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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Sick of RAIN

Tuesday a.m. Well Bill is already settled in front of the TV watching the first of today’s soccer games (two more to go and then the basketball game tonight) I’m even enjoying the soccer a little – good excuse to sit down under a fan in the air conditioning. TOO HOT to do anything else. Another big storm rolled through here again last night. In Bloomington just 20 miles west of us there was a funnel cloud in the air. Some trees and power lines went down. And just north of us there was a lot of flooding. One advantage of being here on the top of the mountain (okay – it’s just a hill 950 feet) is that the weather kind of rolls around us to the north and south. Except for that one darn lightening strike. I have to laugh – we were watching the TV – all 4 local channels took of regular programming and it was all storm warnings – they predict by the minute when the storm will hit certain towns. Well just as it was getting closer to us the satellite lost the signal – when it was past us back on came the TV. The joys of country living. Didn’t do much yesterday – just too hot and humid 86% - sure hope this system moves out of here pretty soon. Even the floors feel sticky to walk on. Results of the rain - the roses are beautiful this year. Just some pictures of the 4th of July sun catchers After the storm last night - looking west Looking north
Video looking from sunset in west to view to the north of the clouds. The frogs were loving the weather

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Fixing house and me

Sunday a.m. – started this
Tuesday a.m.
Not much happening around here. Yesterday (last Sunday and Monday) and the day before were really nice. Not too hot and low humidity. Wish it would stay like that but rain is in the forecast for tonight and severe thunderstorms tomorrow (hope they stay north of us.) And a rise in the temps – to 90+ and humidity by the weekend. Ugh drip drip!
Last year we had to have a new roof because it was leaking and coming in through the big bathroom ceiling. Well when we got back from Mexico this year we discovered that the bathroom ceiling was again experiencing a leak!!!!! So called insurance company again and they sent out contractor. Guess the leak wasn’t from the roof as everyone thought but from the siding on the dormer (sp?) of the upstairs bathroom.

Siding ripped off - lots of rotten and wet wood
So yesterday the contractor ripped off the siding – yeppers all the wood behind it is soaked and rotted. Insurance man came and checked it out and okayed the repairs. [Sure hope it doesn’t rain this morning] Now they are talking mold inside the walls…..the senior apartments they’re building downtown are looking better and better to me.
Bill needs to get out and mow the yard today – before it rains again. All the flowers and plants are loving it this year. We have so many strawberries we can’t eat them all. And he has a couple of plants of cantaloupe and watermelon growing – inside the fence.
I finished my glass fish sun catcher like the one I saw downtown – took about 20 minutes of work. Bill drilled the holes in it and suggested the way to string it together. Looks really cute and nicer than the ones I saw.

We went to the quilt show over the weekend. Don’t know whether it inspired or intimidated me. Mostly inspired I think. Also found out the name of a lady who does the machine quilting – for a fee. So maybe I’ll get in touch with her to quilt my bedspread as I think it is just too big for me to handle with my sewing machine.
My quilt in the front and me working hard at the sewing machine. Bill got ahold of the camera.
Also have been making some stained glass sun catchers for the front door for July 4th. And a new necklace earring set.

I’ve been feeling quite a bit better too. When we came home from Mexico I had to go to the doc. Thought my problem of four years ago had come back. But seems like it was just a rice sized piece of calcium growing where it shouldn’t be and it caused an infection that was bothering me. Anyway sure hope that was it. Now it’s a waiting game to see if it happens again.
As I posted it is now Sunday. While the contractor is here and it is raining outside (daily) we are having him put a drop ceiling in the laundry room. It looked like a dungeon down there. Much nicer now – but not I need to stain it and then paint the walls. One job just seems to lead to another. [Condo! Condo! Condo!]

Ceiling before
Ceiling after - partly done

Yesterday it was up to 90 here with about 90% humidity. So we just vegged out all day. Between the World Cup games and the NASCAR races and the severe weather reports we both managed to spend most of the day in front of the TV. The US team tied England and Logano won the Nationwide. Kyle came in 3rd in the Trucks.
Rip roaring storm passed through here yesterday evening. Lots of hard rain, lightening and thunder. Satellites went out, lights blinked on and off and house shook. Always an interesting experience.
Today will be spent in much the same way, except at 2 o’clock I’ll be watching the Cup race on one TV and Bill will be watching Germany soccer on another TV. Storms and heat are predicted for most of the day today too.

Just a couple visitors out back - love to watch them.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Electrifying Day

Friday a.m.
Didn’t realize so much time has passed since I last wrote. This morning is an absolutely beautiful morning. Bright blue sky, not too hot [yet] and a slight breeze. But I need to go back and catch up.
Our company from Idaho came Monday afternoon. Haven’t seen them for three years. In fact they came to visit us the day we signed the papers on the house. So they got to see it before we did the remodeling.
Tuesday we went out for breakfast and then walked around town a little bit. A couple of the original buildings in town. This is a restaurant – the building was built in the early 1900s. Lots of flowers in bloom downtown.

This one was built in the mid 1800s and was originally the home of the town weaver.

Just some stuff for sale – expensive stuff!

Speaking of expensive stuff – one place sells a lot of stained glass. Saw one window smaller then the ones we have in the living room and about half the work for $650! Also some really small sun catchers for $30 – maybe I need to put some of my stuff down there. Nope that would be a JOB. Also saw a neat fish shaped sun catcher – so came right home and made one – it is almost done. Will post picture of it when I finish it.
Sat out on back porch a lot with our friends and watched the animal life. The big tom turkeys came several times and some of the deer. This morning for the first time this year I saw a buck – young but with his antlers.
They left Wednesday a.m to go visit one of their daughters in KY – had a lulu of a storm just before they left. The lights even went out for a bit. Lots of rain and big light show. Then again Thursday morning another BIG storm came through. This one really got out attention. Suddenly the was a huge BANG and the house shook. Lightening struck the big tree in the side yard.

Note raw wood in front of arrow....
Tore a chunk out of it. The tree is right between the house and the Alfa. Pieces of the charred wood were all over the place. From the front steps to the back deck.
This is on the back deck
One big chunk knocked the top off one of the lights right next to the house
The chunks stink like burnt electrical wire.
A closer look at tree- see the raw chunk between the two trunks.
Then another storm last night – raining like crazy – we had just remarked that there was no lightening/thunder when a monster boom again shook the house just as the sky lighted up. Hit somewhere down in the woods behind us. Okay enough is enough! Both storms moved through real quick though. Around us there were high winds and hail but we didn’t get any of that.