Maytag washer I bought used

The pantry and fridge recess got their final coat of mud today- so, maybe tomorrow they at least get a final sanding and some primer. Also, a washing machine followed me home this evening. It's still on it's side in my truck...but baby steps are fine- and it's a Maytag!

back side of a bead board door in old kitchen sink nook

I used an old bead board door I found in an alley to make the floor/bottom shelf for the future clothing storage area in the future dressing area outside the bathroom- it's the old kitchen sink nook.

The 2nd coats of mud are on the pantry and fridge recess walls and the electric is now hooked up... and still the pumpkins keep growing.

the new fridge recess

It's warmer in Colorado today. It only got to the low 80's today- nice! I saw to taping and mudding the new drywall and old plaster in the pantry and new fridge recess. The hard part is over now.

end wall of pantry removed

I gutted the pantry in the kitchen so I could divide it into a smaller pantry and a fridge recess. It'll be nice to fill the pantry with new/better shelving and to have a place for a fridge.

wall inside pantry

Then new electric for a counter receptacle, a fridge receptacle and a pantry light and switch were added.

Sometimes I can't decide what to eat- so I go work on the ATV rear brakes. I removed and cleaned the cylinder and it now seemingly operates as it should but I need to see if I can bleed it.

rear master cylinder- 2001 Sportsman 400

end of pantry- to be cut out for fridge

Let's see... I finished the wall work at rear of kitchen and put on the finish coat yesterday so the kitchen walls are looking "done" except for the back splash area- which I can ignore for quite a while. I finally came up with a good place for a fridge( should I ever be blessed with one). I will recess it in the end of the pantry- without loosing any of the outer pantry wall space, so I will still have the long wall for additional counter space. The CB450 is where a table and chairs will/would go.

sunflower

 The zucchini and squash are producing more than I can eat. I slice the zucchini and put in a frying pan with some olive oil and then lemon juice and pepper. Petra eats what I can't. I've picked 4 tomatoes so far. The squirrels seem to be staying out of the patch I have the 3' chicken wire around. It's staked at the corners loosely and floppy in between.

kitchen painting

I painted the kitchen ceiling yesterday which allowed me to paint the walls today. There is more wall work to do at the rear but that has to be a separate project as there's just not much room in this place to move things while working on it.

tomatoes...and toes

I picked my first 2 tomatoes this morning- after watching a squirrel climb a sunflower, cut the head of and carry it away to the fence and munch it...while a woodpecker sat about 18" away as it waited for the squirrel to be done and drop the seed head.

sunflowers- the picket fence is 44" tall

kitchen wall work- I'm calling it done!

Yesterday I started back on the interior work, now that the exterior is at least under control, if not caught up. I eyed the bathroom vanity/unfinished mosaic for a bit and then started gluing tile on the back splash and lower front edge. Next I got myself to work on finishing the kitchen wall plaster work.  A quick three coats of mud on the wall by the pantry end and I'm ready to prime/seal the bare plaster- then consider a finish paint. it will be nice to have some color besides white in the kitchen.

bath vanity in progress- again

multi-head sunflowers in front

The yard is about caught up from the growth spurt of the "weeds" while I was gown. The yard has been let go for several years and the weeds have seriously seeded themselves- lots of invasive vine plants. Some of the multi-headed sunflowers are blooming. The pumpkin vine has a huge flower on it and there are some large tomatoes but none ripe yet.

pumpkin bloom- and the hand model for that below

Today I filled and leveled in front- the holes and dips left after bamboo tear out. This eliminated one of my piles of extra soil. I also tied up leaning sunflowers and spread wood chips in rear, near the cedar tree, where bamboo was removed. I took breaks often, enjoying our unusually cool temps.

the hand

Yesterday I managed to get the giant 3/4" thick steel hand here- tilting it onto the trailer and then using a jack to stand it back up. Four of the native tobacco starts gifted me are doing well. I spread them out a bit during my morning walk-about.

tobacco

I enjoyed a bit of my 2 varieties of swiss chard last night- sauteed the stems and one of my onions a while with a little olive oil then threw in the cut greens and a little lemon juice and vinegar. Yum. Today I finally got around to starting the grape vines on some wire- wire I found in Colorado. I pruned and tied the vines to the wire. When the vines grow more, I will extend the trellis height above the fence for a bit more privacy. This afternoon a front brought gusty winds, then it cooled down and rained ever so slightly while I sewed three patches on my front door screen.

wire going up on post for grape vines

new, large tent

I've been away for a few weeks - roaming Colorado. 27 hundred and 96 miles of driving. I made several stops in Crested Butte and Paonia and also went through: Georgetown, Fairplay, Buena Vista, Salida, Gunnison, Sargents, Montrose, Ridgeway, Ouray, Delta , Hotchkiss, etc. I salvaged some interesting timbers from a stream that turns everything orangish due to the iron. I found some nice primitive camping spots on the road up to Irwin lake outside of Crested Butte I never knew about. The new, large tent I picked up(Big Agnus: Big House Four) is sweet-great construction and easy set up...I could go on. Just don't ask me about air mattresses.

I came home to zucchini, squash and swiss chard and onions waiting to be enjoyed...and sunflowers in bloom. This day was busy catching up on the neglected yard and I'm still unpacking and putting away camping gear and such.

boards I salvaged from stream-s. of Ouray(Ironton area)

Petra the mountain goat

stream in Ironton- s. of Ouray