> Orange?  I have some family near Modesto CA.  Fresh oranges 
> are SO hard to beat.

Juice and eating Oranges. Grapefruit, Tangerines, Tangelos, Lemons, Peaches,
Apples, Plumbs. Just have to keep the ants off them with tangle foot,
fertilize a few times a year and cut them back once a year.

> That was written somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but I did formerly have 8 
> layers (for two years).  We let them run around outside, eat 
> bugs, take 
> dust baths, dig in my wife's flowers, and relieve themselves on our 
> steps.  Needless to say, we got a little tired of it.  Yes, 
> the eggs had 
> nice yellow yolks, but I didn't really think they were that 
> much better 
> to justify keeping them around, so when I ordered my 135 broilers, I 
> gave the layers away to make room for the new peeps.

We keep ours in a run and let them out in the evenings for supervised access
to the rest of the yard. I can't stand the poop everywhere and they are very
destructive in flower and garden beds. In the run, the floor is on a slope
and I dump in mulch / leaves at the top which they scratch and mix with
their poop until it comes out as very rich compost at the bottom. No smell,
very sanitary. Building the run took a little effort, but has been very
worth it.

> I wasn't as aware of just how inefficient the outdoor ones 
> are until I 
> came across some website discussing them.  I will say that 
> our house is 
> not setup very well for a unit inside.  It would have to be 
> located in a 
> room we only spend 5% of our time, and the rest of the house would be 
> cold because the floorplan isn't very open.  So overall, I 
> would say the 
> decision to install the one I did a marginally good one.  One 
> benefit is 
> that all the dirt and dust stays outside.

The mess is a good point. We spend a lot of time cleaning up around the
stove. But we all love setting on the couch after a long cold day watching
the flames and getting warm. The bedrooms stay a bit cold, but that is just
fine given some good blankets. The only thing I really don't like is wakeing
up cold when the fire didn't last all night.

> > Splitting the green pine and oak from our house and the 
> neighbors has 
> > about
> > killed me, but it is a good workout.
> >  
> >
> 
> Very good workout.  I did it the hard way for 2-1/2 years.  
> Then I went 
> in with 3 other people and bought a splitter.

I picked up a manual hydraulic splitter from Harbor Freight for $99. It is
basically a jack on its side bolted to an I-beam with a splitting wedge on
the other end. It works better than swinging an axe, but still requires a
large input of manual energy. I have a friend who says he is building a
hydraulic power pack and I have promised to help in return for his making it
available to run the splitter from time to time. 

> >> Maybe I should sell my 5 acre property, tiller, tractor, 
> trailer, log 
> >> splitter, chainsaw, and 3 deep freezers, so I could buy a 
> Hummer and 
> >> move to town?
> >
> > Want to trade? :D
> >
> 
> I didn't know you had a Hummer...  :)
> 

It seems to be a requirement for living in So Cal... But no, I don't have
one. 

I guess the deal is off? :)

---
James.
 

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