BACKDOOR INSTALL COMPLETE

Mike hit the “easy button” Friday afternoon as he completed a 2-day install of a screen / storm door on the farmhouse sunporch. The door measurements were correct, but he had to work with the existing frame because of the exterior siding. It became a matter of whittling on the door and using a few shims. 

Old door -- note duct tape

Son Murray assisted Mike on Thursday, and I helped on Friday. It’s on the south side of the house where the sun beats down hard all day, making the project even more uncomfortable. It’s easy for me to say it was worth the effort, but I do feel that it was. Besides the fact that the old door was broken, the new door is more in keeping with the character of the house. I am pleased with it. It just remains to finish the threshold. 

The fields were sprayed with herbicide just a week ago, and as you can see, the vegetation is dying. It’s a sad thing that our farmer was unable to plant due to the wet spring. The only good thing about it is that we can hike the fields. We do enjoy that. 

A fun photo

Friday afternoon, as I came back to the cistern and put down my watering cans, I distinctly heard a warning rattle. I was immediately on alert, but I couldn’t locate the source. I insisted on Mike’s presence while I sought the offender, but he lost interest and went back inside. “Call me when you find it,” he said. Then I saw it on the west edge (cistern side) of the porch – another young rattler. Mike got his tongs and bucket and removed it. That’s our third rattler sighting of the season – or else the same one three times. 

And speaking of animal encounters, a ground squirrel appeared while I was helping Mike with the door late Thursday afternoon. It paused to look at us, ran under the cardboard on the ground, came back out and ran into the greenery. Later, I happened to see it scurrying across the yard toward the barn. That's the first ground squirrel we have seen at the farm.

We decided to spend the Fourth in town. One of our Gilbert neighbors hosts an annual target shoot, so Mike says we came to town to avoid the noise, which strictly speaking, isn’t true. Neighborhood fireworks have already begun. I always say we have to come to town to rest up. KW