Princess Sheba Asks

Princess Sheba asks "Remember these stacks?"

"Where did they go?"

ON THE WALLS!!

The walls have been transformed!

From this

and this

and this

and this

and this

and this

 TO THIS!!!!

Sheetrock photos were provided by Flower Boy and Drewman.

I was too busy doing a happy dance with the broom and saying,

"OH MY GOODNESS!!!  OH MY GOODNESS!!"

The Proper Tool

Everyone knows, a job is better done, when one has the proper tool.

You shouldn't use a flat head screwdriver in a phillips head slot or a hammer to drive a screw.

It just doesn't work!

Proper tools are a must on the ranch.

We've been working on fence, for some time now.

This last project involved pulling tee posts.

My Daddy made me a tool, years ago, to do just that.

It looks pretty primitive, but it works like a charm!

Tee Post Pullers are now sold commercially. 

I think, My Daddy should have put a patent on them.

He was a genius, when it came to manufacturing the proper tool for a job.

"Work smarter not harder"  he would say.

The Tee Post Puller works like a high lift jack.

Attach it to the tee post.

Push down on the handle.

The tee post pops out of the ground.

GENIUS!!!

We like to recycle where we can.

The Puller saves the posts, from being bent or twisted, and allows us to reuse them.

If we were to pull the posts by hand, our backs would be sore and most likely, the posts would come out bent, due to the movement needed to loosen the ground around the post.  

 

We actually thought this little tool was lost in the mix of the fire and the daze after.

After MUCH searching, the LOST was FOUND!

I think, Flower Boy was glad to find it!



R.I.P. Miss Athena

 

Miss Athena



This past weekend, we had to do something we knew had been coming for awhile.

We had to say goodbye to one of our canine family members.

Miss Athena came to live with me in 2008.

Our Girl's daddy is a veterinarian.  He had Athena at his clinic and had been treating her, for heart worms.

When she came to live with me, there was no guarantee how long she would live.

The goal was to give her a good life and allow her to enjoy life in the country.

Athena was a very loyal companion.

She followed me everywhere.

She was an adoptive mother to the other canine members of our family.

She even kept the chickens and ducks herded together.

No one really knows how old Athena was. 

We figure between 12 and 14.

Last spring, I called Our Girl's brother.  Brett is also a veterinarian.

"I think Athena has an abscessed tooth."

As it turned out, it was not an abscessed tooth. 

Miss Athena had cancer.

Given her age, condition of her hips and past heart worm treatment, we opted to provide Athena with the best possible life we could and when the time came, we would say goodbye.

She required special care and daily medication. 

We made sure to provide Athena with everything needed, to live a productive life.

After the fire, we couldn't take care of Athena like she needed.

The Big Kids took her to Our Girl's family clinic.

The staff cared for Athena for almost 3 months.

We would go to visit her every weekend.

I would cry to bring her home.

Finally, one weekend, Flower Boy agreed.

Brett and Flower Boy remined me of the care Athena required.

I was willing to do whatever it would take, to have her home.

We wanted Athena to be able to spend time in the new house, before it was time to say goodbye.

The time came before the house is complete and before we were ready.

On Sunday, we called Brett, drove Athena to the clinic, and with Brett's help, we said goodbye.

We laid Miss Athena to rest, at a peaceful spot on the ranch.

All Covered UP!

Our walls got covered up this weekend!

Just as I was finishing up Friday's post, I received an update from Drewman.

There were workers everywhere!

The floors were being covered with paper, to protect them, from this weeks activity.

Every square inch of the slab, that will be stained, was covered.

Saturday, the insulation guys arrived!

They caulked and sealed around the windows, the base plates, the headers, and any place air could get in, from the outside.

Then they covered the walls with mesh material.



Making sure to staple it to every stud, base plate and header.

Staples fired out of that gun so fast, this wall was completed before I could snap another picture!

Next, they filled the walls with insulation.

Fill the bottom portion of the wall...

Flip the hose...

Fill the top portion of the wall..

 All FULL!

Batts were placed in the ceiling.

After the sheetrock is up, there will be more insulation blown into the ceiling.

Speaking of sheetrock...  It arrived Friday TOO!

Stacks....

and Stacks!

Princess Sheba thinks it is her throne.

My Daddy's Birthday

Today is My Daddy's Birthday!

He would be 72 today.

This is the third birthday he has spent in Heaven, and not with us.

I miss him every day!

He was my go to guy!

He always had all the answers!

To this day, I still have the urge to pick up the phone and call him with questions.

Even more so now that we are building the house.

Don't get me wrong, Flower Boy is my go to guy, now.  He does an amazing job, of providing and protecting, Drewman and I.

Actually, Flower Boy came into our lives shortly after My Daddy passed away.

That little voice inside me, tells me, My Daddy sent Flower Boy.

My Daddy was a father figure for both of my boys.

Daddy was our kid's go to guy, too.

They miss him, too.

We know Daddy is with us.  The kids carry on so many of his traits.

My Big Boy has a passion for cattle, gardening and yard work.

This is something Daddy taught him.

Daddy always had cattle.  As the Big Boy grew up, he showed cattle and won several trophies.

PaPa was always there, standing in the back ground, proud as a peacock.

 When the Big Boy was little, he and PaPa would till the soil, plant the garden and reap the harvest.

Both were so proud and shared their harvest with everyone.

The Big Boy now has a huge yard with lots of planting beds, full of flowers and plants.

Whenever we go there, I think of how proud PaPa would be at the pride the Big Boy puts into his yard.

Drewman carries on different traits from Daddy.

Drewman has chickens and has a niche for welding and cutting.

Daddy loved his chickens and was a welder by trade.

Some would say, My Daddy was the best welder around!

Drewman now has an egg business and is quite successful.

PaPa got Drewman started with the chickens, as he did the Big Boy with the cattle.

The welding and cutting is an easy one for you to see, as I have posted here several times of Drewman operating PaPa's equipment.

Daddy knew both my boys were different and had their own knack for things.

He made sure to hone in on each one of the boys, separately.

Now Our Girl, she is a different story!

PaPa loved her from the second he saw her!

The Big Boy and Our Girl started dating in college.  The first time The Big Boy brought her home, Daddy said "She's the one!"

He was always asking about her.  There was never a time he would say "How is The Big Boy doing?"  It was always "What are the kids up to?"

He was always so excited when she would cook for him.

She has a cheer about her, that always brought out the best in PaPa.

He claimed that Girl as his own!

Daddy died October 25, 2010 after a lifelong battle of a heart defect, he was born with.

This is also something he passed along to Drewman.

Thankfully, medical technology has progressed over the past 70 years, because Drewman's birth defect was corrected, when he was 7 months old.

My Daddy was a cowboy! 

He rode hard every day!

He never quit!

No matter how many times he would get bucked out of the saddle, he would always get back up, pull up his boots, strap his spurs a little tighter and climb back on.

Daddy's last few months were spent in the hospital.  During this time he underwent several surgeries and procedures, to prolong what he and I both knew was inevitable.

As Daddy would go into a procedure, I would always ask "Daddy, do you have your boots on?  Spurs strapped tight?"

There was a time when Daddy asked me to get on the horse with him and ride.

Sometimes, I would have the reins, others, Daddy would be in control.

The closer we got to the end of Daddy's journey, here on Earth, I realized, I had the boots and spurs on.

The day I had to say good bye to My Daddy was one of the roughest rides I have ever taken!

I didn't fall off the horse.  I chose to get off, hand God the reins and allow Him to lead My Daddy through Heaven's Gate.

At that very moment, I became aware of my Faith and Strength.

Each day, I am thankful for the things My Daddy passed along to me.

SPURS ON!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!

WE LOVE YOU!!!

RIDE HARD AND NEVER QUIT!



Slow but Steady

This week has been one of those slow but steady weeks. 

Not a lot happening, but a lot being accomplished.

The electrician has completed all the rough in electric.

Last Friday morning, Flower Boy, the Builder, the Electrician and myself, walked through the house laying out all the places we wanted lights, switches, plugs, TV and Internet access.

During this walk through, I really got a feel for the layout of our kitchen, dining and living room.

I was so excited, I convinced Flower Boy to go furniture shopping!

Monday was MLK Day, both Flower Boy and I had the day off.

We headed to the city to look at furniture.  I had been in the city a week or so earlier, so I had a game plan.

I direct Flower Boy to the Santa Fe Company.  We walk in the door and the lady says "Weren't you here last week?"  I smiled and said "Yes!"  I told her, on my first trip, I would have to bring Flower Boy back.

We chose to go with Waller living room furniture.

We had a Waller couch in the old house and loved it!

The best part, about purchasing this type of furniture, is you are able to choose the coverings.

You can totally customize your furniture.

Flower Boy and I had a blast!

I can't wait for you to see what we chose.

Our doors have also been installed.

The front door is a simple construction door, for now.

This is the patio door in the dining room.

Flower Boy and Drewman enjoy playing with the blinds that are between the glass.

The other doors are just plain ole doors.

The garage door has been ordered and should install soon.

I think the weekend will be buzzing with activity.  Drewman just called me with an update!

TTFN!!

Posts! Corners and Tees

Remember this ongoing fencing project?

This past weekend, we found some time to do more work.

We worked on corner posts...

Corners are where two pieces of the fence meet.  One running one direction - One running the other.

It allows stability for both directions of the fence.

3 posts form the corner.

Flower Boy welds up the braces.

 

There is the corner!

My job, as the welders helper, was to watch for fire and provide the welder - Flower Boy, and the torch operator - Drewman, with the materials needed, to do their job.

As I snapped this picture, Drewman was yelling "MOM!!  MOM!!!!!"  

You can only imagine, we now have a real fear of fire!

My job gets even more stressful when both the torch and the welder are operating simultaneously.

Tee posts were also set...

Drewman and Willard lined up the post along the line, of wire stretched here.

They pound the posts.

Willard is a neighbor, but is also one of Drewman's best friends.

I wonder how Drewman would have made it through these past months without Willard.

He is a GREAT young man!

We enjoy having him hang out at our house.

 

In a past post, I told you, the goal was to have all the posts in a straight line.

Do you see any posts?

There is an entire string of them, all the way to the next corner!

GOOD WORK, BOYS!!

Housekeeping

I've told you before, our job is Clean Up.

It is a daily job and is becoming more work, the further along we get into building.

The weekends seem to be the time we do the detailed cleaning.

The new house is much bigger than the old one.  If our detailed cleaning, of the job site is any indication, of the housekeeping I will be doing once the house is complete, Flower Boy may be hiring a maid!

Electrical guys moved in and should be finished this week.  

We needed to prepare for them, as well as, prepare for the insulation guys.

Before the insulation is installed, they will caulk and seal all around the walls.

I suffer from what Flower Boy calls OCD, therefore, I needed to make certain there were no partials left to keep the caulk from making a good seal.

I was sure to get the corners!

And every nook and cranny!

I have that special aunt to thank for this!

My home is clean, but her home is immaculate!

While I was doing my housekeeping, the guys were placing some extra OSB in the attic.

 

 Flower Boy would call down the measurements.

Drewman would measure

 

 and cut

The got most of the attic decked with the leftover OSB, from the framing materials.

We figured, the materials were to large to throw away and we could make good use of them.