moving

[seminolewind]

Yea it was a lot and now I got a plumber coming Tuesday and a fridge coming tomorrow. Then I think I'll take a break and finish unpacking, LOL

Money wise I figure the house in Florida will sell for more than we paid for this, so I have the extra money to do improvements.

[seminolewind]

Well except for the mud, it's kind of eerie that this house was for me. Everything I do or want to do is easier because it feels like the house was built for me. Even tho its 50 years older than me. I could not have laid out the house, porch, property or even the location any better than it is for me.

However, now I have to get a driver's license, registration and plates and you would not believe the paperwork and proof involved and a written test, emissions inspection, and some other thing. It sounds like a one or two days to fulfill all that. And changing address of important things like ss check and pension and health ins. A real PIA.

[dawg53]

Karen: Emissions test, even out in the boondocks where you live? The other one you probably have to get is a state inspection sticker for your vehicles. All that crap is a state scam to get your money. Nothing but robbing the people of their hard earned money and it's who you know that can pass or fail your vehicles...a rip off.

You have to take a written test? They dont recognize the fact you previously had taken a written test in another state and should be recognized or accepted as valid in Indiana? If not, another money making scheme.

I believe most states recognize another states driver license as valid, not requiring the written rest, only a vision test, and not if the out of state drivers license is not expired. Maybe Indiana doesnt recognize Florida drivers license?
I never had to take a written drivers test when I moved from Virginia to Georgia, then Georgia to Florida...must be a southern thang lol.

I had to show proof I was a US citizen and 2 proof's with my name of a valid address within 30 days after I moved from Georgia to Florida. I was thinking Nazi Germany when I had to do this..."show the papers." The land of the free? All of this due to post 911 and illegal immigration.

[seminolewind]

Powell says he has to bring his original birth certificate!

[seminolewind]

So like an idiot I tell my dad about my current stress of the mud, the missing chicken, Medicare/Empire NY, and silverscript needing to be called, another IRS "you owe" which is bogus, and docs here are either booked or don't take my insurance. And with the IRS, I'm just going to file a grievance this time. Enough BS. If we both have the same amounts on the same 1099's and fill the forms out the same, why do they think I owe $450?

Anyhow, Dad did not miss an opportunity to lay the guilt on about how wonderful it is down in Florida. And how admitting I made a mistake moving away is okay!

Sheesh!

[seminolewind]

I have this white barn, about 20x20. Looks like a metal roof, and 100 year old barn covered with white aluminum half way up. The sliding door in the back is trashed. The 2 doors on the front look to be old rickety doors with aluminum slapped on them that are all busted up on the ground and don't even close well.

Well my daughter says she hopes I don't slap together 2 ghetto looking doors! Let me tell you. I don't know about her eyesight but these 2 doors are rotted wood with aluminum slapped on. Then she says put the aluminum back on the new ones.

I told her why on earth would I take the time to build 2 doors that look terrible? She says are you going to paint them? I said dark green like the roof. That quieted her! She's pretty bossy.

[seminolewind]

I finally got up the courage (to fail or not) to get the mule, and the drag out and drag horse's paddock which is 80x80 feet with manure piles all over. Well, actually got the drag unwrapped, hooked up and dragged for about 45 minutes! It's amazing when something I've been hesitant to do actually works! So the ground is firm enough to walk on well. But in front of the gate it's so bad my mule went swimming around and I prayed not to get stuck. The hoofprints in the mud there are about 4-6 inches deep.

There's 2 things I didn't exactly think thru when deciding to move. I now have all the horse work which is a lot of lifting, carrying, feeding 2x a day, cleaning the stall..... I haven't done that stuff in 10 years!!! Of course it cost me 4-500 bucks a month. So I have more money but I'm more tired.
The other thing is that I didn't realize that hubs is in no position to help me. He can't walk hardly even with a cane. So I will have to be counting on handymen from now on.

[maryellen]

Oh no . Could family help besides handymen?

[maryellen]

Maybe find a place to board your horse until you get the yard fixed? Board should be cheaper there maybe?

[seminolewind]

Board is about the same price. I will check out a few places. I'm also looking into making a "pond" in the middle of the paddock for drainage. Or creating something that diverts the water to other areas. I might dig a small test area to see what happens. I also got to figure out where to drain the gutters I'm putting up on the "barn".

I spent almost 2 days building a door for the coop and got one more to build. Today I put up a stall door but it still needs work.

[dawg53]

Building doors for a coop and pen can be a pain in the butt, more time consuming than anything else. Now that you reminded me, I have to replace the foam insulation strip on the main coop door.

Karen, do you wish you had stayed in Florida?

[seminolewind]

That's a tough question. Everything in Florida was set and taken care of, made convenient or easy.

It's beautiful here, I will have no problems growing anything , in Florida my gardens never took off. But I still have a ways to go to get things convenient or easier. And I got my daughter and grandkids a few miles away.

I also have more motivation here . I don't regret leaving Florida. I've always wanted to live in an old house in the country and live near my daughter. It's nice having a real town a few miles away rather than a 50 mile road of stores and businesses.

There is a lot to miss in Florida. But a lot to like here.

[dawg53]

You're right Karen. It's family that's important.

[seminolewind]

Yup. I'm working on making things easier.

[maryellen]

By next winter you will have everything fixed and a system going so this winter will be a memory.

[dawg53]

Jan 20, 2019 18:38:58 GMT -5 maryellen said:

By next winter you will have everything fixed and a system going so this winter will be a memory.

Yeah, practice makes perfect.

[seminolewind]

I went to eyeball a boarding barn yesterday. Not a person in sight. A lot set up for pasture board with a shelter. There were horse stalls outside and not any warmer than I have it. It looked like they have the same muck problem I have when it's warm. So I don't think it's worth spending $350 a month to keep my horse there. So I have to quit whining about the water buckets , drainage, and muck. Otherwise okay. My horse looked good at 10 degrees as long as she has hay to keep her eating and warm. I'll be outside today working on the barn I guess. And tomorrow working on those gutters.

I still look forward to planting in the spring. Great soil here only needing horse manure to fluff things up. Not much to water. I think in Florida no matter how much I watered and mixed top soil into the sand, the water would drain immediately and the plants would not get enough. Even with good fertilizer the plants were puny and put out barely any fruit.

[dawg53]

No more stick tight fleas neither, right Karen?

[seminolewind]

No more fleas! I really worried about all the pesticide they got put on them. It can't be healthy. The one that got the most died but I can't say why. She just couldn't walk anymore. I have one with jaundice but it seems to be improving (). She insists on being picked up every day. I bury my face in her and she coos. Last night they all got leftovers. The first one who started eating was the half blind one. She pecks at the air lower and lower til she hits her food or water. I put a shrimpy silkie hen in with her who couldn't get to the food til everyone was done.

I have posts and wire but can't dig post holes till it thaws. There's a lip in front of the barn that allows water to run into the barn and make everything wet.

When I hung that barn door the other day there's a post that used to be a tree that's petrified and used to hold up the barn. I tried to screw 3 screws into it and they all broke! With an impact driver drill! The door which I hung high turned to not be high enough to clear the shavings so I have to raise it up which will be a bigger job. Then add windows so horse doesn't feel blocked in.

How cold can it be to mix cement?


Sylie good luck digging snow. I may have to once or twice here!

[dawg53]

Will "Flashing" work at the front of the barn to stop the water? The 'flashing' can be bent to direct water away. A pic would help if you get the chance.
Maybe you need concrete drill bits and screws to drill into the petrified tree. (I've never seen one, sounds cool.)
A far as mixing cement, I'm pretty sure it's no less than 40 degrees. I just set some clothesline posts in sakcrete last week for a neighbor and that's what I read on the bag because it was cold out... probably the same for quikcrete.

"I bury my face in her and she coos." I LOVE IT! I've had them nuzzle into my forearm and between my upper arm and body.
Sharon loves her hen "Susie." See pic below.