Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[SageHill]

I have a greater problem than tripping now. I have run out of boxes in which to pack things! Even worse is that after all this packing you can't even see a dent in our belongings!

I know you know this - but just in case - you can buy boxes at UHaul and the paper to wrap breakables in as well.
Of course you may be able to score free ones on a buynothing group or craigslist. I gave mine away to a friend who was moving and I think she did the same.

 

[Ridgetop]

They sell them at Lowes too. I just don't want to buy any boxes at this point. DDIL2 just gave me some more diaper and shipping boxes from Amazon. I take the stuff to Texas and the tools and hardware boxes go on shelves in the shed. In the evenings I unpack the household boxes and put everything away. Then I collapse the cardboard boxes to bring back to repack. I also have 7 giant bins that I pack a lot of the large, lightweight stuff in and do the same. The medium plastic bins hold more clothes. The only boxes in Texas not unpacked are the books. I have to take the bookcases back before I can get the books up on the shelves again.

DH wants to take our spare dresser to Texas if we can manage to fit it in the trailer. I can certainly empty some other drawers and move stuff around to empty it. It will be better to have a dresser in Texas for the clothes. Most of them are hanging and I put garbage bags over the hangers to keep them dust free. The shorts, and PJs tops are stored in plastic boxes. If we can get the double dresser to Texas we will have places for our undies, socks, jeans, and shorts. I am going to try to empty some other drawers and move stuff around so we can bring that dresser back. I can unpack some of the plastic bins into the drawers before they load. Then load the packed drawers into the dresser. I just realized that I can do the same with the desk drawers. There are 3 file drawers and 2 medium drawers - they will hold a lot. We have to unpack the drawers or remove them before trying to unload the dresser and desks when we get there. I am taking some under the bed storage boxes also that we can put the off-season clothes in.

DH says he is not sure we can get everything loaded by Tuesday for a Wednesday departure. May have to leave Thursday. Whenever we leave, I just keep packing little by little. Back to work.

 

[Baymule]

Be aware that any outside work starts at daylight, around 6 AM and ends before noon. I took a snap shop of Lindale weather for this week, it’s several degrees cooler than Trinity county and lower humidity by a few degrees. Lots of water, and I recommend lemonade. I buy the frozen concentrate, it quenches thirst.

 

[Ridgetop]

Happy 4th of July! It is 11:23pm here and our guests have finally gone home. Lovely day for the 4th. I managed to get the dining room table cleared, the living room cleaned up, master bathroom and BR cleaned, and several more boxes packed. Everyone arrived around 5 pm, weather was pleasant. Hot but with cool breeze. Kids played in wading pool. DD2, DSIL2, their 2 kids, DS1, DS2, DDIL2, and their 2 kids, DDIL2's parents, aunt, brother, 2 sisters, several friends all showed up to eat DS2's menu - Jalapeno burgers, Burbon burgers, and hot dogs wrapped in bacon. Assorted side dishes and deserts finished off a great menu. Fireworks were cancelled everywhere and replaced by BOOOORING drone shows (according to those who saw them). Luckily since the normal fireworks were pronounced illegal and cancelled, we were treated to a gorgeous display of illegal home fireworks all across the valley. One thing to be said for a mountain top home is the view. We all agreed there were more fireworks than ever and that the last time we had seen such a beautiful display was about 3 years ago when fireworks displays were cancelled due to Covid, and also some years previously when they were illegal and city parks cancelled their displays due to "economic" reasons. Visibility was prime and the fireworks lasted for several hours. Beautiful. As I sat enjoying myself DH mentioned that he had never seen me actually sit and enjoy the fireworks before. I told him that was because I was usually doing what DDIL2 was doing - cleaning up from the party. I realize now why everyone liked our parties so much - they are a lot of fun if you are not busy doing all the work! DS2 and DDIL2 throw good parties. I'll have to come to more of them!

During the party Ahmad told us that he has gotten an apprenticeship learning to repair shoes and leather goods. He loves it and I told him that he should consider coming to Texas since after their guns, horses, women, dogs, and bibles, boots are really high in the running. His family all live in Galveston/Corpus Christi area so he has been thinking about moving back to Texas. His girlfriend is DD2's best friend from high school. I told him that DD2 and her family were planning a move and it would be nice to have 2 of our children move there - since we consider Summer one of our family. There were a lot more firecrackers and what sounded like M80s this year. The dogs did not like the fireworks this year. Angel was unaffected, Rika went inside and lay down in the nursery, and Ozel laydown in the backyard under the 5th wheel. They were very well behaved during the party. Angel only tried to eat a hamburger off a plate that someone had placed on the ground - an honest mistake on her part! Ozel was interested in the food but did not try any snatch and grab behavior. Excellent canine behavior all the way around.

He and DS2 were swapping stories (Ahmad was in the marines) when our neighbor showed up with her son. We have known her since she was 5 and now her son is 17 and wants to go into the marines. Both Ahma and DS2 began talking to him about some of their experiences. They told him that, although some of their combat experiences were terrible memories, they had forged strong friendships and had some of the best times of their lives in the military. DH and I told Cade some funny stories about their grandparents that had him and his mom rolling. They assured us that they were going to pin down Jeff and Nancy and ask about those tales. DS1 told Cade that next time they would tell him some stories about his mom. LOL

Tomorrow, we have an appointment early, then need to deliver the refinished recliner to the leather upholsterer, then finish loading the flatbed trailer. After that we will band the 2 ram lambs since ds2 hasn't gotten an answer about them from his buyer. After finishing the flatbed, we will start loading the stock trailer with the furniture. We hope to be ready to pull out Thursday afternoon or Friday am for Texas.

While in Texas we will see if we can get a bid for having a Generac installed. We plan to work outside from 6am to about 11am. Then we will come in and shower, eat, cool off, install fans, and unpack boxes. Maybe make a start on stripping some wallpaper. Or, if I have time, I will try to get one bedroom painted. Ambitious, but without ambition we will not get anything accomplished.

 

[Ridgetop]

Just got back and Levi (fence guy) called with an update. He said his guys did all the clearing in half the time he had estimated so if we want they could also do the chainsaw work and it would might not take up the remaining hours. .

At first I said "No" since we have our lovely new battery-operated chain and pole saws crying out to me to be used. DH (the brains of the operation) saw the advantage in not having to work like dogs in 115 degree heat with humidity of 80% (per Levi) and overruled me. In retrospect though, not having to worry about DH, DS1, or myself succumbing to heat prostration is a big "Yes" on them doing the work. And will allow us to put up the fans, do other smaller tree trimming around the barn that is necessary due to the heavy winds, and so forth.

Levi also said that Cody got the hay cut and baled and it looked really good. He didn't know how many bales exactly but said at least 60 and he thought more. So happy about the hay since now we won't be crushing it by driving around to check the fencing. Levi asked me about the fencing arrival date, and I have been on to McCoys about it since it was supposed to be here in 6-8 weeks which should have been around June 20-July 4. Could be arriving this week hopefully. They are trying to look it up. If we don't get the order that I have paid for I will have to get my $$ back and find it in southern Texas where, apparently, they regularly stock it. Since we will have the flat bed we can go down, get the amount we need, and bring it back. Levi is picking up the connectors, etc. and I will pay for those when he calls from the Co-Op. I told him that we need to talk about an extension to the fencing with another gate to make a 2-gate entry to the barn area. I want a gate, then an area to pull in with the truck and long tractor, then another gate so we can shut the first gate before opening the second gate. That will prevent the dogs from access to the road. He is going on vacation to Colorado next week but will be back in another week to meet with us. In the meantime he will get the chainsaw work done and the posts in the ground. He has already gotten the braces in and his men are building the rest of them now on the property.
We almost have a fence!

Levi also does a lot of fencing with the NRCS and said that they are currently paying $2.29 on barbed wire fencing. Maybe we can afford to have Levi do some of the interior fencing if that price would pay for some of it. I don't know if they pay more for sheep/goat fencing than for barbed wire but will find out later. Have to make my appointment with the person to fill out the applications.

 

[SageHill]

WOW!! That's great news - and YAY on having them do the chainsawing -- Ya' know there is always that kind of work to be done - glad they are doing it - they'll be faster and you'll get other stuff done. SCORE.

 

[Mini Horses]

Agree -- more work completed for same $$ you had already planned to spend. Saving is GREAT!! Sometimes, well spent is BETTER!! Will speed things and save y'all so much cussing & sweat, frustration and sore muscles.

I'm certain you'll still get to use the new "toy".

 

[Baymule]

A big huge YES on Levi doing more clearing on the fence!! A big huge NO! on y’all being out in the heat and humidity! Believe me, I KNOW!!

 

[Baymule]

I got your fence charger just now! Had a nice chat with Pedro, the UPS driver.

 

[Ridgetop]

DH and DS1 have the flatbedloaded now and ready to go. They are loading the black truck bed with other metal fence items and with the tool shed items since we figure the truck bed will be much hotter than the inside of the stock trailer. They measured the desks and dresser to see how they will fit in the stock trailer. DH said that we can fit everything in the stock trailer around them and maybe put the black tubs on top. I said nothing. There are a lot more boxes than he thinks in the stack in the living room. I told him to make sure that the plastic rolling bin with the gallons of paint needs to go in the stock trailer too. There are also about 6 cases of canned food that need to be loaded, but I am wondering if that and the paint should ride in the cabs with AC. The seats in the black truck fold up and we could probably fit the plastic bin with the paint in there. The cases of canned food can fit around it and on the floor in the brown truck. DS1's cooler will ride on the front seat floorboards, and we are only taking small overnight bags. Our cooler and bags will ride on the backseat in the brown truck. The coolers with meat, if I decide to try to take them with dry ice, will be wrapped in wool blankets for insulation and ride in the stock trailer. I was also planning to bring a cooler with veggies, lettuce, tomatoes, etc., but am wondering if it would be worth the effort traveling in the heat. DH says we will take the 10 through El Paso because it will be faster.

I called McCoy's and they said that there was an error in the order on StaTuff's part and the wire will not arrive for another 2 weeks. I let Levi know since he said it the wire was not there, he would put his guys on another job in the meantime after they finish the posts and gates. I need to talk to him about running another 50-100' of posts and wire and building another gate. I want to have a double gate entrance so we can pull the truck through one gate, close it, then open the next gate and pull into the barn yard where the dogs will have access.

Cody cut and baled last week. I asked how the hay looked and he say "Great!" - he got 74 bales and was only anticipating 60! An extra 25%! All that rain paid off. He asked if we still wanted to put down chicken litter and I said I did. It may put out more weeds, but Cody can spray the hay field and the sheep will eat any broadleaf weeds in our pastures. I am also going to do soil tests on the various areas of the fields to check if I need to lime, and to check the mineral content. I am wondering if it would be good to over seed with a sheep pasture mix including clovers and other pasture plants. On the other hand, I don't want to ruin any Bahia fields. If there are mainly Bermuda fields on our side, I will probably overseed with sheep pasture mix and Bahia.

DS1 has thrown a spanner in the works. He has announced that he will not work on July 8 because it is his birthday. He doesn't want to be on the road on that day. OK so now we are leaving on Sunday. I wish DS1 and DH would make up their minds! I hate this dithering. All I know is I have been cleaning out cabinets and packing for weeks. We need to be back by August 8 for DS1's and DH's DDS appts.

I made an appointment with the NCRS person to fill out the forms for the reimbursement program. Levi said they are currently paying $2.29/foot on barbed wire fencing. I am not sure if that is the standard payment or if it is different for sheep and goat wire. I thought it was a percentage. I will find out when we meet to fill out the forms and have my rotational fencing plan approved. It is coming together. I just wish we could be moved and done since I am getting tired of the drive back and forth. DH is thinking of transporting the animals himself. I need to budget for the animals to go by livestock transport but am not sure the guy can get his truck up our road to load. DS3 will probably trailer some of them for us. DSIL2 said that his boss will have a truck running empty to Louisiana in a couple months and if we will pay the fuel he can bring all the remaining fencing and our furniture back for us. Have to see how that will work. Maybe we can get someone to housesit so we can leave right after Christmas instead of waiting for DDIL2 to get back from the Philippines.

Our neighbor's daughter Jessica said she would be interested in taking the mustang for a trial. I would not mind letting her have him to work with. She went to college in Missouri for some sort of horse degree and interned with a trainer. I think she was mostly working with Standard Breds. However, he is green broke and needs someone who is familiar with horses to work with him. If she wants to keep him fine, if not, after she works with him and rides him for a couple years, I will take him back. He will just go down the road and they really take care of their horses. When DD1 went off to college we loaned them her little black horse and they really treated him well. They have a great barn with box stalls, and a small turn out arena where she can work with him.