This Week at Hermit Haus: October 28, 2015

Sue Ann posted an update on how we are progressing in our Hermit Haus business. Our marketing materials, including our Facebook page, are progressing.

It Rained

Once again, the rain chains were overpowered. Need more chains or a different solution. I forgot to mention that Jaime installed the mesquite mantle. Suna has it decorated for Halloween.

I need more pallets and a better way to get to the garage. The front pond is full and cleaner after the deluge.

But I’ll know my song well before I start singin’

And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard

It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall

—Bob Dylan

I don't really know how much rain we got since the rain gauges overfilled, but we have at least 7 inches over the last two days, and it's still raining. If it had come earlier, we might not have had the cigarette induced grass fire earlier this month. But it is what it is.

Once again our climate model held up: mainly drought broken by flood. The front pond was low enough to capture all the runoff, so the dam wasn’t breached this time. But the ground is very soggy. I spread a bunch of pallets between the garage and the front porch. I could use a couple more. At the height of the rain, they were just tall enough to keep our feet out of the water.

The ponds are all full again. The cattle will like that. The flow of fresh water also cleaned out most of the pond scum growing in the front pond.

 

Investing With Hermit Haus

This post was originally published on the Hermit Haus site on 2015-11-23. I should also mention that we don’t accept investments unless we already have an established relationship with the investor.

I am excited to say that people are already asking how to invest with us. I'm humbled. We've put together a little package that explains the whole process for you, and you can download it for free and with no obligation. At this point, we won't even know you're looking at it. You can find the booklet on the "Investors" page. Please check it out.

Helping our investors make money is just one of the ways we help people. We also help stress-out owners solve their real estate problems and improve our community by redeveloping distressed properties into homes to be proud of. If you know of someone we can help, please let us know.

Cowgirling

Suna helps Ralph with the cattle.

[Q: If three identically-dressed men are in a pickup, which one is the real cowboy?]

“The real cowboy’s the one in the middle

He ain’t there just by fate

Cause first he don’t have to drive

And then he don’t have to mess with the gate”

—Michael Martin Murphey

Ranch life has been really good for Suna. He love of animals encourages her to get out there and learn all about working cattle and dealing with horses. Not to mention that she knows every bird around here by name.

Today she’s out helping Ralph with the cattle. Her own description is that she looks very “rancher-ish.” She may still be more hat than cattle, but it won’t be long now.

 

Smoking Kills Others

The local volunteer fire department helped put out the fire. Photo by: Suna …can prevent grass fires. Photo source: Wikipedia

Here’s the field still smoldering. Photo by: Suna

Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette

Puff, puff, puff and if you smoke yourself to death

Tell St. Peter at the Golden Gate

That you hate to make him wait

You’ve gotta have another cigarette

—Merle Travis and Tex Williams

Here is more proof that second-hand smoke is more dangerous that smoking. Someone threw a lit cigarette out while driving down our road. It got the neighbor ranch pasture on fire. Our contractor spotted the fire. Ralph says he didn’t do anything about it except talk, which really upset Ralph.

Authorities were called and neighbors alerted. Cathy took care of the horses. All are well. Their house and cabin are fine. All in all, more than a dozen acres burned. That’s a lot of fodder for the animals that will now have to come from somewhere else. But it could have been worse.

Ever since the drought started, there have been lots of fires around here. We’re finally getting some rain, but we’re not safe yet.

Please, if you smoke, extinguish your butts! Don't burn your neighbors’ houses down. As one commenter on Suna’s Facebook page said, “Don’t be a butt.”

 

Appliances Going In

Installing the refrigerator Suna wanted a wine refrigerator in the kitchen. There’s a big one in the storm room.

“That oven is heavy. Let me think about this for a minute.”

Jaime and his son are hard at work installing the kitchen appliances. I think the hardest one is going to be the refrigerator, which is designed to fit inside a cabinet. Once it’s in, we can install the cabinet panels that will make it invisible.

I am glad the granite is tough because it is certainly being challenged, as you can see in the photo.

In Other News…

Suna is a member of a blue heeler group on Facebook. One of the other members read of Stella’s tragic accident and contacted her. She said her bitch had just pupped, and she offered us one of the two pups. It is an extremely sweet offer, but I’m not sure I am ready for another dog—especially one that will look a lot like Stella.

 

Progress on a Number of Fronts

Rose is almost playing with Brody. Persistence pays off, just like in business.

The TV is up in our living room. Never mind that we’re still using lawn furniture.

We’re making progress on our marketing. Russell set up a website at hermithaus.com. We’re figuring out how to set up our credibility pack—the publication that tells all about Hermit Haus Redevelopment and why you should want to do business with us—in different pages. It will also have a new blog so we can talk about ourselves as nauseum there.

Jeff, Mike, and Martha enjoy our back porch. It’s clean for a change. Photo by: Suna

Debbie gave us a set of mugs promoting her new CD. Photo by: Suna

We had more company today than we usually have in a … well, ever. Jeff and Debbie came out and brought us mugs that promote her new CD: Suite Journey. Mike and Martha came out just to visit.

It was great having company. We talked. We hiked. We talked. We drank. We talked….

 

Potty Humor

Look how Mail abbreviated “Association.”

Funny is where you find it.