So far there doesn’t seem to be too much of a mosquito problem, even down on the floodplain. As it is, we’re perched far enough away and above the river (in Estonian terms this means 15 feet higher) as to be in a different ecosystem. I suppose it could all change if the wind changes or the weather gets really warm.
The birch and spruce on all sides of the old farm are attractive enough. Land seems fertile, clayey, largely free of rocks. Seems like there’s some old potato and strawberry fields that have been taken over by weeds. Double-digging a 100 sq ft garden was fairly easy -- just started in what was a random thicket of ground-elder.
I've now checked out the environs on foot, too. For what it’s worth, the opposite bank of the river is clad in a really beautiful pine-heath forest with no settlement. It could be a coastal area. Not wilderness, of course, but quite empty. I also jogged near the lake that was mentioned as a selling point but which we discounted as a factor. Nice properties but I didn't feel that Estonian sense of covetousness – lake shores are marshy, practically unapproachable except for the odd boardwalk, and the trails down are longer and even steeper than our path to the river.
We still don’t have power. Like the day we lost power in Morocco, it has not been unwelcome, but now I’m getting impatient. It should be a matter of days. We have a power line that runs across the property, there’s a spur leading to the house. They just need to install a new meter ,then a separate trip is required to physically connect the juice.
One unpleasant discovery. This pile of crumbling asbestos-cement corrugated roofing tile. People never cease to amaze me. On one hand , it’s great that the odl roof was removed and a new resin-based variety installed. But why neatly stack the old stuff in the barn? At least outside, the elements would keep it wetted down.
13 comments:
Vergi kogemus näitab, et kui eterniit pisikesteks tükikesteks tampida, saab sellega vajadusel päris edukalt auto raskuse all äravajuvat teed täita.
Sound advice, not. Sounds like Altroff is attempting to give you an early end breathing all that asbestos dust generated as you drive over the pulverized cement-asbestos pot hole filler. I don't know about Estonia, but here there are places that will take hazardous materials commercially, as well as landfills having amnesty days when you can dispose those materials free of charge. Do some research or just leave them be. The panels won't jump up and dose you with dust if left undisturbed. Too bad you didn't make removal by seller a condition of your purchase agreement
So, are the kids there...and what is the rest of the fam doing while you're being the farmer?
Helping garden, examining ant eggs, trying out the scythe, criticizing my awesome scythe technique, washing floors, climbing "Mikitamägi" (the mountain of dirt from the last owner's unsuccessful attempt to create a pond), cleaning up, finding cabin repair people, going to the Värska Spa with me.
What are you cooking/eating?
Bought some frozen local-made Chicken Kiev, wrapped it up in foil and buried in coals for 45 min. That turned out great. Accompanied by a rice pilaf with veggies, and yes, nettles.
Next night was some pan-fried flatbread with broc and cheese. Kinda like a calzone.
Some mixed grill too.
Congrats for getting a new crib.
Here's one for you from my homies rappin' bout da hood.
Shout out to Setomaa 2!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T1RMuoQnKo
Sounds pretty good... what do you do about perishables, like milk for the kids? How far to get supplies?
We don't always have ordinary milk, but they get no shortage of other dairy products. The well water is probably 50 F. There's also Tetrapaks and condensed milk. Small fridge is in the near future, we just don't have money to buy everything at once.
There are a couple consumer co-op stores within a 6-7 mile radius. The bigger chains are 17 miles away in Põlva (pop 6,500) and 23 miles away is Võru (16,000).
Despite the turmoil asbestos has created everywhere else, it's health hazards are not so apparent here. It causes a specific type of lung disease - mesothelioma, which is very very rare (though deadly). I don't know if it's correct, but I've heard that asbestos here is of different structure than in western countries and therefore does not penetrate lungs so easily.
This pile looks quite harmless, but it always pays to be on the safe side. Best!
The great thing about asbestos is that it's perfectly reasonable and very practical. It protects you and your loved ones from fire, and is realitvely cheap and affordable. It's a perfect building material, really.
Oh, but then a few years pass and we work out that it will kill you. Not a nice, clean kill like getting hit by a bus, either. No, more a slow, nasty, ugly death - like you get from smoking.
Makes you wonder what other things we wrap ourselves in to make us feel safe will actually be the death of us.
I had misunderstood -- I thought that any amount of chipping or damage to one of those panels would mean that the whole thing was compromised and giving off dust. Apparently it's not quite that bad.
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