The only constant is change

Aman and I did something today Dad wanted done last year but we never got around to it. Well, there is more to the story than that, but that is enough explanation. If you know Gramp's then the photos are worth a thousand words:



We took out the east side fences and the two short fences east of the barn. Eventually we will take out the wire fences as well, but they are at least standing. These had posts that had rotted off, even had one section where the fence literally fell over.

We still have to pick up boards and posts. We loaded a blue trailer load already. Sure does make the place look different. You could just see Gramps everyplace. Boards scabbed in, steel posts driven beside wooden ones and 10 gauge copper wire holding them together, steel panel over some bad places ... Neal had been there. We saved Steve the walk-in gate. He isn't sure what he will do with it, but he kind of wants it. I understand the sentiment. I just had to turn it off so I could get the job done.

We took mom for a barn tour. She hadn't been upstairs in years. We had hoped to clean out the west side this winter, but I suspect it won't get finished until next winter. Gotta do it when the ground is right and there are no crops in the field so you can spread the ... fertilizer.

Maybe we are missing a marketing opportunity. We ought to get some bags and sell "Good Stuff for your Garden" in 50 pound bags. I bet there are all kinds of EPA regs over that. And truth in labeling requirements. "This contents of this bag may be from cows, steers, heifers, and mules. With an occasional opossum or raccoon. And bat. While this was a peanut free environment we cannot guarantee no peanuts were consumed by said animals and an alergic reaction may occur if contact is made with the dust. Plus you might smell bad." Not to be consumed by mouth."

Maybe it is time I went to bed ...

It can't be the 16th of February already. Just can't be. I'm still in early December mode. Anyway, here are some after photos of the first phase of the bathroom project. Phase 2 is going to be a summer job. When you walk in the back door now it looks like this:
Yes, we moved the refrigerator. I haven't connected the icemaker yet, and we are talking about reversing the doors so the hinge the other way. From inside the kitchen the new pantry looks like this
Sue was trying to figure out where to put her mixer. The height required limited it to only one or two places. We were waiting on a prescription at Wal-mart and found a litle flat screen TV at a remarkable price. I asked the "associate" there about it and he said it was a promo he found from Thanksgiving that had gotten overlooked in the warehouse. So we bought each other a Valentine's day present and put it where the TV was.


I intend to put a shelf beside it for the DVD player and perhaps her stereo. I was going to snake the wiring inside the wall. More on that adventure some other time. And last but not least our original intention, the bathroom.
Yes, not much of a photo. It's hard to back up far enough for a good photograph. There are a few details to finish, like the light in my closet and a few things, but basically we are done and working on getting back to normal.

Today it was 58 outside ...

Don't you just love Illinois weather? Never gets boring. This was Tuesday morning. Today it was 58. Almost all the snow is gone except for some bigger piles. Well, back to painting the kitchen. I know, you thought we were working on the bathroom. Well, it's all in the same house ...