They did yeoman's work and had us completely unloaded before 11:00 AM. We then loaded up the frontload washer and dryer into Scott's truck for their ride back. He didn't have room to take the side-by-side fridge, so we set it up on the front porch. Joe remarked that now we had a porch decor consistent with the neighborhood. The unload resulted in an interior decor that probably met the same standard...
Big Daddy came to stay for our first week in the house while I had to go back to Houston for work. He was a big help as we started the slow process of situating our home. He supervised the burn barrel...
...helped clear the front porch, and cleaned all of the windows (Joe had previously chunked the old window units and re-set the windows in the frames).
He also assisted Buck with the back porch critter watch...
...and tried out the kitchen table.
You'll notice the pile of dishes (maybe)...the dishwasher went on the blink the first time Denise tried to use it...those new appliance can't come soon enough (Monday, August 5th). Meanwhile, Jack and Alice came for an end of summer visit...the new Exxon convenience store in Longville started stocking BlueBell, so the kids were instructed to eliminate the temptation, and they grudgingly complied.
Big Daddy left for BR on Sunday, Aug 4, and I picked up Audrey in Crowley (the halfway pt) that evening after she had spent a week in Florida with one of her friends. Before that, we decided to supplement our future retirement years by subcontracting as a NORAD station...
Of course, it's the dishes for satellite internet and Direc TV. Let this serve as the official invitation to family and friends who want to watch LSU games this fall in the country. BBQ, fish fry, crab boil, fried backstrap...it's all on tap.
It's nice to be connected again. For now we're using the same @sbcglobal.net e-mails, but we may change in the future. Audrey was a pro at figuring out the DirecTV remote...it's going to take me a while, I think.
We still have some furniture rationalization to take care of. The couch for now is in front of the fireplace...but it and maybe the matching love seat are destined for Illinois when we go to see the grandBea in a month or so. Brian is taking the oak coffee table he grew up with, along with the entertainment stand/towers and the curio cabinet (for his budding library of scholastic tomes). We're either wall mounting the TV over a re-worked fireplace, or building an entertainment center in front of it (and stick to fires outside somewhere). Below...the aforementioned curio cabinet and my 30 year award from my corporate overlords...a grandfather clock (Jack assembled it for me and set the chimes...I might have to ask him to program it for silent mode before he goes home; I haven't decided.)
The new additions to the kitchen...
Alice was loading the nutri-system dry meals in the cabinet for us. Jack was instrumental in helping me install the dishwasher - the only appliance the Sears guys couldn't set up for us due to some law protecting plumbers' work. We got it in there and it works wonderfully. Also, the utility room looks great with all of the appliances in there.
The guest bathroom is pretty close to being done. When Joe was here in mid July, we started switching out all of the interior doors. It is still a work in progress, but it already looks nice.
No post would be complete without a few yard shots; I cut another path through the north pasture, and trimmed some fenceline vegetation to enhance the view from the kitchen porch...
Alice found a vine growing up the burn pile; she was excited to report that we had something interesting going on in the field (and checked it every day).
I think I know what one of our spring planting components will be...I don't think these have enough time to get ripe this year, but we'll see.
I have identified an interesting spot for a close-in deer stand (an adult tree house, truthfully). There's a huge horizontal limb coming out of a big water oak that overlooks the north pasture. It may be the first year solution while the "real" deer spot gets developed towards the back of the property a little closer to the creek.
And as this overlong entry comes to a close, I'll leave you with an afternoon look at IL Magnifico, a robust titan in the prime of it's life (kind of like me, don't 'cha think?) haha
Later, Friends.
I thought you were Il Guapo
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