Weekly Update: 3.22.25
Spring is the windiest season for most of the U.S. -- a fact that has felt particularly true over the last couple weeks. This week's wild wind peaked on Wednesday, as billows in excess of 35 mph tore from the southwest -- filling the air with dust and what appeared to be smoke from Oklahoma wildfires. We are used to wind, and most days we just put up with it. But on Wednesday, we moved our tools back inside and gave up after a particularly violent gust took the cover right off of our well house. The metal cover landed nearby, but the rigid foam insulation blew across the road. It broke and scattered around our neighbor's yard, eventually getting caught in their fence. Thankfully, we were able to find it all and put it back together in time for Wednesday night's freezing temps. We spent the rest of the day working inside, listening as billows battered the new tent fly to shreds in some parts.
When we weren't getting almost blown away, we got a lot done on the bunkhouse -- despite an unusually busy seven days. The biggest event came on Saturday, when our dad and brother Levi installed our first indoor toilet. While we've had our septic tank since last summer, we've still be using camp toilets in our outdoor shower house. Having normal indoor plumbing is such a treat. We feel like we are really stepping into the twentieth century.
Finishing our big bathroom was our focus the rest of the week. We added the final pieces of siding on Monday. Levi and I took on the tedious process of siding the rake walls. All the angles always make this a tricky process, but it turned out great. Grace sanded and vacuumed the walls on Tuesday before whitewashing the blocking.
When the wind drove us indoors on Wednesday, Grace and I decided to treat the bathroom walls. After we used our Eco Wood Treatment on our half-bath, we realized the overspray had discolored most of the ceiling -- a reality we remedied with several coats of whitewash. So this time, Grace and I tried to protect the ceiling, tub, and window by covering them with plastic bags and old table clothes. Then I masked up and started applying the treatment with our electric paint sprayer. Within minutes, the silvery patina began to emerge. Every time I use this treatment, I'm impressed not only with the color but the easy of application. I also love knowing that our bathroom walls are water resistant and safe for scrubbing when needed. Unfortunately, I forgot to turn the sprayer power down to low, so we still dealt with some overspray, but it wasn't as severe a problem as in the half-bath.
Once we were finished with the bathroom walls, we could start on the floors. After it warmed up on Thursday afternoon, we installed the plywood underlayment in the entryway and bathroom. It wasn't easy, since we dealt with multiple corners and doorways, not to mention a curved bathtub. I opted to use the table saw to cut the underlayment into smaller sections for the most difficult areas
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On Friday, Grace and I put down the last of our VCT tile. It felt like the ending of an era. In order to tile next to the curved bathtub, I used the off cut from the underlayment as a pattern. It wasn't perfect, but the results were good enough to caulk and trim.
Levi was off all week because of spring break, so he was around every day helping us get more than usual done. While Grace sanded the bathroom, he and I started siding the room we sisters will share. We are making that bedroom a priority, as Bonnie-Jean's German Shepherd Tilde is supposed to have a litter of puppies next month. After some discussion, we decided that our bedroom would be the best place for her to have her litter. So, while we are anxious to have both our bathrooms working, we also want to get the bedroom finished so that Tilde has a place to welp.
Speaking of baby animals, our cat Arwen had her litter of kittens on Thursday -- just in time for the first day of spring. She had four kittens -- two black, and two tiger striped. Arwen is one of the kitties that showed up on our homestead the first year we were here. She had a litter of kittens last year, but she hadn't had any more in so long, we thought maybe she couldn't. She prowls a lot and doesn't always stay around our place, so we were surprised when she showed up in February with a very round tummy. We thought she was ready to have them any day, but we were apparently mistaken. Now the kitties are here, and already distracting both kids and adults.
On Monday, we commemorated St. Patrick's Day with a festive meal. Grace experimented with some Whole30 compliant soda bread, and I made some of the real thing for the men and kids. The main course was Whole30 Irish stew -- which was honestly some of the best Irish stew I've ever had.
The wind picked back up on Friday, but the warm sunshine kept the weather feeling springlike. The grass is greener every day, and tiny flowers are popping up everywhere. It feels good to see the world coming to life again. The season has made us all cast longing looks out the windows, and we are thrilled to have started planning for our garden. We're researching tomato varieties, and we ordered some potting soil for seed starting. The Ozarks are waking up from their winter sleep, and we are already enjoying the sunrise.
