Page 42 of 93

Garden – Spring 2016

March 23, 2016 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

With us coming out of Winter heading into Spring, it was time to start getting the gardens in shape for warm-weather planting!

Weeds and Mulching

Lots of weeds this year — I don’t know if it’s because of the mild Winter or not, but there are a bunch of them. This was Garden 2:

However, it’s not all bad! Here is one of several volunteer turnips coming from seeds I planted probably a couple of years ago! I think I’m just going to start throwing down turnip seeds all over the mulch garden beds from now on!

Sue & I started chopping down the weeds using yo-yos (I looked it up, and apparently that is indeed what they’re called) in preparation for laying down a new layer of mulch across the whole garden area:

And here is about half of the garden chopped down:

And then the first mulch load laid down and spread out. Looks like probably four loads to cover all of Garden 2:

Compost

With the trouble last year getting plants started from seed directly in the mulch beds, I really figured I need to get a composting system running well.

In a previous blog post almost three years ago, I mentioned the compost container we have been trying to use. It’s been sitting there full of all of the stuff I gathered I think from the chicken tractor and maybe goat fields for probably a couple of years. Well, I planned to take what was in it and move it to inside Garden 1 so I could start turning it more, as I picked up from a local friend that he turns his piles apparently after each rain; and when I opened the lid, there was barely anything in there! I was quite puzzled — where did it all go?

But, in looking close at the bottom, lo and behold, there was nice deep, rich looking soil! Wow! And very nice!

Here’s a wheelbarrow full of it, clumped because it’s wet:

Excellent! I also have a pretty big pile of chicken droppings/hay and wood ashes going in Garden 1 that I hope now by turning it over it will compost better.

Thanks to the Lord for granting the new soil, and we pray for continued guidance always. And may He help us in continuing to prepare the gardens, and we pray He might grant food from them this year!

— David

A House – Update XL – Kitchen Counter & Sink, & Birdhouse 2

March 14, 2016 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

With the kitchen siding in place, it was time to install the kitchen counter and sink.

Kitchen Counter Top

I decided to go with a pre-formed laminate one as it was going to be easier, more cost effective, and I believed better quality than if I were to try to make one myself.

Sue had decided she didn’t want permanent cupboards below the counter top, so my plan was to build bracing that attached to the wall studs, and this is what I came up with. There is a cross 2×4 attached to the wall studs, then the counter top braces extending from the wall on top of that, and then diagonal braces from the top brace to the wall stud:

For the corner, I just put braces across from back board to back board:

Once the bracing was completed, I tied the corners together with glue and the provided nuts and bolts in the pre-cut areas:

Kitchen Counter Corner Tied Together with Bolts

Here are the screws I decided to use to tie down the counter top to the top braces. They have a larger, flat head that I hoped would help pull the counter to the brace:

Screws to Tie Down Kitchen Counter to Bracing

I had Sue sit on the counter and push down to get the counter to set against the top braces while I screwed it down, and here is the counter tied down to a brace:

And here is the counter top installed!

Kitchen Sink

We decided to go with a stainless steel kitchen sink, to be placed between two braces. When I initially measured, it appeared it was going to fit nicely, but I eventually ran into some issues…

When cutting on a laminate top, you’re apparently supposed to put tape down to help keep the laminate from cracking as you cut:

Then, you lay the sink down upside down, trace around it, then draw a cut line inside the trace line, the width according to the instructions that come with the sink:

I used a jig saw with laminate blade to cut out the main section:

Then used a coping saw for the back part as I couldn’t get close enough with the jig saw to the back cut line:

Coping Saw Cutting Back of Kitchen Sink Cutout

One issue I ran into was the sides of the hole ended up going over the bracing, and so I used a skill saw set to counter-top depth to make the initial cut of the sides, and then needed to chisel out the rest:

Chiseling Out Kitchen Counter on Top of Bracking

And here is a side completed:

Sadly though, on the right side, I apparently didn’t chisel down far enough in the corner, and it slightly cracked up the laminate. I ended up just gluing it and caulking it, which appears to have worked ok:

Another problem I ran into was that the sink tubs wouldn’t fit completely between the braces, so I needed to cut off a little of the brace siding:

And then, another issue was how to clamp the sides of the sink to the counter top. For that, I drilled holes and chiseled out a hole in the brace, and enough underneath to reveal some of the counter top so the clamp would have something to grab on to. You can see here at the top of the hole a little of the counter top exposed. Given the design of the brace, I could only really use one clamp on the sides even though you’re supposed to use two — I just hope that ends up being enough 🙂 :

Kitchen Sink Clamp Cutout in Counter Brace

Once all cutting, etc. was complete, I put down the caulk bead:

And then placed the sink in place, and clamped it down in a star-like pattern, starting from the inside clamps outward according to the directions:

And then I added more caulking from the outside, stuffing it under any slight gaps between the sink and counter top, and then tried to smooth it all out. And I put a couple of jugs of water to try to help keep pressing it down with the caulking cures:

To finish, I put in caps with caulking to plug the faucet holes:

And added the plumbing, which we plan to run into a bucket, at least for now:

So far after several days of the caulk around the sink curing, without using it yet, it seems to have sealed up. I guess we’ll know more over time and usage. 🙂

Birdhouse 2

Last but not least, young Abram Stonger made us another birdhouse, and here it is in place. Thanks to you, Abram, and a fine job!

And both birdhouses from the boys:

As always, we are grateful to the Lord for granting the resources, designs and abilities to continue to work on the house! We always pray our place will be one of worship to Him!

— David

Musical Roosters

March 6, 2016 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

A couple of times now, we’ve had roosters at some point in their lives have crows that sound like familiar human tunes! It brings a smile to my face when I hear them, in just how much their crows sound like a snippet of a familiar song or piece of music.

Anyway, here is a video of them in action — the two music compositions being the standard Bridal March and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony! 😀 See if you can hear the similarities:

We are always grateful to the Lord for His continued provisions, both spiritually and temporally, and we thank Him for these little gifts of farm fun He grants out here!

— David

Garden – Winter 2016 – Update I

February 26, 2016 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

We thought we’d give a little update on the progress in our Winter garden this year so far…

We’ve been able to start transplanting from the mini-greenhouses. Basically, I would take my pocket knife, cut down the middle of the dirt in the mini-greenhouse, trying to separate the soil between the two plant sides, and then just use my fingers to dig in between, scooping out one side, and planting it in the mulch garden bed.

And by God’s graces, so far so good! I was a little worried about how the transplanting process would work out, but I don’t think we’ve lost one yet, which is nice, although I don’t know if the unusually warm Winter we’ve had has been a major factor.

And so, things are starting to grow out on their own…

The peas seem to be doing the best:

And here is some cabbage:

And broccoli:

And beets:

We’ll see how things continue, but we are thankful for what the Lord has granted thus far, for the recent rains, which really put a spring in the plants’ step (so to speak 😀 ), and we pray God might grant food in the end!

— David

The Barn – Update V – The Loft – Update III

February 17, 2016 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

We were able to gather some more materials and make a little more progress on the barn loft!

I decided to extend the back section to the end so we could continue laying down plywood from that end. After adding the three new joists and cross pieces, and clamping the joists together, I attached an 8 foot 2×4 to help hold them in place, and then clamped the other side:

More Barn Loft Floor Joists on Back Section

And laid down a new plywood sheet in that area:

Another Piece of Flooring on Back Section

Then the same thing in the front section, adding three new joists:

More Barn Loft Floor Joists on Front Section

And a new sheet there:

Another Piece of Flooring on Front Section

Getting closer! 🙂

We are grateful to the Lord for granting the supplies, and the physical ability to work!

— David

The Orchard – Winter 2016 – Fruit Tree Pruning

February 9, 2016 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

January rolled around, and although I got a bit of a late start, it was time to get out and prune the fruit trees! This year, I needed to do all of the ones older than probably a year or two at most, whereas last year I only did the biggest ones.

Here is what it looked like before:

And then, after about three weeks of getting out there in the mornings, here is the after picture. I hacked them up quite a bit…hopefully didn’t overdo it:

And here are some of the leftovers, which I think once dried out will make good kindling for the wood burning stove!

Winter 2016 Orchard Pruning Leftover Branches

There are obviously many spiritual teachings and lessons in the Bible that are agrarian based, including trees and taking care of them. While in pruning the tree is cut back, it is a necessary process for the success of the tree. It is the same spiritually, and the Lord prunes the trees of our hearts, which is often painful, but necessary for His fruit to come forth. I mention more in detail about this spiritual example in last year’s pruning blog post, and I encourage you to take a look at it.

We are thankful for God’s lessons in His word, and to be able to experience them and better understand them when actually living the “types” (or physical realities) of the “antitypes” (or spiritual fulfillment of them). And we pray the Lord might grant the increase from the bearing trees this year, in accordance with His will, as we pray He bring forth His fruit in our lives!

— David

The Barn – Update IV – The Loft – Update II

February 1, 2016 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

It’s been some time since I’ve done some work on the barn loft, and I had new materials waiting in the wings for 8-10 months, but finally, I recently started adding a new section!

Since the end of the previous section had full 2×10 inch (the size of the joists) cross blocks in place, the plan was to use 2×4 inch boards to cross block new sections next to the full-sized cross blocks:

And here are the next seven joists in place:

Another View of Barn Loft Next Floor Joists in Place

I thought it best to work my way out from the previously-built section without blocking and attaching the far end of the new joists so that I could square the joists with the plywood flooring as I went. Also, I used a bar clamp to pull together and straighten the torqued joists:

Adding Barn Loft Floor Joist Cross Pieces Using a Clamp

And here’s the first line of cross blocks:

First New Barn Loft Cross Pieces in Place

I also added an extra 2×4 board behind the first joist to just give a little more support under plywood that would extend past the joist next to the barn wall:

And here is the section completed with the materials I had, including the second line of 2×4 cross blocks and the far 2×10 cross blocks in place. I decided not to attach that far end to the beam yet to continue to try to make sure the floor stays square as I Lord willing add more plywood over time. This is where our new guest Trina spends the nights 🙂 :

Next Barn Loft 8 Foot Section in Place with Plywood Flooring

As always, we are thankful to God for granting provisions to continue on the homestead!

— David

The Sifford Sojournal

Page 42 of 93

Garden – Spring 2016

A House – Update XL – Kitchen Counter & Sink, & Birdhouse 2

Musical Roosters

Garden – Winter 2016 – Update I

The Barn – Update V – The Loft – Update III

The Orchard – Winter 2016 – Fruit Tree Pruning

The Barn – Update IV – The Loft – Update II

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