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