Taking A Break!

Just Another Day At The Farm will be taking breaks from time to time while I am in Florida.  Since I am not at the farm I cannot report daily activity so I rely on others to let me know what is going on.  It has been a while since I have heard what is going on so until I hear about something I will be taking a break.  When I hear about the happenings at the farm I will blog.  So to my fellow editors out there, let me know what is going! I am still post daily blogs at Travels With Ruth
travelswithruth-ruth.blogspot.com

Cold Nights, Warm Days

As we move into December and eventually into winter Mother Nature is slowly getting us ready with cold nights but then gives us a break during the days with warm weather.  For instance, the other night it got down into the mid 20’s but yesterday it got into the 60’s. We still are unsure what the winter will bring but the good thing is we are prepared and ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at us.  After all, if it gets too bad we can always escape to Florida or California!

Tim’s Travel Day!

Tim decided to leave Sunday to drive back to the farm knowing he would run into traffic.  What he didn’t expect was HOW bad the traffic would be.  He crawled along I-95 North in Georgia especially from Savannah on and so he took a detour to get to I-26 thinking it would be better.  Well, it wasn’t and what should of taken him 8 hours with one stop took him 12 hours with one stop.  Now if you know Tin you know his patience for traffic is slim to none so you can only imagine how happy he was.  He got home safely and that is what really counts!

Oops, I Forgot!

For the first time since I started this blog over three years ago I forgot to make a post.  I usually make my posts in the morning but I have been so busy with Rory in the morning that I simply did not have a chance to post.  So, with that said, I will post two today!  By the way, this is the first post!

An Outdoor Tree

With the new addition of Chance the cat George and Lisa decided to not set up a tree indoors and instead set up a tree outside in the newly created turn around.  From the pictures, since I am not at the farm, it looks to be a pretty good tree.  I am sure once it is all decorated it will be beautiful.  Come back and check k out the finished tree!

Powerball Winner In Greeneville

How would you like to wake up on Thanksgiving day and discover that you are a powerball winner.  I sure would and one lucky person in Greeneville did.  They are $100,000 richer!  Now with that kind of cash I could certainly do some damage on Black Friday.  They do not know who won the powerball but by paying an extra dollar to their Tennessee lottery ticket that made them eligible for the powerball and a whole lot more money.  Not a bad payoff if you play the lottery. 

Black Friday

Well it is Black Friday and as a retired retailer I have finally gotten over the Christmas season.  I still feel for the workers but I no longer boycot the shopping because it won't change it.  So yes, I shopped on Thanksgiving and I got some deals.  I went shopping with both my girls, Jenny & Carrie.  It was nice and we had a nice time together.  We did not go out until after 10:00 pm so we were not the really early shoppers.  We have more shopping to do today but there is no rush.  Enjoy your Black Friday!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!  On this day across America family and friends are gathering together to enjoy dinner and just spending time together.  Thanksgiving has always been special in our family and we have always managed to spend it with friends and family.  Through out the years we have spent Thanksgiving day in various locations whether it be at home or grandparent's houses.  We have spent it in friends homes and even in a hotel or restaurant.  It didn't matter where we had dinner as long as we were able to share it with family or friends or both.  We have lots to be thankful for and I just want to let you know that I am thankful for you and taking a few minutes out of your day to read this blog so Thank you!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Eve

The farm is a little quieter with Tim, Shadow and I not being there but it is still full of activities for George and Lisa with their family visiting.  Their house is a little fuller but that is a good thing.  I am not sure of their Thanksgiving plans but here in Florida at Jenny & Nate's house we will have a few people around the table.  Today will be prep day as we get ready for Turkey day.  Happy Thabksgiving Eve!

Tim's Travel Day

While I have been in California Tim has been at the farm staying busy until today when he will be traveling south to Florida and just in time to pick me up at the airport.  I don't get in until 11:00 pm Eastern time so he will be there a little early but will be with our older daughter, Carrie, until I get into town.  Then we will both head to Jrnny and Nate's.  We will see Rory in the morning.
While we are gone from the farm Lisa and George do have their daughter, Kaitlyn, visiting do they will have a nice family Thanksgiving.  They have already enjoyed their time together with movies, bowling, swimming, and more fun activities.  Enjoy your time together Francisco family and safe travels Tim.  See you tonight!
Bonus for today, I get to see Shadow!  It has been a month!

Hard Water

With Tim burying water lines and adding a bigger water filter there is one reason we are excited about it.  It helps with our hard water.  Our faucets get calcified so bad that it almost stops the water flow.  We do have a fix for that.  Hydrogen peri oxide in a zip lock bag and placed over the faucet for a few minutes really breaks down the calcium and is ready to flow water again.  Now not only is our water protected from the elements and filtered but it is also flowing better!  Thanks Tim!

"Paris Can Wait"

Yes it can.  We watched the movie "Paris Can Wait" Friday night and it was terrible!  I will not get that two hours back.  It stars Diane Lane, which I love, but the movie was boring.  It takes place in France and basically all she does is eat and drink wine with her husband's business partner.  They are suppose to be driving to Paris from Cannes but make several stops along the way.  The movie sounded promising but it was not.  Don't watch it hungry!

Water Done!

Tim has finished the water project on the RV.  The water line has been buried and will now be better protected from the weather and the new water filter has been installed in the basement of the RV.  The basement in the RV is heated in the winter and cooled in the summer so the water filter will no longer have to fight the elements.  It is also a lot larger than the one we had, about 80% larger, so now the water from the faucets will taste better and maybe the well smell will not be as bad when showering.  Thanks Tim for the huge improvement.  Great job done!

More Winter Prep

Tim has been busy working on more winter prep on or with the RV.  This will be our fourth winter, I know we took a break last year, and now that we have experienced winter we know what has to be done.  Tim is making it harder for our water line to freeze.  We have to drip water in the kitchen and bathroom so our water lines do not freeze during cold gays and nights.  Tim is relocating our water lines and placing them under ground so that they will be protected by from the cold weather.  We will still have to drip occasionally but not near as often.  One perk in doing so is we are getting a new water filter that will do the whole RV.  Right now we are using a Britta pitcher in our fridge and will continue to do so but it will be nice to have a water filter that takes some of the nasty well water taste away.  Thanks Tim!

Electric Relocation

George has been a busy man working on the RV pad now that there is no longer an RV or shed sitting on it.  He is relocating the hook ups for any future RVs.  Hook ups is water and electricity usually located on the same post at any campsite.  George is relocating the hook up to the rear of the site to make it easy for an RV to get hooked up which allows for a nicer looking campsite.  He had to do some digging but he got it relocated and the new placement looks good.  Way to go George!

Butch Jones Is Out?

Warning...Lisa, don't read!
Butch Jones, the University of Tennessee Football  coach, has been fired.  Now I have heard the Vol fans were fickle and I don't know if that is true or not but when it comes to College football the Vols do it right with their total support but they expect a winning team.  Butch Jones just could not rally his team this year with a 3-6 record over all and an 0-6 record in the SEC, yikes!  Now that you see the stats you know why Butch is gone.  I am not sure who will be the next Vols coach but good luck to them.  The name Peyton Manning has come up!
Okay Lisa you can begin to read again!

Mystery On Quail Way - A Tragedy

Another Mystery on Quail Way but this time it is a sad and terrible tragedy.  I don't know if you remember last summer when Lisa and Cheryl found a kitten and our neighbor took it in.  The kitten almost died a few times due to it being too young but our neighbor nursed it through the tough times and the kitten was getting healthier the older he got.  They named him Lucky because he was lucky to be alive and they were lucky to have him in their lives.  Lucky loved to play outdoors but never went far and was always home for dinner.  Well a couple of days ago he did not come home and when they looked for Lucky he was found.  He had been killed by something and was left torn apart.  They think it was a couple of stray dogs that wonder on thier property from time to time but just do not know.  Poor Lucky, he will be missed!

A Great Buy...

George made a great buy...after it was repaired.  George is trying to repair a dryer that belonged to his son that is out of warranty so he can sell it.  While at Lowes they came across the same model but it was electric and not gas.  He picked up the dryer for $100 in a scratch & dent sale.  He was hoping he and Tim could use a part from the electric dryer to repair the gas dryer.  He could not so Tim asked if he could buy the dryer for $100 and try to fix it.  Our daughter, Carrie, lost her dryer and Tim thought if he could fix this one we would give it to her.  George agreed and together they fixed the electric dryer.  So Carrie, Merry Christmas from Dad and I and George & Lisa too!

A Year Later...The RV Is Gone!

George and Lisa have sold Travis's RV after just over a year of buying it.  It was meant as a temporary home and it was.  In a year's time Travis was able to purchase his own home and the RV was just a guest house.  Now that it is gone George will be doing some upgrades to the RV site for future visitors with RVs to come visit.  He has some big plans for it and once it is done it will look great! George sent me pictures of the RV moving on!

Happy Veteran's Day'

Today we honor all Veterans that have served our great country and the fact that they served is why we still live free in the great country of ours.  This past year has been a tough one for the conservatives that voted in our president and have been forced to have it shoved in our faces everyday through the media that will not just report the real news.  With that said they have that right because of the veterans.  Same with the NFL turmoil, the players can do what they do because of a vet.  So everyone in this country, make sure you thank our Veterans because they sacrificed themselves to keep this country great.  Some survived and some died doing it but they cared enough to serve.  I want to thank all of my friends and family who served; Thank You!  I would also like to say a special Thank You to my husband Tim, my son in law Nate and my dad Edward Winship.  All served proudly!

Football Is Almost Over Except Bowl Games

As we head deeper into November it only means one thing, okay two.  Number one is that College Football regular season is coming to an end and the Bowl games will begin.  For many people it will be said especially the ones who are banning NFL football.  As you may have noticed I have stop tracking my teams and it is only because I got so busy I could not keep up.  Also because most of them are just doing okay.  Number two is Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away!  Enjoy the rest of the regular season college football and bring on the Bowl games!

We Have Back Up Power

When you live out in a rural area losing power can always happen even on a "perfect" weather day.  Living rural also means if you lose power you are not the first priority to get it back.  Knowing this and experiencing it Tim installed our generator so that it is now ready to go to work when the power is off for a lengthy time.  Our generator was with us on our first big trip once we retired.  It was a lot of extra weight to carry but we wanted to be covered.  After the first trip we realized it was too heavy and put it in storage and we purchased smaller one for emergencies.  Our big generator sat in storage for five years.  We then put it in our shed at the farm where it sat for another couple of years.  We did use it at the farm but it meant Tim had to get it our, set it up and then run it.  Now with the generator's new home it is protected from the elements and can be turned on literally in less than 30 seconds.  With winter coming, you have to be prepared and Tim is making sure we will be well protected this year.  Thanks Tim!

The Slides Have Been Tinned!

Tim, who has been working hard on getting the RV prepped for winter has also made the RV better looking too. He had just finished making the roof look like new again and now not only has he improved the look of the total RV, especially looking down from above, he also protected the RV.  Over our slides we awning that help protect the slides.  Well over the years they have gotten pretty beat us and sometimes, when the wind blows from the south or east they make a lot of noise. Tim decided to place tin over the awnings.  It not only protects the slides like the awnings did but it makes it a whole lot quieter during windy conditions and it looks great!  Check out the pictures.  Great job Tim and Thank You!

A New Roof For The RV

A new roof for the RV?   Okay, it is not a new roof but it sure does look like one.  Tim has resealed the roof and now it is a bright white roof that looks like new.  Tim does this to the RV about every two years and it not only make the RV look good but also protects the roof and the RV.  It is a process to reseal the roof and for a guy who doesn't like heights it can be a bit of an effort.  When the job is complete and you see the results and know that the RV is protected for another few years it is worth it.  It looks good Tim, thank you!  He does have another project that he is working on dealing with the slides but more on that later.  Thank goodness the weather was good so that the roof could be sealed and had some good sun for drying it.  Way to go Tim!

The Ronnie Milsap Concert

While I am in California Tim, Lisa and George are having a great time without me.  They went to see a Ronnie Milsap concert.  He was performing in Greeneville.  Lisa and George were suppose to go with our neighbor Cheryl but Cheryl had to cancel and gave Tim her ticket.  According to Tim it was a great concert and Ronnie Milsap entertained for the whole time and never took a break.  For being in his 70's that is pretty good and Tim said he sounded really good and sang most of his songs.  He has had 40 number one hits in 40 years so he had quite a few to share.  It was a great concert enjoyed by all.  If  you can get tickets to a Ronnie Milsap concert do so.  You will not be disappointed.

The Fall Colors Are Beautiful

So the peak colors for the Fall foliage was just a bit off by about three weeks.  What should of peaked in mid October actually happened this week end.  I have been supplied with a few pictures from around the area and I am thankful that I got to see how beautiful the landscape has become with the fall colors.  I kind of wish I was there to see it in person but I am also happy here in California.  Thanks Tim, Lisa and Linda for the pictures.  It really is beautiful.  There is one small problem with peaking at this time.  It has also started the infestation of the lady bugs.  These are a Japanese type that are not nice or cute.  They are mean, smelly and they bite.  On Thursday swarms of lady bugs were everywhere and it was so bad that Tim nor Shadow could go outside for a while.  Now that is one thing I am glad I missed.  Fall - the good and the bad of the season!

The French Drain Is Layed

A French Drain is a trench filled with gravel or rock or containing perforated pipe that redirects surface water and groundwater away from an area.  French drains are primarily used to prevent ground and surface water from penetrating or damaging building foundations.  They are also used to distribute water such as a septic drain field at the outlet of a typical septic tank sewage treatment system.  George put in some French drains for these reasons.  They will protect water from damaging the garage and guesthouse once built and will aid with the septic field.  All in all a win win for moving ground and surface water.

The Dirt Moving Has Made A Difference

So after a couple of days of playing in the dirt some projects are really coming along.  One main project that took some time to finally get finished is complete.  The hill that George has worked on for a couple of years is finally gone and the cul du sac was developed.  Trees were planted, grass was planted and the hill has finally been smoothed out.  It is a long time project that has been completed and turned out really nice.  There is now plenty of parking and turn around space at the Francisco house and the landscape looks pretty good too.  Nice job George!

Digging And An Oops Happens

The digging was going really well until one mishap happened, oops I mean two. As the trenches were being built for some sewer lines a water and a gas line were both cut. Being without both is not fun.  The water line was repaired in a matter of a couple of hours but the gas line took a couple of days.  With repairs made the digging continued and the project should be finished soon!  I am sorry the mishap happened. But at least they both are repaired.

It's Dirt Time Again!

Yup, George is playing in the dirt once again!  This time he has hired a guy to do the digging and will hopefully get it all done.  More trees have been planted and dirt is being moved around to fill some areas and clear other areas.  I am not sure of why so many trees but I also won't take it personally like they are trying to hide or keep us out. Hahaha. It will all look good once done.  I think George just likes to play in dirt!