Maybe Etta James was singing about something else, but that's kind of like I was feeling Thursday afternoon. We had to fudge the survey by 5 feet to the north to take in the two sheds, but that was just some extra verbiage. Below you can see the survey and an older rendering showing the boundaries. The folks we bought from also used to own the adjacent 40 acre block, but they've sold off a few lots. They still own that sideways "L" portion...and I asked them to let me have a shot at the skinny part of the L all the way to the road (about 7.5 acres - 330' X 990') whenever they decided to sell. They said they would, but that they probably would wait until after the first of the year. OK by me. That's a perfect spot for a barn(dominium).
We didn't close until 5:00 PM, so we grabbed a bite at one of DeRidder's finest steakhouses before we went HOME to unload the u-haul. (we just might take you there if you come to visit...peanuts on the floor kind of a place - I never really have figured out the allure of that particular piece of dining ambience). Afterwards we unloaded until midnight:30 and finally crashed in our bedroom. It was pretty darn dark when we turned out the lights! ...and so blissfully quiet.
We spent the next day assembling the spare bedrooms, the dining room table, and generally taking a close look during cleanup for what we wanted to do inside. The central A/C works very well, and the cajun A/C (floor fan) works just as well on the front porch...I spent a good bit of time between and after tasks sitting on the porch swing in the fan breeze. Pretty nice.
We'll hold off posting interior pictures until we're closer to having a finished room or two. But I will add some other pictures for those who like a visual with their blog post readings. The first group is titled "magnolias"...
Afternoon flowers
The Patriarch (or Matriarch as the case may be)
Moss on the back of the giant horizontal limb
"Junior" in the front yard
The next few are from some randomly placed plants around the yard. Maybe my son with the L.A. degree can help us put some rhyme to the lack of reason in the planting plan.
...at the base of the driveway sickamore
"Rose of Sharon"? out in the middle of the yard
Gardenia by the driveway
Wild cherry in the fence line (how many cherries can you count?)
Black Cherry tree (it's the smaller diameter specimen on the left). The crows were landing in the top eating them up each afternoon. I almost pulled out the pellet gun to prevent anyone from winning that fabulous prize, but I showed a little restraint.
The old well shed - we started cleaning under the lean-to portion of this rustic piece of Americana, and threw away a lot of junk while the dumpster is still available to us. We didn't ditch anything that was remotely collectible (3 old satellite dishes, a mildewed nylon tent, etc.). We're saving the inside for later. It's packed with junk - I can make out a wooden chair and a solid wooden headboard/footboard set for a bed...and no telling what else-but my money is on black widows and brown recluses.
We did uncover a street post from Hollywood in Sulphur...my grandparents lived on Madison street. We'll find something cool to do with this...maybe put it in a little flowerbed with a birdfeeder on top? Suggestions welcomed (even if we don't pay any attention to them.) Also note the antiques window frame with an intact piece of old glass...unbroken and uncracked - amazing.
The Backyard Pecan (I can hardly wait to fertilize this tree in the late fall to promote a pecan crop. It is very healthy with an incredible lush canopy. Also easily protected from the kitchen porch with the Benjamin pump for when those fox squirrels get a little too rowdy up there.) The second picture is from the shade underneath.
The Mighty Red Oak (pictures just don't do this tree justice, but it is one impressive specimen. I think I'd have to switch to the Ruger 10/22 to reach a sassy fox squirrel barking at me from the top of this giant.)
The Driveway Sickamore (You're probably saying that Ol' Mikey is slipping and can't even spell correctly any more...au contraire! You'll notice the dark spot just below where the big branches start...
...closer inspection reveals why I call it the Driveway SICKamore - you can see right through this thing. Since the parking area is immediately below this 100+ foot tall behemoth, I think it must soon be reduced to a stump. This will be tricky, and I hope a subsequent blog post isn't showing how many azaleas it took out or worse, how that metal roof on the house held up...I'll do anything to keep my blog readers in suspense and coming back for more.
The Red Beans and Rice conversion and finishing plant, newly installed and ready for the heaviest load...Scotty, you're now set to go and can come for an overnight stay.
And finally, I will conclude with what may become the first of a continuing series called..."Critters from the Porch". My camera lens was fogged up, but it gave this shot a slightly mysteriously tropical atmosphere. Can't you just feel the humidity? I could have gotten swamp rabbits, crows, a little house wren, a gray squirrel, and a myriad of songbirds had I only been sitting with my camera. I think I'll make it a practice to strap on the 300mm lens when I take my frequent respites on one of the porches.
For those who like short snappy synoptics, I apologize. It will be another couple of weeks before the next post due to work demands of the corporate variety, so I loaded this one up. Adieu!
