Window completion, bonfires, Candy

Maybe I am too much of an optimist, but the completion of the exterior enclosure of the windows on the container took a bit longer than I had anticipated. To frame, trim, caulk and seal the windows took me about three hours per window. The good part is that the windows are uniform and the frames they are mounted in are uniform, so the size of the wood on the fronts, sides and tops was fairly uniform. I had to shave, shim and fill differently on each window, but the wood I cut in bulk was close to fitting each respective space, but that is the way things always work out with trim work. What made all this a challenge was the corrugated sides of the container the windows were fit into. 

To seal below the windows took a bit of work, but I have done all I know to do to get the windows sealed against the rain. They will be tested in the coming days. Hence, the urgency in completing the work today. Fortunately, the day today was perfect. It was the only day that we are forecast to be above fifty degrees for a long stretch of days. So, I did not quit until I was done. Even still, the foam I applied to seal underneath the windows to fill the openings where the corrugated sides provided a large void did not fully cure in the ambient temperatures the day offered. The temperature in the morning is predicted to be twenty degrees. We will not see fifty plus degrees until next Tuesday. Hopefully, I will not have to dig out the uncured foam sealant and try again in warmer weather. At least as warm as February in North Texas can offer. 

Meanwhile, Grandpa burned one of the smaller plies of trash and limbs that he and Norman have piled in various locations across our property. I counted twelve such piles which will all be burned eventually. The one Grandpa started with was the smallest. It burned for about four hours. I imagine the larger stacks will burn all day and most of a night once we set them alight – one at a time - through the Winter. That will actually be fun. I did not get to participate in the small bonfire today, but I hope to make time for those larger ones in the near future. 

Mama spent most of the afternoon in Decatur working on her Sunday School classroom while Grandma went to the beauty shop to get a perm. Her second in a promised string of trims and perms planned for every other week. We will see how long the ritual lasts. Grandma is a little hard to please, especially since she seems to remember that a perms used to cost twenty-five dollars. The cost is triple that today. Before they left to make the appointment, Grandma was adamant that there would be no tip offered to the beautician. I did not ask if she followed through on that. 

Late yesterday evening we were told that Mama’s Aunt Candy passed away. She had spent about a day on life support while her children discussed a path forward in her care. Once the family took her off life support, her struggle ended quickly. By her own testimony, Candy was ready to go Home. She was Grandma’s baby sister, only eighteen months older than Mama. Candy as a late in life baby for Mama’s Grandma Lawrence. Candy had nieces and nephews that were older than her. It was always an interesting dynamic. Please keep Candy’s children in your prayers. A few of them do not know the Lord. For them such a loss is difficult to bear. For those of us who know the Lord, it is a celebration, a respite, a release from suffering and sin. Our day will be her soon. 

Trace has been very helpful in keeping us informed on all the events happening now that Candy has gone home. We will not be going down to Florida for any of the services even though Grandma feels compelled to try to make an appearance. Such travel is outside of her ability whether we try to fly her over or make the two-day road trip each way. Grandma swears she is up to it, but she clearly is not. Another of those times that our mind is making promises our bodies cannot keep. I certainly fit into that category more and more. 

We had a blessing today in that there was no damage to the well apparatus in the barn lot well house. I discovered the day before yesterday that the lines had frozen sometime during the near zero temperatures we had experienced for several days. The lines did not seem frozen hard but there was no way to tell until I warmed the wellhouse sufficiently to repressure the tank on the well and test the lines. I bought a thermometer to put in the wellhouse so I could monitor the temperature and ensure we keep the enclosure above freezing. I warmed the wellhouse overnight and pressure tested the lines this afternoon. All is well. Praise the Lord!

We will still have to haul water to all our animals for a couple more days because of the persistent cold, but we got to use the yard hydrant behind the coop today for the first time in over a week. That will be the only time we will use that hydrant this week. 

Warmer, wetter weather is forecast for next week. That will be welcome relief.