This is our farm column from farmer Casey O’Neill. O’Neill is the owner operator of HappyDay Farms north of Laytonville, and a long time advocate for the cannabis community in Mendocino Co; more of his writing can be found here. The opinions expressed in this column are those of the writer. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor feel free to write to [email protected].
The trouble with putting on a new roof is that you never know what you’re going to find when you get into it, and it’s often worse than you expect. Like a lot of hill houses, our place was built one box at a time as money and needs required. The original cabin went up in 2006, a shared family effort that was me and Pops working together along with help from my brothers when they were home from their work as firefighters. My uncle provided crucial know-how and the project came together like a dream. It was the first time we had ever used the cement board siding that has become so ubiquitous. The job took us most of the summer and finished out as a beautiful 16×20 cabin with stairs up to a loft.
The layout and design matched the original cabin that Pops built in 1981, the year before my folks moved up in May and I was born in September of 1982. Working with Pops on the cabin was such a sweet experience; I was 24 years old and starting to put down roots after coming home from college, and it felt good to have a place to call home. The resonance of repeating the original design was an echo that I treasured and still reflect on with love and satisfaction.
I thought a lot about how it had been for my elders, moving out to an undeveloped piece of land and creating a place to call home. It was easier for me because even though I was camping in the meadow while we worked, I could always go down to the folks’ for meals and all the modern amenities. I remember asking my Ma, “what did you guys used to do for entertainment?” She got kind of a faraway look on her face and after a moment responded “we took a lot of walks.”
Thinking back on those days.gives me a fond feeling, although in the midst of the current roof debacle I’m a little chagrined. In 2007 I added an addition to the cabin that eventually became a bathroom and small living room with a loft above it. This project didn’t have the oversight of the elder professionals, it was my buddies and I, and my brother still refers to it as “the addition that bong hits built.”
This was in the days before my time as a carpenter working with my uncle, and there were a number of decisions made on the project that go against the grain of standard construction. Regardless, it worked out pretty well for more than 15 years, but with the record snowfall this last spring the roof started making loud cracking noises and sagged under the weight. We shoveled it off as best we could and awaited the dry period to make a full reconnaissance.
Yesterday we started the tear off and found that the main ridge beam had cracked and the nailer that attached to the original cabin had split as well, causing a serious structural issue and sagging enough to allow water to leak in. When FEMA came around this summer I showed the inspector the damage and lo and behold, a check came in the mail for almost $10,000, which was crucial because I wasn’t sure how I was going to pay for the repairs.
I’m experiencing a wide mix of feelings as we go through this process. I’m overwhelmed with the level of effort that has been needed this summer to manage upkeep on the homestead, but I’m joyful to be finally getting this project done. This job has been hanging over me and the uncertainty of the damage has been difficult to navigate, so it feels good to be underway. Replacing the old composite shingles with metal roofing will make the house less likely to burn in the event of fire, and I hope that this will be the last time I have to do the roof in my lifetime.
It feels odd to reach an age where things that I built as a young man begin to wear out or need replacing, yet also to do the work in ways that I think to myself “well, I won’t be alive to have to do this again.” It’s a strange, middle-of-the-road kind of feeling that I suppose comes to each of us in the course of a life journey, but I’m still turning it around in my head and trying to make sense of it.
It feels good to work with family, and I deeply appreciate the support and assistance in working through a problem that was more than I could manage on my own. As weather patterns continue to intensify in the future, I’m glad to know our house will be able to withstand potential heavy snows. It feels uncomfortable to recognize some of the young man’s follies in my early construction efforts, but it feels good to set them to rights. As always, much love and great success to you in your journey!
Dear Mr. O’Neill
Your writing makes me homesick for Ukiah. My husband and I have built onto or remodeled 5 homes in our 52 years together, and love the process, accompanied by bong hits. That made me laugh. When we moved to Ukiah we bought a home and remodeled it.
In 1989.
I grew up between a 640 acre farm in North Dakota and Newport Beach, Ca. Quite a confusing set of peoples to be “normal” around. In Newport I was so mid western, in ND, I was a Calif beach girl! Too funny. I was neither. When we moved to Ukiah I felt like I had found a place I could love but my husband, ever the beach boy, could not find his heart there. I don’t know how many times we took that logging road to the coast. I absolutely loved that drive even though the logging trucks were scary. He taught for a year at the high school there, industrial arts. He found it strange to go into a classroom with a frozen dunk tank, 55 gal drum inside the classroom frozen over. I don’t think he could get used to wearing shoes and long pants. At that time the Mormons ran the school district. Don’t know who’s the biggest influence now, but we were not Mormon. Didn’t help. He was the only teacher in his department who wasn’t Mormon.
Hard for him to settle in with all of the push back he received just for being from Southern Ca. We were from a little beach city (at that time) San Clemente. Everyone introduced us or referred to us as “those people from LA”. We NEVER went to LA, we hated it there.
We bought a home, with propane and a semi functional septic field. I volunteered at Happy Day Preschool where our daughter went to learn. I learned how difficult it was when small town gossip spread stuff around too. Never really experienced that before. I adored our country house. It was in Regina Heights. I almost sent my husband back to So Cal without me. We had rented out our San Clemente house. He missed surfing with our neighbors. I was in heaven seeing vineyards, that small farm down by the Russian River we drove by to cross the river into town. So much I miss. Even 32 years later. I remember walking down the road from our house to the vineyard holding my 5 year old daughter’s hand and knowing we were going to leave, feeling sad, cause I knew what we were going back to.
So I appreciate your words. Can relate to the fun building stuff. We expanded the bedroom in the house, we ended up retiring to in a quiet cul de sac on a small Canyon close to the beach. In 2001 we bought this house, I think there is a widening crack in the foundation we added between the expanded bedroom and the original. You can feel it under the carpet. For the most part we follow traditional construction rules and there is rebar in that concrete but heavy clay soil and those recent rains can do a lot to places. I think it will remain unmentioned forever. We had to build a garage, house came as is. Ended up stripping off all of the drywall and rearranging a few studs. There were bums living here, and rats. It took 6 months to get them to leave so that we could close escrow. (the rats were another issue).
This is the most land and most country we could get here. I can walk the Canyon, it leads to the beach but it’s a hike over salt flats and scrub brush. Only other place you can get a lot like this here is under the airport. We both grew up before the airport got commercial and living under it which we did for many years both in the homes we grew up in and two other homes under it we owned just convinced us that living under the airport path is really a loser. Can’t understand how so much of Newport Beach continues to thrive under that flight path. Home prices are not affected here apparently. Watch out for upgrades in the Ukiah airport that may continue to grow it cause once they get a commercial carriers in there you will experience more and more air pollution and noise. You of course know that, we lived it.
I also have been growing cannabis for about 10 years and every year I learn something new. This is my best year yet, and we started late, beginning of June this year. Just now starting to harvest, finally waited long enough to get the most out of these plants. So it’s a good year.
Also know what you mean about revisiting building projects that you thought you’d never have to deal with again, we haven’t been in a single home for this long ever. Going on 22 years now! So we get to enjoy our follies. We have spent 6 years on sailboats too. Raised our two kids through all of this. Our daughter bought the home behind ours, together we have 20,000 sq. ft. of land which is outrageous down here. She and her husband have one child. One reason we are here is that the harbor is ten minutes away too. We own a mooring to hold a 45 ft. boat and pay for it every month, even though we haven’t had a boat on it for 2 years. Can’t give it up, can’t find a boat that we can afford that we can manage to get onto at this age. It’s really hard on him as he is a boat nut and we have had 19 boats so far to also remodel and put engines in and such. My husband and my son in law just spend two years remodeling and expanding their little house. At 72, it really took it out of my husband to do that. Son in law had no experience so he has learned a lot. But I still wish I could look out my window and be in Mendo.
Loved San Clemente but then they built an entire city on the other side of the 5 freeway so it’s no longer a nice little town. The beach has eroded. It has changed too much as has all of So Cal. I imagine Ukiah has too. Last I heard they actually have natural gas lines now to where our old house was. We used to spend $400 on propane a month. I digress, what I meant to say is we too feel that this is the last time we will do this and that. Forever. Isn’t it weird to know that? What comes next? We are grateful for how our lives ended up.
I appreciate your writing, love reading it, feel connected still to Mendocino Co. Thank you!
Wish you the best on your projects. The metal roof and concrete siding are great ideas. Bet it looks good. Remember what my doc says is that our bodies are full of old rubberbands, you can stretch them just so far. So take it easy. Enjoy your life!
Meridee Thompson