Work Wednesday « Robin Writes

We’re winding down for the winter—thank goodness! While I’ve managed to keep up with my PT and stretches, my range time is way down the last few weeks.

The fence is now livestock-proof, although I’ll feel better when I finish putting the third screw in all the boards; I’m about a third of the way done with that. The gates are up and the latches/chains installed. And yesterday, we had a horsey visitor!

Just for a half hour or so; the neighbors stopped in for a few. The poor thing hadn’t been ridden in over a year, I think, but she sure liked the new grass coming up! She did NOT like the saddle . . . Maybe I’ll have a new client.

We also have the greenhouse up and anchored. I brought my hanging baskets over there, along with the herbs, and I planted some cilantro and oregano. I’ll be bringing in my late pepper plants too, and have some other seeds to start for the winter.

So far, and we’ll see after tomorrow if we get the expected 30 mph winds, it’s a great little greenhouse! Coated steel posts, heavy plastic, and easy to assemble—we kept thinking we were doing something wrong, ‘cause stuff NEVER works out this fast!

The temperature monitoring is going to be the real challenge, though. It’s gotten as high as 115 degrees in there, but nearly as low as the outside temp early in the morning before the sun hits it. I’d been opening the window for an hour in the early afternoon, but I’m going to re-think that. I’ll keep experimenting, and yes, I have a spreadsheet!

What’s left in the project department? Well, the holidays are coming, and we’ll like convince a kid or three to come visit, so now I’m looking at the house again. The plan was to build a sofa table and a coffee table, and those will come in handy in the next month or so . . . and I just realized we never stained the bed steps (for the dog) after my husband built them, um, a few years ago!

And we’re still trail-breaking. The goal is to go around the property, and have a few lead-ins from the house and barn areas. The East Trail is done, to the north, and we’re working on connecting it with the North Trail. But yesterday we went west; we hadn’t done much exploring there except the perimeter, and man, that is some rough land! Very pretty, though:

I am so, so relieved that this is over! Imma have to smack my doc one of these days for telling me to “get more exercise.” Good grief. Each of those 4×4 posts weigh nearly 40 pounds, and the six-inchers are close to 90. Plus all those boards—ack. Not to mention the lifting and bending and, um, screwing.

My wonderful husband finished up the boards we had to trim a bit. Quite frankly, I was beat, and he said it would drive me nuts anyway. See, I try to help as much as I can, and I don’t mind the work at all, but I really, really hate standing around while he does something that I can’t help with. So, this way worked best.

We do still have to hang the gates; one we picked up at auction and it needs to be painted first.

Then on to finish the greenhouse—we actually started last week, but the wind picked up a bit much for putting on the plastic, so we stopped for the time being. And since then, we’ve had both wind AND some rain.

So I’ve been working on some business stuff and cleaning tack—only the saddles so far—and playing at Suzi Homemaker. Not to mention adjusting to the time change; not me so much as those darn cats, who are always “starving” anyway . . .

And there’s my ongoing Battle of the Leaves.

See, we used to live in the Big City, where everyone rakes and burns and bags them, and I’m not a fan of any of that. It’s best for the ground/grass/earth/your back/your peace of mind to just mulch them up and leave them.

We went from one acre with 20+ trees to 35 acres with—never mind, I will NOT be counting! But I do try to keep them off the decks and as soon as a few more fall, I’ll be mowing all around the house. I picked up (at auction, of course!) a battery-operated blower. It’s awesome, no cord to drag around and fairly light, but those batteries do run down pretty quickly. It’s a rather handy gadget.

The wood furnace got inaugurated last night. We’d tried it once before, but the wood was a bit too wet to catch. It sure got going this time! When I stepped out of the shower, I noticed the faint haze of smoke—everywhere! My husband closed the damper most of the way and I opened a few windows and that pretty much took care of that.

But the heat that thing puts out is incredible . . . almost couldn’t fall asleep last night, it was 75 in here—a far cry from the usual 65 or so!

PS—Keep your fingers crossed, I found a horse trailer! Hopefully we’ll get to see it today!