{"id":226,"date":"2022-09-12T03:59:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T03:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/writertonip.com\/?p=226"},"modified":"2022-09-12T03:59:05","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T03:59:05","slug":"what-i-did-on-my-summer-vacation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writertonip.com\/?p=226","title":{"rendered":"What I Did on My Summer Vacation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Woman
BLM land Weldon California<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Me,<\/strong> hiking just behind my new retirement home and views of the Kern River from a path further north in the Sequoia National Forest.
I\u2019m mad for this rough, beautiful landscape!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lake
Lake Isabella<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is a view from my new Weldon house: I bought it for the scenery. I\u2019m restoring it and the land in the most ecologically sound way I can. My goal is to return the 5 acres to something like its original state and live on the land sustainably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"damaged,
Ugh.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, this is what the house looked like when I bought it.
The home was a double wide “mobile” unit of 1440 sq. feet with good \u201cbones\u201d – as in no structural damage and tile floors. It lacked heating or cooling ducts and most of the plumbing and electrical systems were a mess.Doors were damaged or missing.
And, just\u2026ew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Blue
After a summer of sweat, ladders, bruises, theft, tweaker attacks, sunburn and frustration, I’ve managed to get the house looking like this.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So, I painted the exterior with ECOS paint which is low VOC and better for the environment than most paint. I\u2019ve also installed a light colored roof to cool the property and I will be installing solar panels.
I added one-way reflective film to the inside windows for cooling and safety. To save money I did all the painting myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


(Yeah, I\u2019m 63. But I did the work when I was only 62 so it was easy!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kitchen
Simple green subway style tile will always rule.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rather than tear out the kitchen completely, I just sanitized everything then updated the existing cabinetry and replaced the faucet and sink. I put the tile in myself! Sadly, the tiny cute little tile saw I used to cut the material was stolen not once but twice! Nevertheless, I still saved a ton of money tile cutter rentals or paying someone to install it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also painted all the walls and ceiling and cut, painted and installed all the molding throughout the entire house using the same mini saw, so at $125 per unit, it was a good deal. I used a molding made out of recycled composite material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My one and only fossil fuel appliance is the stove. I feel a little guilty about that, but it provides more consistent heat than electric stoves, and in my adult life I have never really had an adult stove. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BTW the rose tile above the sink is a recycled WWII era piece I found in an antique store in Shanghai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Walk
This cheap little booze trolley may be my favorite thing in the house.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a walk-in shower in the third bathroom and I had the
plumbers route all the shower and laundry waste out of that room as gray water to the yard. I\u2019m going to add a filtration system so that it can become a little pool of drinkable water for wildlife.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the energy-star washer, I use Planet or Eco detergents which
dispense with the wasteful plastic bottle by reducing the soap to flat strips packed in recyclable paper packs. It\u2019s better for my septic system, the environment and my skin.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Open
Reused Papasan chair, rug and yucca leaves. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no TV yet, but but there is a huge living room with a couch and washable rug which I made from remaindered fabric, some no-slip backing and a fringe I wove myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


I found the Papasan chair at a Goodwill and recovered it with two cheap black throws. The coffee table was also a junk find, in line with my commitment to reuse\/recycle furniture instead of making new stuff with wood, plastic and fabrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Faux
Rockin’ rock shelves made with real – you know – rocks.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I made the rock shelves from flat stones picked up on my property.
The table and chairs came with the house, but I\u2019ll replace them when I move to this house permanently after I retire. The nature photos on the wall were taken by me and my son Preston. He’s an actual cinematographer, so his shots make precious gifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"High
The view from my living room double doors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This a view of the \u201cfront yard\u201d of the house. The land is high
desert surrounded by mountains, not far from a man-made lake
and the Kern River. I\u2019ll need to replace the deck with some recycle
composite material in months to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Violet
Office and guest bedroom.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Every morning when I work In the office I see wildlife: a roadrunner, quail, rabbits, hawks and ground squirrels most commonly. I have also seen the errant coyote and a few confused cows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I put together an Ikea bed for the guest bedroom. I buy into the Ikea sustainable philosophy of replanting fast growing softwoods. The
queen sized bed is pine, so it gives off a nice smell. I am using a
mattress-in-a-bag foam base which I find very comfortable and easier to ultimately recycle than a typical mattress.
I repurposed some old shelves with cubby boxes for storage
instead of buying new furniture. I also trimmed and reused old bamboo shades I had saved for a few years since selling my old house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Moody
When mist hovers over the lake, the view is fantastic.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Views from my office and library, different moods. We get a light dusting of snow in the winter as well as some lovely rainstorms most of the year round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rosy
A simple, cheap organic upgrade of an existing bathroom.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I supply bamboo toothbrushes and a few sustainable amenities for guests in the guest bathroom. The water glasses are made of wheat
grass. I hung a recycled wooden box with a macram\u00e9 strap that I
had made from jute on the wall and filled it with organic
bath goodies, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the house, I have used colors inspired by the surrounding nature. This room is meant to evoke a rosy dawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Library
Drawing room. I draw here.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Instead of using central air, I put in a these super-efficient electric split mini system units in most rooms.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They allow me to cool or heat only one part of the house at a time. This, of course, saves energy. They\u2019re quiet and don\u2019t ruin windows like slide in units. I love them, but finding someone to plan and install them was tough. The final cost was less than putting in gas or electric HVAC – barely. Still, when I get solar panels, my bill should dive to nearly zero, and I won\u2019t be burning fossil fuels so many others up here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will be the library\/drawing room with great views and an Ikea fold out futon that is a little too short and hard for my taste, unfortunately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To tie the eco-inspired look together, I cast local plants in air-dry clay and hung them above the windows. Finding the right material took weeks, as plaster just cracks, plaster of Paris is toxic and firing clay takes a lot of energy. Luckily, airdry clay is fine so long as items don’t get wet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Antique
Faux fossils in the bathroom. Real branch lamp.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The master bedroom has an attached bath. I don\u2019t have a bed in there yet because I won\u2019t do that until I move permanently, but for guests I have a good quality air mattress which can be pumped up with an electric plug. Also I designed this bedroom lamp from a natural pine bow. In the bathroom, I created faux fossils from clay and put them above the shower and I hand cut a stencil from a photo I had taken for the wall pattern. I\u2019m experimenting with sustainable cork bath mats, but I don\u2019t know if I like them yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Whitewater
A dear friend and a dear deer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kern River and Sequoia National forest are only minutes away from my property. I went rafting with my friend Julia\u2019s family in June
and caught this photo of a fearless deer in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Three
Mostly a land of diners, deep fat and meat, but a couple of these local spots cater to healthier tastes. Plus, the views!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The economy is rural with an emphasis on camping and family tourism. Here are a couple of local restaurants with great views. My friend Helen and her sister Beth were the first to visit me
at the restored house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Natural
Natural hot springs built into the rocks.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Inner tube fun and amazing natural hot springs are also about 20 minutes away. I\u2019ll tell my story of a \u201cclose call\u201d near the \u201cKiller Kern,\u201d at another time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Silver
Ghost town and horse ghosting the herd.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a local ghost town and a horse who goes undercover as a
Holstein cow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pristine
My dump’s better than your dump.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even the garbage dump is scenic. Seriously, this is where I bring my trash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Wild
I used the photo of the wild gourd above to make the stencil for my bathroom wall because…heat stroke?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A few of the plants in my high desert yard. The yellow one is a native gourd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mountain
There’s lots of mistletoe on the property. Unfortunately, no guys I want to kiss.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Last December, I snipped some of the juniper branches from the trees on my land to make this wreath. You may notice right at the top, there\u2019s a sprig of mistletoe. That too was growing wild on my property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Toni
These photos would be good if my son had taken them.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

More than a retirement home and game preserve, I hope this place will be a legacy for my son, either financially or as a place to rest
between jobs as a cinematographer. Repairing nature is something we owe our kids.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Transforming an abandoned double wide trailer into an eco home!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[42,40,44,41,43],"class_list":["post-226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-despair","tag-affordable-ecological-design","tag-home-repair-ecology","tag-my-environmental-home-design","tag-recycle-design-ideas","tag-repairing-a-cheap-home-in-california","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writertonip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Home-restore-story_Page_01-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1440&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writertonip.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writertonip.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writertonip.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writertonip.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writertonip.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=226"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/writertonip.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":236,"href":"https:\/\/writertonip.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226\/revisions\/236"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writertonip.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writertonip.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writertonip.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writertonip.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}