Still not sunny, still not productive.
On the bright side, it didn’t rain today. After using the internet in the library parking lot I went to Eric’s house to help him with a little project in his kitchen. He is getting granite countertops among other upgrades, and needed some help getting ready for the guys who are coming to measure for the granite. After that I drove down to Dixie Salvage in Fort Payne. I wanted to see what they had in terms of flooring, vanities, and other materials. I was a little disappointed but still got a couple of flooring samples. If nothing else it was nice to drive for a bit. I went to the Goat Market once back on the Mountain and chatted with Eric and others for a bit. After leaving there I returned to the cottage and have been relaxing and reading.
Wet and chilly, but good.
I got to the cottage about 11:35 last night and was pretty exhausted. This morning the block guy called about 6:40 to set up a meeting for today. I stayed in bed a little while longer then went to the job site. It was incredibly nasty there. I did come cutting and moved some logs with the tractor, but it was so muddy that I was sliding all over the place. The block guy came about 9:45 and we had a great meeting. His price is good and he will pour the footings too. After he left I grabbed my chainsaw and headed on as well. Back at the cottage I just relaxed, ate some, went with my dad to get gas, tried to nap, and talked with my mother. This afternoon I took it pretty easy. I did some work on my materials lists and starting looking at paint colors for the next two houses. This evening I have been reading a new spy novel.
Doing a little bit more of everything.
This morning after breakfast I went to Kroger and then the gas station, then cut the grass in the back field. The mower did great. After that I went to get straw for our straw bale garden. We just kind of hung out around the house for a bit – I showered and prepared dinner in the slow cooker while Liz and Luke played outside. We had lunch and the rain started while we were eating. We drove up to Lauren’s to have a Mother’s Day celebration with my parents as well as their friend Megan and her son JT. It was a nice time. We returned home for dinner and Luke talked all about our time there. Due to the storms he didn’t have a real bath. I am waiting around for the rain to stop or at least slow down before I drive up to Monteagle.
Doing a little of everything.
This morning after breakfast we went to the farmers market to get bread, carrots, and cheese. Luke enjoyed seeing everybody. From there we went home and all worked on cutting up the fallen tree and hauling it to the burn pile. After a return trip to the market we went to TSC where Luke saw the chicks and drills. We had lunch and a failed nap attempt, then went for a little drive. Our first stop was the Dotted Lime so Liz could get some coffee. We drove out towards Santa Fe, then over to Spring Hill to the library, where Liz got a card. Unfortunately she forgot Luke’s shoes, so he couldn’t go inside. We went to the Port Royal playground for quite a while. It was pretty crowded but Luke handled himself very well. We got pizza from a place in Spring Hill that we hadn’t tried before, Frankie’s. It was pretty good. Luke really stretched out dinner time and didn’t go to sleep until nearly nine. He should sleep well tonight though.
A beautiful, but still muddy day.
Last nights storms made everything even messier. I went to the library parking lot to send emails and make phone calls, many of which I had been putting off for a while. So it felt good to do that. I took trash to the dump and stopped by the Goat Market to chat with Eric for a bit. After going back to the cottage to clean and pack I went next door to see Debbie. I didn’t stay for too long before returning to the cottage to watch an episode of Magnum PI that I had downloaded on my phone. The drive home was uneventful. I arrived to see a tree down in the back field, and so I started cutting it up. It will take several trailer trips to get it all over to the burn pile. I also need to get more gas for my chainsaw. It was good to see Luke and we played a bit before dinner. He was quite rambunctious at bed time but eventually went to sleep.
A productive day before the rain arrived.
After breakfast and saying goodbye to Liz and Luke I drove p to the Mountain. I met Dillon and his buddy “Rat” at the job site and loaded up some logs, and talked with Rat about a little backhoe work. I had to run to the cottage but returned and got to work about 10:40. It was a muddy mess but I still got a lot of work done. Branches hauled to the burned pile, stumps as well, more logs cut, and some topsoil graded off. The mud kept me from doing everything I wanted to, and I’m not sure if tomorrow will be any better. I took an afternoon break and went to the Goat Market for a drink. When I returned there was a deer at the first lot. I worked until about seven and was turning onto the highway next to the Goat Market when I saw serious clouds. They reminded me of the “Derecho” in Columbia last year and I was a little nervous. I didn’t even know it was supposed to rain. The wind and rain really picked up, but it didn’t last terribly long. I watched an episode of Magnum PI on my phone and did a little internet surfing this evening. Hopefully the rain won’s make too much more of a mess but I’m not confident.
More rain, less work.
It was gross outside this morning, and with some encouragement from my dad I decided to make it an “administrative day”. That involved finishing a Clive Cussler book, using the library’s internet to map out some property, and organizing the back of my car. A little after two I hit the road and drove down through Cowan. Before Lynchburg I took a bit of a route I had never done before. It was quite pretty and I enjoyed seeing something new. Luke was in the back yard when I arrived home. He showed me some things in the house and we played a little until dinner time. He stretched out the meal and then goofed out when it was time to clean up toys. He did well at bath time and seems to be going to bed without fuss. I just finished cleaning the kitchen and have a little work to do on the computer.
Getting a little done, despite the mud.
I woke up to rain again this morning. I went to the library parking lot for some internet access then drove down to Winchester to get more chains for my saw. After a little reading back at the cottage the rain ceased and I went to the lots. It was a muddy mess there. I was able to cut down some more trees and haul a bit of the debris though. I also stacked more logs. Now I only have two more trees to take down. My dad came by to check on the progress and I worked until about six when it started raining again. I went to the cottage for a shower and after my dad returned we went to Piggly Wiggly for a little ice cream. We chatted a bit and I have been reading a Clive Cussler paperback. It feels good to be holding an actual book. It has been storming more and I sure things will be nasty tomorrow.
Slow start, strong finish.
It was raining this morning and I was in no rush to get going. So I did some reading, went to use the internet in the library’s parking lot, and just kind of relaxed. About 1:30 I went to the job site and got to work. I cut down more trees, hauled off some big sections to the burn pile, and got the site looking a lot better. There is still a little ways to go, but I am getting close. I worked until nearly dark. Unfortunately they are calling for severe storms tomorrow. Mud was a little bit of an issue, but I managed okay. Tonight I am just taking it easy.
Fun at Meme and Pop’s.
We left the house about 11:30 this morning and drove up to my parents’. Lauren and McGarrett were there and we had a nice lunch. I was pretty exhausted and so spent time on the couch after while the others chatted. Luke enjoyed seeing the garden and climbing stairs. We returned home for dinner, which Luke stretched out a bit. He is getting his bath now, and soon I will drive to Monteagle.