Springtime
In February we harvest the greenhouse winter crops and dump the greenhouse soil in the compost heap. We dig into the garden we will use this year and refill the greenhouse containers. After the soil has warmed to greenhouse temperatures it is time to mix in some soil amendments and prep the seeds for garden starts.
We run a little house automation and Paul will monitor the motor and temperature switch for the pool cover inside the greenhouse class when he starts the watering schedule for the new starts.
Ned opens a corner of the barn in early March and braced it and cut the concrete for Nerd and his excavator to dig a trench. The second day they hang plastic over the tunnel entrance to keep dust inside the space while they penetrate the wall into the room below the barn. More bracing keeps everything in its place while they dress up their cuts and widen the trench. For the next week they are adding bracing for wall concrete and forming the stairway and ramp and adding rebar for walls and floors.
It turns out Ann and Frank are also using Ned and Nerd for their house which starts in April. As concrete is placed in our stairway the crew shifts to foundation work next door. Paul's water feature for Ann and Frank's entryway was a pump distributing water over the vertical face of a rock wall and a small collection pool/waterfall at the bottom where he could provide a little insulation and a stock tank heater to keep it from freezing in this coastal zone.
Paul has a dream for a new structure at the top of the cliff shaft. Over breakfast the next morning I tell Nancy what I remember from the dream. I start," It would use the elevator we had discussed earlier." "The elevator would actually serve two floors in a repurposed silo above the ground on top of the cliff and go below the cave to the tunnel entrance." "The silo main floor has a stairway wrapped around the inside wall of the silo and the landing at the top of the stairs is the second floor." "It has a small kitchen with a breakfast bar and a living room on the main floor with a half bath and a 1 bedroom suite above." "Most of the windows ae on the second floor looking out for the view."
Nancy replied, "That has possibilities and it is a good thing we included a shared access road for the shaft top with Ann and Frank."
Spring planting includes mowing the winter crop, adding a layer of compost and turning the garden area. Then we prune our fruit trees before they bud. We also add the walkways between rows and replant starts from the greenhouse with seeds for the rest. Once we finish planting we add mulch in the rows and the place the water distribution hoses. We add higher fences around both garden areas. It feels good to shift to the alternate garden area and make use of the improved soil.
We celebrate with dinner at the diner and the son gives us a window seat. Between serving other guests he tries to visit with us. The son says, "Thanks for finding the buyers for my Dad's lot." "That was an easy deal and gets me farther along with my plans."
Paul replied, "Remember we went in on the purchase with Nancy's friends from Astoria." "We subdivided the cliff area and have made it part of our lot."
The son says, “Okay” "What have you been up to over the fall?"
Nancy says, "We just got back from our second trip to New Mexico." "We experienced some amazing cultural events and toured some early ruins, including a neat little canyon in Bandelier National Monument."
The son replied, "That is the park outside of Los Alamos?"
Paul says, "Yes"
The son replies, "Well my Grandfather was in the CCC during the 1930's there."
Nancy says, "Did he ever mention the Frey family who was farming back then?"
The son says, "That rings a bell, but it has been years since I looked at his diary from the experience."
Paul says, "I have done a little reading about them." "They started in the Canyon before the road was added." "They carried about 75 additional fruit trees from the Canyon Rim." "They apparently ran cattle and chickens at their farm." "The CCC built the new Monument buildings including the lodge and cabins concession." "During the Los Alamos project the area was closed and used by their staff for R&R." "The original farm house was torn down and the rock blocks returned to the ruins."
The son replies, "I made a copy of what Dad wrote up from Grandfather's notes." "Why don't you borrow a copy for a while?"
Nancy says, "That would be fun."