Here is a closer view. He is our official bug catcher! 

Can you see our latest visitor? 

More Photos

Here is a collection of recent photos. I posted them carefully in a certain order, but as with all computer stuff there is no telling what will actually happen and they are in different order. Oh well..We had a nice visit with Dave's family, our first "official" visitors. We did lots of tourist stuff, even went to see the animals we claimed to have here that did not put in an appearance! They did get to see a bobcat wander across the front road and 4 coyotes race down the back road. Hope to get a few more shots off their cameras soon. (Hint, hint!) We got lots of ideas for landscaping but still no rain so this will happen slowly. Next will be the fence.....

Nick with grandparents. Get this: the grandson of Lincolns, middle name of Lincoln, is off to Lincoln University! 

All our parents at our home. What a treat and blessing. 

Saying good bye to Nick before his trip to New Zealand. 

The other side of the room. 

A number of the lots across the street will need a bridge to cross the wash. These are the footings for the first to go in. The house is up the hill behind the bridge. A couple of trucks almost didn't make it up and back this week! 

For my kids, a few more shots of the library. 

Settling In

We got our bookcases for both the library and den. The library looks put together,but the den has books, journals, and articles in piles all over it. We will be putting company in there by mid week so there is a limit to how long the mess will last. We have window coverings in a few more rooms but those photos didn't work.
After 2 months here with us, our youngest has flow the coop--well,okay, he has flow to New Zealand for a school year abroad. It was great having him here and hopefully we'll go visit him later in the year. More company on the way, so we are trying to clean up and finish organizing things. We got sprinkles on the windows yesterday--not enough for any plants but enough that I'll be washing windows again!!

Nick with Mom--one last shot before he left for school in New Zealand!! 

The library bookcases and books. We unpacked 14 boxes into this room. Still more in the den. 

Our work in progress-the drainage channel off the top of our rip rapped north bank. 

Another Month

It has been a while since I've updated this chronicle and I didn't want you to think we haven't been doing anything. We are still working on the rip rapping but it is looking pretty good. I'll post a photo of our drainage ditch shortly. The trenches for the footings for all the patio walls are dug and the rebar comes today. Then we'll have a cement pour and then they'll build the block walls. Unfortunately, we are in a bad drought, there has been no rain since October and now none expected until June or July. So the dirt is more like dust and the afternoon breezes(winds) just blow it everywhere. I'd like to plant some things but they will have to be on drip irrigation. Even the cacti around here are looking stressed. On the inside, we get our library bookcases tomorrow, which will allow us to unpack a bunch of the boxes still in the garage. Window coverings for a couple more rooms are due on Monday.
There is one house fully framed up the street. It has been fun watching their progress. Two other lots are being worked on. Two other lots have been put back on the market. One is asking $299,900 and the other $450,000!! Considering how much we think it will cost for just site prep on the latter lot, we don't expect to see it sell very soon.