Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Ridgetop]

Predator control Texas style!


4 dead coyotes and a black vulture (far left of first picture) hanging on a fence. No need for fancy lights and alarms. 5 bullets correctly placed and some hay twine. LOL

 

[Baymule]

That’s a pretty good predator warning.

 

[Margali]

Just be careful with the vulture. They are technically birds of prey and you need a permit to kill them. Coyotes are open season, no limits as far as I know.

 

[SageHill]

Ya know, your posts have changed - from the work involved in the move to excitement with and in the work involved with the move I don’t think it’s in the actual words but read “in between the lines”. I’m excited for you!!

 

[Ridgetop]

Today I went down to the tool shed to remove the two oak cabinets that I plan to take to Texas. They will become an integral part of my "new" kitchen island. 24" base cabinet with double trash pullout, and 36" cabinet with full width pullouts. They will save me but $700 building the island. The doors are different from the old stye kitchen cabinet doors, but I can replace those doors later with matching doors, or replace all the cabinet doors since the cabinet boxes are oak and in good condition.

The plywood top on the cabinets that made up the workbench top is a double layer. I was happy to find that the top layer of plywood was cut and aid in but not attached to the cabinets. Happy because i couldn't see any screws holding it on and was wondering how I had attached it. The cabinets were installed about 14 years ago so I couldn't remember. I found the screws in the lower plywood layer and removed them, as well as the long screws attaching the cabinets to the wall. Then I removed the screws I attached the face frames together with. HORROR! The cabinets wouldn't budge. A nail in one of the toe kicks explained one cabinet but not the other. Eventually I figured out that the cabinet was wedged in with a wedge on the bottom and on top by the plywood board countertop which was attached to the other cabinets on the side I was not removing. I got the one cabinet to move by lifting the plywood, but I need 4 hands so have to wait for DS1 to help me. In the meantime, I figured that I should be able to remove the cabinet on the other side since there was nothing on top holding it in pace. Imagine my surprise when it refused to move. It was loose, all the screws were out but it remained stuck in place. My trusty crowbar had no effect, and I did not want to damage the cabinet. Then I remembered that at one time in the past someone had knocked over a can of varnish which had puddled on the floor in front of the cabinets. I had cleaned it up but obviously some f the varnish had seeped under the cabinet gluing it to the plywood floor.
About then DS1 came down to see what I was doing and I told him about it. He tried to work the cabinet loose but no luck. He said we would have to cut it loose with the plunge cutter. He was on his way to a haircut so when he comes back, we will work on cutting it loose without damaging either the cabinet or the floor.

What a hassle. On the other hand I have a 2' x 8' sheet of half inch plywood in pristine condition to take to Texas to use.

It was Robert's 3rd birthday yesterday and they went to the zoo. He saw elephants, giraffes, alligators, and monkeys. The jaguar did not impress him. LOL Small birthday cake after dinner. The big party was scheduled for Saturday but forecast says rain all weekend so it is scheduled for the following weekend. We will be in Texas watching the eclipse.

 

[Ridgetop]

Darling DS1 came home from his haircut, went down to the tool shed, got out the plunge cutter and got both cabinets out for me! I didn't know he had come home! What a sweetie!

Then we ordered 3 different sets of slip covers, 1 in sand, 1 in dark blue, 1 navy to see which colors I liked. The sand would lighten up the room, but with 2 men and myself doing work outside and in it would show dirt too easily so one of the darker colors might be best. They are washable, but I don't want to wash them every day! LOL I can get light colored throws and pillows for the dark blue ones.

Tomorrow, we play bridge. We leave for northern California on Thursday to pick up the sheep, returning on Friday. Friday night a massive storm is due to hit us so I'm glad we'll be home before it does.

Snowflake seems to have recovered from the leg injury. She is up and walking around in her jug. I don't want to put her back on the large pasture with the horses yet until I am sure she is completely healed. We will put her and 7088 in the creep together to free up the jugs for the new mamas and the ram. I need a space for the 2 new older ewes though so where to put them? The front pasture is empty since I moved the rams into the small pen with shelter. Maybe I can put them there. There is shelter under the trees and under the trampoline.

 

[murphysranch]

LOVE parsnips!! Never been able to grow them tho.

I don't know what a plunge cutter is. I know a "fine tool" and a "sawzall". Sawzall is for rough work and fine tool is obviously finer, especially along baseboards, trim and such.

 

[Ridgetop]

Plunge cutter is a power tool with a small (3" wide) blade that cuts on the end instead of the side. It is used to cut straight in where you can't approach from the side. Also makes cuts straight down.

 

[Mini Horses]

Whatever he used, glad you got the cabinets loose to repurpose. All these things your moving, prob never be used if left -- so take it all! ALL of it....have no regrets.

 

[Ridgetop]

DD2 came by and told us the results of the testing she had done on DGD3. Annabel is mildly autistic. Possibly Aspergers. Doctors said it probably resulted from medication DD2 had to take for her seizures during pregnancy. She was so sick she couldn't eat anything without it coming back up immediately. She actually lost weight during pregnancy. Annabel will start new special ed school on Monday.

This may change their plans for moving since they will have to find a good special ed school in Texas for Anabel. They also can't move when they wanted to since the people in the house they were going to rent are now staying until September. But if there are no special ed facilities in Ana, TX, that is moot. They also will not know until July whether they will obtain full custody of DGD2 since the mother is fighting them over removing her from the state. This was to be expected since they went to court opposing the birth mother when she tried to move the child out of state 2 years ago.

DD2 is hoping to be able to move into our CA house with her 2 brothers, SIL, and 2 nephews in June when the lease on their apartment is up. She wants to save money on rent. That is up to DS2 and DDIL2 who will be paying the rent. Since DS1 is not planning to move to Texas permanently I don't know where they will put her - maybe in their current room which has almost no closet space.

Then DH told her she can come to Texas and live in our Yantis house with us while they decide where they want to live. I think I have been cursed by a wicked witch! Our children will always want to live with us.