Whisper McCoy

I LOVE Roundup!  Works great!  Buy it buy it buy it! Well, ok.  I'm a FORMER roundup user.  I have been working out of town since 2005, so the PI has regained its territory with a vengeance.  I have decided never to use chemicals like roundup again, but I also refuse to believe that there isn't something out there that will eradicate it (besides goats).  Spraying with bleach?  Ammonia?  Vinegar?  And what's the name of that herb that's a natural healer of it?  Jewel weed, isn't it?  Will jewel weed banish it, or does it just compete with it? And the truth is, roundup seemed to be just a temporary fix, even using it at the recommended strength.  Miss one plant, and back it comes.  Not worth it.

So how's the project coming?

If you do decide to grow it, here's how to plant it.

1: Pour a concrete slab about 1 foot in diameter and 6 inches deep.

2: After curing, poor used motor oil on the concrete until it has absorbed all it can.

3: Take one kudzu seed and cut it into as many pieces as possible.

4: Place the smallest piece you have in the center of the concrete.

5:  Stand back.

Thanks, that was very interesting about the "hat".

Here's a pic I took on my recent trip home.  Looks very much like the one with the heat exchanger! It's a good old stove, been there for many, many years.

Neat.

Our water source is county water from a BIG (no, make that HUGE)natural spring.  Also, there's one spring about a mile away on the side of the road where people frequently get water, and others a few miles away. Barring some type of earthquake that kills the spring, we've at least got access to water.  I will consider one of those large containers on a little trailer that I saw when we went out west to the Grand Canyon.  Many folks out there have to haul their water in.  It was quite a shock to see this, and made me appreciate what we have even more!

I'd like to consider a pressurized fresh water tank that would hook into my regular water supply, which would provide water if the supply were interrupted for some reason.  It would be continually refreshed since all water entering it would be constantly flowing through the house as usual.  All one would have to do is shut off the valve to the tank as soon as the water supply failed.  Then, if the supply is not restored, it would be fairly easy to modify the tank for rainwater collection.  But all I've seen so far are just regular non-pressurized tanks.  Anyone know of a supplier?  I could always use a hot water tank, but that would seem rather expensive. 

Thanks for the ideas, everyone.  I just got back from my inlaws, and I looked at their stove.  Couldn't find my camera!  And I missed something that you just pointed out, that the RMH's burn full-blast, with no in-between temps-shutting down the dampers on the stove.  I really like the added masonry idea, and adding a grate to the bottom.  I also went and looked at new stoves. The ones they had also did not appear to be adjustable like the old one.  Not enough time to check them all out.  In the long run, it might be more cost effective (and easier for them) to just replace the old one when considering bracing the floor for the weight and such.  We'll see!