Baymule
Herd Master
They just left, on their way to pick up their puppy!
Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along
- Thread starter Ridgetop
- Start date
Bruce
Herd Master
Don't. Replace the spout with a spout with a diverter for a hand held shower. Get a 3' sliding shower bar like this
Shower heads fixed at 6' (or a fair bit lower in the case of one Holiday Inn I once stayed at, not great for someone 6'2") are stupid. With the rod everyone from a child to most any adult can have the showerhead where THEY want it. One size does NOT fit all. Plus with the shower hose attached low, you can use the showerhead to aid in rinsing areas that don't get hit with water coming down on your head, cleaning the tub or very young children.
Good idea, my first house had a woodstove, all electric otherwise (WOW was that baseboard resistance heat EXPENSIVE!), no CO detectors. I woke up one night feeling woozy at the far end of the house. Not sure what happened and it never happened again but I suspect had I not woken up when I did and stuck my head out the window, I would not have woken up at all.
I know this is Texas but fireplaces are very, very inefficient. Put in a wood burning insert with a fan to blow the heat into the house.
My battery saw is a DeWalt, mostly because it uses the same 20V battery as the drill, impact driver and 18g nailer. Once you start with a battery tool brand, best to stick with it so you don't need batteries from every company. And it was on sale at Ace, $10 off
I think it was $159. Seems to work well, make sure to get a file the right size for the teeth in whatever saw you buy. I now have 3 saws and 3 files.- Thread starter
- #2,833
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Had a nice visit with Baymule on Saturday. Her DS was home, so we picked him up and all went out to eat. He is a lot of fun and we all had a nice time. Bay's pasture was full of little lambs and Buford came galloping up to greet us as we turned down the driveway. She showed us where she plans to put her barn but said it was so low and wet there when it rains that she is having to raise the ground level. We suggested that instead of dirt she bring in about 4-6" crushed rock or gravel and top that with decomposed granite. DG goes down like but you pack it very hard which allows water to run off. A lot of builder yards here are done with DG instead of paving since it is much cheaper to get a dry lot that way.
The next day (Sunday) we went to Leander for a visit with
Erick and to pick up our puppy. Erick insisted on keeping her for us when we went to see her in March since we were coming back out so soon. However, she has to come home now or she will be to old to be accepted by the older two bitches we have. At 5 1/2 months she is already pushing the age envelope for complete acceptance. Erick really didn't want to let her go since he had fallen in love with her but after making us promise to pet and love n her multiple times daily he finally helped load her in the truck. According to hi she is one of the best LGDs he has bred. Perfect in conformation, but more importantly perfect in attitude and behavior toward the livestock. We arrived back in Yantis late and I still had some packing to do. DS1 had hitched the flatbed, brought in all the chairs, folded up and packed away all our belongings that were to stay in the house. He had also washed all the bedding and put it back on the beds. We spent one night and left it ready for our return. In the morning I packed the coolers, DS1 cooked breakfast, I made some sandwiches out of the last of the bread, and we left.
As we loaded her after she pottied, DH noticed blood n her rear legs. After checking we realized that it was coming from her private area. Not in season since these dogs are usually around 12 months at their first season. Texted Erick from the car who said it sounded like a bladder infection particularly since she had peed all over the towel in her crate overnight. These dogs normally shut down when removed from familiar surroundings to unfamiliar situations. They don't eat, drink, pee, or poo. He said that female pups can sometimes get UTIs if they squat too low when peeing. They can pick it up from the ground. We located a vet in Decatur, TX. They treat all livestock and one of the reviewers stated they treated their LGDs too. It was first come, first served, walk-in only clinic so we had to wait about 1 1/2 hours before being seen, but since we had a 2-3 day trip ahead of us, we didn't want to wait to see our own vet in CA. Vet put her on antibiotics 3X daily and pill for discomfort to be given 1X daily. Shoved the pills down her throat, followed by a piece of leftover chicken we had brought for her and took off with a 2-hour delay. That delay caused another night spent on the road since we missed the closing time of the alfalfa grower in AZ by half an hour. However, we were able to get 60 bales of top quality alfalfa Wednesday am. We arrived home after 3 days of tedious driving Wednesday around 4pm. The trip back and forth is feeling longer and longer.
Levi (the fence installer) is making the gates leading from the sheep perimeter fence into the 30 acre hay field. He wanted to now the sizes of the wire openings and I had to guess at 3-4" high x 6" wide up about 2' then gradually getting larger. I thought he would buy the gates and then we would have to put wire on them but he is making them so that will be wonderful to have them made dog and lamb escape resistant. they are 16' wide. The current gates are about 12'-14' wide. We are keeping them for now but the rest of the gates on the property 16' wide we will install 16'. We will position them in the corners of each field.
The refrigerator cbunet inu the kitchen is 35" wide x 67" tall - wil not fit a new fridge which is designed to fit inside a 36' wide x 72" tall space. However, I have figured out how to resize the opening without too much trouble. LOL for us that is. I will pop the face frame that currently holds the upper cabinet over the fridge, and frames the opening. Next, I will pull the paneling off the inside wall of the cabinet, exposing the studs. Using the Sawzall we will cut the studs narrower from 2"x4" to 2" x 2". This will give us an additional 1 1/2" to 2" of width for the fridge. In order to keep the wall stable we will install a couple 2x4 studs sidewise next to the existing studs that we cut down. Or just remove the existing studs after installing the new studs sideways. Next the to of the fridge cabinet needs to be raised. We will remove the bottom of the overhead cabinet and relocate the shelf 5-6" higher. That will give us the required height for the new fridge. Then install new drywall the new wall, tape, mud, and paint. The tricky part will be reinstalling the face frame which will now be 1" too narrow and 5" too short for the fridge opening. No problem since the cabinets are oak. Cut off the face frame uprights. Measure and cut down the vertical face frame around the upper cabinet. Using a new 1"x2" piece of oak we will cut and install it on the side of the old upper cabinet face frame making the new face frame around the ridge 36" x 72". The last thing to do is use the scraps to match the stain color (which is almost natural) and varnish the new face frame. Reinstall and Voila! A cabinet that matches the entire kitchen but fits a new large size fridge. And it only took a week of sleepless nights figuring it out!
Now we need to see if we can fit the large chest freezer in the utility room by moving the dryer to the other side of the washer. The dryer door opens the wrong way anyway, requiring you to crowd into the corner of the room to load clothes into the dryer from the washer. If we can move the dryer to the other side washer, loading clothes will be more convenient. And by moving both appliances down along the wall the large chest freezer will fit crossways under the window in the utility room. Eventually maybe we can replace the washer/dryer with a stackable unit but for now having this GE 4-year-old set is nirvana! It saves so much time to be able to wash in the house without having to load up the laundry and make the 15+ minute trip into town, wait around while the wash and dry cycles complete, and then come back. It reminds me of the joy I felt when DH and I got our first washer and dryer!
I was planning to replace the bifold doors on the closet with by-pass sliding doors, but the bi-fold doors work perfectly so no need to do that. More $$$ saved! I replaced almost every closet door in the apartment building with by-pass doors because the bi-folds were broken (holes punched in them). The ones that were not broken I replaced all the hardware. I have an intimate acquaintance with bi-fold doors and don't like them. These doors though are working well and in excellent condition so I will keep them. It saves me time and money and if they ever need it, I can easily repair them with all the extra bi-fold hardware I have left over from the apartment repairs. LOL
On our next trip I will take out the window screens and wash the windows. Then replace all the blinds in the house. Since all the bedroom windows are 36" windows, and the others are standard medium sizes, the basic Lowes blinds won't cost too much. I don't have to replace the ones in the LR and DR since they are faux wood venetian blinds and in good shape. I already replaced one blind that was broken on one of the front BR windows @ $12.00. 5 more at that price will be $60.00. The remaining kitchen and bathroom windows are about 36", while the MBR window is about 60". So maybe another $60.00 although I might not bother with the bathroom windows at this time.
Since arriving home, took Ozel to the vet for new puppy check up, shots, etc. FORGOT TO GET HER CHIPPED! AAARGH! Will do that when I take her back next week with Rika and Angel for regular rabies shots. My vet has retired, and 3 new young vets have taken over the practice. Very nice vet and understood that Ozel was shy and overwhelmed by changes.
Ozel has been adjusting to new surroundings. Timid but yesterday she had recovered completely and was racing around like a normal puppy, running in circles and jumping in the air releasing energy. I gave Rika some attention and love and Ozel came up politely for a sniff or two. Then some loving for Angel and Ozel came u hoping for sniffing. Apparently, Angel didn't like the way she was being a puppy and wanting to get in some sniffing because suddenly Angel went for Ozel, snarling and taking her to the ground. Ozel yelped and tried to get away but Angel had hold of her and didn't let go. I did not chastise Angel since when I scolded Rika for doing that to puppy Angel, Erick had told me that Rik was establishing ground rules for the puppy. However, all of a sudden, Rika appeared and took down Angel. Naturally I jumped back, protecting my new knee from 2 squabbling Anatolian bitches. Angel tried growling at Rika but Rika stared her down. Rika still holds her place as the alpha bitch (after me of course
). After being disciplined by Rika, Angel went over to the back door and sat down with her back to us sulking. I praised Rika a lot, then checked Ozel who didn't have a scratch on her. After about 10 minutes I went to pet Angel so she would know that I was not angry with her for her attempt to put the interloper in her place. Rika does not love puppies, but apparently won't tolerate bad behavior from anyone. LOL
I have been taking Ozel into the front pasture where the ewe flock is currently penned. The first time she was good, sniffing the sheep and they sniffed her. After a while she went down the hill investigating the pasture. When she was out further in the pasture a 6-month-old eweling realized she was far from the flock and started running back to the others. Ozel ran after her and the flock scattered. I called "NO" and Ozel stopped, but the flock kept shuffling around and running a bit. She kept getting sidetracked by the movement of the sheep, but I hollered "NO" a couple times, and praised her as soon as she stopped moving toward the sheep. Then I called her to me, and she came up and lay down. I kept watching and praising her while she just lay there watching the sheep. I watched closely and every time she looked like she wanted to get up to chase I said "NO" and she settled back down on the ground. Finally, she laid flat out on the ground and the sheep came back up, sniffed at her, and she sniffed them but didn't bother getting up. This morning I took her down in the pen with the sheep and we walked around the perimeter. Luckily, I found a 3' piece of rebar to use as a cane on the steep and uneven ground.
LOL Half of the sheep had gone through the gate when DH fed (I heard his loud cursing) and the ones still in the en wer enot the friendly ones. One of them stomped at Ozel and tried t butt her but Oel dropped to the ground in perfect Anatolian submission and the grouchy ewe backed off. She is 100123. I have earmarked her as a training ewe if Ozel needs reinforcement in not running at sheep. 
I didn't think any of my sheep were that strong and aggressive. Anyway, Ozel did really great, and today did not even look up when the sheep rushed past her to go to the water trough. Still needs supervision but I am very pleased with her.
We will start loading the flatbed trailer with the 24' corral panels, corral gates, corral covers, etc. for our next trip to Yantis the second week in June. The t-posts and wire should be in by then so I will arrange for it to be delivered, and we will do the chain saw work on the overhanging branches from the trees that are on the neighbor's side of the barbed wire fence.
CHAIN SAW UPDATE: Checked for Memorial Day sales at Home Depot and Lowes. Lowes had the items we wanted on sale, Home Depot did not. We got a Kobalt battery chain saw, regular price $189 for $129. Then they had the Kobalt pole saw that took the same battery regularly $159 for $129. Out the door for less than $280 including tax. Savings of $90. Excellent reviews on both saws. We did not get any extra batteries yet since they were not on sale, and we figure they will be on sale later. Possibly all the Kobalt power tools will be on sale for Father's Day. Kobalt is the Lowes brand and there is a Lowes in Sulphur Springs which is much closer than the Home Depot in Mt. Pleasant. DH plans to try the chain saw out this week on a couple of large branches that came down over the winter. BTW the hand pole saw/trimmer was also on sale - for $55.00! DH kept saying that we had a hand operated pole saw (which is somewhat rusted, and the clipper doesn't work well) but he finally allowed as having the power pole saw would be much better for us. We will eventually get another couple of the batteries that carry twice the charge and last twice as long. We agreed that the batteries would probably outlast our stamina cutting brush and tree limbs. 
The right tool for the right job. We also checked ceiling fans (we need 5), but nothing was on sale. We can wait on those since we won't be using one of the bedrooms right away, and the LR ceiling fan works. It hangs down too far and we need al flush mount, but at least it works.
DH had an offer for the house today from the tire store owner. They are looking for a place here in shadow with acreage. DH told him at least 2 million and he didn't blink so if DS2 doesn't want to buy the place we have another buyer. DH said that because we will have to pay a portion in capital gains anyway, he won't do any fix ups to the house and we would sell "as is". The fellow said he would a couple years for a sale. He wants acreage and there really isn't much left here. Particularly with such a spectacular view and easy access to freeways and shopping. Nice to know we have options since DH is annoyed with DS2 right now. We were discussing how we could allow all the rent to go towards the price of the house, along with any work or repairs he wanted to make. DS2 didn't seem very interested in discussing it, and wanted to know what we would sell for. I told him that we would start at market value and work out something downwards from there. He acted like he thought we were not giving him a good enough deal! WHOA! DH and I have been talking about how our children seem to take for granted that we are here for their convenience. For the first time DH said that we would just sell and if we got to where we couldn't keep up the ranch maybe we would buy a place on a lake or something to retire to. DH is 80 and listening to him talk about eventually giving up the ranch and "retiring" to a smaller place made me realize that 80 is the new 50! In our primes forever!!!
Today I walked the perimeter of the half acre field in front of the house with Ozel. It doesn't sound like a big deal, until you realize what a steep slope it is. Half of it is covered in deep shale scree that is super slippery to walk on. And I was accompanied by a happy and hyper 57 lb. puppy rushing past my legs just waiting for an opportunity to trip me. LOL Luckily I could hold on to the oil pipe fencing rail. I guess it will be good for me to walk it every morning with Ozel. Next time I will bring my hiking stick with the sharp metal point on the bottom though! Maybe mine and DH's both, one in each hand.
and Buford came galloping up to greet us as we turned down the driveway. She showed us where she plans to put her barn but said it was so low and wet there when it rains that she is having to raise the ground level. We suggested that instead of dirt she bring in about 4-6" crushed rock or gravel and top that with decomposed granite. DG goes down like but you pack it very hard which allows water to run off. A lot of builder yards here are done with DG instead of paving since it is much cheaper to get a dry lot that way.The next day (Sunday) we went to Leander for a visit with
Erick and to pick up our puppy. Erick insisted on keeping her for us when we went to see her in March since we were coming back out so soon. However, she has to come home now or she will be to old to be accepted by the older two bitches we have. At 5 1/2 months she is already pushing the age envelope for complete acceptance. Erick really didn't want to let her go since he had fallen in love with her but after making us promise to pet and love n her multiple times daily he finally helped load her in the truck. According to hi she is one of the best LGDs he has bred. Perfect in conformation, but more importantly perfect in attitude and behavior toward the livestock. We arrived back in Yantis late and I still had some packing to do. DS1 had hitched the flatbed, brought in all the chairs, folded up and packed away all our belongings that were to stay in the house. He had also washed all the bedding and put it back on the beds. We spent one night and left it ready for our return. In the morning I packed the coolers, DS1 cooked breakfast, I made some sandwiches out of the last of the bread, and we left.
As we loaded her after she pottied, DH noticed blood n her rear legs. After checking we realized that it was coming from her private area. Not in season since these dogs are usually around 12 months at their first season. Texted Erick from the car who said it sounded like a bladder infection particularly since she had peed all over the towel in her crate overnight. These dogs normally shut down when removed from familiar surroundings to unfamiliar situations. They don't eat, drink, pee, or poo. He said that female pups can sometimes get UTIs if they squat too low when peeing. They can pick it up from the ground. We located a vet in Decatur, TX. They treat all livestock and one of the reviewers stated they treated their LGDs too. It was first come, first served, walk-in only clinic so we had to wait about 1 1/2 hours before being seen, but since we had a 2-3 day trip ahead of us, we didn't want to wait to see our own vet in CA. Vet put her on antibiotics 3X daily and pill for discomfort to be given 1X daily. Shoved the pills down her throat, followed by a piece of leftover chicken we had brought for her and took off with a 2-hour delay. That delay caused another night spent on the road since we missed the closing time of the alfalfa grower in AZ by half an hour.
However, we were able to get 60 bales of top quality alfalfa Wednesday am. We arrived home after 3 days of tedious driving Wednesday around 4pm. The trip back and forth is feeling longer and longer. Levi (the fence installer) is making the gates leading from the sheep perimeter fence into the 30 acre hay field. He wanted to now the sizes of the wire openings and I had to guess at 3-4" high x 6" wide up about 2' then gradually getting larger. I thought he would buy the gates and then we would have to put wire on them but he is making them so that will be wonderful to have them made dog and lamb escape resistant. they are 16' wide. The current gates are about 12'-14' wide. We are keeping them for now but the rest of the gates on the property 16' wide we will install 16'. We will position them in the corners of each field.
The refrigerator cbunet inu the kitchen is 35" wide x 67" tall - wil not fit a new fridge which is designed to fit inside a 36' wide x 72" tall space. However, I have figured out how to resize the opening without too much trouble. LOL for us that is. I will pop the face frame that currently holds the upper cabinet over the fridge, and frames the opening. Next, I will pull the paneling off the inside wall of the cabinet, exposing the studs. Using the Sawzall we will cut the studs narrower from 2"x4" to 2" x 2". This will give us an additional 1 1/2" to 2" of width for the fridge. In order to keep the wall stable we will install a couple 2x4 studs sidewise next to the existing studs that we cut down. Or just remove the existing studs after installing the new studs sideways. Next the to of the fridge cabinet needs to be raised. We will remove the bottom of the overhead cabinet and relocate the shelf 5-6" higher. That will give us the required height for the new fridge. Then install new drywall the new wall, tape, mud, and paint. The tricky part will be reinstalling the face frame which will now be 1" too narrow and 5" too short for the fridge opening. No problem since the cabinets are oak. Cut off the face frame uprights. Measure and cut down the vertical face frame around the upper cabinet. Using a new 1"x2" piece of oak we will cut and install it on the side of the old upper cabinet face frame making the new face frame around the ridge 36" x 72". The last thing to do is use the scraps to match the stain color (which is almost natural) and varnish the new face frame. Reinstall and Voila! A cabinet that matches the entire kitchen but fits a new large size fridge. And it only took a week of sleepless nights figuring it out!
Now we need to see if we can fit the large chest freezer in the utility room by moving the dryer to the other side of the washer. The dryer door opens the wrong way anyway, requiring you to crowd into the corner of the room to load clothes into the dryer from the washer. If we can move the dryer to the other side washer, loading clothes will be more convenient. And by moving both appliances down along the wall the large chest freezer will fit crossways under the window in the utility room. Eventually maybe we can replace the washer/dryer with a stackable unit but for now having this GE 4-year-old set is nirvana! It saves so much time to be able to wash in the house without having to load up the laundry and make the 15+ minute trip into town, wait around while the wash and dry cycles complete, and then come back. It reminds me of the joy I felt when DH and I got our first washer and dryer!
I was planning to replace the bifold doors on the closet with by-pass sliding doors, but the bi-fold doors work perfectly so no need to do that. More $$$ saved! I replaced almost every closet door in the apartment building with by-pass doors because the bi-folds were broken (holes punched in them). The ones that were not broken I replaced all the hardware. I have an intimate acquaintance with bi-fold doors and don't like them. These doors though are working well and in excellent condition so I will keep them. It saves me time and money and if they ever need it, I can easily repair them with all the extra bi-fold hardware I have left over from the apartment repairs. LOL
On our next trip I will take out the window screens and wash the windows. Then replace all the blinds in the house. Since all the bedroom windows are 36" windows, and the others are standard medium sizes, the basic Lowes blinds won't cost too much. I don't have to replace the ones in the LR and DR since they are faux wood venetian blinds and in good shape. I already replaced one blind that was broken on one of the front BR windows @ $12.00. 5 more at that price will be $60.00. The remaining kitchen and bathroom windows are about 36", while the MBR window is about 60". So maybe another $60.00 although I might not bother with the bathroom windows at this time.
Since arriving home, took Ozel to the vet for new puppy check up, shots, etc. FORGOT TO GET HER CHIPPED! AAARGH! Will do that when I take her back next week with Rika and Angel for regular rabies shots. My vet has retired, and 3 new young vets have taken over the practice. Very nice vet and understood that Ozel was shy and overwhelmed by changes.
Ozel has been adjusting to new surroundings. Timid but yesterday she had recovered completely and was racing around like a normal puppy, running in circles and jumping in the air releasing energy. I gave Rika some attention and love and Ozel came up politely for a sniff or two. Then some loving for Angel and Ozel came u hoping for sniffing. Apparently, Angel didn't like the way she was being a puppy and wanting to get in some sniffing because suddenly Angel went for Ozel, snarling and taking her to the ground. Ozel yelped and tried to get away but Angel had hold of her and didn't let go. I did not chastise Angel since when I scolded Rika for doing that to puppy Angel, Erick had told me that Rik was establishing ground rules for the puppy. However, all of a sudden, Rika appeared and took down Angel. Naturally I jumped back, protecting my new knee from 2 squabbling Anatolian bitches. Angel tried growling at Rika but Rika stared her down. Rika still holds her place as the alpha bitch (after me of course
). After being disciplined by Rika, Angel went over to the back door and sat down with her back to us sulking. I praised Rika a lot, then checked Ozel who didn't have a scratch on her. After about 10 minutes I went to pet Angel so she would know that I was not angry with her for her attempt to put the interloper in her place. Rika does not love puppies, but apparently won't tolerate bad behavior from anyone. LOLI have been taking Ozel into the front pasture where the ewe flock is currently penned. The first time she was good, sniffing the sheep and they sniffed her. After a while she went down the hill investigating the pasture. When she was out further in the pasture a 6-month-old eweling realized she was far from the flock and started running back to the others. Ozel ran after her and the flock scattered. I called "NO" and Ozel stopped, but the flock kept shuffling around and running a bit. She kept getting sidetracked by the movement of the sheep, but I hollered "NO" a couple times, and praised her as soon as she stopped moving toward the sheep. Then I called her to me, and she came up and lay down. I kept watching and praising her while she just lay there watching the sheep. I watched closely and every time she looked like she wanted to get up to chase I said "NO" and she settled back down on the ground. Finally, she laid flat out on the ground and the sheep came back up, sniffed at her, and she sniffed them but didn't bother getting up. This morning I took her down in the pen with the sheep and we walked around the perimeter. Luckily, I found a 3' piece of rebar to use as a cane on the steep and uneven ground.
LOL Half of the sheep had gone through the gate when DH fed (I heard his loud cursing) and the ones still in the en wer enot the friendly ones. One of them stomped at Ozel and tried t butt her but Oel dropped to the ground in perfect Anatolian submission and the grouchy ewe backed off. She is 100123. I have earmarked her as a training ewe if Ozel needs reinforcement in not running at sheep. I didn't think any of my sheep were that strong and aggressive. Anyway, Ozel did really great, and today did not even look up when the sheep rushed past her to go to the water trough. Still needs supervision but I am very pleased with her. We will start loading the flatbed trailer with the 24' corral panels, corral gates, corral covers, etc. for our next trip to Yantis the second week in June. The t-posts and wire should be in by then so I will arrange for it to be delivered, and we will do the chain saw work on the overhanging branches from the trees that are on the neighbor's side of the barbed wire fence.
CHAIN SAW UPDATE: Checked for Memorial Day sales at Home Depot and Lowes. Lowes had the items we wanted on sale, Home Depot did not. We got a Kobalt battery chain saw, regular price $189 for $129. Then they had the Kobalt pole saw that took the same battery regularly $159 for $129. Out the door for less than $280 including tax. Savings of $90. Excellent reviews on both saws. We did not get any extra batteries yet since they were not on sale, and we figure they will be on sale later. Possibly all the Kobalt power tools will be on sale for Father's Day. Kobalt is the Lowes brand and there is a Lowes in Sulphur Springs which is much closer than the Home Depot in Mt. Pleasant. DH plans to try the chain saw out this week on a couple of large branches that came down over the winter. BTW the hand pole saw/trimmer was also on sale - for $55.00! DH kept saying that we had a hand operated pole saw (which is somewhat rusted, and the clipper doesn't work well) but he finally allowed as having the power pole saw would be much better for us. We will eventually get another couple of the batteries that carry twice the charge and last twice as long. We agreed that the batteries would probably outlast our stamina cutting brush and tree limbs.
The right tool for the right job. We also checked ceiling fans (we need 5), but nothing was on sale. We can wait on those since we won't be using one of the bedrooms right away, and the LR ceiling fan works. It hangs down too far and we need al flush mount, but at least it works.DH had an offer for the house today from the tire store owner. They are looking for a place here in shadow with acreage. DH told him at least 2 million and he didn't blink so if DS2 doesn't want to buy the place we have another buyer. DH said that because we will have to pay a portion in capital gains anyway, he won't do any fix ups to the house and we would sell "as is". The fellow said he would a couple years for a sale. He wants acreage and there really isn't much left here. Particularly with such a spectacular view and easy access to freeways and shopping. Nice to know we have options since DH is annoyed with DS2 right now. We were discussing how we could allow all the rent to go towards the price of the house, along with any work or repairs he wanted to make. DS2 didn't seem very interested in discussing it, and wanted to know what we would sell for. I told him that we would start at market value and work out something downwards from there. He acted like he thought we were not giving him a good enough deal! WHOA! DH and I have been talking about how our children seem to take for granted that we are here for their convenience. For the first time DH said that we would just sell and if we got to where we couldn't keep up the ranch maybe we would buy a place on a lake or something to retire to. DH is 80 and listening to him talk about eventually giving up the ranch and "retiring" to a smaller place made me realize that 80 is the new 50! In our primes forever!!!
Today I walked the perimeter of the half acre field in front of the house with Ozel. It doesn't sound like a big deal, until you realize what a steep slope it is. Half of it is covered in deep shale scree that is super slippery to walk on. And I was accompanied by a happy and hyper 57 lb. puppy rushing past my legs just waiting for an opportunity to trip me. LOL Luckily I could hold on to the oil pipe fencing rail. I guess it will be good for me to walk it every morning with Ozel. Next time I will bring my hiking stick with the sharp metal point on the bottom though! Maybe mine and DH's both, one in each hand.
- Thread starter
- #2,834
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Good idea. Although the wall where the shower piping would be installed backs up to a closet so it would be easy to rip into the wall, I like the idea of the piping on the outside of the wall over the tub. Less work to install, and easy to use for a handheld spot shower. I already have to remove the short Formica backsplash, install concrete board to the ceiling and tile the walls to the ceiling for the shower. I will also install a handicap rail vertically at the end of the tub. The Master bath has a stall shower which is very nice but the shower head is only about 5' off the floor. We were unable to get one of those S pipe to lift it higher (Lowes was out) and will be bringing one back with us. Even I had to crouch to wash my hair. LOL The men had a terrible time. DS1 kept hitting his nose on the shower head the first time he took a shower.Replace the spout with a spout with a diverter for a hand held shower. Get a 3' sliding shower bar like this
Shower heads fixed at 6' (or a fair bit lower in the case of one Holiday Inn I once stayed at, not great for someone 6'2") are stupid. With the rod everyone from a child to most any adult can have the showerhead where THEY want it. One size does NOT fit all. Plus with the shower hose attached low, you can use the showerhead to aid in rinsing areas that don't get hit with water coming down on your head, cleaning the tub or very young children.
The fireplace does have a really cool insert so no heat escaping in winter, and it has an electric cord for a heat distribution fan. Not sure where to plug it in since there is no outlet on that side of the fireplace. LOL The insert has a top thing that folds out so you can actually heat (or keep hot) stuff on top - like a teakettle. I am definitely putting in a CO2 detector in the LR. Mrs. MacDonald was terrified of fire (the original farm house burned down in 1971) so although they put a wood burning fireplace in when they built this "new" house n 1972 she never used it! Neither did the tenants. They also did not put in propane either due to her fear of a house fire. I had the fireplace inspected and cleaned when we bought the place but before we use the fireplace, I will have it cleaned again. The good thing about the fireplace is that if we lose power we can heat the living room with wood. I want to install a Generac but need propane which will cost over $1000 to install for the tank, and piping, let alone connecting it to the house power however they do that. DH wants to get rid of the two hot water heaters in the house and install "Instant On" water heaters but for that we need propane for them to work efficiently.
All our battery tools are Bosch and we wanted to get a Bosch chain saw and pole saw since we have plenty of batteries and chargers. Unfortunately, Bosch doesn't make a battery chainsaw or pole saw so we went with the Kobalt. DS2 spent about $500 for his Milwaukee battery chainsaw and additional batteries. DH has a Stihl gas chainsaw and we wanted something smaller and lighter to operate in tight places on the fence line. If we see we are getting a lot of work for it, we will invest in a more expensive one. Hopefully this will do everything we need for now.
Baymule
Herd Master
I have a bucket of mud you can have for texturing the wall you rebuild around the refrigerator. It’s leftover from me doing the walls in this double wide. I have tape too. I have a lot of blue tape for taping off to paint-and I’ll come tape it off for you. I like to paint too.
Glad Ozel is doing so well. She is a smart one! We need pictures!
2 million for the house, pay it off and build another house on the ranch, start a family compound. House on the highway up for grabs, y’all move in the new house.
Glad Ozel is doing so well. She is a smart one! We need pictures!
2 million for the house, pay it off and build another house on the ranch, start a family compound. House on the highway up for grabs, y’all move in the new house.
Mini Horses
Herd Master
I want a battery chainsaw. Good to know Kobalt on sale -- my DD works at Lowe's, so add her discount 
. DD has a Stihl she bought several yrs ago -- works fantastic! -- but $1200 when she bought 
. So I never ask to borrow I'll buy own now. Always some tree/branch clean up to do. In fact, some clean up of small trees she cut for me this winter, still laying and needs to be cleared. Will give to her for her fireplace use this winter. 
. DD has a Stihl she bought several yrs ago -- works fantastic! -- but $1200 when she bought . So I never ask to borrow I'll buy own now. Always some tree/branch clean up to do. In fact, some clean up of small trees she cut for me this winter, still laying and needs to be cleared. Will give to her for her fireplace use this winter. - Thread starter
- #2,837
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Not going to waste whatever the government allows us to keep from any sale of our property on my children. Capital gains will eat up 32% of any profit over original basis plus improvements (luckily we have put in a lot of improvements here) plus costs of sale and the $500K allowed to married couples. However, that 2 million includes the empty lot next door which has a high basis since we paid high for it when we bought it and we have spent money on fencing it. Add in the cost of sale on that as it is a separate property and we may come out ok.
I want any $$ we can claw back from the government for us. We also have to pay off the home loan which is currently a 2.6% VA loan. The children can buy/build their own houses! If we decide to move from the ranch, maybe a nice house on a couple acres on a lake or river for retirement. Won't have to fish, just look at the water from our rocking chairs!
If we do sell the house here, we will have the $$ to put in a new well and maybe build a large shop/carport/haybarn. Or if the price drops on the 39 acres next door buy that to make our ranch 80 acres of hayfields. Or even buy another ranch NOT on the highway. But we may decide we like the convenience of the location, make friends in the community, and decide to stay right here. We can always buy a lake house, rent it as a vacation rental, and go there on weekends until we actually retire.
Selling the house to strangers may be better anyway so we don't have to hear any complaints from our son about what we should have done on the property before he bought it! Considering all we have invested in the property in 35 years it is a good property. It was falling down when we bought with no barn or outbuildings, no fencing, no patio, no driveway, no second bathroom, no HVAC, no retaining walls, no landscaping, no renovated kitchen and bathrooms, no additional 4.5 acres, etc. etc. Even the private road was only partially paved. We did everything to make it what it is now. (We did it all ourselves -no wonder we feel so past our prime! LOL And all that work was after 15 years of renovation on our 100 year old house in Van Nuys.
No decisions yet, just complaints from DH and me.
I want any $$ we can claw back from the government for us. We also have to pay off the home loan which is currently a 2.6% VA loan. The children can buy/build their own houses! If we decide to move from the ranch, maybe a nice house on a couple acres on a lake or river for retirement. Won't have to fish, just look at the water from our rocking chairs!
If we do sell the house here, we will have the $$ to put in a new well and maybe build a large shop/carport/haybarn. Or if the price drops on the 39 acres next door buy that to make our ranch 80 acres of hayfields. Or even buy another ranch NOT on the highway. But we may decide we like the convenience of the location, make friends in the community, and decide to stay right here. We can always buy a lake house, rent it as a vacation rental, and go there on weekends until we actually retire.
Selling the house to strangers may be better anyway so we don't have to hear any complaints from our son about what we should have done on the property before he bought it!
Considering all we have invested in the property in 35 years it is a good property. It was falling down when we bought with no barn or outbuildings, no fencing, no patio, no driveway, no second bathroom, no HVAC, no retaining walls, no landscaping, no renovated kitchen and bathrooms, no additional 4.5 acres, etc. etc. Even the private road was only partially paved. We did everything to make it what it is now. (We did it all ourselves -no wonder we feel so past our prime! LOL And all that work was after 15 years of renovation on our 100 year old house in Van Nuys. No decisions yet, just complaints from DH and me.
Mini Horses
Herd Master
I'm not concerned with "leaving" to my two kids. Nope, I've furnished "free" living for years! No one is offering up $$$ to let ME retire from a job, help pay on mortgage, taxes, upkeep. That's left to me, on my own ... Payback is hell. They both live on my farm and offer little in return. I'm done! I've taken care of any expenses for "final". If nothing else left over, oh well!! 
If I go into non-farm mode in 10 yrs or so, I'll sell out and have plenty for living out my life. Maybe I can spend it ALL!!!
If I go into non-farm mode in 10 yrs or so, I'll sell out and have plenty for living out my life. Maybe I can spend it ALL!!!
- Thread starter
- #2,839
Ridgetop
Herd Master
We can grab Farmerjan and Baymule and go on a cruise around the world to spend it all!
SageHill
Herd Master
We have both the Kobalt chainsaw and pole saw - I love the chainsaw, DH uses the pole saw. We've also got the Kobalt blower that is great as well. The only thing we had trouble with was their string trimmer. It was hard to load, and the "bump cap" on the bottom would wear thin then all the way through. We replaced the entire head of it with a new head (non-Kobalt) that also uses a heavier string. That, so far is doing well.
Sounds like a lot of drama about the CA house.
Ozel sounds wonderful!!! Enjoy.
Sounds like a lot of drama about the CA house.
LOVE that!! YES!!!
Ozel sounds wonderful!!! Enjoy.
