House- Day 6: A quiet day

Sorry, no pictures today.  We got a very late start today due to J14 and V having Tae Kwon Do and Kum Do classes this morning. They don't get home until about 1130 and then J had to be at school at 1 to set up for this evening's student film festival.  She is actually one of the people organizing it and was one of the judges.  While they were out the boys and I went on the search for boots for them to wear while playing in the creek.  I was amazed at how hard it was to find plain, children's rain boots. We ended up finally at the local farm/feed store where they had some.

Anyway, after lunch we packed up and headed out to the acreage.  It was rainy and low 50s today and with the late start, it was too wet and too late to start working on ladders at the roof line so, we will have to finish that tomorrow.  But I did get the lumber painted for the other section we need to repair so that should move much more quickly since we know the drill now.  We desperately need to finish the job so we can out the gutters back up since we are forecast to have rain almost every day next week.  So tomorrow, rain or shine, we will be up on the ladders ripping out bad lumber.  (We're going to be bad and not go to church tomorrow, although J14 needs to be there from 12-2 for a meeting about their trip to New Orleans) At least we started with the worst part so that is done.  There aren't any spots in the next section where birds have been nesting so it should be much less messy.  The wood is soft and rotting but not in as bad shape as the original portion we did.

J14 and I did manage to get the second coat of paint on K9's room so except for removing the painter's tape and putting switch/outlet covers and vents back in place, it is done.  Hopefully tomorrow J14 and I11 will be able to get at least one coat of paint on his room.  I don't really trust the boys to paint so J14 will likely be doing most of it.  

I hate to think of returning to work next week.  I feel that there is so much we weren't able to accomplish this week.  I got a notice that my second order of potatoes have shipped (rather later than I had hoped- but I guess that's OK, since I now have a place to put them- the others are at Roger's).  I didn't get a chance to do my second tilling yet, either.  Of course, it's supposed to rain most of next week so Roger won't be able to till either, but he does want his tiller back soon.

I had to leave early with the children this evening since J14 needed to be back at school at 6 for the film fest which started at 7 but V managed to precut the lumber to length for the fascia and deconstruct one wall of the darkroom.

For those who have been asking, as far as we can tell, almost every wall in the basement has had mice in it, some more than others.  Worst of all, the ceiling panels need to go since they have mouse poo on top.  We are essentially going to be gutting the entire basement and starting from scratch.  We are salvaging as much of the framing as possible and are going to repurpose the lights and outlets.  That way, we can be sure that there are no residual pockets of mousey surprises, and we plan to seal the mudsill and insulate as we go.  Currently there is no insulation against the foundation and it is COLD down there.

V had a call from his brother (bigK) in Texas who is planning to fly up for a weekend to help out when we start framing and drywalling in the basement.  Initially, he thought that bigK was joking but it turns out that he is serious about coming to help.  My parents, also, are planning to come help and Mom says we are to find jobs for them to do.  The problem is, my parents are both in their 80s and aren't as spry as they used to be.  Much of what we are doing now is rather physically intensive so I've got to think of what I can have them do that won't be demeaning to them but will be something that they can actually do.  I thought about having my Mom replace the damaged screens (we have the supplies) but V thinks that would be insulting to have her come all this way to do that.  My Dad is supposed to help supervise when V runs the new gas line for my stove.  Any suggestions for what we can have them do?  My Dad has cardiac issues and had bypass surgery a few years ago and my Mom has had both knees replaced.  They're not spring chickens but they mean well.