Creative People

including shade tree mechanics

and farmers

figure out a way

to get things done.

"Dirt Poor" But Inventive

The old smokehouse has stood as long as I can remember.

Beneath it is the hand dug root cellar.

Had to put my thinking cap on because the shedding of the asphalt siding exposed the spaces between the boards.  Blowing rain could create another problem.  Solution:  feed sacks!  The plastic woven feed sacks are used for many purposes here.

The sacks were split, tacked and tucked under the remaining siding as best as could be done. Siding pieces were tacked back into place.  Secured and painted.

Not a great solution but one solved with product on hand.  This should keep the smoke house and contents dry for a few more years. If you drive by quickly...it looks okay.

Painted an old lawn chair while I was at it.

Discovered A Leak

that had been leaking a while.  Hubby, not only is not a carpenter, he is also not a plumber so we have to make do.  Beware the uglies...

We are both up in years and not as small as we used to be so a problem like this can be daunting. This is under my bathroom sink I'm ashamed to confess. It was artfully hidden by baskets of supplies until the water had reached the front. The water caused the paint to flake. I removed everything and just sat an ice cream bucket under the drain until I had time and the ability to look at the problem.  

First I had to find the leak.  None of the joints were the problem but I found this funky piece...have no idea what it's called but it was the problem.  When this piece was not in place, it leaked. If I removed it there was a big hole in the drain pipe.

Notice the piece sticking out on the left of the drain contraption.  I thought on that a while.  Then I remembered GORILLA GLUE!

This type of glue expands when it dries.  Not good for some wood projects but maybe, just maybe, it was the solution.

Forgive my poor photography skills.  I was having trouble fitting under the sink, using a flash light, gluing and taking pictures. My brilliant idea was if the glue expands why not try it on the part where the leak is...I'm creative when it comes to an out of the box solution!  Glue applied.  Thingy stuck back in hole.  Problem solved!!! No leak.  Hot dog, I'm on a roll.

Cleaned, sanded, painted and done, done and done.  Donations for a real plumber can be sent to...

What Did You Do Sunday?

I would love to be a person who just dials a handy man and says, Here's the problem.  Fix it, please.  Here's the check.  Can't do it and probably will never be able to.  The solution...figure it out yourself, use what you have and fix it.

Due to some rain damage I had a small section on the screen porch that had to be repaired.  Look it over. Make a plan and just do it. This is the underside view after I tore out the rain damaged wood.

The beginning of the solution was cutting a piece of plywood to replace the old board.  Wearing my flip flops of course!!!  Yes, I own a carpenter's pencil, a saw, a drill and a measuring tape but that does not a carpenter make.

Hubby shows up in time to help me rehang the screen door.  Thank goodness!!!

Hubby decides to burn my brush piles...five of them...where I have been trimming fence lines.  I said, Oh, no. He asked, What?  I said I wanted to enjoy the brush piles a while longer so I could tell the work I've done. Hubby just suggested I could make more piles of brush.

I will start over today.

It Was A Double Poopy Monday...

I felt gray and dreary 

but the skies were blue despite how I felt.

Spring is closer than it has been all year and I seem to get further and further behind on projects that should have long been finished. 

The house is getting emptier. Currently my office chair is sitting on five sheets of plywood in the computer room floor waiting for repair jobs.  I get out of my chair and it rolls a way but don't want to leave the wood out in case it rains.  These are for repairs within the house...when I get around to it.  I need a whole bucket full of round tuits...then maybe I could get some things done.

Replacement parts for the tractor auger cost over two hundred dollars, the lumber past a hundred and a half.  It's discouraging but we have the parts and materials for different projects so maybe, just maybe, before the snow flies again, we can finish up some repairs.

My followers are increasing on both of my blogs so that is a pure delight.  I am always honored and amazed that people want to read what I write.

Weather wise, we are dry as a bone, the dirt roads boil dust as we travel but the green still battles to reach the light.  I do believe spring has almost arrived, dressed in flowery undergarments and filling the air with an exotic perfume.

Oh, the repairs and projects we have to do far out number the times we can find to do them.  I am bound and determined before the deep heat of summer we will have the stock corral finished with the head gate so cattle working will be much easier.  The home repairs will be done as we continue to thin, thin, thin.  Old pieces of family history will find a permanent home here and other pieces will find new happy homes with some one else. The tornado damaged barn may actually get completely repaired this year and tools will find their way back to the shop.

I have a magic wand, you know, and like Merlin in the Sword and The Stone, I will wave my wand and things will dance into their proper places.  Hey, I can dream, can't I?

Mondays at work are always hectic and this Monday was no exception.  I go in early to catch up, work through lunch to catch up and find myself further behind at the end of the day than I was at the beginning.  My customers are happy, I think,  I help them with paperwork, wrap their packages and just lend an ear  and they seem to appreciate it. 

The old big F the doctor assigned me makes my muscles cry out and my bones ache but I go on...smiling and helping the best I can.

Our biggest disaster today was Lil, the lead butt Border Collie stepped on Andrew's tv remote and that no longer works...one more thing on hubb's list to pick up tomorrow.  This disaster has shut down Andrew's music, his games and his movies.

Hubby presented his present to Marcy...new fishing line and some fishing lures...the crappie will be biting and fresh fish to catch here At The Farm.  Marcy does love to fish!

I dragged my aches and complaints to bed and know tomorrow is another day.  Oh, the promise it holds!!!