New Addition

Andy has been hard at work on the bathroom and patio addition on the south end of the house, which will eventually be the New Mexico room. He and his building helpers have put up the studs for the walls, and are putting on the roof decking today. We had a little rain earlier in the week, which delayed their work for a couple of days, but the outlook is for nice weather for at least the next week. In fact, the temperatures have dropped in the last couple of days and it feels like fall. This morning it was barely 50 degrees and the high today will be 70 and sunny. There is a crisp feel in the air. The trees aren't changing colors yet, though. Everything in the yard is blooming right now and I can tell that next spring will be beautiful as plants in the garden fill in. I have started to thin out the daylilly beds and transplant those to other areas on the property. Andy has also been trimming more trees. Last weekend Andy and I laid out some mulch along a few paths that lead from the front yard down to the front meadow, where we plan on having a bonfire next weekend. We are excited to be having guests with us on the first two weekends in October.

We're having Fall Weather

It's already mid-September! It is hard to believe. We've had nice temperatures over the past two weeks: 60's in the morning and highs in the 80's. This weekend we finally got a nice rain on both Saturday and Sunday. It would have been perfect weather for me to do some work in the garden, but I got lazy and just couldn't get too motivated to work in the drizzle. Andy and I did some cleaning out and unpacking some more boxes from the living room, and we have that room about 90 percent empty. The gardens love this weather. Everything is green and blooming. The vegetable garden continues to produce, though the tomatoes aren't ripening right now -- probably waiting for sunny days again! Andy and I sprigged some bermuda grass in the backyard last weekend in the hopes of getting it established before the cold weather sets in and maybe having an actual "lawn" next spring. And Andy made some grape jelly last weekend. We continue to make progress on all fronts -- inside the house and outside in the gardens.

This past week Andy had the foundation poured for the add-on on the south side of the house, the third bedroom's bathroom. He and Carl Matli would have worked on the framing had the weather not been wet, but they hope to get that done this week. He also had a cement foundation laid for a big rock sign we have ordered.

Andy and I are going to host his high school reunion the first Saturday in October, and one of his classmates is going to stay with us. We are also getting revved up for the upcoming Cheese Festival, which will be held Oct. 9-10. Andy is on the Entertainment Committee, and my friend Robbie and I will be hosting a booth to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen foundation, giving away pink lemonade for donations. Andy hasn't decided yet if he is going to enter the DeSoto in the vintage car parade or show. I know I need to get some pictures posted here, and hopefully will learn how to do that sometime this month -- that is my goal!