I have really been stressing about getting the paddock fences repaired before bad weather sets in. This is April’s winter home. So I took the day off to get it done. Needless to say this didn’t make Lynn a happy camper, but he can rest for the next 2 days, so he can be ready when the weekend rolls around.
Remember we had a big limb fall from the tree beside the paddock which broke two sections of board fence and April was scratching her rump and broke another whole section. Love her dearly, but she needs a companion, but that is a blog for the future.
We moved her to the back pasture so we could work in the front pasture without her supervision. Tear down was easy as the tree and April took care of that. I just had to remove as many of the boards as I could, Then the matter of cutting up the tree branches. Lynn took care of cutting three big limbs in pieces so we could at least work around them. My neighbor burns wood in his shop and he will be taking some of those off our hands.
I did call a few tree companies and will be getting some estimates on either taking the whole tree down or at least getting some of the larger limbs cut so they don’t fall on April. She was lucky the last time and I don’t want to take anymore chances. When they come out for the estimate we will see what kind of tree it is. I think it is a Chinese Elm, but it could be some kind of Locust as there are a lot of them in this country.
We installed two posts and three 16ft 2×6 boards and was able to reuse some that weren’t damaged. It looks a lot better but we still have a lot of clean-up to do.
I love finding treasures when I do projects like this. There is this small gate that goes into the paddock that had some hinge details that I admired. It also has some lap joints that makes it unique. Lynn didn’t make this one as he hasn’t ever used lap joints that I can remember. So it will be scraped and sanded then primer and paint will go on. I know it’s silly as the rest of the fence will not get painted this year. Maybe next year. Can’t wait to see how that turns out.
Now for some photos:
I just uploaded this photos and had to laugh as I lost one of Lynn’s wrenches and I looked all over the place and couldn’t find it. He said we would have to go to Sears and get him a new one. Did you see it. I hope it’s still there in the morning as it is too dark out there now. Shoosh, don’t tell Lynn until I make sure it is still there and I didn’t move it after the picture was taken.
Well this weekend rain was predicted so I decided it was time to hang a few more pictures and drapes. Our living room has 3 large windows on a 16 ft. wall looking north on pastures in the back. I loved that it allowed all the light to come into the house. But it was kind’a like living in a fish bowl. Being there is a heavy tree covered levee behind the house and a river there is very little traffic back there so we weren’t too concerned.
I decided that I wanted to add drapes to soften the room and give us a semblance of privacy if we needed it in the future. I did a lot of studying on what kind of drapes would look appropriate as these windows took up most of the wall.
Going with the western theme on the south wall of the living room I wanted to be a little more eclectic and the west wall has the piano and a nautical theme. I decided that I needed to dress up the round coffee table that Lynn just can’t get rid of. This has a crystal chess set that I bought for him years ago. The only thing new is the drapes. The ships wheel clock was a gift years ago from Diana our daughter.
I’m hoping to have fair weather for the next couple of week as we absolutely need to get the paddock fence repaired before winter.
Here are a few photos so you know I haven’t been sluffing off.
The drapes are hung and anyone for a game of chess?If the hubby won’t let you get rid of it, cover it with a table cloth.Piano with world mapChess anyoneWatching the seasons change out my office windowDoesn’t look like the storm is over yet
Next week I hope to have some board fence photos to share.
I’m a little late on my posts as I intended to post this Saturday or Sunday.
Where I left off. We had finished the one field fencing that took us 3 weeks. But at least it is done. Now we have to work on the electric fence around that same middle pasture. Remember Lynn was having a hard time trying to keep it working which prompted fixing at least that one side of the pasture so the horse couldn’t escape to the neighbors and possibly the highway? Well we are back to trying to get the electric fence running. I had a guy that helped me out when I needed the painting done on the trim of the little house we were selling. He does odd jobs on his days off and after work sometimes. He came by and used his tester on the fence so we know that it is working to a point, so at least we have a point to start at. Lynn will be running some new wire tomorrow and if he doesn’t finish it when I get home, I will. Then maybe we can put the horse in the back pasture and start working on the front fence. The broken one in the paddock. That has to be fixed as that is April’s winter home.
Speaking of the front fence, we bought the lumber this weekend so at least that is done. That worried me because it meant we had to take the flatbed trailer and go to Home Depot and get the lumber, 20 miles away. And I have never driven a trailer and I didn’t really want to learn. The problem with doing this was getting Lynn in the frame of mind to hook up the trailer; get the tail lights to work; unload the lumber (scraps) he can’t bring himself to part with; drive it to Walla Walla; then buy the lumber and load it on the trailer. We succeeded and I memorialized it in photos. Which I will post shortly. That means that maybe next weekend we can, maybe, put the horse in the middle pasture, and begin fixing the damaged fence. More pictures will come when we start doing that. I’m thrilled. Lynn not so much. He always looks forward to Monday’s when I have to go back to work and leave him in peace.
Oops!! I have the lumber pictures in my phone and don’t know how to get them downloaded. Sent them to my email, but they haven’t arrived yet. Where is a teenager when you need them. I will post those later. I will load what I have from my camera.
My handyman Martin, is going to change out the Chandelier in our entry. We bought it years ago, (maybe 10-15 years) when we were buying things we liked to eventually put them in the house. Well through the years, our (my), tastes have changed and after the Chandelier was installed at great risk to the electrician. It was 20 feet in the air and the railing on the stairs wasn’t put in yet so they used scaffolding and ladders. I didn’t watch and I am so glad I didn’t as I would have had heart failure. But they took pictures and showed me later. Risky is all I could say, they were really brave. So how could I say, um, I hate that Chandelier, take it down and risk life and limb to put up another one, when I didn’t even have another one? So my dilemma, buy another Chandelier, which I immediately did. One that really fits my current tastes. And it is now almost 3 years later. My handyman Martin is an electrician and he just looked at the job and we have a plan to get up there and change it out. Then that will be another job I can cross off the never ending list. I am excited that that will get done before winter gets here.
Now for the other thing that we got accomplished this past week was the tanks and stove was installed.
I am thrilled with the stove. It is a Lopi which I purchased from Blue Mountain Stoves out of Milton Freewater OR. It is gorgeous and the installation was done in one day. (I could really get used to things getting done quickly). I recommend them highly, as the owner, Jerry, did everything that he promised. They installed the stove and then the tanks were installed by Morrow County Grain Growers out of Pendleton OR. Then Jerry came back and lit the stove and made sure that it was running good. I couldn’t be happier. Bow Sewell of Cowboy Enterprises did the carpentry which took a little bit of work to vent the stove. His work was great. He really paid attention to the little details. I recommend them both for a job well done. No more cold feet for me. Yeah 🙂
They did an absolute awesome job. I am still learning how to set the thermostat but I want to tell you the heat is wonderful. It is a propane stove as we decided that we were getting too old to haul and chop wood, and pellets were heavy also. Since it isn’t our primary source of heat, it just makes it more comfortable in the living room. I will let you know how it works at the end of winter when we have had a good chance to put it to the test.
Last year we had a rough winter. It didn’t get below zero much but consistently stayed in the single digits long enough for pipes to break and for me to think I would never get warm again. The heat pump bills were so high I thought I would have to take out another mortgage to stay warm. I am prepared this year.
This has been a busy summer and a lot of things have gotten done. Still there is more to do. Stay tuned.
Liking my new stove, fits just right in the corner.Our new stove. We get propane tanks on Tuesday. Looking forward to firing it up.
Cozy fireMy beautiful view out my office window. I will be able to mark the seasons from these windows.
The wind was actually blowing through that big cottonwood tree. So peaceful. A river runs about 100 feet past the tree.
I remember Markeeta Littlewolf coming in to our hardware store to buy some paint one summer with her husband Mike. Lynn asked her if she was going to put Mike to work painting and the response was “You never give a hillbilly a paint brush.” Absolutely love her quick come backs. But I had the feeling she was being a little truthful. Anyway, I thought of this infamous quote when I pulled out the paint brush and roller today.
A new weekend and some progress from last weekend. First and foremost, I got some pictures uploaded from the camera. Yeah.
Here are photos from my paint job today:
Before my painting today. I stopped painting 2 or 3 years ago. Don’t remember why I didn’t finish, but I probably ran out of time before winter. The white is the primer. Boy did it hold up good.After my painting todayWhat NOT to do. Leave blue painters tape on the outside for 2 or 3 years.Next year, I promise I will finish this. Got to caulk, prime and paint.Assessing my paint job from the pasture.
Now for some photos from last week. As you may remember from my last post, we basically finished the one fence in the pasture. Had the top wire to put on and hog ring to the fence so, hopefully, April won’t be able to bend it down.
This is what we completed last weekendLooking down the fence line.Putting up the electric fence insulators (aka thingies)Not very clear, but this is a hog ring, for all those city folks that read my blog.A roll of top wire for the fence. Lynn has been doing a little bit on finishing the fence.
Now for the stove and the skies. Yep, I’m going to be ready for winter this year. Blue Mountain Stoves and Cowboy Enterprises did a fabulous job on installing the stove. That will be one more thing I can check off the list.
Liking my new stove, fits just right in the corner.Our new stove. We get propane tanks on Tuesday. Looking forward to firing it up.Glad it didn’t rain while I was painting.Winter’s Come’n
Okay, well that just about brings us up to date. The nights are coming quicker and the days are getting cooler. I have to be ready for completing my inside project and hunkering down while waiting on spring.
What I like about winter: I can spend more time writing; get indoor stuff done; read more; curl up under a warm blanket when it’s bedtime; and loving the green of my lawn with the rye grass. Yep, my yard looks terrible in the summer but is green in the winter. Go figure. A sprinkling system and landscaping was on my list for this year, but it didn’t happen. So it has moved to next year. Stay tuned.
15yearsandcountingdream 