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