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September 4, 2007 (6:03am)

55º F, Overcast, SSE Wind, 4mph.

Good morning,

Labor day has come and gone. All of the little kiddies are going to school today and “eager” for a new school year. We did some labor on Labor Day too - but not too much. The weather cooperated with a beautiful day, though the temperature did get up to 80º F over the predicted. Today looks like some rain and thunder storms. Guess most of the rain is to be north of us though. Temperature today should be in the mid-70's today. Like that.

After all the fal-der-all to accumulate parts for the water shut off of the old water supply to the Hobbit Hus, I didn’t use them. The main shutoff valve refused to move/open, so ended up plugging the line. We don’t really need it, but thought it would be a good secondary supply for the Hobbit Hus. I got totally drenched when I opened the line from the water in the system and the remaining pressure, even though I had the system shut down. It dried in a relatively short time, thanx to the temperature and sunshine. I did add a riser to the connection and hope to add a hydrant for outdoor use. Hope I can get an insulated one, or I will not put any in.

I started to fill in the hole we dug a long time ago too. It is about ¾ filled, measured by depth, but it is the narrow ¾! About half of the piled soil has disappeared. I sure am glad it is sand and not the clay in Kewaunee. I left the top of the riser exposed, but inside a 4" piece of PVC, so I didn’t need to dig it out again. The old access to the valve was a 12" piece of iron sewer pipe which was also resting in the hole. I put a chain on it and pulled it out with the truck. I don’t know what I will use it for, but it is about 5' long and pretty heavy. The walls on it are about ¼” thick. Might set it up on end and use it as a base for a grinder or some such in the future, but right now it is resting outside of the shop. Should be fun to cut it to length too!

While I had the chain and truck out, I pulled one of the pine trees I cut down out from the woods so I can finish limbing it. There is also a big old pine down that I will cut in half to use as a bunk for the firewood logs. I also need to make another bunk for the saw logs too. Probably will make them from a couple of cedar trees, yet to be cut down.

Margriet brought a box of the wood flooring for the eating kitchen floor and filled in the place where the wall used to be. Kind of a jigsaw puzzle. The line where the wood joins the vinyl also needs some attention. I probably will put a piece of threshold over it. Also in the doorway to the bathroom and the arch to the gathering room. At least they will all look intentional. Not too sure how to keep the wood floor pieces in place. Current thought is to apply enough pressure to the edges for tight fits, then glue and fasten down the outer edges to the sub-floor with brads or finishing nails. The threshold should hide the fasteners - I hope.

The window quilts are becoming a reality. Margriet has been sorting and choosing materials to build them from the remnants Mom left. Some of the pieces I recognize as leftovers from dresses, &c. Mom had made. Margriet is sure having fun figuring out what and how to use the fabrics and other materials needed. Also figuring out how to install them on the windows and how to open/close them. Sure is a good thing we bought the sewing machine some years ago. Having fun with this adventure of ours.

We had a couple of visitors late yesterday afternoon - two yearling does. The came right up to the main house (about 10' from it) and dined on the grass growing there. Eventually the walked up close to the Hobbit Hus, before heading into the ravine to the west of the shops. We watched them for 20-30 minutes and Margriet was able to take a couple of pictures through the window. It appears as if the mother has turned them loose to be on their own now. They look like the two we often saw with the mother earlier in the summer. Hope they will attract a big buck or two in a couple of months.

Time to get a-going.

In Christ My Saviour,

Chris <><