Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Ridgetop]

Meral went to junk yard. Total $118. DS1 gave each grandson $12. More than 10% each which was the agreement. He wanted to give them each $20 but I forbade it since these kids are getting greedy and want to be paid for every little thing they are asked to do here. When they loaded the truck and trailer and were sitting drinking cold water, they were hoping to make $10 each so $12 each for 2-3 hours work for the grandparents is good. DS1 loaded all the heavy stuff with some help but did the majority of the heavy lifting. There will be more work to do later to earn $$. No reason to have them think they should get paid big bucks.

I called the store about the recliner and told them that I had discovered that it was not upholstered in leather like I was told. I returned it and got the money back. Much apologies from store owner abut his error. DS1 had a good idea - have the functional recliner that has the wooden arms reupholstered in leather. It wore through and I made slip covers for it which are now in bad shape. DH got the number of the guy who reupholstered our truck seats in leather and I will call him about doing the recliner in leather. It will be cheaper than buying a leather recliner. I will sand, restain, and varnish the arms.
After we got home from the store and DS1 home from the metal yard the 3 of us went to pick up the desk. My text telling him we would be there did not get sent so no one was at the house but the desk was on the back patio. It is actually 2 pieces - a desk with drawers on the right side, one in the front, and a return (desk) which attaches to the left side with 2 file drawers. It is oak and made out of wood instead of pressboard. Really nice construction. The drawers all lock but the key wasn't there. I will have to go over this weekend for the key. Otherwise we will drill out the lock and replace it. Since 2 of the file drawers were locked, we assume that he has the key. This will be perfect for DH and just what I was going to shop for. Happy Father's Day! I plan to sand the top and Varathane it to make it waterproof. It really doesn't need refinishing, but I might as well do it here since Texas is so humid varnishing might be hard. I also have to refinish the top of the dining room table before we move to Texas. It has a couple spots where heated dishes caused marks in the oiled finish. Do the tabletop and leaves so the tops are impervious to water marks.

Now baking a birthday cake for DD1. DSIL1 is taking her and kids out for sushi and when they come back DH, DS1 and 2, and I will meet at their house for cake. Then DS1 and DS2 will stay to play board games. DH and I will have cake and come home. I won't say her age because it makes me feel !

 

[Ridgetop]

Went to DD1's last night. She was thrilled that I only put 25 candles on her cake. Said I was the best mother ever. How many has she had? Anyway, DS1 got to play some board game with family. They are planning to play some more now that school is out.

DH got the key to the desk, and we opened the locked file drawers. No hidden cash, but Mitch did leave some nice new Pendeflex hanging folders in 2 of the drawers. DS1 and I will repair the desk - one side pulled apart a bit when DS1 and 2 were dragging it out of the truck. Just need to remove the staples, glue the side together, clamp it till dry, and either screw it back or brad nail it. The desk is 5'6" long, and the side "return" is 4'. The return can be pushed in under the desk to shorten it if it needs to fit in a smaller area. I think I am going to set it up with DH's keyboard and monitor on that side since it will be an inch or so lower and more comfortable to use. That will give him the entire desktop for sorting his papers and bills. Maybe he will be able to keep everything filed and tidy. I plan to sand off the top of both sections and Varathane them to make them water (and coffee) proof. I have a couple other items to refinish and Varathane before heading back to Texas as well.

Ozel seems to have gotten the picture about not chasing any sheep. For the past week DH has not used a leash on her when letting out the sheep. Ozel sits calmly as the sheep come out the gate. They sniff her, she smells them, and then the flock run onto the field on their way to the far corner of the gully where they are finishing up the last of the weeds. Our neighbors have all been cited by the Fire Department and are busy either cutting their brush themselves or have hired people to do it. We just congratulate ourselves as we drive up our road seeing our bare dirt pastures. In California fire season bare dirt GOOD. In Texas with sheep on pasture bare dirt BAD. DH was approached about renting them out, but without fences and having to supply our LGDs to avoid the loss of our darlings, not happening. With electric fences, more LGDs, and a large bunch of wethers, I might consider it. BUT I would want to load and lock them into the trailer each evening, then let them out during the day with the LGDs. Or have to camp there with them. Too much at risk - love my dogs & sheep.

 

[Ridgetop]

Did 3 loads of laundry today and folded a 4th. Then I removed the brad nails that had pulled out of the desk causing the side to separate from the back. DS1 flipped the desk upside down and removed a screw someone had tried to do a previous repair with. DS1 glued the desk back together, then countersunk 4 new screws to hold it together. I was going to check for some oak plugs, but the countersunk holes are not that deep, and I can just fill with wood filler. I sanded the desk and drawer fronts, then put on a coat of Golden Oak stain. Tomorrow it will be ready for several coats of Varathane. Then ready to wrap in moving pads for its trip to our house in Yantis. Which I hope is standing after the latest storm! The storm started in Hawkins, went due north to Winnsboro, were Devonviolet lives. She is due east of Yantis. Jeremy (about a quarter mile north of us in Yantis on Hwy 154) said they lost a bunch of trees. Some of the trees around our house are old and needed to be trimmed or removed. Maybe the storm trimmed or removed them for us - just hope they did not remove them onto the house!

Good thing we bought the battery chainsaw. I wonder if we should buy another? I will also start pricing generators and the cost to hook them to our power panel.

 

[Baymule]

The best generators are the propane Generac. They get installed to automatically come on when power goes off and will run the whole house, AC included. Cost runs in the neighborhood of $10,000. Guess why I don’t have one?

I’ve used the small generators that have to sit outside, run extension cords to the freezer and refrigerator, a couple of fans and no AC. In a hurricane stricken area, with no power, there is no power for the gas stations either, so getting gas for a generator can be difficult. That’s the little detail that people don’t think about.

 

[canesisters]

I agree, those Generac are awesome - however, when we had extended power outages because of a freak Ice storm people were having trouble getting propane refills - or were unable to fork over the $500+ per tank for a 2nd or even 3rd refill.
I have a cutoff switch at the meter and a plug that I can attach to a generator. It's wired-in to the circuit panel to run the well pump, furnace, fridge, hot water heater & several outlets around the house for lights, TV, etc. It doesn't run EVERYTHING but we got by easily during that long outage.

We were lucky that my company gave permission that if we COULDN'T find gas anywhere within reason we could pull out of the tanks on site. The gas station at the end of the road had power though, so I just had to bring the cans back and forth to work with me & fillup before going home

 

[Mini Horses]

will also start pricing generators and the cost to hook them to our power panel.

Whole house + another, larger propane not in budget. I bought a  large, gas run, generator. My elec co-op offered a device that they'd install between meter and panel...$50. you plug into this port direct from generator. They provided the extension cord. Then, power from their lines is cut off...I can control what runs by breakers off or on. Of course, not ALL at once, but they advised size gen I needed to use deep well, electric stove, etc. Gas availability concerns but, if storm coming you fill the cans! I'm fortunate to never have had but ONE time in 23yrs here to be out for more than 36 hrs. Before this set up!!!

 

[Ridgetop]

We will have to install a propane tank as well - none on property. Everything is electric. Of course, we would have the 5th wheel trailer to crowd into and would be able to cook, read, sleep using the propane generator there. If the power cuts out in the winter, no problem since the freezers will stay frozen. Summer power loss without AC and the fridge/freezer food loss would be really bad. We will have to see - may have to get a loan for both the generator and the extra-large carport. If we cannot afford the house size automatic generator, maybe just a smaller one to run the freezers and fridge.

Out early and got the first coat on the desk pieces this am. In 2 hours will do light sanding and second coat. Hope to get last coat on tonight. When it is dry, I will cover it with sheets until we load it in the trailer to go to Texas. Next project will be dining room table and 2 small occasional tables. Want to get them done here because I don't trust the humidity in Texas to allow the finish to dry properly. I could do the finish in the house, but then we have to smell it and cover the carpet. Do it here, load it in trailer and done. DH will have 9 file drawers between the 3 in the desk and the 6 in MJ's console file cabinet. Hopefully enough room for him to keep organized.
I have 3 - tall 4 drawer metal file cabinets, and use 1 1/2 of them now since I am not running the 4-H Council, or president of the bridge club. I think I will leave one here and just take 2 of them to Texas. I am a paperwork woman - I don't like putting everything in the computer. I can never seem to find the document in the computer when I want it on a moment's notice. (Like when DH is yelling at me to give him whatever!) As a former legal secretary, I keep copies of everything which has saved us a lot of trouble and money over the years. I also keep copies of informational articles I find useful so I can lo0k them up when I need them.
Yes, I am a tree killer. But I have switched to recycled paper when I remember.

 

[Ridgetop]

DSIL2 showed up with DGD3. No preschool today because of Juneteenth so we agreed to watch her. Luckily, I came out while he was here to find out that Annabel has a "slight" temperature. Told him she could not stay. He insisted it was just a small temp - 100.9. Just what we need a sick child contaminating us all again. Already had Robert in hospital 3 days, all night run to ER with Nickolas, and DS1 with high fever for 2 days. Annabel had a fever for 3-4 days last week. On Friday evening had a high temp of 102. on Friday when DD2 called very worried. If we did not have others here, I might keep her but with 5 people in the house to get sick again, I am not pleased that they brought her and thought that "just a slight temperature" was ok!

Yesterday DD2 said they wanted to come over to see DH. DSIL2 called and wanted to bring their dog. What dog? Oh, a black German Shepherd that had been "gifted" to them. They live in a small 3rd floor apartment and the dog remains crated all day. The dog is either 9 months old, 7 months old, or 5 months old. They were discussing the age in the background. They got it in March, so 3 or 4 months ago. Let's cancel the 5 month age right off, and figure that if it was "gifted" to them that the original owner didn't train it and got rid of it after it started chewing stuff up. Adult teeth come around 4 months old. Allow another month to get tired of the chewing and lack of housebreaking and training on this now large "puppy", so an age of 8 or 9 months is about right. Still not completely potty trained at this age either since it sneaks into other rooms and pees when out of the crate.
So back to wanting to come over on Father's Day and bring their dog. This was the first we had heard that they had a dog. DSIL2 wanted it "to get to know our dogs". I told them "NO". It is bad enough that DD1 saddled us with their puppy to babysit, I really don't want an 8–9-month-old German Shepherd here. Several reasons starting with I don't want our dogs to get used to strange dogs being allowed on the property. Second, they will figure it can run loose in the yard and if it chases and injures the sheep they will be "sorry" and I will have to clean up the mess. Third, is a few months they will expect someone in the family to take the dog because it is too much work for them, it will have no obedience training, and not be housebroken. NO! NO! NO!
They have already gone through 2 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 1 rabbit, and now this dog. All of which have been "gifted" to them. They need to learn to say "NO". I will be glad to teach them.

DD1 asked me to repair a sofa cushion that supposedly the zipper broke and Annabel puled on the stuffing. When I saw the state of the stuffing, I knew a toddler did not do it. Then when I removed the broken zipper, I found a small area that looked like it had been chewed. We did not know about the dog so wondered if she had mice. When DSIL2 told us about the dog, we all immediately knew what happened. I asked him what happened to the cushion because the stuffing was not damaged by a toddler, and he admitted the dog had gotten the cushion and torn it up - luckily not damaging the main fabric. According to him the dog was mad because DD1 corrected it's behavior?! I will repair it but am not happy with the situation.
Another hour to go and I can put the second coat of varnish on the desk. Except DH just said that there is a possibility of rain. Naturally. Guess I will go move it under the patio and cover it with a tarp.

 

[SageHill]

"Gifted" --- um yeah right --- unloaded is more like it. A GSD to boot. No no no no. Out of all the breeds I've worked with --- they can be great - but they can be so so bad. Most of the great ones also start out needed to learn the rules.

 

[Baymule]

Bring you a sick kid so everybody can get sick all over again? We already know he has oatmeal mush for brains. Then the dog! The clincher that removed all doubt! Sadly, your DD2 is getting a little oatmeal herself. Knowing how you keep your dogs, she should KNOW that her dog should be trained by now-and it’s not. Another train wreck!