164 - Mystery Rodent

Methinks we have... a ground hog. It is much too big to be a squirrel and lacks the tail of a beaver or the extruded teeth of a gopher. So that's my conclusion. That and a brief DuckDuckGo search that seemed to confirm my suspicion. So now I've seen turkey, deer, rabbit, several varieties of bird, a bouncing white cat, squirrels, cows and... a groundhog.

Butterflies seem to love our windowsills.

Another trip to the creek and along the way I found this guy.

And these.

And this.

And then I was near the creek.

Where some dumbass tossed their trash. But... two butterflies... how cool is that? Maybe they're moths. Who cares? They're pretty and there's two of them. But they're still not as pretty as that bird...

Today's haul almost killed me. I think six rocks was overly ambitious, especially the one next to the jars, it's pretty thick. This time I really thought I was gonna die. I know I meant it when I said it yesterday, but I didn't know until today... and I really, really mean it this time.

I may go back again this evening. :)

But for now, this is where I'm at with the gravel/fireplace project.

How crazy is this? The onions are shooting up like no one's business!

And the celery is still chugging along.

Even the fig cuttings are starting to sprout roots (the little white dots). Grabbed three from my grandma's fig tree when we were there. Mike loves figs, and I love the idea of an heirloom fig tree. And figs. I'm excited about the figs, too.

Next time I buy lettuce I will try again. I think maybe the water was up too high and it caused the leaves to rot. But free lettuce would be awesome, and my garden is nowhere near to becoming reality at the moment. I would be happy just to be able to mow the grass, so I'm not worried about much beyond that. But I am dying to get things into the ground, so this water project is helping (somewhat) to satisfy that urge.

Talked to a recruiter today. I wasn't selected to apply for the job they initially called me about, but he did offer me something interesting... an idea. We were talking about what I would get excited about if I had to do my old job over again. I told him I liked the challenge of creating a spreadsheet that could answer any question that was thrown at me; it was like a puzzle. And as a manager I liked the fun side of management... interacting with employees, being able to bump their pay up, interviewing, even reviews. He told me he was going to throw me a major curveball, so keep an open mind, and asked if I had ever considered recruiting, because that's what recruiters do. He doesn't have anything he can put me in, but said he'd be willing to sit down with me and help me tweak my resume, give me some names that might be closer to where we live and give me some pointers about how to move forward with it if I decide I want to pursue it. I used to do a little HR and wanted to go that route but ended up being pushed into purchasing, which turned out great, but I enjoyed HR because I was interacting with people and part of me has wanted to get back to that.

Since I need to take my car to Nashville to get the struts replaced (insurance should cover it since it stems from the accident I had a couple of years ago), I am going to call and see if Mini has a loaner car and if they do I'll take him up on it. I'm still going forward with The Concrete Angel, but there may be room for both, and frankly I need to maximize my income. Everyone out here diversifies, and I'm not above attempting it myself as long as it's realistic.

Speaking of attempts...

I decided to go back. I'm ambitious. I'm not a quitter. I may also be a little on the dense side.

My friend came back.

This however... this is NOT my friend. He's lucky I was wearing Crocs and was too scared to step on him, or he'd be a dead bumble.

And this is not THE blue bird, but it is A blue bird.

My shadow never sweats. I sure do. I'm surprised you can't see rivulets of it streaming down the road.

I wish I had been prepared, but this blue heron(?) surprised me. As I approached the creek he took off and I was lucky to get a pic at all. Big bird. BIG.

And I came back with this. Not sure it was any less ambitious than my last haul since that slab is pretty heavy, but it was less cumbersome to carry and I made it all the way up the hill this time. By the skin of my teeth. And I had to have that rock. It's perfect for a fireplace.

And now we're seeing some progress... If I cheated and took the car down there I could fill the whole thing up... and believe me, I have considered it... but this is not just about the gravel... it's about exploring and getting into shape. So that someday, when zombies are chasing me, I can run up that hill! :)

So for comparison, this was earlier:

And this is now:

See how I had to pan out?

...because the diameter of the pile has increased?

This is where you go oooooh and aaaah and praise me for my tenacity.

Don't worry. I'll wait.

...

This is me waiting.

...

Okay you're just not getting it. That's okay. Some people are slower on the uptake than others. I'm sure you have your special skills, we just need to suss them out. I'll give you more time. We'll revisit this tomorrow. In the meantime, go find one of those picture comparison games and we'll see how you do tomorrow.

163 - The hills are alive with the sound of...

...birds and insects and bunnies bolting from their hiding places. And today, crows. Or something black and feathery that makes a harsh cawwing sound and seems to have taken up residence in one of our trees.

I can't wait to get a bird bath and some houses/feeders to attract birds. It will drive Gracie bonkers, but it's fun to watch (them and her). And there is this gorgeous bird... it's iridescent blue with purple when the light hits it. I would swear it was a hummingbird except it lands on things and is about three times bigger, but the wings are a blur when it's flying. It's the most beautiful thing. And I want it in my yard. Wouldn't mind a hawk or two either, just because Mike gets so excited.

I also think we have a woodpecker. Hard to tell. It's either that or a flying chicken. Look for the red and use your imagination. It's what I do.

So yesterday, after I ate this for dinner:

...which is actually healthier than it looks because it's oven baked with hardly any oil... by the way it tastes so, so good (if you love buffalo sauce, which, it so happens, I do)... I felt a little guilty. So I walked here:

Which is our creek. It's a wet weather creek, meaning when it rains, there is water in it, if it doesn't rain, it's a large gravel pit. You would be surprised how many people cross this creek and the vehicles they cross it in. I personally don't plan to make the attempt because the gravel is like quick sand for your tires, but hey - more power to those brave few. Haven't had anyone knock on the door yet, hoping for help... which is good, because my Mini isn't going to get them very far... like nowhere, because I'm not even going to make the attempt.

So my plan is to walk down to the creek every day and collect these:

Two quart-sized mason jars full of gravel, which not only acts as additional weight and increases my cardiovascular workout - though I don't really need that kind of help just yet, I huff and puff just fine on my own thankyouverymuch - but I can also pour them under the deck to hopefully keep weeds at bay. So this was my first collection... I can see that I'm going to have to make several more trips...

Therefore, today I went back to the creek. I passed our barn on the way:

Don't be jealous. I know it's the most thing beautiful EVER (except for that bird). And I'm pretty sure it's structurally sound... I also doubt it's haunted.

This is my nemesis. The Hill.

I have to climb back up The Hill to get home and frankly, it's kinda steep. Last hill I saw that was this steep was in Scotland where the nice lady saw Debra and I trudging along with our suitcases and offered us a ride. I remember the driveway wasn't too bad, it seemed like a much more gentle slope because it was curvy and winding. And the next day, after visiting Stirling, we walked up the actual hill because it was a more direct route and found that it was almost vertical. We thought we were going to die. That's how I feel when I come up this hill. I hope zombies lose their breath too, or the zombie apocalypse is just going to have to wait until I can run up this hill.

The things I do for the hubs. He wants gravel. He didn't ask me to take this project on, but procuring free gravel motivates me make this trek. Otherwise I'd find excuses not to go. Excuses like "damn that hill is steep."

So, much as I hate this hill when I have to face it on foot, when it rains, all the water runs down The Hill and away from the house, and that suits me fine. It is because of this symbiotic relationship that I will find it in my heart to make peace with The Hill, and I am determined that in the future, I will be able to walk up The Hill without my lungs burning.

A pop of color in the woods.

The Hubs mentioned that if we found enough good-sized rocks, The Cuz might build us a stone fireplace for the yard. Yep, I am well on my way to having that fireplace, people... well on my way.

So if I grab two mason jars of gravel and four stones a day, and don't die in the attempt... in a few months I might reach my goal and lose some weight to boot.

That's optimism for ya. :)

162 - The house

It's not perfect by any means, but I'm sure some of you are curious. All 9 of you. :)

Bathroom. Found the shower curtain at Dollar General. They have a decent selection of home decor at the one three mins from the house, which is great because it's inexpensive and Walmart is the only other option I have except to surf the web. I recycled the curtain from previous homes but it's pinned up so it doesn't interfere with the toilet paper roll. I may get around to hemming it at some point. Or not.

So... we need a mirror. I probably have some. In storage. In Austin. So we're making do with this one for the time being. We installed shelves under the sconces, DG again, and will eventually replace the sconces with something bronze-y. May try to spray paint them in the meantime just so they match better until we can replace them. But all in all, the shelves add a little character and help to keep the counter relatively clutter-free.

The kitchen, where I spend a lot of my time. I was determined to get another French door refrigerator until we stayed with my sister-in-law and then I decided a side-by-side was probably the better choice. We opted for an external ice maker and a tall dispenser, which I've already declared a good decision. I can put a pitcher under it. Very handy.

Kitchen is about the same size as our last kitchen but the layout is better. I think there is more cabinet space and it certainly seems like there is more counterspace. Still, I've had to get creative because it's still fairly small, so I ordered a couple of over the sink shelves and am using those to put spices on and it gives me space underneath for other items. I love my stove. It has a griddle, which we love, or I can use it as a fifth burner. I used to cook on electric stovetops, but in the RV we had gas and I fell in love with the ability to control the flame. I. Love. My. Stove.

Always wanted a window over the sink. So this is my view. We have plans for that, too... get rid of some brush, eventually pour a concrete or asphalt driveway, maybe even add a water feature.

The living room view with the windows open. It's a nice day today. It rained last night and part of the morning so it is nice and cool out. I'm listening to birds, crickets and cows. I love the country.

Living room. We changed the layout yesterday. It was too cluttered. It still needs work, but at least there's room to breathe. Mike hung the ceiling fan and it helps cool the room off. We brought our tv bracket with us, so we didn't have to waste money buying a new one. The curtains are from DG, everything else came with us.

My bookshelves are a lot smaller here... I have way more books to find a home for, and yeah this arrangement is in its formative stages. Under that second shelf is a blank wall/cubby. If we put the a/c in the attic, that's where the return will go, if it goes into the basement (which is looking more and more likely), I don't think we need a return and I will be able to put something in the cubby. Don't laugh, we need all the extra space we can muster.

This is going to be the guest room but it's our room at the moment. A) Because the bed we'll be using is currently in storage. B) Because we have no a/c and this is one of the few windows we can put a window unit in. It's a lot bigger than I expected it to be. We also have a vanity and a small table in there and there is plenty of room.

Mancave with a view to the balcony.

Balcony view.

The attic access we had installed when we thought we were putting the a/c up there. In any case it's nice to be able to use it rather than the small square in the bathroom closet we had. If we need to. For whatever reason.

The RV at the front of the property near the road. We thought that was fairly level. We were wrong. There's no place level out here except for the house itself. So eventually the RV will go toward the back of the property and Mike and Jason will level a spot and pour a pad for it. And after that, at some point, we will have utilities run to it so we can use it as a guest house.

Looking out from the front the house. That's our mailbox across the road, and you can see our neighbor's house. That pic is for mom, they're within walking distance. :)

All in all, Mike and I have realized that we have more conveniences closer to the house here than we did in LC. There is a lumber store about 3 mins away. Dollar General is 4 mins away. There is a small grocery store with basics about 5 mins away. The bank and the post office are about 8 mins away. There are restaurants but we won't talk about them.... And LaFayette is about 20 mins away, that's where Walmart is, which is where we will end up doing most of our shopping. Good restaurants are about 45 mins away, but fast food is available in LaFayette if I just have to. There are some co-ops and a Tractor Supply, a big equipment rental place... it's rural, but it's not out in the boonies, and yet, we don't feel crowded. Except by that damned trailer... but we eventually hope to own that acre too, and then we can deal with the trailer.

So there you have it. Our new house.

161 - Exercises in Frugality

So this is basically what I've done in the past couple of weeks:

I've read several blogs that claim you can regrow celery by keeping the base and soaking it in water. Apparently there is some merit to that, this is day 5. I use celery quite a bit (stems and leaves), so I figure this is a money saver.

Same with green onions. This happens amazingly quickly. I think the long one on the right has been in the water for about 3-4 days.

Found a basil starter pod kit at Dollar Genearl for $1.50. So if all ten pods work out, I'll have a nice little basil garden going. Just started them today, so we'll see.

This wasn't supposed to be a plant per se, I thought I was buying a hydroponic bag of basil but when I got home there was a small pot inside. I have managed to keep it alive for a few weeks now but I figure it will have to be transplanted if I want it to thrive.

White peaches going into the freezer and cherries ready to be pitted and frozen in the pan.

Ready to go into the freezer. After a few hours I'll put them into a baggie. This morning I used some I'd frozen earlier, it's a real time saver, and since they were on sale a money saver, too.

So that's part of my money saving strategy. We also used our Sam's Club membership to buy meat and cheese. I came home and wrapped it all in individual servings. We use water from the fridge instead of buying bottled water now. I'm cutting back on soda. Really trying to keep our costs low and be more mindful of our food so that we don't waste anything. Not to mention eating healthier. Except for the day we went canoeing, and the next day when we took the truck to KY and decided to take advantage of the Chuy's there, I've made all of our meals.

Rearranged some furniture yesterday. Still not *there* yet, but it feels better. My goal is to have the boxes unpacked by the end of the week and find places to put things so there's not so much clutter. I moved the armoire into the mancave to use as a pantry since we don't have one. That's helped a lot, the cabinets are not so crowded now and I can find what I'm looking for. The back bedroom and the bathroom are pretty much how I want them. Kitchen is getting close. The mancave needs the finishing touches but Mike seems to have it how he wants it... it's just the living room, dining room, and the front bedroom that need some work.

So I'm going to try to relax today (too late for that already) and hit it hard tomorrow. I've been getting up between 6:30-9:30 am lately. The night shades in the RV were the problem... the sun doesn't shine in and wake me up, but here that's not a problem. I'm not a morning person per se, but when I'm up, I'm up, so it's not so bad. :)

160 - Stick a Fork In It

Today we canoed the Caney Fork. We thought we were doing a river run, but they put us in the lake and told us to meet them back at the dropoff point. So... we found a little cove and swam before heading to Doo Doo Island and then back to the van. Yes, I said Doo Doo Island... we canoed over to it and when we got out it was littered with poop, most likely goose poop. Geese are nasty in case you were wondering.

Since I'm worn out, this will primarily be a picture blog.

Thanks to SPF 100 I only burned in a couple of places, which is better than I usually fare... so I'll take it. It was definitely hot out there if you weren't in the water or in the shade.

So we have lots of moths. It's interesting to turn the kitchen light on at night and watch what lands on the window. Of course, sometimes they just land on the house. Mike caught this one the other day. I've never seen one like it, it's kinda pretty I think.

Caney Fork River at Silver Point, TN.

Believe it or not, Mike scaled that wall. I think he's part monkey. Or crazy. I'll let you decide.

The hubs shaved his head today. He's been flirting with the idea for a while now and decided to go for it. I thought the water spray was cool when he ran his hands through his hair.

Welcome to Doo Doo Island. I took the pretty pictures and left the doo doo out of it.

Big ass bird's nest.

And then we tried another Mexican restaurant. Disappointing. So there is nothing within a 30 min radius that's worth going to and I suppose that's a good thing, means we eat at home almost exclusively. Found a cheap grill at Target, $99 with a $20 gift card back and 5% off with my Target card. The one I initially wanted was going to be more like $300 so it was going to have to wait. The little one we have was great for the RV, but I like to grill and having to stoop over, or cook in batches because the grate isn't very big pretty much sucked.

And since we're already driving the credit bus off the cliff, I will be using my last line of credit to get a riding mower so we can mow down these weeds. A push mower isn't really feasible unless we're doing the immediate area around the house, and you can get attachments for this one to make it multi-purpose. We were looking at barter sites but no one wants our building just yet so we would have had to come up with cash. And really, you have to rely on people to be honest, which lately I'm having a hard time doing. Can you blame me? My house is still on the market so the scar is a bit fresh.

Anyway, the cash problem should be solved soon, Jason seems to be excited about the plan we laid out, and he already has plans to send Mike to training. I have a bunch of information to sift through to get the bid sheet ready to go... but there it is... we have jobs that we're excited about. We have a lot of catching up to do, but I'm so happy that things are starting to fall into place again.

Now if the house will just sell I can get a/c installed... or maybe we'll get some unseasonally cool weather. They keep saying it doesn't usually rain this much, so maybe the weather will continue to act oddly? I can certainly hope. I know people used to live without a/c... but they didn't live long!

159 - Frugality

So far being in the house has been everything I'd hoped, at least in terms of the kitchen. I've been able to implement all the money saving ideas I've been saving up for the past year and I'm loving the refrigerator, stove and microwave. Love the rest of the house too, but it's a work in progress. Once the boxes are gone it will help me feel more at home... I can't believe we're still moving in. Last house I had everything unpacked in two days, but I also moved from a one bedroom apartment to a four bedroom house... this time it was a four bedroom house and garage full of stuff to a three bedroom house with a damp basement.

Strawberries and cherries were on sale at Walmart last week, so we bought two containers of each. I sliced them up, froze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then put them in ziploc bags so that they aren't glued together in a big wad, and I can take out what I want for ice cream, pies, smoothies or snacks. Also did that for bananas that were on the cusp of becoming overripe, and I had apricots left over from the chicken apricot dish I made, so they will get sliced and frozen as well. Trying to let nothing go to waste. I also cleaned the celery and wrapped it in foil because I've heard it will last for weeks, and instead of letting the lettuce sit for too long and rotting, I cleaned it and tore it into pieces that are in my salad spinner. And the celery leaves are awesome in salads, so they are in a ziploc to be added to the salad mix.

Last night I roasted a chicken. Turned out MUCH better than the one at Christmas because I had time to defrost and brine it. The skin was sooooooooooo crispy and delicious. Last night we had a snack after it came out of the oven. This morning I shredded it and used the last of the pesto and Greek yogurt to make a different kind of chicken salad sandwich. Tonight we'll use the rest for burritos. I froze the liquid from the pan as well as the organ meats in case we feed the puppy a raw diet, and the carcass is in the slow cooker with some veggies to become chicken stock. Added a little vinegar to leach the calcium and marrow from the bones. I've read a lot about the health benefits of bone broth and we can use all the help we can get. I'm determined to get healthy again, to have more energy, to lose weight.

Also have a bunch of scraps to compost, just need a composting barrel. I'm afraid that if I just toss it all out and create a compost pile, it will attract animals to the yard and I don't want that. In the suburbs it's not as big an issue, but out here there are strays and all kinds of wildlife. Heard there was a mountain lion in Granville and someone shot a bear in Gainesboro last year. The mountain lion is verified, the bear is hearsay. Either way, I've only seen turkeys and rabbits out here. And the cows across the road with their cute little calves. And deer on the side of the road... taking a nap. They sleep with their tongues hanging out.

We met our neighbors. They're about our age, a little younger. The husband is in a band so they have get-togethers about 3-4 times a year. Even with the windows open we couldn't hear the music, so if for some reason we didn't end up over there, it wouldn't bother us. Met a few people and had a good time. Everyone here seems to be friendly, we've met about half the people who live on the road by now.

And I've found people who have worse luck than we do: Dream House: Log Cabin. Every time they turn around there is something else wrong. Wow.

Jason should be here tonight. Since our truck has no a/c, Jason is picking Mike up to take back to AL. Mike left a voicemail with our Dodge case manager since we've fixed the a/c twice now, it's getting to be ridiculous and we shouldn't have to pay anything more on it. Anyway, it'll be good to see my cuz and he needs a break, so we'll probably go canoeing and I'll make yummy food. And then in a day or two I'll have the house to myself. It's nice for a couple of hours, but I'm used to having Mike around and I kinda like him... so... We do what we have to do and I'm glad that he and Jason get along so well and can help each other out.

Anyway, gonna go do something useful. Just feeling good about being frugal and wanted to share.