Progress report:

Well, we're still moving dirt... though we have reached a new chapter in the manual labor saga; we've cleared off the entire top level to an even level. Of course, we've now decided that we have to go down another foot, but that won't be as hard as the first two and a half. Here you can see Melissa standing next to a section we decided didn't need removal, as it's really 'the front enterance/yard' rather than building site. We might change our minds about that, but the point is, you can see how much we had to dig down.




And where does all that dirt go, you may ask? check out my new 'flat spot/road to nowhere' that I've created to the south of our driveway.






Other progress includes the fruit trees and berries starting to come in strong. Here Melissa is checking our 18 strawberry plants. They're covered by leftover deer block fence, for the deer, but also the birds. This spot had a big bramble and scrap wood pile on it before I cleaned it up.

Solar oven underway

Thought I'd try and throw together a solar cooker today. Without much planning or gathering of materials, I took some foil and covered the inside of the only box I could find, threw the window in front of it, and put the blackened dutch oven in there. Almost immediately after I put it in the sun at 10am, the temp was up to 140. It climbed to 200 and stayed there. I've got pinto beans cooking now...

Wasabi planted

one long time goal has been to grow my own wasabi, just to have the real thing. Well, I finally ordered the little guys from a place in Seattle, and after they had a hard time in the mail to San Jose, I've got them in the ground. I think they're doing ok, as long as the deer don't step on them...

Pretty much just digging...

Here you can see how we've been removing dirt from the top/third level of the house site.... it takes a day to do about a 3 foot section from the edge to the 'wall'. That's why I haven't posted much else, as that's pretty much all we're doing.