I recently picked up a load of sawdust to use as bedding in the coop this winter. My trailer measures 4’x8’ and was filled a bit more than 4’ high. Thus, the load has a volume of close to 5 cubic yards. In past years, a similar volume of wood shavings has been sufficient for […]
For the last two weeks, work has continued, quite unsteadily, on the extension to the outer shell, or “mantle,” of the biomeiler. Over these two weeks I have grown increasingly pleased that I decided to make only an upgrade and did not attempt a complete rebuild of the pile. The second trailer load of shavings
Biomeiler Mantle Extension Complete Read More »
Since the last post, I have been working steadily on the extension to the outer shell, or “mantle,” of the biomeiler. The mantle has the geometrical form of a ring with an inner radius of 3’, an outer radius of 6’, and a height of 28”. As such, it has a volume of 195 cubic
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Building the extension to the outer core of the biomeiler followed a procedure nearly identical to that which I described in my last post. I began by clearing away the insulating layer of wood shavings. Next, I attached the perimeter fence. Lastly, I filled the extension with alternating layers of used chicken litter and thatch
Biomeiler Outer Core Extension Read More »
Today, nature provided me with a cool, crisp fall day, with a clear blue sky and I decided to enjoy the day outdoors. So, shortly after finishing the morning chores, I set myself to the task of extending the inner core of the biomeiler. The first step of the operation was to clear the insulating
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Last year, we had a long, gently-cooling fall season which lulled me into complacency to the point that I took too much time with the biomeiler construction, finishing it in below-freezing temperatures. This year, the fall season is cooling at a markedly greater pace. The weather forecast suggests that, even today, if I were to
The 2025 Biomeiler Project Read More »
The period of unhurried color change in the leaves has come to an end. In the last few days, the leaves have swiftly transformed from the greens of summer to the yellows, oranges, and reds of fall. As the local climate has changed, so have the colors. We now have much more red in the
In Alaska, we are blessed to have many beautiful mountains to look at. When I see a nice view I often take a picture, hoping that it will turn out nicely. You only live once. Unfortunately, all of today’s pictures were taken with my cell phone. My Canon camera would probably have done a better
The Looming Effect Read More »
Today was a particularly pleasant fall day and Melissa and I resolved to enjoy it by spending some time outdoors. So, we visited our distant lot to check on conditions and enjoy ourselves. We are fortunate to have low-bush cranberries growing wild on our lot. They are ripe at this time of year and, although
Today’s main image is a picture of the empty concrete slab of my back porch. It lies wonderfully unencumbered for the first time since last fall, giving me temporary relief from the irritation of the local entropy. When I bought the house, it had an apartment in the basement with a 1970s-era avocado colored refrigerator
Nothing to See Here! Read More »