Bare Neccesities Outdoor Kitchen

We quickly set up an outdoor kitchen to facilitate some cooking and a bit of space to relax during the "pioneer summer" we spent living in the utility building. Initially the kitchen was furnished with a large market umbrella, patio table and chairs, and heavy metal cabinets purchased from a dealer selling used military goods. We took a mini-vacation to California one week after moving into our new digs and came back with shade structure ideas. David soon constructed a ramada over the outdoor kitchen. The shade cloth roof was a lifesaver. Our outdoor kitchen was adjacent to a cattery which offered protection from the elements on one side.

David liked to say that he had a cat house but not a house for his woman yet as he had constructed the cattery for our two city cats, Peekaboo and Miss Muffet. The cattery boasted a partial roof so it provided both sun and shade. There was a loft to climb and perch in, the sides were solid from the ground to a height of three feet as a barrier to snakes, topped with heavy fencing wire to keep coyotes out. The exposed part of the roof was also fenced. They spent their days sleeping on a wicker love seat with matching chairs and were oblivious to our new camping lifestyle.

Remember my persuasive argument of it never rains here in summer. Three weeks after moving day the first of the monsoons moved in during the dark of night and ravished our kitchen. Wind and rain splashed the decomposed granite floor up the sides of all cabinets and furniture. Fortunately I had stored paper products and food in tight metal canisters inside the cupboards so all was not a loss. I spent the morning restoring the tidy arrangement. Two night later another rain devastated our kitchen and I got to repeat the cleaning process. David was away working, calm days returned and I wondered if he would believe my weather report.
Seeing is believing, the rains kept coming and I pretty much kept my mouth shut as this was my idea.

I recall being frightened only a couple of times during our thirteen month stay in camping mode. Once, a snake slid quickly by my feet as I sat alone reading by lantern light; I decided to read in our sleeping loft thereafter. The second time, we were fast asleep in the loft following another of those furious rains when a horrendous noise that sounded like iron chains hitting the giant boulders below brought us bolting out of bed. A weak flashlight affirmed that some red-eyed critter was out there. Indeed, there were two. Our new neighbors' Rottweilers had pulled heavy iron tie downs out of the rain soaked soil and came over for a social call at 2 am. Their trailing chains clanging on boulders was most unpleasant and the dogs were in danger of hanging themselves so a phone call was necessary. Their owner was quickly on the scene to claim his wayward pets. They've been great neighbors now for fourteen years; one of the Rottweilers still protects the hood.

I've never regretted the sacrifices of comfy living we made during our utility building experience but can't honestly say that I embrace the idea of camping out again.

FROM THE KNOTHOLE: Yup, I'm up here, still keeping an eye on things. Well, the good news is we saved $3,000.00 in rent that first year by moving to our site with minimal support facilities. Bad news is, we spent $4,000.00 going to Appleby's in Prescott for supper. Eventually, we finished our guest house, which we call the Geranium House. and began preparing our meals inside. So, I made plans to tear down the outdoor kitchen and use the lumber for concrete forms. Badboulderlady had a fit. I mean a big one. A real humdinger. She said she wanted to keep the outdoor kitchen. It was a part of us. So, I dismantled the thing, moved it up the hill near our main house, installed a real roof, put a storage shed on one end, and it serves as a cabana behind our house, keeping wood dry for our wood burning cook stove, and shade from the sun for select planters for container gardening.

a parting shot from bbman: Avoid debt.