Tub Plumbing - The Workaround

Bottom left: old water supply line
Top right: new water supply line

In my last bathroom remodel post, I showed you how we'd gotten the refurbished tub back in, plus the next problem we ran into: the old and new water supply lines to the tub weren't the same. Pictured left, you can see that the new one (top) juts out farther than the old one. This was a problem because there wasn't enough room between the tub and the wall to accommodate it. On top of that, the two lines were different sizes, so we couldn't simply switch them out.

After trying every solution he could think of, including calling the manufacturer, Dan finally decided he needed to order a couple of elbows, to come up with his own solution.

He cut the new pipe and attached it to the elbows, and ....

... they fit! Whether or not this will work will have to wait to be tested, because the lines still have to be hooked up in the crawl space.

You can see that the plumbing is a tight fit, but this was the best option. The dryer is on the other side of that wall, so putting the plumbing in the wall with an access cover was not a likely solution.

We still have to install the shower riser kit, but that should be more straightforward because the faucet was a part of the kit.

The other thing he got in was the toilet, although it, too, still needs the water supply connected.

It's definitely starting to look like a bathroom!

It's the same make and low water flush model that we installed in the kitchen bathroom. It isn't the cheapest toilet on the market, but unlike some low flush jobs, we know it does what it's supposed to. Happily, I found it for a really good deal at Home Depot.

Once Dan gets the water hooked up, we can actually start using this bathroom! After he gets the shower riser installed, the sink and vanity will go in next. Then it's almost done except for towel racks and a door.

Tub Plumbing - The Workaround © May 2013 

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Lily's Little Bag

And I don't mean handbag.

Woo Woo!

When I first bought Lily, her abdomen was flat with teeny little bumps for nipples. Now she is is beginning to show a little bit of udder, or "bag." This is sometimes called "bagging up" or "making her udder," meaning it is beginning to fill with milk in preparation for kidding.

Unlike Ziggy....

Hey Ziggy, are you sure somebodies in there?

... who made monthly visits to Gruffy (our Pygmy buck), Lily was with Elvis (our Kiko buck) only once. That means I can calculate a due date of May 9th for Lily, if she is indeed pregnant.

Why would I say "if"? Because in keeping with my "one-can-never-know-for-certain-if-a-doe-is-pregnant-without-a-blood-test-or-ultrasound," I should mention that there is such a thing as "precocious udder." This is when an young, unbred doe begins to make milk. I've never seen it but have read about it. Usually it is a sign of strong milking genes, and usually resolves itself if left alone.

According to my calendar, Ziggy's next (and last) due date would be June 3rd, unless I forgot to write something down. It doesn't look like she can go another month, does it? That would be the one due date that could make Elvis the daddy.

With Ziggy taking her sweet time, Lily's impending due date sets up a bit of a problem for me.

I have 2 goat stalls, The gated one on the left is the one I use as for kidding.
This is the one Surprise "owns." She's still mad about being turned out!

We started with one large box type stall to shelter the girls. Our first year of kidding, Dan divided it in half to create a kidding stall. I've also used it to separate the kids from their moms at night, so I can get the morning's milking. I can't do that so far this year.

Ziggy & Lily, enjoying their own stalls.

This set-up works well enough, but means I can have only one goat due at a time! The question is, what do I do with four goats when two are pending kidding at any time?

One thing this points to is a need for a better set-up. I showed you Dan's first idea for a "barn" in this post "The Princess Is Peeved". He's come up with a better idea since then, which I haven't managed to write about yet. For the time being, the best plan seems to do a goat shed shuffle. I'll put the boys permanently into the new shelter, put Surprise and Alphie into the original buck barn, and give Ziggy and Lily a stall each in the girls' shed. Surprise will not be happy about that arrangement, but at least I have a dry bed for everyone.

Lily's Little Bag © May 2013 by 

Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Rain + Waiting On Plumbing Parts = Floor

Rain. Over 6.5 inches in April have made the ground too saturated to work on our current outdoor projects, such as the buck pasture or current fencing project.

Waiting On Plumbing Parts. Dan had to mail order parts to finish the bathtub plumbing, and they hadn't arrived yet.

Floor. The hallway floor was the next indoor project on the list.

To give you some idea of the changes, here is a photo of the hallway when we first moved into the place.

The hallway when we first moved in with
linen closet at the end.  It's wide, about 5 ft.

We tore the linen closet out when we started on the bathroom. The other day, Dan pulled up the pink carpeting.

Linoleum was under the carpet. 

We discussed a variety of flooring options, and finally decided to use the materials leftover from the hardwood flooring project in the dining room. We had just enough vapor barrier, and almost enough oak floor planks.

We rented the flooring nail gun.

We were about 19 square feet short of finishing the area. Lowes sells bundles of hardwood flooring at 19 sq feet per bundle! But, because the new boards were narrower, we had to alternate some rows.

Some rows are 3.5", others are 2.5" Gaps near the wall allow for expansion.

I doubt this will be noticed once the floor is stained. And if it is, who cares.

Dan applying stain to the floor. Excess is wiped off with a rag.

We used the same color as we did for the bathroom window frame, but it seems to have turned out darker on the floor. Darker than I was hoping. One of the creative unknowns, I suppose. Here's what it looked like with the job finished.

The sheet (pulled out of the way, upper left) helps
to minimze dust all over the house from sanding. 

The polyurethane finish is next, and then Dan can get on to turning this space into its intended purpose. More on that soon.

Rain + Waiting On Plumbing Parts = Floor © May 2013 

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/