The Mountain Thymes

Tonight we have the first light dusting of snow on our new green metal roof.  Building slowed down with the holidays and intermittent rainy periods.  Friday the builders were here to put on the roof and dry-in one side of the garage before the next rain. It was quite interesting to see how they brought the metal sheets up, steadied them in place, and without sliding down or falling off the roof, screwed them down.  Scaffold along the west wall.  When plywood went up, it was placed over windows and door openings for now to keep rain out of that side.  Next week openings will be cut and the door and windows will be in place. Log siding was delivered yesterday.  Friday afternoon.

The rush, the build-up, gift wrapping, baking goodies, and the anticipation of family arrival has come and gone.  By the time the day before Christmas arrived, and I hadn't sent out all the intended cards, purchased enough stocking stuffers, or baked enough desserts, it was too late for me to play catch-up.  I sighed a breath of relief and went with the flow.  Actually, I truly enjoyed the days leading up to Mark's arrival, which was my end of planning and preparation and time to sit back, talk, drink, laugh, and drink more. Mark and Jen pulled in Sunday night after a 14-hour drive from Missouri where they hit rain in Nashville which slowed them down.  Monday morning Jen and I went to yoga class together while Mark did cardio and weights.  Cliff met us at The Chop House in downtown Murphy for a delicious luncheon special and then we headed back up the mountain, warmed the house up with a wood fire in the stove, played a game of Spinner (chicken feet) and waited ...

I can't believe it was FOUR years ago today at about 2:30 PM that I walked out of my 5th classroom, said good-bye to friends and colleagues, and locked my classroom door for the last time.  When you're counting down the days to retirement, it d-r-a-g-s.  But when you're there.......it flies.  Never a regret.................... Wednesday, today, in the sunrise. Green metal roof being delivered.  That's the whole roof!  Where's "Waldo?" I It seems everybody is named Larry around here.  I couldn't believe me eyes when that little pile of metal got delivered.  That's the roof..............over a $1000 worth of metal.  We watched as Larry very cautiously and gently adjusted the truck bed to slide the metal onto the ground without denting, bending, or damaging it.  Sun is setting.  Last task for the day.  5 PM

Monday morning during a short break from the rain, our lumber was delivered.  Cliff helped unload the lumber and covered it with a huge black plastic tarp.   After 2" inches of rain, the sun finally came out this morning and the builders showed up at 9.  Twenty minutes later, this first section was up.  As you notice in most of these pictures, "Dagwood" is standing around with his hands in his pockets.  I know my mother and father are watching their garage being built and my mother is laughing at "Dagwood."  She used to cut the Blondie and Dagwood comics out and included them in her letters to me when I lived in Florida. By 11 AM, this was what I saw. Watching these two carry and lift fourteen tresses, one at a time, up the ladder and place them across the the open frame was amazing.  This builder is a wiry thin 53-year old and moves like the Energizer bunny. Sun is setting.  Builders are done for t...

More photos from Friday   I don't write anything because the pictures explain themselves..........and I don't know what to write.                   After the water was "squeegeed" out of the concrete, it had to set for awhile.  Then the worker walked this machine around the concrete floor back and forth, over and over.  To me it looked like fan blades, but I was told it rotated like four trowels smoothing the roughness.  The more he worked, the smoother the floor became. Then four thin grooves were cut in north, south, east, west  directions to allow for contraction/expansion when temperatures change.   Sun setting on our garage floor. TA DA!!!! Saturday afternoon This morning before the sun was even up, I brought my coffee out to our new garage floor and greeted the day.  We have a different appreciation when acquiring things since we've retired and le...