Well, we'll start this blog edition with..... "rodents of unusual size"! The past couple of weeks we've been at the cabin, as soon as we get into bed, and Jim starts to sing sweet melodies (this means he's snoring) I heard chewing upstairs in the loft... and it keeps me awake. I was so sure there was some little beast up there and it was driving me crazy. So, we decided to arm our live traps again... Last week, we caught one chipmunk, one squirrel, and another pica! This first picture is the pica!
But, the good thing is, the crunching and munching from the loft has stopped... The squirrel and the chipmunk are reasonably quiet... but that stupid pica is loud. So, I'm glad they are all gone! Just to let you know, we do not kill the rodents we catch... we relocate them... As much as I would like some herd of cats to eat them, Ben always takes whatever is caught, and relocates them... down the hill... off the mountain... to the farm... I really don't know - I just want them gone.
My little tree garden is doing reasonably well even with the heat. It's been around 100 degrees during the day, and even though a couple of them are feeling a little wilty, we are doing our best to keep them alive. These trees were planted to block the jacuzzi from the street. You can see the jacuzzi down below the trees... So, I am hoping, in a couple of years, these little babies will grow big and strong and block questioning eyes! I have aspens, blue spruce, white spruce and lilacs... So far, so good. Two of the aspens have survived a winter already, so I hope they give inspiration to the other trees of the possibility of surviving heat as well as cold. The fencing around them is to make sure that those stupid deer don't make a feast of the tender leaves.... sigh... between the squirrels, the picas, the chipmunks and the deer, I am about going crazy.
Our first grandchild, Mahayla has always wanted to learn guitar. When they lived in Ogden, Utah, she asked Papa to get her a guitar to start lessons. Well, Papa didn't want her learning on some crappy guitar and he got her this Martin backpacker guitar. It has a unique look, and was the perfect size for a young Mahayla.
Well, Mahayla is growing up, and she contacted Papa letting him know she needed a bigger guitar. They now live in Alaska, so getting her a guitar was going to be a little more of a challenge... But, Papa found her a good one, and we decided to have it shipped Fed Ex. We couldn't find a box, so I took the guitar to my work, and the shipping department "Frankensteined" a shipping box. I giggled when I saw it, but was totally impressed....
A week later, it showed up on their doorstep in Alaska, and our little "Chickaphant" was thrilled with her new acquisition. And, it's the right size, a 1971 Japanese made Yamaha! Mahayla plays guitar, and Brea and Ben play piano... Brea and Ben are our hockey players, also! So, this is a VERY active family.
And, my son Brad is on the mend after having a heart attack. He played a little bit of pick up hockey this past week. He says he felt tired but really good afterwards, and is learning to listen to his body and resting when necessary, but he is well on the mend. Thanks to all who remembered Brad and his little family in their prayers and thoughts... Much appreciated.
At the cabin, the insulation process is continuing... this past weekend, we drove down to the cabin on Friday evening, and stayed until Monday evening... Even with the heat, the guys did an amazing job and accomplished so much. I know, the heat was really terrible to work in, and Jim wasn't particularly feeling well, but, the work continued... This work was done in the great room. This is the longest wall in the cabin. And, it's now, just about completed. This picture shows Ben working on the right side of the wall...
This picture is Jim working on the left side of the longest wall...
With the longest wall almost completed, they are now working on the prow side. This is going to be a little more difficult with the insulation needing to go around the windows. The longest wall side could not be completed at this point, because the television and the stereo are still set up...so, they need to be taken down before the insulation can be finished there. And no, that saw goes outside when it needs to be used!
A guy at my work went rock hunting the past weekend with his kids in southern Utah and he brought me back a piece of obsidian for my grotto. So, nice of him, and it will be a really nice addition to my outside shower.
We continued to do the clean up work on the shower - there still was a lot of little shards of glass all over the bathroom that my little feet seemed to find. I thought I had it all until I had Jim check it, and he found more. The biggest problem is that this shower is directly above the downstairs bathroom, and all these little pieces of glass kept falling down the drain, from the main bath into the bathtub downstairs... grrr... And, there is still one little piece of glass that is stuck in the grate... can't seem to dislodge it. But, I guess this is a job for another weekend.
With that, this edition is over, and the adventure continues.
Take care, Love, Jim and Cheri.
"Even miracles take a little time."
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