# New property



## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

The deal just went through for a new property where our family can all live together (in separate homes, but on the same property.) It is on a private, dead end drive, against the mountains with trails immediately into National Forest. Now comes the work of packing, moving, and selling our place. And THEN comes the huge work of re-establishing our infrastructure of garden, fruit trees, water harvesting, building new animal pens, and building one additional home. I feel very vulnerable in this "in-between" stage. It will take at least a year to get things up and running again, and of course longer than that for trees to grow. But we will be in a much better position as a family when SHTF. Combining all our resources, labor, and skill on one property together just makes so much sense. It also places us in a better location to evacuate the Tucson area if we ever need to bug out to our northern BOL, as we could avoid the interstate altogether.This new place is two story, has good solar orientation, and is so well built and so well insulated that even if we lost all power, I think we could do just fine without heat or cooling. The best part of the deal was having the sellers throw in the Kubota tractor (with back hoe, road scraper, and front end loader!)


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

I'm jealous!


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

csi-tech said:


> I'm jealous!


Of the tractor, right?


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

I am jealous and envy you RN. I wish to hell I was out of the city and in the country. Congrats!


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## Mish (Nov 5, 2013)

Good for you!!! I'm jealous of the hiking right out your back door. =) 
New meetup place...camping at RN's!


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Congratulations. It sounds fantastic.


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## Salt-N-Pepper (Aug 18, 2014)

Congrats! Great news!


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Does this involve the big welding project?


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## azrancher (Dec 14, 2014)

Do you need a tractor driver, I'm just down the road from ya.

*Rancher*


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

Like RN, . . . our property borders on gubment property. 

Most of the time it is OK, . . . just every now and then it gets a bit "hairy".

Couple of "furriners" bought a small handgun, . . . brought it out to shoot in the park there. Range was closed so they wandered around until they found the lane near our place, . . . pulled it out and put 5 or 6 through one of the metal signs out there.

Unfortunately for me, . . . my house that was under construction at the time was in the line of their backstop.

There were a tense few moments before they decided that the big 6 ft + American and his sidekick were really bent out of shape, . . . and it might be a good idea to leave and never come back again.

They left.

And there are other stories, incidents, . . . just remember, . . . most of them will respect your property rights, . . . but some won't. Be careful, . . . but enjoy.

May God bless,
Dwight

PS: I didn't get no tractor with mine, . . .


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

HuntingHawk said:


> Does this involve the big welding project?


Yes. We need to build a new mule barn, hay barn and corral. All will be with steel pipe. My son is the welder, and when we have done big projects in the past, we just rented a generator on wheels. But now I am thinking about just sinking the money into getting a generator for both the projects and to use as a back up generator for a grid down situation. (I have a 1200 watt solar generator that would quietly serve for lights, recharging and small fridge.) I have also thought about a tri-fuel generator that I can use with methane, as producing methane is also on my "to do" list for the year. If one generator could serve all needs, that would be great, but maybe it's too much to ask. I need to check with my son about his welder, since that seems to be the one thing that determines the size of the generator we need.


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

azrancher said:


> Do you need a tractor driver, I'm just down the road from ya.
> 
> *Rancher*


Ahhhh, good try! You'll have to fight off my son and husband first. We have wanted and needed a small tractor for years, so this is such a blessing. The private drive will need regular maintenance, so they will get lots of practice. And it will be soooooo nice to scoop out tree holes instead of hand digging or renting an auger. And for turning compost ------ bliss!


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Alittle advice on the generator, don't get one with a battery. It needs hooked up to commercial power or other power source to keep the battery charged. If everything is right with a Briggs engine they start easily with pull start no matter what size they are. 

A good use for methane is a used gas stove & set it up to do canning. JMO.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

I wouldn't modify a good generator for methane. Get a small generator for that. Just because of the chance of contaminates getting into the engine from the methane.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

I also got the tractor a JD. When we purchased the farm. Built the new home years latter remolded the old one and have the same setup. Two homes on the land it has worked out well having an extra house around over the years. And the tractor is still here.
ENJOY RN and good luck with the moving and starting over.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

I have these two old tractors and every last person I have talked to said if they turn over, they will run. I'm anxious to get up to the farm again and clean the Ford up and get it ready. Last time I went up there my hunting buddy's daughter pulled in front of us. We were doing 50 mph and by the grace of God we are all unhurt. Her car was totaled but the 04 4 runner that I have so meticulously maintained is still worth 10 grand. It is getting fixed. Now it's time to get a tractor running!


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

HuntingHawk said:


> I wouldn't modify a good generator for methane. Get a small generator for that. Just because of the chance of contaminates getting into the engine from the methane.


Thanks. I had a feeling that would be the case. For starters, I will hook the methane up to our 2 burner camp stove. Depending on how much we can produce, I will then check into the generator option. I am totally intrigued by the idea of using mule poop to generate electircity!


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Or use the mule poop for the fields. Grown corn. Then make moonshine which can be stored for use. :spank:


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

HuntingHawk said:


> Or use the mule poop for the fields. Grown corn. Then make moonshine which can be stored for use. :spank:


I actually would like to know if one can make ethanol from prickly pear cactus pads.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

RN there are many welders with their own engine that work as generators also. That may be a better route to look at. We have them on all our service trucks the generate both AC or DC current and Weld.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

There is an alcoholic drink made from it but I don't know if the octane is high enough to run a generator.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Colonche made from pickly pear is only mildly alcoholic so not a choice to power anything.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Congratulations RN, I'm very happy for you!!!


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

So do the mules supervise when you are operating the tractor? :armata_PDT_42:


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

HuntingHawk said:


> So do the mules supervise when you are operating the tractor? :armata_PDT_42:


Yup. Once upon a time, mules WERE the tractors. Now we have a trailer to haul the mules instead of them hauling us. Something is wrong with this picture. But believe me, when SHTF, the mules will be an important source of transportation. I am training one of them to harness now, and looking for a buckboard type wagon. One of these days they will actually earn their keep! (Their manure, however, is the source for all our compost, and soon to be methane fuel.) Right now we just ride them and are soooooo looking forward to the mountain trails right out our new backyard!


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## azrancher (Dec 14, 2014)

RNprepper said:


> I actually would like to know if one can make ethanol from prickly pear cactus pads.


Yes, do you need a recipe? 
*Rancher*


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## azrancher (Dec 14, 2014)

HuntingHawk said:


> Colonche made from pickly pear is only mildly alcoholic so not a choice to power anything.


Anything that can ferment can be distilled into ethanol, the key is to distill it.
*Rancher*


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

RNprepper said:


> Yup. Once upon a time, mules WERE the tractors. Now we have a trailer to haul the mules instead of them hauling us. Something is wrong with this picture. But believe me, when SHTF, the mules will be an important source of transportation. I am training one of them to harness now, and looking for a buckboard type wagon. One of these days they will actually earn their keep! (Their manure, however, is the source for all our compost, and soon to be methane fuel.) Right now we just ride them and are soooooo looking forward to the mountain trails right out our new backyard!


Spring wagon as it can be pulled by a single or team.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

1800s the spring was the do all of the homesteads. To town for supplies. Most of them you could set a back row of seats for going to church or wherever with the family. Some would even do three rows of seats.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

RNprepper said:


> Yup. Once upon a time, mules WERE the tractors. Now we have a trailer to haul the mules instead of them hauling us. Something is wrong with this picture. But believe me, when SHTF, the mules will be an important source of transportation. I am training one of them to harness now, and looking for a buckboard type wagon. One of these days they will actually earn their keep! (Their manure, however, is the source for all our compost, and soon to be methane fuel.) Right now we just ride them and are soooooo looking forward to the mountain trails right out our new backyard!


Mule Day is a week from Saturday here in Columbia. There must be a million of the things that converge here every year. I work a 12 hour day directing traffic. It has been my nightmare for 25 years. Two left after this year!


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

azrancher said:


> Yes, do you need a recipe?
> *Rancher*


Yes, I would like to know how to do it. But not from the juice of the fruit (I already have that base covered.) I want to chop up the pads of the plant and make fuel. Prickly pear is a renewable resource and kind of like our "desert corn plant" if there would be a way to turn the slimey liquid into ethanol.


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

HuntingHawk said:


> 1800s the spring was the do all of the homesteads. To town for supplies. Most of them you could set a back row of seats for going to church or wherever with the family. Some would even do three rows of seats.


Yup, that's what I need. If you happen to see one needing a home, let me know.


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## Therussianbear (Dec 22, 2012)

The very first project I would under take,would be to build a nice long shooting range.


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

csi-tech said:


> Mule Day is a week from Saturday here in Columbia. There must be a million of the things that converge here every year. I work a 12 hour day directing traffic. It has been my nightmare for 25 years. Two left after this year!


I attended Mule Days in Bishop, CA a couple of years ago. What an amazing event! Wish I could add to your traffic woes there in Colombia! I'll read the results in my Western Mule magazine. Thank you for your service in helping promote these incredible animals!  When America was moving west, there were more mules than horses in the country. When SHTF, they will once again be worth their weight in gold.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

I am still jealous RN!


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

RNprepper said:


> I attended Mule Days in Bishop, CA a couple of years ago. What an amazing event! Wish I could add to your traffic woes there in Colombia! I'll read the results in my Western Mule magazine. Thank you for your service in helping promote these incredible animals!  When America was moving west, there were more mules than horses in the country. When SHTF, they will once again be worth their weight in gold.


You are absolutely correct. They are worth their weight in gold now.


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## azrancher (Dec 14, 2014)

RNprepper said:


> Yes, I would like to know how to do it. But not from the juice of the fruit (I already have that base covered.) I want to chop up the pads of the plant and make fuel. Prickly pear is a renewable resource and kind of like our "desert corn plant" if there would be a way to turn the slimey liquid into ethanol.


I'm not sure you would get ethanol from the pads, more than likely it would be methanol, or wood alcohol. I've heard you can skin the pads cut them up into strips and fry them, and make a kind of french fry.

*Rancher*


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

azrancher said:


> I'm not sure you would get ethanol from the pads, more than likely it would be methanol, or wood alcohol. I've heard you can skin the pads cut them up into strips and fry them, and make a kind of french fry.
> 
> *Rancher*


Yup. It's called nopalitas. I use them in chili all the time.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Property and animals = more work and it never ends RN good luck with your new adventure.
1. Today repaired leak in small pond
2. Replaced two out side water faucets 
3. pretend the roof was fine for now (shingles need to go)
4. Stripped some of the paint from the deck (did not work)
5. started clearing area for new pool.
It never ends.


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