Sunday, January 21/2018 - Saturday, January 27/2018

This week was highlighted by the arrival of Lorne and Marilyn.  They are here to visit for about a week before they head off to their month long stay south of the border.
On Monday, Kay and I headed into Surprise to hit the local Walmart for some much needed supplies for the apartment.  This included towels, pillow, and linens.   It was like furnishing a complete house!!   Holy Buckets!!
When we arrived back at home, Lorne and Mariliyn had just pulled in so we were kind of caught with our bags in hand and the bed unmade!!   It wasn't too long before the apartment was ready and they were able to settle in for their stay.
The apartment looked awesome and both Lorne and Marilyn were impressed with the final results.   I too was rather impressed with the results.  It truly did look good and very "homey".  Geez....I was the one wanting to spend the night in there!!
Even though we had company, there was still "stuff" that needed to be done and of course Lorne jumped right in to help out.  He is not one to just sit and watch if there is something that he could be doing.   He is a whiz with electricity so had no problem hanging the motion sensor light on the front of the garage, helping to straighten the little stove's chimney and trying to figure out the "issue" with Kay's lights in the hallway and in her bedroom.  He also managed to repair the "leak" under the sink in the apartment.  That was a simple repair with the replacement of the gasket.  Woo Hoo..... no more leak!!
This week also found us with more sewer issues and we had to phone the plumber again.  He arrived and snaked the pipes and thought that the apartment sewer system had some residual contents that had hardened and moved down the  pipes to create a blockage.  An hour and a half later, the system was up and flowing and all was good in our world again!!  Imagine, having guests and not being able to flush the damn toilets!!  Shit, Oh Dear and I do mean Shit!!
We also took the time this week to head over to the Arrowhead Bar and Grill for some much needed beers and "all you can eat" fish fry.  It was delicious as usual and we did enjoy the break from "work".  Unfortunately, Kay did not join us as she has been plagued by her allergies and had a nasty sinus headache so decided that she needed to stay home, close her red, burning eyes and hopefully get "better"!!  I am not sure what is causing the issues but with the breezes that have been stirring up dust lately, Kay has been suffering a lot.  Even the allergy pills don't seem to be helping all that much.  Gosh, I am glad that I am not plagued by allergies like that!!
Kay had managed to get the stereo system wired in the mancave despite the headaches and runny eyes so now we have awesome sounding music in there while we are sitting around the little wood stove in the evenings.  She even wired the sound from the TV into the speakers so now even the TV sounds incredible!!    Life is Good despite the allergies and the continuing broken fingernails and sore thumbs!!

The work on the Casita is now complete

More man cave

Starting the deck on the Casita

Roger rabbit having a drink

Sunday, January 14/2018 - Saturday, January 20/2018

The new shed arrived

Another busy week is ahead of us and we started off on a tear.  This is our last full week to get things done before our first guests arrive.
I was busy in the apartment with cleaning and such while John and Kay were busy on the deck.   Kay also found time to start painting in her bedroom.  Man, this painting just never stops and there is still a lot to do in the house.  Constantly being focused on getting the apartment ready for friends and family is getting to be a bit of a grind so a painting distraction in the bedroom is a good thing!!  With that being done, Kay can now get her bedroom kind of set up and also frees up a bed for the apartment.  She ordered a new bed frame and that came this week too.
The new shed arrived on Monday and that was intersting to see how the fellow was able to move it into place.  Wow,  so handy to move and now we have no reason not to get the yard cleaned up and all our "stuff" put into the shed.  Woo Hoo!!  Again....life is good!!
This week also found us getting Dish Network installed into the house and the apartment and man cave.  We have been having issues with our satellite connection so now with Dish Network, we now have a strong signal and good service.   Much better to watch the football games with I might add!!

moving the shed into place

Base of the deck done for the Casita

With the floor of the deck being completed, it made it much easier for moving furniture into the apartment so we got some of that done this week as well.   I think one of the biggest challenges was figuring out how to put the bed frame together!!  Good Grief.... I am so glad that we do not have to do that everyday!!   What a pain that was but between John and Kay, they got it done and it looked awesome in the apartment.
Of course there were a few trips made into Wickenburg for more supplies and at one point I headed back to the trailer to pick up some big paving stones that were needed here at the house.
As the week progressed, the deck was completed with its walls up and the stained glass cowboy picture framed into the structure.  It really looks awesome there and with the sun shining through it, well, that is just icing on the cake.   Booko was not impressed with the cowboy and was very wary of him initially until I think he realized he was not a real person.  He is cool with him now!!  LOL
I took a trip into Home Depot and stopped at Walmart for a few things this week while John and Kay stayed at the house getting things finished up.  I took our big truck in to get a few long boards and the boys at Home Depot thought the truck and its "setup" was pretty cool!  I screwed the three long boards directly to the deck and the two pieces of plywood were held in place by the winch cable.  The "boys" were impressed!!  I got back to the house without incident and that is always a good thing.
The week ended with a bit of a rain storm and that was not a bad thing.   The oleanders and the desert flora were in need of this rain.  It smelled pretty darn good too!!
Lorne and Marilyn will arrive some time in the upcoming week so we will have that to look forward to.  Our work is almost done so it is now time to rest and enjoy our company.   Life is Good.

Sunday, January 7/2018 - Saturday, January 13/2018

Our logo above the stove

Kay is continually checking the Wickenburg Swap Page on her ipad and she found a bedroom set that was priced right and made some inquiries about it.  Yes, it was still available and yes, we would come and get it.
John hooked up the trailer and we headed out.  When we saw it, we decided that it was perfect for what we needed so, loaded it up and headed back home.
We stopped at the trailer and got more stuff out of the man cave over there then headed back home.
We then decided to leave it on the trailer for the night and deal with it the following day.  It was time for an adult refreshment and time to sit around Kay's little wood stove!!
The following day, we unloaded the trailer, set up the bedroom set and cleaned up the yard.
Rain is in the forecast so it was time to get the yard cleaned up again and get all the stuff that could not be rained on out of the elements.
Man, who put all that stuff all over????  Yikes!!
The day progressed and we were soon getting ready to sit around the wood stove.
I quickly threw together a Cowboy Casserole and got that into the oven for supper.
Booko had a "creature" cornered in the rocks that lay beside the walkway and was busy harassing it.  He was very intent and we really did not pay too much attention to him as we thought it was probably a mouse or some other inconsequential creature.
Imagine our surprise when I got up to go into the house and this huge TOAD was trying his hardest to get away from the dog.  Now THIS was not good.   The Sonoran Desert Toad is a nasty little creature and one of the most hazardous to dogs.  They have huge "poison" sacks on their heads and are very dangerous to dogs often causing death to small dogs due to convulsions and poisoning.   Booko, I hope did not get too close.   John got the fire gloves out, ushered the toad into a bowl and let him go out in the desert.  He needed to be outside the yard and away from the dog.
Kay and I kept a close watch on Booko for the rest of the evening to make sure he had not got into any of the toad's poison.   She said that her dog Bruno had a few encounters with these toads and would froth at the mouth for quite a while as the poison gets into their mouths especially, if they are unfortunate enough to bite down on them.  Fortunately, Booko must have lucked out as he really did not have any symptoms at all other than to have a bit of an issue with his left eye.  We flushed it out and put in some of the antibiotic eye drops and continued to watch him.  He dodged a bullet with this one and that was a good thing.  The whole ordeal served to remind us that we need to be a bit more diligent when Booko is concerned about the fauna and flora of the area!!  Not only do we have to worry about rattlesnakes but now Toads as well.    The funny thing about this sighting is that these toads usually are only seen  in July and August when the monsoon season rolls around.    This damn toad was confused!!
Tuesday rolled around and brought dark clouds and the risk of rain.  Room was made in the garage for the jeep to go in so that it would be dry if it did rain.

Off to get the bed, 75F

The toad

Cats found a Kangaroo Rat

Jeep in its house

Work continued on the property with John and Kay busy in the man cave while I was able to start digging the "hole" for the grey water to drain into.  Mark had made the initial start on the hole but left for whatever reason leaving the job un-done.  I finished off the digging and then John, Kay and I hauled rocks and filled the hole to allow drainage.  Hopefully, it all works well and being about five feet deep, should!!  Eventually, the hole will be covered with the wood shed and there will be no evidence of the drainage at all.  That, will be awesome.  As it turned out, it worked well so that was a relief and the fact that the grey water from the laundry room and the apartment do not go into the septic tank is a bonus.
This week, Kay and I headed into Home Depot to buy the wood John needed to get the deck built for the apartment.  Time is ticking and Lorne and Marilyn will be here this upcoming week.  Hopefully we can get all the building and decorating done before they arrive!!
We managed to get all the wood home without incident and the build was started.  It really was quite surprising how quick it came together with both John and Kay working on it.  I was busy in the apartment doing the last minute touch up on painting and general cleanup.  Man, we certainly are messy builders!!
Another busy week behind us and things are finally coming together.  Man, I will be doing a happy dance when all this building, decorating and furniture moving gets done!!
Time for a beer!!   Life is good....even with all the smashed fingers, broken fingernails and sore backs!!  This apartment is going to look awesome!!

More work on the man cave

Sunday, December 31/2017 - Saturday, January 6/2018

New Year's Eve arrived with awesome weather and with the anticipation of what 2018 hold in store for us.   There is plenty of optimism in the air!!
Sunday was a relatively "quiet" day with Kay busy sanding some pallet boards and Me staining the little cupboard that Kay and I had picked up for the bathroom in the lower apartment.  Once the stain and the varathane had dried, Kay put the shelves back in, the doors on and the knobs back on and then it was ready to attached to the wall.
We sat around the campfire on New Year's eve until I was tired and decide that I really did not have to stay up until midnight.  The new year would come whether I was awake or not so....Off to bed I went.  John and Kay brought in the new year and woke me up to make sure that I too knew that 2018 had arrived!!
This week found Kay and I back over at the Foothills getting her belongings from out of her trailer.  Ray was not impressed with the whole ordeal but put up little resistance to the inevitable.  It was time for both Kay and Ray to move on with their own lives.  Lots of changes have happened since November and it does take some getting used to by all parties.
The work continues around here but I think we are making headway.  Things are coming along nicely and that is a good thing as time is running out before we welcome our first guests.
The stovepipe came in and Mark got it all hooked up so this week saw us having our first fire in the mancave in the cute little stove.  It was awesome and worked like a charm.  It will be a welcome addition to the mancave and will also cut down on the electric bill as we had been using the electric heater in there to keep the chilly evenings at bay.
I had to take Booko to the vet this week as his eyes have been draining for a few days now and saline eye drops don't seem to be helping so off we went to get this checked out.  We came home with antibiotic eye drops with a little steroid added for good measure.  Hopefully, this clears up the issue.
Of course he thinks I am trying to kill him when I put the drops in and it is quite a struggle!! Hopefully this gets a bit easier over the week!!
Again.....another busy week but I am thinking the end is finally in sight!!   Life is Good!!

Kay staining the wall

The new old stove

Mark did a snake skin for us

Some kind of critter

Sunday, December 24/2017 - Saturday, December 30/2017

This week heralded in Christmas day.  It was a quiet day and the weather was ideal.  We had invited Mark over for the day as he too has been putting in quite a few hours working on getting things up and running.
I cooked a prime rib roast for supper and had made cabbage rolls Christmas Eve day to go with it. The meal was delicious and was enjoyed by all.
We all tried our hand at several games of Horseshoes with Mark and Kay playing the most games.  Kay totally kicked Mark's butt in the games and he was quite disappointed as he actually thought he was going to beat her!!  Of course, that was a dream and Kay showed him no mercy in any of the games!!
This week, Kay started painting the ceiling in the bottom apartment and I finally finished the "mosaic" tiles around the sink in the laundry room.  They were both tedious jobs but jobs that had to be done.  We were both aching after these jobs and I thanked the makers of tylenol several times this week!!
John and I took a trip into Wickenburg this week to buy a much needed shed to store all our "stuff" in.   There is no way that it can all be kept in the garage/mancave so a shed was definitely needed. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the dealership, the owner was not around for us to pay for it so I had to go back into town the following day to actually pay for the shed and get it ordered.  It is supposed to arrive here in the yard in about four weeks.
Our first load of firewood was delivered this week and I am afraid that this will be the first of many that is purchased this year.  John has decided to build a wood shed to keep the wood in so that will be a good thing too.
Neal and Tammy came back and stayed a few days and while here helped with lots of the jobs around here.  Neal is quite the handyman and Tammy is like an energizer bunny and painted her butt off!! Neal managed to dig a ditch for the grey water and that was one nasty ugly job but he stuck with it and before too long it was pretty much done.  Gosh, I wish he could stay for a few more days or maybe a week or two!!  Unfortunately, they had plans to spend New Years with their son in Las Vegas!!
I was picked to make a trip up to Yarnell as I was the "gopher" for all the busy little beavers working on their different projects.  Now I don't mind being the runner but this trip meant that I had to drive the twisty shelf road up into the Weaver Mountains and into the town of Yarnell which sits at the summit.  Shit....Oh Dear!!  Well, I managed to make it all the way up and all the way back down without a panic attack but it sure wasn't an easy thing to do!!  Hopefully it will be the only time I have to make this trip!!  This, I am thinking is a dream!!
Mark brought the little wood stove out as he was done making the hearth and Neal and Tammy got to see part of the results.  I loved what Mark had done and the stove looks awesome where John put it.  We are now waiting on stove pipe so that it can be hooked up and used.  I can't wait!!  Kay loved her gift and she too can hardly wait for it to become fully functional.
This week we got LOTS done thanks to Neal and Tammy and I will be forever grateful to the both of them.  It was a pleasure having them here and I loved feeding Neal as he is a food lover and loves to eat!!  That was awesome and as usual......Life is Good!!

Sunday, December 17/2017 - Saturday, December 23/2017

plumbing is done and now it is time for insulation

More painting this week and it seems like it will be a never ending project.  The apartment is starting to really come together and is really looking good.   The washing machine and the dryer are now fully functioning and Kay and I are going crazy dealing with all the dirty clothes.  It is a good thing too as we have been working with fiberglass insulation and that stuff just seems to get into everything.

Time to take a break.....at the Arrowhead Bar

With all the work we have been doing lately, it was decided that we would take a few hours "off" and go for a few drinks at the Arrowhead Bar.  We have not been to the bar since we arrived here in Arizona!!   It was time!!   We enjoyed the time there and it also gave Mark time to get the little wood stove off the property so that he could work on Kay's Christmas gift.  Kay has eagle eyes and would notice if Mark took it while she was there so we are hoping she will be kept busy enough so that she won't notice that it is gone!!  We will keep our fingers crossed on that one!!  LOL

the new shed

This week also brought Kay's brother Neal and her sister in law Tammy to the house for a visit.   They travelled from Montana to spend Christmas with Kay's Dad and her other brother Dean.  It was a good visit but too short although they did stay the night.  We invited them back for a few days after Christmas so we will see if that works out for everyone.
Work continues and Life is Good!!

Sunday, December 10/2017 - Saturday, December 16/2017

Booko having a nap - standing up!!

Another busy week is upon us and the work continues.
We did manage to watch a bit of football today and I won the football pool this week so that is two weeks in a row for me!!  Woo hoo!!
It seems like all Kay and I are doing this week is using the Varathane and brushing it on all the panelling in the mancave and the laundry room.  It is a good thing that Kay and I are premium painters!!
Mark was busy getting all the plumbing done in the laundry room and I am sure that we will be able to use the washing machine before too long.  It is a good thing that there is a laundromat right here in Congress because Kay and I have been there a few times already!!

Laundry room wall ready for plumbing

Kay took the time out this week to get the oil changed in the Toyota so we managed to start a crossword puzzle while we waited.  We almost got it done too by the time the truck was ready!! While in town, we stopped for groceries to stock up the cupboards and the fridge.  It is a never ending task!!

Getting another wall ready to panel

John got the wiring done for the dryer and now that is ready for use and that is a good thing.  Now we are waiting on the washing machine and Mark to finish up the plumbing.    He assures us that it will be "soon",

This week also saw Kay and I heading back into Wickenburg to pick up a dining room table and chairs set that we had seen on the Wickenburg Swap pages.  It turned out to be an awesome set and we snapped it up before anyone else got the same idea.  It looks awesome in the house too!!  Now, the little one we had in the trailer at the park can go into the lower apartment.
Things are definitely coming along and we are making progress yet it seems like we still have so much yet to do and the clock is ticking!!
We are all tired but we are getting great satisfaction in a job well done.
Life is good!!

Sunday, December 3/2017 - Saturday, December 9/2017

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday and it is a football day and I have my fingers crossed that I will be the winner of the football board today.   After all, it IS MY TURN!!
The weather continues to bless us with nothing but sunshine.  Man, what an incredible Fall we are having here in Arizona.

Good little helper

The work continued this week with painting starting in the lower apartment, Mark is continuing on his projects and John and Kay are busy in the laundry room and the mancave.   We are spread pretty thin but things continue to come along.
I tried out a new recipe on the clan and it was good although I am not sure if I would ever make it again.  It was a glorified, bacon wrapped meatloaf!!
Kay and I took a few trips into Wickenburg this week and we started taking down some of the fence boards at the park.   John is using them in the mancave and the laundry room ceiling.
While we were at the trailer,  Kay attempted to use the toilet and was surprised to see a dead pack rat floating in the bowl!!  It was a nasty little "surprise"!!   We got the pinchers out, fished the unfortunate creature out and threw him into the desert!!  The toilet was once again, ready for use!!

Working on the laundry room

This week Kay took a trip to the dentist to get her semi annual teeth cleaning.  Now she will have a sparkling white smile and John and I will have to keep our lips closed when we smile cause we won't be able to hold a candle to Kay's!!

The man cave ceiling will need attention

The yard was looking pretty trashy here at the new house so I took some time and picked up all kinds of debris and moved boards and "stuff" around, racked up dead grass and loaded the trailer up for a "dump" run.   John and I then hauled the load to the dump in Wickenburg.   After going to the dump, John and I headed over to the trailer and loaded up the washer and dryer.
The laundry room is now ready for hookups so it will be nice to finally get our own laundry facilities up and going.

He's not much help - but he is styling in his
Carharrt coat that Kay bought for him!!

Saturday found Kay and I headed to Home Depot for more supplies.  A new hot water heater was on the list along with lots of other stuff.  More paint was needed too and we spent a few hours in the store gathering up all the stuff.  It was good to get it bought and to finally be able to head back home.  I am sure we walked at least 5 miles around the store on our shopping spree!!
Another busy week has come and gone and the work continues.  There is still so much to do and each week that passes is one less week to get our stuff done!!
The clock is ticking but.....Life is Good!!

Chillin after another day of work