Oh, What a Week it Was!

Have you ever had Trigger Finger? No, I am not talking about the approach of fall when hunters like me get itchy to get out in the woods. I am talking about the medical condition where your finger gets stuck bent in one place and then snaps straight like a rubber band. I have had trigger pinky for about two weeks now, so weird. Not painful, just weird. What concerns me most is what I read about this condition on the internet. This condition is most common in women over 50. What the hell? I am now a woman over 50? Does this mean I have to change my driver's license to Jamie instead of James?  Does it mean I can now compete in the "Women over 50" category in my next marathon? Who am I kidding? This old guy (or gal?) ain't running any marathon!

At any rate I sit here typing this, my right pinky bent 1/2 the time then uncontrollably snapping straight. 

Several of you have asked how Barb's doctor appointments went. She had bloodwork done and an ultrasound. Both were sources of great news and stress relief. For the first time in several tests her white blood cell count was in the "normal" range. Which, if I were to be honest, is probably maybe the only thing "normal" about her. Her ultrasound showed "Nothing concerning". Good news all around, AND, she is feeling much better!

So well in fact that she tackled a couple of big projects around the house. The first was staining the doors on the shed. A project that she had not planned on doing, but Dan (of Dan and Bonnie) had stained their shed doors, and they looked so nice that Barb just had to do it to keep up with the Jones's.

Although it sounds somewhat simple, this was a 10-hour endeavor over 2 days starting with her sanding the doors and then staining them. That wood was so dry, it really soaked up the stain!

A day after that we started on a shelf and table project that she wants to get done while I am gone. Remember these slabs of redwood and pine Barb bought at an auction a few months ago? Well, she thought of a few projects to use them on. 

My job was just to cut them to length and width, then she went to sanding them. What a mess. We have never worked with redwood before and that is one messy, dry wood. The table she is making is on the left below, the shelves on the right. 

What else did we get done? Well, we grouted a section of the stone on the outside. 

It was not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. Just tedious, making sure you get grout in every crack and crevice. You use what I refer to as an icing bag but made for grout. We add a dye to the mortar giving it more of a chocolate color. Then mix the mortar to a consistency that allows it to flow easily through the bag. 

Even with the right consistency, your hands cramp up. Once the grout is applied, you need to let it partially dry and then scrape it to the right depth and get the sheen off the grout. 

I disced up a couple of acres for a food plot for the deer. Well, first I mowed it then I disced it, then I seeded it with a yummy clover mix that the deer and turkeys will love, then I dragged it, then I prayed for rain which we never got. That was all a two-day process. Then there were two concrete projects this week. One for Neighbor Jim who is getting a new shed installed in a few weeks. He needed 40x40 footings poured for it. We formed it up this week, augered some holes. Luckily, I mean sadly, I will be gone next week when he pours it.  

Then Kevin had a pour on Friday for a job he is doing. It was Barb, Kevin and I and his son Ryan who is visiting for the weekend. 

About 1/2 of the pour had to be done with wheelbarrows. Barb's job was to fill the wheelbarrows, Ryan and I wheeled and dumped, Kevin smoothed. It made for a much longer pour, but overall, everything went well. Kevin even found a unique way of reaching a spot that needed a little touching up!

Oh! I almost forgot about my niece Alana and Ryan came by last Saturday with their fur babies Sophie and Loki. Loki once again just off a fresh surgery to fix his broken leg. This is surgery 3 or 4, I forget. More pins, they are hopeful this one will do the trick. Loki has a pretty gnarly contraption on his leg and the accompanying cone, so he does not lick it all the time.

Sophie and Zoey had not seen each other all summer so it was pretty chaotic. Impossible to take pictures or videos. They just ran and ran and ran. I was able to take one short video of dogs being dogs. That cone of Loki's must really be a scent collector!

It's not until later when they are all tuckered out that I am able to get some decent pictures. 

Friday night was Queen of Hearts again at the VFW. It was over $16,000 this week. I was in line for our tickets, $10 each, when the guy in front of my buys 1,000 tickets to the tune of $1,000. Now, I get it, it is for a good cause, but $1,000?!? We waited in eager anticipation for our number to be called and when the first few numbers were called, we knew this was not going to be our week. Nor was it Mr. 1,000 Ticketman's week. The woman whose ticket was selected promptly went up to the board and pick.... the 6 of Clubs. Cheers went up everywhere, the game continues!

Our little Lily turned 13 this week! I guess once they are teenagers, we probably should stop calling her little Lily. Forrest, Somer and Lily are still in Tennessee for a few more weeks before they hit the road in search of their next destination. They celebrated her birthday with ziplining and sushi. 

I got a couple of texts a week from Farmer Bob and Chris with harvest updates. They are in full harvesting mode at the farm. I think they are about done with the peas and have moved on to wheat.

Chris texted the other day asking when if I was still on schedule to come up next week and if I was in full relaxation mode in anticipation of all the work up there. My response? I told him that I am "in full getting as much as I can get done around here before heading up to the farm mode". Speaking of which, the next post will be from the farm as I head up there in a few days!

I will leave you with this picture of Zoey standing (sitting) guard. You can find her like this most evenings when we sit outside. She just sits on the edge of the concrete, taking it all in and watching over her domain.