Composting

Nearly a month ago, I started a little composting project: composting coffee grounds.  I know, nothing major or earth shattering.  I don't get a whole lot of time to tinker anymore with things that interest me.  However, this I could easily do without too much invested time.  Weeks before, I would get any coffee grounds I could from my favorite local Starbucks up the street from me and stock pile it.  I had a few from months earlier that were quite moldy by the time I got ready to use them.  After having built the box inside of the raised garden I have - that was so I could spread it out once it had finished -- I got down to layering the feedstock.  I bought several bales of straw for my carbon feedstock.  I had to look up what the C:N ratio for coffee grounds were and figured out that I would do a 5-gallon bucket to use a rough guildline per layer.  Of course, I added a few scoups from another active pile to get this one going.

I gave it a few days before I took the pile's temperature.  I wanted to see how fast it would heat up, if it would.  Much to my surprise, it re-acted very quickly, heating up in just two days time.  The pile's temperature will range between 140 to 155 degrees mainly because of night time temperatures I have concluded. Initially, I was waiting for the pile temp to dip tos signal me to rotate the pile, however, it is taking between 5 to 7 days between rotations.  I have never had a pile this hot needing so much time inbetween turns. This has me very interested in how long it will take to complete and how the quality of it will be as well.  

Since I still have so many coffee grounds available to me, free plywood from work from our old concrete forms, I decided to built another compost project.  This one is quite a bit bigger at 6-ft by 4-ft by 4-ft. It has a total of 3.56 cubic yards of possible compost activity.  I built it last week, started the composting earlier this week, but it has yet to heat up.  Not sure why, but I will have to tinker with it. I do plan on talking about this on here as well and posting my ideas, suggestions, and discoveries.  Just like I will be for this smaller guy too. Until then....

Still Alive!

I'm still alive and kicking! I'm a little bit more busy these days with my career and all the traffic I have to sit through. But I got stuff to say and will get to posting them shortly. Until then....

MNT's Rainwater Collection System with Manifold

I really like this guy's idea on a rain catchment system and how it finds it own level.  I am thinking of implementing something like this for my own needs.

My Business: Starting Out ....

My new WEEDEATER lawn mower.

The other day, I picked up a used lawn mower for only $20 dollars from a man out in Spanaway. It has a very nice bag that came with it and plenty of power to cut through grass. I admit, it's a Weedeater re-brand of a Poulson, however, it does what I need it to do.  It was a complete fluke that I found this on Craigslist when I did because I had just spent the last hour or so looking for lawn equipment.  I cleared the last search results I was looking through and typed back in "lawn mower" and here it was.  The guy was moving ASAP and it had to go that night, so I told him I was on my way.  He only wanted $20 dollars for it.

I have a Troy-Bilt TB575ES string trimmer that I bought several years ago for my own back yard. It is a "pro-sumer" grade 4-stroke straight shaft string trimmer that was just a trooper, until earlier this year.  I was cutting my Aunt's back 40 with it when it died on me.  I saw it was pretty darn low on fuel assuming that was the issue.  After having filled it up again, I pulled and pulled and pulled to no luck.  She was dead.  I let her sit for a few hours and I grabbed my Aunt's Troy-Bilt 2-stroke curved string trimmer.  I came back to mine to attempt to start it up again and it did eventually start but it just did not sound at all good.  I came to find out that the engine is shot and this particular model only had a 25-hour operating life span.  I have put at least double that on it since I bought it. It really pisses me off since it was a $200 dollar string trimmer that should still be working, otherwise I could have better spent my money on an ECHO or Stihl product.  A lesson learned, I guess.  With all of that now being said, I am trying to find a used ECHO, Husqvarna, or Stihl with any available money I have, which isn't to say very much.  A used Stihl 90R at a pawn shop or just on Craigslist still goes for $180 dollars or more easily.  The other two are not far behind, so I need to work more.  I just hope my Aunt's doesn't crap out on me before I buy another.  I like to fix what I break, unless it is one of my sisters'. ;-)

Isn't she dreamy?!
My future PJ Trailer Dual Dump.

Eventually I will get my PJ Trailers: one for my lawn business and the other for dumping dirt, beauty bark, or hauling trash.  I have been known to some pretty serious trailer envy when I see someone else using their PJ Trailer, although it is more of a joke than anything.  I want one, bad.  I will get one, someday.  I just wish I could have it now. :-P  Anyway, I can rent one from a company down in Olympia area for not too much.  So, if I can keep my costs down, my business up, I can rent a trailer until I can actually buy one.  There is just so much stuff I need to get that I will be buying over time that is kind of overwhelms me.  I do not want to look like I am a hack who just needs beer money, because that is not me.  I seriously want to do a great job and have returning customers even though this is not my ideal career.  Eventually I will get back to what I truly love and that is carpentry, which is also part of my current business.   Until then, baby steps.