Home & Heart by Kathleen Jarschke-Schultze Bob-O and I added a 12 panel Wattsun tracker to our system. This opened up the area where the three panel racks had been. With these panels off the ground I have the space in the sun to build a dream Ä solar cooker utility table surrounded by herb beds. Spring, Hope's Eternal The Wattsun tracker went in over a period of time. The weather fought us all along. It was either too cold to pour the cement, or it was raining, or it was snowing. Then we had a January thaw. It was wonderful! The tracker installation was finished and I began my project. The old racks were positioned on pier blocks with the angle adjustable for seasonal elevation. When they were dismantled I had varying lengths of rack steel and more pier blocks than I needed for my project. Bob-O had given me his old Makita drill when I got him the new deluxe model for Christmas so I was set for action. Siting First, I took the Solar Pathfinder out and moved it around the area I wanted to use until I found the place that had no obstruction to the sunlight at any time of year. I had erroneously assumed that where the panels had been would be perfect for a solar cooker. Richard pointed out that the panels on the new tracker would shade that area at certain times of year. Plumb Crazy Once I had the placement determined I dug holes to set the pier blocks in. I did not want them to be visible when I was finished. This turned out to be the most frustrating part of the project. Not only did I have to get them all level with each other, I also had to get them square to each other. Arrgh! I kept telling myself these were good skills I was learning and finally got through it. The next step was to assemble the pieces of rack into a table with a shelf. I wanted to avoid having to cut the rack if I could. By laying out the pieces on the ground first I was able to determine that only one cut was needed. I measured and cut that piece with a hacksaw. Assembly I assembled the rack frame using bolts, nuts, washers and my Makita drill. The table top is waist high and made from plywood. There is a shelf underneath, also made of plywood, with enough room to store solar cookers that are not in use. Later I will enclose this shelf with hinged and latched doors. The front half of the table top has a raised plywood table on a Lazy Susan type turntable which holds the cooker and allows it to be easily turned to the sun. By drilling holes in the turntable and the table top I am able to secure the cooker from the wind by using a 20 penny nail dropped into the appropriate holes. Eyebolts on the platform and bungee cords will secure any cooker I use to the platform. Herbs Then came the fun part. I gathered rocks, of which we have a plentitude, and made a border around the table about two and a half feet out. There is an exit path on all four sides. Three sides are divided by more rocks into planting beds for the herbs. I chose sage, thyme, chives, parsley, oregano and tarragon for the perennial herbs and dill for the annual. A small permanent bed of elephant garlic will be be there also. Some cosmos and German statice will provide some color in the beds, towards the back where they will not shade anything. Iris will line the path to the solar cooking area. As a preventative measure, I am planting gopher plant in all the beds, except the garlic bed. Although it has caustic roots that deter gophers it will not affect the herbs cooking qualities. I may try rosemary but I have never had much luck with that. Eventually I will expand the beds and borders to surround the tracker pole, with room for standing and maintenance. A sundial on a pedestal would be a nice touch. Since this is my view as I stand at the sink and wash dishes I want it to be as pleasing as possible. Finishing Touches Except for some of the plants and the turntable mechanism the whole project is from recycled or scavenged on-hand supplies. The plywood is from some leftover sheets in the barn. The path and standing area around the table and tracker will be covered with wood chips, gathered from the road side where the chip trucks drop them. Finally, this fall I will plant some bulbs so that next spring will be more colorful. Access Kathleen Jarschke-Schultze c/o Home Power Magazine, POB 520, Ashland, OR 97520