I used my rock to make steps and some lawn furniture. I used some of the rock to make an outdoor fireplace. This is Daphne on her stone stanchion (last photo). I tape her tits to keep the little ones from getting the milk after they are 2 months old.
I built my house out of Oak lumber. I used some penta treated oak for floor joists, and above the rafters. So I need to vent it when I am inside to avoid fumes. I have a high/low venting system that works when there is a temperature gradient (different temps outside vs. inside). I use my trailer when there is no temperature gradient contrast. It is a 19' Yellowstone.
I put more solar panel on the SW side of the house (50 more watts). The new panel was glass covered, so I decided to keep it away from the roof (hail). The panel on the roof has a transparent silicone-like covering, so I'm not so worried about it. My total watts are somewhere around 70 watts. The actual output is somewhere around 3.8 amps continuous. I have a 4 amp regulator (13.8 volts) and it does not get hot.
At 3200 miles, one of the crank bearings spun on the crankshaft of my scooter (49cc, 2 stroke). The oil port to the bearing was not sufficiently large enough to keep it lubricated. I put in a new crank and bearings, after enlarging the oil ports to both crank bearings. I also removed the injector pump gears and oil reservoir, and decided to mix my injector oil directly with the gas; to get a more uniform lubrication (25:1 ratio mix). This way the oil can not gel in the cold, or be calibrated wrong by the pump. It has about 150 miles on the new crank at this point. Runs great! I also opened up 3 of the intake ports to the combustion chamber (drilled some holes through the lower piston skirt). Only 2 of the 5 were being used. I did not change the engine displacement. I wear a DOT motorcycle helmet, because I have shattered one on the pavement, going slower than I do on my bicycle (but I was on a motorcycle - hitting a dog).
I down-graded my pistol so that I have one to use in law-enforcement, if I get the opportunity. I traded my S&W 629 classic SS .44 mag. pistol for two new Hi Point autos (a .40 S&W, and a 45 acp). I picked up this law enforcement holster cheap at a pawn shop, and modified it to fit both the autos. I used a back cinch from one of my saddles for a belt. I use bicycle inner tubing to hold the extra clips on the belt. The clips feed consistently as long as I load them with only 6 rounds (like a speed loader). They shoot great! I can shoot a deadly group at 30 yards with either pistol. I use my gun-safe to prevent guntheft.
I found this 8' Kayak at a yard sale for $150. I found it to be hard to stabilize in the water, so I made some floats to strap along the sides. I used nylon straps that I picked up while biking back and forth to college classes, and 5 gallon buckets that I found as litter along the roads. It is very stable with these buckets along the sides. I can place all my weight on either foot, with the foot placed against the edge of the cockpit and it will not overturn. It adds approximately 35 lbs of lift to each side of the Kayak. It should be fun and safe to float the rivers in.
My 1520 cubic inch smoker (grill surface).
I used the door, handles, legs and hanger bolts out of a smaller Brinkman smoker. I put a thermometer from a Coleman stove-top oven into this 1520 cubic inch (grill surface) smoker. I welded 1/3 of another 55 gallon barrel onto the bottom of a whole 55 gallon barrel to serve as a fire box for the whole barrel above, a whole barrel that has a clamp-on lid. I made a total of 4 grills that are 22" diameter each, made from 1/4" wire (hog panels with 2" x 4" openings). I want to be able to catch a whole goat for jerky, when I need to reduce my herd. This way I can have small portions of meat to reconstitute with my pressure cooker as I need protein. I paid $21 for the whole barrel, and about $18 for BBQ/Wood Stove Paint. I had the bottom 1/3 already, along with the thermostat, hog panel and Brinkman smoker parts. As smaller 1250 cubic inch smoker runs about $195 at Wal-mart.
