CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS

Just thought you'd like a peek at the little construction project. We've gotten the hard part done (says Big John.) I'm sure glad the rest will be easy!!

Holes were dug and posts dropped in - 22 of them.



We ran stringers all the way around and through, and nailed them to the posts. Then we poured concrete in each hole.

We had to take a break (yea!) to let the concrete set up. Tomorrow, we'll be back at it. We'll hang joists and lay the underlayment. I think framing comes next, but I'm not the brains of this operation. I'm not really the brawn, either. My role is yet to be determined! (I'm a pretty good go-fer and change-her-mind-er.)

As a finished project, this builidng will be a 20x36 foot structure. There will be a commercial kitchen at the east end, a workshop on the west end, and a craft room in the middle. A small porch will run along the south side of the kitchen and craft room. It's a good thing Big John's on top of this project. There have been a lot of levels, squares, and other assorted details involved, and I'm more of a "good 'nuff" kind of girl - big picture, not fine details. I'm looking forward to the decorating!

Stay tuned for more updates!

BREAKING GROUND

We started a little construction project today!



Big John took a week off, and we'll be adding a little "sum'in-sum'in" in the space between these posts - where 36 feet of fence used to be. Stay tuned. I'll post updates when the boss-man allows a break!

HALLELUJAH!!

RAIN!

Glorious



Fabulous

Beautiful rain.

HALLELUJAH!!

GOT 'R DONE!

The fall garden of my dreams just wasn't meant to be this year. The drought has really had an impact, both physically and mentally - we're just too afraid to risk our water well on produce to sell. If the drought magically breaks, we've still got time to get plants in the ground, but time is getting short.

Big John and I decided we'd plant just for ourselves this season. It was a tough decision - we'd had so much fun at the Saturday markets, and people have been asking me when we'd have vegetables again. But we have too many creatures depending on this well, so we made the choice. I bought a few plants a couple of weeks ago, with good intentions to get them popped into the ground ... and two weeks later, we finally did!

We gathered our plants, our supplies, and our helpers.

Blue was the only volunteer.

But he didn't last long! Blue wasn't made for workin' hard.

When you're this beautiful, you shouldn't have to work!

This season, we're testing landscape cloth as a weed barrier. We laid that over the rows and secured it.

Then we cut slits and slid the transplants in.

And viola! Tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli and cabbage are planted!

Just bring on the rain and the cooler weather - we're all set!

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?

Apparently, to see what was going on in the family room.

I draw the line at chickens in the house. I really do.

(Man, my floors are dirty. Sorry you had to see that.)

A WORK IN PROGRESS

I stopped by to see the Wagon this morning! She's "getting some work done" as they say nowadays.(I'm spending my Botox money on her, instead of myself!)

I've left her in good hands at OCV Paint and Body Shop in town. Richard has done some body work for me before, so I knew that she would be well taken care of. They were kind enough to let me get some in-between pictures for the blog - and even agreed to pose for a couple of them!

The hood, fender, and roof have been sanded down.

The dent has been fixed.

And all the necessary prep work has been done. She's almost ready for a coat of paint!

Here's the overhaul team - owner, Richard, and his son Josh. They, along with wife/mom Judy, have been so kind already and seem genuinely enthusiastic about working on such a classic.

I can't wait to get her home! Another week or so, and she'll be road-ready.

HONK IF YOU LOVE A CLASSIC CAR!!

SHE'S A BEAUTY!

Flashback: 1985

The good ole' days.

Back when: Reagan was President,

a dollar was worth twice as much as it is today,

American Motors Corporation produced Jeep,

and it actually rained.

This 1985 Jeep Grand Wagoneer has found her second home. (It's a "she" - you can tell in person.) Big John and I have been on the look-out for one of these beauties. We've looked far and wide. We've taken a road trip and almost made a HUGE mistake, but that's a long and funny story for another post. But last Saturday, we ended up in the right place at the right time.

 Big John and I were headed to Houston to shop estate sales. It's a hard job, but somebody's got to do it! At 5 am, Big John had a change of heart and suggested we head south to San Antonio. I was agreeable, so he started looking at listings and saw this Wagoneer (coincidence #1.) The "Wagon" as we call her, was bought for a very petite red-headed lady by her adoring husband in 1985. The lady passed away and her Grand Wagoneer was for sale. Our fate was sealed and we set the GPS for that location. Luckily, the Wagon was still for sale when we arrived. The estate sale girls were taking bids. As Big John started her up to check everything out, a mechanic walked up who used to work on AMC vehicles (coincidence #2.) He and Big John crawled around underneath her and took note of all the important facts -a lesson learned from the Fort Worth Wagoneer. We took her for a spin and fell in love, so we put in our best bid and headed off to other sales in the city. At 2:30 pm, Big John's phone rang - we'd won the bidding! She was ours! And we were only 5 minutes away (coincidence #3.) It seems it was all meant to be in the first place!

I wrote a check and we pulled out of the drive, with promises to love and care for her just as Mrs. Carline did. Big John agreed to drive until we got out of San Antonio, and it's a good thing. We almost made it to Seguin when one of the tires began to give out. We had a little side adventure trying to find a replacement good enough to get us home - at 5 pm on a Saturday evening. But we managed. Our first purchase has been a full set - spare included - of new tires. I picked her up yesterday and toodled around town, looking for paint job estimates. I will admit I was showing her off a bit! There were lots of looks coming my way. Just wait 'till she gets painted!

There are a couple of other odds and ends that need repair. The radio doesn't work and the windows need tinting. And she's getting some cool license plates. But other than that, the Wagon is perfect! She's just what I was looking for - a blast from the past!