Like a turtle,

I'm slow to finish, but eventually get there.

Despite yesterday's high of 85 degrees with 9.2 million percent humidity, (waaay too hot for me) the second coat was hand rolled onto the front porch. Whew.

 Dolly is very glad to have her favorite see-everything-spot back.

Weedville.  Don't forget to stop in tomorrow for the boring Tuesday farm report.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

This, that, and t'other . . .

 These photos were taken at the Mennonite Market . . .

Wanted to show my pal K.C. just what she was missing by going off on adventures without me.

 Yesterday, was a slow work day so I managed to finally get the taters and onions in.

as well as the last of the pepper plants.  Every year I vow to get started early.  And it seems every year I get set back.  The potatoes and onions should have gone in in March.  Sigh.

Here's the porch floor, first coat of paint.  We'll wait for the rain to stop before adding the next coat.

However, today work was light again, so I took time to finish the second coat on the inside spokes and got a bit more of the first coat done on the outside spokes.

Life in the country, doesn't get much more exciting than this.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Excerpts of my summer vacation. . .

  . . . and why I did not go anywhere.

Four years ago I used Olympic deck cleaner on my front porch before painting and it annihilated the wood. It may have been applied on too hot a day, but whatever the reason, it's been going downhill ever since.  Cracks, splinters and serious fissures abound.

 So I rented a drum sander, hired a sanding guy for 4 hours, and then spent 3-1/2 days using a palm sander, a 3" belt sander, and hand sanding everything else.  A long and tedious process to be sure.

 Many of the spokes were loose with rusted out nails at the bottom and required Gorilla glue.

 Serious fissures.

Painting with Rustoleum 2x on the rails and spokes was a smart choice.  It filled in a lot of problem areas.  More serious problem areas received Bondo, an autobody filling compound prior to painting.

Three base areas on the french doors were also rotted out and required layering treatment with autobody compound.

Serious layering, eventually sanded down.  This took 4 hours.  After each layer, everything was left to dry for 15 minutes.

The covered porch ceiling required extensive long-handled brush scrubbing using various chemicals not certified by the EPA.  My cervical vertebrae C6-7 will never be the same.

Side bar:  Always wear a hat when scrubbing mold reduction chemicals on a ceiling and try not to look up while anything is dripping.  Oh, and before starting such activity, make an appointment with your chiropractor.

On Monday, Memorial Day, I got the first coat of Rustoleum 10X on the porch deck, taking great lengths to fill in the multiple fissures.  Five hours and 6 gallons of paint later, the first coat was done. I returned to the store for 6 more gallons.  Now that it's raining, I'll wait until everything dries well before putting on the final coat.

Meanwhile, I've had time to read the reviews on Rustoleum 10X and discovered some very unhappy people not to mention a class action lawsuit.

Will the paint live up to it's hype not to mention a 120-pound pup?  Only time will tell.  I'll take plenty of photos and keep my receipts just to be sure.

Let me know if you've had good or bad luck with this product won't you.  Perhaps on my next vacation we can house swap, but only if you live in Maui and have a really good chiropractor.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Happy dance galore!

The windows are now DONE!

Can I get an AMEN from the balcony choir on that one please. It's only taken me . . . let's see . . 6 weeks.

Now on to the next project, which was begun in September. Old iron bed purchased in 1993.

Using spray on paint stripper, gloves, and scraping tool, I managed to get most of the white paint removed. Now I'm using 60-grit sandpaper on my palm sander to remove the remaining rust and paint. More pictures to come.

Meanwhile Dolly waits patiently for her mom to finish.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Captain's log, star date 11-13-11

Alien beings discovered in vicinity. Before interrogation could commence, they took flight. Informants verify they dwell in a body of water known as a lake, form close knit groups, and are known for cacophonous rants if threatened. Detailed report to follow.

Work detail commenced on completing 7 windows in 2 days. View from the observatory, verifies no pitbulls in sight.

3 remaining windows received 2nd coat. Thorough sanding was in order due to cracks in the sill boards.

Four-legged companion waited anxiously for work detail to end so truck ride and trip to Arby's could commence. Detailed report to follow.

Nanooo, nanooo. (oops, sorry, wrong show)

Live long and prosper, buy lots of fabric and may you make many quilts.

This is the captain speaking. Over and out.

As promised . . .

A picture of the new porch light. Honestly, it's about as exciting as it gets here in the woodsey mountains of NC.

But first the story:

After taking down the new brown light, the back of which was too long to fit properly on my siding, I put up the new black light. . . . Only to find out that it would not fit snugly against the siding.

Due to the inclement weather that batters this side of the house come winter, a flush fit is absolutely necessary.

So I layed out an old car mat and traced the shape of the back piece.

Cut it out leaving a nice 1/2-inch "seam allowance" . . .

Trimmed the inside, but left extra on the bottom where the section of the lamp back hung below the extended siding.

Hooked up the new light and wallah . . . it looks like part of the lamp. It will also prevent water from getting in.

All of this excitement was too much for Dolly who spent the day working on her tan.

We're getting some lovely weather here lately. Cool in the mornings and warm in the afternoons with plenty of colorful leaves to brighten our day.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Acrobats for hire!

I discovered that the trick to getting my house painted was finding the right group of acrobats.

It takes great balance and nerves of steel, especially when the peak stands near 30 feet!

There are shallow angles with slippery slopes, which only a contortunist can manage.

Somehow they juggle buckets and brushes while keeping their balance. (I got dizzy just taking the pictures.)

Naturally, they have to work in tandem to create perfect choreography.

Dolly kept trying to join the act, but I wouldn't let her climb a ladder. No sirreee, my pup is better on the pumpkin toss to be sure.

In 2 days, this crew had the house done. Mother nature provided the great weather and I provided the veggie ham soup with cornbread muffins and plenty of lemonade.

Great teamwork all around!

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .