Some days you’re the dog, some days you’re the hydrant.
And today I’m not barking. Things started off okay as I worked on clearing more of the yard. Then as I was using the tractor to remove some small stumps I got it stuck. Big time stuck in the deep mud at the front of the property. Another tree guy came just as that happened, so I met with him for a while. Then I went to the cottage for lunch before returning and attempting to get unstuck. That was unsuccessful. I was in a pretty foul mood so I went to the Goat Market to relax a little. Then I returned to the hose and finished the raised beds and started pouring a little apron around the HVAC unit. After it got dark I returned to the Goat Market for dinner.
Rolling along.
It was another productive day. I started the morning working on trim inside the house. Then I worked on the landscaping – finishing the raised beds and planting the last of the bushes. That went pretty well. I finished up the day with a little tractor therapy. That involved digging up some stumps. Eric’s father-in-law came at the end of the day to give me a quote on cutting down some trees. I was impressed with the price. After he left I went to the Goat Market for dinner and then came to the cottage. I’m pretty tired and hope to get to bed early.
More progress. (Also post #1000).
I read some last night, a book of short stories from the library book sale. I wasn’t too impressed despite the glowing reviews on the back cover. It was nice to go to bed at a reasonable time though, and I slept well. This morning I woke up, had breakfast, and chatted with my parents for a while before going to work. At the house I focused on the interior and got a lot of little things done. I also made a lot of phone calls and hauled trash to the dump. I had a very late lunch at Sonic (still feeling gross from that), then went to Tracy City to Ben Lomond, then dropped off some cedar scrap wood at Kent’s house. I talked with him and Jacob for quite a while before going back to the cottage. Here I have just been relaxing and messing around on my phone.
Working hard while the weather is nice.
I got a fairly early start this morning and headed to the house after breakfast. I focused on clearing trees and undergrowth out of the front yard. That was rather enjoyable, especially with the weather being so nice. Having the tractor was a huge help as well. I hauled a lot of stuff over to the new property. After lunch I went and worked some more. Then I returned to the cottage and cleaned before my parents arrived. After they came we went on a nice hike over on the Domain. Then we had dinner on the back deck. I hope to get to bed early tonight as I am rather tired.
Saying goodbye then getting to work.
Luke woke up pretty early this morning. I played with him while Liz packed for their journey to Michigan. As preparations were nearly complete she realized they didn’t have any bread, so I went to the farmers market to buy some. They left not long after I returned. After gathering a few things I too hit the road and drove to Monteagle via Fayetteville. It is another glorious fall day. I tried to take a little nap upon arrival but did not succeed, so decided to get to work at the house. I focused on clearing the trees and undergrowth that the buyer wants gone. It was nice to have the tractor helping. The chainsaw had some troubles, but a trip to the hardware store made everything better. After finishing work I went to the Goat Market for pizza and conversation. Then I went to see Debbie and Charles and chatted with them for a while. Since then I have just been messing with my phone and computer on the couch in the cottage.
The big three-oh (months).
Hard to believe that Luke turned two and a half years old today. But he did. It’s also hard to believe that I woke up and 5:45 and went to see the moonset. But I did. It was chilly out and I was tired, but the scene at the Templeton Library was glorious. I returned to the cottage for breakfast then went on to the house to start work. The plumber had apparently been there already and left some of his tools. He returned after I had been there for about an hour. I worked for about three hours total including a couple of trips to the supply store. After leaving I went to see Debbie, then drove to Home Depot in Winchester. Fortunately they had everything I needed. Next I drove to Chapel Hill via Tullahoma and Shelbyville to the cedar store. They didn’t have what I needed. I arrived home just as Liz, her mother, and Luke were coming outside to play. So I joined them for a while. We had dinner together then bath and bed time for Luke.
October!
It was a pretty good day. Luke woke up super early so the rest of us did too. We played with Legos while Liz cooked breakfast. I helped get him ready for speech therapy, then left just after Liz, Luke, and her mother did. My first stop was the cedar place in Chapel Hill. I bought a few boards and chatted with the owner for a few minutes. The rest of the drive up the Mountain was pretty uneventful. After stopping at the cottage and storage unit I got to work at the house. I finished installing the last kitchen cabinet and was starting on some trim when Randall the plumber came by. Not to work apparently, but to talk over a few things. Just as he was leaving Kent arrived, and we chatted for about two and a half hours. It was good to see him. I went to the cottage for lunch then came and worked some more. Just a bunch of little stuff really. I needed to go to the supply store before they closed and then I stopped by the goat market for a drink. Since then I’ve been relaxing at the cottage. I thought about going to photograph, but didn’t.
Getting a bit done.
I got going earlier than usual this morning, probably due to my dad’s presence. After a stop at the storage unit we went to the house. He touched up the outside paint while I did several other things inside and out. A little before one I took him to the cottage so that he could drive home, and I had lunch. I returned to the house and kept working until my buyer and his dad showed up. We talked through the inside and outside and he asked me some questions and I asked him some. He seemed happy with how things are moving along. During our visit a guy that I am hoping will install the septic system came. We had a good conversation as well. When everybody left I went to the cottage, showered, then drove home. Luke was finishing up dinner, so it was great to see him. After bath we went outside to look a the moon. Liz is experimenting with a new bed time routine that involves an open door and her staying with him. We’ll see how that goes.
Under contract!
This morning I drove down to Murfreesboro and met with a realtor and his client. It took over three hours, but we were able to hammer out an agreement on the house. I drove back to the cottage, but stopped for some fried food in Pelham because I was super hungry. That was a serious mistake. My dad was at the cottage and he took a late afternoon nap while I read some. After that we had dinner at the Goat Market, then drove to the Templeton Library to see the last bit of pink fade from the sky. Upon returning to the cottage we have been reviewing my plans for the next couple of houses.
Driving all over creation.
I didn’t get a very early start this morning, despite it being a lovely fall day. Once moving though I covered a lot of ground. I went by the house, the supply store in town, the library where I bought a bag of books for one dollar, the electric company and a thrift store in Tracy City, and finally down to Manchester to Home Depot and Wal-Mart. That all took most of the day. This afternoon it started raining pretty hard, so I just read and spent time on the computer.
