Projects

Oh, how the projects stack up! Winter was rough on our wooden structures this year. Buck decided he'd need to take a chunk of time off of work to work on getting lots of things shored up around here, and that's what's happening this week (despite the storms). 

He's already fixed the chicken coop doors (they were sagging and the locking mechanisms were not working great), knocked the hay bin corner back together (the wasps loved this gap), and restructured the caving-in wall of the egress window (and discovered our classroom window toad is still in residence!).

You may recall that several years ago we replaced all the deck parts EXCEPT the support system. Buck noticed the deck had gained quite a slant as the posts and crossbeams rotted away below. Maybe you can tell from the roof picture of the backyard? The railings were pulling apart, the stairs were shaky, and the cute toppers crumbling apart . . . okay, the last one still needs some work AND we need to buy paint AGAIN! Every other year . . . oof. 

But it was great that Chase had the day off and he was happy to help. G$ ended up getting off work at 11 a.m. which hasn't happened in months! So the two bro-in-laws were a huge part of getting the deck shored up, and Buck enjoyed their company :) Buck said Chase gets special props for crawling under the lowest part of the deck to reattach the hardest part of the job. Good job, Chase!

I've lost track of the timeline, but Buck continued projects on the regular during his days off. Not exactly a vacation, a workcation? I helped him some with the coop. The roof was caving in from all the heavy snow in the past few years. We added a lot to the support system, swapped the rotted spindles, replaced a perching pallet, leveled out the ground some, cleaned out the food bins . . . there is still much to do to finish up, but it was a really good start!

We also pulled the old planter boxes that grew nothing but weeds--it will make lawncare much easier this year! (Our new neighbors added a similar system right before we took ours out; I hope they have more success than we did!)

Below is the final step in keeping the dogs from under the deck. Buck bought a bunch of trellis with Brennen and Sarah, but when he got the deck pulled apart, realized the green stuff already underneath still worked for 75% of the keepy-outty. We just needed to buy another roll to finish off the 4th side. Thus, we shall return the trellis and reclaim our lost fortune! :)

We've got a squad of new neighbor kids who play often on our back hill. I saw them headed into the treehouse and told them it wasn't safe to be in there, so to please stay out (not due to structure, but to possible unregistered guests at our unofficial airnb--pool still not finished, it's a process ;) Buck was determined to pull the whole thing down and it took a whole lot of work. Brennen helped some, G$ helped some, and eventually . . . Buck pulled it down with his bare hands! I'm a bit sad to see it go. There were some great memories built up there for the guys. G$ did an awesome job dreaming it up and making it happen. The wood will be repurposed for our chicken coop/run and the one Chase and Gabby have started at the farm.

As Brennen has slowly moved his things to his new apartment (and then into storage at his new apartment since he's now at a newer apartment up north for the summer), we've shifted furniture pieces around in the other rooms. It took all four guys--Buck, Brennen, Graysen, and Chase--to carry the staircase/drawers up the other stairs and down the hall to be resecured to the bunk bed--a reset to 12 years ago!

That opened up space to move the treadmill so it looks out a window and not at the wall; this will be a much better exercise experience. And I shifted my desk over, too, so I can look out the window, but also out the door behind me. This will make enough space for the queen air mattress, when needed, too. I got a crazy idea to browse wallpaper for the back wall--Brennen helped me measure and I got it ordered off of the 'zon. I think Caelan is going to help me put it up when she's back in two weeks! Woot!

In the meantime, there's a lot of little holes to fill and sand and fill again and paint (I'm going to have to get creative, since I don't have the lilac color--it came with the house). 

Another big project was shoring up the structure of the armoire and restoring it to the "tall" way. It's been on its side as a TV stand/dresser drawer for Brennen. I'm not sure it will stay in his room, but for now I'm stocking it full of baby shower gear :)

Taa-daaa! Reunited :) Gosh, we've done a LOT of work around here and there's still much more to be done. But, that's homeownership, so we shall continue on!