Sheetrock Progression

I know, you are probably wondering - "How much can a person really write about sheetrock?" Well, pictures just don't do it justice folks, so I must share the details! I am sure you have lost sleep since the last post.

All of the sheetrock has been hung. This means ceilings and walls -- in the upstairs portion of the addition. Mr. Fixit will be working on the basement as a project during the winter or maybe a year from now's months. So, we are just concentrating on the upstairs at this point.

I thought I would share a pic to help you see how it looks like when the seams are taped. This is just the beginning stage. Soon, they will become virtually invisible. It really is almost like magic!

The guys showed up at 6:30 a.m. this morning, and ya know - it is not even really that light at that hour? I was just returning from a run, and already had guests. They wore these special stilt things to reach the ceiling and the tops of the walls. I thought that would be really fun to try! Nope, they did not leave them here, so I guess I will just have to wonder how fun it would be!

Behind the Sheetrock Scene

The ceiling is up I tell you! Well, I know that everyone knows that ceilings are up -- but the ceiling in our addition has been installed. I snapped a photo to show how cool it really looks. There are holes cut out for lights -- which is quite important. A special router tool helps make perfect holes.

Putting the ceiling up is quite the engineering feat. This special contraption (and I am not sure what the name of this machine is) holds the sheetrock pieces flat against the trusses, while the installers screw it into place. A piece of sheetrock is quite heavy. I am not sure of the actual weight, but I can't life one myself! A piece is about 16 foot long!

The walls are going to be installed tomorrow. Then the seams will be taped and mudded. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? All it all, Mr. Fixit believes that they will be paintable by the end of the week. Now that really is exciting news!

3 - 2 - 1 Sheetrock

The electrician stopped by once more today to tidy up a few things before the walls are applied tomorrow. You know, things like a doorbell, fire alarms and a few more light wires. I was told by Mr. Fixit that, "We are ready!"

Sheetrock should appear tomorrow, and, of course, the installers should appear too. The weather looks promising - not too hot for an August day.

I don't have pictures to show the progress that was made today, because the guys definitely burned all of daylight to get the addition ready for tomorrow's guests. So, you will have to patiently wait for photos of progress =)

Meanwhile, I must leave you all to begin dreaming about paint colors for the soon-to-be new walls!

Hay Season

Saturday it was the swather. Sunday was a day to dry in the sun. And today --- yes, today was the day for raking and baling! The summer sun and spring rain had done its magic to create some bountiful bales!

As we arrived home this evening, the farmers were hard at work raking and baling. Even our heifers could not help but explore this curious process next to their pasture.

The forecast calls for rain tonight and tomorrow, so it is a good thing that all is baled. In several days, the bales will be hauled and stacked in a hay shed -- ready for winter feeding. The smell of freshly baled hay is mesmerizing. So heavenly and relaxing!

Peek in the Pantry

Continuing on the same kitchen/bedroom trend from yesterday's post - I thought it was only fitting to show a photo of the pantry. The pantry may not be the typical, standard kitchen variety, but it sure does the trick in small spaces!

The pantry contains canned soups (great to have on hand for quick recipe creations), pasta, sauces, broth, veggies, rice, granola bars, bread crumbs, dried mixes, potatoes, crackers and a few other things that are likely buried at this point!

This is where the inspiration for dinner begins - from a well stocked pantry. Who knows what dinner could be tomorrow night?

The Kitchen & Bedroom

During a fantastic evening with two great friends (and dinner guests), the discussion moved to our current house set-up. Mind you, it is a bit unusual, but it is also only temporary. My friend Beth encouraged me to take some photos of the current set-up, because, well - it is very unique!

So, here is a post dedicated to the kitchen and bedroom! Both rooms share the same room, actually. Walls do not separate them, so if you want to grab a bite from the fridge - no problem! Love the smell of coffee? Great, because you will be able to smell it - right from your bed, as it is programmed to brew in the morning!

Here is a photo of the kitchen and the bedroom. You can see the edge of the bed, and the two dressers along the wall. See how close in proximity they are to each other?

The other photo shows the resourcefulness of dressers. I have all of my canisters, rice, spaghetti, etc. at easy access. The utensils also make lovely dresser decor too! I pulled open the first drawer to give you a peek at the cookie sheets. The extra storage space is quite lovely!

Again, this is only temporary. So enjoy the temporary peek at our bedroom kitchen combo!

Deck to Closet

This is the deck -- well, it once was a deck. Actually, it was a deck last week, but now it is being transformed into a closet. The closet/deck received a plywood floor, and is currently getting sheetrock mud on the new walls. It is quite the process I tell you! Add a layer, let it dry, and then sand it down the next day. Repeat. Multiple times more. Repeat.

Anyway, Mr. Fixit closed off this mini deck and replaced it with a closet instead. The closet will be for the master bedroom, which right now, is in an open room where the pool table used to hang out. Don't worry - the pool table is now in the basement. It is carefully holding all the wedding gifts that can not be filed away yet, due to the various construction projects.

Back to the closet! The closet is being constructed for several reasons. The first -- we need a closet for the bedroom. Second -- bats were taking up residence in the exposed rafters, and we decided that even though bats may be an interesting talking point, we really did not want them sharing our house. So, their little rafter roosting place has been closed for business. I am currently brainstorming how my clothes will fit into the new closet space - and I think they will like their new location quite nicely!

Aspens

I am smitten -- and forever will be in love with Aspen trees. I love the white smooth trunks, the fabulous fan/heart shaped leaves, and I love the way they sound when the mountain wind blows through them. It truly is musical! I think I have Aspen envy!

One of the very smart tour-guide-type people in Colorado told us, that a grouping of Aspens is actually grown from one root. So, I am picturing one giant runner root, all the way under the ground. Then new trees pop up along the root.

Plus another bonus, is the beautiful show that they provide in the fall. They are blazing yellow along the mountainside. Absolutely stunning! I think we totally need some in Kansas!

A Bit Batty

Shortly after we arrived home from vacation, we discovered a few more residents at the homestead. For one, we opened the kitchen deck door and were greeted by a bat. I guess that explains the unidentifiable droppings in the carport. Which, just for the record, have been appearing for the last few weeks. An open roof must have been too tempting to call home! I can't quite imagine that it was a "cool" cave though, since temps have been well over 100.

Mr. Fixit headed out to the shop to grab some tools. He tossed a piece of paper into the trashcan, only to find the trash moving! Upon further investigation, it appeared that a possum took a hankering to hanging out in that spot. So, the trashcan spent the rest of the afternoon on its side, by the pond.

I could tell that the critter instances were going to be much cause for pondering on Mr. Fixit's behalf. By morning, he came up with a plan: he would be closing up all open roof spaces immediately.

So, that last few days have included the construction of a new closet, lots of plywood, tin and screws. So long bats - you are not welcome here any longer!

Flowers

I really do love flowers -- growing them, landscaping, and trying to see if I can make a challenging plant thrive. It is an awesome feeling when there is a successful plant in your yard!

We arrived home from the beautiful, arid Colorado to the scorching, triple-digit-plus heat of Kansas. Needless to say, the perennials that were planted in the coolness of May took a bit of a beating. We made arrangements for the heifers and cats to be fed, but thought the flowers could fend for themselves. Eeeeekkk, what a sight!

Instead of showing you the french fried landscape, I thought instead we would reflect on cooler temps, and fonder flower moments. So, enjoy this "paintbrush" plant. This wildflower sure loved residing in the Rocky Mountain National Park!

Summer Vacation

I love to go somewhere awesomely cool during the most hottest part of the summer! We spent five days in Colorado, and had a wonderful time. The weather could not have been better! Here is a run down of the stuff we did and saw:

• Lots of mountains!
• Horseback riding in Rocky Mountain National Park.
• A day hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.
• A chuckwagon dinner complete with Cowboy singers.
• The famous Stanley Hotel from "The Shining."
• A Cowboy Poet/Singer.
• A train ride and mine tour in Georgetown.
• Lots of delicious food!

We logged about 1,200 miles on the car, and I think I will be calling to make the next oil change appointment soon!!

Fair - Why Kids Love It

When my youth members were asked what their favorite part of the year was-- and these were members of all ages -- an overwhelming majority responded with Fair!

So why do kids like the fair? Well, it could be because of this photo. You get to hang out with your friends for 5 days straight. It is like one giant party, complete with every treat you could ever imagine: cotton candy, funnel cakes, fries, sno-cones, popcorn and more!

Some kids like the fair for other reasons. They like to bring work that they have created. I love seeing the talent that comes to the Fair! It gives you the warm fuzzy and goose bump feeling all at the same time. Take a look at this project - a bread-shaped cornucopia. Amazing!

I like the fair because it is a time for me to connect with all the youth members and catch up with their parents. Each year is unique, and etches memories that last a lifetime!

Tired Tires

It has been a week -- and I realize that we are only into day 3 of this week -- of tire flats. I know that gravel comes with some concessions, but this one has been extremely eventful.

Sunday started with a low tire on my vehicle. I had thought it looked low for awhile, but not that low, right? It had 10 psi in it, whereas the other tires contained 32 psi. So, ok, perhaps it was a bit on the low to flat side. Mr. Fixit pumped it up, and it will be off to be fixed on Friday. In the meantime, we just add a bit of air each day.

Today Mr. Fixit had the tire excitement. He hopped out of his work truck to hear a "sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss." That is never good. Yup, the front driver's tire was practically shooting air out of it. So, the tire was flat in a matter of minutes. Needless to say, that tire will be taken to the repair shop in the a.m.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that all other tires will remain inflated the rest of this week. After all, we have a tire iron by the door, and potentially only 10 more tires could possibly go flat yet this week. That is pretty good odds, right?

The Moving Wall

About a month ago, I accompanied a group of youth to Washington, DC for a Citizenship experience. While we were there, we visited the many memorials, monuments and historical sites that many tourists tend to visit in DC. One of the more impactful sites is the Vietnam Wall.

Well, last night as Mr. Fixit and I were watching the news, we learned that the "Moving Vietnam Wall" was in Seneca for a stay. We were planning a day trip to visit his Mom, and he had chatted with her on the phone about the wall. By golly, no summer hot/humid temps were going to stop us!

So, we did venture to the park. It is amazing how comparable it is to the actual life-sized memorial. The wall size is scaled smaller, and the lettering is smaller as well. The "traveling" lettering is raised whereas the actual wall font is carved. Folks did leave tributes at various spots along the way, so that reminded me of the actual memorial.

It was really neat to see a group of motorcyclists come and pay respect and honor to the memorial. I hope this scaled down version helped make it real for many, that Americans fought and sacrificed in an unpopular war on both country soils. Thank you Veterans of all armed forces!