Thanks, Bill.

Square footage is 2000 living area, 2800 total. No basements in this part of Texas (near Houston). I am sure that up in the panhandle they probably have basements or storm cellars. Down here in Houston we just "hunker down"....ha ha.

 

They are out back...we call 'em ponds. No sense in wastin' all that empty hole with a spare frig and freezer. That's why we have three car garages.

 

Thought I would update this thread.

Since moving in on June 16th, we have made a lot of progress. We brought in six truck loads (72 yards) of top soil, put down 5850 sq/ft of King Ranch sod, put up 800' of fence and two cattle gates, and we brought in and spread two truck loads (24 yards) of crushed concrete to make driving surfaces through the cattle gates.

It's starting to look like a homestead.

 

Lookin' Good!

 

Thank you!

Almost forgot one of the really fun parts of this project.

We burned a huge pile of brush one night after a thunderstorm had rolled through and soaked everything.

Fun!

 

That Look's fun...

 

It was. The fire burned for two days and smoldered for a week. Have another pile ready to go but it's too dry now. Hoping for a good thunderstorm.

 

Lookin' good... I know Steve (CMPD) poo-poo'ed me for the fireplace comment, but I've actually lived there (and Austin, San Antonio, Hondo, and DFW), and I can tell you, summer heat and humidity control are bigger factors than heating in winter. Plus, think of all the wall and floor space you gained, not to mention the savings in maintenance and another hole in your roof for something you might use once or twice a year.

Pete

 

Would I do something like that?

 

Oh, great. The drugs were just starting to work for my paranoia, and now I have to start all over again......that's not you sitting at the end of my driveway is it, Steve?


Pete

 

I agree. I install them for a living. A vent free is the way to go down here in the south. No holes in the roof for leaks. No bee nests or other critters to access the house. The gas logs look great and the heat radiates through the house, not escaping out the flu pipe.

Firegear :: Vent Free Logs

The house looks great by the way. I was up at my parents place this past weekend. I forget how nice it is to have wide open land to move around on. Keep up the great progress.

 

Very nice Scott, I hope you and Susan have many years of enjoyment out of it.

 

Thanks, Mark and Kyle.

Washed the truck and the lawn tractors today and then took a photo. This is my "power equipment" here at the ranch. Ha!

 

Why is that? In Canada we don't have tornados or anything like that, but just about every house has a basement.

 

The only think I can think of is the possibility for flooding. I'm pretty sure they have basements and cellars in North Texas but down here in Southeast Texas I have never seen a basement. Maybe because we are right at sea level and when it rains here we can easily get 10" in no time.