Finally, the little house was emptied today. I was nostalgic. I would like to move back when all the stuff is sold that I don't want or need now. It will take a while and I am giving myself three or four years, but maybe enough will be gone in two and I can move back for two years. I am grateful to have the house I am in, or a roof over my head at all, when so many do not. I just don't love this house. I have a hard time even liking it. It is so poorly planned with no ventilation, no proper opening windows and those that there are do not supply air because there is no cross ventilation. The house is larger but there is so much wasted space that is not even usable and no storage.
The Mormon missionary boys came today to help finish moving out. Now there are boxes stacked upstairs, downstairs and in the garage with more outside the garage in Rubbermaid type totes that won' t allow the contents to get wet in case of rain or big dogs. It was a hot day at 27 with no breeze, but the little house remains cool. The beautiful large spruce trees planted in the 1950's, shelters the house from the sun, perfectly planned and the windows all open except for one, so there is a lovely cross breeze. The dirt basement is always cool as well.
I had started to put down synthetic rubber tiles in the basement. First I laid weed cloth down, then rubber matting on top of that and then the rubber tiles. It is bright and cheery and made it much cleaner to walk on. The ants were the major problem and the occasional mice. When the mice got in, usually from some one leaving the door open, they always went downstairs. They ate right through the weed cloth, rubber matting and even the coloured rubber tiles. They dug and created pathways, sending the dirt out on to the tiles too.
The ants live everywhere in abundance on this farm as I have never witnessed previously. The whole farm is one big ant hill really. This is the time of year some grow wings and attempt to leave to create a new colony. The are in the houses as well as outside. The ants move the sand on the wall sills and knock it down to the basement. I wondered why there was so much sandy dirt in the basement after I spent hours cleaning it, but it comes from the ant action. Spider also live in basements and the cobwebs seem to grow there. After removing the goods, the clean up will have to take place, so tomorrow I will sweep then vacuum and then even wash the tiles if needed and lay the rest of them, too. It will be a bright work space or play area for the renters. There was only one light there when I moved in, so I had the electrician install lots of lights and now it is bright. The furnace, hot water tank, water softener and iron remover are downstairs too. The iron remover should have been installed at the point of entry of the water from the well, which is in the other house, but as usual the contractor was incompetent then closed his business. Now I have to hire a different plumber to remove the system and reinstall it in the other house so it services both houses.
So, after the day of moving, chores were done and it is with a heavy heart I will clean tomorrow. My dream of the bed and breakfast was shattered by the fall in the economy, particularly the oil industry which serves this area. The dream of the farm is still up and running strong, but the wind is out of my sales. I will have to go back to work as well to support the two houses and the animals and myself without the income from the bed and breakfast, but so be it.
I also think it is not a bad thing that has happened. It is forcing me to deal with things sooner than I had hoped, but knowing myself, I would have put them off until the last minutes anyhow. Now I have no choice but to slowly wade through things and pare down to a bare minimum. Do you need anything? I have lots? The paint will be left
The Mormon missionary boys came today to help finish moving out. Now there are boxes stacked upstairs, downstairs and in the garage with more outside the garage in Rubbermaid type totes that won' t allow the contents to get wet in case of rain or big dogs. It was a hot day at 27 with no breeze, but the little house remains cool. The beautiful large spruce trees planted in the 1950's, shelters the house from the sun, perfectly planned and the windows all open except for one, so there is a lovely cross breeze. The dirt basement is always cool as well.
I had started to put down synthetic rubber tiles in the basement. First I laid weed cloth down, then rubber matting on top of that and then the rubber tiles. It is bright and cheery and made it much cleaner to walk on. The ants were the major problem and the occasional mice. When the mice got in, usually from some one leaving the door open, they always went downstairs. They ate right through the weed cloth, rubber matting and even the coloured rubber tiles. They dug and created pathways, sending the dirt out on to the tiles too.
The ants live everywhere in abundance on this farm as I have never witnessed previously. The whole farm is one big ant hill really. This is the time of year some grow wings and attempt to leave to create a new colony. The are in the houses as well as outside. The ants move the sand on the wall sills and knock it down to the basement. I wondered why there was so much sandy dirt in the basement after I spent hours cleaning it, but it comes from the ant action. Spider also live in basements and the cobwebs seem to grow there. After removing the goods, the clean up will have to take place, so tomorrow I will sweep then vacuum and then even wash the tiles if needed and lay the rest of them, too. It will be a bright work space or play area for the renters. There was only one light there when I moved in, so I had the electrician install lots of lights and now it is bright. The furnace, hot water tank, water softener and iron remover are downstairs too. The iron remover should have been installed at the point of entry of the water from the well, which is in the other house, but as usual the contractor was incompetent then closed his business. Now I have to hire a different plumber to remove the system and reinstall it in the other house so it services both houses.
So, after the day of moving, chores were done and it is with a heavy heart I will clean tomorrow. My dream of the bed and breakfast was shattered by the fall in the economy, particularly the oil industry which serves this area. The dream of the farm is still up and running strong, but the wind is out of my sales. I will have to go back to work as well to support the two houses and the animals and myself without the income from the bed and breakfast, but so be it.
I also think it is not a bad thing that has happened. It is forcing me to deal with things sooner than I had hoped, but knowing myself, I would have put them off until the last minutes anyhow. Now I have no choice but to slowly wade through things and pare down to a bare minimum. Do you need anything? I have lots? The paint will be left
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