Second Conundrum: This lot is soaking wet!

Hobbit calendar for February: Bilbo Baggins outside his front door smoking a long pipe just before Gandalf arrives to ask him to go on an adventure. I picked up a long pipe from some smokeshop online. It worked pretty well but I didn’t like the tobacco I had. I tried two different kinds but neither of them had the smell I was looking for. Not that I’m a smoker but if you’re going to build a Hobbit house you have to kind of play the part a bit. Don’t you? You’ll know Longbottom Leaf or Old Toby when you smell it and then you’ll wish you had a long pipe too. I’ll have to practice my smoke rings come the spring!

It might not have been obvious from the pictures I’ve posted so far but the property is encased on two sides by very steep hills. When it rains all of the hillside water comes racing down and runs across the property and into the stream. (One of the neighbors told me it also quite frequently ran right through the house, down the stairs and out the front door!)

Steep hill that forms the eastern border of the property. This hill wraps around towards the north and goes right around the existing house.
Steep hill that forms the eastern border of the property. This hill wraps around towards the north and goes right around the existing house.

So what we have when it rains is a soaking wet yard and building lot. This will not do.  Hobbits as we all know enjoy their comforts and squishing through mud on the front lawn is not comfortable.

So, quite naturally, the next thing on the agenda was to build a curtain drain to divert the rain water around the yard and into the stream. I had a hauling contractor drop off about 40 tons of 3/4 crushed stone and rented a small excavator and a skid steer machine. So one Saturday the boys and I dug a trench,lined it with filter fabric,put in a 6 inch diameter perforated pvc pipe,backfilled it with stone, covered it with filter fabric and put a 2-3 inch layer of stone on top of the fabric to finish it off. We did about 250 feet of curtain drain that day and it works really well. Below are some of the pictures from that day.

Digging the curtain drain
Digging the curtain drain
Installing the fabric.
Installing the fabric.
Trench backfilled and covered with stone.
Trench backfilled and covered with stone.
PVC pipe runs to daylight and into stream.
PVC pipe runs to daylight and into stream.

Second conundrum solved! Next post: Demolition plan!

The name of the stream I was looking for in the last post was called Nimrodel. Named for an Elf princess who had once dwelt beside it. The waters of the stream are said to refesh tired travelers and are also said to contain the voice of the singing Elf princess.

Hoping to post again in the next week or two.Take care!

Jim

2 thoughts on “Second Conundrum: This lot is soaking wet!”

  1. Sharon: What a nice message you sent! I’m glad you like the blog.I hope to post again this weekend. It sure sounds like you have a lot going on down there. I’m glad you mentioned how long things can take. This has been a problem for me as well. I thought for sure I would have started the foundation by now but, alas, I am still waiting on my permit approval. Good luck with all your projects it sounds very interesting. Send some pictures when you can.I am not very good with computers so I have my wife and chidren help me. Thanks for following along.

    Best wishes,
    Jim

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  2. Hi Jim, I will be following your adventure. I am a 59 y/o disabled Vietnam Veteran. I live in south/central Mexico. My farming community is under 2000 pop at 6860 ft elevation. We are in the high desert. The weather is awesome in winter mid to high 70 in daylight 38-50 at night. I have allot of projects all going at the same time. I have 4 properties. One I built a store and restaurant still a work in progress but supporting us. The adjacent property we are going to put pigs,rabbits,steers, sheep, chickens, and goats. This is temporary till we have the river rock Castle walls finished on the actual farm. Right now we plant alfalfa.I’m hoping for a horse but we will probably end up with a donkey. Our road just opened it was closed for a year. I was getting used to al the donkey cart traffic! The farm land will take time to prepare. In April we will be planting the orchard and laying out the potager as a labrinth. The perimiter of the property will actually look like a castle with turret towers in every corner. I hope to be making a Hobbit house for me and other tiny magical cottages along the river for my family and workers. I will eagerly follow your progress. We have no permit regs here. The only rule is to keep the roads open for traffic. When I figure out how to post photos I will send some along. It is slow going here, if they promise you a week it will be three months. It is something I’m having a challenge to accept! More money doesn’t speed up the workers in Mexico, that would just be an excuse to celebrate! These are the most celebrating people I have ever known! We had 5 festivals this month alone! Hope to see your next post! Sharon & Damien ( my trusty service dog)

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