Sunday, October 18, 2015

Chicken Soup and Controlled Rain!!

If you use the right ingredients and don't burn it, chicken soup is a cure-all they say.  My problem is it's usually not substantive enough to keep me from being hungry an hour later ... kind of like Chinese food.

I tried to duplicate the soup I had down town and it came out pretty good, if I do say so myself!!  It took quite a bit of tinkering, but Rotel tomatoes with chilis were the star of the show, along with triple the amount of spices I would normally use.  I just kept adding until it tasted right.   Chicken soup success!!
Although there was a lot on the agenda for yesterday, not much got accomplished as I waited for a landscape company to show up and discuss security lighting around the front of my house.  The latest and greatest is all LED which will work perfectly with the control box I already have, cutting the price considerably.  LED's however, are NOT cheap, as you probably know if you have replaced any in your RV.  The good news is they require MUCH less electricity and give out MUCH more light, hitting all the marks on my checklist.

We then moved to the back yard to discuss the huge expanse of grass.  There are several options, all of which were terribly expensive.  Since my life doesn't revolve around upscale parties or a swimming pool, expanding the patio into something akin to a skating rink just isn't in my budget.

Since water is at a premium, even though I have my own well, being conservative would be a really good thing.  Not only could I save 40-50% in water use, but half the electric bill by changing to a new efficient system with three sensors that control the watering based on the environment.  That's an interesting concept I haven't heard of before.  It involves changing out the sprinkler heads and installing a new controller box.  This would be much less expensive, but a big selling point should I decide to move in the future.

The Architect calls my gardeners Mowers and Blowers.  They mow the grass and blow the clippings everywhere, but have no idea about irrigation, as evidenced by several large dead-grass areas.  A new mow strip along the front flower beds will keep the weed-eaters at bay and he will make all future adjustments to the system.

Hopefully I will have an estimate in a couple of weeks.  Turns out he used to purchase sand and gravel from our construction company many years ago and we know a lot of the same people.  It's a small world.  I'm hoping that connection will relieve any chance of a heart attack when I read his proposals, which include all the front lighting, front sprinkler renovation, mow strips and back yard sprinkler renovation.  I can have them do all or just some of the work, depending on how much my wallet screams.  Once all that is complete, I could even have him revamp the drip system.

It all sounds wonderful, but will come down to cost in the end.  At this point, my $2.00 solar path lights, most of which didn't work after three months, just aren't fitting the bill!!




6 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. First I've never tried to duplicate the soups you had prior you'll be sorely disappointed it falls under expectation and anticipation category
    It's good to see you didn't chicken out or is that chicken in soup should I say
    Well if you pay two dollars perlite it only lasted three months that $.67 each month so the total bill would come out to $8.04 for each light pr, year
    Time how many lights you have in your walkway
    No my suggestion is to save the slip if they have a guarantee that way you could cut your expenses down considerably by returning the dead ones replacing them with a new one...see has saved you a whole bunch of money
    Right off the bat
    So have you ever thought of Astroturf
    And think no sprinkling system however Occasional blow the dust off and you're good to go
    And and you can roll it up and take it with you
    How cool would that be having your own lawn wherever you go
    you could invite your RV neighbor friends to come run barefoot through your lawn you'd be the Queen and the envy of the neighborhood campground resort and probably the first on your block or is that lot
    Do hope you enjoy your day

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    1. Add on note
      LED lights The ones on your RV ceiling most of them are push pin type if you buy one at campers world it's $18 apiece if you go on eBay you can buy four or five at $18 a package
      And then you try to find a good deal on the same thing with free shipping I did my 5er for less than $45 and I had some leds leftover
      So it really does pay to shop around. On line
      As for your solar powered walkway lights try Dollar General for one of the dollar stores

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    2. I'd love to put in astroturf as did the Castle Lawyer, but the cost of that to cover my huge lawn area is totally prohibitive!! I never thought of looking online for those lights .. I'll definitely save money that way!!

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  3. Or you could just sell it as is and get a place on the Oregon coast. :)

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    1. You are SO right Nick .... I've been on the internet every day looking at places!! Come Spring, I'll have my checkbook ready!!

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