SS Goals for 2010 and beyond . . .

[DrakeMaiden]

OK, I'm jumping the gun a little bit (it isn't quite the stereotypical time of year when we make goals for the upcoming year), but I thought maybe it would be fun to list projects that we all might want to do in the future, as time and resources allow. Some days my immediate goals seem overwhelming and it is easier to look down the road a little farther at thing I'd like to dip my toe into.

So here are some of mine:
1) get a ruminant, preferably one that produces milk and/or fiber
2) I'd like to build an outdoor wood-fired oven
3) some day I hope to keep bees
4) our biggest long-term goal is to build a small energy-efficient home

 

[big brown horse]

2010 already, wow.

Good Thread DrakeMaiden!

Build bigger, better and warmer chicken coop.
Have a barn built for horses.
Cross fence the pasture for optimal grazing.
Still want to make a ROCKET STOVE for outside. (Sounds easy enough.)
Add on to the veggie garden...what seemed so big when I built it now seems so tiny!
We have a small wood burning stove, I would love to get a larger one that doesn't take so much baby sitting!!!
Breed a sheep so I can begin milking her!

Paint more paintings!!!!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Good list, BBH! Do you know if your woodstove is certified? The certified woodstoves are much more energy efficient . . . you don't have to feed them as often for the same amount of heat, plus they don't smoke like dragons.

 

[big brown horse]

How can you tell if it is certified? It is a little replica cast iron wood stove.

Here, I have a photo of it:

 

[okiegirl1]

well, aren't we just cozy!!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Well . . . that is just cute isn't it?

While you have a fire burning, do you see/smell smoke coming out of your smoke stack? How old is the woodstove . . . any idea? Did you get any information on it when you bought your house?

 

[big brown horse]

well, aren't we just cozy!!

He is still mad at me for moving him out of TX!

Precious Brat is what we call him.

ETA: Not sure how old the stove is, but I always see smoke coming out of the chimney.

Sorry for getting off topic here Drake!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I'm looking closer at that photo. Do you leave the door open on it while you burn? That would probably reduce efficiency, right there . . . so if the model calls for burning that way, then my guess is that it isn't certified. Also, on a certified woodstove, you can see little tubes up top in the wood chamber (for lack of a technical term) that burn the smoke before it goes up the chimney . . . I think they act like catalytic converters.

 

[big brown horse]

Ahh! Well if we didn't leave the doors open it doesn't get enough air to keep the fire going...at least that was what we discovered the first few times we lit the thing up, as fireplace NEWBIES. Maybe we will try it with the doors closed tonight and really pay better attention to it.

I'm sure it isn't certified according to your details, it is just a plain Jane wood stove that is way too small for even a decent sized log...they have to be cut extra short just to fit in that baby.

Oh how I would love to have a fireplace like they did on Bonanza!!!!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

You might try latching the door ajar (most stove doors will lock in the ajar position), before trying with the door completely shut, and see how it burns. We usually start our fires with the door open, then once it catches, we lock it ajar, and then when it is going good, we shut the door.

It does sound like you could use a better woodstove.