Fall is History

Yeah, I know the calendar doesn't say so but there’s nothing like an end of October snowfall to put an end to fall and move us into a premature winter. What leaves had clung to the branches seemed to fall willingly once the snow coated everything very early in the morning of Halloween and it’s a rare tree now that sports any remnants trying to hang on. Fortunately, the ground isn’t quite cold enough yet so our snowfall melted quickly and never did stick to the highways.

In amongst the cold and brief snow, our septic got installed, inspected and covered over in less than a week. While it was open it resembled the Lazy River in its meandering pathway, which was done way differently than what we are used to. There is still some final grading to be done around the house by the excavator once the ground settles. 

Marc’s helper Jason lent his hand one day to gain further progress on the roof and Marc was finally able to finish that up last evening. His knees and ankles are screaming from the pain of working at such an angle for so long. I’m not sure the labor savings was worth the toll on his body. He’s paying the price and is pretty stove up now.

Progress continues on the plumbing. Now that the time has changed it will become much more difficult for Marc to go over after work since it will be dark by the time he gets there. He purchased a blast propane heater to dampen the chill but it’s only a matter of time until it won’t be able to keep up so as we move into winter proper, working on a house with no heat will become problematic.

Into the Tedium

There’s just something about walking through masses of fall leaves, with blustery winds making them dance around your feet that evokes the total feel of the season. Our old oak out front went from green to brown within the space of a week and soon will face the sky with barren and knarled old arms. I got the last of the apples picked from our front tree; likely around 40 pounds of them and peeled and sliced them all into freezer bags. I must now have about 15 pounds of processed apples to use this winter; patiently waiting their turn to be made in apple crisps to be paired with morning coffee. Ah, delicious! 

We’re into the tedious details on the house; things that don’t necessarily show a lot of progress but which must be completed. Marc continues to go out after he finishes his job and work on the house each night until around 8-8:30 p.m. He comes in and has a late, cold dinner then goes to bed, to wake up at 4:30 the next morning and do it all again. I helped him install the energy heel, which required individually cut pieces of Styrofoam to be stapled to the roof trusses. This surrounds the entire interior perimeter the length of the Styrofoam; next up will be the batt and blown in insulation. I think he is aiming for R44 on the ceiling through this process. He is also working on all the backing for all the shelving throughout the house, for all closets and the kitchen shelving. We’ll also install grab bars in the bathroom and shower figuring at some point someone may need them and it’s better to be prepared than to have to retrofit since this is our intended forever home. The kitchen required that he do a mock-up of where the countertop will sit so we could better visualize how high to place the open shelving.

We were very unhappy with the 4x4 posts used on the front porch so Marc went out and bought all new 6x6 to replace them with and has been slowly working on rectifying using a proper cut-in fashion rather than just shoving them in and nailing them as the Blenker carpenters had done at first. Those blue boxes seen on the FL are pressure tanks which will go in the basement for our well water. Right now the water pressure tank and pump are located in the shop so can’t be used in winter so that all needs re-doing. Cha-ching.

Fortunately one of the young Blenker workers has agreed to do a little moonlighting so was available to help Marc build the well for the basement window. Since it sits below grade it was necessary to fabricate a well to hold back the backfill when it’s completed. As an added bonus to this, he’s decided to make some type of cat enclosure using this space as a playground for the kitties that can be accessed through a pet door out the window. Complete backfill from the excavator should occur sometime this week and the septic guy should get going on installing that late this week or next week before ground freeze.

Weather wise we’re having a late fall mixed bag but for the most part it hasn’t been terribly rainy; just cold. Very occasionally though we end up with a sunny warmer day (60) and I took the last occasion to get Rocket out to the park on what could be his last visit there. I figure we’ll be moving in the middle of winter before he is able to enjoy it after spring thaw. He gets very excited to hear he is going “to the park” for his short ride on my lap in the car.

Is This OSHA Compliant?

No, I didn’t think so either! What it was though, was a free and effective way for Marc to have a scaffold so he could start on the roofing this past week.

We’re going like a house afire trying to get as far along as we can while we are enjoying relatively good, albeit cold, weather here. Marc took Monday and Friday off and roofing has been the primary task. 

Yesterday the excavator was out to install the footings for the front porch and today Blenker’s guys will be out to mount the porch and its trusses and sheeting to the house so Marc hopes to be able to finish all the roofing by Sunday evening. It helped that he now has the use of Blenker’s lift which I’ve been operating to lift him to work off of.

Yeah, that’s my new title alright: heavy equipment operator. What a woman won’t do for a good man! What’s next?

Yuma Lot for Rent and For Sale

Available January ’15 for monthly rental at $325 + electric + garbage. Full hookup is 50 amps on a parking slab and tenant will have the entire lot to themselves since a vacant park model occupies the other side of the lot. There is a huge patio, full six foot high block walls, mature landscaping and front privacy wall and 3 tier fountain. There is plenty of additional parking in front for toys or guests; big rig friendly. Lot is within one long block to access state land for ATVing and is on a very quiet spur road, E. 52nd Drive, in one of the newest sections of the Foothills east of the Fortuna Wash between the two golf courses. 

Lot and upgraded 2007 park model and two storage sheds will be listed for sale officially in late December. Please email me directly with any questions or if you have interest; we have not priced the sale as yet but are open to offers as we are moving on and are building a home elsewhere. Itchyhitchatyahoodotcom.

Oohing and Awing

From the ground it’s been hard to get the really good fall color shots because they usually require some distance perspective to capture their true magnificence. Often the best vignettes appear to be alongside multi-lane highways where it’s impossible to pull over but that’s often where it’s possible to get longer vistas. The horizon in Wisconsin is never very far away! Thus, I was very happy on Tuesday to be headed to Wausau to visit Sam’s Club knowing that there is a mountainside state park there which I was hoping would afford views. The nightly news broadcast from Wausau has shown a carpet of colors from their web cam and I was hoping to find that spot. 

I needn’t had worried as my car made the short climb up Rib Mountain as I passed joggers and walkers on the wide paved pathway ascending ever upward. I must say, coming from the west where we think nothing of going up and down mountains and hills on a daily basis, to be climbing one for the first time in over a year and feeling my ears pop was a little novel! I later come to find out that that this is one of the highest points in the state at 1940 feet.

As an out-of-stater still, my tariff is $5 for an hour’s time but as I step from the car with the camera slung around my neck and find it around 45 degrees with a bitter wind chill (and I’m only in a sweater) I think that’s probably sufficient. As it turns out my good camera batteries die at this first stop and I am forced to use the pocket Nikon backup for over half the shots. I’ve been working on rechargeable batteries which are only holding a meager charge, so my fault for not buying new batteries before paying to get in. 

As I approach the first overlook it literally takes my breath away. Stretched before me, indeed like some Boho crazy quilt, is a color explosion and the entire town of Wausau and surrounding area. I am mesmerized at how the ordinary fall is totally transformed when seen from above. Lucky for me, although the day isn’t ideal weather-wise, I am probably hitting it just about at peak and definitely just before a big set of storms is due which will likely strip many of the trees of their glory.

Being the only mountain around it stands to reason that Rib Mountain is the large ski area for central Wisconsin and the trails and ski lifts are scattered around the entire perimeter’s edge. At first I feel as though they detract from my shots but then I decide they add interest that normally wouldn’t be present in fall photos.

I ramble around oohing and awing not knowing where to point my camera next. There are only a few people I have to share the mountaintop with and mostly, in fact, I am alone. Although the park is riddled with hiking trails it appears as though all the joggers and walkers must turn around at the gates to be exempt from the fee. I wish that I was warmer and had more time...I’d love to explore the trails but today I stick to the road.