July 25th – Mon – to Sandpoint ID
Terry’s brother Skip and his wife Kathy very recently moved to a house that they had built at Dover Bay development on Priest River. We wanted to see the house and told them that we would help them move or finish moving when we came to visit. But they really worked hard so there wasn’t too much to do when we arrived this morning. By the time we took a tour, it was time for lunch.
Terry & Skip went shopping for a light bulb for a pendant light over the kitchen island and did some sightseeing in the area as well. It only took about ½ hour to figure out how the replace the light bulb and then I noticed a cover broken on a second light. Kathy & I puttered around while Skip showed Terry how everything in the house – security system, lighting, TVs – is controlled on his Ipad. When he is in Palm Springs he can turn lights on & off to make their house in Sandpoint look occupied.
A guy on a backhoe was leveling their lawn areas and we were smart enough to start happy hour outside on the deck on the side where he was working and we were yelling over the noise. Almost as soon as we moved to the other side, he was done for the day!
July 26th – Tues – Sandpoint
I helped Kathy do some organizing in her kitchen while the guys made a trip to hardware & lighting stores. They got back just in time to help Kathy & I move furniture in the great room. The new layout was mostly my idea and luckily everyone thought it worked better.
Then it was time for shopping – bank & groceries – for Kathy & I. The guys were watching a movie when we got back so we made a late lunch and then Kathy & I worked on unloading boxes in their office after Terry & I figured out how to put hangers in file drawers for 2 rows of file folders. Delivery people brought bedroom furniture and a dining table this afternoon so we enjoyed a salmon dinner on a table rather than at the kitchen island – which is not a hardship!
In one guest bedroom, we ended up moving the new bed to a different wall and making a couple of other small adjustments to the room. Skip bought a new movie today so I watched it and the others napped on & off. It was a very weird movie – Source Code – so I think they had the right idea.
July 27th – Wed – Sandpoint
S&K had an appointment with their security guy this morning. It was nice & sunny with possible PM showers so we decided to golf at Priest Lake. Of course the security guy was late but with Skip’s fast driving we were only 10 minutes late for our tee time.
The golf course is very challenging. Skip & Kathy looked at the course yardage and we decided that the guys would play the blue tees (farthest back) and Kathy & I would play yellow which is basically white (normally what Terry would play) with a couple of shorter holes. This was a mistake as a lot of the holes had water & weeds to hit over, a lot were very narrow and the white/yellow was just too much for me.
Then on the 7th hole it started to rain. We finished the 9th hole, pulled the carts under a tent and went in for a drink. Actually, we ordered our 2nd drink before the rain stopped so we took it with us and finished the round. Anyone who has golfed with me knows that I HATE rain so I was not a real happy golfer – but the 2 drinks made it somewhat better!
Back at Skip & Kathy’s, happy hour continued and was followed by an excellent steak dinner with steaks cooked to perfection by Skip on the BBQ which was just connected to gas this morning. Then we taught S&K to play Wizard and didn’t get to bed until after midnight which is quite late for 4 old farts!
July 28th – Thurs – to Orofino ID
We had a nice breakfast with Skip & Kathy and were on our way at 10. We were going to stop at the Costco in Coeur d’Alene but there were too many RVs and boats in the parking lot so we kept on going.
We decided to go south out of CDA and then maybe across Hwy 12 to Missoula so we stopped at the CDA Casino. The machines teased us and let us play quite a while before gobbling up our money. We had an early dinner at a restaurant in the casino where we have previously enjoyed County Fried Steak. We didn’t enjoy it today and I wasn’t shy about saying so to the waitress and on a survey card that we were given for comments on their new menu.
Then it was a nice drive to Lewiston where we stopped for fuel and then carried on to Orofino to the Clearwater Crossing RV park. The RV sites are backed up to the Clearwater River and every site has a concrete “patio” & picnic table so you can relax and watch the river glide by. This is a Passport America park so is very reasonable at $15.58 including cable TV.
The drive along the Clearwater River from Lewiston was very pretty with very little traffic. I also enjoyed the fields in the Palouse area before we got to the casino.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
July 21st to 24th - Walla Walla, Burbank
July 21st – Thurs - toWalla Walla
We headed to Walla Walla this morning to attend Terry’s Mom’s funeral. We successfully navigated some narrow lanes on the freeway in Spokane where a lot of road work is underway and arrived at the Blue Valley RV park about 12:30. After registering and setting up, I made lunch and then we went for a drive to locate the cemetery and the funeral home. We picked up a flower arrangement and a bit later went back to the funeral home for the viewing. I found it very bizarre and hope not to have to attend one again! No one else was there so we didn’t tarry long.
Back at the rig, we changed into shorts, turned on the ceiling fan, opened windows and enjoyed a drink and the warm weather. The RV park is next to a golf course so we walked to check it out and chatted with some fellow campers on the way back. The park has cable TV so we OD’d on HGTV and the Golf channel.
July 22nd – Fri
We hung around the rig in the morning, had strawberry shortcake for breakfast and bacon & eggs for lunch.
Ella Mae’s funeral was at 1. Attendees included friends of Don & EllaMae’s from when they lived in Pasco, firefighter co-workers of Terry’s brother Harry, our friends Bill & Georgia and of course all the kids and many of the grandkids. It was a gravesite service with beautiful weather.
After the service, most of us went to The Depot restaurant for a light lunch hosted by Don. It was very nice to meet old friends of the family and to visit with relatives that we don’t see too often.
Then we just let down and relaxed for the rest of the day. We made a quick trip for a few groceries and took another walk to the golf course and around the park but that was it.
July 23rd – Sat – to Burbank WA
Terry had coffee and I had a light breakfast before we headed about 35 miles to see friends Dave & Margo at their lot overlooking the Snake River. They have a house in Walla Walla but they are going to sell it, use the lot in the summer and continue to go south in the winter. They had a huge shop built last winter and have made a flat spot to park their motor home so they work on the lot most of the week and go back to mow their lawns in Walla Walla.
We parked in front of the shop, set up and gave Dave & Margo the “grand tour” of our 5th wheel. Their neighbor Art came by as we were finishing so we sat outside to have coffee & banana bread and visited. The lot is just upstream of Ice Harbor Dam which forms a wide spot called Sacajawea Lake. We walked down to the river and went through the day park, the marina and the RV park. It was quite a bit more exercise walking back up but by then it was time for happy hour. Margo made us all dinner which we ate outside after moving a table into the shade. Then it cooled down quickly so we moved inside for dessert.
July 24th – Sun
Today was the first day this summer that I put shorts on first thing in the morning – it was a gorgeous day. I made jelly biscuits & fruit for all of us for breakfast and after lazing around a while we went to wander around at Ice Harbor Dam (notice the ambitious verbs?!). When we got back, it was time for a snack for lunch followed by moving chairs occasionally to stay in the shade as we talked and enjoyed the view.
We put some beer in a cooler and drove down to the park. Art had asked us to go out on his little houseboat but another couple was with them so we just cooled our feet in the water and then sat in the shade and continued chatting and people watching.
We came back about 5:30 so I could marinate pork chops for my turn to make dinner. The evening cooled off suddenly again about 9:30 so we went our separate ways about 10.
We headed to Walla Walla this morning to attend Terry’s Mom’s funeral. We successfully navigated some narrow lanes on the freeway in Spokane where a lot of road work is underway and arrived at the Blue Valley RV park about 12:30. After registering and setting up, I made lunch and then we went for a drive to locate the cemetery and the funeral home. We picked up a flower arrangement and a bit later went back to the funeral home for the viewing. I found it very bizarre and hope not to have to attend one again! No one else was there so we didn’t tarry long.
Back at the rig, we changed into shorts, turned on the ceiling fan, opened windows and enjoyed a drink and the warm weather. The RV park is next to a golf course so we walked to check it out and chatted with some fellow campers on the way back. The park has cable TV so we OD’d on HGTV and the Golf channel.
July 22nd – Fri
We hung around the rig in the morning, had strawberry shortcake for breakfast and bacon & eggs for lunch.
Ella Mae’s funeral was at 1. Attendees included friends of Don & EllaMae’s from when they lived in Pasco, firefighter co-workers of Terry’s brother Harry, our friends Bill & Georgia and of course all the kids and many of the grandkids. It was a gravesite service with beautiful weather.
After the service, most of us went to The Depot restaurant for a light lunch hosted by Don. It was very nice to meet old friends of the family and to visit with relatives that we don’t see too often.
Then we just let down and relaxed for the rest of the day. We made a quick trip for a few groceries and took another walk to the golf course and around the park but that was it.
July 23rd – Sat – to Burbank WA
Terry had coffee and I had a light breakfast before we headed about 35 miles to see friends Dave & Margo at their lot overlooking the Snake River. They have a house in Walla Walla but they are going to sell it, use the lot in the summer and continue to go south in the winter. They had a huge shop built last winter and have made a flat spot to park their motor home so they work on the lot most of the week and go back to mow their lawns in Walla Walla.
We parked in front of the shop, set up and gave Dave & Margo the “grand tour” of our 5th wheel. Their neighbor Art came by as we were finishing so we sat outside to have coffee & banana bread and visited. The lot is just upstream of Ice Harbor Dam which forms a wide spot called Sacajawea Lake. We walked down to the river and went through the day park, the marina and the RV park. It was quite a bit more exercise walking back up but by then it was time for happy hour. Margo made us all dinner which we ate outside after moving a table into the shade. Then it cooled down quickly so we moved inside for dessert.
July 24th – Sun
Today was the first day this summer that I put shorts on first thing in the morning – it was a gorgeous day. I made jelly biscuits & fruit for all of us for breakfast and after lazing around a while we went to wander around at Ice Harbor Dam (notice the ambitious verbs?!). When we got back, it was time for a snack for lunch followed by moving chairs occasionally to stay in the shade as we talked and enjoyed the view.
We put some beer in a cooler and drove down to the park. Art had asked us to go out on his little houseboat but another couple was with them so we just cooled our feet in the water and then sat in the shade and continued chatting and people watching.
We came back about 5:30 so I could marinate pork chops for my turn to make dinner. The evening cooled off suddenly again about 9:30 so we went our separate ways about 10.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
July 18th to 20th - 100 Mile to Spokane
July 18th – Mon
We left Marg’s at 9:40 this morning, dumped the tanks at the sani station in town and then pulled into the car wash to get rid of a layer of dust on the 5th wheel and lots of dirt on the truck. It was raining when we finished and pulled out of the car wash!
The drive was uneventful and we decided to take a slightly different route down the east side of Okanagan Lake which is winding but nice. We stopped for lunch in Merritt and stayed at Rock Creek where we camped with a group of friends a few years ago.
July 19th – Tues
We walked across the highway and played a 9-hole round of golf this morning. The grass was very wet and neither one of us had a good game but we had the requisite couple of good shots to keep us golfing. We were meeting Bill & Georgia at Sullivan Lake so we continued through Grand Forks and crossed the border at Cascade. It must have been a slow, boring day for the customs agent as he looked in the rig and then had Terry open the slides so he could check the living room. Terry said he spent more time commenting on the rig & amenities than checking anything.
To get to Sullivan Lake, we went south to Colville (where we bought groceries and had lunch), then east to Tiger/Ione and north to a few mile from the Canadian border. There are 3 forest service campgrounds and when we talked to Bill he wasn’t sure where we would find a spot but figured we would be OK with cell phones. Wrong!! There is no Verizon service there so we drove around – in the rain – the campground loops and didn’t find Bill & Georgia. We decided to head back towards Spokane and finally got cell service where we had several messages from Georgia saying they were waiting for us at Tiger. We didn’t have any other ideas of where to stay and we finally ended up at the Spokane RV Park beside the Deer Park golf course. It is a lovely setting, it was warm enough to sit outside for dinner and we are with good friends so all is good.
July 20th – Wed
Georgia brought Terry a bowl of raspberries from her garden and we really enjoyed them for breakfast. We chatted a while with Bill & Georgia before we all packed up to leave. We set up at the Elks Lodge in Spokane, ran a few errands and then went to the casino for a few hours – to the delight of the casino rather than us.
It was time for happy hour and dinner when we returned so we had a quiet evening. The weather was dry and pleasantly warm.
We left Marg’s at 9:40 this morning, dumped the tanks at the sani station in town and then pulled into the car wash to get rid of a layer of dust on the 5th wheel and lots of dirt on the truck. It was raining when we finished and pulled out of the car wash!
The drive was uneventful and we decided to take a slightly different route down the east side of Okanagan Lake which is winding but nice. We stopped for lunch in Merritt and stayed at Rock Creek where we camped with a group of friends a few years ago.
July 19th – Tues
We walked across the highway and played a 9-hole round of golf this morning. The grass was very wet and neither one of us had a good game but we had the requisite couple of good shots to keep us golfing. We were meeting Bill & Georgia at Sullivan Lake so we continued through Grand Forks and crossed the border at Cascade. It must have been a slow, boring day for the customs agent as he looked in the rig and then had Terry open the slides so he could check the living room. Terry said he spent more time commenting on the rig & amenities than checking anything.
To get to Sullivan Lake, we went south to Colville (where we bought groceries and had lunch), then east to Tiger/Ione and north to a few mile from the Canadian border. There are 3 forest service campgrounds and when we talked to Bill he wasn’t sure where we would find a spot but figured we would be OK with cell phones. Wrong!! There is no Verizon service there so we drove around – in the rain – the campground loops and didn’t find Bill & Georgia. We decided to head back towards Spokane and finally got cell service where we had several messages from Georgia saying they were waiting for us at Tiger. We didn’t have any other ideas of where to stay and we finally ended up at the Spokane RV Park beside the Deer Park golf course. It is a lovely setting, it was warm enough to sit outside for dinner and we are with good friends so all is good.
July 20th – Wed
Georgia brought Terry a bowl of raspberries from her garden and we really enjoyed them for breakfast. We chatted a while with Bill & Georgia before we all packed up to leave. We set up at the Elks Lodge in Spokane, ran a few errands and then went to the casino for a few hours – to the delight of the casino rather than us.
It was time for happy hour and dinner when we returned so we had a quiet evening. The weather was dry and pleasantly warm.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
July 15th to 17th - 100 Mile
July 15th – Fri
We had an real mix of projects today.
Several years ago when Marg made a trip to France, she bought some sheer curtain panels that we finally hung in her bathroom window. It looks so good that we wish we had gotten around to it years ago.
Last winter a young man staying with Marg was using the tractor to clean the barn and knocked a wall out by a couple of inches. Marg cleared away sheep “excrement” with the bucket on the tractor and we finished clearing with shovels while Terry stood 20 feet away and asked how we could stand the smell! Marg pushed the wall back in with the tractor and we hammered in some big nails so it won’t happen again. Then we did some more building realignment and pushed a small hay shed back into place and beefed up the supports.
Marg & Terry used a heavy metal device to pound in the 2 posts that we couldn’t reach with the tractor a few days ago. I got to hold the wire aside and replace the staples – tough job!
After lunch we put in 3 new posts by the lagoon, tightened barbed wire at the top and wove slats through page wire to straighten it. Then Marg lifted Terry on the platform on the tractor so he could tie a rope to a dead tree to persuade it to fall in an unnatural direction and avoid the lagoon. We wondered why we fixed the fence before we cut down the tree! But the tree avoided the fence by about 3 feet, Marg cut it up and I carried the rounds to Terry so he could split them.
Next it was on to a tree that fell over a fence but hung up in a tree on the other side of the fence. Marg supported the tree with the tractor while Terry cut it down, then we piled all the limbs & sections of tree on the platform to dump on the burn pile. Terry & I continued on the ATV from there to make a tour of the fences looking for signs of bear. When we got back, Marg was just driving up to the house with all the split wood on the tractor so we helped her stack it for immediate burning. Yes, Dad has started a fire in the upstairs wood stove many mornings to take the chill off even in July.
July 16th – Sat
Terry, Marg & I left right after breakfast to go to Lone Butte to pick up the boat motor that was repaired and to visit a hardware store to get a rechargeable screwdriver that Terry just had to have. We stopped at a little farmer’s market and got a few items and then returned to 100 Mile for more shopping & lunch. Groceries, paint for Dad, animal feed, plywood & nails were on the agenda.
We were having company for dinner so once we unloaded all the purchases, I started dinner preparations and Marg did some cleaning. Janet & Bill arrived first and we had time for a nice visit with them before Al & Cecile arrived. We had time for a couple drinks and much talking before Ralph & Gina got here after Ralph got off work. We had an unusual menu for dinner but everyone either enjoyed it or was kind enough to say they did! It was a lovely evening.
July 17th – Sun
Marg was a little rough with the platform on the tractor when she was supporting the tree on Friday so it was time to rebuild rather than patch. Terry started work on that while Marg & I became mechanics and tried to find out why Dad’s ATV wouldn’t start. It happened a week or so ago when Marg was in Merritt. Terry charged the battery and cleaned the battery connections but couldn’t get it to start. Marg talked to the mechanic who fixed the boat motor and he told her one thing to try which didn’t prove anything. We decided to reclean one battery terminal which turned into a huge job as the connector was broken which led to multiple trips for parts & tools, parts dropped & lost, wires connected incorrectly (me!!) and dismantling of the front of the ATV to put a cover in correctly. But it started!!
After lunch I helped Terry build the platform and Marg went bear hunting again with still no sight of the bear but just evidence of trees & stumps pulled apart. Marg & I put in a support for a shelf in the shop which led to organizing pieces of lumber and sweeping the shop floor. Somewhere in there we also cleaned up her electrical bits & pieces drawer and we also managed to do 3 loads of laundry.
We are leaving here tomorrow and heading back to Spokane and then Colorado. We will also be making a trip to Walla Walla as Terry’s Mom passed away last night and we will be attending her funeral.
We had an real mix of projects today.
Several years ago when Marg made a trip to France, she bought some sheer curtain panels that we finally hung in her bathroom window. It looks so good that we wish we had gotten around to it years ago.
Last winter a young man staying with Marg was using the tractor to clean the barn and knocked a wall out by a couple of inches. Marg cleared away sheep “excrement” with the bucket on the tractor and we finished clearing with shovels while Terry stood 20 feet away and asked how we could stand the smell! Marg pushed the wall back in with the tractor and we hammered in some big nails so it won’t happen again. Then we did some more building realignment and pushed a small hay shed back into place and beefed up the supports.
Marg & Terry used a heavy metal device to pound in the 2 posts that we couldn’t reach with the tractor a few days ago. I got to hold the wire aside and replace the staples – tough job!
After lunch we put in 3 new posts by the lagoon, tightened barbed wire at the top and wove slats through page wire to straighten it. Then Marg lifted Terry on the platform on the tractor so he could tie a rope to a dead tree to persuade it to fall in an unnatural direction and avoid the lagoon. We wondered why we fixed the fence before we cut down the tree! But the tree avoided the fence by about 3 feet, Marg cut it up and I carried the rounds to Terry so he could split them.
Next it was on to a tree that fell over a fence but hung up in a tree on the other side of the fence. Marg supported the tree with the tractor while Terry cut it down, then we piled all the limbs & sections of tree on the platform to dump on the burn pile. Terry & I continued on the ATV from there to make a tour of the fences looking for signs of bear. When we got back, Marg was just driving up to the house with all the split wood on the tractor so we helped her stack it for immediate burning. Yes, Dad has started a fire in the upstairs wood stove many mornings to take the chill off even in July.
July 16th – Sat
Terry, Marg & I left right after breakfast to go to Lone Butte to pick up the boat motor that was repaired and to visit a hardware store to get a rechargeable screwdriver that Terry just had to have. We stopped at a little farmer’s market and got a few items and then returned to 100 Mile for more shopping & lunch. Groceries, paint for Dad, animal feed, plywood & nails were on the agenda.
We were having company for dinner so once we unloaded all the purchases, I started dinner preparations and Marg did some cleaning. Janet & Bill arrived first and we had time for a nice visit with them before Al & Cecile arrived. We had time for a couple drinks and much talking before Ralph & Gina got here after Ralph got off work. We had an unusual menu for dinner but everyone either enjoyed it or was kind enough to say they did! It was a lovely evening.
July 17th – Sun
Marg was a little rough with the platform on the tractor when she was supporting the tree on Friday so it was time to rebuild rather than patch. Terry started work on that while Marg & I became mechanics and tried to find out why Dad’s ATV wouldn’t start. It happened a week or so ago when Marg was in Merritt. Terry charged the battery and cleaned the battery connections but couldn’t get it to start. Marg talked to the mechanic who fixed the boat motor and he told her one thing to try which didn’t prove anything. We decided to reclean one battery terminal which turned into a huge job as the connector was broken which led to multiple trips for parts & tools, parts dropped & lost, wires connected incorrectly (me!!) and dismantling of the front of the ATV to put a cover in correctly. But it started!!
After lunch I helped Terry build the platform and Marg went bear hunting again with still no sight of the bear but just evidence of trees & stumps pulled apart. Marg & I put in a support for a shelf in the shop which led to organizing pieces of lumber and sweeping the shop floor. Somewhere in there we also cleaned up her electrical bits & pieces drawer and we also managed to do 3 loads of laundry.
We are leaving here tomorrow and heading back to Spokane and then Colorado. We will also be making a trip to Walla Walla as Terry’s Mom passed away last night and we will be attending her funeral.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
July 12th to 14th - 100 Mile
July 12th – Tues
Marg, Terry & I repaired fences this morning. A corner post needed to be pounded in some more & braced and then we had to add on a section of page wire to fill in where an old, temporary gate had been. Then I walked along the same fence checking the posts as Marg knew there were more that were loose. When I found a loose post, Marg maneuvered the tractor in with the post pounder, we took out the staples, hit the post a couple of times and put the staples back in. Due to the slope of the ditches, we couldn’t fix 2 posts so we will have to return and do them manually. The amount of rain this year has made it a good time to fix posts as the ground is softer than usual and the posts will go in further than in the normal dry ground.
After lunch we dug out the bottom of a broken corner post in a corral, put in a new post and a couple of new boards. Then we went to a fence between Marg & a neighbor where a corner post was breaking because of trees coming down on the wires a couple of years ago. It is a huge job to replace a corner post so we put a new post in right beside the old one and fastened the two together. On the way to this repair job, we stopped to cut up and haul away a tree that had fallen over another fence.
July 13th – Wed
After getting Dad going on a new project in the shop, we loaded up supplies & tools on the tractor & ATV to repair yet another corner post in the furthest corner of Marg’s property. Before we could get going, it started to rain so we waited until after an early lunch to go out.
There was no way that we could get the tractor in to put in a new post right at the corner so we put in 3 posts as close to the corner as we could get, braced them together and transferred the electric wires to the new posts. This left a gap in the electric wires between the old post & new post but we will fill it in with page wire and one electric wire on top. Rain was threatening so we hooked up the electric fence with temporary wire, checked that the current was OK and headed back in. Marg has to take the tractor through the brush to get to this location and saw evidence of a bear in the property – rotten trees & stumps clawed apart to get at bugs. This is the field where the sheep are grazing right now so it is a worry. Terry & I followed her back on the ATV and then made a loop along another fence but didn’t see the bear.
Marg & I went golfing this evening but first Marg got insurance for her truck and I picked up a prescription refill for Dad. We didn’t get rained on while golfing but neither of us had a good game.
July 14th – Thurs
Marg & Terry went to finish the corner fence while I got out my sewing machine to do some mending and alterations for Marg & Dad which I finished just in time to get lunch on the table.
After lunch, we were preparing to go out for some more fencing when it started to rain. Terry worked on a puzzle while Marg & I found a curtain rod and used some pillow shams for a curtain in the guest room – you’re welcome, Pat & Rick! The rain let up so we went to the lagoon (septic pond) to replace 3 posts that had totally rotted. We ended up also picking up a load of branches and cutting down a dead tree and hauling it away.
Just as we finished, Nicole arrived with her nephew & his wife (Guy & Monique) who are visiting from France. We chatted with them for a while and then the rain returned as they were leaving. But it was time for happy hour and dinner.
I got ambitious after dinner and baked a big batch of cookies.
Marg, Terry & I repaired fences this morning. A corner post needed to be pounded in some more & braced and then we had to add on a section of page wire to fill in where an old, temporary gate had been. Then I walked along the same fence checking the posts as Marg knew there were more that were loose. When I found a loose post, Marg maneuvered the tractor in with the post pounder, we took out the staples, hit the post a couple of times and put the staples back in. Due to the slope of the ditches, we couldn’t fix 2 posts so we will have to return and do them manually. The amount of rain this year has made it a good time to fix posts as the ground is softer than usual and the posts will go in further than in the normal dry ground.
After lunch we dug out the bottom of a broken corner post in a corral, put in a new post and a couple of new boards. Then we went to a fence between Marg & a neighbor where a corner post was breaking because of trees coming down on the wires a couple of years ago. It is a huge job to replace a corner post so we put a new post in right beside the old one and fastened the two together. On the way to this repair job, we stopped to cut up and haul away a tree that had fallen over another fence.
July 13th – Wed
After getting Dad going on a new project in the shop, we loaded up supplies & tools on the tractor & ATV to repair yet another corner post in the furthest corner of Marg’s property. Before we could get going, it started to rain so we waited until after an early lunch to go out.
There was no way that we could get the tractor in to put in a new post right at the corner so we put in 3 posts as close to the corner as we could get, braced them together and transferred the electric wires to the new posts. This left a gap in the electric wires between the old post & new post but we will fill it in with page wire and one electric wire on top. Rain was threatening so we hooked up the electric fence with temporary wire, checked that the current was OK and headed back in. Marg has to take the tractor through the brush to get to this location and saw evidence of a bear in the property – rotten trees & stumps clawed apart to get at bugs. This is the field where the sheep are grazing right now so it is a worry. Terry & I followed her back on the ATV and then made a loop along another fence but didn’t see the bear.
Marg & I went golfing this evening but first Marg got insurance for her truck and I picked up a prescription refill for Dad. We didn’t get rained on while golfing but neither of us had a good game.
July 14th – Thurs
Marg & Terry went to finish the corner fence while I got out my sewing machine to do some mending and alterations for Marg & Dad which I finished just in time to get lunch on the table.
After lunch, we were preparing to go out for some more fencing when it started to rain. Terry worked on a puzzle while Marg & I found a curtain rod and used some pillow shams for a curtain in the guest room – you’re welcome, Pat & Rick! The rain let up so we went to the lagoon (septic pond) to replace 3 posts that had totally rotted. We ended up also picking up a load of branches and cutting down a dead tree and hauling it away.
Just as we finished, Nicole arrived with her nephew & his wife (Guy & Monique) who are visiting from France. We chatted with them for a while and then the rain returned as they were leaving. But it was time for happy hour and dinner.
I got ambitious after dinner and baked a big batch of cookies.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
July 9th to 11th - 100 Mile
July 9th – Sat
We finished the last 3 sheets of roofing, trimmed the strapping boards and put the last fascia board on the shed this morning. We also cut and installed boards to secure siding (metal roofing) on one gable end. After lunch, we went to town to get the roofing and got one end installed.
Dad made blocks for us to use under the jacks & stabilizers on our 5th wheel. Terry was going to make them but we decided it was a perfect project for Dad and he did a great job.
July 10th – Sun
We finished the second gable end this morning and then had to return all the tools & supplies to their correct places which was a job in itself. We picked up all the scrap wood and dumped it on the burn pile, replaced pallets used under lumber and cleaned up in general.
We finished a jigsaw puzzle after lunch while we were waiting for Al & Cecile who were coming to visit. They didn’t see our 5th wheel when they were here previously so they got the grand tour and also viewed the completed shed. Dad gave them one of his little side tables so now he can build another one!
When Al & Cecile left, I went to check the greenhouse & garden and was watering some flower pots when it started to rain so we all came inside to read & watch TV.
After dinner the weather was beautiful again so we mowed the lawn in the garden, in front of the greenhouse and in the fire pit area.
July 11th – Mon
We made a trip to town to return one sheet of roofing and stopped at the liquor & grocery stores. Our plans for today were to rent a pressure washer to clean the back deck but Dad pointed us in another direction when he mentioned a mess in a small section of trees between the drive and the shop. We have talked about cleaning it up so that is what we worked on.
When we got back from town, Dad had sharpened the chain saw and filled it with gas & oil. Terry found a way in with the tractor and then he started cutting down trees. Some had already fallen and hung up in other trees, some were dead and some were bent from the ice storm a few years ago. We piled everything on the platform on the tractor and Dad made the trips to create a new burn pile fairly close by but it was a challenge to get the tractor in & out of the standing trees.
Terry was hurting from using the chainsaw so much & loading the heavier logs so we quit about 3:30. He also had a branch snap in his eye and that was bothering him a lot. OK, I was also happy to have an excuse to quit!
Marg got home about 5. She & I looked at the new shed after I did chores and it passed inspection.
We finished the last 3 sheets of roofing, trimmed the strapping boards and put the last fascia board on the shed this morning. We also cut and installed boards to secure siding (metal roofing) on one gable end. After lunch, we went to town to get the roofing and got one end installed.
Dad made blocks for us to use under the jacks & stabilizers on our 5th wheel. Terry was going to make them but we decided it was a perfect project for Dad and he did a great job.
July 10th – Sun
We finished the second gable end this morning and then had to return all the tools & supplies to their correct places which was a job in itself. We picked up all the scrap wood and dumped it on the burn pile, replaced pallets used under lumber and cleaned up in general.
We finished a jigsaw puzzle after lunch while we were waiting for Al & Cecile who were coming to visit. They didn’t see our 5th wheel when they were here previously so they got the grand tour and also viewed the completed shed. Dad gave them one of his little side tables so now he can build another one!
When Al & Cecile left, I went to check the greenhouse & garden and was watering some flower pots when it started to rain so we all came inside to read & watch TV.
After dinner the weather was beautiful again so we mowed the lawn in the garden, in front of the greenhouse and in the fire pit area.
July 11th – Mon
We made a trip to town to return one sheet of roofing and stopped at the liquor & grocery stores. Our plans for today were to rent a pressure washer to clean the back deck but Dad pointed us in another direction when he mentioned a mess in a small section of trees between the drive and the shop. We have talked about cleaning it up so that is what we worked on.
When we got back from town, Dad had sharpened the chain saw and filled it with gas & oil. Terry found a way in with the tractor and then he started cutting down trees. Some had already fallen and hung up in other trees, some were dead and some were bent from the ice storm a few years ago. We piled everything on the platform on the tractor and Dad made the trips to create a new burn pile fairly close by but it was a challenge to get the tractor in & out of the standing trees.
Terry was hurting from using the chainsaw so much & loading the heavier logs so we quit about 3:30. He also had a branch snap in his eye and that was bothering him a lot. OK, I was also happy to have an excuse to quit!
Marg got home about 5. She & I looked at the new shed after I did chores and it passed inspection.
Friday, July 08, 2011
July 6th to 8th - 100 Mile
July 6th – Wed
We made good progress on the shed today. We put up 8 sheets of roofing and most of the metal siding. Terry might have dug deep for energy and put up more roofing but the batteries for the cordless drill had to be charged. Buck & Snow went “out for lunch” today with Buck tethered and Snow wandering free as she is a sucker for grain and easy to get back into the corral.
We also hung a couple of bat houses that Dad built earlier this year. Information that I found on the internet said to hang them at least 12 ft. above the ground so it is a good thing that Terry could lift me with the platform on the tractor.
July 7th – Thurs - Happy Birthday to Me!
Terry insisted that we take today off because it is my birthday and I didn’t protest too much. We played golf at Marmot Ridge in 100 Mile in the morning with only a few drops of rain and temperature warm enough that we were both in short sleeves. A group with beginners in front of us let us play through so we were able to move along at a nice pace.
Then we went to Williams Lake where we stopped at a couple of stores for small items, had lunch and then went to the casino. I fairly quickly lost most of my allowance and then started winning. Terry was also losing and joined me on the machines that were doing OK. Eventually I gave back all the casino’s money but kept what I started with. Terry didn’t do so well but we both had fun.
I had left some dinner for Dad to warm up so we went to a restaurant in 100 Mile for dinner to end a lovely day. When we got back about 7:30, I did the chores and then found that Dad hadn’t eaten dinner yet as he said he couldn’t find anything so I heated the leftovers for him.
July 8th – Fri
It was cold this morning but after breakfast we went out to work on the shed. We were standing in the barn which was a huge wind tunnel and decided that we could wait until it warmed up a bit and came back inside. Terry played games on the computer and I puttered around doing bits & pieces. I picked a huge handful of lettuce from Marg’s garden as it has gotten way ahead of us. Dad was in the shop painting some little tables that he made.
After lunch, we went back out as it had warmed up a lot. I lifted Terry with the tractor so he could put in the top row of screws in the roofing. He had to do this from inside the barn as the shed roof is the same pitch as the barn roof and starts only a little way below the barn eves which meant he would have to lie on his stomach on the shed roof to reach the top row. This did not sound too safe. We finished the metal siding which had previously been on the outside of the barn. Unfortunately, the barn is 5 inches longer than the outside of the shed (don’t even ask!) so we had to cut off the last sheet of siding just to keep things interesting.
Next we made a trip to make a couple of adjustments to the outhouse that we built. The guys didn’t put it together as we had planned so we trimmed a panel and added stops for the door that we forgot to include. Then we cut leveling boards for our 5th wheel and Marg’s motor home before hanging the last bat house.
We made good progress on the shed today. We put up 8 sheets of roofing and most of the metal siding. Terry might have dug deep for energy and put up more roofing but the batteries for the cordless drill had to be charged. Buck & Snow went “out for lunch” today with Buck tethered and Snow wandering free as she is a sucker for grain and easy to get back into the corral.
We also hung a couple of bat houses that Dad built earlier this year. Information that I found on the internet said to hang them at least 12 ft. above the ground so it is a good thing that Terry could lift me with the platform on the tractor.
July 7th – Thurs - Happy Birthday to Me!
Terry insisted that we take today off because it is my birthday and I didn’t protest too much. We played golf at Marmot Ridge in 100 Mile in the morning with only a few drops of rain and temperature warm enough that we were both in short sleeves. A group with beginners in front of us let us play through so we were able to move along at a nice pace.
Then we went to Williams Lake where we stopped at a couple of stores for small items, had lunch and then went to the casino. I fairly quickly lost most of my allowance and then started winning. Terry was also losing and joined me on the machines that were doing OK. Eventually I gave back all the casino’s money but kept what I started with. Terry didn’t do so well but we both had fun.
I had left some dinner for Dad to warm up so we went to a restaurant in 100 Mile for dinner to end a lovely day. When we got back about 7:30, I did the chores and then found that Dad hadn’t eaten dinner yet as he said he couldn’t find anything so I heated the leftovers for him.
July 8th – Fri
It was cold this morning but after breakfast we went out to work on the shed. We were standing in the barn which was a huge wind tunnel and decided that we could wait until it warmed up a bit and came back inside. Terry played games on the computer and I puttered around doing bits & pieces. I picked a huge handful of lettuce from Marg’s garden as it has gotten way ahead of us. Dad was in the shop painting some little tables that he made.
After lunch, we went back out as it had warmed up a lot. I lifted Terry with the tractor so he could put in the top row of screws in the roofing. He had to do this from inside the barn as the shed roof is the same pitch as the barn roof and starts only a little way below the barn eves which meant he would have to lie on his stomach on the shed roof to reach the top row. This did not sound too safe. We finished the metal siding which had previously been on the outside of the barn. Unfortunately, the barn is 5 inches longer than the outside of the shed (don’t even ask!) so we had to cut off the last sheet of siding just to keep things interesting.
Next we made a trip to make a couple of adjustments to the outhouse that we built. The guys didn’t put it together as we had planned so we trimmed a panel and added stops for the door that we forgot to include. Then we cut leveling boards for our 5th wheel and Marg’s motor home before hanging the last bat house.
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
July 2nd to 5th - 100 Mile
July 2nd – Sat
We got the rest of the trusses up today and of course nothing can be easy. As I said before, the shed is being added to the side of the existing hay barn. The top of the side of the barn had metal siding which we removed so there is no consistent place to secure the trusses. We had to be quite innovative to get them up. After lunch we put up some knee braces and figured out where the boards had to go to reuse the metal siding and put screws in the same holes. I ran the tractor a couple of times and haven’t knocked Terry off the scaffold yet!
We had to quit early in the afternoon as Marg was going to a party and had to prepare snacks. Terry & I headed to town with a varied to-do list – return unused cement, buy fasteners for the outside of the trusses, get paint for Dad, hit the liquor store & grocery store, refill prescriptions for Dad, return carpet samples (store closed for the weekend), pick up Marg’s mail (post office closed!) and get wheat for the chickens. I had a roast in the crock pot so we enjoyed a drink while I made the rest of dinner.
After dinner, I asked Terry to bring Marg’s motor home to the house so we could plug it in and cool the fridge as she is leaving tomorrow to volunteer at the Merritt Mountain Music Fest. First we had to assemble a hitch stinger with the right size ball as Marg is dropping off Rick & Pat’s utility trailer on the way to Merritt. Same thing, nothing is easy!!
July 3rd – Sun
I helped Marg a bit loading up her motor home and we took a tour on the ATV to decide where the sheep would pasture next. Terry & I couldn’t get the strapping on the shed roof as we need more lumber and can’t get it until tomorrow. But we got some boards on the side that will be below the siding, put up some bracing in the trusses and figured out exactly how many boards we need and what size. This was all while hiding from rain showers.
July 4th – Mon
We hooked up Ralph’s trailer (still parked here waiting for Ralph to pick it up) and went to buy lumber. We got rough cut boards and fascia boards at one place and 2x4s & nails at another. After unloading, we decided to have an early lunch rather than working for a short time and then stopping for lunch.
We got the bottom fascia board up and almost finished the strapping before Terry ran out of steam. He had to climb over the trusses and walk on the bracing to nail the boards so he was working hard. I was happy to be the gofer & board trimmer rather than the monkey & nailer.
July 5th – Tues
OK – Terry was right and can say “I told you so” as I didn’t buy enough nails yesterday so we had to go shopping again. But we also returned the carpet samples, picked up the mail, filled gas & diesel containers and got suet blocks for the birds.
We finished putting up the strapping and cut off the boards on one end before lunch. After lunch, we recut most of the boards (oops!), put on the fascia board, put up 2 sheets of metal roofing and put up 4 boards for the siding on the side wall. Again, Terry had to work hard to climb on the trusses and use a heavy drill for the screws in the roofing. The rechargeable drill doesn’t last very long and our electric drill – which we thought we could use - is not powerful enough for the roofing screws.
We quit early, loaded up all the garbage and made a trip to the dump. Then Terry got a burst of energy and cut down a dead tree that Dad kept saying was spoiling his view. He cut it into stove lengths but we left the cleanup until we have the right attachment on the tractor loader.
Dad has been in a painting mode – deck chairs and anything else that doesn’t move. Terry said he was going to hide the truck so it didn’t get painted!
We got the rest of the trusses up today and of course nothing can be easy. As I said before, the shed is being added to the side of the existing hay barn. The top of the side of the barn had metal siding which we removed so there is no consistent place to secure the trusses. We had to be quite innovative to get them up. After lunch we put up some knee braces and figured out where the boards had to go to reuse the metal siding and put screws in the same holes. I ran the tractor a couple of times and haven’t knocked Terry off the scaffold yet!
We had to quit early in the afternoon as Marg was going to a party and had to prepare snacks. Terry & I headed to town with a varied to-do list – return unused cement, buy fasteners for the outside of the trusses, get paint for Dad, hit the liquor store & grocery store, refill prescriptions for Dad, return carpet samples (store closed for the weekend), pick up Marg’s mail (post office closed!) and get wheat for the chickens. I had a roast in the crock pot so we enjoyed a drink while I made the rest of dinner.
After dinner, I asked Terry to bring Marg’s motor home to the house so we could plug it in and cool the fridge as she is leaving tomorrow to volunteer at the Merritt Mountain Music Fest. First we had to assemble a hitch stinger with the right size ball as Marg is dropping off Rick & Pat’s utility trailer on the way to Merritt. Same thing, nothing is easy!!
July 3rd – Sun
I helped Marg a bit loading up her motor home and we took a tour on the ATV to decide where the sheep would pasture next. Terry & I couldn’t get the strapping on the shed roof as we need more lumber and can’t get it until tomorrow. But we got some boards on the side that will be below the siding, put up some bracing in the trusses and figured out exactly how many boards we need and what size. This was all while hiding from rain showers.
July 4th – Mon
We hooked up Ralph’s trailer (still parked here waiting for Ralph to pick it up) and went to buy lumber. We got rough cut boards and fascia boards at one place and 2x4s & nails at another. After unloading, we decided to have an early lunch rather than working for a short time and then stopping for lunch.
We got the bottom fascia board up and almost finished the strapping before Terry ran out of steam. He had to climb over the trusses and walk on the bracing to nail the boards so he was working hard. I was happy to be the gofer & board trimmer rather than the monkey & nailer.
July 5th – Tues
OK – Terry was right and can say “I told you so” as I didn’t buy enough nails yesterday so we had to go shopping again. But we also returned the carpet samples, picked up the mail, filled gas & diesel containers and got suet blocks for the birds.
We finished putting up the strapping and cut off the boards on one end before lunch. After lunch, we recut most of the boards (oops!), put on the fascia board, put up 2 sheets of metal roofing and put up 4 boards for the siding on the side wall. Again, Terry had to work hard to climb on the trusses and use a heavy drill for the screws in the roofing. The rechargeable drill doesn’t last very long and our electric drill – which we thought we could use - is not powerful enough for the roofing screws.
We quit early, loaded up all the garbage and made a trip to the dump. Then Terry got a burst of energy and cut down a dead tree that Dad kept saying was spoiling his view. He cut it into stove lengths but we left the cleanup until we have the right attachment on the tractor loader.
Dad has been in a painting mode – deck chairs and anything else that doesn’t move. Terry said he was going to hide the truck so it didn’t get painted!
Friday, July 01, 2011
June 29th to July 1st
June 29th – Wed
We got out and worked on setting the support posts for the shed this morning. We made a slight mistake on the first post so it took a little longer than it should so we only got 2 done before lunch. The shed will only be 9 feet high on the outside but it would have taken longer to get 14 foot posts so we are dealing with 16 foot 6x6 posts. And keep in mind that we are all “senior citizens”!! I did have a short lesson in driving the tractor and didn’t run over anything or anybody.
After lunch we set the other 2 posts and cut the first 3 boards to support the trusses. We were sent inside by a couple of rain showers so before we could put up the boards we had to quit so Marg & I could get ready to go golfing. I put cabbage rolls in the oven for Terry & Dad’s dinner while Marg did the chores and we headed for town hoping that the rain was over.
We did get a few light showers on the golf course but it wasn’t too bad. I did mediocre and Marg did worse – partly due to rain jackets I’m sure!
June 30th – Thurs
Marg was going to spend the day with her friend Jane but that got canceled. We thought we might get more work done on the shed but the weather had other plans in the form of rain so Marg, Terry & I made a trip to Kamloops. We had to return some incorrect electrical tape that we bought and that could not be returned without our credit card. This was a flimsy excuse to do some other shopping and visit the casino.
The trip to the casino was fun with Terry & Marg coming out money ahead and Terry making enough to cover my losses and then some. Actually, I covered some of my own early losses with small winnings just before we left. We had told Dad that we would be home by dinner but that didn’t happen. We stopped at the grocery store in 100 Mile and got home about 8:30.
July 1st – Fri
This may be a holiday (Canada Day) for most people but not for us since we took yesterday off. In the morning, we put up the 3 support boards that we had already cut and cut the remaining 3. It took us longer than it should have as we kept having to move into the barn to wait out rain showers & downpours.
After lunch, we put up the other 3 boards, cut off the tops of the posts – Marg on the chainsaw and Terry on the tractor – and put up one truss. This time we were interrupted by a ewe & lamb grazing contentedly in the yard when they should have been in a field. We got them into the correct spot then I checked the fence and filled the water trough while Marg sharpened the chain saw. Francis & Nicole stopped by to pick up eggs and visit for a while so it was a good time (4:30) to stop for the day.
We had taken out baby backs for dinner which Terry finished to perfection on the BBQ.
We got out and worked on setting the support posts for the shed this morning. We made a slight mistake on the first post so it took a little longer than it should so we only got 2 done before lunch. The shed will only be 9 feet high on the outside but it would have taken longer to get 14 foot posts so we are dealing with 16 foot 6x6 posts. And keep in mind that we are all “senior citizens”!! I did have a short lesson in driving the tractor and didn’t run over anything or anybody.
After lunch we set the other 2 posts and cut the first 3 boards to support the trusses. We were sent inside by a couple of rain showers so before we could put up the boards we had to quit so Marg & I could get ready to go golfing. I put cabbage rolls in the oven for Terry & Dad’s dinner while Marg did the chores and we headed for town hoping that the rain was over.
We did get a few light showers on the golf course but it wasn’t too bad. I did mediocre and Marg did worse – partly due to rain jackets I’m sure!
June 30th – Thurs
Marg was going to spend the day with her friend Jane but that got canceled. We thought we might get more work done on the shed but the weather had other plans in the form of rain so Marg, Terry & I made a trip to Kamloops. We had to return some incorrect electrical tape that we bought and that could not be returned without our credit card. This was a flimsy excuse to do some other shopping and visit the casino.
The trip to the casino was fun with Terry & Marg coming out money ahead and Terry making enough to cover my losses and then some. Actually, I covered some of my own early losses with small winnings just before we left. We had told Dad that we would be home by dinner but that didn’t happen. We stopped at the grocery store in 100 Mile and got home about 8:30.
July 1st – Fri
This may be a holiday (Canada Day) for most people but not for us since we took yesterday off. In the morning, we put up the 3 support boards that we had already cut and cut the remaining 3. It took us longer than it should have as we kept having to move into the barn to wait out rain showers & downpours.
After lunch, we put up the other 3 boards, cut off the tops of the posts – Marg on the chainsaw and Terry on the tractor – and put up one truss. This time we were interrupted by a ewe & lamb grazing contentedly in the yard when they should have been in a field. We got them into the correct spot then I checked the fence and filled the water trough while Marg sharpened the chain saw. Francis & Nicole stopped by to pick up eggs and visit for a while so it was a good time (4:30) to stop for the day.
We had taken out baby backs for dinner which Terry finished to perfection on the BBQ.
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