My Three Score Birthday!

Today, I reached the ripe old age of three score. It was fun with kind messages from friends and family. My friends at work took me to lunch and I had coconut shrimp tacos that were delicious. Then when I got home, there as a surprise birthday party that included Carrie all the way from Tennessee! What a treat and wonderful day.

More work around the house.

This week we were busy as usual. I got the brick in the back patio back in place. Not perfect, but adquate. You might say they look homespun.

Then on Wednesday we had a contractor come in and install new concrete curbing in the front and back. Now, they were professionals!

But Thursday was the day I took the Charger back and got my truck out of the body shop. The dent in the hood is gone and she looks beautiful. The canoe that fell on her on July 4 is now safely stored on the side of the house.

A new recruit for the Army

Yesterday we went to This is the Place Heritage Park with Dave, Emily and family. It was a little hot, but we enjoyed the historic buildings and stories. It was also the day where there were civil war soldiers and Joey took the opportunity to enlist in the Union Army! (He is the one with the big "M" on his chest.)

Grand Opening for the Car and the Truck

After a week of waiting, the car and truck were anxious to have the ribbon cut so they could come home to the garage where it is shady and the sprinkler water doesn't put spots all over them. So, with a little fanfare, we let them line up and cut the ribbon!

 

They showed their appreciation in the usual way.

Then it was on to the next little project. It seems that some of the brick in the back yard patio have been moving around without permission. Some were sinking, others just, well, not where they should be. So, with no fanfare, a boundary for change was established and the bricks unceremonously taken up and stacked to be reset on a new level bed of sand and dirt.

Here is the view with about half of the rascals taken out and stacked up. Watch for further developments!



Delivered and Installed

Our status as the only house on the street with no driveway is over at last. On Friday, they came and put in the new walk and 1/3 of the driveway. Can you believe it? That big concrete truck was able to fit right in the side of the house. Well, I guess a camper could too, if we decided to go that way.



Then on Saturday they came back and got the rest of it in. Well, almost. On Friday the concrete truck broke up some sections of the sidewalk, so it was agreed that they would be replaced. The pile in the street is what had been sidewalk. Well, they were just one 4' section short of concrete, but they promised they will come haul away the pile on Monday and put in the rest of the concrete on Tuesday. Then, we will wait a week while everything gets stronger and by next Saturday, we will have a car and a truck in our garage! Imagine that.

Friday night Christine and I had policing duty at the Handcart Days Fair. Well that is what I called it, but when we arrived to check in they gave us a puzzled look. After a minute they said, Oh, you're here fo the garbage patrol and issued use gloves and garbage bags. Policing sounded better to me, but it was sort of fun to walk the park among a nice family crowd and from time to time, empty a waste can. They even gave us free tickets, so we got a cold drink and I had a scone that was tasty.

On Saturday, Christine and Leana went back with Aleksandr to enjoy the festivities and use up the tickets we had left over. Here is how Leana used some of them. I told her she needed to keep it on for Church so the bishop whould know how useful she would be working in the nursery. She didn't seem to think that was such a good idea.

The drive is ready, but not the concrete

Last week we expected the new driveway to be put in, but first the weather was a problem. It is is not a good idea to put in concrete and then have it rained on by a thunder storm. Then the contractor said he was delayed by employee vacations. So, hopefully we will see it put in this week, but then again, Monday and Tuesday may have more storms.

So last week Christine and I went on a Trek to Wyoming. That is where over 300 young men and women from our stake trek across the trail with all their gear loaded on handcarts. They left on Wednesday morning and returned on Saturday afternoon, having walked over 30 miles over the four days.
We were part of the food team, so we got to help set up the camp kitchen, cook and prepare meals, take down the kitchen (and our own little tents), then drive on to the next camp location. Most days we also prepared trail lunches for the companies (three companies with 10 camp families each and about 10 youth in each camp family). The lunches were given to them in gunny sacks.

The food was good and well appreciated by all. Christine did a lot of serving and helping. I did a lot of cooking on the stoves - potatoes and eggs for breakfast, soups and stews for dinner, stuff like that. For Saturday breakfast, I figured out how to make 24 gallons of oatmeal in batches so it didn't burn. I was so happy when I saw the youth liked it and many came back for seconds. Of course, I'm sure the toppings that included fresh berries, honey, raisins and brown sugar were not the real reason they liked my oatmeal.
We were both exhausted, but also overwhelmed by how happy we were to be part of the trek. We would do it again in a heartbeat. Everyone there was so committed to a shared positive and spiritual uplifting experience.

The stump is gone, bring on the bids!

This week was such a satisfying experience. As part of his help with digging out for a new retaining wall along our south property line, Mark got a big, heavy, old stump loose and ready to go. It was too big to lift and I couldn't see how I would get it loaded to take to the dump.

So I fretted about it, and came up with one failed way after another. I really didn't want to ask Steve, Dave or Eric to join a difficult effort to lift it into the truck, so I kept thinking.

Then it struck me. The same cargo straps I have could be used to pull it into the wheelbarrow. I hooked one aroung the wheelbarrow handel, wrapped it around the stump, and then hooked the other end to the other handle. Then I tighted it up and pulled. And pulled, and the third time, with my full weight in the air, it finally pivoted up and will a delicate coaching to avoid falling to the side (well, actually it did fall over to the side twice, but on the third time...) it was there, sitting comfortably in the wheelbarrow.

Now, how to get it up into the truck. My last attempt at a ramp with a furniture dolly was a failure and I am glad there were no witnesses or cameras present. This time I noticed an old piece of weathered plywood in the back behind the shed and the light came on. I took it and reinforced it with three scrap 2x4's and I had a substantial ramp. Next I positioned the truck for the lift, but the ramp angle was too steep and I couldn't push the load up. So, I thought, I really don't need to get the wheelbarrow into the truck, just the stump. And if I get the lip of the wheelbarrow up over the tailgate of the truck, it might be high enough. So I set the ramp on some concrete blocks and tried again. The wheelbarrow rolled right up and the stump lifted out and into the truck. I could hardly believe it was done, and how easy it was.

Well, with that hurdle accomplished, I finished loading up the truck and happily went to the dump.

I then prepared a little plan for our project and have had several contractors over to review the work and prepare bids for us. With any luck, we will have a new driveway yet!