Can’t believe the year is flying by so quickly. On the day to day basis it seems as though nothing ever gets accomplished and it is a good thing I have this blog and my daily calendar as my reminders of all the work being completed. March was busy with work, busy with moving the Doubter, but most certainly not busy with BIF. April on the other hand was busy with BIF, busy with moving the Doubter, but most certainly not busy with work other than the small stuff life paying bills, talking to customers, and sending out orders. With exception to the two weekends helping the Doubter, everyday but one was spent moving forward with BIF.

And let me tell you the movement forward was a huge step. H.U.G.E.

Before this H.U.G.E movement could begin, there was some slight cleanup/prep work. Tomatoes were transplanted into 25 gallon molasses buckets using dirt from the garden boxes. Three or four plants per bucket and the rest were given to a fellow teen gardener who always has way better luck at produce production than me. Last season alone she canned something like 10 quart jars of salsa. 10!

Seriously these toe-maters should have been transplanted weeks ago. And they would have if the Planner and I could have just made a life decision without so much debate. Just once BIF would like to jump feet first and worry afterwards. Alas, that is not the Planners’ way, nor mine. Besides this was a major life decision at hand. It was not to be taken lightly. If the tomatoes perished as a result, it was just a few dollars and a bit of time. Nothing compared to wrong decision made.

Seed pods were cut from the bolting mustard green and stored in a five gallon bucket until they could fully dry, then shelled and stored for later plantings. Let me tell you how excited the Kid was to be helping. There was fire ants. Then there was the sun. Good grief, the sun. Give me patience.

Carrots that had been planted in the eastern box garden were transplanted into more molasses buckets. There were about 30 carrots in one and 15 or so in the other. According to my readings, carrots can be planted this closely if they are watered properly and thinned out before they grow into a ball of one. Carrots were moved to east side of the Work Box where they would receive morning sun and shade all afternoon. Tomatoes were moved to south side of the Rainstream allowing for full sun all day. Both were placed on 2×6’s to allow for proper water drainage and to help aid against fire ant infestation.

Box gardens were dismantled. Most of the reclaimed 2×4 stakes were too far rotted to be useful again but the planks were salvaged for yet another use at a later date. Maybe they will be another box garden, maybe they will be a plank walkway. Only time will tell.

Fencing was removed, laid flat to the best of our ability, and rerolled. Fence posts were pulled out with aide from the tractor. Removing a fence post four feet in the ground was way easier than digging the hole four feet down.

Box boards, fence posts, and the reclaimed garden gate from great-grandma were stored for later usage. For first time in years, there will not be a box garden at Boxes in Fields. Not this spring, not this fall, and probably not next spring either. Well, with exception to the few bucket gardens. There are more pressing needs at hand than a few bowls of fresh produce.

Chicken wire was removed from the bed using the tractor forks. Since there has not been any rain this year the ground was super, SUPER, dusty making this process a breeze. This fencing was not salvageable (as we knew it wouldn’t be) due to the salty corrosion levels of the dirt. It was a small price to pay in a perfect solution to keeping the gophers at bay. The second picture shows the rusty state of the fencing but it does kinda blend into the background. Many plants have come and gone since the box garden beds were built during Not Rooting for Okra. It is amazing how much can be produced on such a small plot of garden. Everyone should have a garden no matter the size. Live in an apartment, then have a window garden with herbs. Live on a city plat, then have an under the window garden with herbs and simple veggies. Grow something easy like basil, lavender, or green onions. Not skilled vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, or spinach that take up space.

Dirt that had been planted with rye grass in efforts to kill of nematodes was removed and the garden plot was smoothed out of gopher mounds, dirt clots, and fence holes.

Not a single person has been informed of the H.U.G.E decision made. Not the Doubter, the Sailor, the neighbors who can see every step of BIF movements. It is not that we aren’t excited, it is just the element of surprise. This plan has been five years in the making and it finally happening. String lines were ran, batter boards were hammered into place, and holes were dug.

Six holes to be exact. These were the fastest, easiest hole dug to date. Dry, dusty ground conditions meant there was no water in the holes to have to work around. Easy peasy. Three one day and three the next. Snap. Snap. Snap.

Easy peasy until the last hole when the tractor blew a hole in a line. Snap. The last hole was finished by hand and it was not easy work. Back breaking would be a more accurate description. With the Planner busting knuckles trying to remove the hydraulic line I busted my back digging out the hole.

If you are reader of this blog then you should have already figured out what the major decision was but not the why of its location. Since moving the house boxes onto the concrete pad last summer during the Box Rodeo, steel prices have continued to increase in price. Sure talking heads keep saying “steel and lumber prices are going to come down in the next few months” but it must only mean to the company costs because the buyer costs keeps rising. And rising. And rising.

Five years ago when this whole crazy Boxes in Fields nonsense started, the plan was to have a shipping containers dogtrot house. Last year we wanted to raise the two boxes into the air above the concrete pad and then flanked with a porch on all sides for ease of access to window hatches and dry windows during rain showers. Then sometime towards the end of last year the container house was abandoned all together for a traditional stick frame house on the ground. At the beginning of this year the stick frame house morphed into this awesome two story creation to give plenty of air circulation and light while providing space for a kitchen and a downstairs bed for visitors. AutoCAD drawings for all three houses were drawn to scale and laid out. Weeks and weeks and weeks worth of work on the Planners part only to once again just settle for two side by side shipping containers with a large porch to one side. After all that, the living quarters were back to the original location when this whole crazy plan started five years ago. Back before Harvey, back before the business was purchased, back before things went crazy.

The House Box has one goal: SIMPLE. When a decision needs to be made the answer will involve “what is the simplest”? All of the other house ideas were grand, and elaborate, and unique. Right now I just need (not want, NEED) out of the Rainstream. Unlike the Shop Box and the Work Box, the House Box will free span across the framework and sit solely on the end footings. Free span footings are doable as the house boxes do not need to be rated for the maximum load capacity. In keeping with the SIMPLE theme, the mats, cages, L-bars, and cages were the same size, length, dimensions, etc… just six instead of ten. All made during the first week of April before the garden boxes were even removed. Yes, before the garden plot was removed. If I had just jumped into the post with concrete cages there would not have been the suspension of the major life decision. Suspension was important as this is still a major life decision.

Week three tubes were cut, forms were built, and chairs were broke in half. Not plastic chairs that snapped and not recycled plastic decking cut into squares, drilled, and tied to the mats. Real professional grade concrete chairs. They look like bricks but not as sturdy.

Like the Work Box, these footings were poured by hand. Every time concrete is poured with a truck drama incurs. First time the concrete was too runny and the second time the concrete did not arrive in a timely manner resulting in a compromised concrete pad. It was the compromised concrete that resulted in the delay of home construction last year. After the Box Rodeo, home construction was halted due to rain and work. It was during this down time the Planner started to second guess the concrete pad integrity after it was built due to the poor workmanship by the concrete professionals. Wanting to keep it simple, concrete holes were poured by hand. No drama involved.

By the end of the third week all six footings had been poured with end bed plates installed. The weekend was spent cleaning out the Tractor Box as more room was needed to store crap currently being stored in the House Boxes. Tools were parsed, unused crap was given away, and shelves were built for easier access to feed, fuels, and various small items.

April rounded out with the footings backfilled and steal frames being ordered, delivered, and cut into desired lengths. This is always a challenge as they come anywhere from 20-30 foot in length and they weight a ton. Not quite literally a ton but they are several hundreds pounds each and require finesse to get them into the Work Box, placed on rollers, and aligned flush with the band saw.

What a month! Not to pat myself on the back or anything but seriously building a home is a full time job yet BIF in field is trying to complete this step ourselves along with a real full time job and raise the Kid which is another full time in of itself. Let me just say he turns 14.5 next month and I am about done with teenage Kid. On a completely random note, these four pumpkins on the steps to the Work Box are now six months old and are still going strong. There are no soft spots, mold, or deformed sides. Crazy, right.