Workshop Delay

Today was supposed to be the day that concrete was poured for the workshop slab. Sadly, it is not going to happen. There was a slight misunderstanding/miscommunication between me and the contractor.

The enclosed portion of the building is 30' x 45'. Because the land slopes down to the lake, the edge of the slab closest to the lake ends up being about 24" higher than ground level. We will have a 10' covered section along that long side which will serve, in part, as a sloped drive up to the building. I made the mistake of telling the contractor that I thought that we would like to be able to sit under that covered portion if we were grilling or otherwise needing a break from some awesome project. He took that to mean that we wanted that covered area to be level rather than sloped. The problem is that it would not be possible to drive a vehicle from the driveway into the workshop with no slope!

When the concrete prep work was finished yesterday, I realized that we had a problem, so I had to call the contractor and break the bad news to him. He was not happy but cancelled the concrete and had his crew out today to be sure that it was the way I wanted it!

Here is what it looked like before the slope was added:

The section on the right side of the pad is the overhang section.

In this view, the overhang is at the front of the pad.

The views below are after they added the slope. Yay! We will be able to drive into the workshop!

So, the concrete is now scheduled for next Wednesday. Wonder if I can get each of the dogs to put a paw print in the wet concrete...just one?

Terry's Christmas Present

It is just a year since the construction on the new cabin began. We have really enjoyed living here - me since late April-early May and Terry when he finished his job in north Texas in August. Despite the drought and issues related to it - the burn ban, the continually dropping lake level, frequent watering of  my new grass - it has been a peaceful and relaxing place to come home to.

Terry is out of town again building a solar power plant in San Antonio, so it is mostly just me and the dogs with an occasional visit from Matt or Nick. Yesterday was the last day of work before the holidays, so I am looking forward to some serious R&R!

In honor of our one year anniversary of beginning cabin construction, it seemed fitting (or just plain crazy!) to begin another construction project. Our workshop/garage will soon be rising from the ashes of the old burn pile! I am so very glad to be rid of the burn pile and grateful that there will never be another one there! It was very irritating to continually find certain people were throwing non-burnable items on the pile...so, good riddance!

The shop will be a 30' x 40' metal building. Terry will have room (we hope) for all the vehicles, yard equipment and toys, as well as some workshop space. I hope to steal a corner for a storage area, and we are planning for the future addition of an efficiency apartment for guest overflow.

This is looking from the road side toward the house and the lake. The brown shed in the background on the right will eventually go away so there will be a better view of the house as you come in the driveway.

This is looking toward the road.

...looks like we are just at the edge of the water line...

December at the Lake

December has brought some cool weather and also some very welcome rain! We had a couple of showers that provided enough moisture to warrant the lifting of the burn ban we have been under for more than a year. All the trees and brush we cleared before building the new house have been sitting in a huge pile since November of 2010. The burn ban was lifted on Monday, November 28, so Terry and Matt began burning on Tuesday the 29th. They burned for three straight days - 12 hours a day - to get rid of it all! The pile of ashes is just about the center of where the workshop will be.

That task clears the way for the construction of a 30' x 40' workshop/garage which will begin this week...hopefully...if there is no more rain. I want to be sure to clarify that we are NOT wishing for no rain. It has been too dry for too long to do that, but our goal of having the workshop completed by Christmas is slipping away. There is no specific reason for wanting it done by Christmas (other than dominoes!), so we will be patient if the rain does delay us any further.

There always seems to be a domino effect...or maybe it is a reverse domino effect...in my projects. In order to accomplish one task another task needs to be done first, and in order to get that task done something else has to happen beforehand, etc. The workshop is one of those dominos that has to happen before other things can be done.

Birds continue to make news at the lake! The goldfinch love their new feeder and have been emptying it almost every day!


The flicker hangs on the sunflower feeder, but no one seems to be interested in the suet.

Great Day for Boating!

The weather has broken from the formidable heat of the spring and summer, and everyone is able to breathe a little easier...as long as the allergies don't have a hold!

As I sit and write, I can hear the squirrels chasing through the trees and up over the roof. The birds are also persistently reminding me that I need to fill their feeder with sunflower seeds. When I went to get some things from my car, two deer trailed along behind me hoping for a hand out of some sort. The hummingbird numbers have dwindled to just a few - must be the hardy ones that don't get too cold with the upper 40s to lower 50s we have had as lows for the last couple of days.

This day is absolutely gorgeous! Temperatures are moderate and the lake is like glass. It would be a perfect day for a ride in the pontoon boat...except for one problem...

Don't think the boats are going anywhere for a while! Even with a very nice shower last Sunday, the results of the drought are certainly evident. They are predicting that this drought may last 5 years. I don't want to imagine what a multi-year drought might look like!

Even if it were possible to get the boat in the water, there is another problem...

The stumps that have been exposed across the entire lake must number in the thousands. I don't think there are many who are brave (or foolhardy) enough to try to navigate this dangerous maze!

We will continue to enjoy the beautiful weather, even though our vantage point won't be from the lake.

The porch works quite well!

More Hummingbirds!

I am in a bit of a rut with the hummingbirds, but there are just so many of them all day long!

You will just have to allow me to indulge one more time! We have a total of 4 feeders at the present time, and all of them are seeing action equivalent to this one. It makes for a lot of activity on the porch!

We have begun to attract some Baltimore Orioles as well. They first showed themselves publicly the day that my mother died. It seemed like more than a coincidence to me since she had been a bird lover for many decades. I was in Iowa at the time, but Terry reported that they had started landing on and drinking from the hummingbird feeders. At first it was one pair, but we are pretty sure there are 2 pairs now. We have added an Oriole feeder filled with the proper ratio of water to sugar for them, but they are not completely convinced to give up the hummingbird food. It may seem like going from 2% milk down to skim. No pictures yet - they are still rather shy.

Hummingbirds

It was a very nice early morning at the lake. The temperatures will be hitting ridiculous highs again today, so the time to enjoy the outdoors was early.The hummingbirds were very busy as we enjoyed some porch time with coffee and the newspaper.

We enjoy all the birds, and they seem to appreciate the food and water we provide.


Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best. -Henry Van Dyke

Hot!

It is 104 at 1:00 PM. The high is predicted to be 107 today. It is hot out there! I watered the grass this morning, but any other chores for the day will be indoors. Vacuuming is done, chicken enchiladas are made, and laundry is in progress.

Terry and the dog's idea looks more appealing...

Flip and Boone are following Terry's lead...as if they didn't already know how to kick back and relax!

Update on Frank

Monday is one of Boone's regular daycare days, so he was excited to go out the front door and head to the car yesterday morning. Frank got to come too. He felt pretty cocky about getting to ride in the front seat and leaving the other two gazing out the window in disappointment.

Little did he know, at the time, that his stop was not doggie daycare but the vet! He didn't get to play all day like Boone. Instead, he was anesthetized, poked, prodded, given a shot, and stitched up. Then he had to sit in a cage until I could come to get him.

He is on an antibiotic and pain meds, but he seems to be doing pretty well considering everything he has been through!

He has 4 sutures on his shoulder wound and one on his back. He is getting a lot of pampering, so I think he will come out of this even more spoiled!

The jury is still out on whether he learned any lessons from all of this....

Close Encounter of the Deer Kind

We have 4 city dogs that think they are pretty tough. Barking at the deer through the fence provides them a buffer that makes them feel more invincible than they really are. They found out today that living in the country and mingling with the wildlife is not always a walk in the park.

Terry has been taking the dogs for a walk in the morning. He takes a leash with him in case he has one that doesn't listen so well, but for the most part they are able to walk without leashes.

The first half of today's walk was uneventful. They ended up at the dam, where there is also a boat ramp and swimming area. Terry was keeping his eye on Boone, who is the one that tends to run off. Frank spotted a young deer and apparently went after it. The young deer started squealing, which brought the mama deer over at a dead run. She hit Frank and sent him rolling, with her hoofs hitting him each time he rolled. Franks's squealing brought our little min pin, Polly over to save him. She distracted the mama deer long enough for Frank to get away and run toward Terry. In the process, Polly got kicked in the head. The two big dogs finally jumped in and chased the mother deer off in one direction while the young deer went the other way - both uninjured.

When Terry got to Polly, she was staggering a bit so he picked her up. She went limp in his arms, and he was afraid that she may have been severely hurt. He started back to the cabin - about a mile and a half away - carrying Polly with Frank walking. Flip came back to join up with them, and Polly was eventually able to walk too. In the meantime, Boone had come back to the house. I had the feeling that something was going on, so I jumped in the car to see where the rest of them were. When I met up with Terry, Flip, Frank, and Polly, he gave me the short version of the story. I took Polly in the car, and the rest of them finished the walk.

Frank ended up with several cuts from the deer hooves. A trip to the vet will be on his agenda tomorrow morning with the possibility of a couple of stitches fairly likely.

After a call to Texas A&M's Small Animal clinic, they confirmed that we could wait and go to our regular vet tomorrow morning. Terry is putting some antibiotic ointment on Frank's cuts.

We are watching Polly closely, but so far she seems to be okay...just a bit of a knot on her head.

We think that Frank owes Polly big time - don't think that the mama deer would have stopped her attack without Polly jumping in. Polly owes a debt of gratitude to Flip and Boone who sent mama running. And I think Boone may have come straight back to the cabin to let me know that something was going on...

A potentially devastating event ended with minimal injury due to the camaraderie of our rag-tag group of rescue dogs. Maybe they will have a greater respect for the deer now, and I hope they will think twice about chasing them from now on!

More Flag Stone! Yay!

Hot, hot and more hot...same to be said for dry. The lake level continues to drop, and the effects of the drought on plant and animal life are severe. The devastation of this drought will be huge and will be felt for years!

Terry finally finished his  out-of-town job and is home after a year and a half! He has only spent a handful of nights here at the new house, so it is not really "home" to him yet. He will have to learn where everything is and what the (my) established routines are.

The main thing is that he will have a break after working 7 days a week 12 hours a day for months and months...and he doesn't have to sleep in his travel  trailer any more!

Nick drove up to Poolville (about 45 miles NW of Fort Worth, between Bridgeport and Mineral Wells) last Thursday to hook up the travel trailer and haul it back. Today, Nick and Terry got some more flag stone so I can finish my walkway!

Yay! I had been missing hauling and laying rock in 100+ degree heat...

Stone and Water

My stone walkway got some attention this weekend thanks to some help from Matt. He did much of the hauling from the pallet to the walkway. All the stones from one pallet are down, and I will need another pallet to finish. It looks pretty good and will look even better when the grass grows in between the stones. It has already begun to do that in the area on the right that has been there for a while.

The lake continues to drop as the drought deepens. It is quite sad, even scary, and one wonders if it will end up just being a mud puddle.

In this picture I am standing on the normal waterline.

 The deer now walk under the dock.

Even if we could get the boat out, the stumps make travel very hazardous.

The color on the map below tells it all. We need rain - lots of rain!

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/tools/edb/sbfinal.gif

Project Progression

The weekly mowing was completed on Friday morning. I had heard that there was a 30% chance of rain, so I wanted to be ready just in case we were in the 30% zone. Thankfully, we did get a nice shower Friday afternoon that lasted about 20 minutes!

The 30% chance for remains for today with a 40% chance tomorrow, so the hope for more rain remains!

Last week's main project was getting more of the main living area painted. I don't work very fast, so everything seems to take forever! The portion that was finished last week enabled me to tackle one of this weekend's projects - hanging window shades!

Shade up                                          Shade down

Top down/bottom up cellular shades should help to keep out  the late afternoon sun and provide privacy at night.

Being an educator made me think about the skills needed to be able to hang these shades. Two primary skills involved reading/following directions and converting decimals to fractions and fractions to decimals. I was able to manage both tasks, but it helped that there were online fraction/decimal conversion sites available for reference. Following instructions required some common sense to fill in the details that were lacking.

I hope this means I am smarter than a 5th grader!

Out On A Limb

As I pulled into the driveway this afternoon, I knew there was a problem!

The neighbors on one side of our cabin are never there...it is a rather sad story and too long for this posting. There was a dead tree on the edge of their lot that I have been watching since we finished our house. I had thought about calling them to ask that they take it down or see if they would reimburse the cost if we arranged to have it removed.

My hesitation to make that call came back to bite me today!

Yes, the tree came down on my new fence!

I don't think the damage is too severe, but I've got to get some someone to remove the tree and then see if the fence guys can come back to repair the fence. It is always a challenge to get repair people to come out of town this far. I think I have managed to get it fixed up well enough so the dogs can't get out until I can get some help.

Speaking of the dogs...the placement of the tree has them stumped. They are used to flying down the ramp and then running down the fence line to the end of the fence. No chance of that - the trunk limb-its their range.

...and Frank is definitely barking up the wrong tree!

Sorry...just couldn't resist!

I'll leaf it at that.

Fourth of July at the Lake

This year's 4th at the lake is a bit different from many.

The majority of cabins on the lake are weekend getaways rather than full-time residences, so the Fourth of July weekend is typically when lots of folks are here. There are fewer boats on the lake this year, which indicates fewer weekend visitors. The lake is very low, and stumps that have been safely below water are now exposed or very near the surface.

If you look over the roof of our boat house toward the fishing platform, you can see the black dots of stumps now exposed by the low lake level. (Click on the picture for a larger view.) This poses obvious hazards for boaters and skiers.

There will be no fireworks this evening - a disappointment to many but necessary because of the severity of the drought. We can usually sit on our dock and watch folks all around the lake shooting off their own shows over the water.

Another big event is the annual boat parade. It was held this year as usual, but I was so preoccupied with watering the lawn, giving dogs much-needed baths, and getting a head start on preparing some things for a chili dog/hot dog lunch at work on Wednesday that I forgot about it!  I wouldn't have entered the parade by myself, but it is quite fun when we have visitors here! The fence guys cut the electrical line to the boathouse, so I could not have gotten the boat hoist to function anyway!

Here are some pictures from our last effort a few years ago...we did not win but had a great time!

Terry and his sister, Grace, working on the flags and streamers

...adding the pièce de résistance

We obviously did not have enough balloons on our boat! (This is one of the winning boats.)

After parading the length of the lake, the boats pass by the judge's stand in the swim and ski area of the lake and then await the announcement of the winning boats in each category.

After the parade, it is nice to do a little floating and fishing...

...followed by food and beverages. I think this "Uncle Sam" had one two many beverages and lost his top hat!

We hope that we can have a celebratory gathering next year! Here's hoping for the gift of 30-40 inches of rain between now and then!

Fence Progress

The new fence is coming along slowly. The weather has been very hot and apparently our fence builders don't do too well in the heat. They don't seem to be real fond of starting early to beat the heat either, so it makes for a rather limited time frame!

Other than cutting the electrical line to the boat house (Oops!), all has been going well...and to be honest, I forgot about that line coming up from the boat house, so it wasn't all their fault!

When I came home today, it was beginning to look like a real fence!

Instead of enclosing the entire house, as I originally planned, Terry thought it would be better to enclose only the lake side. As I thought about it, that ended up being the best option for now. In order to provide the best access to and from all parts of the property, the fence is going under the house. That will provide some additional shade and shelter for the dogs and will also give us an area to store yard equipment inside the fence and somewhat protected. (The plastic fence on the left is temporary.)

The deer are curious and don't seem to be thrilled with the obstacles now in their way, but they still have reasonable access to their normal paths. They don't know it yet, but they will be thankful that there is something between them and the dogs!

Lake Update

The inaugural mowing of the new lawn took place today! The grass was longer than I thought, so when the two little dogs attempted all things dog in their fenced area, it was difficult for them. After the mowing, they are much happier! Watering will need to begin again, since rain has been sparse. It looks like we will be hot and dry for a while. The water bill for last month was about three times normal, but it just had to be done! Even so, my bill was still less than my neighbor's.

It really does look nice!

The new sofa and chair arrived today after the delivery truck was taken all over the area by their GPS! For some reason, our road confuses the GPS units on vehicles. They are the fourth delivery truck to be lost by using GPS instead of my directions! They finally made it after driving all over the county.

This is the oversized recliner, and we also got the matching couch. It pretty much fills the living room, so I will have to do some strategic rearranging to make sure that the placement maximizes our space.

Fence building will commence on Tuesday, so stay tuned for updates on that project.

Painting

A thunderstorm dumped a pretty nice amount of rain on us last night. It was pretty wet all day and very muggy, so it wasn't a good day to finish my  flagstone walkway project.

Painting the living room seemed like a much better choice!

I didn't get it all done, but it will still be there for another day!

I cut up some watermelon rind to give to the deer. They sure love it! This one was chewing a piece.

It was The Day of the Buck today! I