Yes, I did say my next blog was going to show the start of the new house. The title of the last blog was “Changing Gears…” I feel like our new gear became neutral. Noel would not agree with this at all, and he is correct. I promise, our marriage is in tact. I am not unhappy living in the shop. I think it is cozy. We have started having company again, and we are settled. I am happy.
I am not even impatient really. If it takes us a year to get in the house, I’m ok with that. But I’m ready to DO something.
So has Noel just been lazing around, playing pickleball and watching football? No! He has done so many things since the last blog.
The last of the steel walls are up.
His large shed (the end 1/3 of the shop) is very organized with shelves on the walls, hooks for hanging things, new workbench made, electrical outlets installed, and I’m sure I’m missing some things. It is so clean with plenty of room to park my truck and 2 tractors. And his workbench is made from his milled and dried wood.
The Sawmill Has Come Home
The sawmill is home; that was an exciting day for Noel.
The sliding barn door between the shed and shop is completed, painted, and no bats can get in. That was an exciting day for me.
One wood rack is made and while the shop is not organized, he has put wheels on everything so he can move tools around where he needs them. It is about as organized as it will be until we move into the house and he gets the whole shop.
We even have water in our water & ice machine in our refrigerator. That is a luxury when living in a shop!
He put a plastic wall dividing the shop from the house, so it keeps the dust down; it even has a door put into the plastic wall.
He has a stump grinder and has gotten rid of a couple stumps.
He has put 2 bright lights outside by our door so when I take dogs out at night, I am not creeped out or twisted up in leashes and flashlights.
I not only have outside hoses, I can have warm water coming from the hose. This is important for doggie baths.
I know there are many things I’m missing. It is why I’m a terrible wife even thinking we are in neutral. He is always fixing some little thing, making it better for me. He took my silverware drawer apart the other day to make it better.
This afternoon he is working on attaching a dog kennel that a friend (thank you Damon!) gave us to the end of the shed and putting in a doggie door. This way we can be gone overnight and the dogs can stay home and go in and out.
IT IS TIME!
But yesterday he made me happy when he stood in the living room and said, “It is time. We start the house this next week.” As in tomorrow, Monday!
So tomorrow some trees are coming down to make way for a house. Many were cleared previously, but there are still quite a few to go. Then we will be staking out the house and getting started. I’m very excited! He wants to have it enclosed by December, so he can work inside for the winter, but that is probably not realistic. Our California kids are coming in July, so we have a goal!
I have gotten my rock garden somewhat in order. Considering it was trees and weeds and rocks just a few months ago, it is looking good. The rocks that you see here were mostly dug up while excavating; some were already above ground. I learned to operate Mini so I could pick up the rocks and move them around. We need a plan for this area. We already have so much gravel that more seems too much. But I’m not convinced grass is going to grow there unless we bring in a lot of dirt. I have 8 bushes but have only planted 3 of them This will not be a flower garden other than the circle of rocks here.
I used Mini to clear the house area somewhat too. Weeds have grown up over the summer. An excavator is a great weed-eating machine. I don’t think I would recommend it for a garden, but maybe.
2+2=4
Some of you probably saw pictures and know that we have added to our dog family. It’s hard to believe that a year ago, Noel was totally opposed to getting a dog – it would tie us down too much. And we now have 4! This was not planned! The boys are 10 months old, fully house-broken and well-behaved. I didn’t realize how easy they had gotten until we got 2 new puppies. They are purebred Australian Shepherds – Aussies. Free! Their markings aren’t “right” so after selling their 11 – yes 11! – siblings, these 2 were given to the neighbor who then gave them to us. Aussies are quite smart – I’m not feeling it today, but. . . I have taught them to sit and sometimes lay. They have started ringing the bell by the door as they go out, but to say they are housebroken – no, not so much. We have only had them for a week.
The amazing part of having the puppies though is what has happened to Dink, our very scared boy. Dink is very sweet, but we can’t take him in a car without him throwing up, and he is afraid of everything. EVERYTHING! When he is anxious, he drools – big, thick, long strands of drool. He still does all that, so don’t think the puppies changed that. But Dink is their protector, their parent, and their playmate. Three times now, the puppies have run off to the edge of the woods and Dink tears after them and brings them back. If I want them to do something, I send Dink to get them. If they bark too much, I spray them with water. So yesterday when they were playing and getting too loud, Dink stood up and looked at me, looked at the spray bottle, and backed up so he didn’t get wet. He seemed to be telling me it was time.
So we now have 4 pups under a year old. It can be all-consuming as I housebreak the two. I’ve been tangled up in leashes more times than I care to count. But I don’t regret it, and in about 6 months, they will be wonderful.
But today we had quite the disaster. We had just transitioned from Sunday School to church, and I checked our home camera on my phone. Yes, you can lecture me. I should have been focused on worship, not puppies back at home. But when the camera came on, there were no puppies in the kennel!
Escape artists! However, when we got home, we discovered several things. Looking at the footage, Fuzz had actually gotten them out of the kennel – we think accidentally, when he was playing with them through the kennel. He just happened to hook on the wire and lift it up, and we had escapees. Then the pups discovered the large pot of dirt that someone – me – had left in the shop. It was overturned and spread everywhere. How can one large flowerpot have that much dirt in it – or out of it?! We could see on the camera, Dink backing up and staying away from the mess that the other 3 were happily making. He is our rule-follower. 95% of the time, they are a joy. Today was the 5%.
But back to the house. So try to imagine a ranch-style house filling this picture. I am standing at the door of the shop as I take this picture. The garage will be 15′ away from the shop. I cannot picture it yet. I guess that is part of the reason I want something done. It doesn’t have to rush up – I just have to see it because I can’t imagine it in my mind. Stakes will help. A clean clearing will be blissful.
There will be a front porch with a small fenced in front yard so I can have flowers without wildlife eating them. Beyond the house will be a fenced in garden with a small greenhouse at the back. Next to the garden will be a chicken coup – off in the woods in the background. All before July! Maybe.