Loading Up And Going Back Home...And Our First Visit

Last Monday was a crazy day in Florida.  Mike and I got a call from the transport driver and he said he would be there by Monday afternoon to pick up the Suburban that came with the house.  As soon as he picks it up, Mike, Niki and I need to hit the road and meet the driver at the other end.


The Jeep is stuffed and ready to be towed:

All of the gas equipment is in the Jeep since we need to keep the motorhome "clean" for us:

I do the finishing clean up on the house while we wait.  Niki is banned to the outside, lol.

Yay...the transport truck is here.  He did have one problem...he couldn't turn around on our block.  He drove to the cul de sac and then he had to back up to our house:

Mike helped the driver load the Suburban on.  It barely fit.  The back tires are just at the end of the truck.  I really hope it makes it up the mountain...crossing my fingers.

The driver is ready and so are we:

Bye bye house....see you in a few months:

Mike and I left about 3:00pm on Monday afternoon.  We took turns driving and drove through the night.  We were worried about bad weather coming in so we had to get there as soon as we could.  Nicole told us our driveway was clear:).  We got in about 4:30am on Tuesday morning and we were exhausted.  First things first...get the wood stove started.  While Mike did that I set Niki up inside the house and started to unload the motorhome.  After a couple of hours we went to bed.  A little after 7:00am the phone rang....it was the granddaughter "are you home yet"?  "Can I come over after school"?  It's nice to be missed but Mike and I need to catch up on sleep first and make sure the house is OK, lol.


We spent the rest of the day getting the house back in order and running.  Mike filled our water tank, got the propane turned on, and filled the batteries for our solar bank, and got the water turned back on in the house.  We both finished unloading the cars...then we took a nap.  Thankfully this trip back went very smoothly unlike last year's fiasco.  The house held up extremely well and everything was in good shape.  The worst thing this year was we needed a new shower head as our old one clogged and we couldn't get it cleaned out.  There is a lot to be said for the old shower heads that can be taken apart with a screw:)  Other than that we had some dead bugs inside.  Mike and I were extremely happy about that.

Tuesday night we got a call that the driver was in town and on his way.  Mike and I drove over to the store to wait for him.  Yay...the truck made it.  We got it unloaded and Mike drove it up to the house.



On Wednesday morning we got our first visitor.  Mike's daughter showed up with chocolate cake to celebrate all of our birthdays that were missed.  We even sang to ourselves, lol.  It was a nice visit and it is good to be back.



Later that same day Ella wanted to come over to bring Papa his gifts:)

Ella and Papa....they are best buds:)

Mike's gifts handmade with love and filled with goodies:)

We are happy to be back and have lots to do this year.  Now we have to wait for Spring weather:)  I will write in each week to give you an update.  Sorry this one was late.



Home Sweet Home

Have a great week:):)

Our Coming Home Fiasco And Getting Ready To Work

Let me tell you about our coming home story this winter and then we can get to the fun stuff for 2013.  That would be all the crazy things Mike and I get involved in:):)

Mike and I went to Florida for a couple of months this winter.  We left in the beginning of December and traveled all around Florida for December and most of January then we got home sick.  It was time to go home but now we had to watch the bad weather back home.

We miss the kids.  Funny story about that.  Our 8 year old granddaughter called us in FL on December 19.  She was worried about the end of the world on the 21st.  Don't worry her end of the world just meant no electric and less food for awhile.  Anyway she wanted to know about any codes and cameras for our property.  She wanted to pack up, take her dogs and walk to our house.  She knew she would have electric and food at our house, lol.  Smart kid:)  I'm happy to say none of that was necessary:)  I went along with her and told her she needed to pack the dog's things and make sure they do their share of the work.  I told her to get some pillowcases and fill them with dog food and then attach them to the dogs.  I'm sure her mom loved me for that, lol.

OK....now the coming home story:eek:

On Tuesday Mike and I backtracked to New Port Richey FL for our dentist appointments.  After two hours we finally headed north and out of Florida.  We drove until about 9pm and made it to a campground in SC.  It was dark and we never even saw the campground.  We hooked up the electric for heat and left the next morning at 5:30.  On the road again.  We gradually watched the temps dropping and when we hit the mountains we saw a lot of snow:shocked:.  Not good.  By the time we made it to our road it was about 20 degrees out...but the sun was shining.  Yay......then on to our right of way.  It was all ice.  This is not good.  The entrance to our right of way also has 10 foot tall solid fence on both sides so there is no room for error when we pull in.  I was a nervous wreck and told Mike we should walk up top and see how the house is.  He said we have to get the motorhome out of the road.  OK..go for it.  So he tried to pull us into the entrance to the ROW.  We slid.  He backed up and tried again...and we slid again:eek:.  OK...now there is no way we can get into our entrance with all the ice.  Mike says...we have to walk to the top and get the tractor to pull us into the entrance and into our property.  So I wrapped Niki in lots of towels, told her to stay and Mike and I walked up to the house....which I was in  no shape for.  Mike did better than me and I was lagging behind.  He said “what’s the matter?”  I said....I’m overweight and out of shape...I’’ll meet you at the top.":rolleyes:  I don't want to have a heart attack.  We have enough to worry about, lol.  

Yay...we make it to the top.  First things first we go down to check on the house and start the fire.  On the way down we notice our trailer is missing.  Oops...somehow it rolled across the back parking area and down the walkway and then off the side of the drive and into the fence.  We must have had some wind here.  Well at least the fence caught it before it rolled down the hill.  We got inside and Mike started the fire.

Now for the work.  Mike tried to open the locks on our buildings and they were all frozen.  I went back down to the house and grabbed the torch.  Mike heated up the locks and we got in.  He got out the battery charger and extension cord.  Then to the back building, torched the lock and got the generator out.  Thankfully the generator started but the tractor was dead.  Mike went to get the Jeep to give it a jump start and the Jeep was dead.  OK...next we try the 4-wheeler....yup...that’s dead too:smack:.  While Mike tried to recharge the batteries, I grabbed the shovel and took it back out to the drive.  We have a sheet of ice right at the top side of the driveway for about 25 feet.  I start picking and scraping at that while Mike works on the equipment.  After awhile Mike comes to help me with the 4-wheeler and plow.:)  Next Mike gets the Jeep running and he is trying to jump start the tractor.  He needs my help to rev up the Jeep to get more juice to the tractor. Yay...we finally get the tractor started.  Ok time to get back down the hill with the Jeep, tractor and chains.  We make it as far as the barn and the tractor stalls and dies:eek:.  OK...no problem we brought the jumper cables.  But this time it’s too much for the Jeep and the Jeep dies.  Ok....Mike says...”I will walk back up top again and get the 4-wheeler”  “you walk out to the road and check on Niki.”  So off we go.  Niki is fine and I walk back to the tractor and Jeep.  Mike is able to get everything started again.  We both get on the tractor and go down to the van.  I wait while Mike does some scraping and clearing.  While he is doing that the mail lady stops to talk with me and tells me we have a bunch of mail.  I said I’ll pick it up next week..we are a little busy now, lol.

Yay....Mike is ready for me to drive the motorhome in while he pulls me on the ice with the tractor.  Uh....really.  Now I am really nervous but I don’t tell Mike.  One slip up and I will hit the fence and then we have a big headache with the motorhome.  I very calmly listen to his directions and to what he tells me to do.  He pulls and I give the van a little gas and steer....yay...past the opening and the first bad patch of ice.  He unhooks the chain and drives in front while I follow him up to the barn.  Yay....finally we are on the pavement.  Mike takes over and drives up to the house while I follow in the Jeep.  Then we go down to pick up the 4-wheeler and then the tractor.

Finally we are all at the top...after only 3 hours....ugh!!  Mike works on getting the house hooked up.  He has a lot to do with filling our underground water tank, turning the propane back on, getting the water on to the house, turning the solar panels back on, checking the system and basically getting our house functioning and operational.

While Mike does all of that I start to unload the van.  I take Niki and her bed down to the house first.  Somehow in all the excitement she has re hurt herself.  There is nothing I can do but give her some doggie aspirin and tell her to lay down.

On one of my trip back up to the van, Mike says he needs help.  He has a chain hooked to the trailer, which is off the side of the drive on the fence, and he wants me to hook the other end around the tractor bucket.  Really....you think you can get this out without it rolling/flipping down the mountain?  Mike says...oh yeah...just hook me up.  Uh huh.:think:  I wrap the chain around the tractor bucket and get the heck out of the way.  Way to go.  Mike gets the trailer out and back on the driveway and we only have minimal damage to the fence.:ok:

Finally we are in the house and ready to collapse.  Then we get a phone message from the post office.  They came “back” and put all of our mail in our box.  What a super sweet thing to do for us but what rotten timing, lol.  That's another reason I like living in a small town.  Mike and I take the Jeep down to get the mail. 

Back in the house.  We have a mess everywhere, lol.  It will take us days to get back on track and organized.  Our water pump is also running too much so Mike is going to have to check that but for the first night it is too cold and we shut off the water in the house until morning.  We are also going to have to take care of the Jeep.  It’s either time for a new battery or replace the bad terminals.  Hopefully it is just the terminals.   Either way that will have to wait until Thursday:)

Thursday morning....brrr.....it is freezing out.  Thankfully we got back home yesterday.  We took a slower morning.  I made a loaf of homemade bread, we had breakfast, and we both had nice hot showers:):)  Then it was off the the Farm Supply to pick up the terminals for the Jeep battery and also the check valve for the water pump.  They had neither.  Thankfully there is a new auto repair close by and he was able to sell Mike a couple of terminals.  We got back home and Mike worked on the Jeep.  Hopefully that will do the trick.  It is not fun worrying about the reliability of your car.

So we have a lot more to do but we are back safe and sound.  As Mike says.....Mike and Lisa know how to Get R’ Done;):):)

Now we are home and we can get back to working.  On Monday I will tell you about our new pool table and installation...oh boy, lol.