A Little This and A Little That

Start Off With "The Morning Farm Report"

If you saw the last update I told you this little cat (Patches) had been hanging around for a few months. 

After getting fed a few times she decided to take the high ground for her lookout.

A few more days and she decided she would come inside to eat and check things out.  Notice the ruler.  She is not very big.  Guess that is what a diet of bugs and mice will do to your growth!!

"Damn this is a lot softer place to sleep than on the ground!"

So after a couple of trips to Denver, getting spayed, getting all the necessary "accoutre mon" (feed bowls, beds, toys, etc., etc., etc.)

we now have a "free" $1000 cat!!

And the last story in today's farm report.  A couple of does and the yearling of one of them came though checking out the brush and grass.

Now Back To Work

The following is a test!

Sometimes "luck" is a four letter word!!!!

You open the side door to the steel storage building and find a puddle of water.

You recall that one of the workers said we had a big hard rain a couple of days ago. 

So where did the water come from?

Leak under the door?

Blow in around the door?

Sure looks like it.

So....... you get a broom and sweep the water out, but the floor does not dry.

In fact, after a few hours, you notice water is starting to puddle again.

You can't see it in the picture, but you also notice that there is a crack in the floor that runs almost right through the middle of the puddle that is forming.

Uh-oh....... coming up through the floor?

How can that be?  Well, there is a french drain along the front of the building and the outlet of that drain runs along this side of the building.

Damn!  The french drain is plugged up and the water is pushing it's way back up under the floor???

So you spend all morning uncovering that section of french drain outlet.

But, it is dry, it sounds hollow when you tap on it.  No plug!!

A lot of damn digging for nothing!!

So you go back in the building, and by now the puddle had started to reform.

So you grab the broom to start sweeping again and trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

And then you notice it.

Almost imperceptible, but there is water on the conduit union where the communications cable comes into the building!!

How did that get there?  Did this water drip from above someplace?

You look up and don't see any water anywhere above on the steel or insulation.

Then you look where the conduit enters the NID.

There is water and 'gunk' clear up to the top of the conduit!

There is water in the conduit?  How the hell did that happen?

Leaking into the conduit under ground somewhere along the conduit run from the steel building up to where it terminates on the building site?

But if it is underground, what pressure is causing it to com all the way up and out of the conduit?

So you start walking the conduit route from the steel building to the building site.

Some of you will remember this.  The spot where all the conduits and pipe were brought above ground at the building site.  It is about 200-300 feet from the steel building and probably 15-20 feet higher than the steel building.

And yes, this hole has always captured some water from rain and snow, but not all the way up under the tarp where the conduits end.

So you walk up to the hole to take a closer look.

As I said.  Sometimes 'luck' is a four letter word!!

Somehow, something snapped the conduit that the communications cable runs in to the steel building.  No F'ing way!!!  Yup.  Must have been an animal, probably a bear to be heavy enough, must have stepped on it and popped it in two right at the coupling.

Did you have it figured out?  I couldn't believe it.  But a shot of expandable foam, and several layers of rubber tape will hold it until the conduit is buried into the house.

End of test!

Now back to real work.

All the control wiring is completed.

All the door mounted controls and indicators are installed.

The power distribution panel is complete.

The UPS and UPS power outlets are placed.

The communications network equipment is placed and wired.

The door mounted controls are wired and labeled.

All labeling is completed on the door mounted controls.

All the wire tray and equipment is buttoned up.

And the wire tray holding all the electrical cords.

And the wire tray up to the communications equipment is buttoned up.

Finally! ! !  With the exception of programming the PLC, this busy little corner, and the steel building electrical, control, and communications wiring is complete!