Friday's News...

This is Doug(ie) Dean....the roofer guy...

A little less hectic this week. We seem to be waiting now for everyone to start the projects as promised. Everyone says "...in two weeks..." and that means things should begin to happen next week. 'Course that's what StarChoice told us as well...now three weeks ago! Personally, I have enjoyed not seeing CNN talking heads for so long, Jim on the other hand...well y'all know the answer to that! I'm not sure we will have the time or energy to watch TV for the next six months...we've been going to bed with a movie on the laptop around, oh, 8! and we've yet to see the end of a movie until the next morning.

The roofing materials arrived as promised, and the roofer showed up with his two sons to inspect and help unload. If this guy continues with his attention to detail, I'll be very pleased.





Note Jim has learned to tuck his pants (yes his business casual) into his boots!

'cause...this is the result of not tucking!














Bijou has been an incredible help as well, mostly supervising and looking confused, as any good manager would.







Bill Ewing (not of the Dallas family) came to cut the "lawns"...well sorta lawns. And though there is little grass (more weed than anything resembling a grass) it did make an improvement. I did all the by-hand cutting around trees etc, so that left him with straight runs. Now in Ipperwash, you'd be lucky (or a heavy consumer of seed, chemical fertilizer and water) if you had to cut more than 4 or 5 times a year, but Bill said he could come EVERY week! I suggested this was not an exercise in creating a pretty little ol' estate but rather keeping the height to an acceptable minimum. He'll call first...in 2 weeks.


Better, yes?







Later as we sat sipping wine on the deck, surveying the back yard, along comes Lynn and Garry - with the John Deere and a "rotovater"...an attachment that plows and rotates the soil. So I now have the beginnings of a garden for plants coming back from Ontario in the fall. (sorry, no pictures of that event due to the consumption of wine...I forgot).

Then the Irving representative (I wonder if they should be referred to as angels to the patron saint?) came with the quote for the new furnace and oil tank. 'course why go with just the cheaper steel tank when you can have one made of fiberglass that lasts 30 years? And no, you don't get a free tank of oil with your purchase. But wait, there's more...the old chimney may no long have parts available to repair so let's call the chimney people to come out for an estimate!...and more...2 weeks!

Now on Thursday, Jim was looking for something to do? and decided that all the wallpaper should be stripped off. Not one to make suggestions or pass judgment, but isn't it easier to use a wet spray and paper scraper v.s. a 2" caulking scrapper on 8 coats of dry paper glued to old horsehair lathe and plaster? But he did stay entertained for the entire day. Thank you StarChoice!

Definitely better! So Martha Stewart "Living Magazine" so rustic and quaint!










It's been brought to my attention that Jim is doing all the work, and what is it that I do? Well, I did start a windrow of trees in the front...o.k. so it's one tree!...the other one is a hydro pole.
But the holes have been dug, well, sod removed.




And, I wanted Deere tractor and this is what Jim came home with...but the colour is right!













And Happy 59th Anniversary Mom & Dad!