My son and I placed the 1000 gal water tank, slightly dammed up the creek enough to draw water with the new pump and I put a new wood base on the 275 gal water tank. Just need to fix the valves and fill em up now. I only have to sex 6 more plants for the beds and 6 more for backup plants. I`ll be filling the water tanks and planting all the potted plants in the rows soon . Then I`ll start training for the scrog grow before my son comes back up to help me put in the screens. The plants are starting to branch out very well now so they should fill up the screens fast!

Valves are done and filling em up. This is going to take a while. Maybe all of tomorrow as well. I can only transport 150 gal at a time and at this point still using the 12 volt pump down at the creek so it needs to be charged in between each use. I have the 325 gal full to the brim and the 275 gal half full so once the battery is charged I should have it full and then start the 1000 gal in the morning. If I didn`t have to back up such a long way to the creek I could work at night but it`s just to easy to go off the road and down in the canyon. I don`t have a problem pulling out from the creek after dark as I`m pointed out anyway. Maybe two more loads today? I just want enough in the 1000 gal tank tonight to see that the fittings don`t leak.

I didn`t get the 1000 gal tank started. It took to long to empty the transfer tank and it needed re-secured in the truck. Also the 12 volt battery needed to be fully charged. I`ve gone to get water a few times and had it run down before getting the transfer tank full before and it`s a waste of time. I`m charging up the battery now and will try to get the tank full today but it`s a lot of trips to make at 150 gal a shot. one of the trips in the afternoon while charging up the battery I`ll look through the potted plants and see if I can sex some more of them. Sure would be nice to have them all sexed out by the time I have the tanks full so I can get them all planted and start training them. I`m going to take more sand bags with me and finish up raising the creek level for the gas Honda pump today also. When I do get to the point that the scrog is done I think I`ll take a breather! Except to water, fertilize, and tuck new growth under the screens. Oh, and start 6 more of the potted plants in rings at the front of each row, and...well maybe not!

I must be a wicked person cause I never seen to have any relax time until the Dead of Winter each year!` No rest for the wicked!`;-) I just hope all this investment and work pays off good this year! I got nearly $15,000 invested so far. Worried I won`t have a frame and plastic over the plants before rain this Fall or won`t have the dry shed done and will lose a bunch of my bud to rot. I could squeeze by with an other $1000 but I haven`t had time to have keys made for my motorcycle that I lost so don`t know I`ll be able to sell it in time. Also would really like to get a smaller RV for my son to stay in when he comes up as all I have for him and his two cats is a two room tent. But on the other hand I don`t like being in debt. I want to have a full grow without owing anything to anyone this year. Seems every year I lose some of my bud and most of the rest goes to toughs who loan to me for the grow. I`ve been working my ass off ,mostly for other people it seems! Well I did pay off the 10 acres and had a road ruffed in to the creek so I guess it wasn`t for nothing! Just seems that way sometimes. This year I should have some left over to do work on the property!

I need to have it surveyed, Have a culvert put in over the creek and a level pad put in at minimum. I`ll have a time of it because before I can have the pad put in I need to fall , cut and split about 3000 cord of oak fire wood ! I`ll need help on that but I should make alittle on selling some of the fire wood when it is cured. I think it is selling for around $225 a cord cured and delivered around here , not sure how much it will cost to get it cut and stacked though. I may also need to have some of the cedar logged out where the pad will be made but I`m sure to find a logger that will do it for half of the proceeds. Maybe the same with the fire wood? I don`t think I`d get to far on ether job with my disability's! Hell after the road is in I may come out ahead ! I`ll need to save as much of the lodge polls as possible to fence the pad with and make a cover for the RV, chicken, rabbit, generator, tool and wood sheds also. I already have a bunch of metal roofing thanks to my Dad. So much work to get this place up and going! Wish I was younger and in better shape to do all the hard work! But this property will be worth it when it`s all done! Going to be a Organic Farmstead worthy of the cover story of Mother Earth News if it weren`t for being prop 215 friendly !

First the dream, then the plans, then the opportunity, next the work , then live the dream !

Seems out of proportion if you ask me! Should be 70% dreaming, 20% planning, 8% opportunity, 2% work, 100 % enjoying the dream !

markscastle said:

Seems out of proportion if you ask me! Should be 70% dreaming, 20% planning, 8% opportunity, 2% work, 100 % enjoying the dream !

Click to expand...

I like the way you think.

Seems I`m the ranch and farm manager, CEO ,would have you. Just no crew working shifts. well I got two dogs doing security and two cats doing pest control. They just work for chow though.

Hey you got your land paid off? That is awesome. Big step toward being self sufficient, definitely. If you hit your goal of 100 units this harvest maybe you won't have to worry about money next year or taking loans from toughs as you put it . . Even at the pathetic prices people get down there for a unit 100 units is big money!! And if you get together even a fraction of those 3000 cords of wood cut and sold that is another big chunk of change. As long as you can keep the damned rippers off your back this year things will work out for you. Think your son will be able to camp out at harvest with a rifle to make sure nobody bothers your buds?

Oh there`s still the rains, rippers and pests to consider! Only thing so far has been a few grasshoppers though. Yep the land is paid off and the road is ruffed in to the creek. But the canopy from the tall, thick oak grove makes much of the area where I want the pad dark as night. It just seems it will be forever getting this property going. So, so much work to get done and I want so bad to be doing serious breeding projects!

Land prices around here have gone sky high and yet there always seems to be a jeep from a real estate agency showing property off near by. I really don`t like so many people way out here all the time. So far every property that`s been sold has been to people who grow. I need to get off into my property before to many people move in around me! About 8 growers have moved in but only 2 have made a go of it because there isn`t much water up here. I have a year round spring and small creek but most of the land up here is dry. You can have water delivered to your tanks at enormous cost or put in a well starting around$ 15,000 plus solar pump. I don`t think I`d make it if it weren`t for the creek and having the road open to it. Every creek around here is on private land and blocked off that doesn`t run dry in mid summer! My water comes out too cold to use without warming it awhile but it`s clean and free running.

My son is going to lose his apartment soon as he doesn`t have an income after the loss of his job. He has a bad back so not sure how much help he will be but he will provide security. He`s worked security for the Chargers NFL team, the Winter Olympics, and even the Prince of Darkness him self, Ozzy ! So he knows what he`s doing with regards to security but doesn`t have any experience growing. I`ve tried to show him but he just doesn`t have a green thumb. Takes more after his Mother who loved to smoke the ganja but couldn`t grow a house plant to save her life.

Got the water tanks filled now. May start planting the potted plants tomorrow. Then time to drench them with water ,B1 , and willow tea, re-drench them with guano tea and earth juice in the water. Next time to start bending and tying them with string so I can put up the nets for the scrog grow. I`m excited!

Got 2/3`s of the rows planted,18 more potted plants to go! I`ll also need to refill the 325 gal tank. Everything was watered with B1 in the water. It`s getting hot so may just get water later and finish up planting in the morning? Thinking tomorrow I`ll take more pictures.

Well I didn`t get water yesterday so that`s the plan today. I also won`t be planting the rest of the potted plants because when I watered they were to dry so tomorrow. I didn`t sleep well and as a result woke up late this morning. Yesterday evening was spent doing house keeping chores and watching dvd`s. I got my chores done for the day and will take a much needed shower then try to get ahead on the water. I`d really like to have the extra water to spray down the dusty RV and all around it. I`ll also need extra water to saturate the garden as soon as the plants are all in the ground. Going to use the 12 volt pump and a hose and water wand on them. pictures as soon as all the plants are in the rows! It`s going to be a hot one today, I can already feel it.

I did manage to dig the 18 holes to plant the potted plants in today. I`ll get one or two more loads of water tomorrow and get the RV dust washed off . Also there is a food give-a way some time tomorrow I don`t want to miss.

Got em all in now and waiting till later when it cools own to go for water again. The food give-a way was canceled for this month,Dam trying to stock up for when my son comes. Maybe he`ll have his food stamps going by then? I`ll take pictures tomorrow and post them (Maybe) I also need to go to town soon.

OK try again! These are pictures of the water tanks. I now have pressure via 12 volt pump!

OK don`t know what happened there! Here is the roofing and pictures of the shed that needs to be finished for drying.

This is a 45 gal tub with tea brewing. 5 lbs. worm castings,1 cup of seaweed,1 cup molasses, 1/4 cup foli-cal,1/4 cup Earth Juice micro-nutes, 3 lbs. bat guano grow. I`ll add the active bacteria and a air pump before using.

Dam a problem with windows cause windows to shut down and reopen this page! I`ll try again!!! this time less pics per page.