Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[SageHill]

YES! That's actually more than perfect - a good use, but best of all bringing the happy memories with you to Texas is the best .

 

[Ridgetop]

Just got home after 8 hours on my feet and a ladder hanging DD1's pictures. She has been in that house for 4 years! Hanging pictures from the ceiling must be hereditary since her sons wanted their pictures hung near the ceiling too! I allowed them to talk me into hanging them up higher but held firm on no ceiling hung pix. When they told me they should be able to choose where they wanted in their own rooms I sneered. Then while in DGS1's room his mother discovered that he had not sorted out a pile of boxes and old shoes. I was tired so I sat down and made him do it in front of me. He was keeping a pair of "good boots" that WERE TOO SMALL - his reason? He didn't have any other boots. I asked if he could get them on his feet and he said "No". But since he didn't have any that fit him he"needed to keep those". I asked his younger brother about boots, but his fit him so these can go to little sister for eventual Scout hiking and camping trips. Lots of wear left in them. A pair of dress shoes were too small for his younger brother so they went. His "favorite" pair of old shoes (no toes and torn away from the sole) were also discarded over moans of "I love those shoes". DD1 was very happy with my ruthless winnowing of his shoes, oh yes, and the stack of empty boxes! I also had him remove the empty rabbit food bags and other garbage from his desk and room. I was not in a mood to hear excuses since I was pretty tired by then, and my sciatica was starting to act up. After hanging a shelf and 2 framed certificates in his room we move on to DD1's room and office to hang a couple more pix. Finally at home now and dinner (chicken and dumplings) is warming in the oven.

DD1 kept asking if I could spare a couple of hours to hang the pictures and I kept saying we needed a full day. On the way home she said she realized now why. We also measured her living room for the white sofa and found 2 ways in which to arrange the room with it. It will be large in the room but can fit so I will bring the loveseats to Palm Springs and sell them. They would fit with the rugs I have but not with the new light rust color leather on DH's recliner. She gave me back some pictures that I had loaned her to stage her house when selling 6 years ago.

Tomorrow I am watching DGD3 while DD2 is working.

 

[Ridgetop]

Spent the day bringing all my receipts up to date in my records. Did the books for the farm and for the taxes. What a headache! Then as I was totaling everything up, I noticed some similarities in the figures and found that I had double entered a bunch of receipts. Went back through the pages and cancelled out the double entries. Hopefully I got them all.

Got a text from the trailer seller. He received our deposit check. DH went to the bank and got the money arranged. Just have to decide whether to take cash back (DH is not in favor), take a certified check or money order made out to seller, or go back with money order made out to ourselves, cash it, and show up with cash in hand. We asked if $12,500 was his best price and he said he didn't dicker "over the phone". I wonder if he would dicker and drop a bit if we arrive with cash. Otherwise with a certified check or money order he said he would give us a copy of the title and bill of sale and mail the title after he cashes the check. On the other hand, I guess we will just pay the amount. He has had it listed for 2 moths and said that he hasn't sold it because there are a lot of trailers for sale in his area. He is near Lubbock. Either way, having the trailer is a load off my mind about bringing the sheep back.

Have to serve dinner.

 

[Baymule]

Y’all are going to love this trailer. Your sheep will be riding in style!

 

[Ridgetop]

At least we will not have to make multiple trips, leaving someone behind each time to supervise the animals. The horses can be moved on one of the last trips and left to graze without any one on the premises - there is water in the pond. There is enough graze and we can leave some hay. We will finish moving everything except the livestock and dogs. The next to last load will be the sheep. One will stay at the ranch while one of us goes back for the final load of panels and any alfalfa bales. Wewil also need to bring out our car. Any items we miss on the "last" trip can be picked up in May when we come out for doctor's appointments and to pick up a ram from Wes.

Played bridge today. This time next Wednesday we should be in a motel in NM on the way to Yantis. looking forward to seeing the house again and measuring the kitchen cabinets. I measured the interiors last time but can't find the measurements. I need the interior measurements so I can make the pull-out trays here to take back and install. I won't have time to paint the upper walls in the large while back there. I will need to open one of the picture cartons from the Connexes to see if the 2 pastels I can't find are in one of the boxes. I know I kept them but can't seem to find them. I want them for the large bathroom and my OCD will drive me crazy until I locate them. Grrr!

 

[Ridgetop]

DH is watching football today. It is very overcast and sprinkled on the way to my nail apt. and some heavier sprinkling on the way home. Some actual rain but I drove out of it. The ground is wet but that is about all.

The pneumatic/hydraulic (?) tail drop on the flatbed trailer stopped working on our way home last trip. DH found someone that could figure out what was wrong. Needs a while new pneumatic/hydrolic (?) pump and motor. Price quoted $2350.00. $2000 just for the motor and pump. Called DS3 (owner of the trailer) and he said they are trying to ri us off. He found the entire pump and motor online for $260 and said he will put it in himself. DH picked the trailer up this am from that shop, and we will drive up and drop it off with DS3 tomorrow. DS3 is working in Fresno at the moment so won't be able to fix it for a while. However, he also has the retrofit headlight kit for our truck. After DH's surgery we will take our truck up for DS3 to install the new lights.

Monday DH takes the truck to our auto body place. The spare tire wind up holder broke after our flat in Texas. The body shop ordered the part and will install it on Monday. We will pick it up either Monday evening or Tuesday on the way home from DH's doctor appt. I will get ready for our quickie trip to Texas. No problem there since the body shop (where we have been going for 45 years) does their work fast. Then we load the crib, boxes, and bins in the truck and head for Texas Wednesday am. Just have to remember to tarp them down well. Maybe load a couple of pallets to set the cardboard boxes on to avoid them getting wet.

Why does it seem as if we are always rushing against deadlines to get stuff done?

 

[Baymule]

You operate well under pressure. Meeting deadlines and in a flurry of getting things done is a way of life and you have that down, done. Put you on something and it’s like a hunting dog on a trail. You don’t quit until you’ve treed the coon!

Flying trip to Texas and pick up trailer on way back?

 

[Margali]

Not sure how this will work in Texas since that house has all electric appliances, and not a lot of circuits since built in 1972. Will have to warn everyone NOT to use any appliances while canning.

If you want to prevent them from using the applicances, get a couple luggage combo locks. The shank is small enough to fit thru the hole in plug terminals. That is what it is designed for after all. I can normally get 2 plugs per lock.

 

[Ridgetop]

What are they?

I figured I would just have to plug in one of those strips you use for computers that will shut off the individual appliance. And do my canning during the day when everyone is out.

Yesterday we drove the flatbed up to DS3. He came home from Fresno (5 hour drive) where he is working just to change out our headlights for the new ones he got us. Darling boy. My current favorite. LOL He plans to replace the pump, etc. on the trailer himself. He needed the trailer to see which pump to order. Had a nice visit with him, DDIL1, and 2 grandsons. Elder boy already in middle school (Jr. Hi to me)! Time flies faster and faster the older I get. Took a look at DDIL1's Boer goats. Very nice, young, she has them in to breed and the buck has a tupping harness on. The does didn't seem to be cycling yet, but they are only about 10 months old so no rush. The buck is about 8 months old.

This morning DH took the old blue Explorer to Jun (DDIL2's dad) to see if he can either repair the AC or install a new whatever is needed. DS1 picked DH up and took him in the truck to Prime where Leon is going to adjust the headlights and replace the broken part for the spare tire holder. I icked both of them up at the repair show and we got gas then came home. The Explorer will stay with Jun until he fixes the AC, but we will pick up the truck tonight.

Tomorrow we have to be at the Santa Monica dermatologist office at 7 am to have the cancer on DH's hand removed. Then he has an 11:15 am pre-op with the surgeon. The Ross store on Wilshire opens at 9:30 am so I will make a quick stop off there to check on possible new towels for the Yantis house. Also, drawer organizers for the kitchen. Tuesday is Senior Discount day - 10% off.

In the afternoon we will load the truck. I told DH and DS1 to put pallets in the bed and we would load the cardboard boxes on top to avoid any problems with rain. Predictably DH announced that we would have no rain on the trip. He added that if it did rain the boxes would not get wet. I reminded him that we had half the cardboard boxes on the last trip get soaked through and the only reason the contents were not ruined is because those boxes held glass, china, and crystal items. And those boxes were inside the tonneau cover, and the nose of the stock trailer! These boxes hold the baby items that we are bringing back, all of which are fabric. They are in cardboard boxes because I am just dropping them off at the pastor's house. I don't want them ruined!

DS1 said he would put the pallets in the truck. I can surround the pallets with the plastic bins of other stuff. We will tarp the load, but water always finds a way. At least with the cardboard boxes up on pallets in the middle of the load and tarped they have a better chance of protection. I have a full truckload of boxes and bins going back. I will unpack the bins when we get there so I can bring them back with us. The cardboard cases of canned meat and spaghetti sauce will just be stacked in the laundry room for now. I need to put more shelves in the unused closets for jars of canned goods. I also need to bring back 2 or 3 dozen quart jars to can more of the frozen food. I ran out of jars doing the pork and I noticed that there are some large pieces of beef starting to get freezer burn. I want to get them into jars. I think they are some of the Tri-tips DS2 bought for his Trager but never used. Then he forgot about them and bought more on sale. I need to go through all the stuff in the freezers to see what can be canned. Anything to save freezer space when we move that freezer to Texas. When we come back I have a couple gallons of goat milk. It is my emergency stash for bummer lambs. I will can it in smaller jars. I have a lot of 12-ounce jars that will work well for the milk. I will keep the colostrum frozen in half pint jars.

I need to pull the boxes to be loaded out of the living room and stack them in the hall so we can see what we have to go. Also, the boxes in the Connex that I have ready to load.

 

[Margali]

It's a bit of a pain but could you stack the clothing boxes in large trash bags and tape shut?