Saturday, October 14, 2017

Driveway Skiing

The weather took a decided turn this fall morning. 

I have learned  I need to squeegee the water off the deck each day to prevent it  freezing in odd patterns. We are loving this deck. I can't imagine why the previous owners never installed it. We sneak out early in the morning to watch the stars and northern  lights, in the summer I sat and watched the sunrise on the mountains with a cuppa tea,  and as a family we watch the sun set over the mountains. There's a magical hour here. This morning the deck surprised us. 

Michael and I ran across to the next town. I hadn't gone grocery shopping last week. I spent hours in Walmart, as he spent hours at Lowes. It was painful. I console myself with the thought we are supporting the local economy.  While we shopped, the kids cleaned the house and played Settlers of Catan. 

Boo shopping on Saturday; Yay - gorgeous drive. 


Back at home, Stacia and I put away groceries, grated cheese and carrots, divided large packages of hamburger to 1# portions, looked up a friend's Cobbler recipe, and baked one for tomorrow's dinner.


I also finished up the kids' fall work samples for our umbrella type school. I love that I can send them electronically.

Jamin and Cody arrived at the house around the same time we did. Cody seems to like running around out here. He never leaves the yard (unlike Yuuki who has scouted out each feeding dish in a 1/2 mile radius).

Earlier, we had gravel delivered. We spent quite a few days spreading it. Then rain came....and we ended up with the washboard effect throughout the driveway before we could level it all. Today, the goal is leveling the driveway.

It wouldn't be a Gherkin project if it didn't have a twist! Michael and Izaak created this little "spreader."  It didn't take long to realize driveway skiing was the best way to level the driveway....

Here's a video of the action 

The driveway really is MUCH better.  Michael also removed a rotting/splitting piece of wood from a section of gravel in front of the house and replaced it with a railroad tie which he felt needed to be moved. 

We were happy Jamin and Cody stayed for dinner - and tried a bit of the cobbler. It was a productive week and we are set for the upcoming week.