The Weekend Was Long 1

I have chosen to include a number with this title because  I believe I may want to use this title again.  More about that later.
It has been quite windy here this week.  We were out in the yard doing some tidying and organizing and I found a robin's egg on the ground, no nest in site.  I'm not sure where it blew from.  Later I found a lovely little nest, perhaps a belonging to a finch.  I know they don't belong together but they looked great in this little dish sitting on my window ledge.

The trees in the ravine continue to leaf out.  We have had misty mornings for the last few days. 

The days have remained misty, but no rain.  This morning I was out walking in the soft moist air, with the smell of the forest all around me, it was wonderful. I wish I could capture the scent and include it here for you.

Now the reason for the title.  I think this last weekend was one of many weekends that will be long.  I am a person ( as the expression goes ) who has a place for everything and likes everything in it's place.  Well that is not the case right now and I am struggling.  Our plan for the weekend involved working in the pantry but I decided that it was time to have storage in the garage.  We have that on the list but it was farther down.  Actually there are a least a dozen jobs that I would like done yesterday.  Thankfully Pat went along with the priority change and we went to the garage.  The garage has high ceilings (think Tractor).  We knew that a platform or mezzanine would work well.  A plan was formulated and off to Esterhazy for supplies.  At the end of two 10-11 hour days we had this. 

I was so glad to be done for many reasons.  Not just the storage.  We built the platforms in three sections but they were still incredibly heavy and awkward.  We got them up with no harm coming to neither Pat or me.  I had a very sore left arm at the end of Saturday, but that came from a large bit, a big drill and the whole thing being whipped out of my hand trying to drill a hole bigger.  I am smiling in the middle picture looking at a 100 square feet of storage!  We will now move the stuff out of the veranda and into the garage.  Plus we have given some excess stuff to a family in Esterhazy, the Lutheran church is having a garage sale Saturday and the Esterhazy library a sale.  Items on their way to both of them.

Throughout the weekend we had a friend providing a beat to keep us working.  I finally managed to get a picture of this (we think) Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker Sunday.  Again we think she (no red under the neck) loved the different frequency the outhouse made.  If we are mistaken with identification we welcome correction.

This is getting a bit long but another job at the top of the list involved water management on the south side of the house.  This morning's rain had Pat doing some interim work.  It was running towards the house instead of away.

And So We Begin

I had planned to sit down and do a quick post. But, there remain computer skills that are not in my long term automatic memory yet.  So 30 minutes later I begin.

Today is Pat's first day of work.  As some of you know the plan is for him to work half time from Twin Oaks using the internet with occasional trips to Saskatoon to be present in the office.  One of our goals was to get the lower level in usable condition as that is to be Pat's office.  We did that, but this morning the young men from R Thompson Construction are making their joyful noise so we relocated Pat to the veranda.  Please note the lovely curtain, the veranda faces east and is very bright in the morning and the blanket on his knees it was also a little nippy at 8:00 am this morning.

Thinking

Thinking or resting?

 The two photos were taken moments apart so I assure all that he is thinking in both photos. 

The weekend work schedule was focused on the pantry.  It doesn't look like much yet but a lot of work does go on behind the drywall.  It is going to be BIG by my standards and will include a little hidey hole for small children to play in.

The hide hole is under the stairs in the lower right corner of the photo.

When I posted on the 13th I included a photo showing the faintest tint of green in the ravine.  I had intended to take a photo last night to show the difference a week makes. I was too tired so opted for a week and 12 hours.  This is the ravine around 9 this morning.

The aspen leaves are brilliant and green and tender. And I brought some in to enjoy inside.

I had hoped to cast on a pair of socks for a 65th birthday gift before I return to my carpenter assistant role so I best get to it. 

I have a name

My little friend is an Eastern Phoebe. I know there are negatives to the internet but the positives are awesome.  I took the bird's picture with a digital camera, transferred it to my photos, zoomed and cropped and then posted it on the blog.  A friend saw the pic forwarded it to someone she knew who knows birds and he identified it.  As I was reading the email telling me this one's name, there was a bird calling just outside at the same time.  I had searched Eastern Phoebe and there was a you-tube video of it's call.  So I was listening to the you-tube video and hearing the same call just outside the veranda. Double confirmation.
Now another story about this little bird.  A couple nights ago we were sitting in the veranda eating dinner.  All of a sudden there is a squirrel climbing up the oak log that supports the overhang.  Our first thought, " how cute" until he raced all the way up the log and over to the nest that was in the eve.  There was a flurry of birds and squirrel. Looking for eggs?  We did discuss interfering and finding something to keep the squirrel out of the nest but decided we should remain observers.  At that point we thought that it was a barn swallows nest although from what we saw of the bird it didn't seem right. ( we are far from expert birders)  Now it seems the nest might be that of an Eastern Phoebe.  I just saw some coming and going from the nest, so I hope they weren't too traumatized by the squirrel and will raise a family there.  I would love have Pat get on a ladder to look but I don't want to chase them away.  They are flycatchers and some of you will know that flies have at times been the bane of my existence here. 

Progress

We feel we have made some progress this week.  We have been installing flooring. We put a product called marmoleum in the front entrance and the bathroom. I chose 12" tiles in a checker board pattern.  I am very happy with the final look.  The colour in the picture of the hallway is a little off.  It is a charcoal grey with the other colour a brown, it is called camel.  The walls are only primed so far, painting is on the list for this weekend but we may wait until more work is completed upstairs.  Also the hallway is long but not as long as it looks in this picture.

Baseboards yet to come

We were out for an early morning walk yesterday to view the crocuses! The hills on the other side of our ravine were thick with them.  A little short height wise this year but is it any wonder.

We walked carefully, it was hard not to step on them.

I couldn't resist digging out a clump and bringing it home.  Past experience has taught they don't do well as a cut flower



Below is a a little friend who sat on the back of this chair for a very long time.  At times I am sure he/she was watching me.  He is not in the small bird book we have here and my field guide is packed who knows where.  Does anyone know my name?

A trip to the big city tomorrow (Regina), we need to look at bathroom vanities and tops.  

I ordered the bathtub for upstairs from Home Depot .ca.  It is to be delivered to Whitewood with delivery included in the price.  I will let you know how that turns out.  We have started on the pantry.  We have told ourselves it has to be finished before we start taking apart the kitchen. 

Joyful Sound

Today was a beautiful warm sunny day.  We are starting to see just a touch of green in the aspen today.  I am sure if you look closely you will see what I see.

The geen is actually there I promise.  The birch will be chartreuse soon but the oaks are slow and do take a while.  I love the architecture of the oak so I don't really mind their leafless state. 

The joyful sound today was three young men ripping lath and plaster out of the upstairs. Quite noisy at times but I am so thankful that I had no part in that job other to provide cold drinks.  This is what it looked like when they left.

The blue cloth is hanging out of the plumbing for the future bathroom

A view through the wall ( which is being removed) of my future studio 

 Before they started they very carefully boarded off the stairwell to protect the stairs and built a chute out a window. We put plastic up to manage the dust.  To my dismay when I went in to the bedroom this afternoon and ran my fingers on a flat surface this is what I found

I am trying to ignore the reality that this fine layer of dust is everywhere.  There will be no more lath in my life.  I would like to be able to say no more plaster dust but the mudder has to do his thing yet. 

We are sitting on the veranda. enjoying the sound of bird song, frogs croaking and the neighbours cattle bawling.  Time for a cup of tea.  Life is good!

The Move

As an adult I have moved three times.  From my parents home to the student high rises when Pat and I were married.  We had virtually no furniture.  In 1980 we bought 

213 Albert and moved all our worldly goods in the back of my brother's half ton.  With one extra trip to bring our deep freezer.  Thirty-three years later Geransky's moved 12,000 lbs. of our worldly goods. 

We have furniture here to deal with and are not able to put anything upstairs so this is what the veranda and garage look like.

 

As I look at all this, I think man where did it all come from. I intend to look at these pictures frequently as I am sorting and deciding what to keep and what to send to a new home.  Looking at the sheer volume will help me send a great deal of it to a new home.

I had another small moment of happiness today.  For the first time in 33 years I have a coat closet!

  

A little work to do yet. New floor, handles on the doors and more shelving, but is it not a thing of beauty.

A busy day but I did take time to do a little reading. I was surrounded by mess but I was able to ignore it.  This is the guest room which is where we will hang out until the upstairs is done.

Zachary and Heather came by with the girls on the 5th.  On the step photos were in order, notice Brooke and I have traded sunglasses.

To close this post and a significant chapter in our lives I have included a last photo of Pat and Linda at 213 Albert Ave.  We really should have been sitting on the steps as that is where so many photos have been taken.  But we wanted to include more of the house.  

Notable Moments

We have had a couple notable moments since my last post. First, we did receive at least the 20 cm of snow  that was forecast for this area. On May 1st Pat put on his snowshoes and went for a walk.  I hid inside.  At times it was tough going because of the deep snow.

snowshoe track through deep snow

We woke up to minus 9 this morning.  I spotted this little guy and would check on him every now and then. He was so very still for a robin and I don't think I have ever seen one with it's feathers so puffed up. Conserving energy and trying to stay warm.  As the sun warmed him he started to turn his head and look around.  I do wonder what he found to eat today.  Somehow the bluejay doesn't look quite as pathetic.

 I must admit there was a point yesterday when I was looking to put on my "ruby slippers" and click my heels.  I didn't really have any idea of where I wanted to go but it would be anywhere that it wasn't cold and snowing!

Today the second notable moment of this post.

This is my brand new wonderful water softener.  A bit sad to be so happy about such a thing but the water is very, very hard here.  I did dishes tonight and didn't have to wipe the residue out with vinegar. We will put a reverse osmosis unit in a bit later so will be set in the water department.
Last thought to share.  We found a great store called Carson's Carpet in Whitewood.  We had a look around and I'm sure we will be able to find flooring for the kitchen and upstairs.  It is much closer than Yorkton or Regina.  Also the Co-op carries espresso coffee grounds which I hadn't found in the grocery store in Esterhazy.  Small moments of happiness!