Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Wait! I Thought It Was Spring!

Just when we were starting to feel a hint of spring in the chilly air, and when the earliest daffodils decided to bloom...


We have been reminded again that we are not in control!







We have around 6" so far, but thankfully it's not very cold...


My rooster is a little snow-laden...


The daily work must go on.  It doesn't feel quite right to desecrate the beauty of the snow like this, but the gutters need to be cleaned out and the manure has to be hauled out regardless...


Somebody loves the snow!  While the older dogs stay holed up in the warm barn, Phoebe goes exploring. The chickens hate walking in the snow, and when I checked for eggs, she was confused about why they weren't outside...


Now my morning chores are finished and I'm hoping to get the last of the prep work finished on the hallway before it's time to prime...maybe later today or tomorrow!! 

The warm radiators can do their part in drying the coveralls, hats and gloves...



...and we'll wait for the snow to stop...and melt.  Quickly.  The forecast is for temps in the 40's this weekend!

Spring is just around the corner!


Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Another Long Overdue Winter Project...

It seems like the list of projects that need to be done never ends.

Am I alone in this?

I think not!  Especially when you live in an old farm house, the list never ends...it just gets longer.

I love the character of our house...the two big porches (both of which need work), the large eat in kitchen (we're pretty good there for now), the big windows (we've replaced them a few at a time over the past 20+ years and only have a few more to go) and among other things, the loooooonnnng hallway that runs the length of the house upstairs, with stairs going down at either end.

Said hallway is the focus of this winter project.

First, some history.  We are the third generation to own and live in this farm house.  Over fifty-one years ago, before Jim's parents moved to the farm, his grandparents had the upstairs hallway wallpapered.  The wallpaper was good quality paper, and required little attention paid to it for many years.


The white pattern is actually a textured design that feels kinda like felt when you run your fingers over it.

Over the past few years the paper began to loosen in spots and fall off.  It got put on the back burner because no one other than family typically goes upstairs.   Out of sight of of mind.  Kind of.

This is the winter that we decided something needed to be done, so...



Looks kinda like a war zone, doesn't it?


Over two thirds of the paper pulled right off easily, with very little effort.  The remainder just needed a little encouragement.  I used a garden sprayer with a mixture of warm water and vinegar to make it damp, and in two days all of the paper was gone!  Another day took care of the ceiling paper...



This section was done a bunch of years ago with help from my sister and our kids...


The glue residue has been washed off, and this week I've started spackling.

After that, the twelve doors, two window frames and all the woodwork need to be sanded and prepped for painting!  Thankfully, I have a friend who will lend me her mad skilz and motivation!

Wish me luck, and motivation to keep going!!

Friday, March 2, 2018

"Marching" In Like a Lion...

March has come roaring in like a lion here...

The winds started early this morning, and are picking up as the morning progresses.  We're supposed to have gusts of up to 50-60 mph all day and through the night. 

The dogs all "helped' me feed the calves this morning as usual, and the rain didn't stop Phoebe from begging to play ball on the way to the hutches.  You can see the path the wagon has made through the grass this winter. This morning I was slipping in the mud as I pulled it back to the barn...                                                               



We've had lots of puddles like this, this winter.  February on average around here, brings about 2.5" of rain.  We've had over 5"!

 

It's pretty difficult to see in this picture taken out the dining room window, but snow flurries are now blowing sideways!  They're melting as soon as they hit the ground, but it's snowing! 


I for one am thankful that it's not freezing cold and blowing like this.  The mud is a mess, yes, but a lot less trouble than a cold west wind, frozen water lines and plowing the driveway!

I'm hoping that if March is blowing in like a lion, that it will go out like a lamb!