Year One of the Five Year Plan

The last time we saw Bill he had just pulled down the old shed on top of the stone cellar.

Thanks to Bill's frugal ways we got a diesel Jetta.  That 50 mpg makes our constant trips (one reunion, three weddings, three new grandbabies and three baptisms) cheaper if not cheap.  The kids were all surprised by the new condition and the leather seats - didn't quite see it as a Bill car.  Oh well.  You gotta take the bad with the good I guess.  The really old backhoe with a bucket restored his reputation and is a favorite with the grandkids.

We added up our time away and we were gone 7 months of the last 12.  We hope to be home more this second year.

See those wildflowers.  We have no animals and I put a lot of pressure on Bill not to cut the fields but just to let the flowers come up.  (Even though one neighbor did mention that the previous tenant kept it cut down slick as a whistle.  I said I think that's a waste of gas and time.  He just laughed.)

We had a beautifully changing display of at least a hundred different kinds of flowers and it's still going on.  We haven't even come to aster season.  The incredibly colorful birds (blue birds, yellow finches, scarlet cardinals) and the butterflies loved the flowers even more than we did.  

Now it's on to year two and the next project - remodeling the old farm house.  First step - a second bathroom giving us a one bedroom, two bath home.  We're old people.  We need it.  (IMPORTANT NOTE TO COUSINS - by next spring we'll have the attic opened up with 900 square feet of bedrooms and additional bathrooms! I promise.  Kind of.)

Bill is really working hard.   As he finished tearing off the old roof and putting up a new one I suggested celebrating reaching a major goal.  We didn't.  But he did say that when he finishes the new bathroom and expanded bedroom he wants to "do something extravagant" to celebrate.

Extravagant?  I didn't even know he knew the word. Thoughts of a trip to Ireland and Scotland came to mind.  
 Like what I asked.  He sat in silence.  Finally I prompted him.  What do you like to do, what would be fun?  He thought a while longer.  "I really like to work in the garden in the early morning," he said.  

Extravagant?  How do you do something extravagant with that?   Get up even earlier?  Ah Bill.  You gotta love him.

One last thought.  We celebrated Bill's 70th birthday a month early with as many of our children and grandchildren as could come.  We managed to put a dozen in the house and another dozen in tents down at the picnic area/campground below our garden spot and next to the stream. Since the second bathroom wasn't done we rented portapotties and called it good.  (IMPORTANT NOTE TO COUSINS - see previous note.  you will not be in tents or using porta potties.  really. You won't.)

Bill made the four picnic tables (treated lumber 8 feet long with two boards per bench and six across for each top), a tire swing and we hung our hammock from Guatemala.

Guess we're living the life of Reilly now.  We wish you all well until next year.  Come visit.  You'll love it here.  I promise.  It isn't all that hill billy.  Most of the neighbors have brick houses - even the outhouses are brick (Just kidding.  They're wood.)