What We Did On Our Summer Vacation…

October 20, 2016

Though somewhat slower than we’d hoped, work is progressing nicely at the farm. During the past couple of weeks, my brother (Andy) and Charming put up the new cinderblock chimney.  Charming has never had to do this own his own, so we thought it best to bring in someone who had the skills to get the job done right.  After Charming’s prep work (as shown in my last blog post), they were able to get the chimney up in just three days.  After that, Charming did the “porridging” (or podgin’ as we holler people say it) and laid the brick backing in the wall behind the stove. 

During the times when the mortar was drying, Charming continued to work on the shed.  He has installed a drip edge on the roof of the shed so that rain will drip off the roof instead of running back under the shingles…at least I think that’s what it does.  He has also gotten about half of the shingles put on the roof.  We’re hoping the fall weather will stay nice until he can put the remaining shingles on along with the big front door.

When Charming’s on the shed roof, I sit close by in a lawn chair and knit.  I’m currently working on a knitted purse that will have three compartments and a cross-over strap.  I’m about half finished this project and hope to show you the finished purse in my next blog post.

After Charming gets the shed finished, we hope to get the wood stove installed (or at least moved into the house) and then cut a load or two of firewood so that can be drying out until next fall.  In my opinion, cutting firewood is a job best done in late October or early November when the temperature is cool enough that I won’t be sweatin’ my buns off and all but the bravest snakes have already found a hidey-hole in which to hibernate. 

To re-cap what we’ve accomplished so far:  We’ve taken down a big ol’ pine tree and cut it up for firewood; added doors to the tractor shed; cleaned out the old chicken shed so Charming could have a place to keep his work tools; bought a used tractor and several farm implements; planted a “test” garden of  tomatoes, potatoes, and pumpkins (all did well, especially considering how much I neglected the garden); added a new masonry chimney to the house; and built a big shed from the ground up.  In between this work, we’ve removed about half of the twenty-some tree stumps in our lower field.  All in all, we feel that this was a great way to spend our summer vacation!

Charming podgin' the chimney. 

The finished chimney.  (Top part is almost dry, bottom part is still wet.)

The thimble for the stove pipe.

Brick installed in the wall for fire protection.  (Doesn't need to be pretty.)

Podgin' over the brick, which will be framed in and painted.

Fall colors at an overlook just a few miles from our house.

 

The "state road" that leads to our place.

In a lot of places, the road isn't wide enough for two cars to pass by each other.

When Jax isn't hunting, he's gathering stuff like this long tree limb.

The purse I'm working on...picture doesn't show it, but it's really a pretty green.