Miscellaneous Happenings in Hooterville

Fact:   The house in Hooterville project is whipping our butts.

This would have been quite an ambitious project even if we were in our 30’s but  since we are well into our 50’s, all I can say is…

Eeeegads!  WHAT were we thinking?!

Initially, we were planning to do most of the work ourselves but after we came to our senses, we realized it was just not humanly possible.  Even calling in reinforcements for help with things like clearing the overgrowth, installing the fencing, and some of the interior prep work and priming, it has still been a huge undertaking.

Intellectually, I know a lot has been accomplished in 6 weeks but when I look at the pictures, it seems like very little has been done.  The place still looks like an old run-down farm and I’m beginning to wonder if we will ever get it looking decent in our lifetime.  ::sigh::

Here’s a few things that have been happening.

This was the view looking toward the south end of the property before it was mowed.

 

This is basically the same view after mowing and a few fence posts had been installed.

  

This was the overgrown edge of the pond…before.

 

In this photo,  the shoreline of the pond has been mowed but still needs some cleaning up.

 

There has been a lot of trimming going on around the house and barns too, as evidenced by the huge brush pile below.  The chain link fence in the background is 5 feet high so you can see the brush pile is several feet higher than that.

 

Some of the stalls in the main barn were missing doors (??) and/or bars across the front.  They have now all been replaced.  New automatic waterers and feed buckets have been installed in each stall too.

The main barn didn’t have a feed room so hubby bought a 12 x 16 shed off of Craigslist to store hay and grain.   He trucked it in on a trailer he also bought off of Craigslist.

 

He now has a tractor too, which he also bought off of Craigslist.  He’s working on installing new lighting in the main barn which is why there is a bunch of wiring laying in front of the stalls on the right (if you click to enlarge photo).

 

We now have German Shepherd #3.  Meet “Logan” (on the left).  Daughter has fostered several dogs for a local animal rescue.  Logan was one of her foster dogs  and she decided to adopt him.   He’s very fond of our old girl, Jasmin (laying down).

 

Daughter has brought over 2 of her 3 horses.  What a thrill it is to finally have our own place to keep her horses!

Approximately 70% of the inside  of the house is painted but every time I have been over to the house in the last week or 10 days, it has been raining or much too overcast to get good interior pictures that accurately reflect the colors.   (I’m about *over* this dreariness day after day.  This is suppose to be “sunny Florida,” for heaven’s sake! ) 

I have just a week to finish up the painting because the wood laminate and carpet will start being laid Wednesday, December 16th.  More interior photos will be coming soon.

I will leave you with a photo of a Hooterville sunset.