I finally bought a house in Cave Country! W00T!!!

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Now THAT'S interesting, but I can't get it to play for me.

That is a screen shot of the video, sorry for the confusion. Click the link above. The owner has done a lot of interviews that you can Google. He says the added cost was 15-20% above the minimum codes in the area to build this home.
 
I figured it was a snag pic, so I had clicked the link above it! I just couldn't get it to play! :( I'll see if I can find it on YouTube later.
 
Unlike my fellow Floridians living to my West, I escaped Hurricane Michael with absolutely no damage. That doesn't mean I don't have more to clean up. The last three days have seen me on the mower and the tractor as I bioscape my homestead. I have to say that I'm really pleased with the outcome so far.

I'm also really pleased with Rosie, the tractor. She gets things done! She's a beast! Right after I bought my tractor, @RayfromTX bought one with a couple of more horse power and he's been showing off what his slightly bigger tractor can do. Fair enough, but if it's one thing I've learned in life, it's not the tool, but how you use it. No video of my exploits here, but I did take a few pictures of my 'conquests'. :D

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25ft Hercules Club

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40 ft dead Florida Cherry Tree

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Seventh Burn Pile of the Year.

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Some of the poles I've pulled, including an electrical pole that was not in use.
If you've been reading the blog, you know about my year long endeavor to de-fence the interior. I've pulled at least a mile and probably closer to a mile and a half of interior fencing. So far, I've been stashing it behind the workshop and Ag Shed, but with the clean up I finally decided to start hauling it to the dump. Loading it with the tractor was quite easy and took five/ten minutes, mostly in transit. Not to self: don't tamp fencing down on a mesh trailer. Yeesh! I had 5 heart attacks, 3 nervous breakdowns and a bout of acne unloading it. Every dangling piece of wire found purchase on the mesh like a super strong industrial velcro. I'm glad I brought gloves and I wish I had brought a cutter of some sort. This is probably a bit more than half of what I've removed so far.

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A trailer full of fence!​
 
Here are some pics from my dusk walk around the homestead...

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You can now look all the way to the West Fence from the house.

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An ominous sky!

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The next day: Mr Blue Sky!

 
@Akimbo the discussion of ICF homes came up this weekend from @cerich
ICF combined with geothermal heating/cooling since the aquifer in Florida is right there would be killer for those that have to rebuild
If you build the house right, ground source heat pumps (what people mistakenly call geothermal) are a complete waste of time and money. I realize that my statement deserves an explanation but it is true and it is my field of expertise. If I ever start talking about it in greater detail it will be it's own thread and this really isn't the place for it. ICF would also not be my first choice but it does have it's fans.
 
But it’s so long and it involves physics and the second law of thermodynamics and vapor diffusion and dew points and condensation and the reasons for airtight construction. People usually just want to be told what products are good and then they become vulnerable to marketing.

I could tell you what I do but if I don’t teach the physics then people think they can cherry pick and it can lead to straddling a picket fence, which can lead to testicular risk factors.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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