CATCHING UP and LOOKING AHEAD.......
JUNE 08 2011

I guess today is let's play catch-up.  How the "re-modeling" of the shop/machine shed building is progressing, getting caught up on the mowing and weed-whacking, and preparing for this coming week ends coming art festival in Granville, Ohio.  I might even, if I am lucky, get the house vacuumed before leaving on Friday morning.  But am fast running out of time.

This is Herb inside, and Bob outside.  They are framing up this hole in the wall to make it a hidden doorway, so Jerry has access to the inside.  As the new roof is built over top of the old roof, there is quite a nice area between the two for storage. 

I don't know about you folks, but we never seem to have enough storage. The more we make, the more we need

Herb is a contractor friend, he has helped us with lots of work over the years, and Bob is Jerry's first cousin, who is temporarily staying with us, while he is waiting for the new home he is buying to pass inspection so they can schedule the closing.


Here is Herb, getting ready to exit the new storage area. 

Jerry likes for things to look nice, he really doesn't like clutter, so for the 6 years we have lived here on the farm, there have been many many changes taking place.

I do have to agree with him, the changes have all been for the good, good for us, good for the appearance, and the first look folks get of our place as they top the last rise in our driveway is making quite a good impression.  But you would not believe the amount of work that has been done.

I have it made.  I pretty much "supervise", and manage to stay hidden if there is something I think they might want me to do, like hand up boards (I have done that and dropped them on Jerry's head and on his fingers), hand him the wrong screw driver, ask dumb questions, and just generally get in the way.

Jerry and Bob here are re-arranging the ladders so they can place the false door over the opening. 



You can see how nice this looks as Herb and Bob are putting on the finishing touches.  Jerry is telling them how to do it.  I guess since he is the owner, he gets the boss' hat.

Where they are working here is the back side of the building, facing the shady garden.  The next pictures will show the end, which faces the driveway as you come over the crest, and you can see how nice it is going to look.

Getting close to being finished.  I think it makes a nice welcome to our hilltop sort of thing.  We have a beautiful sign that Georgia has painted for us that will be re-attached to the two posts on the left, welcoming folks to 16 Bushko Lane.

The sign was removed so it would not be damaged during the remodeling.  The flowers have all survived and are blooming.

Here you can see the driveway on the far left, the house in the background, and the shop in the foreground. 

When this is finished Jerry can mark one more thing off of his "to do" list, but the list doesn't seem to get any shorter.

Enough for this stuff. 

Talked to Linda in Phoenix twice yesterday.  Last word was that Jim and Dianne's house is still intact.  The firefighters have been trying to save as many homes as they can, clearing all underbrush away and using flame retardant on the buildings.  There was fire all around the house, and unless flying embers land in just the right place at the right time, possibly their house will be spared.

The landscape is a different story.  It will be a long time before the vegetation again takes over.  A sad reminder of what can happen, when a campfire is not properly taken care of.  All we know about Tiffany's parents is that they have evacuated, but not sure as of yet just where they are.  Again the waiting game.

I don't know what the Arizona Mountains will look like as things come back to life, but several years ago when visiting Alaska, we were in an area where the wildfires had burned hundreds of acres of vegetation.  It was awesome to see the recovery.  Alaska has a plant known as FIREWEED, called that because after a devastating fire, the fireweed is the first vegetation to return.

You can see what I mean from this picture.  Everywhere we looked, it was covered with this beautiful plant.

I have seen the living proof that life goes on, regardless of what happens.

There is a reason and a purpose for everything on this earth.  It is not for us to understand the reasons and purposes, but to go with the flow

This is a closeup picture of a fireweed. 

As I said, I don't know what will come back first in the Mountains of Arizona, but I rather imagine it will be something just as beautiful and spectacular as the fireweed. 

I believe the fireweed is the rainbow following a fire.

Now, out to hoe in the garden for a while, then after lunch will start mowing yard.  The grass should be dry by then from yesterday's rain.

When feeling burned out, remember the fireweed and God Bless.