The Chaos of My Day

My days out here in the studio are usually quiet and calm.  Yes, the dogs go nuts running around in the morning when we go out to feed the livestock and occasionally, Alan, our mail carrier drives in the driveway to hand me a package but mostly it's just Ron and me and our various animals.  Not so this week.

Monday morning started off quiet enough but then the installation team from Texas Solar Outfitters arrived to finish getting the rails and solar panels up on the studio roof.  It took them about 12 hours of work spread over two days and the work is noisy and distracting.  There is pounding and screwing and climbing around on the roof.

Then about 1 pm, the landscape crew arrived.  JMA Living Landscapes is the wonderful company that keeps our place looking so nice.  They come every few weeks to mow the backyard and around the house and studio, to weed the flower beds, fertilize as needed and clean up the various debris.  A couple times each year to plant colorful plants in our gardens.  We are very lucky to have them come.  We appreciate being able to share the work of keeping this place looking good rather than having to shoulder all the load ourselves.  It does mean mowers and weed-eaters making their distracting noises.

Sometime in the morning a large truck dropped off our new large wheeled garbage can.  I guess the new owner of our trash collecting company wants us to have it and they probably expect us to use it.  

Today is Tuesday and we have more loud and distracting work being done.  Brian Psencik of Texas Irrigation & Pipe showed up about 8:30 to start the trenching.  We love Brian.  He keeps all our gardens watered on the appropriate schedule.  First up was the trench for the electrical connections for our new solar system.  I've notified Texas Solar Outfitters that the trench is dug and I hope they will come scampering in to get everything connected.

In the meantime, Brian is continuing to dig trenches all over our extended yard.  We have new trees being planted tomorrow include two large live oaks that will be planted with a tree spade.  I can't wait to see that in action.  I've seen large trees on the back of semi's with a tree spade but I've never seen one in operation.  I can't wait!

Also a possible player in today's chaos is the gentleman who will be rebuilding the front steps of the studio.  Ron tore them out last fall because they were getting shaky.  The stringers, treads and risers were all rotting out so the stair treads rocked.  I could navigate them fairly safely but we couldn't have customers coming and going on those steps.  That was a fall just waiting to happen.  We are replacing them with rock so we won't have the issue of rotting wood again.  He should be pouring the cement footers with the actual steps coming sometime later.  

As you can see, it's been very busy around here.  Peggy and I packed and loaded the trailer this past Sunday.  I'm just hoping all the new trees and the solar system are in and functional before we leave to the Yellow Rose Fiber Fiesta on Thursday.