cow path...

Too chilly today to get back up on the roof.  Set myself up to do a soil test with wheat grass - 2 parts TFL lake bottom soil, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part Benita poop.  Soaking some seeds to sprout and will transplant tomorrow into the little pot of experimental dirt mix.

Took a long hike this afternoon tracking Benita.  She headed SW Sunday afternoon and may be gone for the winter.  Downloaded GoogleEarth onto my new computer and calculated her trail to the winter range.  The green line is as far as I walked (still on her trail) and the blue line is where I think she goes.  Total distance to the winter range is about 6 miles.  I really should get a GPS transmitter on the old girl. 39,63,26,0,B

shower parts...

Plopped a new piece of plex over the thermosyphon to help hold the heat in...installed a new sensor to monitor the water temperature.  Had to add 15 gallons of cold water to the tank this morning (due to the breach).  Heated up just enough by late afternoon for a lukewarm shower.  Indulged myself this evening with the first 241 burger night in months.  49,74,39,0,W

Needfull Things

Cold overnight again but warmed up nicely.  Tended to a cold snap breach in my solar hot water system then did a run to Study Butte for a load of agua (mostly for Benita).  While south, I happened to notice a new shop in town.  My friend Sandy has opened a "second hand stuff" store near the Motor Inn Cafe - between the laundry and the stables.  She is open Thursday through Sunday and fully stocked with very cool stuff folks have given up on and deals you can't live without.  A new must stop for visitors to the area.  63,78,27,0,B

it's all about the cow...

A bit nipply overnight.  Did a major supply run to Alpine today...refrigerant, food, particulars for the rest of the greenhouse roofing, solar water heater insulation, tools for the Ural, parts for some new solar ovens, and a bale of hay for Benita.  Normally she doesn't care for coastal, but she seemed to take to it this afternoon - probably has a little more flavor than what is growing out here this time of year.  Trying to lure her into wintering over at TFL. Last year she left the day before Thanksgiving and was gone for over two months.  48,70,23,0,B  

Dinner with Grace

First sub freezing night last night - time to extract the swamp cooler today.  Porch is now cleared and primed for Christmas lighting.  Benita still staying close to home.

My buddy Ben the stilt house builder is out for the weekend and brought me some precious glass leftover from a couple of his renovation jobs.  Hopefully I will get to use it before I lapse and let it break.

Had dinner at the stilt house with him and wife Vanessa and my BFF Grace - and Chuck and Aunt Kathy.  Grace made the center piece for the table.  42,78,26,0,C 

HTG

Thanksgiving day started off with an exceptional sunrise.  Good way to start the holiday.  Worked on putting together the Field Lab shipping department so I can expedite the postcard orders.  Hopefully, adding the "Buy Now" button from Paypal on the right side of the blog page will make ordering quick and painless.  I have included some discount options for multiple set orders. 

Please make sure to include your shipping address at checkout - let me know if there are any problems with this payment method.  Decided to post of photo of the entire set all at once instead of a card a day for the next 11 days.

Had a great community Thanksgiving dinner thanks to Jerry and Eva!  56,79,45,0,B

Black Wednesday

Card#2 Me and my dog Goldie, December 2007

Just got the rest of the postcard order in today and they are good to go.  Over the next 11 days I will be posting a sample here.  The sets are packed and ready to ship just in time for Christmas.  12 Field Lab postcards for five bucks including shipping.  Buy 4 sets for only 18 bucks.  The first 250 orders get a free bonus Benita postcard.  You can send cash through the mail to John Wells 2500 Mailbox Rd. Alpine, TX  79830 or paypal me at my email address - lifeoffthegrid@yahoo.com   All proceeds to help sustain the Field Lab experience.

Worked on the Ural all morning.  Did a down'n'dirty purge of the left carburetor, then changed the air filter and spark plugs.  It's riding sweetly again!   61,82,38,0,C