Meanderer
Supreme Member
Thought of your goats when I saw this, Nancy. "If I had goats...I would totally build them this" Delightful or what? LOL
Looks like a barber-pole goat house!
Never thought retirement would be like this
- Thread starter NancyNGA
- Start date
Looks like a barber-pole goat house!
jujube
SF VIP
I never realized that retirement would be this much fun. I just wish I could have retired at 50.
Barberpole worm::eeew:
I've been procrastinating on the kitchen project by wasting time trying to narrow down the age of that log cabin (near Fort Fizzle).:shrug: May update that later....
Back to the kitchen project (replacing the ceiling panels in the drop ceiling). The two main things I wanted to do were paint and have the flooring replaced, but I thought I'd redo the ceiling at the same time while I can't hurt anything new below it. The panels have warped upward leaving ugly gaps at the corners like this. ( Dang! And they are only 33 years old!)
I'm going to replace them with some that have a reveal edge, so the cracks won't show even if they warp. All the panels are now removed. The kitchen has a 10 foot high ceiling, dropped down to about 8'4" to hide upstairs plumbing. Every morning I find lovely dark green paint chips and plaster on the kitchen floor now.
Then ran into a glitch. (I was wondering WHEN that would happen, not IF.) Whoever installed the ceiling left the last row of grids ~1.5 inches longer than 2 feet on the right side of the room. They had actually cut some slightly longer panels and stuck in there. It wasn't a big enough difference to notice just by eyeballing it.
The square panels I chose don't come in 2'x4' size. And with an old house that gap will not be uniform width across the entire wall. The best looking fix, short of tearing down the whole grid system and starting over, would be to slide all the cross-Tees over so the panels come out centered in the room. Glitches always balloon into several other problems, soo...then the cross-Tees need to be secured else they will get out of line, because they won't be in their designated "slots." I think I can do that with a little wire.
I left *way* too much extra electrical wire when I put in the lights, so I might move them over one panel closer to the sink/stove, and possibly add another light in the back right corner, which would be nice if I have time, IDK. This is a temporary improvement, just meant to last for a few years, hopefully.
Need to drop this project tomorrow, check on the goats, and maybe check the fence. Voltage is down to 1100. Then start mowing lawns. It's been raining for 5 days and the grass is getting high. The nicest thing about being retired is I don't have to be in a hurry to finish anything.
I'm going to replace them with some that have a reveal edge, so the cracks won't show even if they warp. All the panels are now removed. The kitchen has a 10 foot high ceiling, dropped down to about 8'4" to hide upstairs plumbing. Every morning I find lovely dark green paint chips and plaster on the kitchen floor now.
Then ran into a glitch. (I was wondering WHEN that would happen, not IF.) Whoever installed the ceiling left the last row of grids ~1.5 inches longer than 2 feet on the right side of the room. They had actually cut some slightly longer panels and stuck in there.
It wasn't a big enough difference to notice just by eyeballing it.
The square panels I chose don't come in 2'x4' size. And with an old house that gap will not be uniform width across the entire wall. The best looking fix, short of tearing down the whole grid system and starting over, would be to slide all the cross-Tees over so the panels come out centered in the room. Glitches always balloon into several other problems, soo...then the cross-Tees need to be secured else they will get out of line, because they won't be in their designated "slots." I think I can do that with a little wire.
I left *way* too much extra electrical wire when I put in the lights, so I might move them over one panel closer to the sink/stove, and possibly add another light in the back right corner, which would be nice if I have time, IDK. This is a temporary improvement, just meant to last for a few years, hopefully.
Need to drop this project tomorrow, check on the goats, and maybe check the fence. Voltage is down to 1100.
Then start mowing lawns. It's been raining for 5 days and the grass is getting high. The nicest thing about being retired is I don't have to be in a hurry to finish anything.
Ever notice the hard part about getting stuff done is getting started? At least it's that way with me. Somehow I always imagine a job will take longer than it actually does and procrastinate. Yesterday I rode around the fence in 95 degree heat and removed several limbs, then came home and mowed both the front and back lawns. I had anticipated it would take 2 days to do that. Just needed to get started.
BUT... now I'll waste time doing nothing today, congratulating myself, and it will come out even in the end, anyway.:shrug: Oh well, at least something got done.
BUT... now I'll waste time doing nothing today, congratulating myself, and it will come out even in the end, anyway.:shrug: Oh well, at least something got done.
Was planning on a quick run out to check on the goats today, come back, and start painting. Took them for a short walk in the woods and found this near the barn:
The tree on the right fell down and smashed 3 other trees. The broken tree on the left is a wild cherry. Wilted cherry leaves can kill a goat in an hour if they eat enough of them. Goats don't normally care much for cherry leaves, but when they wilt they become sweet and produce cyanide. Locked them up, cut up the cherry and moved the limbs outside the fence. The other 3 trees are harmless. That took over an hour. Only 93 degrees today.
I'm still determined to paint one coat even if it's past midnight when I finish.
John C
Member
- Location
- Pasadena, CA
Yes, retirement is very different from what I expected. The house was built in 1955 and keeping it up is pretty difficult. It seems to be "just one thing after another", most of it needing outside help which is very expensive. A big surprise is how much attention has been required by the trees, although there are only a few of them. A big Santa Ana windstorm blew one of them down across the patio taking with it the electric power lines, telephone lines and cable TV line. I had to move to a hotel and board my Beagle for almost a week until power was restored, and it took four months to get the tree cut up and moved away.
I moved here in 1988 and trees became a problem from day one. Most of the time, I have someone scheduled to come out and fix something. Right now, it's a leaky kitchen faucet. Last week, it was a leaky bathroom faucet.
All things considered, it's a blessing to be retired and enjoying life, despite it's inevitable irritations.
I moved here in 1988 and trees became a problem from day one. Most of the time, I have someone scheduled to come out and fix something. Right now, it's a leaky kitchen faucet. Last week, it was a leaky bathroom faucet.
All things considered, it's a blessing to be retired and enjoying life, despite it's inevitable irritations.
Hi John! Thanks stopping by. So it took 4 months!? Trouble with trees coming down in windstorms is everyone else has the same problem at the same time, so all the tree people are busy. Glad it missed your house. I know what you mean about continual repair stuff. And it takes so much time just arranging for someone to come out and fix things.
My neighbor and I went together and had 2 very large pines removed between our houses last year. Judging from the dent they left in the yard when they came down, they would have flattened either one of our houses. When I was a kid my dad always disliked trees in the yard and cut them down. I thought he was just one of those typical "grown-ups" who doesn't appreciate beautiful things, lol. Now I understand.
My neighbor and I went together and had 2 very large pines removed between our houses last year. Judging from the dent they left in the yard when they came down, they would have flattened either one of our houses. When I was a kid my dad always disliked trees in the yard and cut them down. I thought he was just one of those typical "grown-ups" who doesn't appreciate beautiful things, lol. Now I understand.
Hi SeaBeeze. They probably wouldn't have eaten enough to hurt them, but it only takes a pound of leaves or so. I caught it just when the leaves were beginning to wilt. You could smell the sweet smell in the air. Anyway I'd have worried and worried about it all night and for days, so it had to be done just for peace of mind.
I checked a sample from Dixie, after giving her the new worm medicine, and found 0 worm eggs! Yay!!! :banana: That is a relief.
I finally have one coat of paint on the grids and 2 on the cross-tees. One coat may be enough, with only touch-ups if I missed a spot. I'm going to pretend it's enough anyway, because I hate painting, especially overhead.
Discovered a wren (like in bird) in the basement this morning. Had to chase it out, get a ladder and plug up the hole it was using to enter. Later in the day found the nest and a couple of small birds fluttering around down there. Left the door open all day. They appear to be gone. The little ones were old enough to fly. This already happened earlier in the spring, and I thought the nesting season was over, but evidently not (sigh). They also tried to make a nest in my mailbox---twice.
It's now crunch time on the ceiling. Got to start cutting panels. Something I've never done before. Got lots of extra pieces to allow for mistakes.
I finally have one coat of paint on the grids and 2 on the cross-tees. One coat may be enough, with only touch-ups if I missed a spot. I'm going to pretend it's enough anyway, because I hate painting, especially overhead.
Discovered a wren (like in bird) in the basement this morning. Had to chase it out, get a ladder and plug up the hole it was using to enter. Later in the day found the nest and a couple of small birds fluttering around down there. Left the door open all day. They appear to be gone. The little ones were old enough to fly. This already happened earlier in the spring, and I thought the nesting season was over, but evidently not (sigh). They also tried to make a nest in my mailbox---twice.
It's now crunch time on the ceiling. Got to start cutting panels. Something I've never done before. Got lots of extra pieces to allow for mistakes.
Back to my grandfather's cabin (how old is it and who built it?). This is the most fun puzzle ever. We were required to take a whole year of Ohio history in 7th grade Boring. But I can't lay off this stuff now that there is a reason to learn it.
Current tax records claim it was built in 1900. I think that is just a guesstimate.
Caldwell's Atlas of Holmes County OH in 1875 shows the property being owned by a Pierre "Peter" Drouhard as part of a 120 ac tract. That map shows 3 dwellings---one on the tract in question. The image on the right is from the current Google satellite map. I think it has to be the same. Google road overlay is not quite correct as I remember it, more like in 1875. I do remember the power line right-of-way up the center.
So from that it could be at least 140 years old. But could it be older?
An 1861 map shows the same 120 acres owned by the same Peter Drouhard but shows no dwellings at all there. If it was there then, the cabin could be 154 yo.
The land was part of the US Military District---approx 2.5 million acres offered to Revolutionary War veterans and their survivors as partial payment for service. Veterans often sold their land to speculators. At the time 1.5 million acres had been sold off, they were held by only 22 people. (Times haven't changed much).
This particular parcel was purchased by a Caroline Wheeler in 1848. Neither she, nor her husband, ever left Pennsylvania as far as I can tell (born and died there). So I'm betting it was just an investment. Before that it was either inhabited by native americans or squatters, according to the history books.
Drouhard was born in Echavanne, France in 1819, immigrated to the US at the age of 17 in 1834 and was married in 1836 in Glenmont OH, a mile away. Drouhard was definitely in the area in 1836, with 3 children born between 1842 and 1850. So where did Pete and his family stay between 1836 and 1848?
A wild guess is he may have just settled on the land as a homesteader and Caroline Wheeler didn't know they were there. Questions like this intrigue me. Some of this is easy to find out because everyone in the area was buried in a Catholic cemetery in Glenmont and someone compiled a list of all the info on the tombstones, plus info from obituaries.
So the upper limit could be 179 years.
Then I ran across the name Patrick J. Drouhard who gave a presentation about Fort Fizzle at French Ridge Vineyard and Winery on June 5th of this year. He has a manuscript for purchase and I sent him a letter requesting a copy. I'll bet he knows exactly who built that cabin and when. It will be interesting if he responds.
Boring. But I can't lay off this stuff now that there is a reason to learn it.Current tax records claim it was built in 1900. I think that is just a guesstimate.
Caldwell's Atlas of Holmes County OH in 1875 shows the property being owned by a Pierre "Peter" Drouhard as part of a 120 ac tract. That map shows 3 dwellings---one on the tract in question. The image on the right is from the current Google satellite map. I think it has to be the same. Google road overlay is not quite correct as I remember it, more like in 1875. I do remember the power line right-of-way up the center.
So from that it could be at least 140 years old. But could it be older?
An 1861 map shows the same 120 acres owned by the same Peter Drouhard but shows no dwellings at all there. If it was there then, the cabin could be 154 yo.
The land was part of the US Military District---approx 2.5 million acres offered to Revolutionary War veterans and their survivors as partial payment for service. Veterans often sold their land to speculators. At the time 1.5 million acres had been sold off, they were held by only 22 people. (Times haven't changed much).
This particular parcel was purchased by a Caroline Wheeler in 1848. Neither she, nor her husband, ever left Pennsylvania as far as I can tell (born and died there). So I'm betting it was just an investment. Before that it was either inhabited by native americans or squatters, according to the history books.
Drouhard was born in Echavanne, France in 1819, immigrated to the US at the age of 17 in 1834 and was married in 1836 in Glenmont OH, a mile away. Drouhard was definitely in the area in 1836, with 3 children born between 1842 and 1850. So where did Pete and his family stay between 1836 and 1848?
A wild guess is he may have just settled on the land as a homesteader and Caroline Wheeler didn't know they were there. Questions like this intrigue me. Some of this is easy to find out because everyone in the area was buried in a Catholic cemetery in Glenmont and someone compiled a list of all the info on the tombstones, plus info from obituaries.
So the upper limit could be 179 years.
Then I ran across the name Patrick J. Drouhard who gave a presentation about Fort Fizzle at French Ridge Vineyard and Winery on June 5th of this year. He has a manuscript for purchase and I sent him a letter requesting a copy. I'll bet he knows exactly who built that cabin and when. It will be interesting if he responds.
Meanderer
Supreme Member
Found this link, Nancy.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=36936437
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=36936437
ndynt
Senior Member
- Location
- NE Florida
How fascinating, Nancy. Hope that Patrick J. Drouhard replies to you...
Glad to hear that Dixie is worm free Nancy! Nice those young wrens were able to leave on their own too. This must be the first year I haven't seen any distressed (or dead) baby birds in my yard. Interesting about your grandfather's cabin, good luck in finding out more.