Meriruka's Tales - need advice on squash

[meriruka]

The place has a ton of outbuildings:

The only inconvenience is that some of the property is on the other side of the road. Luckily, it's a dead end road with only a few families at the end of it. You can see the original house below, a log cabin. I can't imagine a family in that tiny little place. How glad I am they built a bigger house!

 

[meriruka]

The Vail B, thanks for the well-wishes re my hand. It was my own fault, trying to pry a dried paint roller off the roller handle with a knife. Of course the knife slipped and well, it was graphic.. Pulling it out I'm ashamed to say I nearly swooned.

Modern P., I will definitely get a copy of that book. Sounds like it's got lots of info I could use.

And thanks for the compliments everyone! I'm so in love with this place it's ridiculous.

 

[TTs Chicks]

your place!! Gotta watch those knives Hope it heals well.

 

[justusnak]

Welcome!! I just love your house..and land! All those out buildings...and that cabin! Wow, what a great little guest house that would make. Is it usable?
OUCH on your hand!! You had to pul the knife out!?? I hope you heal up quickly. I cant waite to read about your adventure there. Looks and sounds like you will have lots to talk about.

 

[meriruka]

Sadly the cabin is in pretty bad shape. It was used as a coop for (from the looks of the floor) several millenia. The far side is caving in, the only thing holding it up is a tree that has grown up through the logs. I don't have the skills or the $ to fix it, but I can't bring myself to tear it down either.

It was surrounded by a jungle of overgrown brush. My cousin came to visit & we got the brilliant idea of clearing it out. After 4 hours, we got this far:

Then came the attack of the yellow jackets. They came up out of the ground. I got stung 3 times, my cousin didn't get stung at all even though after streaking off he came back to drag me away because I was just standing there dumbfounded.
We're running for the house and all I can say is, "What are they doing in the ground?" "Where the heck am I that bees live IN THE GROUND!?" In all my experience, anything bee-like lived in papery nests up in the corners of the porch or big hives up in trees or in open soda cans.
I'd never before been stung by a bee, so I had no idea if I was allergic or not. My cousin is dabbing wet baking soda on the stings and asking silly questions like "Do you know where the hospital is?" and "When are you getting a phone?" and all I can say is "Dude. Since when do bees live in the dirt?"
So, we sat around on the porch for a while, waiting to see if I would go into shock and die. After an hour, we figured I would make it. We did abandon the project and I later had a bulldozer come and clear the whole area out:

 

[kcsunshine]

WOW! your house and property looks exactly like the place we owned in Valdosta, GA. Garden in the same spot, too. I wanted to move back home to Tenn. so we left it...I cried for months. I did so want to pick up the house and land and bring it with me.

 

[meriruka]

Yes, I know how you feel. They would have to drag me kicking & screaming away from here.

So, no big snow here. However some genius made the screen door to the porch even with the eave. The door just clears the rain gutter except when there's snow in it. Usually I remember, but I just went out to check on the birds and WHOOMP! everything hanging on the edge of the roof came down on my head.

Birds are just fine, so glad I invested in those heated waterers.

Going to finish the carpet in the dining room today (one handed!)
and bake something yummy.

 

[meriruka]

Almost done the dr/office carpet project. One visible seam, but not a whole lot I can do about it but I'm pretty pleased with the results:

I've been contemplating getting a pair of emu chicks from a nearby town, just weighing pros & cons & doing research.........mostly wondering if it's a crazy idea or not....

 

[big brown horse]

Emu chicks? Cool! What can you do with emu chicks?

Funny story about the bees. Though, sorry you got stung. :/


I think your property and all the out buildings are devine! I have out building envy. I miss living in an old home too. Mine was built in the early '80's...and has not been updated. The decor is and the house itself, well, FLIMSY is the best way to describe it. (I grew up in a 125 yo victorian and my last house was built in 1920. I miss that solid, construction!!)

I bought the place for the land, not the house...and since the economy tanked, building a home is out of the question. Out buildings are on hold now too. We are just making do with what we've got for a while.

I LOVE to look at your pictures!!!! Your dining room looks wonderful!

 

[meriruka]

Thanks!
Old houses do feel more secure. I do envy how well insulated newer houses are and renovating an old house requires the strength of a giant to pull out the foot long nails embedded every two inches, but I still wouldn't trade.

Good point about the emus. What do you do with emu chicks? (or full grown ones, for that matter). I think I just want the experience of raising something so unusual. There's a lot of satisfaction in diving into something you've never done before & pulling it off. And lots of laughter when it doesn't go quite as planned. While it's great to succeed, it's also good to know what not to do.....

When it comes to animals, I'm much more careful, it's heartbreaking to make a mistake with a life in your hands, but I'm pretty confident I can do this, it's just a question of whether the expense is worth the satisfaction.