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dooley's Blog
Septic's done!!
Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 2:18 am Today, the septic people spent from 9 am until 6 pm but the septic system is all in for all three homes. It's an aerobic system and has two big tanks and three smaller tanks and miles of pipes going every which way. I hope when the electric company comes tomorrow to hook the service poles to the transformer they don't drive over anything important. It's all marked pretty well. dr and I walked down to check it out after they left. They made a trench for the water lines too so now Rufus doesn't have to dig that by hand. I think once the electric company comes tomorrow that is all the outside contractor work. Then comes laying and hooking up water lines, building decks and skirting each home. I planted the rose bush that Glenda brought over on Tuesday into a pot because I don't know when I will get it planted or the other 10 that I bought (?) I mixed up plant food and watered them all. I trimmed back my herbs where little portions froze during the winter. I trimmed the gardenia bushes back some. They were green most of the winter but the last freeze got them. It went down to 10 degs. They are still green inside and some small green shoots were coming up from the bottom so I cut off the dead shoots. I took some pictures of the wildflowers that are in the yard so will try to get them done tomorrow. Things are coming along now but it's not moving time yet. dooley This blog entry has been viewed 363 times
All in one day!
Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 2:31 am I woke up to sunshine today after a night of thunder and lightning and heavy rain. We went into town to the post office and stopped and had breakfast. When we got home there was much activity down on the lots. The movers were back to level the third home. It's a three bedroom so it's long and wide, too. The trim guy was back to work on the double wide. He was having problems because they delivered the wrong panels to fix the ends. The electric people were there putting in service poles and boxes for each home. Tammy was there answering questions and directing things. Howard was there delivering parts to the electrician and the trim guy. Tammy had two grandchildren, ages 2 and 4 with her and a little dog was running around. There was general chaos in abundance but everyone seemed to know what they were doing. The electric should be all hooked up by Friday. They have ours and Tammy's done but need to do the third one and they couldn't do it with the movers still working on it. We were back and forth doing this and that to help where we could but with all the workers we were just in the way sometimes. We did deliver water and ice to the workers. It turned out to be 78 degs. here today and drinks ran out early. The movers finished leveling the third home and got ready to leave and their truck wouldn't start. Tammy went door to door until she found someone with jumper cables and they got a jump from Tammy's daughter who showed up to take her kids back. Then, the electric went out all over the neighborhood. The electricians claimed they didn't do it because they weren't yet hooked into the main line. It turns out it was a pole a few miles away that got hit by a car, we think. The electric was out a little over two hours. The septic system person delivered three tanks and said he had some more stuff to bring and would be back on Thursday or Friday. Tammy's son came to dig water line trenches but it was getting dark so he's coming back tomorrow. Weather forecast for tomorrow, thunderstorms in the AM, some severe. Then, sunny for a few days. So, the septic should go in on Friday, the electric company should hook up the service boxes on Friday, the trim guy should be able to do the outside of the double wide on Friday. The water lines go in after the septic. Things are going to be like a three ring circus for the next week or so and then things can start to happen. But, wannabe is coming on the 18th so we aren't moving until the end of the month. We can start some serious packing and getting things ready now. We have plans, Tammy has plans and Tammy's father has plans. He will move last because they want to some remodeling on the third home before he moves into it. I don't know what to do first. Glenda brought me a rose bush today for a friendship present. It will have yellow flowers on it. I will put it in a pot like the other ten until we decide where to put it and get the yard prepared for planting things. I think the waiting is done and things are moving at a serious pace now. It's a bit exciting and a little scary. Oh, and in between things I sewed two tote bags, too. dooley Last edited: Wed Mar 10, 2010 2:32 am This blog entry has been viewed 415 times
Three down and they are all moved!
Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:00 pm The third mobile home was moved yesterday and I think the men moving it were very happy to have it here. We decided by noon it wasn't coming so we went into town and had a sandwich and went to the library and stopped at the thrift store. It was nearly three when we started for home. Yep! You are right! The movers were stuck on the corner where we had to turn to our house. No way around them. No other way home. We sat and waited. They finally had to pull past the corner and back it across the corner yard. They backed it the other mile and a little to the lot. It was drizzling rain and not a nice afternoon. I bet if they hadn't started it moving they would just have liked to have left it right in the middle of everything. They parked it in it's place and left. I expect they will be around later to do the setup work on it. It's going to be raining the rest of the week but maybe next week the utility work can begin. Tammy said she'd been working on this since October and she can't wait for it to be over. But, just because all the homes are moved doesn't mean it's over. There is still lots of things to be done. The work is still on-going. It's going to be too wet on our lot this morning because it's at the bottom of the slope. We are going to have to get some rock for the driveway and get some plants growing to keep from sinking into the ground. It seems to be mainly sand so lots of additives, too. I could use a pair of knees that work better but I expect I'll make do with what I have. dooley This blog entry has been viewed 382 times
Two down, one to go!
Category: Yard work! | Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 2:21 am Two weeks ago today, the mobile home we are going to move into rolled past our house and was set up on the lot down the hill. Yesterday morning, the double wide that goes onto the next lot arrived. That leaves one more to come before they can do the utilities and every one can then begin to move stuff around. I had never seen a double wide mobile home arrive and get put together and leveled. It was very interesting. It came in two sections pulled by large trucks. At the top of the slope they undid the big trucks and hooked one of those remote controlled dozers onto the front. The little dozer pulled that half of the double wide right down the slope into the place where it was going to be. Just a few minor moves back and forth and it went back for the second half. Same thing, right down the hill and into place, exactly where it needed to be to be shifted into place next to the first half to be bolted together into one house. It was about two feet away from the first half so the guys could have room to work on getting it leveled and the wheels removed and drop it onto the cement block foundation pieces. A large flatbed trailer pulled by a big truck came down the slope with all the pieces necessary for leveling it and putting the foundation blocks into place and getting everything hooked up and put together. Those four guys worked from 9 am to 6 pm and I never saw them sit down. They each knew what they had to do and in what order and they just march around doing it a bit at a time. I told one of them that I was very happy I didn't have their job. They were lifting and carrying those cement blocks, 4 at a time. I can only carry one at a time. It was amazing. They stacked the cement blocks four high on the fender of the flatbed trailer. They backed up to them, picked up the bottom block and bent forward and carried those four blocks on their backs to where they wanted them and then leaned back and dropped them one at a time where they wanted them to go. I never saw the like before. They lay flat on their back under those half pieces of the double wide and build pillars out of those cement blocks, lifting them one at a time into place. They must have great arm strength. I do hope they get paid well for the work. They must be very tired when they get home. We left about one thirty and went to lunch. They may have taken a lunch break while we were gone but they were still going at a steady pace. It's all in place, leveled and bolted together and the roof pieces put into place so it won't leak if it decides to rain, which is very likely. Monday the trim people will arrive and trim out the outside so you won't be able to tell it's two pieces. They'll do the same thing inside. Then, they'll skirt the bottom to look like a foundation and it will look just like a house instead of a mobile home. It's beautiful. I spent the time raking up and moving the brush I had cut earlier in the week. Today, I took my loppers down and made another mess to clean up tomorrow. You can't cut it and clean it up in the same day. Too much work! I'm sure those guys would have it all done by now. This evening we stopped by some friends and we bought ten climbing rose bushes to plant on the dividing fence when we get one. First, all of the utilities have to be installed and the decks built and things moved. All of Tammy's things are in the mobile home we will be living in and she will move them to the double wide when she is given the keys which will be when all the trim stuff is done. If it isn't pouring rain the other mobile home will be moved on Monday morning. If it's raining it probably will have to wait until the end of the week. But, it was exciting to watch those men move those two big pieces and get it assembled into a house. I'm glad it wasn't me doing all that work though. dooley This blog entry has been viewed 439 times
A windy day!
Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:27 am It rained all of Sunday night and all day yesterday and most of last night. I was really happy to wake up to sunshine this morning. The forecast said it would be 58 degs and that's not so bad. Except it was really windy. We couldn't do much outside because it was too cold. Both dr and I have runny noses tonight and I'm blaming the wind. dr washed clothes and hung them out. The wind is good for drying clothes when it's combined with sunshine. I cleaned house and packed some things that were somehow sitting all over the counters so every time I wanted to use the counter I have to move the stuff. Now, I can see the counters again. I sorted magazines into keep and toss piles. The toss piles will probably go to the thrift shop. I sewed two tote bags and a kitchen apron. One tote bag was red with a lining with little animals doing their colors. Cute for someone just learning about colors. The apron is yellow. I have another one to sew tomorrow. I may do a blue garden apron tomorrow, too. I was making Cornish pasties for supper yesterday and just popped them into the oven when my next youngest brother called. He was going from Houston to Fort Smith, Arkansas and was about 30 miles south of us. He said if we'd meet him in town he'd buy us supper. So, I let the pies finish cooking and cooled them and that's what we had for supper tonight. I don't see my brother too often. I think I saw him about this time last year when he was coming from Houston, going to pick up a load in Dallas and heading who knows where from there. He drives most everywhere. He retired a couple of years ago and got bored and went back to work. He tries to take more time off now than he did but the company doesn't take kindly to that so he might change companies. We spent a couple of hours catching up on this and that and he finally said he had to go get in the back of his truck and get a few hours sleep. We came on home through the rain. Our dirt road was awash with water in spots and ruts in other spots. I drove down the middle so I didn't slide into the ditch. Good thing it isn't a busy road. I didn't meet anyone, coming or going. I hope the wind dried things out some so we can get out and do something tomorrow with out getting into the mud or blowing away. dooley This blog entry has been viewed 463 times
More brush clearing!
Category: Yard work! | Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 1:20 am It was another nice day so we started it by going out for breakfast. It made us late getting down to work on clearing the brush. When we got down there, it was still there so we started in with the loppers and the rake. I started moving the piled up brush back to the area where we will burn it on a day that's not windy or raining. We didn't get as much accomplished as we wished because Tammy (landlady) came with her father to bring some skirting and stuff for the mobile home he will be moving into. dr and her father stood at the back of the truck and talked and Tammy helped me move some more brush. We talked about what might go where and how we might do it and she also cautioned us not to do too much. One would think we were "old" retired people. But, we do know when to quit, even if there is still stuff to be done. It will still be there on Wednesday or Thursday when the rain comes and goes for the week. Maybe it will go for the week anyway. Sometimes it seems to stay for the week. So, tomorrow I will sew since I cut a tubful of new things to sew. Hopefully I won't goof up and sew something backwards again. I hate that! dooley This blog entry has been viewed 336 times
Clearing brush!
Category: Yard work! | Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:50 am The sun was shining today which I like a lot and it was 62 degs. So, dr and I spent about four hours down clearing brush in the area that will be our front yard. It is not finished but we made some progress with it. I cut all the little brush less than half an inch and raked it all out. I raked out all the accumulated leaves, several inches of it. Then, we discovered this long things with loads of stickers that grow up into the trees. Glenda says they are Devil's whips. I cut them at ground level and as high as I could reach into the trees. Glenda says they come back so I have to get some stuff to put on the roots. I'll look into that a bit later. I have a large pile of brush and stuff to move around to the back to burn. If it's nice tomorrow I will finish the end near the driveway. But, you can see the trees properly now where we've cleared. I want to put some ground cover under there. I know when those oak trees leaf out it will be pretty shady so I will have to look for the shade loving kind. There are some small stumps to be pulled or cut or something, too. But, we made a good start. If we go down every nice day maybe we can accomplish it slowly. But, there is rain for Monday and Tuesday and then a couple of nicer days and then more rain. I hope none of it turns into snow. After living in Arizona for 20 some years I'd forgotten how much it rains....or snows... in other parts of the country. I know it's a bigger project than I've tackled and my knees aren't the greatest anymore. dr has shoulder problems..old football, new arthritis. So, maybe we will have to invest in an over the counter pain relief company. But, it will give us something to do in our retirement other than sitting and staring into space. LOL dooley This blog entry has been viewed 412 times
The houses are moving!
Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2010 1:31 am We were just getting ready to eat this evening when two pickup trucks pulled into the driveway. It was the people we rent our house from. We've been waiting and waiting for our mobile home to be moved. On Sunday, Howard came and took down some fence and we burned a huge pile of brush and trees so the truck could get from the road to where the mobile home needed to be set. When they came today, they had to hurry and take down another fence and pull the posts because the truck was on the way with the first home which will be ours in a few weeks. The truck pulled that mobile home just like it was a little camper. He's experienced at it and that makes the difference. He got lots of advice as to where to locate it and where to stop and it was a little crooked, etc. But, a truck came behind him with a little remote control machine on tracks. They hooked it to the tongue of the mobile home and with the remote controls the man moved it back and forth until it was just right. Tomorrow they will come back and level it and put blocks under it and put the skirting back on it. Then, Howard will bring the decks and put them back on it. We can't move yet though because there are two more to be moved. Sometime in the next week, the three bedroom mobile home will be moved onto the lot next to where we are now. Then, in 10 days to two weeks the doublewide will be moved between the two mobile homes. When it gets moved, then the septic systems, electric and water can be installed. I will try to get some before pictures tomorrow. It is sure a mess down there and it will take some work to make it ours. We are only going to rent it but it will still be ours. We can build fences for Chance and clear the space for a yard and garden. We won't be able to move for about a month though. Too many things yet to be done. dooley This blog entry has been viewed 388 times
A new address
Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:07 am When we moved to Texas in December, 2008 we moved into a four bedroom, three bath home across from Glenda. We never intended to stay here. We were just going to use it as a temporary place while we looked for something smaller. The move took a tremendous amount of energy for two "older" people so we sort of dug in here and stayed. Last fall the lady we rent our house from called and wanted to know why we didn't tell her we were moving. I replied, "I guess it's because we don't know we are moving." Someone we met once or twice had called her and told her we were moving out by them and they were losing their renter. She said she didn't know we wanted something smaller. She said she had a two bedroom, two bath mobile home in a mobile home(trailer)park in Midway. Only problem, she had just moved into it. So, she began the process of finding her another place. She would move the mobile home to the lot next door to where we are now. They have about 15 acres of land around where we are living now so after inquiring of the county officials about the septic systems and the energy company about electricity it was decided to move both of us down the street from here. The place they wanted to locate was very wooded and full of brush. So, since December whenever it wasn't raining they have been out here clearing brush and making a driveway and putting up fences and keeping busy. She and her husband both drive over the road semi-trucks and are gone for most of the week and sometimes for longer periods of time. Yesterday, she came out with a lady from the county and they went and looked at the places they cleared and the lady went back and put it into the computer and came up with addresses for three lots. So, gardening this spring and summer will be a challenge because the space cleared right now is just for the mobile homes. When they are all moved and set up then they and we will clear the spaces for gardens and yards. We will have lots of space and Chance will have a bigger space. They will do all of the outside fences and we will fence a space for Chance and for the garden. Her husband was also talking of making a very large garden area for all four houses. A mobile home is a house on wheels that can be moved to different places. They put it on a foundation and skirt the bottom and it looks like a long narrow house. It is not as expensive as building a house. It started out with them being in "trailer" parks but now people purchase them and put them on lots. There are also "doublewides" which are two put together to make a square house. Anyway, within two or three weeks, weather permitting, the moving of mobile homes will begin and hopefully before wannabe comes the middle of March we will be in the smaller place. Maybe we will be in between and will be sleeping under the trees. Maybe we will still be here because everyone seems to be posting the pictures of the giant snowstorm so we are sure to be getting a lot more rain. dooley Last edited: Sun Feb 07, 2010 3:37 pm This blog entry has been viewed 516 times
The color is gray!
Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 2:23 am I was just sitting here reading about Toni's pantry. I've been feeling a little blah today. It seems like it's been gray and cloudy and raining forever. When the sun decides to come out, it's just in time to watch it disappear over Glenda's house. I think she gets more sun than us and it's just not fair. Gray is not a color to instill anything. I've been trying to sew and do things and not just sit around watching the rain and thinking about sunshine. Today, I was sewing a garden apron and it was a dark blue. I wanted to put an orange butterfly on it. I drew the butterfly on the cloth and embroidered (zigzagged) around it. I missed the line in a couple of spots because it's gray in here, even with the lights. So, I think I will not put that pocket on the apron. I think I will choose a print material and put a pocket out of some cheery material on the apron instead of a butterfly. Now that I'm thinking about it, I think starting in the morning when it's going to still be gray and cloudy I'll just sew things out of bright cheery material and leave the plain stuff for sunny days. It was a soup kind of day and I was looking in the pantry cupboard, trying to decide what kind of soup to make. There was a package of bean soup mix. It said 16 bean soup mix. Not a mix really, just 16 different types of beans. So, I washed them and put them in a pot and added water and boiled them a minute or two, turned off the pot and let them soak an hour or so. dr said I should use the leftover pork barbecued ribs for the flavoring instead of fresh pork or hambone. So, after the soaking, I drained the beans and washed them and put fresh water on them, added the barbecued ribs and brought the pot to a boil, turned it to med/low and let them simmer. I pulled the mixer to the front of the counter and mixed up a batch of yeast bread dough. We brought it into this room next to the heater to rise. In this big house we try to heat only the areas that are in use. Chance is used to us moving her bed around to rooms where we are so she stays warm too. Anyway, when the bread went into bread pans I put two potatoes, chunked up and some chopped onion and peppers into the soup pot. I pulled the ribs out and cut the meat off of the bones and put the meat back. After taking the accumulated fat out of the dish the ribs had been stored in, I poured the barbecue sauce into the bean pot. I turned it to low now so it wouldn't be done before the bread. I made the bread into to large loaves and 12 rolls. We made inroads into the 12 rolls for supper with the barbecued pork bean soup. dr says I should make a few extra barbecued ribs each time so we can have barbecued bean soup each time. It was very good and there is enough for another time. Reheated, it might be even better. I made cranberry orange bread yesterday so in a bit I will go and make a fresh mug of tea and have some of it as a snack before bed. I don't need a snack before bed but it's just sitting there waiting for someone to eat it and it should be me, I think. dr is going to get Chance up for some exercise. She sleeps too much on these gray days. Then in the middle of the night she gets up to play. We are not very happy to be woken up by a dog playing squeaky in the middle of the night. He took her out on the long front porch to run up and down. She went out the back for her nightly outing and had to be dried out when she came back inside. She doesn't much like to be wet. I don't blame her. That rain is cold!! I've formed an opinion about why we are getting so much rain. It seems like people other places are getting a lot of snow. So, every time someone mentions the word snow, it rains on us. It doesn't matter where they live, if they mention they are getting snow, it clouds up and rains here. So, if someone is getting snow every day some where then, we end up getting rain here every day. Just look at our forecast. Rain three or four days out of every week. This week only one sunny day and it will probably turn out gray and cloudy. dr says it will take him the entire day to catch up on the laundry because it's been two weeks since we've had a day that he could hang it out to dry. Okay, the color is gray. I'm glad Toni didn't paint her pantry gray. There was a little color in my life today. dooley This blog entry has been viewed 393 times
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