Still working on projects

Made the cabinet longer

Here is the dishwasher we used

Dishwasher installed with door

Sherri painted it all black to blend it together...Good job Sherri!

Well as many of you may know Sherri's Birthday is Christmas day. Bummer for the most part but then I never do forget her day. This year for my birthday she bought me a boat and so in turn I had to come up with the mother of all gifts to give her back. Not an easy task but I do think I did OK.
She said that I got to retire but she never did. One of the things that is on going in her retirement years is washing dishes. I am not allowed to wash dishes because I don't get them clean. So I thought that a gift that keeps on giving would be a dishwasher.
We found the dishwasher that would work but I would have to modify the cabinet before it would fit. We had to remove the drawers and lengthen the cabinet by 5 inches. This meant that I had for the most part rebuild the end of the cabinet.
I had to run electrical and plumbing for the unit and build a base for the dishwasher to set on. After 3 days of hard work I got er done. 
We made a trial run on a load of dishes and all is well! 
Happy Birthday honey...I have cut your work load down so now you can go fishing with me...

Somewhere in Time  

Cool weather is creeping in.

Woke up this morning and the temps were in the 60's. WOW! Got to love it. You know this means we can spend more time out on the water. When it is 90+ degrees outside you really don't have much fun sitting out on the lake in the boiling sun.
Sherri and I are heading up to Oklahoma today to check out a park on Lake Texoma. Burns Run East is the name of the COE park. I checked it out on line and it looks to be a nice place to stay at a reasonable price. This will put us closer to the casino in Durant and that is a good thing!
We don't get out as much since Kris is in school but he is old enough now to stay by himself for a while is we don't get back before he gets home on the bus. 
We were not all that excited about this park but due to the fact that it is close to the Casino it will be put on our list of maybes...

Somewhere in Time 

Spending time exploring the lake

The real captain lets us know which way to head.

Now this is the way to fish...sit back and wait.

100 more like this and we will have a good lunch!

Kris is learning how to drive the boat and operate the sonar/gps. He is a great help giving me more time to check out new places to go. I love to drift across the lake and fish for catfish. We love to eat catfish so none go to waste that come into my boat. We have discovered many new coves and inlets that Sherri has picked out to explore. She loves to see the houses and beautiful terraced yards leading down to the water's edge.
I have a few pictures of us drifting along...

Somewhere in Time 

Projects coming to an end soon

Sherri and I have spent most of the summer designing some improvements to the property. We normally spend our summers in Colorado but this year we had some doctor appointments we had to keep so we just decided to stick around here and get some things done. 
We could only work from around 7:00 till 11:00 due to the heat. This slowed things some what but persistence payed off. We have a few more plans brewing. Plans are in the making for our studio. Sherri is going to have an area to sew in and I will have my art area. I had hoped to have that completed by the winter but budget always has to be followed if you know what I mean. We probably will wait until next year to do any of that. 
Here are some pictures of some of the things we have completed.

Sherri designed and did most of the layout on the walkway

The terraced deck has been a project in work for sometime...Notice the weathered wood.

It is nice to have such a talented wife.

Her eye for detail and her expertise in geometry comes together. 

She redesigned the fence and moved the gate to the center.

We still have some decorations to add and a few more decks to add.

Our sitting area is coming along. My baby is backed up to us

We are just as busy as can be. We have been able to go out on the lake early in the morning when the temps are a little cooler. Not much luck on fishing but then I do spend most of my time playing with my sonar unit and my new trolling motor. I bought a cast net which I am practicing with. I have so much to explore on the lake that fishing is on the back burner for now. Soon I will have all the kinks worked out and know more about the boat...then I can spend more of the day fishing...

Somewhere in Time 

It is back to school for the Grand Kids

Our view out the back window

Our new boat

Our site at the lake

Evan and Brant

Hadin

Franki

And last but far from least Kris our son

Yes it is that time again. Our Grandkids have got the call and it is back to school. So many sad faces but really they are excited about seeing all their friends again. I am sure after the first week is up they will be wishing school was out.
Our son Kris is also back in school. After 3 years of homeschooling Kris has returned to public school. He started Junior High last year and now is in his last year. Next year he will be in High School! Where has all that time gone?
Sherri and I will be spending more time on the lake now that Kris is back in school. He heads out on the bus and we head out on the boat. Yesterday was the first day that we had been able to launch the boat. We spent 2 weeks on Lake O the Pines in east Texas and enjoyed our time away. We took the boat out every day and with the cool weather we were having got a lot of time in. There is nothing like being out on the water early in the morning with the sun peaking over the pines. The cool breeze flowing over the deck as you glide over the smooth surface of the water. 
There we had our coffee and enjoyed the peace and quiet that the early morning provided us. I know we will have more days like that...

Somewhere in Time 

A new kind of adventure

Now that we have been giving more time to the lake cabin and our RV port we are doing things a little different.
We have had to stay indoors more this summer...not having gone to Colorado as the norm. Yes we opted out to stay here at the lake and buy us a boat. We have lived at the lake most of our married life and have had boats in the past but traveling in the RV restricted us on having a boat to enjoy the lake. Now that we are anchored here more we decided to buy a boat and use the lake as our getaway.
We miss Colorado and especially the cool weather. We both are struggling with adapting to this hot weather. Being on the lake helps us contend with the temps. We have a swim platform on the pontoon boat so we can slip into the water whenever we need to cool down.
Yes and I like to fish so this makes up for all the trips to the lakes in Colorado. However I have not caught but one fish out of the boat. I do hope as the weather cools off a bit I can spend more time wetting a hook...

Somewhere in Time 

More things happening

Laid it out

Crushed concrete 

Done

Always making improvements to the lake property. We added a driveway in the back of the port. I had been contemplating doing this for some time and finally pulled the trigger! When I built the fence years back I installed a gate so that we could eventually put in a parking space off the main road. 
Exploring all the avenues of what to put as the base for this drive I came across an ad on Facebook telling me about crushed concrete. I checked around and found out that many recommended it because in packed much better than cleatchy. So crushed concrete it is. I drove the truck over it several times and it does seem to pack well. The proof will be in the pudding as they say. 
We have had many inches of rain in the past few days. I will have a chance to see how it performs...

Somewhere in Time  

WOW it's been a while!

Sherri and I have been so busy working on all our projects! We decided not to go to Colorado this year. I have some VA appointments and we really needed to get some things finished here at the lake.
We started our place out here many years ago to have a base to come to when we pull off the road. It has been shaping up over time but we really need to try and finish all we started out to do years ago.
We have planted a yard full of trees this year and hope to get them established. They will have to make it through the hot summer here and you almost have to be here to make sure they get plenty of water.
We are working on our cabin out back to get it completed. We have to finish our trim paint and Sherri is working on getting her laundry room fixed up.
Out in the back yard we are starting work on our craft room. We purchased a shed a couple of years ago and have been using it for storage. Now that we have eliminated much of our S T U F F we really don't need it. Some thought was given to selling it but then we came up with the idea that we could turn it into our craft room. Sherri loves to sew and I love to paint so why not have a room designated for us to use? 
We have wanted a stoop for the front door of the RV....so we built one. It has made all the difference in the world in getting in and out of the RV. We will just have to remember that it is not there when we head out on our next adventure...

Somewhere in Time 

We had guest

We spent a lot of time visiting on the porch

June is ready to go home...Love you Sis

Long drive ahead Jim...Thanks for coming to see us.

Yes we had company for the first of the week. My sister and BIL came to see us. They stayed 3 days with us and we had a good visit. Not often that we have anyone come see us and this was a big surprise! 
Thanks Jim and June for coming to see us. We will come and see you as soon as we can...

Somewhere in Time 

It's that time again

Well it's that time again alright! Time to mow the lawn install the AC in the cabin. We have window units in the cabin and Sherri makes me take them out in the winter so she can see outside. It lets more light in and keeps the room warmer so they go into storage until the next warm spring day...which by the way is here.
With all the rain the yard is growing like crazy. I wish my trees grew that fast! I planted trees last fall and they are living! How great is that? I hope they continue to do well so I will have some shade...

Somewhere in Time 

Here comes the rain

My latest

Our home is parked inside a metal barn. When it rains it is loud. Sometimes it is so loud that you cannot hear the TV or someone talking to you. That is the rain that is falling as I type this entry.
We have been working in the yard planting trees and fixing up our flower beds. This will have to stop for today...it is way too muddy to carry on..
It is suppose to clear this afternoon and maybe I can get some work done inside the barn. I am making me a platform to stack STUFF on. Yes we still have STUFF. We are planning a barn sale but until the weather straightens out we will just have to stack up our STUFF. 
One thing about having a 1/4 of an acre I have plenty of yard to mow and it grows fast. I will not be bored with all the yard work that has to be done. Maybe in between mowing I can paint a picture or two...

Somewhere in Time 

Winter is back

Went to bed last night it was in the low 60's and woke up this morning in the low 40's. Now that is Texas weather in its prime. No wonder I wake up in the morning with my head feeling like it is about to explode!

Today will be an inside day. I got the yard mowed and trimmed yesterday.

 I have a painting I have been working on for the past week. It is a 16 X 20 that will take me longer to complete. I can't wait for the weather to let me go out and paint on site. I enjoy being in front of the subject and seeing all the colors unfold from back to foreground. 

Well I will finish my coffee and then wonder out to my studio. Time to melt back into my painting listen to Native American music and dream of being on a mountain or next to a river bank...

Somewhere in Time  

We can sit outside in the mornings

The temps are up to where we can sit out in the morning and have our coffee. I have been waiting for this since last year! That has always been our favorite thing to do in the mornings is have coffee on our patio.
We have had some tremendous rains here of late. The lake is at its bench mark level. Fishing from what I have heard is great. I myself have not been so I cannot comment on it. I do look to have a trip to the lake in my future. We have been talking about getting a boat but have yet to really look. We flip through all the boat adds and see what is out there. We really want a pontoon boat. We can fish and swim off of it. They even have grills on them so you can cook out on the lake! Looking at the fishing models so we have seat to relax in and seats to fish out of. Sherri wants a changing room and a potty. This way if we decide to stay out all day she will have all the comforts.
This I am sure will happen...

Somewhere in Time 

Warmer weather is on the way

American Basin Colorado

Here I am this morning drinking my coffee and planning my day out. Kris is off to school and now I need to put together a plan so that no time is wasted.
I have a front yard that needs mowing and a truck that needs washing. So much to do I just can't think what to do first! I wish that fishing was on that list but it wont be until I do all the other chores. 
The weather here is starting to come around. We have had so much rain and cold weather that we can't make plans to get anything done outside. Now that it is starting to look and feel better we have more things we can do. Sherri has drawn up a backyard walkway out to my studio that we can get started on. All we need is some extra money and we have not located that yet. LOL. 
I planted some trees last month and I noticed that some of them are starting to bud out. I say some are. I am hoping that they all will pull through this year. We so disparately need them to live. Our front yard has no shade whatsoever. It would be nice to have some shade to sit under in the heat of summer.
Well once again I have managed to ramble on...

Somewhere in Time 

Away from my desk

Yes I have been away from my desk for some time. With all that is going on now days I have not had the time to post on my journal. The weather here cleared up for about a week and gave me a window to get some things done and I took it. Doing so did not afford me much time to type anything here but I did get some things completed around the property.
All three of us have had some health issues also in this back and forth weather. We all have sinus problems and with the barometer up and down as it has been our heads have suffered. I think that has passed for now but I still had to go to the VA for my yearly exam and Sherri to her doctor for her check ups. Kris has brought home the usual school yard sickness and we have had to keep him home for some time to get rid of that.
Other than that we are doing fine. I have been out in my studio doing what I love. Getting ready for the spring art sale and hoping that I sale enough to replenish my art supplies for next year.
Still have some projects to see to this spring. Don't want to get everything done too quickly. Need to leave something to do later...


Somewhere in Time 

Today is my BIL Jim's Birthday

Happy Birthday Jim! Tried to call but you were unable to answer. I'll try you later. 

Temps plummet here after front blows through

 It was 75 here yesterday afternoon. Right now as I post this the temp is 27 degrees! Now tell me why my head is about to explode. I can live with cold weather as long as it stays cold. This up and down is a killer.
I have to drive to Canton Texas today to fill up my propane bottle. I bought and extra one the other day so I did not have to go every week. Now I go every other week which saves me time and diesel. 
I intend on staying indoors today once I return. I can find plenty to do in the warmth of my little studio. Kris said I could have his CD player so now I have music to listen to. I plan on doing some work out there today so I will be warm and entertained...


Somewhere in Time 

Once again the rain is coming in.

It is getting that time again when the winter fronts start blowing through this part of the country. The temps yesterday were in the upper 70's and we will drop down into the lower 40's this evening. The barometric pressure goes up and down like the stock market and sinuses go crazy in the process.
I did get the lawn mowed yesterday and edged all the grass around the fence. Now I can just set back and watch the rain come and go.
I have to go to the VA on the 28th of Feb. for my yearly exam. They always find something wrong with me. You know you go feeling real good and then they tell you your not. 
I have started taking blood pressure meds now. I had high blood pressure when I went into the service and they did not say anything about it then...but now they are doing something about it? I think if I had hobbled in there on one leg they would have taken me. But then I left there on two bad legs and they are paying me for that. I would not trade for my time in the service. I think every young boy and girl should have to spend at least two years in the service.
Well I guess I will finish my coffee and then head out to my studio. 

Somewhere in Time    

Started my Old House and Barn collection

These are the first of my "Old Home" series I have been working on. I have had many request for pictures of old home places and I hope they do good. I plan on doing a show this year in Colorado and one here in Texas. I wish I had better photos of my paintings but these will just have to do...

Somewhere in Time 

Discipline

 I have not been very disciplined on writing in my journal. I do just about the same thing every day so not much to write about. Since we have grounded ourselves here to the lake property we have not been creating many new adventures. 
Kris is attending public school and really enjoying it. He is the most important thing in my life now so I get a lot of satisfaction out of him being happy. He is not doing too well in Science and I have not figured that out so far. I always loved that subject and when someone is not getting it I don't understand.
My real downfall was English. I guess you can tell that by my writing skills. All the rules involved in using words confused me to no end. I before E except after C? And then you have all these words that don't follow that rule? Now math...2 and 2 is always 4 in addition with no exceptions. Now that I could understand.
Fail and Fell...Sail and Sale...Mail and Male...I can see why English is the hardest language to learn! 
OK so I have made another meaningless entry in my life after retirement journal...LOL. All these words I that type in here are for my kids and grand kids to see what I did in the winter of my life. Like they are really are going to give a big hoot!
Heading out to do more nothing...

Somewhere in Time 

22...32...29...65....34...58

This has been  the temps for the last few days here in north Texas. Wonder why our heads feel like they are going to explode! I have to squeeze time in to prepare for the next day. Tank heaters on tank heaters off. Water pump on water pump off. I just don't like this time of year. What do I have to look forward to....Tornado season! After all this up and down temps then we will get hit by tornadoes. 
We are getting along fine otherwise. Sherri is just getting over a sinus infection. I have had the gout along with my arthritis in my knees. What more could a guy ask for.
Spending more time in my studio. The wind here has been too high for me to work outside. We can't put too many days together for walking. I guess we just have to contend with this type of climate.
We hope to find someplace a little more stable...

Somewhere in Time  

Birthday

Yes...I had a Birthday the other day and I did enjoy the attention I received from all my family and friends. I had several phone calls and Sherri and Kris took me out to eat.
It took the some persuasion to get me out of the house but when Sherri said she would fix me a Birthday meal here I told them that I would go out so she would not have to work in the kitchen.
We went to out to Dairy Queen and had a late lunch. I really not into eating out so when I choose to eat out I don't pick big restaurants. I hate having someone wait on me and then tipping is not my thing. I realize this is how some folks make their living but you could have an extra meal for what the tip comes out being! When I pay almost $3.00 for a drink!...well that is enough.
OK I don't feel any older than the day before. I do have a problem with Arthritis but then I have had that since my early 50's. I thank the good Lord that I have been good health for as long as I have.  
Today I am heading to the VA to have my yearly check up. Seems like after I get my check up I feel worse than I do all year long? They tell me how over weight I am and what I have to do to lose it. I know I need the check up but then I feel fine.
Well thank you all for the well wishes. I will spend the rest of this week working on a line of paintings I have come up with. My Facebook art page should be on line...

Somewhere in Time