Scott drinks moat*#@er...you told me you WANT the Sanford and Son look....and Steve has already started the collection! LOL

Yeah and those beer bottles you chuck over the moat in the evening whilst fishing makes such a good sound as they break on the rocks.... and a great neighbor deterrent too I suppose.....

its also good old fashioned NE security system....just leave the broken glass on top of the stone wall to prevent people from crawling over...

That does work I agree. But then again so does a 20 + foot high wall!

IF they get over that one then you've really got a good case in court for when they fall off the dang thing, Well Judge you see, it must have been done with intent for him to get as far as he did, No no that there rope that was found on his neck was what he was using to climb with!

LOL...of course there is always my idea of running razor wire atop a fence then growing ivy over it....... Bad Evil Barbie.....Bad! Bad!

your horns are showing

hey...thats not the smilie I tried to put in the post......

LOL Razor wire...sheesh.

You see, here in the Ozarks, we are allowed to shoot people who are on our property....just have to have a sign letting them know intent (ie: Trespassers will be shot - possibly twice!). Cheaper than razor wire and less accidents on the glass, as the only ones barefoot would be me and the kidlets.

Now if they would just figure that out for the lifers' in prision...perhaps our taxes would go down if we could just shoot the buggers.

If that is not the smilie you clicked then their on the lose again.

Here in Oklahoma we have strict laws about who we can shoot when, personally I feel the politicians are worried about their own butts.
Got to watch the glass around here becouse Meg and Jen goes barefoot, me I'm a tender foot to a point. Jungle combat boots are my norm.

I'm not sure where this should be put but...o'well


Oddly Enough - Reuters


Having Sex Until the Cows Come Home

Sat Sep 11,11:16 AM ET

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - What's a big cud-chewing Scottish cow have to do with preserving public decency?

According to the mayor of a small Dutch town, allowing Highland heifers to graze in a nearby nature reserve will help deter couples who have scandalized the upright citizens of Spaarnwoude with their open-air sex antics.

Mayor Ellen van Hoogdalem-Arkema said the brazen behavior of amorous outdoor enthusiasts has angered and embarrassed people walking their dogs in the reserve or taking their grandchildren for a stroll.

"Visitors experience great annoyance from people having sex in public and apparently the presence of the cows turns the people off having sex," the mayor said.

The idea of using cows to cool passions in the park originated from another nature reserve south of Amsterdam, which saw an unexpectedly serendipitous reduction in sex prowlers after allowing the cows to graze in its fields.

Van Hoogdalem-Arkema said that the reserve's status as public land made problem tricky to solve and urgent.

"I just got off the phone with a man who was cycling in the area with his children, when suddenly two naked men came running across the road." she added with a sigh.




I do know our Favorite Helient Highlander Kelly has scared off several car loads of people, some who was parked on the road!!

I dont know what to make of it, man. For some perhaps, its a turn on. For most I think theyd laugh and it might be a turn off. Me? Well,.... Im sick, but not quite the kinda guy who'd get turned on by seeing cows get it on... yeah, i think id probably crack a smile and egg on the cows.
Whatever.
Yeah, i dont know where that belongs either but ya know, its conversation. thanks. Neat. Yeah ...cow sex.

Im getting antsy aboutt tthe con.

OH! I didnt tell you : I invited the architect/engineer guy and hell be there too.
Im stoked about that.

Hey Buddy, Friend of mine,
I think they mean the cows would deter humans from using the area for their interludes.


The architect/engineer being there will be of help in lining this out.

oh.

I talked to a General Contractor today for about 1 hr about the project. He clued me in further on some of the rrequirements and all the damn inspection thats going to be necessary. So im really looking forward to pulling all my hair out.
it was good to talk to him. He brought my atention to several differrent aspects that I hadnt looked at or inspected enough such as the need for financial padding, extra money in anticipation of the things that you dont expect or wont see coming, insurance on the place (covering ones butt in case of anothers shortcomings leading to mechanical failure, structural damage, suit etc), we talked much about all the negatives and the watch-out-for's - funny, though...the guys attitude toward me doing the project was verry optimistic and encouraging. The way it ought to be.

Theres the phase of the legalities and the paperwork mumbo-jumbo. Thats the one that seems to be the most headaches for me thus far because i simply dont have a command over it yet.

In the world we live in today the phaze in which you refer to is handled by a contracter who has the pull and knows the people who knows peolpe that can get things done the way you want.....in other words he knows who to pay off and how much is enough with out it being too much graft.
pretty sick aint it!!

Boy isn't that the truth there Duncan! Best of luck to you Scott drinks moat*#@er & Steve! Keep my fingers crossed for ya.

I have also been researching into just how many different agencies are needing which liscenses, permits, and inspections along with just what the county offices will allow reguarding zoning regulations. Even out in BFE, it can make your head spin!! Quite amazing as to how many people I will actually have to report things to.

My only suggestion (is what I do) grab up one of those zippered trapper keepers or file folders, put all notes, numbers and agencies, plus the paperwork they require and divide with those tabbed divider thingies (its early here) and zippered pouches ...that way every thing is in it's proper place instead of scattered about on the desk - and the little pieces of paper can't slip out! I then stick it all in my filing cabinet after marking clearly as to its contents. Much easier if you end up running late to a meeting

hope it helps!

Galla....you are way too organized for me! I need lessons! I have a filing cabinet and there are still days I can't find anything!

yeah...it is easy to do. I used to be one of those with the desk covered with papers...especially the little ones I needed most. I have found that zippered pouches and such are excellent for keeping things organized. I also use a ton of baskets and decorative boxes. It keeps me from going totally insane. The biggest thing is to mark everything clearly, be it file folders or zippered pouches. I ecen have some that have detailed entries as to what the contents are so I can skim through.

Takes awhile to get completely organized, but you won't spend so much time searching for one thing or another. I have one of those photographic memories as well, so I can usually remember where I have seen a certain thing. The biggest problem I have is finding my keys in the morning or my sunglasses (which are usually on top of my head)

Hey Laureen just ask Steve and Scott drinks moat*#@er for you lessons.......ROFLMBO

We're lucky to live in a area that no one gives a eye blink what we build or how its built, they honestly don't care one way or the other.
I've still designed and built for state and fed codes as if some one does care though, it's safer that way in my openion and often adding items to the list that isn't called for but seems the right thing to do.

their filing system...the bottom of a beer bottle!

Actually, Scott drinks moat*#@er sounds like he has his s*%@ together...not as good as Galla but .....LOL.

I read that , you little butt nuggets...

Sounds like or HAS is together?....Actually, we just need to compartmentalize the notes, etc. into, well, compartments for filing. I'll be doing that, I'm sure. We have a system of organization set up, just need to start using the damn thing more.

BTW what about the sickos that get off having the cows watch? ...What do they do about them? Add goats?

eww... what a picture that brings to mind....gee, thanks cleave!

Then there are those who get off doing it in the zoo. No hope for them....

Some how I don't think your talking about the animals

Not too sure I want to touch that one either.

Ok....def staying away from the stables and dungeon......

(to others) "OK, guys, theyre gone. we can come out of the bushes now..."

Tell me about it.......

So Click to view attachment hows the system working out for your notes?
Put enough together to be able to sketch out a room or facade?

This ones so stale Ihave a hard time remembering what its about - I think youre asking weather or not we have enough materiel (either in files or whatnot - on the boards or whatever) to put a sketch together of one of the rooms interiors. right?

The answer to the above (weather or not that was what you were asking is yes, I can - though it isnt due to the files and collections of stuff at hand. I have had a vision of the rooms interiors for quite some time. Just wasnt gonna show you nuthin' since youre a stingy red hed.

Ok, maybe youre not a stingy red-head. More like a wanna-be surfer. Its ok. dont pout. Nobodys as perfet as me.

(this is how I get into trouble)

So what? Whats the deal? you wanna see some sketches or something? You know Im going to have a hard time of it. You know we jungle folk out here never hearda no machines that take pictures of stuff and then send them over the phone to show up on yur TV.

Well to start with I never wanted to be a surfer, not with red hair and freckles in Southern California, I'd have to ride at night just to prevent sun scorch.
I was hoping you might have or be able to make some sketches of your project.
I just wanted something new to talk about and look at.

Laureen made the statement in another topic about NOT hiding the modern utility's to give her castle a ancient feel with it being renovated and lived in today.
In my opinion the idea and concept is sound and would help to simplify many of the modern headaches with bringing a castle into todays world.
Several areas in ours will be done with this in mind.

Some one que the , this is where she's supposed to come in and carry on the topic

Well, the way I see it...if I were to theoretically purchase a 400 year old structure (supposing it was sound enough to live in) there would have to be some updating to make it livable, correct? So, I don't know about you but I doubt I will find an electrician to snake electrical wire through stone....and I see no reason to pretend that there is no electricity in the place...so for me, its logical to make it look like it was added...and in a sense, it would actually look more authentic...makes the structure look older....just my humble opinion. Same things for the rest of the place. Make it look like it was added a few hundred years after the fact.

let me also state that any "updates" should be done tastefully and "go" with the "original" structure...so to speak

I agree - there will be various things that will need to be delt with as time goes on. That is what makes it so interesting - to see the footprints of the years as they pass with each generation.

Grand ideas there Laureen!

Castles develop continually, how many are now the lesser part of greater mansion? It could be argued that you are adding authenticity to it by making the 'modern' additions visible in a discreet way.

Well, and depending upon period, an ancient castle would not have had glass windows either. Believe they didn't come along until something like the 13th cent? So agreeing with Gordons' statement, if we look hard enough (and sometimes it is just blatently obvious), updates would have been made as need or wanted.

I surely like windows....

In truth you would be hard pressed indeed to find a castle which had not been modified through the ages. Only those which were ruined at an early age would be left unaltered, except by nature and the degradation of time.

Sounds like an old discussing in another place and time Galla.
The Romans had sheet glass why would there not have been glass in some castles because we know for a fact that churches and cathedrals definitely had sheet and stained glass windows.

Came down to affordability, and if you could afford a castle.........

Quite true and in the UK with no bugs a shutter system works just fine!

Right, we have no bugs(no big ones anyway), just midges....and nothing stops them!

Once they get to you, in no time at all your skin can look as fiery and lumpy as a peeled pomegranate.

nope not a thing!
But over here we have so many the birds don't even try to keep up with them.
Back in the 60's the politicians wanted to make the US more like the UK and thats what started the aerial spraying of DDT

And now the roles are reversed and our politicians want to turn us into a state of America!

No bugs?! Now I know that I am definately living in the wrong place. I ought to carry around a sign "Bug Buffet"! Although if it weren't for the little buggers, I don't think I would really need windows anyhow.

Of course the churches had windows - the Roman Church has always been great at spending other peoples' money...

Which religion isn't?

Hi, I'm new to the site. I'm contemplating building my own castle as well. I've learned quite a bit catching up on your previous posts. For myself, I would lean towards the more authentic side of castle construction although i'm only in the very early stages of dreaming

Here is a site to check out on a couple in pittsburgh who are building their own castle

www.pitt.edu/~caram

Any chance of getting a peak at a few pics of your progress Duncan?

Cheers!

And Welcome kind Sir!!
I'll admit to being extremely superstitious about posting images from the project because of whats happened to my wife and I in the past.
Maybe I'm just lazy but I have no wish to start all over again as we did once before.
Building a facade is one thing but building a true castle is another which takes much more time then just a house with the look of a castle.
What walls and floors there are stand as a testament that dreams do come true.

So are your plans on paper yet?