Friday, August 21, 2009

My new couch! and chair




Ok, so its been a long time since I posted anything, since we've been so swamped with work and life. Today I pulled into the yard to pick up DJ to take him to the high school so he could get registered for school (only for about 6-7 days of classes before he goes back to NM, but it will help him be not as far behind when he gets home). Anyway, I pull into the driveway and my neighbors Ron and Lydia (Ron just got out of the army and they just moved back here) have some of their extra furniture for sale out in our neighbors front yard. Its was the most beautiful dark brown leather sofa and chair. I know Lydia's style, so I knew they would be great quality, and they are! I got them for a great deal, its a $2200 set new, and I got it for $200 and 4 boat launches. I'm pretty excited. I've been wanting a new sofa that was of a fabric that was more durable and easier to clean, and have been wanting a leather sofa, without having to pay the leather price. YAY! So here's our new sofa and chair.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Windmills and stuff

I am proud to say that we are now the proud owners of a wind generation system. Yesterday Justin and I went to Soldotna and bought a wind generator and the necessary add ons to run our office building on wind power. It was kind of one of those things that happens. We've been running the Honda generator that we bought this spring, but it broke down on thursday, so friday we took it in to be fixed, and they thought maybe they might think about fixing it on monday, if they got to it. So Justin and dad were going to Soldotna to get an air compressor for dad's shop, and so Justin went by the alternative energy place and priced one out. The guy is really knowledgable and has everything in stock, solar and wind, and knew about the area we live, and in fact he installed a wind/solar system on a house about 1/2 mile from here, for a guy dad knows. So we talked about it a bit, and ended up going back to Soldotna friday afternoon, right before they closed and got the set up. Then Justin installed it today. We've been spending about $200-250 per week buying gas for the generator, and so in basically 11 weeks we'll have paid off the wind system in saved gas. Plus we get the wind system we've been wanting! I'm very excited. I went down to the beach to take pictures, but I only got one before the batteries died, and then I forgot the camera in Justin's truck, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

We have great plans for our alternative energy. If we had made enough money this year to have some left over for ourselves we would probably have purchased a whole system or the start of for the house here. But as it is, we'll be able to use the system we bought to probably run a nice little greenhouse this winter, or to run the heaters and lights for the goat/chicken barns. Or to add onto the house, or..... We've just got all kinds of ideas. Its fun stuff. Anyway, we've taken our first step to being on alternative energy. And as soon as I can, I'll post the one picture I got to take. :)