10/21/19
(Above: This is a picture of the garden plot. The image was captured at twilight from the office window, hence the dusky hues.)
Active Summary: This morning I started off by riding around the beef pasture with Padre. Excepting one eye problem and a cougher, every animal appeared to be doing well. Therefore, it was deemed a pleasant excursion. This was followed by some sewer line shenanigans where I completed a variety of tests and actually found the cause of the smell in Jacobhouse (more in TIL).
After fixing the sewer line, I began planning a garden plot to the east side of the house – a pleasant place for multiple reasons: it receives sunshine in the morning / early noon / late afternoon*, there is an excellent view of the plot from my office, and there is little-to-no tree cover**. In regard to fence materials, I will be utilizing: posts, 2″x4″ welded wire, fenceboards, and a small electric wire along the top. The combination of welded wire and electric wire will hopefully deter small pests while the posts / fence boards will provide enough support to protect the vegetation therein from curious bovines.
At the morning’s end, I had four posts placed out of a total of six.
(7:11 PM Update): This afternoon consisted of much cattle activity, tending to farm visitors, and making a Master Blend Beef sale. It was quite productive, and now I’m about to head up to Oldhouse to eat dinner and tend to the ketchup that has been slowly reducing over almost twenty-four hours.
TIL: Today I learned how to check various plumbing fixtures for sewer gas leaks using silage bag tape and nitrile gloves. The air-admittance valve in the utility hole and the laundry washer/dryer drain made for a couple fine examples. To test the former fixture, I stretched three gloves over the entire valve to see if there was any sort of ballooning or suction action when running sinks and flushing the toilet. I did the same for the laundry drain by taping a glove over it. Neither glove filled or contracted when the tests were performed, indicating that the system’s pressure was equalizing appropriately. However, when I removed the glove from the AAV, I was assailed by the smell of sewer gas (in the case of the laundry drain, I was met only with the faint scent of detergent). Thus, the culprit was found: a defective Air-Admittance Valve. It was an extra valve anyway, so I simply replaced it with a 3″ cap. There has not been any sewer smell since.
Commentary: It was a tremendous relief to be able to find and repair the sewer smell’s cause so quickly and simply. I already had ordered an exterior exhaust vent for the septic tank yesterday evening, and it is an order that I shall be glad to send back if I detect no further unpleasant odors. As for a highlight, I’m quite happy about the progress I made today on creating a small gardening plot. Broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and perhaps a few root vegetables are what I intend to start with… though I’m sure I’ll be able to throw something a tad more interesting in there as well.
Final Note: Tomorrow and/or later today, I plan to work a tad more on the garden area. Also, I intend to order long curtains for the hall that divides the front from the back of Jacobhouse. This will prevent approaching visitors from seeing a possibly-naked-Jacob in the evening hours.
*Completely omits the overpowering mid-afternoon sun.
**This means that the area will not be pelted with the coalesced raindrops that fall from oak trees – drops that are large enough to pelt and disrupt the growing beds if there is a large amount of precipitation.