Austin Cottingham-1- Summer projects

One of the many things that is happening with my family this summer is that we are fixing a new property for our whole family. This means going and clearing debris from the houses and shops that came with the property. So far I have spent many afternoons tending to this property and making sure that everything is getting done as well as being fixed and moved. I also have started many projects of my own out at this new homestead such as a forge or foundry, beekeeping, gardening, and many other projects in the works, like a custom workshop in one of the smaller shops, although it is a bit rough it will get the job done no matter what happens. One of the many important things I have learned is the  ability to have some patience and persistence. I have had some help from my friends and family who have been interested in the certain projects that i'm starting from this new foundation of land. Diving in to more depth with these projects i'm going to start with the gardening. We are growing all sorts of plants that include, Corn, Cucumbers, Watermelons, Cantaloupe, Okra, Black Beans, Thai Chili Peppers, Ghost Peppers, Strawberries, Peppermint, Spearmint, Lavender, Onions, Radishes, and Pumpkins for this Halloween. Growing all of these plants and spices have been a challenge although a fun one at that . Most of the plants we take care of had to start in pots and then slowly grow into the ground once we planted them because the Arkansas soil is very sandy and dense. The next project that we started was the dynamic of a forge, this was a very tough project to achieve because of the amount of metal, bricks, time, effort, and design tweaks that helped it grow. It started as a fun idea then it developed into an actual thing. I cleaned bricks in my grandpa's back yard then started drawing a design that would allow me to know how many bricks to use. Then once you get all of the bricks together you have to get coals to burn and a blower that stokes the fire making it burn hotter. Then once you have all of that you have to find a crucible like the bottom of a fire extinguisher that we cut in half. Then you can throw your metals in the bottom of the crucible in the fire. Then either put the metals in a cast or beat them with a hammer to shape them into something you may need. One example would be the spikes I made to build the raised beds for the garden in the back of the property. Summer is full of fun projects at this new place, I will keep you updated.