Final Month Count Down:
Back at Bob’s orchard this Saturday! The walls are ready to pack, but the Lean-To rafters still need “bird mouth” cuts. We’ll partially assemble the weather station to get the angles right, once the first rafter’s dialed in, I’ll use it as a template to cut the rest of the 2x6x14s.
I’ll also be using the new tamping machine to level the ground in Arizona before we set the foundation of the Weather Station. Wind data showed we need anchors, so I picked up screw-in ground anchors rated up to 80mph—beyond that, we’re in trouble! I am also looking at grounding rods for future lightning.
Our driver leaves on October 27, no wiggle room. The Canyon Edge dozer team arrives November 1. If we get the container up top smoothly, it’s go-time: I’ll have just 7 days to build the station (likely 2 days), install cameras, gather soil samples, build the pergola, place cisterns, add pipes, plant trees, and install hardware cloth to protect the trees from wildlife.
It’s a sprint, and on top of it all, my son’s surgery to remove four tumors is scheduled for the 29th.
The one steady thread: the Non-Profit is nearly official. Docs go out soon, and with luck, we’ll have our EIN by October 27th, opening doors to grants and easing the financial load. I am incredibly relieved to get past the NPO process because it is expensive, and the legalese makes you question your sanity. My board will also consist of people who have skills in accounting, proposal writing, and logistics. I feel a bit like Oedipus and would rather gouge out my eyes than spend a lot of time writing and reading legal documents, but it was a necessary evil.
Given how slow the build has gone so far, I can’t imagine how bad it would have gone if we tried to build from scratch in Arizona; I am confident I made the right call. I do not think that I will have a lot of time to just bask in the beauty of the property. I hate that it is being rushed, but there is so much to learn from this trip.
The new cameras should offer everyone much better videos and views of the land and wildlife. No more rogue cows tilting the cameras or wind damage. In all, there will be 7 cameras. 1 will always look to the weather station and the outside of the Pergola, but one will also be mounted inside the pergola to monitor tree growth. The remaining cameras will be secured and have views of what I have always wanted others to see but have not been able to share since mounting locations were once limited.
Those of you who named Jumping Jack Flash (The Kangaroo Rat), Aka JJ. He has been spotted several more times. The fear was that he was eaten by a Bobcat or Coyote, but he is alive and well.