Sunday, March 11, 2018

Spring in Oregon


This was the highway we had to take to get to the airport
The transition from winter to spring varies from state to state. Our friends still in Arizona say it is getting hotter with highs going from the 70’s to the 80’s signaling the time to move north. We of course moved north a little sooner than that and are experiencing the spring transition that most of the states in the northern 1/3 of the country realize. What were snow showers last week have turned into rain showers this week. It is a mixed blessing, the warmer weather is melting the snow and feels good but along with it comes mud, and lots of it. Being from Wisconsin we are used to it. I recall donning the muck boots and slogging out to the horse barn or pasture with the ground oozing around your boots. A nuisance yes, but part of a welcome transition. I don’t mind it so much as you can put on your boots and take them off before you get into the house. That is a little harder when it comes to dogs. They have no sense of where and where not to step and really don’t take the time to wipe their feet when getting back in the rig. As a result I chase them around like a madman with a towel trying to wipe off their paws before they track up the entire rig. I am able to pick up Daisy and wipe hers off before I let her in but Dakota is an entirely different story. Oh well, hopefully it is very temporary.


A muddy mess on the way to the rig!


Dakota terrified to come near the trailer
With Forrest and Somer getting settled into their new house we have started one of the major projects on their list. Most A-frames have a cathedral ceiling with a loft space on the back half of the second level and that is how this house was originally built. The former owners, having 9 kids, put a floor across the cathedral ceiling part creating an additional room. Forrest and Somer want to return it to its original state and remove the floor creating that great open space again.
After looking at the original floor plans we went into action ripping down walls and tearing up carpet and subfloor. It was a dirty messy job but we got the majority of it completed in three days. Now comes the slow and tedious work or electrical, sheet rocking and painting.
Before (with a little trick photography)

After, all the walls are down, carpet is up!

Meanwhile Somer has been busy making their house into a home shopping for new appliances, beds and furniture. The only possessions they had was what they had with them in their trailer so they basically have to buy everything!

With Barb gone all week I again came to the realization that I am no cook. Having never lived on my own and being blessed with a great cook for a wife I never learned how to cook. I ran out of English muffins, ran out of pop tarts and even had a can of chili for breakfast before I evoked enough courage to fry up a couple eggs. How can something this easy turn out so horribly bad? All was going well until I tried to flip them. After that they did not look like anything that resembled over easy eggs. They would not have even passed for scrambled eggs! But I ate them all the same and survived another day.

Barb on the other had must be enjoying her vacation in Minnesota as she called and told me that they asked her to stay two more days so instead of coming home on Thursday she did not come home until Saturday. We all went to the airport and picked her up, did some shopping and lunch before heading home. Barb said she had a busy week in Minnesota rolling out a new system for the county and that some of the work may roll over into this week. The work could not come at a better time as we are getting ready to head back to South Dakota next month and start some project on the property!
Forrest and I did manage to get out for one play afternoon when we took a walk trying to find the back corners of his property. The back edge of their 11 acres is up a steep cliff so we spent a few hours exploring. We managed to find one of the corners but will have to return when the snow is all gone to look for the other.
Forrest checking his coordinates

Found the corner post!
We also put up a trail camera to see what kind of critters are in the area. No deer yet but lots of squirrels, jays, a coyote and a curious fox.
Coyote passing by

Steller's Jay

Jay and a Squirrel

Gray Fox

26 comments:

  1. Good thing Barb is home or you might burn down the trailer with your cooking! lol :)

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  2. Yikes, that mud! But looks like a lovely piece of property, and we wish your son and his family much happiness! I have a solution for your cooking problem: just eat cheese!

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    1. Too much cheese cannot be good for you! Things are slowly starting to dry out but they are calling for rain a couple days this week.

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  3. Wow. I thought that you would be a good person to have around when the zombie apocolypse starts because of your hunting and fishing skills. But how can you survive if you can't cook it? I guess we need Barb more than ever in our survival group and you can be zombie bait.

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    1. One thing I can cook is wild game so if that happens we are probably good.

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  4. It looks like they have a beautiful place to live.

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    1. It is beautiful and a fun area to explore. Lots to do in this area!

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  5. All that mud outside your door gives me the shakes!! Two dogs and mud...yuck! Looks like lots of stone in needed quickly! It's nice for Barb to go away occasionally. Seems like you understand how valuable she is:) I feel for Forrest and Somer to have to complete furnish a new place. We truly lucked out getting our new house completely furnished right down to all dishes, sheets, towels, curtains, and many decorations!! I don't even have to move my Keurig from the MH, there is already a large one in the kitchen! The furnishings aren't my style at all, but they'll do just fine for now:)

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    1. Now that Barb is back she is kind of freaking out about the mud. Hopefully it dries up soon. The kids are having fun furniture shopping but it is expensive!

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  6. That pine forest reminds me a lot of your property, Jim. Much prettier than the Junipers that are so prevalent in Oregon.

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    1. He does have some huge pines here! There also some junipers and cedars up on the hill. Mostly mule deer here but they are slowly getting used to people now living in the house again.

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  7. Any kind of noodles, butter and garlic salt. Only really takes being able to boil water. You can add that one to your list of bachelor recipes.

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    1. I have made ramen noodles before so I am sure I can make those as well!

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  8. Looks like a load of gravel is required with all that mud! Great looking spot they have and love the game camera pics.

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    1. We are still working on getting a deer on camera. We moved the camera yesterday so maybe this week.....

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  9. Glad Barb made it home so you don't starve :) with Dave being our cook I know I'd not eat so well if he wasn't around, though I might lose weight. We sure don't miss mud season, every mud season in VT we were thankful we lived on the one paved road in town.

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    1. She made pancakes yesterday, ribs last night and waffles this morning so any weight I may have lost will be quickly replaced. You are right about the gravel road, no sense in washing our vehicle until we leave here!

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  10. Wow - that’s crazy mud! What a great place though! Congrats to your son and his family!

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    1. I think they are really going to enjoy it, they love the outdoors and there is plenty to do here!

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  11. Oh I remember the squishy mud of Upstate NY. We always said we didn't have "spring", we had mudseason! I'll bet that's one pretty A frame when it's all done. What pretty property! Maybe you should stick to scrambled eggs next time.

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    1. We had the same "mudseason" in Wisconsin as well. I guess it is just the rite of passage from winter to spring for the northern states.

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  12. Looks like a great place your son has got "great views" ☺
    I know what you mean about the dogs and the mud,can't get Maxine to stop and wipe her feet lol🐕

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    1. If Dakota would just understand that we want her to stay out of the mud and walk the mat we have laid out for her to get into the rig, life would be much easier for everyone involved!

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  13. You never want to refuse moisture regardless of its form. Fire season is not that far away......sadly.
    The kids have a fantastic spot there.

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    1. Don't even say that! Although I agree with you about the moisture....the fires we can do without.

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