9.30.2025

After lunch, we headed up to the building storage area to see if we could get the rest of the brick cubes moved.  Picking up the next one...

Setting it in place...

Getting the last one in the woods!

Unfortunately, when Jim set this cube down, it didn't sit flat.  Jim backed it out and we realized this giant root was underneath that spot.  It's for a tree that we aren't real concerned about, so Jim decided to take this part out.  Easier said than done...

Once he got one side cut, he was hoping he could lift it up with the forks of the Bobcat.

But no luck, so he was back to using the axe...

The root structure branched off at this point and this root was thick...

So back to the axe...

He came, he saw, he conquered!

Then he was able to set the cube down nicely.  

Then we went back to our original stash of bricks to move the last ones.  After we got the second row done, we laid out more plastic and continued moving...

These last two cubes had been reclaimed by the earth and were sitting at an angle, which was the original reason we wanted to move these when we started.  This cube gave Jim some issues because the inner row kept collapsing...

But he finally got it...

I was scared for this one because you can see the angle that it's sitting...

But thankfully no bricks had collapsed inside and Jim was able to angle the forks just right so that he was able to pick it up...

Jim will back drag this area, but it looks so much better already...

Now all of our bricks are in one spot...

We only had one casualty - the straps on this cube broke as Jim tried to move it.  We will just stack the bricks on a pallet.  It's actually really surprising that more straps didn't break.  We've had these bricks for over 10 years, which is hard to believe.  They sure will be put to good use if we build the new house though!

High 74/Low 50.2

9.29.2025

 

Today is National Coffee Day, so hopefully good things happened after you had yours!  

This afternoon, Jim and I headed up to our building supply area to do some more clearing and moving.  Jim likened it to moving deck chairs on the Titanic, but it's good to get things organized so we're ready to go when we needs these materials.  

Jim started moving our cold formed steel pieces off this old pallet so he can move them to our steel pile...

He has the bigger pieces in the bucket and the smaller ones on the little pallet - you can see that this pallet is destroyed!

Putting the bigger pieces behind the other steel...

Moving over the smaller pallet...

Now all the steel is arranged in one place.  

Trying to pic up the pieces of the pallet - they are full of nails that we'll have to get out before chipping or else we'll get them ready for trash...

Using the metal detector - there were so many nails underneath the pallet!

Flattening out this area...

Jim decided to move the bricks over to this area so they can all be in one place and more accessible when we're ready for them...

Setting a cube in its new spot...

And the next one...

Getting another cube...

Putting it in place...

Seven moved!

High 77.5/Low 48.2

9.28.2025

Saturdays go by in a blur - Jim worked on the computer this morning, did a few things in the shop, and then gave both my car and the MINI a cleaning.  Then it was time to get cleaned up, go see Mom, and head to church.

This afternoon, Jim got the chipper on the Bobcat and we decided to clean up the wood from the shed that was too bad to keep.  First, a doublecheck with the metal detector to make sure none of the pieces have nails or staples in them that would damage the chipper's blades...

Then we started chipping.  I took over chipping duties and Jim went into the woods bringing out some downed limbs and just cleaning things up a bit in this area.

Amazing the size of branches this chipper takes with no hesitation....

Wow - what a difference!  Jim took the chipper down and did a little more flattening in this area with the Bobcat.

9.27 - High 76.2/Low 54.1
9.28 - High 82.1/Low 54.5

9.26.2025

Today marks 6 weeks since Jim's surgery for prostate cancer - amazing!  We continue to be grateful every day.

He worked on putting together the chainsaw.  He had to order one more piece, so hopefully that comes in quickly.

The rainy days came to an end, although there were sprinkles around this morning.  But after days of constant rain, you can see there are no puddles or soft spots, even on bare ground.  Jim wanted to grease the excavator...

Climbing up to reach more joints...

Jim did some grass cutting and then hopped on the elliptical at the end of the day.

High 69.3/Low 59.5 - light rain in AM

 

9.25.2025

 Another rainy day.  Jim cut the backing piece for the other finished puzzle...

His Stihl chainsaw parts finally came in, so Jim went to pick those up and then started organizing...

High 64.7/Low 61.4

9.24.2025

Finally an all-day rain day - hopefully that will help with our drought conditions.  So another inside day for Jim.  He had computer work to do in the morning, but he continued puzzle work too.  He trimmed the backing board on the Star Trek puzzle, so it's ready to be hung...

He took the other puzzle down to the shop and put the glue on the backside of it.  In doing so, we discovered that the back side of the puzzle pieces had letters corresponding to different quadrants of the puzzle, so you could sort them that way to make it easier.  We can say we did it the hard way - ha!

High 65/Low 63.4 - rainy