Tiny House News on Yahoo.com

BIG Big news posted over on Yahoo.com by the Associated Press that outlines the expanding interests in Tiny Houses and the people who are joining in the movement.  Although I don't really consider this a movement as much as a tiny hobby that seems to be getting bigger and bigger.

The leftovers are gone

Thanksgiving has gone into the record books and the turkey hangovers are distant memories.  Most of the leftovers ended up in the cook pot for a fantastic turkey vegetable soup that warmed us all weekend as we ran in and out of the house working on winterizing projects.  We needed the extra boost received from the hot soup because Saturday's weather was less than friendly for being outside.

Ready for the next holiday

Thanksgiving still hung in the air like the smell of roasted Turkey and pumpkin pie and we turned our attention to the next family gathering. Black Friday settled with the thump of stuffed shopping bags retrieved from the local mall, I say local but the reality is about 50 miles off, and the mixed containers of Christmas decorations seemed to materialize from their hiding places. The stockings hung, jalapeno Garland draped, and the chrome tree assembled; Christmas was in full decoration, inside.

However, the hanging of the lights remain. Aarrrgggg! I like to make a bigger fuss than is justified but it is my contribution to the traditional ceremony of celebratory trimmings.

So, we're almost ready and it is appreciably cold enough to freeze my hands as I hang the outside decorations today. Happy Holidays everyone!

Let's get out there and freeze, er...ahem..., make it a great day!

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Slowin' down

I don't know about y'all but I feel life slowing down for the holidays.  And that seems contradictory to what I have been expecting because usually it seems that we feel the pressure of the holidays pressing in on us and just want to run away and hide, like in a Tiny House.  (Maybe that's part of the allure of a "Hideaway" like a Tiny House?)

When scavenging, if you snooze, you lose...

and that's what happened to me this weekend.  I'd blame Silas, my grandson, but he's so little that it seems so very wrong to blame him.  Even if he could talk (he's only 15 months old an still learning verb conjugation and syntax; to talk) I'm not sure that placing blame on Silas would be credible since he wasn't driving (good thing) and he couldn't actually stop me from collecting a load of pallets that were available if I'da wanted to right then.  That's Silas with Chuck pictured in my post from yesterday.

Hangin out with Silas

Just out back with Silas and Chuck the cow. Silas wants to call Chuck, "Guck."  Silas is visiting for the weekend and he loves to help feed the animals.  Chuck thought Silas was something to eat, but Chuck thinks everything is something to eat.  We stopped Chuck from eating Silas...

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Designing: Two doors, or not two doors?

Laura and I have been discussing the idea of having two doors in our cabin/Tiny House.  This design issue presents a large number of questions that must be answered before the first board is laid down.  I like the idea of having two access points but I am even more enamored by the idea of having two exits.  I have been thinking a lot about this design issue for a few weeks and I keep turning it over and over in my head because of a number of issues.

The obvious problems became crystal clear to me as I was reading a blog posted by a fellow minimalist and blogger, Ryo Chijiiwa of Laptop and a Rifle.  I have been reading Ryo for some time and was reading some of his older posts when I came across a July 16th, 2010 post relating the details of a very harrowing experience that focus the light of attention like a laser beam on this issue.

Slow down during the holidays?

For most people, the holiday season from Thanksgiving through New Year's represents a hectic time.  Shopping, and work are combined with wrapping and running to create mayhem.  From partying at corporate dinners, family gatherings, and friends just hanging out, it can seem like an endless opportunity to simply over-stuff and over-book yourself into a time crunch corner.  Getting other things done like the of construction of a Tiny House can take a back seat to many seasonal social obligations.

Another aspect of the celebratory atmosphere with regards to Tiny Houses would be entertaining in a Tiny House.  Obviously, you won't be playing Twister.  But I would be interested to hear from those who do entertain more than one other individual at their Tiny House.  Now, of course it can be done, and most party games would be out of the questions.  Hey, even doing "Quarters" in such tiny quarters could be hazardous.  But I would be willing to bet that in some extreme Southern climes that outside events continue unimpeded by cold weather but in the Northern half of the United States, I would bet that one option, for hosting a Christmas or New Years party could be to invite guests on a rotational basis.  But, since I don't actually have a Tiny House yet, let's hear your ideas!  If anyone has hosted a party at their Tiny House, I'd be interested to hear how you managed the festivities.

Hey, thanks for stopping by.  Now, let's get out there and make it a great day!

Micro Hydro-Power Bucket

Yup, I have another post for today because this is simply too cool to let it go without showing you guys!  This project is a little expensive but you can build a back up power source for about $400.

I found this news on The Tiny Life blog where Ryan Mitchell has been sharing some really great stuff. Ryan lifted it from the Vancouver Hack Space and this video is just under three minutes but it looks pretty good.  Special thanks to Ryan and those people at the VHS.

As a side note, Ryan also has some great design ideas posted that enable someone to use all the space in your Tiny House.  Pretty creative.  I especially like the idea for the location of a tub, if'n I was going to have a tub that is.  Check it out!

Thanks again for stopping by.  Let's get out there and make it a great day!

Big Blow

Stanford, Kentucky recorded record wind speeds at 58mph last night as a sustained low pressure cell stirred up trouble for most of Central Kentucky yesterday and last night.  We had porch furniture flipped over when I arrived home from work and the welcome mat was in the front yard.  Our wind chimes were singing a staccato tune that was almost unintelligible.  All this adds up to some frightening news for the Dollar General Store employees in Stanford where the record wind speeds tore a large section of roofing loose at about 5:00 pm. (Video)

Tired of those pesky telemarketers always calling you?

I know that I have not been posting about my Tiny House like I had hoped I would and I know that if you come here to read about a Tiny House that you are probably getting pretty disappointed about not finding anything useful or fulfilling about Tiny Houses.  Sorry.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to make any real progress on my Tiny House plans because of the weather, deer hunting season, or lack of information relating to local regulations regarding the construction of a Tiny House here in Central Kentucky.  Although, I do have plans to meet with a local building inspector to get some first hand information regarding opportunities.

So, what about those pesky telemarketers?  Well, there is a service provided by the government that will prevent those creepy calls from every getting to you.

VirtualTinyHouseConference #3

There's another Tiny House Conference being hosted online to allow individuals interested in sharing ideas and gathering to find answers to issues and problems.  The conference is being hosted at Towards a Better Tiny House by 


This newest conference is titled VirtualTinyHouseCon #3 and is scheduled for Nov. 20 8 to 9 Pm Eastern Time.  You will need to sign in to participate but there is no software to download and it is pretty quick and painless.

I got my 1st deer

I have been hunting for many years and have hunted deer but I have never had a shot. Opening day, Saturday morning at about 8:00 am I was able to change that.  I said a silent prayer for this opportunity and am thankful for the blessing.  Although this is only a 4 point buck, it is exactly what I wanted because he will end up in the freezer and help to lower our grocery bill for the winter.  I was not interested in any trophy.

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Made in USA

OK, I'm don't normally "forward" emails.  The practice of forwarding emails usually bothers me a little, mostly because I figure if you have something to tell me that I would hope you'd take the time to call me or actually write me a note yourself rather that simply "forwarding" me something.  I confess that most of the time if I receive a forwarded email I just delete them.  Don't get me wrong, I'll glance at them but I won't actually read them because I figure if you couldn't be bother to type something about the contents, why should I be bothered..., that's just me being grouchy I guess.

Green stuff

No, I don't mean money, which is what I think about when ever I think of green stuff, 'cause, you know we all want more of the green stuff, money that is, to help assuage our financial burdens.

However, this is not about money, but rather about simple ways to act in a more responsibly green manner without impinging our wallet even more.  I sometimes read some of the posting about going green and advice that you find can actually cost you money instead of saving money and stuff.  So, when I was reading my morning news this morning and my "Life Goes Strong" newsletter included this article about simple ways to be more green, I felt compelled to pass this along.

Big weekend, gotta take 'er easy though...

OK, so I've been rattling a lot about Amazon and all that up in arms stuff about immoral or disgusting products and pictures and stuff they are selling.  Yuch!  But that's really just my opinion and of course you can form your own because we all have one and, well, you get the picture.  Anyway, this weekend in the opening weekend of modern rifle deer hunting in most of the state of Kentucky.  That means that there will be a lot of people going fully armed into the woods looking to shoot something.  So, don't let it be you.  By that I mean, be prepared and stuff.  Kentucky hunting regulations stipulate that all hunters need to be properly outfitted with at least a blaze orange hat as well as a blaze orange body covering above the waist.  That means a vest at least but of course the more orange you wear the more you are likely to be observed as not being a deer.  So, well, you get my point.  Maybe if you plan to go hiking in the woods during the next seven days, you might want to consider some special clothing that includes being seen.  And of course, take it easy...

This is a big weekend for many and I will be out there looking for a deer of my own.  While it may be an exciting opportunity to commune with nature and flex some testosterone filled muscles, I plan to take it easy too.  That was the one lesson that I learned from my dad while he was imparting gun safety as well as marksmanship. He would say, "this is supposed to be fun while keeping it safe, so have fun."  I'll be working on that as I apply some of my best Dudeist theology because, after all, the dude abides...

Hey, thanks for stopping by.  Let's get out there and chill.

More trouble for Amazon.com

Well, it's sad to say that Amazon has not found the strength of character to completely eliminate the entire volume of objectionable materials that they have been marketing.  I have not done an comprehensive search of their catalog of materials but a child advocate named Maureen Flatley did as part of her job.  Ms. Flatley reported in this article from my daily news feed from MSNBC that there are many products that Amazon and other retailers are promoting that are creating real problems.  So, I'm back on my boycott until Amazon cleans up their site and their act.  Too bad because I really like Amazon but I will not patronize a site that presents this type of disgusting garbage under the protective blanket of free speech.

Amazon rejects Pedophile's Guide

I wanted to update you on the news I told you about yesterday.  Amazon.com had been selling a Pedophiles Guide online and MSNBC reported a growing outrage to marketing of this ebook.  Well, MSNBC reports that they have removed it from sale and if you try to search for it you will receive an error message.  Thank you Amazon for this tough and responsible decision.

American Spirit

Kent Griswold has a very charming article posted on his blog site at Tiny House Blog from Walt Barrett.  Walt has written about his parents and their Tiny House.  This is an exceptional post that includes a You Tube video produced by Walt that includes a tour of his parents home; the house he grew up in as well as narrative about the construction of that Tiny House.

Walt has shared some very interesting and personal information about his parents that I believe personifies the American spirit of independence and fortitude.  Their strength and conviction have obviously been conveyed to their family and is displayed in Walt's presentation and intentions to support and help others.  I'd encourage you to visit Kent's blog and watch Walt's video.  I found it personally inspiring.

On this holiday, Veteran's Day, let's remember that it is this type of "stick-to-it" attitude that made our country great.  Walt's dad, like so many veterans, never accepted defeat and individuals like him continue to volunteer in service to our country.  I would like to say Thank You to each and every one of them for the gift of freedom that they have provided.  If you see a veteran, today or any other day, remember the debt that they have paid for each one of us.  You may not agree with the conflict in which they served, but the sacrifice they made in service, stands as a testament to the American Spirit.

Thanks for stopping by.  Let's get out there and make it a great day!

Amazon sells "Pedophile's Guide"

OK, Oh boy, am I fired up!  Here's a link to a news article posted on MSNBC right now about Amazon.com selling a book titled: "The Pedophiles Guide to Love & Pleasure."  This kind of crap has got to stop and I suggest that we stop it right here, right now.  NO ONE BUY ANOTHER THING FROM AMAZON.COM until they stop marketing this kind of crap!

With this in mind, I remember a movie that was playing in theaters last year called The Box.  This story was about a magic box that had a button which, if pushed, would provide an individual with $1,000,000.00.  Problem was that if you pushed the button, someone else would DIE when you get your million dollars.  Oh, don't worry, it wasn't someone you knew.  But the problem was that, well, you should watch this movie to see the catch.

Bottom line: If we continue to accept this type of marketing by Amazon.com we are actually pushing the button on another box.  Don't let anyone have that kind of control on you.  Choose to defeat this type of marketing and not support the promotion of this kind of sick publication.  Just stop them by not buying anything from Amazon.com until they stop selling this type of crap!

UPDATE: As reported on MSNBC, as of November 11th, 2010 Amazon has removed the Pedophile's Guide from their site.  Thank you Amazon for this decision.  I hope you can move fully toward this responsible decision in all matters and items of similar disgusting value.

Big Problems!

Well, I've uncovered a couple of problems for Tiny Houses proposed within the state of Kentucky.

First, the Kentucky Building Code, Ninth Edition, 2007, Revised March 2010, includes prescribed Occupant Load:

...the occupant load shall not be less than that

number determined by dividing the floor area

under consideration by the occupant as set forth in

Table 1004.1.1.

Just tryin' to chill, Dude, even in a Tiny House...

So, I was rifling through my huntin' gear this morning because I couldn't find my compass and being lost in the woods in the dark with a unknown number of individuals all fully armed and stoked on caffeine and wanting to shoot something tends to make me nervous.  So,... I thought,... if'n I had my compass, at least I could minimize the probability of getting lost.  Or, maybe not.  But at least I could feel prepared to be lost.  In any case, I was trying to be prepared.  So, I felt better about myself, if not about those others guys and gals tottin' guns and bein' lost.

Virtual Tiny House Conference

Event announcement:

Gregor Folouk hosts a blog called Towards a Better Tinyhouse that I check out regularly.  Greg has shared some very valuable information but he has decided to take sharing to the next level and host a virtual event in the form of an online conference for people interested in chatting about Tiny House subjects.  Greg's conference will have a number of chat rooms that will have a predefined topic for discussion as well as some open forum areas for individuals to share personal experiences and stories as well as ask general questions of those who already have experience in the Tiny House arena.

We got our cow

Well, actually, he's a steer now, but let's not talk about that, OK.  Makes me a little, ah-hum, uncomfortable. Anyway, "Chuck" will be living with us for about a year, but we haven't told him what happens after that because we don't want to upset him.  He may have an aversion to the freezer but that will be his destination none the less.  It's another way that we've discovered to be green and get a great price on beef.  This way, we eliminate all the Styrofoam packaging and plastic wrap as well as seriously cut our grocery bill for meat by more than half.  We did this two years ago but made a major mistake in calculations when we failed to get a replacement for the last calve that we feed up for slaughter.  So, we are out of freezer beef and buying regularly from the grocery store.  We won't make that mistake again.  I've only just made it in from the barn where we were making Chuck comfortable and getting a place ready for another load of alfalfa hay that we are buying from our next door neighbor.  You see, we don't have enough land to raise our own hay crop and carrying livestock as well but our neighbor grows a major crop of hay each year to sell to everyone around here.  By buying our hay locally, it's uses less gas to put into the supply chain and we help support someone that we know as a neighbor and friend.  It's a pretty good arrangement.  Thanks for stopping by.  Let's get out there and make a a great day.

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."

Taking liberties...

I debated about posting the following information because while I believe in referencing other blogs through the obvious employment of links I was not sure I wanted to reference something from so very long ago.  The post to which I am referring is from December of 2007 and was originally included as content on a Tiny House blog that I found while researching related links for building information.  I've taken the liberty to borrow the concept from Kevin and recirculate it here.

Now here's something you don't see everyday...

I was reading my daily email from Mother Earth News when I came across a reference to a book that may be of interest to many involved in Tiny Houses.

This book is titled Holy Shit, Managing Manure to Save Mankind by Gene Logsdon.  I looked this book up at Amazon.com and it is available from them as well.  It looks like it could be pretty good and a direct reference for those of us interested in maintaining a Tiny House off the grid, without connections to the giant utility companies.  You might want to check it out...

Thanks again for stopping by.  Let's get out there and make it a great day!

Windows

I went to pick up the free windows offered by a friend and found that I may not be able to use them.  Sadly, the casement was not included and I am not secure enough in my woodworking skills to be able to rebuild the window case/frame.  I bet that windows could prove to be one of the most expensive parts of a Tiny House.  I intend to investigate this more this morning but I would welcome any comments about this problem because I am still feeling afraid of these windows but also wishing that I could use them.  They include the wood frames around the panes as well as the spring loaded aluminum side tracks as the opening/closing mechanism.

Raining again

I feel like Eeyore from Winnie-the-Pooh because I feel like complaining about the weather, even when I know it will have no real effect and only make me sound like a whiner.  It wasn't supposed rain so I put one of the dogs in the outside kennel for the day.  She smell like wet blanket when we get home.  Yuck.  But she did ask to stay outside, so I'm blaming her, cause I can and she can't really defend herself.  Anyway, we are supposed to pick up our free windows today.  THAT will be no fun in the rain either.  So, this is my real reason for being critical or whiny, or whatever...BLAH!

I can still hope the sun will shine this afternoon.  I haven't checked the radar so it may.  OK, I accept full responsibility for my actions because I didn't check the radar before I made any of the above decisions..."stinkin' dummy rain...oh, well, I guess I'll just be wet, no one cares anyway..." (That's my best impersonation of Eeyore)


So, let's get out there and make is a wet and soggy great day!  And thanks for stopping by.

I've been offline

I contracted a viral infection that knocked me off my feet for a few days but I'm back.  I probably could have managed to only be out for one day if I would have taken better care of myself but I pushed ahead when I should have laid down and taken it easy.  Maybe some day I'll learn, but maybe not...

Anyway, I have an appointment to collect a load of used windows being donated by a friend who is remodeling their house.  This includes an excellent 32" exterior door with a window.  I think this is a rare find because most doors, particularly exterior doors tend to be wider, say about 36" and may be hard to fit into the end of a Tiny House or cabin.  This 32" model should be a perfect fit and I'm pretty excited to have scored it.  I'll see if I can get some pictures when I get them home.  Of course, I would have already had these treasures at home and safely stored away if I had been able to get out this last weekend to get them.  So, I missed my first chance and am feeling pretty lucky that my friends have been so accommodating as to hold on to these supplies for me.  Many places would have disposed of them if you're not on time to collect the pieces being offered.  I feel blessed with good friends like these.

Hey, thanks for stopping by.  Let's get out there and make it a great day!