Basil Harvest

I have 7 flower pots of basil on our deck.  Kevin and I both snip leaves in passing just for a quick pick me up. This morning, I harvested them and made a pint of Pesto! Yum!  Also from the garden I picked marigold heads for drying…love this tea either hot or iced!  Ought to have saved some basil leaves for tea............

~Cheryl

P.s. Picture is aftermath of harvest.

Green Mill Extension

The steel came in yesterday. This morning the transformation began. The additional ten-foot is in place. Ready now to cut the rafters, top and bottom plates for the walls.

The rainbow of colors you see are simply for protection from the weather. It seems no full cans of spray paint were found in the shop.

~Cheryl

P.s. Yes, Kevin wears blue shirts a lot. He is a volunteer fire fighter for our community this is one of his multiple VFD shirts.

The Cant Hook

Our son Arthur demonstrates our latest tool.

From the scrap iron collection using his welder Kevin built this “Cant Hook”.

This is used to move the logs and turn them into position for the ‘Green Mill’.

~Cheryl

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Cant—"A square-edged timber or a squared log."

Cant Hook—"A form of lever for canting over, or turning, timber, consisting of a wooden bar with an iron catch, or hooked arm near its lower end which passes over the log, grips it, and so affords a hold by which it may be pulled over. Also called a cant dog."

Peavey—"A lumberman's cant hook having a spike at the end of the lever."

From: Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition

Courtesy: http://www.ruralheritage.com

Board Cut Update

Good Morning!!

Kevin cannot seem to stay away from his new toy!  The 'Green Mill' continues to amaze and work for us.

When I caught up with Kevin around 4.30 this is what I found.

Framing Count Down Board Cut Update is now valued at $250.00

~Cheryl

Framing Package Countdown Commences

Using logs from local fall off our Count Down begins.

Framing package $3000.00

Boards cut to date:  $138.00

It has always been our dream to design and build our own home.

With the foundation poured and cinder blocks laid to form the back 2 walls, the framing package has taken us on a different journey.

We’d had trees milled into boards in the past. Now we have the capacity to do it ourselves.

Our ‘Green’ mill.

The chunk of wood on the mill is called a cant.  The boards are cut from this.

Also note the red and gray swing set frame behind the mill covered with a tarp that keeps freshly cut lumber weather safe until it is transported to the drying stacks.

Kevin is currently enhancing the mill to accommodate cutting board lengths up to 20 feet.

~ Cheryl
Kevin is also going to make some modifications such as a power travel and power up and down, pushing that thing all is quite the chore...

~Kevin