Since Friday

Turnout at the fishing derby was down a bit and the cars parked along the road didn't quite make it to our driveway. A few litterbugs did but otherwise it was peaceful. We enjoyed driving along the lake watching the people out for the Free Fishing Day, especially the children. Twice we ventured down to the boat launch to watch them come in and out and compare the various boats. When we're able to get one ourselves we've decided on a pontoon with a bimini top. This suits us better as we both need to stay out of the sun.

I've exhausted myself unpacking and organizing and the end is in sight! Just in time for Sweetie to arrive from downstate with the flatbed trailer that broke down over a week ago. Ninety nine percent of what he's hauling goes into the pole barn but it's a disorganized mess so he'll park it beside the barn and keep it covered.

Until we get the garden fence up my plants will remain on the front deck. A raccoon and two deer were walking through the garden spot this morning, sniffing around at the scraps I've been throwing out there and pawing the ground in search of something better. I've been too tired to start a proper compost pile. Another project that I'll get to "someday."

Life is even more peaceful without television. Our converter box hooked up to the outside antenna has no reception unlike downstate where we got seven channels. Summer shows are mostly reruns anyway and we've got other priorities. Besodes, we're unwilling to spend the $40 plus for satellite TV. A few of the neighbors here have no reception either - the nearest TV station is 100 miles away - and some of them are LOST without television. Just goes to show you what some people consider a necessity - basically, a mind control/propaganda box that they must now pay for!

All the preps I've unpacked and organized will have to be moved when we finish off the front shed (entry). It needs an insulated ceiling, a window, a ceramic tile floor and a few compartments and shelves built before winter. We have much less cupboard space in the kitchen, so ALL groceries are in the shed. Oh well, can't ever claim there's nothing to do!

I've hung most of our paintings and photographs and they too will come down when I get enough ambition to strip the hideous wall boarders and repaint. I'm a blue/yellow/white decorator and we have a deer/turkey wall boarder in the living room; an outhouse wall boarder in our bedroom (believe it!!!); and a palm tree one in the small bedroom which serves as our sewing/guest room. When we first looked at this place much of the boarders were falling off in the unheated space. Now that it's been warmed up in here, they've all reattached themselves and NONE appear to be strippable!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

We've both had similar ideas about what to do with various spaces and little has changed since moving in. However, it's always a good idea to live in a place at least a few months before remodeling. And though we like the jetted bathtub, we've decided to remove it and build a walk-in shower with a built in seat. It's better use of the space and easier access for two aging people. We're going to tile all the bathroom walls and floor for easy cleanup and slope the floor slightly toward the shower drain for any water leakage from the washer. I had this set up in a former home though the washer had its own floor drain because it was new construction and code required it.

Well, I've been sitting here munching on a soft shell taco and writing but it's time to get moving again. For a change of pace, I'll go outside and work in the yard. It's a sunny 62 degrees with a gentle breeze - perfect conditions for raking and hauling brush.

Take care, Treesong