Sunday, June 15, 2014

Deck’s End


      In June, when a person should be out digging in his garden, or mowing, or sitting on a tractor, or fixing fence, or mending a farm implement, or playing a round of golf to celebrate day’s end, we have been trying to finalize the transaction that will end our sojourn in Kansas.  About three things stand in the way of that final step:  getting our “stuff” out of the house, crossing eyes (or is that dotting “i’s” and crossing “t’s”?) and jumping red-tape hurdles thrown up by FHA, and finishing the deck.
    Progress was made in all three areas this week.  A surveyor showed up to locate four pieces of rebar that demarcate the four corners of our soon-to-be ex-world.  Sure enough, he found the iron rods right where we put them.  On to the next hurdle, whatever that might be.
     We hauled another two-vehicle load to the farm, and then tried to find places to put everything.


     A garge-cleaning ensued in the effort to find room.  Among the items unearthed in the purge:




      A boxful of wigs and three traps, one humane, the other two barbaric.

     The deck project nears its end with the arrival of the railing.  The railing on the deck ends insure that a somnambulist won’t wander off either end of the deck.



        Two swallows seemed to enjoy a new perch.


      Then the stair rails.










     Sort of makes you want to pull up your rocking chair and mix up a mint julep, doesn’t it?  I still have to put the skirts around the rail post bases.  

4 comments:

  1. When it comes to traps for mouses, I'm highly in favor of barbarism. When it comes to somnambulism I'm not in favor of it, barbaric or not. As for the fine looking house, methinks the buyers are getting a decided bargain - looks really nice.

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  2. It sure does look plantation-esque. Not sure a pith helmet would suffice for a large-brimmed hat, though.

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  3. Weezy sez that when you're moving the clothes you're definitely getting close to done. . . . .

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  4. I have no personal bias against coyotes. One crosses my path occasionally early in the morning about a 1/4 mile from our place. Think he's going for breakfast of bunny over by the city's garages, which are infested with bunnies running this way and that as bunnies are wont to do.

    As for the Touring game, it was revived back in the 80's (I think) with the French name "Mille Bournes." You were given seven cards, most of which had mileage numbers (25, 50, 75, 100, 200). Scattered amongst the mileage cards were the Flat Tire, Out of Gas, Collision, Speed Limit with their corresponding "remedy" cards, as well as quite a few "Go" cards. If you were stopped (or hadn't yet started) you had to draw a "Go" card and play it before you could play any of your mileage cards. Also, there were some "super" cards such as "Careful Driver" (which made you "Collison" proof), "No Speed Limit," and a couple of others, which rendered the other guys' trouble cards null. At each turn you drew a card and either played something bad on another player or you could play a mileage card. First one to get 1000 miles total was the winner. We spent many a winter's evening playing Mille Bournes with the kids. Now it's the grandkids turn. Some of them cry if you put a bad card on them, and at least one gets mad and quits if he goes two or three turns without getting a "remedy" card for his particular ill. Of course they LOVE giving each other (and Papa) the nasty cards!

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