PROGRESS!!

All the alfalfa has been cut, raked and baled. Now, they are getting it loaded and in just a few days, will be stored in the hay barn. Pretty spectacular! "My Little Pony" across the road, is growing and still frolicking like crazy, although in the afternoon, she's zonked, lying in the sun! A turkey hen has been visiting the pasture, which gives the cows something to do besides eat, and they have fun chasing that turkey and she looks hilarious running as fast as her little legs will carry her. She has flown a bit, but not far at a time. Then the other thing is, I have a 2" faux wood blind at the kitchen window!!! It only took seven, as in 7, days to get there!!! When you're working with an 80 year old house that has not only storm windows, but lathe and plaster walls...one thing leads to another. So this is how the story of a window blind installation goes: Step 1) HE: Sweetheart, I think you really need a light above the sink. SHE: Oh, I'm getting used to the light on the left wall over there, that's ok. HE: It really wouldn't take any time at all and this fall and winter, it would sure be a help I think. SHE: Okay and then studying it for a minute, suggests that perhaps a new style can light could be installed, instead of the one on the wall above the window. (Now, there is no power to that old light as the house was rewired and originally that wall was going to be removed and a new kitchen added, so there is a hole in the wall and dead wires at this point). HE: What a great idea sweetheart! Let's go get one! (Off we go and return home). Step 2) The can light is too tall to fit into the little cabinet above the soffet over the window. This requires removing the bottom of that little cabinet. cutting the opening in that, replacing it and inserting the can light. DAY 2 and Step 3) HE: I'll just run wiring from there, down through the corners of the cabinet on the right, and hook it into the wiring for the garbage disposal and put the switch for the light just to the left. SHE: Okay, that sounds good! (She actually has no clue) (Wiring is run, but light dims when the disposal is switched on.) DAY 3, Step 4) HE: It's not the best and right way to run the wiring like I did. It needs to go over further to the right where the plug-in is. SHE: I see. (?) Step 5) HE: So, I'll just cut out some of the sheet rock, drill holes through the 2x4's and run that wire right over. SHE: Okay! Step 6) HE: Oh, I thought I had another switch, but I don't. SHE: When I go to the store, I could get one then. HE: Oh that's okay little sweetheart, you'd have to walk clear to the other end of *Freddie's. SHE: Really, it's no problem and I need the exercise! HE: Okay then, thank you! DAY 4, Step 7) We are eating breakfast at our little high, round table by the window at the other end of the kitchen. Something moves. Darling, there is a big spider crawling down the window edge next to you...GET IT, LIKE NOW PLEASE!! He does, and said gosh, I wonder where that came from! I said well, maybe from the large opening in the ceiling above my head, uh, maybe? HE: Oh no, I'd better cut some sheet rock for that. (The hole was from the rewiring, about 3' x 6".) So, that was done. Sheet rock also cut for the new opening at the other end of the kitchen for the wiring. Also, for the old opening for the old light above the sink. Then, plaster has to be mixed and put over all of those areas. So.....DAY 5, Step 8, 9? Lost count! HE: I'm sure sorry sweetheart, this is taking so long. SHE: Well, we've still had to live life, plus you're moving sprinkler lines again, irrigating, m0wing the yard, all your other chores, plus you've taken me to lunch, a movie, etc. There's progress every day! It's fine! HE: Well, I have to do some painting, and we do need to run to town because the switch plate cover you bought yesterday is too big. So, we both went, bought a new plate, looked at floor tile (the bathroom is the next project), purchased a new toilet to add to the growing collection of bathroom remodeling items stored in the garage, returned home and he did some painting. DAY 6: Cut molding to put around the base of the soffet and to cover the wiring inside the cabinet, cut little square boards to hold the blind and installed those. Completed painting everything that needed to be white. Went to cousin's house for dinner. DAY 7: Painted the sides of the cabinets on each side of the window the correct color, Desert Plateau, which the upper cabinets will eventually sport, and let that dry. Out to lunch and grocery shopping. Then (drum roll, please), THE BLIND IS UP!! Looks fantastic! No more bath towel at the window in the afternoons! The sun beats in that window till it sets and really heated this room up. The blind is too long however, so it needs to be shortened and I have assured my persevering hubby that it looks like it would be easy, at least according to the instruction sheet. That's when we both sigh and think well, maybe! So, in the kitchen, we need to finish painting the built-in hutch, original to the house, paint the walls on the upper half (not the yellow shone in the picture), attach bead board to the lower half of the walls, put up the backsplash, finish painting upper cabinets, install the flooring. Not much, really! Undaunted, we carry on, laughing ourselves silly most of the time, after a few apologies and explanations, that is! Wow, it took me almost as much time in the telling of it, as in the completion of it! Vern is now moving sprinkler lines and then we're soon off to meet friends for the baseball game! Looking forward to Polish hot dogs and *beer! Oh my gosh, Vern just came in and I suddenly had another idea for the upper kitchen cabinets...he loves it! Will share that at another time! We are hoping the great crop of alfalfa bales will all fit in the hay barn! The second crop is already starting to green up in the fields. It's interesting to watch them picking up the bales and how quickly it goes. Hope to get some more pics tomorrow of that operation as there's still a field and a half to go. Happy 4th of July tomorrow! We're off to a park in a small community just a half hour away, then back here for fireworks tomorrow night. Enjoy your day!