Last December: the loss of the ZIgman and the Arrival of Bella

 I started writing this in July, obviously I never finished. So, let's see how far I get this rime.

My first post this year. I haven't been feeling like writing much, obviously, I'm having trouble being motivated. But I will plow on through on the warm, hazy July evening. (Now a damp September morning.)

Christmas was fun, as usual, maybe a little less hectic, we toned down the cookie baking although the void seemed to be filled in with pies and cakes. The usual trio arrived from Massachusetts for 3 weeks. Ember and Kaylee had a blast playing constantly. Ziggy just laid about and ate goodies and stuck close to me on our walks. 

Jan 5, 2025, 2 days before I lost him

I lost Ziggy in January, on the 7th. On the 4th we discovered he had a mass on his spleen, and it was bleeding internally as he had become anemic. Three days later it had to have burst, he couldn't even stand up on his own, so I had to take him to the vet the day my sister left for home. I miss that little guy, it was a really tough loss, but I couldn't let him suffer and being practically 14, (I celebrated his birthday on the 8th) surgery would have been iffy, though I still find myself regretting not trying more.

Kaylee became depressed with me. I took her with me to the vet so she could sniff his body afterward. They were best buddies. Because the ground was frozen, I had him cremated. His ashes are sitting ijust outside my bedroom.

In happier times last year, I'm sure a lot of other stuff happened, it's just whether I can remember. I know in December while my sister and M were here with Ember, M and Hal retrieved the old semi-trailer refrigerator truck from the farm, a mile down the road and towed it with the farm tractor and dropped in off behind the pole barn. Hal is planning to use it as storage for things like the excess steel siding pieces from the house build and other crap from the garage so he can finally use it for his truck.

Hal was ill most of December through April. He had all kinds of tests, saw all kinds of specialists. He was lethargic, coping with muscle pain, had a cough that still hasn't gone away completely. In the end he finally was given 3 weeks of antibiotics after we suggested Lyme disease. He also tested positive for Mono. We're still not sure what he had but he's definitely better.

After 2 months without Ziggy, I finally looked online a little for another dog. The first couple of times I gave up, my heart wasn't in it, but eventually a couple dogs caught my eye. I meant to visit a few at some more distant shelters but then I saw a small photo at the shelter in Lincoln. It wasn't a good photo but she was only 10 miles away along with Siberian Husky that had been in and out there for 5 years. Hal wanted my next dog to be smaller like Ziggy was, (Zig was half beagle, hence his smaller size), so I wasn't even considering looking for a labrador, no matter how much I love the breed.

So here is that photo of Bella at the shelter. I'll post better photos in a later post.

As I've said before, I hope to make more posts sooner than later.

Some Assembly Required

 I needed a couple of pieces of furniture so had a shot at building stuff from kits. I wasn't sure of the quality so I could only go by photos and reviews. So far, I've built 3 items. The first one is a laundry hamper, that cost the most, about $150 but it works really well and makes the little bedroom hallway much neater than plastic laundry baskets stacked on plastic cabinets. I can't remember how long it took to build, a couple hours at least.

The backside has a couple of anchors to the wall, so it's well secured and doesn't tip over when the bins are open.

I intend to get this wall cabinet to mount above the hamper sometime this winter. The whites may not match but I figure it will be close enough.

The second piece I built was a sofa table, this was very inexpensive about $60, it was a sale. First photo shows the cam lock system. 

closeup of the side

The finished table. Inside the little center box is an outlet for lamps that I also bought of which I apparently do not yet have a photo.

I also bought a small linen cabinet for the small bedroom hallway. It was by the same company, Vasagle as the sofa table, and all the pieces were there, unfortunately one of the doors was scratched but I decided to live with it and put it on the bottom half where it's harder to see. It was cheap, and though annoying, I really don't notice it.

These units have lots of pieces.

Half built and upside down.

The scratches, which had to happen before being packed as there was nothing inside the box that could have done it.

The finished cabinet. It's 12 inches deep by around 40 inches tall and less than 26 inches wide as the wall I put it on was barely 26 inches wide itself.

Got another furniture piece coming next week. Stay tuned.

An Interior Trim Photo Montage!

 Well, since I haven't been very good at posting all year, I figure I'll just throw up a few photos that I finally downloaded from my phone tonight.

In no particular order:

The broom closet door, pre trim that is the mirror image of the pantry door I posted a couple months ago. 

Hal after installing the trim around MY bedroom closet. ALL MINE. I gave him the walk-in. Yes, it needs doors, but that will be next year. 

A piece of stained threshold. Hal shaped it from an oak board then I stained and varnished.

And how it looks in the doorway. This happens to be the front door. The back door got the same treatment.

I know I've posted the next photo before, but this is the front door with the trim. Since this photo was taken all the baseboard in the living room/dining room/hall and foyer is installed.

And I am certain I've posted the pantry door before as well. Nevertheless, here it is again. The only problem with having a door now, however, is every time I open it, the dogs think they're getting a treat. Silly dogs. 

I don't remember whether this is the door to our bedroom or to the TV room, but they both were taken down as working on them in the garage, horizontally was much easier. I had painted all the interior doors while hanging. While that was a little awkward, they didn't require 3 coats of polyurethane on both sides either.

This is the door to our bedroom and bath.

The baseboards in the living room, dining room and hallway are all done, as well. Because there is so much furniture in front of it, this shot of the foyer shows best what it looks like everywhere.

And of course, Kaylee photo bombed. 

Raised Gardens

 I decided this year not to deal with gardening in the ground but instead in pots and planters. It will cut way down on the weeding and be easier on my back, plus the added benefit of having everything nearer the house for watering and harvesting veggies. 

I had already bought 7 round pots like I have in front of the house for behind the garage and then I got a 2 for 1 deal on a couple smaller ones I decided to put by the back door with cherry tomato plants. I also bought some metal planters that I had to screw together and then fill with soil, mostly for flowers.

I first bought 2 in peacock blue which turned out to be a sort of blue-green color, 4' long x 2' wide by 1' tall. I put these behind the house next to our patio. They have mostly flowers but a pepper or 2 and herbs, rosemary, curly leaf parsley and Greek oregano. My basil I grew from seed isn't doing very well so I planted more seed directly, we'll see if it grows. (The basil and oregano plants I bought form Home Depot died in their store containers within a couple days of purchase.)

8' Planter for Front Yard

Backyard Planters

Front yard Early in Summer

I've Been Negligent in Posting!

 I wasn't even planning on making a post today, but I came back looking for information from last summer, and couldn't find it, ah, well. But since I'm here, a few highlights. I'll even throw in a few pics.

• We finally got someone to come turn on our HVAC unit! It's not been officially commissioned, but it's running and keeping our home at a nice even 73 degrees. At some point the guy is supposed to return and install something between it and the water heater. No clue if and when that will happen. But at least it's progress! Hal installed a check valve between it and the pressure tank and that is working well, too.
• I went on a cruise to Alaska in August, the inside passage with Hal's sister, youngest brother and his family. It was great, good weather, got to see Glacier Bay, Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. Took a couple of excursions, mushing on wheeled carts with sled dogs and a train ride up into the mountains. Whale watching, too, though we didn't see much other than a few tails.
• Hal and I got a lot of trim work done on the interior of the house. We still have more to go but the dining room and guest bedroom have all the baseboard. The guest room and our bedroom even have the closet jambs and trim finished. No doors yet, but it is more progress.
• I'm still playing guitar and am finding it easier to play my acoustic, finally, the strings are a lot thicker and stiffer than my electrics, so it took some getting used to.
• Yesterday we started setting up the TV/Music room properly by moving the wall units and speakers from the living room. Hal set up a sound bar he got from his sister in the living room. It will suffice until I buy better speakers for it.

  

  TV Room with Shelf Units

  
  

  

  New Pantry Door and Trim

  
  

  

  Me at Glacier Bay, Alaska

  
  

  

  Living Room without the Shelf Units

  
  

  

  Hallway with Finished Trim

  
  

  

  Foyer with Finished Trim