Alchemy

     Often think substance transmutation Swett Lodge spawns/requires: alchemy.  Gather folks cast offs, sift, repurpose, refine: works.  Scrappin' neighbor cleans up estate, carries away beaucoup metal; first trip his trusty Toyota pickup ride along, check out sixty year resident/home builders stash: gotta BIG truck return.  Estate manager on her way out coming back with Chevy, start loading; she sends upstairs house, collect lumber there (too!), discover Kirby attachment hose: this clean out meant to be.  Number hours later she returns to lock up, just finish humongo truck load: didn't expect, didn't get multiple load time.  Slowly begin couple mile homeward.  Course 'snot a party 'til the cops come: stopped, overloaded prairie schooner longest board six feet beyond photo's red flag (far right) location.  Think copper stopper returning from official biz or ??: unmarked SUV, patrol car following - couldn't ignore heavily loaded, excessively long, slow moving vehicle impeding traffic.  Check license, reg, scold, admonish 'shorten, further secure' (DONE shortly thereafter!) sent on my way: John law close call - whew!

     Abundant root crop harvest ready travel prior; St. Vinnie's procure potato peeler; peel, wash, shred few small yellow flesh turnip, crimson ruby beet, snow white - not yellow, news to me - rutabaga; opened brown paper bag covered kitchen 'table' spread: Oregon arid summer weather perfect root crop dry test. 

     Truck loadin' played, crawling 'round decades undisturbed estate garage attic extra grungy, couple weeks hence Thursday am surface filling teeth enamel above receded gum (many), Wednesday shower day shift.  Receive electric permit expiration notice, possible work incomplete penalties, mull action course.  Truck groans couple more days.

     Afternoon sort: firewood by truck, plywood various thickness piles under tree, lumber yard bound toward Swett Lodge, big thin plywood sheets garage lean: quite a load all spread out, some already stashed.  Neighbor does, doesn't, does want particle board house lean sheet as bed support - whence it came: great -

clean out garage accommodate new plywood arrivals.  Dry, size sorted, leaned: not much point having around if ya can't get to it when ya want it.  Note load topper unopened red/blue roll six inch batt fiberglass insulation (left) peaking from storage behind soon to be mounted freebie back storm door: keep it comin'!

Load's big 'lumberyard' donation after plywood: stack beautiful 1x boards including couple sixteen foot 1x12s.  Lumber yard chock full: work ready.

Circle saw dice firewood - boards, boxes, pallets, planters, broom handles; brush, furniture, wood odds 'n ends neighbor donated; cat piss luan plywood roof annex firewood shanty.

Pretty country from this side: ex storm door support.  Got wood!

     Dry test resoundingly successful: production.  Harvest couple baggies, turnips (right, keys for scale);

cut away bad stuff - thoroughly for eating, more so storing;

peeler shave; set 'em dry.  Two day process - day one up to/including dark red beets, day two corn rowed beyond - may munch raw, stew/soup add.  Sure neighbors see Dan/whack job - reciprocated - garden grazing all hours, drying stinky old roots: we'll see who's eating phat, laying for the wait, lonely winter!  Remember: turnip, rutabaga, beet have millennia longer western gastrointestinal relationship than 500 years potato western diet introduced after '92 (fourteen), Columbus sailed ocean blue - spud's a new world crop.  Compatibility?
     Gardening feels alchemical: all manner fruit/vegetable scrap, wood ash, leaves, lime, excrement; sweet, nutritious food become.  First crop near in, soon begin fall planting: roots more!

     Arrive at connect house wiring code compliant - though work will have to be redone as it passes through rotten perimeter joist - path of least resistance.  Get out waiting 2 1/2" Forstner bit;

bike to Kate's; assist major electric lawn mower idiot switch reassemble; borrow half inch drill; careful measure; remove couple near hole area siding nails; drill small pilot/test hole; Forstner bit grind through exterior siding, perimeter joist under new Swett Lodge 200 amp electric service year ago some dude (moi) installed; hand saw, glue PVC: complete electric wire pathway into crawl space including removable cover elbow.  Shy wire, arrange Monday afternoon delivery contractor's stock liquidation 250' roll 2/12 romex wire - good to go for a while - jury rigged yellow wire run through window, kitchen, window; ready wire through PVC

into crawl space, through joists, into wall space by kitchen window replace.  Vintage setup: two fabric covered 14 gauge - by today's standards very light especially whole house power - second fabric sleeve protected, badly drilled siding holes emerge (upper right above yellow patch), meter/house supply connected.

Pry window trim up; gingerly remove small hole butchered siding piece in splinters; keyhole saw, chisel 2x4 inch box hole siding just below; salvage remnant replace splintered siding.

Think leave siding piece loose, inspector can see intact cloth double sheathed, discreet ceramic post house supply wires go into - once completed -

non abrading blue plastic junction box red wire nutted together; garage wire disconnected/garage retracted 'til further notice; weather proof cover sealed, now wire's available.  None too soon: inspection Thursday - under house, drill hole into stud space, fish wire from blue box, drill/wire through joists into circuit box - fulfill code.  Raw material transmogrified.

     More alchemy: previously known as hot house; no enclosed back porch, through house breeze, ventilated/insulated attic ameliorated; Swett Lodge mighty pleasant sere outside.  Wonderful cool night breeze; garden produces, garners raves like mad; people donate building materials/heat wood: OR growin' on me like fungus.  Soon duck like: crave moisture!

     Next couple weeks travel prepare: notable items here.   

Peace.