It’s still winter and there’s not much going on except for planning, but here are some things that we’ve been doing:

• We contracted with a neighbor who is a very skilled builder to consult with him about the design and later building of our cabin. He and his wife (who does all the computer aided design (CAD) stuff) came up with a very nice design for us that includes lots of windows to show off the view as well as a nice loft for storage and overflow sleeping quarters.
• Clearing and leveling the property is essentially complete. Today Stan used bright yellow tape to mark the areas where we want to be graveled. He also used the GPS to survey the various pieces (barn, house, and garden areas).
• We took the new house design to Koverage Contractors for a bid on building it.
• Continued working on the solar setup for the RV. When the house is ready, it will be reused there along with adding 16 more solar panels for a total of 32, along with 12 100 amp hour batteries configured in a 48 volt system. A later post will have details about the solar setup, which is designed to be expandable both in panels and batteries as needed.
• We discovered that the RV automatic transmission had leaked fluid while it was stationary and we were living in it with the result that the transmission was probably damaged when we moved from Porthill to Bonners Ferry after winterizing it. The nearest place that can work on a rig that size (29 foot motor home) is in Ponderay, about 30 miles south of Bonners Ferry and they don’t work in the winter because the pit they use is outside (nobody in this area has a lift that will take a vehicle that size). Probably won’t be able to work on it until late March at the earliest. It may have to be towed. If so, we are very grateful we joined AAA with the RV option before we ever left Orem. AAA will tow it up to 150 miles.
• After the transmission is fixed, the RV next needs to go to a shop in Hayden, another 40 miles south of Ponderay, to get the door fixed. The 30 year old door has finally sagged on its hinges far enough that it can barely be closed and latched from the outside and not at all from the inside.
• With all the RV issues, we don’t expect to be back in it until April. We’re also hopeful that we can begin construction in April or at least start putting in the garden and building a shed and root cellar.