The Last Post

Just Another Day At The Farm blog has come to an end for me.  I have moved on from the farm and I am back in Florida.  I want to thank George and Lisa for allowing me the opportunity to live a rural life for a while and although it was peaceful and quiet, a beautiful view and I was able to experience a whole different way of life I am still a girl from the Suburbs and I really missed not having lots of places for me to run to.  We had some great adventures and I will forever treasure the friends I have made and will miss them all.  Francisco Farm is still growing and Lisa will continue to post on Facebook all the wonderful happenings at the farm.  I have enjoyed this blog and if you would like to continue to follow me I have created a new blog.  It will be about my daily happenings and will include my crafts, some recipes, etc.  The blog is called What A Day And Why.  If you would like to check it out here is the website:   whatadayandwhy.blogspot.com
Thank you for following this blog for the past four years.  It was a wonderful experience!

The Crafty Cottage Is Retired

After four years of creation in the Crafty Cottage I cleaned it out over the past three days.  It was a great little place that allowed me great creative freedom!  I’d I’d not realize just how much stuff I had in my Crafty Cottage until I had to pack it up, YIKES!  I am donating a ton of craft items so watch out Newport Goodwill, it is coming!  Why am I doing this?  For the answers check out the blog in a few days!  Good bye Crafty Cottage!  I will miss you!

Farm Updates

I know this blog has been on hiatus for month but since I am at the farm I figure I would go ahead and update on what has been happening at the farm.  Lisa has been harvesting and canning like crazy and George has been busy working on the garage. It is really coming along.  He is currently busy on the interior of the garage.  George and Lisa got some great outdoor furniture for their front porch and the Mountain View is still beautiful.  A bunch of trees were taken down around the farm and the newest addition to the farm, Athena, is growing and doing well.  More to come tomorrow!

On Hiatus

Just Another Day At The Farm is on hiatus.  Since I am not at the farm it is harder to cover day by day operations.  I will from time to time check in!  Thanks for following us and our adventures on the farm.  I appreciate your support!

Meet Athena

There is a new dog at the farm and her name is Athena.  Roxie wasn’t happy being out numbered by cats so Athena was found and George and Lisa took her in.  She is about 10 weeks old and is in pretty good shape for being abandoned.  Roxie loved her right away!  Welcome Athena!

Happy Birthday America!

Happy 4th of July!  We are celebrating America’s birthday today at the grand old aga of 242 years old.  I have to wonder how our forefathers would think about the way the country has gone.  We do live in a great country and we are still home of the free and the brave.  On this July 4th I hope you all have a wonderful day.  Happy 4th of July!

The Walk Thru

The garage aka GarGe now has a covered walk thru so if it is raining or snowing George and Lisa will stay dry going from the house to the garage or the garage to the house.  An area was enclosed with a roof that was laid on top of the walls created by the garage.  It has been a work in progress that is now completed.

The Trees Are Gone

The rest of the Ash trees came down yesterday after a couple of days off due to rain.  The scary one to be taken down was right by the RV.  There was only one direction the tree could fall where it would not damage anything and because they were pros it all went as planned.  The island of trees between the RV and the Crafty Collage are gone too.  Tim has taken some great pics to show the trees and the progress of removing them.

And a The Trees Came Down!

George decided to have all the Ash trees removed from the farm because of the Ash Beetle that the trees attracts.  The ash beetle, a borer, cans damaged and kills ash trees around the north and central USA since 2009 and worst damaged is expected through 2019.  Once the trees are infested they must be taken down and quarantined.  There were a few trees around the RV that was affected so on Monday the trees came down.

The GarGe Is Really Coming Along

There has been some big progress on the garage aka GarGe and it is looking pretty good.  With the heat being what it has been Tim & George have been working half days getting up early and quitting before the heat of the day.  The garage is looking good.  Stay cool guys!

More Done On The Garage

It has been brought to my attention that I have an issue with my garage or my Chicago slang “GarGe” which I now kind of like but is not true.  My iPad, in which I write most of my blogs, has a mind of its own and I do not always re read my blog especially when I am in a hurry.  Since my mistake has been pointed out I will try to be more careful however I am now officially naming the new garage GarGe! They did make some great progress on the garage aka GarGe.  The rafters are up and the roof is going on.  Nice job on the progress of the GarGe!

The Garage Looks Like A Garage

I took last week off from the blog because I was on the TLC Tour.  A lot has happened with the garage in a week’s time.  All the sides of the garage is up, The insulation lining is up.  The rafters have been started and the garage looks like the a gareage.  It is pretty hot out so Tim and George work early and usually quit when the heat of the day begins.  It is looking good!

On Vacation

This blog is going on vacation while I am on the TLC Choir Tour.  We leave today for 8 Days so it will be difficult to keep up with the blog especially since I have no idea when we will have WiFi.  George and Tim did start putting up the walls on the garage.  It looks pretty good.  Way to go guys! I am sure there will be lots to report when I get back!

Wow, Progress Was Made!

With each day the garage just keeps getting better.  Tim and George finished getting all the flooring down on the second floor and now you can tell it is going to be a garage.   It was hot yesterday so they quit a bit early so that they could cool down and rest because a delivery of hay was coming for the neighbors and Tim & George are helping them move it and store it in their barns. That is a busy day!

Moving Right Along

The Garage is really coming together.  Tim and George have been working on it all week and after getting more materials on Wednesday they put up the ceiling joists a nd yesterday even started putting the floor down on the second floor.  They did quit early yesterday because of the heat but the garage is really moving along.

And The Garage Keeps Growing

As each day passes the Francisco garage keeps making progress.  The weather has been cooperating with nicer temperatures to work in also.Tim and George have been working on it daily and have created an alley way between the garage and house.  It is really coming along.  The door in the picture was recycled from the air conditioning room that George originally built on the house.

The Garage Is Growing

There is now a side entry way to the garage and a place for Lisa to hang things.  It leads for their house’s front porch to the back of the garage.  Of course with the work that needs to be done on the garage the weather is cooperating but not at a very good temperature.  It is very warm in Tennessee but Tim will not complain because it is cooler than it was while he was in south Texas last week helping his parents move.  He said it was triple digits everyday.

It’s Beginning To Look Like A Garage

Progress has been made and the garage is coming along.  Thank you Lisa for the update.  The front of the garGe is up and, as you can see in the picture, they are already parkibg the car in the garage!  There is still a lot more Work to be done before the garage is finished but it is coming along nicely!

Is There Progress?

About a week ago Tim left for Texas through Missouri.  He is helping his parents move to Texas permanently.  Just before he left he and George did some more work on the garage.  Since then, I am not sure of what progress has been made so maybe I will get an update once Tim returns to the farm.

Happy Memorial Day!

On this Day I want to take the opportunity to thank the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for you and me and our country.  THANK YOU and Happy Memorial Day!

The Garden Has Been Planted

The garden has been planted and this year all of the crops have been planted in one big bed.  The four other beds that have been used the past three years are resting this year.  So, with all that has been planted, see picture to the right, it will be interesting how things will grow and what kind of war there will be with the animals and bugs.  Lisa was kind enough to send me the list and a George will be sending pictures soon.  Now it times to let’s the seeds grow and see what happens.

The Garage Has Started

The pad to George and Lisa’s new garage has been down for nearly a year and now the walls are starting to go up.  Over the weekend Tim and George began the garage project.  When completed I believe that it will be a three car garage with a work area in it.  Once built it will allow their vehicles, including their Gator’ to be inside and free of rain or snow.  It is a project but the first wall is up!

A New Air Conditioner

The RV will be cool again!  After trying to revive the old air conditioner Tim finally threw in the towel and purchased a new unit for the RV.  He got the same size as the old but it has been improved over the past 11 years and now it works a lot less harder, cools better and costs less to operate.  It is a lose-win-win-win.  The lose paper is having to buy the air conditioner.  Tim installed it himself and it is operating great.  Good job Tim!

Trying To Revive The Air Conditioner

At the end of last summer our main air conditioner decided to quit working.  Luckily we have a second air conditioner that we relied on but we had to do a few things to the RV to block the sun from coming in.  We face the southeast which means we have sun in the RV from morning through evening.  When both air conditioners work no problem but when down to one it makes it tough.  Tim researched all winter and tried to recharge our main air conditioning unit by replacing the piercing valve and recharging the unit with Freon  and it worked!  But only for a few days.  It was a valent effort and worth a try.  Check the pictures out.  Unfortunately, it did not work so a new air conditioning unit is being purchased and Tim will replace it.

Happy Mother’s Day!

I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all the Moms a Happy Mother’s Day!  I hope you all have a wonderful day! Happy Mother’s Day!

New Car For George

George had a Honda CRV that he loved and said “I want to be buried in it when I die” but the CRV just could not keep going after several hundred thousands of miles and alas George had to bid it a fond farewell.  Well, he just could not get by without his own CRV, Lisa has one too, so he purchased a used CRV and is once again happy to be a duel CRV owner.  It is nice looking and should keep George happy while driving for a while.  Congrats George!

The Flower Tower

George and Lisa keep improving their driveway cul da sac and this time they have beautified it by adding a flower garden.  George built a “tower” for the flowers and it turned out great!  It is a wonderful addition that also adds some height to the cul da sac. Nice job!

No More Suprise Leaks

The RV is truly protected from freezing pipes now and we do not have to worry about flooding the basement and ruining the furnace.  Tim replaced the pipes with one that will not freeze and even though it was not something he wanted to do he figured he would do it now before it gets too hot and before next winter.  It went well and the RV is ready for the cold once again!

Taking A Rest

With the Pinterest show this week end in Atlanta I will be a bit busy so the blog is taking a rest for a few days.  By Monday there will be all sorts of things to cover especially with the help of all my reporters working on stories and pictures through out the week end.  Check back Monday!

Roxie’s Bark Park Officially Open

From our editor George:

Late yesterday afternoon after what seemed like months of work,  "Roxie's Bark Park" officially opened for business.  Attending the grand opening ceremony were Roxie, Ajax, Gia, Nyx and Shadow.  A wonderful time was had by all while the parents of the attendees watched in amusement.

"Roxie's Bark Park" was a joint construction project of George and Tim.  With over 2.5 acres of open space, this Park will allow for all neighborhood dogs a safe space for play.  A 118 fence posts were driven, nearly a thousand feet of fencing pulled, countless fence connectors used along with the construction of new gates and stairs.  The total construction cost of the project was not available at the time of this article.
    Thanks Roxie!!!!

New Life At The Farm

A couple of weeks ago I shared that there was going to be some new lives at the farm and now there is.  The light on the tool shed seems to be a popular place for birds to build nests and becomes home to a nest full of eggs.  This year there are new residents.  In the past it has been wrens building the nests and laying the eggs but this year the Carolina Chickadees have taken up residence.  There are 5 new birds in the nest and Lisa was able to get close enough and get some good pictures.  Thanks Lisa and welcome chickadees!

Creating The Bark Park

Roxie is a runner who when left off leash will always run to the neighbor’s house, which is a safe place to go, but when called she always decides to stay at the neighbors and has to be picked up by George or Lisa.  Due to this she is always on a leash or a lead.  Well, pretty soon that will be over.  An area at the farm is being fences in so Roxie will have a place to run and play off a leash or lead and not run off.  A big grassy area in front of George and Lisa’s house is being fenced in.  George, Tim and Larry ( a neighbor) have been working hard in getting the fence up.  A Bark Park is coming soon!  Look for more updates!

The LCOW Is Solar

The LCOW, Little Cabin On Wheels, is now solar.  Tim got everything installed and is ready to go.  He was able to purchase a box to install that will house the equipment for the solar panels and it looks like it belongs to the LCOW. Tim did a great job and when we hit the road we will have electricity no matter where we are...as long as the solar panels have sun to collect from.  Great job Tim!

Yup, This Happened!

So Mother Nature is making it quite clear that winter is not over yet.  Come on already!  I did see a joke on Facebook saying “Mother Nature saw your summer body and has extended winter so you can have more time to get to your summer body.”  That may be true since winter is lingering in half of the USA.  Until Spring then Summer comes along anyone feel like singing Christmas Carols?

Is It Spring?

It is difficult to know just what season it is at the farm.  It is more winter type weather than Spring.  It was cold again with freezing temperatures overnight AND it snowed!  It has been a crazy season from coming in as a lion to changing to a lamb just to turn into a loin again.  They have had snow in April before it is just unusual.  Come on Mother Nature, bring Spring back, please?

The Little Cabin On Wheels Goes Solar

Tim has started another project on The Little Cabin On Wheels (LCOW).  He is making it solar.  George replaced some solar panels for the barn and let Tim have the old ones.  Now Tim is putting them on the LCOW and making it solar.  Just in case we ever have to “gulp” boondock in it at least we will have some power.  It is a big job and Tim still has some work to do but I know he will do a great job.  Looks for more updates on the LCOW going solar.

More Manure For The Farm

Looking at the title of this blog I could make up so many better titles but won’t since this is Sunday.  With this said, use your imagination!  Tim and George helped out another neighbor today with help from another neighbor too!  They spent the day helping clean out and up their horse barn.  With all the rain and with winter in general the soil, aka horse poop, was deep and thick.  The team was able to get the grounds in and around the horse barn cleaned up and George was able to get 3 1/2 dump truck loads of horse manure and soil for the garden beds.  For being such a “stinky” job it was a win win situation for all!  Good job team!

Tractor Power

Go Lisa!  Here is her report:

Prepping Garden Beds and A Day of Learning: Today George & I spent the day prepping the garden beds for planting season. This started with George teaching Me how to drive the tractor and spread the horse manure 💩 on the beds that will be resting this year. While I had the poopy job, George tried out his new fertilizer spreader. It attaches to the Gator and made a quick job of spreading 200lbs of triple 19 fertilizer. After a lunch break, it was back to learning for Me. This time it was how to use the rototiller tractor attachment. By the end of the day, the big bed that we'll be using this year has been fertilized and rototilled. Next, we will be ordering the seeds to plant in a couple of weeks.

Helping Out Our Neighbors And Friends

This blog is from another editor George:

Helping out our Neighbors and Friends

Tim and I spend a better part of the morning Wednesday helping out Janet (sister of our neighbor) trim back her LONG driveway of encroaching and low  hanging branches.   She has a Class A motor home that she is about to take to Vermont in a few weeks and with Spring fast approaching,   (no...spring isn't here yet....remember? It just snowed a few days ago) the leaves on those branches weigh the branches  down and then scratch her RV roof and sides.
      After a few hours....as Tim said....” a tractor trailer could go up that driveway now."
       Our next "Neighbors and Friends Project" starts today.......
   
Thanks George!  I guess we will have to wait on his next report to see what the next project is.

More Planting And Mulching At The Farm

After some nasty weather more planting and mulching was going on at the farm.  This is Lisa’s story:

 Another day of planting & mulching! George & I planted the remainder of the bushes on the hill.  We ended up with 4 bushes that couldn't be planted on the hill due to rock so we planted them in the Mash sign area. George then finished mulching the cul de sac, the Mash sign area and the triangle with the irises. Now he down to mulching the remainder of the hill.

Check out the pictures of what has been down.  Also I got some bad news.  We were hoping that the freezes we had would kill off the gnats but no such luck.  According to Lisa, they are back.

Snow In April?

Yes, snow in April.  Now remeember most of the month of February was 70 degrees and above.  Crazy weather this year in Tennessee.  It began snowing Saturday night but by Sunday morning is had melted.  It was still a nasty day with clouds, cold temperatures and wind.  While Ti,m George & Lisa had to endure the nasty weather at the farm I did have to stay warm here is Florida.  The temperature did not get above 61 degrees.  Sorry guys - stay warm!

New Life AtThe Farm

Since it is Spring again it means there will be lots of new babies and we have our first batch of wren eggs.  The nest was built, once again, on top of one of the outdoor lights on the tool shed.  Lisa was able to get up close and get a peek into the nest and found 5 eggs in the nest.  In a few weeks, there will be babies!

Plant, Mulch, Plant, Mulch

What do you do with 12 pallets of mulch and a bunch of plants?  You plant and mulch!  This blog is in partnership with Lisa:

Last night Travis & I  made a trip to Seiverville to buy 12 more Purpleleaf Sand Cherry bushes. George was up before the crack of dawn on another buying trip. He came back with 46 more from Greeneville, Kingsport, Johnson City and Elizabethton. After a break to enjoy ribs with Tim and Travis at Top Choice BBQ (our favorite BBQ place),  George & I went back to planting. We planted 39 bushes and even started laying some mulch. With rain and potential snow over the next two days, the rest will need to wait.

That is a lot of plants!  I guess Winter is not over yet in Tennessee with the forecast of snow.  Darn, I am not there and yes, there is a big smile on my face!

Delivery Dsy

It was a delivery day at the farm yesterday.  It was also a what else could happen delivery day.  George had 12 pallets of mulch and 2 pallets of stone delivered yesterday.  The semi truck that was delivering the ipalkets could not make it up the hill so the pallets had to be forklifted up the hill.  Remember we have a steep hill.  Well the fork lift found it a bit challenging and three pallets fell apart and the product went everywhere.  George had to get his truck to get those broken pallets of stuff up to the staging area.  There was a lot of unnecessary work done by George and Tim and needless to say they were exhausted after the “delivery” was completed.  Luckily there is a big enough area down by Cheryl’s barn so the truck could turn around.  It was a delivery day!

Getting Plants

George and Tim spent the day buying plants for the hill between George & Lisa’s house and our RV.  When George dug out the hill to make his driveway bigger he created a ledge that he apparently wants to have plants on.  At first they got a few plants but George has a bigger vision and wants the entire hill planted.  Check out the pics courtesy of Lisa.

What’s Going On At The Farm?

What’g going On at the farm?  I have no idea as I have been gone for two weeks and will be not be back for a few more.  So, I will be calling on my reporters to help with blog and keep us all posted as to what is going on at the farm.  Look for an update soon!  Until then see what is happening while I am gone from the farm at my other blog Travels With Ruth: travelswithruth-ruth.blogspot.com.
This is my last day in San Diego and I and I fly to Jacksonville, FL tomorrow!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter! I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with family and friends.  We are having a get together with neighbors and friends today.  Hope it is a good one for all and the Easter bunny brings you all something good!

The Refrigerator Saga From A Far

As I mentioned yesterday, Tim and George took a road trip to Florida for two reasons.  The first reason was for Tim to spend Easter with our kids and the second was to deliver a refrigerator to George & Lisa’s daughter Kaitlyn.  The refrigerator was big and there is a story to tell as to how they delivered it.  The refrigerator would not fit through the front door until George took the handles off the fridge and the front door off its hinges.  Then once they got it into the house the real challenge began; getting the refrigerator into the kitchen.  It was a simple task that took quite some time to accomplish.  The handles are already off the door but that was not enough.  The doors and the freezer drawer were also removed.  Then the refrigerator was squeezed through the opening scraping paint off along the way.  They eventually got the refrigerator in the kitchen and set up but it was a process.  Good job guys!

They Made It To Florida!

Tim and George made it to Florida and, as far as I know, without any issues.  The refrigerator they brought did not, however, want to go into the house and they had quite a time getting it in but more on that in a later blog once I hear the whole story.  When Tim did get to our daughter’s house there was a certain little girl very happy to see him.  He gave her the wooden bunny I made for and she loved it.  Now Bumpa and Rory have the whole week end together.  To say I am bot jealous would by a lie but to say I am happy for the two of them is the truth.  Enjoy your visit together!

Road Trip For Tim And George

Tim & George are headed south for the week end.  They are pulling a trailer that has been loaded with a refrigerator that George is bringing his daughter Kaitlyn.  The refrigerator is big and after loading it in a trailer only had an inch to spare.  George and Lisa go big as the Easter bunny for Kaitlyn; hahaha.  Tim will be celebrating Easter with our kids and granddaughter and will be both Bumpa and Gamma.  He is also playing the Easter bunny for all!  Safe travels Guys!
Meanwhile, back at the farm, Lisa is in charge and has an added fur baby to take care of.  We left Shadow with Lisa so she has a full house with two dogs now and two cats.  Thank Lisa for taking care of our Shadow!

Preparing The Garden

It almost that time again when the choices have been made what to grow, the seeds will be ordered and soon the planting of the garden will begin. Before the planting begins some work needs to be done on the beds.  Tim and George went and picked up the horse manure and this year there will be one big bed used for planting while we let the four garden beds that have been used the last few years get a rest.  The four beds will be treated and covered with plastic while the big bed will get added nutrients to the soil to help the crops grow...we hope!  There will be the same challenges with animals and bugs competing with us to get the crops.  Hopefully, we will win!

Golf Season Has Begun

Tim and George played their first golf game in their league for the season.  They both played okay for being their first time out this year.  The morning started out a little cold but the sunshine warmed it up a bit by the end of their game.  They were suppose to start last Thursday but with the snow it was cancelled.  Tim got new Woods for Christmas and he likes them.  In time and a little more play under their belts this will be a good golf season for both!

Roxie Is Getting A Fence

Roxie is George and Lisa’s dog that found them a couple of years ago.  She just wandered up the road to George and Lisa’s house and that was that. She became their dog and she is a good one!  She only has one small issue: she likes to visit the neighbors house when she is not on her leash or lead.  We would all love it if she could wander the farm like Shadow but she goes for a visit but won’t return when called.  So, Roxie is getting a fenced in area, a huge one, so she can run around with having to be leashed.  Look for more updates on the fence as it continues to grow!

Decorated For Easter

The mail boxes and entrance to Quail Way have been decorated and are ready for Easter.  Linda, one of the neighbors on Quail Way decorated the mail boxes with bunny ears and it looks so cute.  She also put some eggs at the post of each box.  It looks great.  One the entrance to Quail Way is a couple of bunny signs.  The decorations are great and Linda did a nice job.  Way to go Linda!

The Tractor That Tried To Retire

This little tractor/Lawnmower was purchased by George at a garage sale for a good price and knowing it was not working correctly.  Tim and George spent some time looking it over and after fixing this and that something else would then break.  It was as if this little tractor was saying okay you fixed that now let me break this.  I think it wanted to retire BUT Tim and George would not go down in defeat and sure enough after a few weeks of working on it they fixed it and now Travis, George and Lisa’s son, has a riding lawnmower.  Good job guys!

What Is It?

Let’s play a game, I am going to post a picture of an item George picked up at the scrap yard and first try to figure out what it is or was and second try to figure out what it is going to be.  This is just for fun and to see what your imagination can dream up.  Sorry no prize!  This could be fun!  Make your comments below.  I will reveal what the item was and what it is intended to be!  Let the guessing begin!

Not At The Farm

I have flown the coop and I am in San Diego, CA helping out my sister and brother in law for a couple of weeks.  It is not a pleasure trip but I am sure I will find some pleasure here.  I will be away from the farm for a couple of months because when I leave here I will be going to Florida where I will be visiting my kids, Rory Gamma is coming, and help out Jenny with her big Pinterest show in Atlanta, GA.  Until I return to the farm I will be also posting on my Travels With Ruth blog:
travelswithruth-ruth.blogspot.com
I will be relying on my three reporters at the farm to keep me informed of the happenings and maybe even contribute to the blog.  By the way, I left with over an inch of snow on the ground and arrived last night to 65 degree weather.  I think I like it here!

Welcome Spring!?!

It is Spring and the first day of Spring was not too bad.  It was cool, some sun, clouds then rain but over night we got something that is not very Springy...snow!  Yup, we woke up to snow.  It was predicted so it was not a surprise but as to how much snow we were going to get?  That was a surprise.  Normally I would not mind too much except that it is bowling day and later today I am flying to San Diego ( an unexpected trip).  So Welcome Spring!?!

Improvements Part 2

Another small project that was completed on the farm was new solar panels down in the orchard to get some electricity to the barn.  Now George can go into the barn, flip a switch and have lights and maybe some music.  This will allow him to be able to work in the barn more and not have to take things outdoors.  The panels went up pretty well and it only took a day of George and Tim working on it.

Creating Sunlight

George and Tim have been busy down in the orchard creating sunlight.  They have been busy cutting down some trees to bring more sunlight on the area the garden is going to be planted in.  This year we are moving beds to one large one so that the four beds we have been using can be covered and treated for next year.  To make the large bed, where we have planted corn the past two years, a better place to grow the crops more sunlight was needed so trees had to come down.  In getting rid of some trees we are also hoping on maybe the raccoons will leave too.  In taking down the trees some of the wood is for firewood and some will be sold to the nearby mill. Good job George and Tim.

Improvements Part One

I had mentioned in a previous blog of some of the smaller projects that had been completed on the farm and one was widening  the road leading to the orchard.  What was once about 8ft wide has now been doubled to make it easier to get bigger vehicles down to the orchard.  To do so it meant getting rid of some more trees and digging an area to fill or flatten.  The road then had gravel put on it and now it is just an extension of the road and has made it easier to get down to the orchard with any size vehicle.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I am wearing the green today since I do have wee bit of Irish blood and I will be listening to some Irish music on Pandora.  Actually I have been listening to it all week long and for the most part it is very energetic music that makes you want to move around.  It would make great exercise music since it does make you want to move around.  Check it out sometime.  The stories they tell in the music is good too.  It has become one of my favorite stations.  Today I will also have to watch one of my favorite movies “ The Quiet Man” since it is a St. Patty’s day tradition for me. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all!

A Natural Bridge

There is a Natural Bridge located not too far down the road us and for the past couple of years when we have tried to stop and see it we were never successful.  The other day when it snowed we were running some errands and decided to stop and see it.  The Natural Bridge is located right under a main road and is helping support the road Bridge.  A natural bridge is when there is an opening in the bottom of a rock structure due to erosion usually by water.  This particular Bridge is located in a thick part of some woods so it can only be seen in late fall, winter and early spring.  It was a cool sight that we pass several times a week and only took us almost three years to see.

Turkey Breast In The Crock Pot

I purchased a 7 1/2 pound turkey breast the other day and I decided I wanted to find an easier way of cooking the turkey breast.  I just did not want to roast the turkey in the oven and it was too big for my Instant Pot or Air Fryer so I decided to use my Crock Pot.  It turned out great!  I cleaned the turkey breast and placed it into crock pot after spraying the crock with cooking spray.  I then brushed olive oil all over the breast and made up my own rub with seasonings I selected from my spice drawer.  I rubbed the season mixture all over the turkey breast and added enough water  until I had an inch of water on the bottom (about three cups).  I covered and set the cooker on low for seven hours.  That was it until seven hours later when we took the turkey breast out to rest and then carved it.  The turkey was moist and delicious.  We had a mini Thanksgiving meal in March. 

The Car Port Got A Facelift

We knew the car port tarp was going to need to be replaces due to some rips and tiers in the awning.  Tim not only replaced the tarp but changed the color which has made a huge difference.  We went from a dark grayish green to white.  Not only did it lighten up the area but from a view it looks nice and kind of ties in with the RV.  Tim and George put up the new tarp yesterday and did a great job.  It looks great!

Crazy Weather

I know I have been writing a lot about the weather but it has been crazy.  Yesterday we had snow all day until around 3:00 in the afternoon then the sun came out.  The snow did not accumulate but had the ground been colder we probably would have 3 to 4 inches of snow.  It was a very pretty snow at times and then a wet snow at other times.  The mountains did get a lot of snow and when I woke up this morning we do have a dusting of snow on the deck.  I know Spring is right around the corner but a bit of Winter just cannot give up.  At least I have some pretty pictures!

Kind Of Quiet At The Farm

I know these past few weeks not much has been reported on the happenings at the farm but things have been happening.  George and Lisa have been working in the Orchard pruning trees and preparing the beds for this year's crops.  Tim and George have been working on several smaller projects from putting up new solar panels for the barn to driving the dump truck to pick up horse manure for the garden.  I have been in the Crafty Cottage working on Door Prizes for my sister's SAS this month.  I had received so many great stamp sets that I went a little overboard with the cards, all the details on them, that it is taking twice as long to complete but they should be good.  The weather has not been a friend these past couple of weeks with rain and snow so bigger projects are a little on hold.  However, with the golf cart working again I can go down and get some pictures of some of the smaller projects that have been completed in the orchard.  Check back soon for pics!

Love My Air Fryer

I love my air fryer and use it.  It is amazing what a difference it is to cook not having to use a lot of oil.  My latest favorite is pork chops cooked in the air fryer.  It takes about 12 to 15 minutes and they come out with a crispy outside but juicy inside.  It is my new favorite way to make pork chops.  For seasoning all I use is salt, pepper and cavenders.  Don't know what cavenders is!  It is a great combo of seasonings that makes almost everything taste better.  Hmmm, that may be another blog.  Anyway, if you are on the fence about an air fryer just get one.  They are worth every penny!

Beauty And A Beast

With Spring almost here the Bradford Pear Trees are out in full bloom and beautiful.  You can spot them from far away because of their beautiful white blossoms.  They are very stunning especially when they are planted side by side in a row up a driveway for example.  As soon as you see the white trees you know they are Bradford Pear Trees.  Although they are beautiful they are also a beast.  They originally came from China in 1964 by the Department of Agriculture and used as ornamental trees.  They were thought to be sterile but found out they were not.  The problems with Bradford Pear trees is that they have weak branches that can break and fall off, they choke out the natural trees and they smell bad.  If not controlled they will take over and kill all the other trees.  The good thing is they only last 20 to 25 years but during that time they can cause damage. There is even a certain procedure to follow in cutting them down and destroying them. They are Beauty and a Beast!

Mother Nature Is Confused

Mother Nature could not decide if we were to see snow or sun so because she could not decide she had it snow for 20 minutes then show some blue sky and sun for 20 minutes then have it snow again and that is what the weather was like all day yesterday in Eastern Tennessee.  It did stay cold ranging between 32 to 36 degrees and I am guessing that was to turn on the snow on a whim.  At times it was a whiteout with snow fall and other times the sun was bright and warm.  It made for an interesting day.  By the way, it seemed liked it was always snowing the hardest when I was outside but once inside it ceased.  Hmmm, maybe Mother Nature is just playing with me!

I Don't Want To Complain BUT...

It is cold outside and it looks it!  Check out the pictures.  We did get a dusting of snow and normally it would not bother me so much but when it was in the 80's just over a week ago this cold it not appreciated.  I know the rest of the country, especially in the north it is cold and snowy too.  We were warned by the weather people that it was going to turn cold in March and last night on the news the weather person even said "March is going to be cold".  So far, they are right.  Oh well, I have lots of work to do in the Crafty Cottage making four sets of Door Prizes for my sister's SAS this month along with creating some for her May SAS since I will be in Florida in April and May.  I guess I will have lots of time to plan and create! Still, Brrr, it's cold!

Summer Was Fun But Winter Is Back!

If someone had told me I would be wearing shorts and tshirt so in February here in Eastern Tennessee I would have laughed especially since the last few winters we have been here it was our snowiest month.  We did have temperatures in the 80's for a couple of weeks.  Then March moved in and although it started like a lamb it quickly changed into a lion.  Winter has returned and will stick around for a little while but we know that it won't last long because Spring is only a couple weeks away.  Looking forward to Spring!

Making A Decorative Plate

I see that the Craft stores sell charchers  all year long and now Dollar Tree also sells them.  Not the greatest quality but for what I use them for it is a good price.  Charchers are plates that go under dinner plates when a table is set.  I have never used them but my mom use to.  I am using them now as decorations.  It started with Christmas plates then I made one for Valentines and now for St. Patrick's Day.  It is a fun and easy way to decorate.

"The Shape Of Water"

"The Shape Of Water" is the big winner of the Oscars (the Academy Awards).  This movie not only won Best Picture but also the most awards with 4 Oscars.  The movie was nominated 13 times in the various categories.  "Dunkirk" won three Oscars followed by "Blade Runner 2049 ", " Coco", "Darkesr Hour " and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" all with 2 Oscars each.
The show itself was long and had a few good moments but in general was just a typical awards show. One bright spot was having Warren Beaty and Faye Dunaway present Best Picture and last year's flub when the wrong movie was announced.  Overall, it was good. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners.  Now it is time to see a lot of the winning movies.

It's Oscars Night

I have always enjoyed watching the Oscars, the Academy Awards, because I do love the movies.  I think that same love comes from watching them with my mom for years too. She loved movies like I do and so we always watched them together when we could.  I have seen some of the movies that are nominated and there are several I still want to see.  Tonight it will be interesting to see what movies and actors win and figure out which movies I really do want to see.  Bring on the Oscars!

The Greatest Bag Clip...Ever!

The greatest bag clip ever and it isn't a clip? I have purchased several different types of bag clips to keep things fresh but my sister sent me the greatest bag clip.  It is actually a rod that you slip over the fold of a bag.  It completely seals the bag to keep the contents fresh like they were just opened every time.  The only drawback is there cannot be wrinkles in the bag.  They come in four different sizes and you can get them on Amazon.  I have not seen these in stores...yet!  They name on the package of "clips" is Fancer and they are worth every penny.  Thanks Pam for introducing them to me.

Game Night

We went and saw the movie "Game Night" and it was fun and cute.  It had humor, mystery, a twist and lots of characters.  If you want a fun movie to see where you can just relax for a couple of hours check out "Game Night" and if you use to have game nights you will especially enjoy this movie.  We use to do game nights and I think I may have to start again because it is fun!
We had a busy day yesterday with a "Costco Run", dinner out and then a movie.  A full but fun day!

I Have The Best Sister!

I know I am extremely blessed to have the best sister ever.  Not only does she love me unconditionally but she also spoils me too!  Without me even knowing she has sent me three packages in the past 14 days.  The first one was some restaurant gift cards to use just because.  The next package was vinyl for my Cricut, these really cool bag clips (which I will blog on soon) and a new accessory for my Instant Pot (yet another blog).  Two days ago I received my third box from Stampin Up with some great items.  Like I said, I have the best sister ever!  Thank you Pam for both your love and support.  Check out the goodies she sent from Stampin Up!

A New Car Port

We have a car port for our car and it took a little maneuvering to get it set up.  You might remember seeing this same carport as a garage for a while with older pictures of the farm.  George and Lisa used it for storage for a few years and once the pad was poured for their new garage the old one was moved to the orchard to store wood.  Well the wood it stored is going to be used and George was ready to get rid of the garage and offered it to Tim.  Now we have a carport for our car which will be nice to protect the car from the elements.  Moving it from the orchard to our driveway was done with a trailer until it got to the top of the driveway.  At that point George and Tim rolled it off the trailer and down the driveway where the three of us, George, Tim and I, picked it up and moved it to it's new location.  In adding the carport Tim has lost a view out his side window and I have a bit of an obstructed view but we have a car port!  Good job guys!

Re-stringing A Window Shade

In the RV there are special window shades on all the windows that allow three different lighting effects.  The first is to have it completely open, the second it so have the day shade down that lets light in but still gives you privacy and the third is a night shade can be drawn that blocks out almost all the light and allows for complete privacy, day or night.  We had two window shades that broke and we just lived with them by rigging them to simply open and close.  Tim found a video on how to restring the shades to work again.  After buying the materials needed, cord and a large needle, I practiced by fixing the smaller shade from the bedroom and it was easy; thanks to the video.  Thank you RV with Tito (rvwithtito.com) for your video and instructions.  Last night, Tim and I restrung the large shade over our dining room table, I needed Tim to hold the shade together while I restrung it.  It only took about 30 minutes and now we have a working shade again.  It was a successful project that saved us a lot of money since we now do not need to replace both shades.  Good job Team Loomis!

The 2018 Winter Olympics

The 2018 Winter Olympics have been completed and it was good.   I have heard that the ratings for the Olympics was down but not at this house.  We had the Olympics on the entire time.  I watched almost every event and enjoyed it.  PyeongChang did a great job and South Korea were wonderful hosts.  The USA did pretty good and were so close to the podium in several events, 24 times in fourth.  It was still a good Olympics for the USA and all the participants made us proud!  Way to go USA!  Now on to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan!

A New Cul De Sac

With the progress that has been made in the area where a hill once was now sits a new turn around driveway and a cul de sac.  The cul de sac now has a major improvement with an addition of a fence around the cul de sac.  Along with the fence lights were placed on top of the posts so it is well lit at night.  It really looks nice.  Way to go George and Tim.

WooHoo! More First Time Gold Ever!

The USA Men's Curling Team have won the Gold Medal and it is the first time a Gold medal has been won in Curling by the USA.  It was a good match and since it was played at 1:00am in the morning my time I received and watched it at 5:00 am before I could see any results.  I have loved Curling since I first watched in a couple of Olympics ago and even though I still do not fully understand it I think I would love to try it.  Once again, way to go USA!

St. Patty's Fence

With St. Patrick's Day less than a Month away Lisa and I decided to do some quick decorating of the fence since it has not been decorated since Christmas.  So we stopped by Dollar Tree, that is where we get most of our decorations, and picked up a few decorations.  We did not go all out on the fence since it will only be up for a few weeks.  We have already starting planning the next decorations for the fence.  Will it be Easter?  Will it be Spring?  Will we jump right into Summer?  You will just have to wait and see!

The Black Panther

We went and saw the movie, "The Black Panther" last night and it was good.  It was the latest of the Marvel movies and it was good but different.  It was not what I was expecting but was a good story and a very different way of telling it.  If you are a Marvel fan then definitely see it and if you are not this may be one you may want to see.

The Ups And Downs In The Olympics

The Olympic Winter Games is winding down and with it comes the ups and downs of the games.  The Men's Hockey team has been eliminated, no pros on the team, but the men's Curling team have advanced to the finals.  The women Figure skaters had a tough night on the ice but the alpine skiers did pretty good winning a bronze on the downhill and the first gold ever in cross country skiing.  That is the ups and downs of the games but at least they all tried. Go Team USA!

Quail Way Has A New Entance

Quail Way is a private road but that is not always possible to maintain because there are always curious people.  To help with the private road a gate was put up years ago but was no longer used.  George and Tim came up with an idea of creating an entrance that would be functional to welcome our visitors but also mark it as a private road.  George had purchased these large wheels from a scrap yard a while ago and until now we could not figure out what to do with them.  The gate was taken down and the wheels were put up.  Now we have an entrance to Quail Way and that means Lisa and I get to decorate it!  Two wins!  It looks great, very country and welcoming go invited guests.  Great job George & Tim!

Happy Presidents Day!

How will you be spending your President's Day?  Remember that banks, the post office, government offices and schools are closed today.  However the stores are open and running sale!  I had a very lazy day yesterday and spent the day watching the Olympics.  Today, our bowling alley, Victory Lanes, is having a customer's appreciation day and offering $5.00 bowling for two hours.  So, Lisa and I are going to go; I need the practice!  Happy President's Day!

Making Cutting Boards

I am in a Cricut group that shares ideas and tips and a few months ago I saw this one idea I loved but could not find the material.  Well, a couple of days ago I walked into a store and there was the material.  I bought a few and customized them.  They are small cutting boards or could be trivets too. I have had so much fun in creating sayings for them.  Check out the picture on the right!

Olympic Participation

With one week of the 2018 Winter Olympics completed we have seen some highs and lows but mostly what we have seen is the participating.  Not everyone can win but you can participate and having the opportunity to go for the Gold is what the games are all about.  Making an Olympic team is an honor and great achievement in itself and that is the highlight for most of the participants.  The USA team have come very close in picking up medals by coming in 4th a lot.  The athletes have given their all and that is all we can ask of them.  We tried and that means more than winnings because we tried.  So keep it up athletes, participate, try your best and enjoy your experience because you are experiencing something only a few can and many want to.  Go USA!

The Crafty Cottage Gets Sealed

The Crafty Cottage has another protective coat from the elements. If you remember the Crafty Cottage sits completely on the edge of a hill with only about one foot of it on solid ground.  The rest is supported on posts.  This means that under the crafty cottage the floor is exposed.  It is insulated but Tim took it one step further and place plastic on top of the insulation so now it is sealed and hopefully will cut down on the floor getting cold and help keep more bugs out.  Did I ever mention I hate lady bugs?  Thank you Tim!  It looks great and I am sure it will feel better too!

Mixed Emotions

What a day for mixed emotions.  What started off as a good day with good things happening and team USA doing pretty good in the Olympics a dark cloud was lowered with yet another school shooting this time in southern Florida.  Sadly 17 people died due to gunfire from an expelled student.  The cruel way he chose to shoot the kids by pulling a fire alarm to get the students to move into his range of fire.  The motive has not been given yet so I can not judge just pray for the victims, their family and friends and the school.  There are already people judging about guns and gun control and that is not the issue right now.  The issue is how to protect our schools.
As with everything, life goes on and with life good and bad things happen.  With that said, I do want to congratulate our newest Gold Medal winner Mikaela Shiffrin and winning a gold medal in Giant Slalom. It was a good and terrible day.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to you all!  I hope it will be a good one for you.  We will be going out to dinner tonight with George & Lisa to celebrate.  Other than that, the Olympics will be on again and I will be watching.  Way to go Sean White who won his third Gold medal in the men's Halfpike.  He wanted it and earned and even though it was his third he was just as proud as if it was his first.  Go USA and Happy Valentine's Day!

More Medals for USA

Chloe Kim was one of the hopefuls for a Gold medal for the USA in Women's Halfpike and she did it!  She is 17 years old and even with all the hype she was getting she managed to not only win the gold in her first run but on her third run she bettered her score with a 98.5 out of 100.  Arielle Gold of the USA took the Bronze so the USA gained two more medals.  Way to go ladies!

I Am An Olympic Junkie

I have been enjoying the Olympics and have watched nearly all the coverage and I do not regret it.  It does help that the weather here in Tennessee has done nothing but rain since the Olympics have started so spending the days inside and in front of the tv is not too bad.  We are doing well and I would like to say congratulations to all the competitors but a special shout out to Chris Mazdzer, Luge Silver medal, Jamie Anderson, Snowboarder Gold a Metal, and the Figure Skaters Team event for winning the Bronze medal.  Way to go!  On with the games!

Day Two or Day Three

i knew watching the Olympics was going to be a challenge but I had no idea that it meant no sleep!  Trying to watch several events live means being up all night long.  Luckily I have a DVR and can record the overnight events I just have to find time to watch it.  The good thing is I get to watch events I enjoy and not just the popular events.  I do watch it all.  The weather here is making it easy to watch this week end.  It has rained non stop since Friday night and is suppose to keep going until tonight.  Go Olympics!!!

The Opening Ceremonies

The Opening Ceremonies of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics 2018 have been concluded and once again another great show was put on.  The host country did a great job showing traditions (old and new) and sharing them with the world.  The parade of Atheletes is always my favorite because everyone marching have begun to live their Olympic Dream.  One cool element of the ceremony were the figures made in the air with drones.  Let the games begin!

The Winter Olympics

I am a nut for the OlympicsI!  Summer or Winter it does not make a difference.  When they are on I am watching!  This year will be a bit different because of the time difference and the way NBC is showing them.  There is a 14 hour time difference here in Eastern time zone and South Korea (South Korea is 14 hours ahead) and NBC is showing a lot more events live.  That is not to say I will miss anything but it will make daytime different.  Coverage will begin at 3:00 pm during the day instead of all day.  However, I am not sure how the other NBC channels are running.  The thing is when it is 10:00 am here it is midnight in South Korea.  It will be different but I am ready!  Opening ceremonies are tonight 8:00 pm Eastern 5:00pm Pacific, 7:00 pm central and 6:00 pm mountain.  Enjoy!

12 Strong

We had a date night last night and dinner movie and dinner.  We went to see "12 Strong" and it is a very good and powerful movie.  I did not know the story or the outcome so I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.  It is the story of a classified group of 12 special forces men who were the first in battle after 9-11 in Afghanistan and did it on horseback.  Wow, what an act of bravery.  It is an excellent movie and should be seen by all.
After the movie we went to Ruby Tuesdsy for dinner.  It was a nice evening with Tim, George and Lisa.  We should do it again soon and probably will.  "The Black Panther" comes out Friday.

A New Heater

Living in an RV can be a challenge in the winter.  It is tougher to stay warm and we have tried a few different heaters to supplement the furnace in the RV.  I think we have finally found a winner.  When we were at Costco, about a week ago,  we walked passed this one end cap and felt the heat.  Tim discovered that not only was it a great heat source but also costs 1/2 as much to run it.  Now, I am warm ALL the time and we are saving money while running it.  Thanks Tim & Costco!

The Flu! How Are You?

I don't know about your area of the country but here in eastern Tennessee the flu is running wild.  Schools are closed due to the flu.  Luckily here at the farm we are all good; knock on wood.  However, we have friends and family members suffering through it.  It does not sound fun.  The lastest victim is my sister Pam.  I hope you feel better soon.  As for me, I got a flu shot and I hope to stay flu free.  It does help that we are away from the population and when we do go out we wash our hands constantly.  Go away flu!

Super Bowl Movie Party

Here at the farm none of us were interested in the Super Bowl and at first we were going to watch it just for the commercials but after hearing that NBC would broadcast players kneeling during the National Anthem we decided to skip it all together. (I know no one kneeled). We decided instead of watching the game we would watch a movie.  We still had all the great food; wings, dips, crackers, cheese, sausage balls, veggies, etc.  We used my air fryer for both the wings and boneless wings and it worked out well.  We watched the movie "Geostorm" which was the perfect movie to watch because you did not have to pay that much attention too so the food could be enjoyed.  All in all, we had a great time and did not care about the game. I saw the last two minutes of the game (congrats Eagles) because I was waiting for " This a Is Us" to start.  Great show!

Our Surround Sound Is Back!

One of the great "extras" in our RV was the surround sound system that came with it. There are seven speakers through out the RV along with a woofer and then Tim added a sound bar.  We had it for a few years then after having to replace our second receiver we gave it up for awhile.  Well Tim used his Amazon gift cards that he received for Christmas and bought a new receiver.  After spending the day setting it up I am happy to say we have sound again.  It is amazing what a difference it makes while watching movies and everything else.  Tim had to do some rearranging which also meant our media cabinet had to be emptied but that just allowed me to get rid of things and reorganize my DVDs and blu Rays.  So what started Friday afternoon was finishe Saturday morning.  Thanks Tim
( & George)' it sounds great and looks good too!

The Count Was Not Rigged

There has been some questioning of the tally of the voting for which sign was better.  Some even are calling it the "Fair Vote".  Well, it was fair AND can be documented!  The facts or votes are all there for anyone to see.  So, challenge accepted to prove the votes.  Why do I feel like this is the 2000 Presidential election and I am back in Florida?  Hahaha.  There were five votes commented on either this blog of Facebook.  Three for the left sign and two for the right sign.  I didn't even need to vote so to the naysayer questioning the "fair vote", go and count the votes.  The left sign still wins!
With that said I will post some pictures of the snow we received.  It is a lot more interesting!

The Left Sign Wins

After tallying up the votes the sign on the left wins.  Sorry guys but moving the sings to the side does not allow the arrows to be seen from the top of the road when you need the direction.  With this said I am in serious doubt that is will be changed anytime since the votes for the right sign were also the ones that changed the sign.  I may need to be the one who has yo change it back.  Time will tell.  The important thing is, the left sign won!
Snow Update- we got a dusting of snow so the weather people are 2 for 3 and 100% so far.

The " MASH" Sign Was Changed

The "MASH" sign I created has been changed and I need your help in convincing a few people that it needs to be changed back.  The sign is suppose to let visitors to Quail Way which way to go once the summit has been reached.  Well sometime last week a couple of the signs were changed and now its guidance, in my opinion, is lost.  You cannot see the signs that were changed until you are right next to them.  So here is where I need your help.  Please let me know which sign makes sense.  The winning sign will be either changed or it will stay.  (I get to decide on a tie.).  Please comment below your choice and thanks for your help!

Creating Fun

Now that I have the door prizes completed and sent out I can now get busy creating again on some items I have been wanting to make.  When Larry and Libda came over I made them each a little gift.  Larry is an hunter and Linda loves to knit or crochet.  I made them each a coffee mug with their interests.  I also made a couple of signs and something for Pam.  Check out what I made!

We Got A Dusting Of Snow

Snow is predicted three times this week.  The weather people predicted snow last night and we got a dusting.  They are predicting more snow on Thursday night and then again Saturday night.  So far they are 100% correct.  we never know what will happen here at the farm.  Sometimes the weather people are right on and other times they are so far off it is like we're  had a dome around us.  It will be a lot colder today. Yesterday was sunny and in the 50's.  Today it is suppose to be cloudy and temperatures will stay in the 30's.  Since it is winter I am not complaining but enjoying (?) the seasonal weather.   Check back through out the week and see if we stay at 100%.

New Lighting

The RV pad and the fence that welcomes everyone to the farm has new lighting and it is all solar power.  When the fence surrounding our MASH sign was put up solar lights were put into the fence posts to provide some light to a very dark area of the farm.  Well a after being up for about two years it was time to replace them.  The RV pad that is just across the way from the welcome fence also got lights put into each fence post.  Now a dark area of the farm will have some light.  Also electricity is being put in on the recreational side of the RV pad.  It will be very nice when it has been completed.

Lupper With Friends

We had visitors at the farm yesterday.  Our good friends Larry and Linda came over for the afternoon and we had a great time.  We decided to do a late lunch early supper aka Lupper.  Larry & Linda arrived around 1:00 and we started grilling at 2:00.  Tim did the grilling, as usual, and because we were having mammoth chicken breasts it took awhile.  We do BYOM (bring your own meat) and then everyone brings sides to share.  We had some good sides! It was a great afternoon with great friends, great food and great talk!

Fighting The Bugs

There is a battle going on in the Crafty Cottage and it deals with one of the most loved bugs Lady Bugs.  I use to think lady bugs were so cute and harmless until I came to Tennessee and met the lady bugs here.  These Tennessee lady bugs are mean, smelling, annoying and the bite.  From about April through October these lady bugs are outside doing their thing.  Once November hits they decide to come inside and become a major problem.  Because the Crafty Cottage was empty for a few months while I was in Florida it became a haven for the lady bugs and since I have been back I have dealt the the mess they create.  First there is the smell and it is awful.  Since it is cold out and I am working in the Crafty Cottage I cannot air it out by opening the window and the door.  So, I burn a candle ALL the time I am in the Crafty Cottage.  I sweep up daily and clean up the nasty brown lines they leave behind.  This goes on everyday then, while I am working, I am constantly getting rid of the lady bugs as they decide to dive bomb my head of land on what I am working on or with.  Like I said, we battle everyday and this will continue until April.  I hate lady bugs!

"The Greatest Showman" Again!

Last night Lisa and I went to see "The Greatest Showman".  This was Lisa's first time but I had already seen it once while I was in Florida.  I obviously liked the movie because I did go see it again and I have been listening to the soundtrack almost every day.  It is a musical about P. T. Barnum and portraying him as the greatest showman. I don't know enough about him but if this movie is any indication of what he was like then he was a dreamer that made his dreams come true.  If you have not seen the movie go see it.  You will not be disappointed. I loved it!

Still Working On The Same Projects

Tim and George are still working on the RV pad fence project due to a small snag yesterday but they expect to maybe get the fence finished today.  The snag is dealing with a hole but will explain more tomorrow about it.  I am still working on the February SAS door prizes.  I have the paper all cut up for the cards so now I have to make them all.  Hopefully I will be done by Friday so I can get the box out Saturday but no later than Monday.  So we are all staying busy at the farm still working on our same projects!

Putting Up A Fence

Now that the weather is a little nicer outside, in the 40's, George and Tim were busy working on putting up a fence around the new RV pad that George has been working on.  It is actually the old RV pad but with improvements.  He has wanted to put a fence around the RV area to define the area but to also get is some character.  They got a big portion of the fence done today but there is a little more to complete which should be done by tomorrow.  Good job Tim and George!

The Door Prizes Have Been Created!

The Door Prizes for my sister Pam's SAS have been created.  Now I have to make them all.  After spending the past three days designing three sets of Door Prizes (DP) now it get to make 7 packs for each DP with 4 cards per pack.  In other words, I will be making a lot of cards.  Pam's SAS is the first week end in February so I want to get the DPs done this week so I can get them to her in time.  I did receive a wonderful surprise yesterday with a box full of stamping goodies from my sister Pam.  She spoils me so.  Thanks Pam! I better get to work!

WooHoo, Super Bowl Commercials

So for me the only reason I will watch the Super a Bowl is for the commercials.  I really could care less about the two football teams playing so for me this year it will be all about the commercials and maybe this year, while the game is on, I will be playing games until a commercial comes on.  The Jaguars played very well and should be very proud.  The Vikings, unfortunately, were only in the game the very first couple of minutes of the game.  So on Super Bowl Sunday, I will be rooting for the commercials!

Who Will Be SuperBowl Bound?

Today the NFC and AFC championship games will be played and this year, due to some NFL players, it has been difficult to watch a lot of games.  I stopped supporting several teams due to the kneeling during the National Anthem and although I have not forgotten those players blunder I can look past their idiot decisions and begin to enjoy the NFL again.  This year two teams were opposites during the playing of the National Anthem.  The Jaguars screwed up majorly by disrespecting their nation while on foreign soil.  Dumb, dump, dump!  The Vikings never took a knee all season!  Bravo! With this said I will be watching the games today and I will be rooting for both teams.  I caught Jaguar fever during my stay in Jacksonville and the fact that the players realized their stupid behavior in London and apologized to their fans have helped in forgiving them.  The Vikings play in the same division as the Bears so enough said.  So the Vikings play the Eagles for the NFC championship and the Jaguars play the Patriots for the AFC championship.  Go Vikings and Go Jags!!!

After A Two Month Hiatus...

... I am back to stamping.  My sister Pam's SAS is the first week end of February so I need to get busy.  Due to my sister's generosity I have been given some new stamp sets from the new Stampin Up Occasions catalog and yesterday I spent the day, well half the day, creating the first door prize with the new Panda Stamp set.  It is a cute set and Che k out the picture of what I made with it.  It felt good to be in the Crafty Cottage stamping and creating again!

Jumanji 2017

We went and saw the movie Jumamji yesterday and it was so much fun!  It is not a remake of the original movie Jumanji starring Robin Williams and Bonnie Hunt but it is it's own story.  The only similarity was the board game and even then it was changed.  It is a laugh out loud movie and the audience was doing just that and so were we.  If you want a fun, adventure movie for all ages then go see Jumamji.  You will not be disappointed!

Cold But Pretty

I remember bundling up as a kid to go play in the snow.  Snow pants and jacket, scarf, mittens, boots and a stocking hat.  That cover two layers of clothes and long underwear too.  Yesterday I had two layers on the bottom and three layers on top as I spent the afternoon in the crafty cottage.  It was very pretty out but cold.  The sun finally came out full force in the afternoon and although it was 20 degrees out it felt a lot warmer be cause of the sun.  Today will be warmer and we expect to see a lot of the snow melted today.  It is truly Winter here!

My First Snow Of 2018

It has snowed and it is my first snow this year.  Lisa and I ventured into Morristown yesterday so I could do some blood work and then we went grocery shopping.  We were on a mission to beat the snow storm that was coming and we did by about three hours.  Snow was originally predicted to start falling around noon but was delayed.  About 4:15 the snow began to fall and it snowed, on and off, until about 11:00 P.M.  I will post pictures of the snow; yesterday and today.  After the snow quit the temperatures dropped drastically and it is a frigid 16 degrees out.  Since the snow is a wet snow the temperature plummeting has turned the snow to ice which may mean we are not going anywhere until it melts and temperatures rise above freezing.  WooHoo, Snow Day!

I Am Back At The Farm

I am back at the farm after being gone for about three months.  During my absence a few things did happen around here and once it gets warmer I will be checking out all the improvements.  I love my new refrigerator and will be filling it up today.  I will be racing the snow storm coming.  I hope I win.  It's good to be back and we got home just in time to see the view!  I did miss it!

A Fresh New Look At The Farm

Lisa has decided to change up a few things for herself one being getting healthy and she started by losing weight and is maintaining it now and she looks great!  She walks daily and now swims a few times a week.  She has just done something new again and decided to change her hair style.  She is going natural and has just  taken the steps Needed to do so.  It looks good and Lisa seems to be getting better with age.  Hmmm, kind of like a fine wine!  Way to go Lisa!

Gravel For Quail Way South

A few posts ago I was sharing that Quail Way going towards the orchard was being widened.  Let's just call it Quail Way South. It is done and the final step was to gravel it.  Yesterday the gravel arrived and was put down with ease by the gravel dump truck until it got towards the end and the truck got stuck.  The gravel was pretty heavy on the road and the truck which was backing up could not get enough traction to get going.  George had to get his truck and pull the dump truck up the road until it got traction again.  We know that when you get closer to the orchard things can get stuck and it wasn't the first time this has happened. It just never happened with a dump truck.  Unfortunately there is not any pictures of the dump truck being pulled but the road looks great!  Good job George and Tim!

Just One More Thing That Went Wrong

So just when you think nothing else could go wrong I received this text from Tim yesterday:

One thing then another. The sheds circuit breaker popped a couple times and of course lost power to the heater but luckily the pipes didn't freeze and I had already moved all the freezer stuff inside to the new fridge.So inspected it today and found the 30 amp RV receptacle I installed was melting and shorting out. With George's help we decided to hardwire the shed and remove the receptacle. Should be no more problems with that now it is an improved design.

The good thing is the box the receptacle was attached to did its job and shorted out instead of causing a fire.  The pipes to the washer and hot water heater are good and it did not blow up the hot water heater, washing machine, dryer or freezer.  Phew!  Good job to Tim and George in getting it replaced and making it  better!

Great Job Tim!

The refrigerator is completely installed and the kitchen is back to normal!  Well the “new” normal.  We had a much smaller fridge but now I will have double the size I had.  I won’t know how to fill it but I will try!  (Tim just cringed) Tim did a great job getting rid of the old fridge, making space and figuring what we could replace it with and then getting it! Thanks Tim!

The Refrigerator Is In!

Tim and George picked up our new refrigerator yesterday and got it into the RV and all set up.  The hole that Tim created where the old refrigerator was has been expanded and allows the new refrigerator to fit.  The fridge we had in the RV was 8 cu feet but the new one is 17.5 cu feet.  I will now have a refrigerator that is double the size that I have worked with for about 10 years.  Just think, now I can buy full size condiments and gallons of milk.  I will have a veggie drawer and a fruit drawer. Can you tell how excited I am?  It looks great but I will share the finished picture tomorrow.  Check back and see it!

When It Rains It Pours OR When It Freezes It Destroys!

Poor Tim had to of had one of his worse Winter days ever yesterday.  The severe cold is not being kind to Tim or the RV.  He had pipes freeze, thaw and back up not only in the kitchen yesterday but also in the basement of the RV that just happened to take out the furnace.  So, not only was there no water but no heat.  Needless to say Tim is ready for Spring and is seriously thinking of taking a vacation from Winter and heading south.  By the end of the day, with a ton of work on his part, Tim got the furnace working again and some water back.  I am so sorry Tim and I hope your days will get better and everything will work correctly for you.  Here is to better days!

Now The Hole Is Ready

I said in yesterday's blog that the hole was ready for the new refrigerator but I was corrected by Tim:

On the fridge blog. It's not quite done . I spent the day blocking off the rear vents, removing the gas line and building a new base over the electrical box and wires. I will text pics.

And he did...see to the right.  Now the hole is ready for the new refrigerator which has been ordered and we are now waiting for it to be delivered.  So now we all get to wait and see what kind of refrigerator we are getting.  Tim knows and has only shared the brand and color; he wants to surprise me!  Thanks Tim, the hole looks great!

The Hole Has Been Made!

Tim has been a busy man and has gotten the broken RV refrigerator out of the RV and has prepped the area for a new "home" refrigerator.  After he finished the area for the new fridge and had all his measurements he headed to Lowes to see what he could get.  He did pick a refrigerator but had to order it because they did not have it in stock.  So now we wait to complete the project.  For me I am in suspense because Tim is keeping it a secret as to what size the refrigerator is.  I know it is black and it ended up costing $550.  Now you all get to wait with me for the refrigerator to get delivered and installed!  Way to go Tim!

A Refrigerator Soon!

Tim spent his last day of 2017 working on removing the broken RV refrigerator and preparing that space for a new refrigerator.  We decided not to get another RV one mostly because we wanted a bigger fridge and save some money.  Buying a conventional fridge over an RV fridge will save us about $1000. Although I am not happy about the refrigerator breaking I am happy to be getting a bigger refrigerator so cold food storage won't be an issue.  I have post pictures of the beginning of the project.  More to come on the next blog!  Thanks Tim!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year 2018!  I hope this will be the best year yet for all.  At the farm they were celebrating with snow.  They received about 1/2 an inch.  They were okay with it since no one was going anywhere.  Happy New Year!