Day: March 3, 2024đž
đŊī¸ Videos
If I do build that cabin … đ
I am thinking I would go all in for the rustic, early 1900s look when electrification was a new thing and buildings were often lit by a single bright light bulb hung from the ceiling with a wire with no fixture surrounding it, hung in the center part of the cabin near the wood-stove. There are so many great retro-LED bulbs, and it would so much like a poor cabin from that era when people had only a few electric lights. Plus very energy efficient to spread out the light over the majority of building, with only separate fixtures in the bathroom, kitchen, and then task lighting like table lamps by the rocking chair or next to the bed.
I was thinking I would do wood-plank style flooring, either over a post and beam floor or poured concrete slab foundation, to keep that rustic look, along with wooden shiplap and/or tongue and groove inside walls with the use of congregated steel in the bathroom and kitchen, and in front of the firewall where the wood stove would be located. I could certainly install those materials myself, and it would not only save money, but also put more sweat equity into the whole project. Plus, while I don’t hate drywall quite as much vinyl siding, plain drywall walls are so ugly, and far less sustainable then pine or even cedar shiplap or tongue and groove. Plus drywall is hard to keep from getting dingy with mud and muck I’m likely to track in from barnyard and hauling wood into the cabin, or the occasional smoke and ash from back-drafts and chimney cleaning. Plus then I could keep the scraps either for heat or bonfires out back. Burning hunks of shiplap in a bonfire out back with a cold beer is probably a hell of lot more fun then paying to landfill hunks of drywall. I guess you can chip and compost gypsum board, but they use fly ash in it which contains heavy metals. Yuck!
Fire safety people probably wouldn’t like the lack of walls in the center part of the cabin, and when I consult with the architect and town building inspector, I would have to figure out what the code requirements would be. Walls are good should a room flash over in a fire, as your bedroom could be closed off from the main section of the building. That said, having good smoke detectors and a nearby window for escape might be sufficient. I really like the idea of minimizing walls, outside of the bathroom, to ease heat dispersion from the wood-stove, simplify building, and be able to light more of the building using that single central light bulb. I want be warm in bed, even in the coldest nights. I don’t have privacy concerns, as I live alone and aren’t real interested in marrying anytime soon.
Hannacroix Creek
Do you believe in magic? With today’s weather it will feel almost magical đ
At least when we see the sun later on this morning. Going to be a nice, spring like day once the clouds part. Or so I hope. My shoulder is still sore and achy, like from the Lyme I got years ago now, but I am fine. I feel a lot better now that I got my initial ideas sketched out for my off-grid property and cabin, even if it’s just a sketch and years worth of work ahead. I certainly like it much better then suburbanite, high consumption crap covered with vinyl-siding that dominates the real estate classifieds.
Good morning! Happy Sunday. Mostly cloudy and 45 degrees in Delmar, NY. â There is a north-northwest breeze at 7 mph. đ. The skies will clear around 10 am.
I ended up opening the windows after heading to bed, đŠđ after I burned something on the kitchen stove cooking and it inevitably set off the fire alarm. đ It was actually nice sleeping with the fresh air, and I am feeling a lot better the past few days, thought still a bit achy. I think it also helped that I started to draft out what I really want when I own my own land and build my house, and the reassurance from others that it’s possible. It feels good to know I don’t have to be stuck in surburbia forever, and that the only option isn’t vinyl siding and drywall with a big natural gas boiler and a 3,000 square foot home full of things soon to be garbage with a big mowed grass lawn. 𤎠It is possible to build that off-grid cabin I really want for a budget I can afford. And on that note, đ´ suddenly I am sleeping better.
Today will be partly sunny đ, with a high of 55 degrees at 1pm. 14 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around April 6th. Maximum dew point of 47 at 12pm. North wind 7 to 9 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 40 degrees. The record high of 64 was set in 2002. 10.9 inches of snow fell back in 1994.â
On the list for today is buying the poster frames, đŧī¸ for the artwork to decorate my new office. Along with a brighter light bulb for the desk, maybe a candle warmer, and groceries for the week. đ My pantry is well depleted, I really need to get shopping. đ đ Amazing how fast food comes and gets eaten around this place. I think I must have a very big appetite, but some of it is lower calorie value of the food I eat so I end up eating more, especially after ride back and forth to work on my bicycle. âģī¸ I also need to return cans to get my deposit back and free up some space in the outside trash can.
Solar noon đ is at 12:08 pm with sun having an altitude of 40.8° from the due south horizon (-30° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 7 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour đ starts at 5:10 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (256°). đ¸ The sunset is in the west (262°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 5:48 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 56 seconds with dusk around 6:16 pm, which is one minute and 13 seconds later than yesterday. đ The best time to look at the stars is after 6:49 pm. At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies đ and temperatures around 54 degrees. The dew point will be 47 degrees. There will be a north breeze at 7 mph. Today will have 11 hours and 24 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 52 seconds over yesterday.
In the afternoon going out to see the family đ¨đŠđ§ and then over to my friend’s from Boy Scouts, to spend some time together, and learn what I can learn about how he put together his homestead outside of Greenville, rebuilding an old and vacant home. Now I’m thinking about building new, đˇâī¸ but I want to gain whatever insight I can in my options and what contractors he worked with the process with the town building inspector. đ§ The more I can learn about the process, the fewer costly mistakes I will likely make, or so I hope. For me, it’s so much about the money but living the life I want to live. đī¸đĨžđˇđ
Tonight will be mostly cloudy đĢī¸, with a low of 40 degrees at 5am. 18 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around April 22nd. North wind 3 to 6 mph. In 2023, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became light snow by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 32 degrees. The record low of -20 occurred back in 1950. I can leave my windows open again tonight! đŗ That’s great. I sleep so much better with fresh air.
Back in 1972, an airplane crashes in suburban Albany, off Holmesdale Ave in Albany (near Colvin Avenue and Washington Ave). Regional Carrier, Mohawk Airlines Flight 405 crashes as a result of a control malfunction and insufficient training in emergency procedures. đŠī¸ Also today in 1873, U.S. Congress enacts the Comstock Law, making it illegal to send any “obscene, lewd, or lascivious” books through the mail. đ đŦī¸ And in 1991, an amateur video captures the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers. đŽâī¸
Looking ahead, next Sunday is Daylight Savings Time đ when the sun will be setting at 6:57 pm with dusk at 7:24 pm (Daylight Savings Time). On that day in 2023, we had partly cloudy skies with snow showers and temperatures between 44 and 20 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 43 degrees. We hit a record high of 72 back in 1977. Before my time.
