Uhhhh no!  Honey yes.... milk... no.  We're thinking about meat goats as opposed to the dairy variety. I can't picture myself milking the goats every morning before the sun comes up. Whatever we get, I want them to be the kind of things that don't need daily supervision.  Taking care of the dog everyday is more than enough,


well said mate-dogs,chooks,vegies-that`s my life and with all those acres you will be busy just keeping it tidy.
 

Good luck with it all Herb.
 
Since nobody mentioned it I thought maybe it wasn't mentioned to you either by the home inspector-
 
If I were you before I started spending time and money on remodeling (as you mentioned) I'd take care of that fireplace if you plan on using it. Specifically starting with the chimney height. Not good the way it is if you don't already know.

soens

dcumpian

Guitarhacker

eph221
Kill Branch stream looks like a sewer, keep  the kids away from that!

No.... it's not... it's got weak tea colored water which is generally pretty clean stuff.... and it flows year round at a decent flow rate so it's as clean as a stream gets in eastern NC. You can see the bottom in most parts. It's part of the Neuse river water shed and has a 50 foot buffer on both sides.... to protect it.  No cutting of large trees or digging/excavating in that buffer.  We can thin the underbrush but that's the extent of it.  I plan to hike back to the second stream tomorrow and have a look at it. It flows into the one in my pic.

I live close to the Mattaponni River here in the Old Dominion and it has that same color. I believe it is natural from dead vegetation. The Mattaponni is listed as one of the cleanest rivers in the country, which would be why the Corps of Engineers want to dam it up and pipe it down to Norfolk for drinking.
 
Regards,
Dan

If they're big enough, I'd be highly tempted to set up a water turbine for cheap power. If not I'd get with a landscaper and create a little dam/waterwheel and say good by to the grid!

You would need some flow but, having been in an alternative energy startup for five years, I can tell you that hydro is the best for power!  Wind power is far more efficient than solar (at least with the current technology), but hydro has almost 1,000 times the potential energy of wind so a little can go a long way.

dcumpian
Herb,
 
What is the name of the wood borer bee killer you are sing? My deck is starting to look a bit swiss...
 
Regards,
Dan

Look for termite killer concentrate. Itkills termite, wood boring ant, and wood boring bees.   $20 for the concentrate that makes about 5 gallons.

Guitarhacker

dcumpian
Herb,
 
What is the name of the wood borer bee killer you are sing? My deck is starting to look a bit swiss...
 
Regards,
Dan

Look for termite killer concentrate. Itkills termite, wood boring ant, and wood boring bees.   $20 for the concentrate that makes about 5 gallons.

Thanks!
 
Dan

It's made by Spectracide.
 

 




"You would need some flow but, having been in an alternative energy startup for five years, I can tell you that hydro is the best for power!  Wind power is far more efficient than solar (at least with the current technology), but hydro has almost 1,000 times the potential energy of wind so a little can go a long way."


well said Craig-in the 70`s we lived in a valley with a small but reliable waterfall(approx 400ml per minute) and created a small rockpool dam with a 90mm outflow pipe which dropped vertically for 5m or so then into a 50mm pipe for 5m and finally down to a 5mm spray nozzle we directed onto the cups of a handmade brass Pelton Wheel(visually,a Ferris Wheel)which connected via a fan belt to a 12volt automotive generator and provided lights and radio for 3 households.
 
nowadays,as you know,the new teflon slider pumps work with minimal flow rates.
which brings us back to wave power-perpetual motion-that was supposed to be a no-brainer but i guess ,like solar and wind you cant dig it up or bottle it or really own it so there is no ongoing profit to be made so forget it.........
pardon my cynicsm
 
cheers

Holy crap this is an adventure! Well done!
 
Here's my unsolicited advice, from a fellow country dweller (I only have .5 an acre, not 20)
 
1) Build into your schedule a "day of rest" every couple of days. A day where you do no reclamation work at all. You will feel better, avoid the inevitable burn-out, and get more done in the long run.
 
2) you said "tear the siding off" and I agree 'cause I noticed your T1-11 looks pretty stained/ruined up top. whoa, just looked down, looks like the door frame is showing water damage. Whoa, just saw the screen/storm door. Whoa
 
3) when you are ready for the big fun, get some sheet metal for the goats:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58-atNakMWw
 
4) cozy up to your neighbor . . . it might be Slingblade
 
 
 
 
cheers,
-Tom

Congrats Herb! It's interesting to see how different people approach life. It'll be rewarding to have it all done I'm sure.
 That all looks like a lot of work to me :) Good luck with it!!