>
And Google is such a trust worthy company. Net neutrality is still in danger.
Thought for today.
If you sign into Google with a Yahoo email, does that consolidate their info on you, or break it up?
Great to "see" you Judy.
Cute Cheryl...that works for many holding office right now.
I have 2 backhoes, and a trackhoe moving large rocks and pushing dirt all around the house. We're working from dawn to dusk...I'll read the rest of the blog and catch up soon.
Let's guess how many times deb will think about the pyramids and coral castle while they move them rocks with heavy equipment...
I say 7 times and she starts one conversation with heavy equipment operators trying to get their insight on how they were built...
That 42 thing is very very interesting to me...thanx Cheryl.
Heh Judy.
You've got to read the book.
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to let you all know I've still been reading up on all the candidates (and checking out their new YouTube videos as they come out). So far, I'm hoping that either Mike Gravel or Dennis Kucinich wins the nomination (and chooses the other as a running mate). I've come to know that the term "moderate" attached to a politician actually means "will maintain the status quo".
I feel so strongly about giving control of our government back to the masses (taking control AWAY from large corporations), that I would even choose Ron Paul over Hillary Clinton. However, I would still choose ANY of the Democratic candidates over any of the OTHER Republicans running right now.
I've always liked Kucinich and Gravel's blunt honesty is refreshing in a politician. I don't think that either of them expect to win the nomination, but I hope they can stay in the race till the end because the others need to hear what they have to say.
It is up to us to spread the messages from Congressmen like Kucinich and Gravel...sigh...I KNOW that y'all don't want to hear my "the media sucks" spiel.
I KNOW that y'all don't want to hear my "the media sucks" spiel.
I do...
cough,choke,gasp...
The smoke from the south Ga. and fla. fires is horrible today. And we want to run this stuff in our gas tanks?
This smog moved in pretty thick yesterday and the local media did not report on the source and remedies for hours...
We need some rain.
Hope you recieve rain soon JG. My media complaints have to do with corporations and the current US administration owning our media and carefully selecting what information people hear/see, including stating lies so many times that people take them as "fact".
The Fairness Doctrine would help with critical issues such as the fiscal 2008 intelligence authorization bill. I haven't turned on a TV in weeks, but I'm guessing that if anything is being said about this bill it is reported in a way that is biased against what benefits citizens and the environment and for the lame excuses that support the current status quo.
CIA Cited for Not Disclosing Covert Action
"Scrupulous transparency between the intelligence community and this committee is an absolute necessity on matters related to covert actions," the report said.
Earth study in intelligence bill
Republicans, accusing Democrats of caring more about "bugs and bunnies" than hunting for al Qaeda, yesterday failed to strip a global warming study from an intelligence policy bill as lawmakers tacked a similar climate change provision onto a separate defense bill.
Bush Wants Phone Firms Immune to Privacy Suits
I haven't found out if the phone privacy amendment stayed in the bill, if anyone knows I am interested.
Very interesting:
Ozone cure for slipped disc
Last night Frontline had a show about the government spying programs, including the telephone companies cooperation, the Los Vegas data mining, and TSA. I knew parts of this already, but it was very sobering to see it all presented together.
I consider the fact that Frontline produced such a show to be a serious improvement in media. As sobering as the facts are at least people are actually hearing about what is going on.
Wanted to share that American Express is having a contest for ideas. They will give up to 5 million for the project that they choose.
The members project
BTW, I have one project listed, it is #177 and titled "solar powered schools". I can't believe that there is a typo in it with no way to fix it:-(
I was in a hurry this morning when I wrote it.
I noticed that their website is moving very slowly, so I'm guessing that it is getting a lot of attention.
Hi Debbie. I'm glad you found a way to promote your wonderful idea. I was going to add a favorable comment but the site requires that you register first, and you must have an AmEx card to do that. In any event, thanks for bringing the site to our attention and good luck with your entry.
Thanks Dan...good to see you on the blog:-)
This is a better link to the Am Ex project:
http://www.membersproject.com/intro.htm
I found advancements in light beam technology while browsing the news:
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Science/2007/05/18/scientists_test_new_form_of_matter/6326/
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_508280.html
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/316/5827/949c?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=polariton+superfluid+&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT
Science Magazine just published the full article yesterday, but a subxcription is necessary for access.
I cannot get these links to take me anywhere, can you do the blue thingy? LBT?
Sorry, Hope this helps:
Scientists test new form of matter
Pitt scientists test new form of matter
"When bosons are packed together such that the density exceeds a critical threshold..."
thanx.
Does anyone remember that show Simon Cowell produced where people could take their inventions and perhaps win help in it's development? What was the name of it and is it still in production?
I have an invention I believe could be a winner...
Thanx for the links Deb.
I wonder how long before we can run the stuff in our pickups? and windtunnels...
Richard, How are you liking the Prius? Is (are?) the mpg what you expected?
I ran across a company who puts pv solar on top of Prius':
Prius White Paper
I think the Prius is the best engineered car I've owned. Its fit and finish is amazing.
Mileage on long trips (Seattle twice) has been better than expected (about 57) while around town hasn't lived up to the hype. But that may be because I have to climb 600 feet everytime I go into town.
I suspect that the solar addition will void the Toyota warranty just as the larger battery pack and plug in charger offered in California does. That's a lot to give up.
I'd hoped to wait until Toyota offered the Plug in Prius. I'll probably replace this one once they've gotten the bugs out of the plug and play version. That way, when I plug in, I will, in fact, be using solar juice from the 6-7 KW I expect to install.
Speaking of which: we're officially started on the house. I bought an 8x8x40 container (one trip from China) in which we'll move our stuff while the house is built then turn it over to hay - way cheaper than a new barn. Picked up a nice sink for the "Craft workshop" (can't call it a studio and can't put a stove in it, even though we need one for processing wool, honey, and dyed materials! "You could live in it!" But that's why we're building a new and bigger and real house.
The (usually design and build) GC has reduced our design to preliminary floor plans corrected for common dimensions and will meet with us Monday to make sure they've interpreted our work correctly. Perc test hole gets dug Monday too.
Although the whole project, well, new perimeter fence around 20 acres, the surveys, privacy walls, the studio, and its deck, will be more than anticipated, it appears the house will come in right around our original estimate (knock knock.)
We have two teenagers in the house now. Our baby just turned 13. Our oldest is learning to drive. And my doctor tells me to avoid stress;)
LOL Cheryl. I used to think that I just wouldn't be able to stand it when my kids grew up and left home. Teenagers can totally cure a parent of those thoughts.
Congrats Richard. Hope your timeline for building works out better than mine. I totally didn't do enough homework before starting a log house...or enough thinking about it being all wood with no way to cover any flaws with paint and putty. Since Jan. I have mostly taken over the task of doing the house DYI style. I am still at it.
On the plus side I am about as strong and fit as I ever have been, am learning tons, and every day I get to stretch my mental capacity as to coming up the best possible solution. On the negative I have only taken 4 days off since Jan 1 and typically work 10 or more hours a day. And my project is not coming in anywhere close to what I originally budgeted:( But, hey, it really is an awesome house:-)
Christopher finally made it to NC. He called yesterday and will be coming over to see my house. He has only been here a couple of days and has already started clearing the road to his new homesite.
Good luck Cheryl. Communicating with your teens can be tricky as this mother found out.
Quote:
It isn’t easy to see the formerly loving child who once curled up in our laps turn into a surly stranger who cannot spare us a kind word. One mother ... was taken aback when she called, as her daughter was going out the door, “Have a good time,” and her daughter angrily replied, “Stop telling me what to do!”
Author: Samalin, Nancy
Hi Deb. Pass along my best wishes to Christopher. How far away is his property from yours?
Many tradesmen would have compromised their standards to meet a deadline, but that's not the way you operate. You'll get your house built and I'm sure it will be "awesome".
Richard, good luck building your new place also.
Judy, as I recall, you are a Detroit Tiger fan so I thought you might be aware of young Justin Verlander's no-hitter last week. It so happens that some 56 Bridgewater residents went by chartered bus to that game. We would of had fun regardless of the outcome of the game but that night turned out to be very memorable.
I think Christopher's land is about 25 miles from mine. The road from here to there should be reclassified as a roller coaster, so it will take 45 minutes or so to get there...but its a beautiful scenic road.
I just checked Christophers "Tropical Embellishments" blog and found that he has started a new blog Outside Clyde...awesome photos!
Hi Christopher (if you happen to peek) and welcome.
Oh, check out my "earth" post:-)
We do it on dial up very slowly, keeping photos down in the 25-50K range.
A lifetime of chores is what you signed up for when you opted for a rural life. Welcome to my world.
And, a bit of pique: had you let me know you were passing through, I would have enjoyed meeting you, directing you to the Chinese garden downtown as a counter point to the exquisite Japanese garden in the park, and could have put you on to a couple of awesome meals.
I thought of you Richard and Judy too when I was in your lovely part of the country and thought I should have been better prepared and to have made advance arrangements to come see you if possible. Next time you are in Clyde, look me up.
Christopher, glad to hear you arrived safely. Good luck, and enjoy settling in to your new home.
Richard, I'm guessing you are already on top of this, but in case you missed it:
FCC Coming to Portland to Hear What Media Consumers Want
Christopher, it looks to me like you've swapped one paradise for another. (I loved your photos at "Outside Clyde"). Clyde, N.C. is very fortunate to have you as their new resident. I believe you'll also fit in well with the progressives in nearby Ashville.
Thanks Dan. I have been doing some exploring from Asheville to Sylva, plenty of chores around the place, getting accounts and info and papers gathered for other legalities and trying to settle in as much as I can in my parents house. I share computer time now, so I don't have as much time online. My Dad is addicted to the "Market" online.
The mountains do not make for linear roads or cities so It takes a while to get your bearings. All things in good time.
Oops...I forgot there were two Portlands in the country, but the Portland, Maine group did well:
Portland Speaks Out for Local Media, Against Consolidation
NC is doing it right too:
North Carolina school districts receive first plug-in hybrid electric school buses
How's the summer going for ya'll?
I'll be glad when the heat breaks. I don't have the energy to keep up with things I have to do.
Heat? What heat? It has yet to get above 74 degrees up here on the top and now we are in a Monsoon. The daily passing showers have become daily drizzle, mist and rain most of the day.
I am making progress on building my little cabin, not as fast as one could hope, but inching closer bit by bit.
Deb has moved into the unfinished new house and was going to be on dial-up for a while until she figures out what she can get up on her mountain. The slowness is going to put a major crimp in her internet activities.
Hi everyone,
I think this blog has finally split right down the middle....those who are building a house and the rest of us who are glad we're not. I'm very impressed with the ambition of all you home builders and wish you great success and satisfaction.
I'm having a great time pursuing a variety of interests, staying busier than I have in years. I do miss the high quality conversations
at this blog and hope everyone checks in from time to time.
Cheryl, as soon as the heat wave breaks there in Al., I hope you find time to do some more posting at Hen's Teeth. I'm a big fan of your writing.
Christopher, good luck finishing your cabin. I hope your post some photo's of it and your land when you get time.
And Deb, you poor thing, you must be exhausted. I hope now that you've moved into your new place, that you can pace yourself a bit for the finishing touches. I know your house must be awesome nestled in that beautiful mountain setting.
And all the rest of you, I miss you all.
Hi ya'll. Yep, still working on the house but have moved in. It has warmed a bit here since Christopher's post, and with all of the rain it is a sauna. I don't have the permanent electric hooked to the house but have temp fed into my box. I am able to run the fridge...kind of sort a...I'm playing musical appliances so as not to starve any one of juice. I'm currently working on banisters and as soon as they are finished I'll have a certificate of occupancy...WOO HOO...then I will have full juice.
BTW, my house is at 2,300 ft altitude and I think Christophers' is in the 4k foot range. It's a bit warmer here. I surely can't complain to Cheryl and JG, who are still in a drought with high 90 temps. I haven't checked south Texas...but bet that Marilynn is a bit toasty, too.
I have little in the way of pc time, mainly due to needing the phone and not having any sort of internet call waiting. Question: Is there a way to prevent web pages from downloading all of the pics? That is what takes so long for pages to load.
Hope all is well with everyone.
hugs,
deb
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