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Saturday, 9/1/12
Tommy and Mandy Browning had painted the: living room walls; entry walls; kitchen/breakfast room ceiling. The work looked great and really wet our appetite to paint the rest. The next six days will be spent by Mary painting with Tom helping by painting the ceilings in the den, living room, dining room and hall. Fortunately, Frank had put one coat on the family room ceiling after hurricane Ivan in 2004 so it only took one more coat.
Many small limbs where down from Hurricane Isaac that went through Louisiana and Mississippi last Tuesday and Wednesday. We picked up many large and small limbs. Frank and Peggy came over with their new John Deere zero-radius lawnmower and left it for us to use tomorrow.
Sunday, 9/2/12
Picked up the small limbs and cut the grass. Ran the Swisher line trimmer along the ditch, along the west yard fence.
Mary began painting the trim in the entry as the grey paint looks blue and she thinks it is due to the yellow in the aged trim. She was right and the walls needed another coat as the yellow is also showing through and that gives the grey a blue tone.
Very hot. Late afternoon I began cutting back the azalea row between the house and the barn/bin. Had to stop and cool off twice but made progress. Found a very old corner post in the east end of that row.
Monday, 9/3/12
Locate buried power wires and found that the wires Ted dug up–when digging out the large tallow tree at the barn wall–had been the wires to the grain bin dryer and not the power feed from the house. Exchanged the switch box that was too large for a smaller plastic “outdoor” version.
By 11:30 pm it was very hot so we painted ceilings in the den and hallway. Moved the wash stand into the large south wall of the den. Hung the prints of the girls either side and setup Lemuel’s and Lou’s photo either side of the vase with flowers Mary brought.
Late in the afternoon went to Home Depot and bought roofing cement as there are still leaks at the fireplace; exchanged the breaker panel I bought for the barn for a smaller one and bought new outlets to replace the ones in the barn and the carport; Spackling; Kilnz.
Sprayed Roundup (2.3 oz per gallon of water) on Johnson grass in the ditch. Finished Remedy (Clear Pasture) on small yaupon bushes that were coming back around the barn and fence rows.
Tuesday, 9/4/12
Installed breaker box and restored power to barn. Put battery charger on Ford tractor and added water to battery. It finally began to take a charge.
Ted came by and took a cow to sell that had lost the last two calves. His big Brahma bull is being very feisty and fighting the long horn bull. He said to be careful of him and he does not need an angry bull you cannot trust. Tim said the original owners had feed him carrots and such by hand and he has no respect for humans. I told him about clearing the tallow trees along the ditch and the fence and the areas I wanted to have cleared. Talked about the fence replacement and he has an auger and posts we can use.
As Peggy and Frank gave us their old John Deere lawn mower to try to fix we pulled it from Peggy’s yard to the car port. About 2pm Mary heard on the radio there is a large band of thunderstorms in Pensacola coming toward Mobile. I went to Home Depot and bought concrete/mortar filler caulk along with more electrical switches for the barn. Caulked the fireplace brick joints’ had large gaps that I believe allowed water to entered and again wet the brick wall on the fire place inside and the ceiling. It was not as bad as the last time but still damp.
We did get a hard rain and Mary said it rained all night. There was a lot of lightning northwest of us and the storm went west-north-west so we only got the south edge. The good news is the caulk I put in the brick joints of the fireplace prevented more leaks.
Grilled steaks on the Sportsman’s grill and Mary boiled fresh squash with sausage.
9/5/12 Wednesday
Rained all night so everything is very wet and mosquitoes are swarming. Painted the ceiling in the living room and dining room while Mary painted walls. Cleaned up many old plastic bottles and wood debris from around the Ford tractor.
Moved the charger from the Ford tractor battery to the John Deere lawn mower’s new battery. After several hours it began to take a charge.
Met Peggy, Frank, Jack and his friend James at the Shrimp Basket on US 90 in Tillman’s Corner for dinner. OK fried shrimp for the price.
9/6/12 Thursday
Tried to burn the large pile in the barn yard but still too wet. 
Took trash can and four bags of glass jars, empty plastic oil and antifreeze bottles and other debris from the barn to Peg’s so the garbage service would haul it away. They did. Went to Wentzell’s for lunch.
Put second coat on ceiling in LR and DR and installed new registers. Mary used her new trim pad/roller device that worked great. Trimmed the rest of the azaleas.
Have had the charger on the JD lawnmower since yesterday but not clear indication it is charging. When Peg came over she tried it to be sure we had the right peddles pushed. We had and it did not make a sound for her either But, the head light came on.
9/7/12 Friday
Re-installed part of the fascia at front porch and painted siding partially in the AM and the rest of the front in about 6PM. Installed weather stripping on front door and attic stairway. Hauled azalea cuttings to burn pile and limbs from behind barn. Picked up limbs behind barn and in early PM Ted and Jason showed up and cut the grass. Mixed more Clear Pasture and sprayed misc tallow and yupon around the barn and the east fence line.
9/7/12 Saturday morning
Put cover back on grain bid but need to bring 1/4″ galvanized bolts to secure it. Sprayed a few more weeds.
Next:
Cut vines off barn
Go to Dump (bring copy of power bill)
Kill Kudzu in back field
Talk to Paul about tractor and maybe call Gordon McClinton (251) 865-3718
Purchase wooden dowel for curtain rod in dining room
Look up videos for painting doors/cabinets and cleaning storm windows
