Space Environments Ecovillage/20010310

Richard Crews  wrote:


 * Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2001 17:48:22 -0800 (PST)
 * From: Richard Crews 
 * Subject: SEE report for 3/10/01
 * To: Gale 
 * CC: luf-team 

Hi, Gale,

Here is my SEE report for Saturday, March 10, 2001.

Today is my son’s 31st birthday. It is certainly a great pleasure to feel that -- with regard to my son -- I have done something in life really, really right.

I got your check for $2,212. Thanks, again.

Today I got an early start -- I was at the property by about 7 am.

I put in posts for the deck/stairs. There are now 6 in and 4 more staked out. Did I mention that the deck/stairs grew another (lowest) step? I decided that 8-10" would be too high for each step. Now they will be 6-8" each. There will be a total of 13 posts (not counting the future stairs leading to the future upper deck). I figure I can put in 11 of the posts now (before the mobile home is on the site). I now have 6 in and 4 more staked out. I won’t be able to do any more posts tomorrow since McCoy’s (the lumber supply store) is closed Sundays.

This is an excellent time to put in the posts since the clay soil is soggy. When it dries and hardens, I would have to use dynamite.

I also finished spreading caliche on the path from the parking area to the mobile home. Actually Travis (Vince’s 18-year-old sidekick who lives with Vince and Dawn) did most of the work. I gave him $30 for about 2 1/2 hours work Friday and Saturday -- he will > probably put in another hour tomorrow finishing > spreading caliche on the deck/stairs area. It is > back-breaking work: shoveling caliche into the > wheelbarrow, wheeling it 140 ft, dumping it, and > shovel-spreading it around. I was glad to have his > help, plus it works well into my "good neighbor" > program. > > I chatted with Vernon Ebner when he stopped by to > feed > his cows this morning. He gave me a check for $93 > (your credit) for 1/3 of the caliche for the road. > I > get the impression that Vince is planning to stiff > us > for his 1/3. Anyway, he’s out of work again and > really short of money right now. He was glad to get > the $100 to hustle Rebecca Shay (the wife of the > guitarist in their band) for the easement. > Apparently > she still feels very miffed at "that millennial > group" > about something in the past. The starting point in > Vince’s negotiations with her was, "The hell with > them > -- they can go talk to my lawyer." > > I met the mysterious horseback rider who leaves hoof > marks along the south property line every couple of > days. It is Katy, the 16-year-old (overweight) > daughter of Shelby whom I have met a couple of times > around Vince’s evening fire. They live to the North > by the windmill. I told Katy that she was very > welcome to cross the property -- that I have taken > out > some old barbed wire and plan to put no fences in > her > path. And that she (and Brandy, her horse) are > welcome to any of the fruit when it comes in -- I’ve > told that to any of the neighbors I discuss my plans > and progress with (another part of my "good > neighbor" > program).

Did I tell you about the wild dogs in the area? There is a pack of about 6 of them. They killed several of Vernon’s calves in the last couple of months. They stalked Shelby and growled at her one night when she was walking alone. They come in to try to get Vince’s dog’s food sometimes at night, and have cut her up pretty badly a couple of times when she tried to defend it. Vernon has killed at least one with a rifle. Shelby now carries a hand gun a lot and swears to shoot any of the wild dogs she sees. And Vince is waiting to get a good bead with his 30-30 (which will earn him a six-pack per carcass from Vernon).

It was a beautiful warm, clear day. I’m very pleased with the way things are going.

Cheers, Richard