Bummer! I didn't sleep well last night, but I know it's because I was tired from all the hard work yesterday. Again I spent the entire afternoon scrubbing, cleaning, scouring in the old house. When I see the mess renters left behind, it makes me wonder if I could ever trust any in either of our houses! I STILL am not finished, but at least it is beginning to look as if human beings might be able to live there, not animals.

Windy, cooler day today. I went on my bike ride, despite the fact I was zonked from lack of sleep; but it was nice, cool, overcast. Later it rained, and now the wind is tearing leaves off the trees like mad. It is starting to feel like fall.

We won't work on the house/property again till this next weekend. We both needed a break, and time to recuperate. After all, neither of us are youngsters anymore, and such hard labor really takes its toll. All my muscles ache, and I feel like I am sore in places I didn't know could get sore! But we have agreed NOT to rush this, just take our time and not overdo -- because if we do, we'll begin to HATE the place. So it is going to take a long time to ever get the house in shape to live in.

The central heat/air guy came and looked the house over, and of course, was dismayed at the task of trying to figure out how to put a system in such an older house with quirky features. But he said it can be done, it'll just take him some time to puzzle it out. Then he'll let us know his estimate.

The electricity was also turned on, and that allowed us to check out the lights, switches, etc. We found a couple of light switches that aren't working, and I guess DH will have to check into the wiring at some point -- although the previous owner said there were no serious problems. I now have hot water to help with cleaning, and that improves the removal of grim.

I took some digital pictures of the interior, and you can see those by clicking on the link to the right and looking at the bottom of the site. I have used up all my free space at that free photo album online, so there's only a few posted. I will try to find another, separate free photo album website and move all the old farmhouse pictures there so I will have space to put more as the work progresses. I think you can see that the interior needs as much work as the exterior, and painting is only the tip of the iceberg! Whew, lots to do ahead...months and months of work.

My wrists are hurting today, feel almost as if I injured them...but I think it is from all the twisting, wiping motion the past few days. I fear I'm getting onset of arthritis in some of my joints.

Oh yeah, Igor is still out in the pasture. Who is Igor? A friend of the previous owner's minature donkey. He is so cute, and fat as a Butterball; I'll put some photos online soon. Loves to eat, and get petted. My sister and I didn't have a treat for him when we were there recently, but she remembered she had some french fries left in her car...so we offered them to Igor. He ate them all, one by one, from our hands. Then he got mad when we didn't have more, and began braying loudly!!! It was so funny. I told my sister he was angry we didn't bring him a Big Mac to go along with the french fries! :-) Anyway, he'll be gone in about a week, since the woman who owns him will move him to another pasture.

That's all for today.