Author Archives: Joel

I love this generator. Power enough for any tool at any time and for as long as I need, right at the worksite! What a concept. I have electricity at the Lair, of course, but the inverter is only 600 … Continue reading →

I got lucky with one of my diagonal braces, having forgotten the 12′ 2X6 that’s been my “temporary” threshold for 10 years that had to come off to make room for the new porch flooring. It’s rather weathered for any … Continue reading →

Ben wins the TUAK elbow fitting of the Internet for today, with honorable mention to the numerous people who mentioned the one essential I completely neglected last summer: Diagonal bracing. I didn’t have anything at the bottom right to connect … Continue reading →

The cutting table has returned to the Secret Lair for the building season. Hopefully the last official building season, at least for the Lair itself.

It can, but it needs some help. By coincidence this particular can was a month past its best-by date, but that wouldn’t have mattered. The weak spot in the miracle that is Spam is the easy-open top, which can open … Continue reading →

…eleven months almost to the day after I built it. The last act of the floor this morning was to hold up the ladder as I took the facing boards off the vigas. The facing boards were only cosmetic but … Continue reading →

Remember that book kickstarter that was hoping to raise $25,000 in a month? Ian is already obligated to sign almost 700 books and this is only the second day of the month. At this rate that’ll be his new career. … Continue reading →

Some assembly required. The delivery guy was actually early. And he called at a rational time in his odyssey into the unknown*, and so taking delivery of the materials – the porch ingredients, plus some stuff for Ian’s Cave – … Continue reading →

I need new bread, but also need to keep the mid-day open to meet the building materials truck. So I think I broke all records this morning. Hurried the morning chicken chores while the bread dough was rising, and the … Continue reading →

Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles, 1866 – 2016 This is pretty definitely going to happen, since it’s been in production for years now and also because it is (at this moment) at nearly $40,000 of its initial $25,000 kickstarter … Continue reading →

I meant to say this earlier: With a nearly full water tank, the resting pressure at the Secret Lair’s sink is 18.5 PSI. Flow pressure is about 14 and a quarter. Now the trick will be to watch the tank … Continue reading →

I mentioned these before – they don’t bloom every year and I had about decided they wouldn’t this time, but I spoke too soon. There are several buds of which this is the first, not quite fully open. Wet as … Continue reading →

And now I must risk oversharing. Bear with me, this is sort of stream-of-consciousness. With any luck I’ll resist the urge to hit the Publish button. Most days I think of myself as a pretty capable guy. I can build … Continue reading →

This took…all the time. I have no idea why. No part of it seemed that hard. But I got home from town at 11, went immediately to work on the faucet, and I just now looked up and it’s 2. … Continue reading →

Did you know snake aversion training for dogs is a thing? It really is, and it’s as unpleasant as it sounds. Basically they show a dog a snake in a box. If the dog shies away from the snake, he … Continue reading →

On my way home from morning chicken chores I encountered this little guy… At first glance a bull snake, also called a gopher snake, can be mistaken for a rattlesnake because of its diamond pattern. But the bull snake is … Continue reading →

I have spent three hours crawling around under the cabin. I have a headache. I want beer and a sit-down in the shade. But I have completed the underfloor pipe insulation – now that it’s no longer winter. That was … Continue reading →

Okay, those pictures have finished uploading. Let’s give this a try. Landlady was here this weekend! And the big news in care packages was actually stuff I had ordered for various projects, often months ago. Two examples… I currently have … Continue reading →

In literal line of sight to the nearest cell tower. I’m thumbing this post out on my phone and that’s the reason for any inevitable typos. There is a care package post coming but for some meteorological reason unconnected to … Continue reading →

Landlady came up this weekend with care packages, including an unexpected gift from Big Brother. It has turned into a busy day but I spent a few minutes on the porch playing with the telephoto lens and it looks like … Continue reading →