Guest House.....

 Last week we spent some time at our home in Arkansas.  If you have been following along, then you know that most of this blog is about that place.  Between the house and the barn is another building.  We don't know what it was used for, but I am guessing a work shop.  It has fluorescent bulbs from one end to the other and all the electrical outlets are table high.  It is a wonderful building for a workshop and maybe it will be left that way.  But, right now, I am thinking guest house/game room. Hmmm, I do love to work on some stuff and who knows, by the time we get to move there...I could change my mind. I do know this.  It will have a handicap accessible bathroom in it. But, before anything gets done to the inside, the outside has to be fixed up.

Here is the lovely building.....It has a new roof, but in need of paint and more.  I do have a plan...but it will done in phases, Number One...Money, Number Two....Time.

The Grand Plan is to Extend the roof line out to the end and.... 

I would like to add stone work, several feet up and Replace the single door with one like this.

                                                       

 I would also like to add a portico.  Here are a couple of my inspiration links:

[houzz=http://www.houzz.com/photos/5677405/Old-Aurora--Ontario-craftsman-entry-toronto]

[houzz=http://www.houzz.com/photos/3979530/Exteriors-craftsman-garage-and-shed-los-angeles]

 Someones plan to divert water, Add lots of concrete....UGH! The concrete in front of the door actually slopes toward the building, thus the bottom of the door is rotten.

 Get rid of these doors and frame in a window to match the others. This concrete was actually in a good shape and we reused it at the barn.

 End view.

Replace the iron post with a cedar one.  Cover that pipe with lattice.  That pipe has wiring in it that goes to the barn.  It comes back down inside the building on the other end and then underground.  I guess it was to much trouble to bury all of it.  I would have loved to been on that brain storm.

 Last week, we (Bob and men help) started with getting rid of all that concrete.  And then, I spent the day on the tractor moving dirt.  I graded it so the water would hopefully run away from the building.  If the building site had been properly prepared to begin with......Well it wasn't, then instead of moving dirt, they poured concrete and did a poor job at that.   We got a rain while we were there, and it looks like it is working.

 The building has a concrete floor, except for the add on.  It is on floor joist.  After, we pulled the concrete, we discovered the front joist is termite eaten and rotting.  So, we will have to see about that.  That means call someone with experience with that kind of thing.

 I love moving Dirt! We found lots of rock too!  We are in the hills......I think it looks better already.

If you have any ideas....I would LOVE to hear them.  Leave me a comment and let me know that you were here.

Gearing Up to Garden!

Oh my, I can't hardly stand it!  We have been having some great days and I am so ready to get my hands in some dirt.  Last week I showed you how I am using cardboard, newspaper & hay in my garden this year.  If you missed it.  Look under Labels-Gardening.

I mentioned, I believe that I wanted to plant some Strawberries and expand on my Asparagus bed.  I spent some time shopping on the computer at Gurneys and Burpee's.  One place had spend $50 and get $25 off and the other had spend $40, get $10 off.  Oh my, so I am checking prices, this one versus that one........Reading the reviews on the different varieties.  It gave me a headache. I had to get off the computer and make a feed run.

Well, I don't go to town Often.......LOL,  so while I was in town, something said run into Big Lots.  Low and behold they had Strawberry plants on the cheap.  I purchased some of those and a Blueberry bush too.  I've got to read up on them.

Then, I had to go into Lowes, because I needed some screws.  Well....guess what they had? Asparagus and the variety that I had read the reviews on.  Excited!  Then of course the seeds were right there.  May as well get some of the cool weather ones. I walk up to pay with an arm full.  The cashier ask, "Did you find everything all right?"  I said, "Yes, I came in for just screws."

Horse says, "I am done."

Good Morning!

Apparently, I am not the only one done with winter!

I went to feed this morning and I am thinking....Thank goodness I am not having to wear all those layers this morning, because I am Done with a ton of clothes.

First, I give each horse a warm bucket of water.  I am not even paying attention to them, except they are standing and waiting on breakfast.

Second, I start throwing hay, still thinking....Hey, I don't even feel chilly.  Crazy when 32 degrees feels warm.

I get to the last horse, mind you, I have already given him water.  I walk in the stall and see a hump of blue material in the middle of the stall, like a dirty towel thrown down on the floor.  I look up and he, Wrangler, is like, "What?  What did I do?"  I say, "So, your done too, I hope we are done, since you have torn up your blanket now."  

I pick it up to see how bad he has ripped it to pieces.  Nothing, not a tear, belly buckles are undone.  So, now I am wondering how he could have possibly got the buckles undone and this blanket off over his head without tearing it up and me hearing all the ruckus.  Remember, they are just next door, we live in a barnominuim.  Hmmmm, they never cease to amaze us!

The South & Ole Man Winter!

Ole man winter just will not let go this year!  Was it just time for a really cold winter or is it global warming?  I don't know, but I do know, that all of us Southerners are tired of it!  We have had some of biggest snows here in March, but this is pure ice.

Bob, a friend and I went down to Starkville, MS over the weekend for a barrel race.  Our youngest is down there and we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to go for a visit.  We left to come home at 1pm yesterday (Sunday) and it was 79 degrees.  As we came North, the temperature starting dropping and it started raining.  Several times we had to slow down to 40 mph, because it was raining so hard.  By the time we got close to home the rain was freezing on the trees and it was 34 degrees.  We made haste and helped  move our friends stuff into his truck and trailer, so he could get on the road home.

I have to say that rain, thunder, sleet, freezing temperatures is a little freaky!  Ice is not good for trees and power lines.  So, you can guess what the Facebook news feed was full of.....Power out! I hear trees popping and repeat......Our power did go out....right before the last person sung on The Voice.  Now, I have no idea Who....the big lead up to.... was made all about.  Oh well, I just went to bed.  Sometime in the middle of the night, our power came back on.  But, there are thousands that are still with out power this morning.

I think a good portion of the South is shut down.  The news people are saying, unless it is vital that you be out on the road for work, Stay Home!  My husband went to work.  He thought it would be fine, because it looks like we got a lot of snow over the ice.  NOT, I went out this morning.  All of it is pure ice.  I was going to try to measure it and I couldn't get the measuring stick to go in. It is really pretty with the sun out and ice shining, but what a mess.

I think this is a goner.