2/4/19:
Building Summary: Today I carried out the plan Padre and I devised yesterday in regard to the extra ‘solar hot water’ line. Also, I began the process of gluing together the CPVC pipe. This included: scraping off the burrs with a pocket knife, sanding the end of each pipe, wiping off both the pipe end and the inside of the fittings, and then finally applying the solvent. Working backwards from shower to front, I ended up gluing together everything up to the cold water intake for the toilet.
Commentary: I have two* highlights for today. The first occurred when I started gluing together the CPVC piping. I had never seen CPVC solvent before, and before that point, the only types I had ever seen was bright blue and clear PVC glue. Thus, when I opened up the can and found it to be vivid orange, I was quite surprised, and being that orange is one of my more favored colors, it made the process all that much more novel. I know it seems small, but sometimes it’s the little novelties that give life it’s extra spice.
The second highlight occurred later as I was out on the farm having myself a walk. I heard an immense clamor of chirps, warbles, and squawks to the south. It wasn’t until I had ventured near Lambsquarter Glen that I discovered the source of ruckus to be an old, half-dead oak tree. It seemed leafier than I remembered, but then I noted that those leaves were moving and hopping from branch to branch. It was an assembly of what must have been close to a thousand cowbirds**.
For tomorrow’s activity, I’ll be gluing together more CPVC (primarily in the kitchen).
* I should note a bonus highlight here. While I was gluing together the pipes, I opened both the front door and back door to Jacobhouse, and I also turned on the fan Madre brought down a little less than a week ago. Due to this setup, I didn’t smell the pipe solvent at all while I worked. A welcome change.
** Cowbirds are small birds about 3-4 inches in height whose primary defenses are their sheer numbers and the various, shifting shapes they produce in the air as they take flight. Though unique in this latter respect, it should also be noted that cowbirds are not favored by farmers on account of their tendency to spread disease… namely via defecating on literally every surface where they land.