Friday, March 23, 2012

TODAY THE MUD WENT ON THE HOUSE:))

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THE BOYS GOT THE FIRST COATING OF MUD ON TODAY
In prepping the house for stucco it was necessary to take off many old pieces of broken dried wood here & there.  Some of it dating back to the late 50’s I’m sure.  My first chore this morning was to get a fire going in the pit & burn up all that scrap lumber lying about.  And, it twas a fine morning for doing that too.  Think we got up to 80F today:))
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FINISHING UP THE LAST STYROFOAM & WIRING
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THE RAISED FRAME AROUND THE WINDOW IS CALLED A ‘POP-OUT’
Little Motormouse is definitely improving but is still picky about what she eats.  Gobbled down some more hamburger for breakfast & this afternoon Kelly scrambled an egg with some chicken & she ate that.  Turned up her nose at tinned Salmon.  Kelly poached up some chicken this afternoon & that worked too:))  I am beginning to think this may have just been a ploy by the Mouse to get herself switched over to Yummy human food & off that bland doggy food stuff.  D’ya think.  We thank all our readers for care shown & the many food suggestions for Cora.  Definitely seen further improvement in her this afternoon when she was outside again ripping & tearing around assuming her position as, Big Boss Dog:))
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A CONTENTED LITTLE MOUSE AFTER FINALLY EATING A SUBSTANTIAL SUPPER
I did manage to flood our laundry room & part of the kitchen this morning.  Decided to fill up the hot water tank but never thought to close the little check valve thingy on top of the tank.  When the tank filled up, the water just kept on a coming right up & out through a fitting.  Luckily one of the workers heard a Niagara Falls sound coming from the house & alerted us.  Also fortunate is that there are few level floors anywhere so the water just kind of troughed it’s way to the back door where I was able to swoosh it right into the back yard with a broom.  Also turned on the electric this morning & all wall sockets & lights worked, including the stove.  Bonus.
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THE STUCCO MIXING MACHINE
We were back to the house about 12:30 & the boys started putting the mud on the house shortly after.  It’s really called Stucco but they just call it mud.  Interesting to see them trowel it on by hand.  Two guys doing the trowling with the other fella mixing up the mud in a big mixer & wheel barrowing it to where the trowlers are working.  They weren’t long in covering the walls with a dark army green mud.
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THE VERY FIRST SWATCH OF MUD GOES ON THE HOUSE
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Kelly & I headed off to Wickenburg this morning.  Her black & blue ankle is coming along better but she still can’t push the hard clutch in on the Jeep.  We’re getting to be known at the Hardware & Paint Stores for sure.  On the way to town Kelly spotted an ‘Estate Sale’ sign so we burned up some rubber pulling a U-turn & heading back.  Estate, garage, & yard sales have suddenly become important once again in our lives.  Came out of there with our first piece of furniture for the house…a $20 solid wooden end table.  Groovy:))
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THE WIRED UP POP OUT IS READY FOR SOME STUCCO
After the hardware store for a floor mop & some lighting fixtures it was off to Safeway for groceries followed by another trip to the paint store.  We’re having quite a tussle with ourselves over these kitchen cupboard door colors.  Photo below shows one drawer with a Peach trim & one door with an Aloha Sunset trim…same as our walls.  Trying to decide which way to go.  Center gray color is called ‘Dry Creek.’  Any suggestions??  In the morning I will make up my mind & carry on with one or the other.  A quick stop at the ‘Treasure Chest’ store netted us a lamp for $15.
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So nice to be focused on a constructive project again. I thrive on certain types of change & this creative house & property adventure is right up my alley. Just as excited about our Arizona place as I was when we moved to Bayfield back in October of 2002. Just as excited as I was when we moved into the old tumble down farm house in the country back in the mid 90’s. And just as exciting as each & every RV we have bought over the years. Especially the Motorhome we have now. So great to be excited about something again. Oh, & then there was the greatest excitement of all back in the summer of 1993…….meeting Kelly:))  Now, that was  EXCITING!!
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Remember the nice cactus plants Kelly bought a few weeks ago at the annual North Ranch yard sale?  I planted them in a temporary spot in the back yard with intentions of replanting them in a permanent location in the Fall.  Well, those dam Javelina’s got into our back yard last night & destroyed one of them & chewed off part of a third!!!!!!!!!!!  Our yard is vulnerable to Coyotes & Javelina’s because of an old over grown fence in our backyard with many holes in it.  It is impossible to fix.  Both Javelina’s & Coyotes are very dangerous for Pheebs & Motor plus ourselves as well.  For sure we are going to have to have new Coyote & Javelina proof fencing put in.  One of our priority projects in the Fall.  Luckily we have a lot fencing already here that can be used for that project.
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THESE GUYS REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING 
‘Black Tank’ topics are always good for Happy Hour topics. (for those of you who like that ‘Happy Hour’ stuff)  WHEELING IT has a good post on how easy it is to keep your black tank functioning properly.  We never rely on or bother with our sensors but we do use the same method of Dawn dish detergent & Calgon water softener to keep our tank from crudding up.  Of course we had to learn all this the hard way in the early days:((  
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WE INTEND TO CHANGE THAT ROOF COLOR AS WELL
I had mentioned awhile back about the possibility of leaving our Motorhome in Arizona now that we have a piece of property big enough to do that.  However, we have become aware of a problem in storing any kind of vehicle.  Pack Rats!!  We have talked to people here who have absolute horror stories about what has happened to their vehicles.  In fact I was just talking to Doby about this problem Thursday morning.  His Motorhome wiring was destroyed by nesting Pack Rats.  Pack Rats get up into vehicles & chew on wiring, gas & hydraulic lines, etc.  It’s a very real problem here in Arizona & especially for vehicles sitting dormant for any length of time.  Always something to mess up man’s plans eh!!
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KEEP IN MIND THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST COAT OF UNPAINTED STUCCO
Kcgaz from ADVENTURES OF A 50 YEAR OLD joined the Bunch Wednesday as another one of our many Blog Followers.  Check out their problems with a couple tire monitoring systems.  Sounds like there is someone else out there besides me who runs into problems with mechanical stuff like that all the time.
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THE BACK OF THE HOUSE WILL BE MUDDED UP FRIDAY
So nice to be focused on a constructive project again.  I thrive on certain types of change & this creative house & property adventure is right up my alley.  Just as excited about our Arizona place as I was when we moved to Bayfield back in October of 2002.  Just as excited as I was when we moved into the old tumble down farm house in the country back in the mid 90’s.  And just as exciting with each & every RV we have bought over the years.  Especially the Motorhome we have now.  So great to be excited about something again.  Oh, & then there was the greatest excitement of all back in the summer of 1993…….meeting Kelly:))
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PHEEBS LOVES HER READY MADE SAND PILE  
GROANER’S CORNER:((  A politician was running for re-election and was talking at a campaign stop to his constituents.
"My opponent has called me a liar. Rest assured, I have never lied to you. The only problem I have is that the facts don't always match up with what I believe."
- Will - Why do you water your lawn with whisky?
Bill - So that it comes up half-cut.
- Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.
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- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

31 comments:

  1. I'm partial to the sunset color as it makes it pop. That stucco job is looking great!! What a transformation. And so glad to hear the Mouse is better. Now for Kelly's ankle to heal up...

    Your last days in AZ are going to be a whirlwind memory when you get back to Bayfield. We did what? Really? Wow! Groovy! :)

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  2. Wow! It doesn't even look like the same house already.

    Glad Mouse has gotten back up to snuff. Imagine tricking you into people food. :)

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  3. I like both trims. I would have a hard time deciding between them.

    Pack rats are a new concern. Hmmm.

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  4. I have never cared for Safeway as I have always found their prices higher than anyone else. When I was in AZ a while back I shopped at Bashas, located at 275 North Tegner Street. The folks were so friendly, the prices seemed to be fine to me, and they have a pharmacy. They are located near the Wickenburg hospital, which is good to know for anyone over 60!

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  5. I wondered how they were going to treat the windows. The pop outs make them look great. Glad to hear the little Mouse is continuing to improve.

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  6. Sure hope we don't have any pack rat problems in our storage lot. But it is in the middle of town, not out in the desert. Still that probably doesn't mean too much.

    The stucco seems to really make the house look much newer and nicer. We will have the exact same stuff on the outside of the new house we are building.

    Yay on the Mouse getting back to better health, and if she resumes running the place she should be back!

    I like the top pictured door trim with the more butterscotch color as the bottom looks more pink.

    But of course color is up to the beholder....

    You may have to build a rat proof garage in order to leave the moho over the summer.

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  7. glad to hear that Motormouse is beginning to show signs of feeling better!..
    the two of you are moving right along with the house! doesn't even look like the same house anymore!!..I prefer the top drawer rather than the pinky one!

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  8. Looking great for sure - can hear the happiness in your posts - yea for the new projects!!!

    Glad Cora is getting better - went thru that recently with our inside cats - they just would not eat their canned or dry food - did alot of googling till I found some answers and now all is fine again.

    About the Dawn - kind of reminds me of when our commode in the house gets clogged - we pour alittle Tide and very hot water in and it swooshes the problem away!

    Connie in PA

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  9. WOW,,,the house is looking SUPER,, I like it already!!!!
    I am not a color guy. so I can't help you on the cupboard's, sorry.

    Glad Motormouse is perking up....

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  10. Love the stucco already...what a transformation!So happy for you guys with this new home adventure!

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  11. Coming right along--I (just me) think you need more contrast rather than another color in the coral family--maybe a taupe or something like that. :))

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  12. I prefer the top color. As long as you remain in the color "family", whether you go lighter or darker, you will have a nice contrast without being gaudy or off color. So far your choices have been good. Have faith, you will make the right decision.

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  13. What a GREAT transformation on the house! Amazing!!!!

    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
    Karen and Steve
    (Our Blog) RVing: Small House... BIG Backyard
    http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com

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  14. Cheers for the shout-out!
    The stucco is looking FABULOUS! What an amazing improvement in just a few days.

    We're keeping our paws crossed for Motormouse!

    Nina

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  15. Very exciting! I'll help you with the cabinet doors--I like both! ;-)

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  16. My guess is that you were tired and exhausted when you wrote this post last night. You might want to eliminate the duplicated last paragraph about being focused on a constructive project again. :) I thought my computer was jumping around on me when I first read it.

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  17. I am sooo glad motormouse is doing better !! always in our prayers - take care. Angela

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  18. So, you have discovered the mean and nasty side of javelinas! No longer are they a pleasant diversion. Yup, they destroyed a bunch of our plantings also, but at least they waited until after the party we had decorated for. They have also knocked over a storage bin we were using to keep bird seed in -- ate almost all of the bird seed, too. That's why we just call 'em pigs. Of course, their real name is "Collared Peccaries." Call 'em what you want, we don't like 'em!

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  19. No time to read all the comments but I have to weigh in with my vote for the top color choice.
    Wow! The house is looking great! What a difference a little stucco makes!
    We got a pack rat in our motorhome just parked by our house in Tucson. We caught it before it did any major damage. There are ways to keep them out but I wouldn't leave your motorhome in AZ either.
    Hope Kelly's ankle heals quickly and so glad to hear the Mouse is improving.
    Grace

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  20. As Jane from "Twilight" would say "Decisions, Decisions". I'm a "color" person so I would paint each drawer a different color combination within that color pallet, just to different. But that decision lies with you.

    So glad to hear that little Cora is feeling better and is now running around the yard with Miss Pheebs.

    Wow, the outside of the house is looking great! It's going to make a huge difference in your electric bill.

    Miss Pheebs sure looks comfy in the sand pile. Hope Kelly is taking it easy on that ankle of hers. Sure don't want to push it.

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  21. Here's another thought - take the motor home to an RV dealer and put it up for sale. With the price of gas, their value is going to go down as people look for the smaller ones. Then drive the Jeep back to Canada and spend the money when the MH sells on a smaller one. Just thinking out loud...

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  22. I definitely vote the top color...The bottom one was too pink..and love the gray center..and earth tone is always a good choice when needing to soften the other 2 brighter colors...(purely my opinion..and I love the house stucco!!)

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  23. So glad littel motor is better. they learn real quick how to get good tasting treats w/ sympathy.
    Can just feel your excitement coming thru. When you finish that as I'm sure it wont take you long, you are going gangbusters, come to my house, it will keep you project thrilled for long long time. ;_)

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  24. I think folks are not seeing the real colors that you are wanting them to compare which if I'm correct are on the right side lower part. I like the lower one.

    Have had a broken ankle twice and driving a stick shift with your left ankle broken is no treat. Hope Kelly's heals up soon.

    The place is looking fabulous. REALLY sorry to hear about the pack rats and javalinas. What a couple of pains for you to have to deal with.

    Sherry
    www.directionofourdreams.blogspot.com

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  25. I'm so glad the little Motormouse is feeling better.

    I really like the second color combination in the pic of your cabinets.

    Your house is looking great with just the first adobe coat on. Kind of pulls all those different additions together. Have you decided on a paint color yet?

    One of our former neighbors put up a long, narrow metal building on a cement pad to store their motorhome in. Maybe something like that would work to keep the packrats out. Good thing somebody told you about them.

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  26. Peach color or tan- my vote.
    We have left our rvs in Cochise Cry. for 5 years now. Never a sign of a rat or mouse. There should be something you can put in it to stop them. Like decon. We never have. Didn't think about it. Maybe we should.

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  27. Very exciting to follow your renovations. You both seem to know what to do and how to do it.
    Happy the motormouse is progressing daily. The sick doggie thing touches most people's heart as many of us have 'been there'. Great posts, as usual!

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  28. I wanted to tell you about our experience with javalinas. We live with them. They pass thru our yard once or twice a day. They bother nothin or noone. Not saying they won't if they feel threatened, but don't believe they will be that big of a problem. Pheebs will probably scare them off.

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  29. That is so cool, looks like a completely different house!!! I like the sunset too...

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  30. Our RV has been stored in Tucson since 2007. We use it three weeks a year in the winter only. There has only been one dirt wasp nest found so far. I have not had any damage by pests, but the heat has done a lot of damage. Many of the glued trim parts fell off or peeled. The roof vents cracked as did dash vents. Most of this happened the first summer. I think paying the gas bill to drive would be worth it. It could also haul a lot of things you will find for your casa during the summer in Canada.
    I am really glad the mouse is on the mend.

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  31. Congratulations on your new winter home, looks like you are fixing it up real nice. Hope little Motormouse is feeling better real soon. Hope Kelly's ankle is doing better.

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