Memorial Day Weekend!!! WooHoo!!!

Can I just say... I love the sky when it's dark and so mysterious looking...  Jim sent this to me over the weekend, and I think it looks beautiful... I always think these type of pictures look like everything is deathly quiet and ominous..  I love it.

And then Jim just sings. . .

There's a storm across the valley, a mile away or so,. . .

And then there's a pause, and

There's a fire softly burning, supper's on the stove

It's the light in your eyes that makes me warm

… Hey, it's good to be back home again

Sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend

Yes, and hey, it's good to be back home again . . .

… well there's all the news to tell him, how'd you spend your time?

What's the latest thing the neighbors say

And your mother called last Friday, sunshine made her cry

Felt the baby move just yesterday...

And another pause. . .

 

… Hey, it's good to be back home again, yes it is

Sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend

Yes, and hey, it's good to be back home again

… Oh, the time that I can lay this tired old body down

Feel your fingers feather soft on me

The kisses that I live for, the love that lights my way

The happiness that living' with you brings me

… It's the sweetest thing I know of, just spending time with you

It's the little things that make a house a home

Like a fire softly burning and supper on the stove

The light in your eyes that makes me warm

… Hey, it's good to be back home again

Sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend

Yes, and hey, it's good to be back home again

… Hey, it's good to be back home again, you know it is

Sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend

Hey, it's good to be back home again

I said, hey, it's good to be back home again. . .

The words aren't exactly accurate but the thought comes right from Jim.

Well, we got the skidoos all tuned up and taken back to the cabin, all ready for next season.  They needed a major overhaul, and they got it!  This one is trying to escape during the drive down.  Jim came to the conclusion that the covers and not for travel...  

Here they are BEFORE the escape was aborted...

The work on the deck continues...  Little by little it is getting finished.  I don't think that Jim and Ben feel it should be called "little"... being that a lot of this work is a full day of labour..

Decent pieces of redwood are getting harder and harder to come by.  We had to go to Home Depot and Lowe's to find just a couple more pieces... At Home Depot, there were 77 pieces that were in stock, and Jim found only 8 pieces that were useable - barely....  Of the 4 x 4 pieces, there weren't any in Provo.  Jim had to drive to Cedar City (southern Utah) to find some.  They were supposed to have decent pieces, but when Jim got there, he found that their 2 x 4's and their 4 x 4's were in such terrible condition.... lots of knots and splits, and of those pieces that had a little bit of life in them, one half was decent and the other half was split.  Jim talked to the sales guy, and he got a pretty decent deal... He picked out the best in the bunch, and the sales guy marked them as 70% off.  Jim had to do a cut and paste job, but made it work...

But, Ben is really getting into the spirit of the situation, and is becoming one with the deck....

Once again, Jim went to Home Depot before heading south, and bought enough pieces of redwood to complete the one part of the deck... or so he thought.  He got all the pieces he purchased screwed into the deck, and realized he was short about a foot and half on 2X6's. See that little triangular piece... yep, that's what he was short.  He called me later in the evening and said he couldn't find a single little piece around the cabin to put in that space.  I told him to forget about it, and just find any little piece fir or pine to put in there... it will be under the ballusters and nobody will ever see it.. BUT, he told me that he would know it's there so he was going to buy another 8 foot piece...  But he found the last piece under the legs of the scaffolding!  Eureka!  He stole it and it worked.

... still working on the deck...

And, here's the section from above with the balusters in place.

And, yes, the guys have to break for lunch... When I am at the cabin, I always make sandwiches for the guys... with fruit or potato chips or soup.. or something.  I haven't been at the cabin but once this year, so Jim has taken my place as chef.  Apparently, he makes a pretty decent lunch.. I don't see Ben complaining.

And, here's the decking all completed!  I think it looks absolutely beautiful.... It just needs to be sealed, and it's a done deal.

Here's the other side looking just as beautiful...

And, remember those Aspens we planted last fall... Well, they survived and they're growing leaves.  I am so stoked...I hope the stupid deer don't make lunch out of them... I think I need to buy more of the plastic to go around them... at least to cover the new leaves a little bit.

You can't see this guy too well, but he's in there.. .just growing little leaves!

And, here's one of the plants from last fall... The internet said that it was deer resistant, but after one afternoon without the covering around it, the deer thought it was delicious, and it was chewed down to zip.  But, it looks like it's making an appearance this spring!  Stupid deer...

Jim picked up the last of the flagstone just a couple of days after picking up the first load, and stacked on top of the other rocks... So, we are now all ready for the outdoor shower to be built...That's going to be a crazy project, but I think it's going to turn out absolutely beautiful.

Jim has started to put the lights around the doors.. Here's the first one... we have all the fixtures and they're probably go on this next weekend.

Little by little, we're moving forward.. and, as always, the adventure continues.

Love, Jim and Cheri

(I am not going to be sending my blog to various people any longer...  I am sick to death of all the negative that comes afterwards... Sorry...)