A spectacular October!

The weather was so mild this past month, we couldn't help but indulge ourselves in water fun and ice cream. The kids were so inspired one afternoon, they jumped in the local fountain and soaked themselves.

Joy is watching a child live life with complete abandon.

Lucky for me, husband was meeting me at the fountain to take the wet kids home, as I had a very important hair appointment.



We got a ton accomplished at the farm, too. The siding was finished and a french drain installed. Jesse busted up some concrete, only to end up with a case of tendonitis. 

That back deck will come down, I promise...

Unfortunately, we just didn't have time to get it painted. As dry as it was, the days started out quite foggy, and the wood was just too wet. I had a number of painting contractors over to give bids, and the honest ones were very clear that now is not the time to paint, if I want a long lasting paint job.

The last painter at the house even said that letting the shingles weather naturally will eventually result in complete failure in this climate. That they will dry out and become completely brittle. I guess that achieving that weathered beach look is out of the question.

That's somewhat good news to us, as we can now choose a stain that will protect the wood and give it a cohesive look, and a good 5 months to pick out the best color combination. He said that the stain should keep for 15 years, at which time we can re-stain or paint.

Wow, do I hope this helps with the water seeping into the basement. It's a river down there!

The front porch, that we initially planned to remove and replace with a full 2 story balcony, was restored. Talk about a budget saver. Sometimes you end up with a better result when grand plans don't happen.

Crazy loving the south side of the house. The upper shingles are such a pretty color. Too bad we can't have it all look that way.

Scrap wood will be nice kindling for some diseased orchard trees that will soon be burned.