Grassfire clears 2.0 acres at 2361 Lindsey Drive

Things started out real nice today.

A grassfire swept across the pasture and up to the side and front of the house at 2361 Lindsey Drive this afternoon about 3 pm.  I was dozing in the easy chair and looked up to see the entire sky filled with smoke - I ran out the back door to see the entire back yard blackened and the fire still burning towards the house.  The fire had already burned the entire pasture on the south side, and was burning the hollyhocks up by the house, and was circling the house.  I grabbed a square nosed shovel and started fighting the fire.  The neighbor to the south yelled out to me and asked me if I had called the fire department and I yelled no, so she called them.   I stopped the fire in the front yard as it was starting to burn up under the bathroom overhang and then started coming back toward the porch.  Then I went to the back yard as the fire was heading toward the west side of the shop.  I was beating out the flames and I heard the siren, so I ran up to the road to show them what was up.  He told me to relax, there were a couple of units on the way...  Cool.

Turns out the neighbor Dale had cleaned out the fireplace about noon and put the ashes in a pit near his pole barn. He said he hadn't had a fire for two days, so didn't expect there would be a problem and there was snow near the pit.  However, it doesn't take much apparently.  The fire chief said the fire danger was high today because the snow was melting fast, the humidity was very low and it was above 40 degrees.  So here's some photos - got to meet the neighbor that we bought the property from and talked to Dale next door that I hadn't seen for almost two years!  Gotta go take a shower and get that smokey smell off me!

Click on one of the pictures and you will see a whole gallery of photos!  Enjoy!

Kathie had a good time with Kelcy today!

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Searching for that Perfect Tree - Dec 13, 2011



Station KNBN Ch 21 - Inteview RCWA Toy Delivery to YFS








It was recuperation day after the big toy delivery, so we decided to go out and find that perfect tree...


 So began our hunt for the perfect tree - it was about 30 degrees when we left the house, but actually seemed a lot warmer up in the woods.

This year Mom was able to troop thru the woods with me - last year she waited in the truck while I went looking all over the hills.  After being gone a half hour, she was afraid I had gotten lost.  But this year we probably walked a quarter mile through the underbrush along the creek - on the north side of the Forest road #201 where the spruce trees grow - pretty close to where we went when Mark and Amie were here.

 Too short?

Still too short?

Getting closer!

Still a little short ...



Mom got all excited and yelled out that this is the perfect one! Its more than twice as tall as her!



Are you sure?

OK - here goes!

Timberrrr!

We bagged one!

So we better tag it then....

This is fun!



Yes, just like every time - it sure is taller once its inside the house!



It was nice and warm on Saturday afternoon (42 degrees), so we put up the lights and artwork.

We found a real bird's nest in a small spruce tree on the way back - so we brought it home to put in our Christmas tree - just like Grandma Buchanan's bird's nest!



It was super cloudy yesterday and last evening, so this morning all the trees and tall grasses were painted/frosted white - very pretty!



MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

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Quilt Projects - Summer and Fall of 2011

Summer 2011 Projects

Some of the projects we worked on in the warmest month ever of September 2011 included a "5-yard quilt" portable rack for the Nuts and Bolts Fabric Shop in Edgemont, SD.

 

 Kathie restored the bottom half of an old Victorola cabinet, and then Bob added a white Corian top.

 

 A small table with turned legs and a walnut top were a pleasant surprise.

 

Here's the table sitting on the white Corian top of the restored half-record cabinet.

 

 An unusual auction find was this baby crib - painted with 3 layers of paint.  Kathie stripped and restored the crib to its natural state.  Many many hours of labor.

 

 Bob made a mattress frame to replace a very old screen-type mattress.

 The half-secretariat from an auction in East River finally got a  proper top - 1" walnut.

 

 And a small drop leaf table got a new middle top made from walnut, plus piano hinges to bring it back to proper usability.



More to follow - including a birds eye maple vanity and mirror, six oak dining room chairs and the oak table that were passed on to us from Grandma Clara Buchanan, and a small walnut telephone table...

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Preparing for the 3rd Annual Woodworking Show - May 2011

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Home again!

In preparation for Knee Replacement, rails were added to each of the three stairways into our home.

We checked into the hospital at 5:30 am on Feb 7, 2011. Surgery took 2.5 hours, recovery about 1.5 hours, then we checked into a luxury suite for a few days.

The medicines slowed her down, but she still managed to get a few stitches done between naps.

Speaking of stitches, here is the latest tatoo!

Three days after surgery, Kathie had passed all the exit tests and was allowed to go home. The PT staff was impressed with her quick adaptation to the non-wheeled walker, so she was graduated to a walker with big wheels and bright green tennis ball sliders.

The doctor claims that we have come thru the easy part and the hardest part is the next few months. Physical therapy and exercising at home will make for improvements in mobility and agility every day.

It is good to be home again!

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