Didn't I tell you?

Cullman,  AL


A few weeks ago I posted about the renovations to our bedroom and bathroom.  I said at that time that I might find something else I wanted done.   There is no MIGHT about it. 

This latest project was the back porch.

It has needed painting for quite some time.  I hate to paint.  Len can't since he has no use of his left arm and gets out of breath easily.    We looked in the local Shoppers Guide and found an ad placed a man who said he paints.   Len contacted him and he came right over.

As always, you get what you pay for.  He quoted the entire porch for $200.00.   There was a type of insulation in the ceiling that has been slowly hanging down  and falling apart.   We said we would try to get it off before he returned in 3 days.     He said he would do it for $50.00 more.   This is how the ceiling looked.

We gladly paid the additional charge.

Unfortunately the 3 days he worked here were in the high 90s by noon.  So he worked from about 8 to 12 or so.  Also unfortunately when he got done we had to go behind him and do lots of repainting and touch up.  More unfortunate is some siding got splattered too.  As I said, you get what you pay for.   We want the front porch painted in the near future.  He said to call him when ready.   I don't think so.  We can do it.  It does not include overhead painting.  Just rails, decking and steps.

A view before and after looking west.

The view before and after looking east.

As you can see we moved the porch swing to give us more usable space.  Also the grill was by the back door.   Right inside that door is the laundry room with a smoke detector.   Need I say more.

Yesterday Len and I put up the lattice that was taken down from the bottom of the porch while it was being painted.   Then Len got on his tractor and bush hogged and starting knocking over brush and trees.   Yea.... I really want more grass to mow.

While we were working in the backyard our neighbor up the road came riding in on his mower.  Gary is the owner of the fenced in field across the road.   That fence keeps in his cow and 3 bulls and his pot bellied pig.  The guineas and chickens are in and out of the fence.   His 4 peacocks think they live here.   We all think so too.   They are here more then there.  They get along mostly well with my 4 ducks.

Due to very dry weather our pond is down really low.   I asked Gary what he used to get rid of the thick green duckweed from on his pond.   He told us what it was and said he had some left and would spray our pond.   A short time later I heard a weed whacker.   He was out there mowing and then weed whacking around the pond.   This morning he came back to finish up the weeds and spray the pond.   Gotta love sweet neighbors like that! 

As some of you know, Leonard is having some medical issues.  Our cardiologist made an appointment with a cardio - pulmonary specialist down at UAB in Birmingham.   We leave here in about on hour and head on down.  We pray that this doctor can help him.  As it is now, Leonard can do very little walking or manual work.   But he can sure knock down trees and clear brush all day.  It tires him out but it doesn't hurt his arms and cause shortness of breath.  And it makes him happy.

Until next time.