MuleFest fun.
Today was the second day of MuleFest in Columbia, I suppose a delayed, abbreviated version of Mule Day. After buying some things at the Farmer’s Market and taking them home, we returned to Riverside, parked at a church, then walked downtown. The area was packed, but in a fun, energetic way. There were classic cars, food trucks, and vendor booths all over. We found a comfortable spot and watched the parade go by. After that we got some food and enjoyed it at an outdoor table in the middle of the action. Luke seemed to enjoy himself. Later this afternoon we went to the new Co-op where they were having an open house and a little car show. So it was another good day.
Road Warrior.
This morning I hauled the half full IBC totes to the job site and unloaded them with my tractor. I also strung a chain across one of the driveway entrances. I went by the library to print my lumber quotes and also looked through their books for sale. After cleaning the cottage I drove down to Snead, Alabama to look at doors. I think I found a large front door that I like, and will return to buy it shortly. From there I drove over to Double Springs, to a place where I had previously bought windows for our house. Unfortunately they did not have what I need. I drove home and arrived just as Liz and Luke were finishing dinner. It was good to see them and we had a nice rest of the evening together.
Preparing for block.
This morning I went with Liz and Luke to Franklin, and took Luke to High Hopes while Liz went to the grocery store. After returning home I hooked up the trailer and headed to work. First stop was Home Depot in Manchester where I bought some padlocks. Next I went by a fertilizer distributor in Hillsboro to pick up some free IBC totes. Things were going great until I was almost to the top of the Mountain and blew a tire on my trailer. Fortunately it’s a tandem axle, so I was able to keep going to the cottage, where I had a spare. I spent the rest of the day putting water in two of the totes, emptying another trailer so I can haul sand, and hanging out at the Mountain Goat Market. This evening I am reading a new book on my phone. It is actually the first of a new series.
Doing what I needed to.
I got a relatively early start this morning and was able to pin the corners of the block for the masons. That took a while and was frustrating, but I think it will be accurate. I also marked where the rest of the block was to be placed when Lowe’s delivered it. After finishing that I drove down to Ace Hardware in jasper for some fertilizer and then on to Harbor Freight in Kimball where I bought a tarp for the OSB. Installing it was a pain because it was so huge, but I was able to cover all the sheets. I rewarded myself with a trip to the Goat Market and chatted with Eric for a while. After leaving there I got my things at the cottage and then drove to buy half blocks in Winchester. On the way home I stopped at Chick-fil-a in Tullahoma for some fries and a milkshake. That was nice. Luke was waiting when I arrived home and we played with Legos and ran around until dinner time. After dinner he cleaned up and took a “mini shower”. Bed time went slowly but he is down now.
Haulin’.
This morning I got a call from Lowe’s asking if they could deliver some of my block today. I said yes, but had to go over to the job site to prepare some things. After finishing there I met Dillon at Ace Hardware and we took his truck and trailer down to Woodbury to pick up a load of OSB. We returned and the Lowe’s truck had just arrived, so I showed the driver where to put the block and then Dillon and I unloaded the OSB. On the return trip to Woodbury we stopped for lunch in Pelham and then picked up the rest of the OSB. Unloading it was tiring work and I was happy to be done. Afterwards I used the tractor to block the drive with some logs. Tonight I have just been relaxing back at the cottage.
Back on the Mountain and in the heat.
This morning I loaded up some lumber and hit the road. I got to the cottage and relaxed a bit before going over to the lots. The first order of business was cutting some trees that I wanted down before the block was laid. They were mostly dead and needed to be dealt with now while it was still cheap to do so. This afternoon Dillon came and helped me cut down the last three. We loaded some logs on his dump truck and I called it a day. I went back to the cottage for a shower and read a bit. I went out to Piggly Wiggly for some food, which I cooked, and now I am just relaxing.
Hot, busy Sunday.
This morning after breakfast we drove to the Natchez Trace and followed it to Jackson Falls, a nice waterfall at the end of a moderate hike. Luke sure enjoyed it, and we had a snack at the trailhead picnic table after hiking. We drove further down the Trace, stopping again for a wildflower hike and finally again for another waterfall. We had lunch at home and I mowed the back field while Liz and Luke had quiet time. Then I set up the sprinkler on the straw bales, and let it run all afternoon. While that happened we all drove to Henry Horton. The playground wasn’t as shady as I remembered but Luke didn’t really want to play. He swung a little on the swing set, then we walked over to the sand area, but he didn’t really want to play there either. So we drove home to play with Legos and read books. We had dinner on the back deck again and then the bed time routine began. There was a bit of a meltdown at the end, but now is asleep or at least quiet.
Hot Saturday.
I was going to do some yard work this morning, but it was already uncomfortable after breakfast so I decided not to. We went to the farmers market, returned home, then went to Home Depot. From there we went to the Library, where Luke played with trains and checked out some books. After lunch Luke had quiet time and then we went out again. Our first stop was the Dotted Lime so Liz could get coffee. Next we went to Ace Hardware and Harbor Freight. Back home Luke and I read a bit before having dinner on the back deck. Luke started his bath as usual, but then Liz turned it into a shower for him, and he loved that. He was very active at bed time though and kept coming out of his room.
It’s not raining so we’re pouring.
Wow, what a day. This morning I spread the last of the gravel over the driveways. I was a bundle of nerves thinking about concrete trucks getting stuck and other things going wrong. It was early afternoon when the concrete guy arrived with his helper, and they started to do the final preparations for pouring. The concrete trucks arrived not long after, and the first nearly got stuck. I ran some errands while they started pouring and returned about halfway through. It was nice to talk with the truck drivers and I was able to relax a bit. Unfortunately I bought about eight yards more concrete than I needed. Everything got finished and looked good, I paid everybody, and then I left. I drove to the cottage, hooked up the trailer, and headed home. I arrived about a quarter before eight, and Luke was still up. It was nice to see him before he went to bed.
Driving and graveling.
I was out of bed before six this morning to play with Luke. A few minutes after seven I hit the road, stopping at Lowe’s in Tullahoma to give them the list for my lumber quote. I stopped at the cottage to pick up socks and the jackhammer, then went to the job site. I reset the rebar where I had cleared the rock, and texted a picture to the inspector. He approved it and I was able to relax a little. Dillon brought another load of gravel and the truck got stuck again, though not as bad as yesterday. The tractor again rescued us. I drove down to Manchester to return the jackhammer and upon returning spread the gravel around in preparation for Dillon’s next load. He brought it and didn’t get stuck. He was able to drive a bit on the gravel to better compact it. I left there and drove to Builder’s Supply to see if they had half blocks. They did not. I called the concrete guy and he said we would pour tomorrow. I was pretty drained at that point, physically and emotionally, so I returned to the cottage and showered. I went to the Goat Market for a drink and chatted with Eric for a bit. Back at the cottage I did some reading and just relaxed on the couch. I will call Liz shortly.
