Angels on the Mountain

Yes, I have had a couple of angels with me all week and they are named Gloria and Steve, lucky me, they are my sis and bro-in law. They landed last Sunday with tools and willing and able minds and bodies in tow for a week of working.

Monday found us heading to Klamath Falls for a supply run, new porch roofing and a lot of lumber for decking. Other odds and ends like a new porch light, electrical wire, new solar garden lights and a cool battery charger/air compressor combo baby rounded out the bill. How could I be so excited about spending so much money? Well a 10% Veterans discount and no sales tax added up to a savings of about $500 over my buying the stuff in CA, so yeah I was a happy camper!

Lucky me, I decided to attach the grapple hook to the Ranger Sunday afternoon, no way would the hydraulic connectors attach and lock in. I was so happy to have a man there so I knew I wasn’t just having a “I am a woman so it isn’t working” moment, Steve couldn’t get them to snap in either. Since we were taking a trailer to K Falls and passing the place I bought the Ranger, we threw the grapple attachment (ok dragged the heavy sucker) into the trailer and took it in to be fixed. A five minute quick fix and a lesson on hydraulics and fluid pressure and we were on the road to Home Depot. Now when (and it will) happens again to any of the attachments, I know what the problem is and how to fix it, another reason to be happy.

Hauling railroad ties is a snap with the Ranger and grapple hook, even Steve was impressed and that is saying something not to mention loading it with the lumber for the deck and putting it just where you want it. Yes this is the summer of house projects and lucky me Steve is a carpenter/contractor and all around can do anything (and do it right) kind of guy, not to mention a sweetie…thanks sis again for marrying him 27 years ago! He had told me to make a list for him, little did he know it would be so long; new porch roof, install a cooler in the wall permanently, extend the deck and porch, lights in the garage, outside receptacles, new porch light, fix the hot water problem in kitchen and a new carport for firewood and the Ranger! Am I happy and excited…yeah buddy!

They had to leave today but will be back Wednesday to work some more, this trip accomplished 1/2 the new deck and the cooler being installed because the altitude got to Steve and he was feeling bad one day, poor guy he is a flatlander. Nephew is coming Sunday to add two more helping hands and a backhoe guy and my friend Ray are coming this week too. The backhoe will clear out the boulders and deadfall and Ray is bringing his bucket truck to down three trees, one of which is dead and could be a problem, as in falling on my house. Getting this God’s little acre all cleaned up and looking like Rednecks don’t live here is something I have been dreaming of for years, hard to believe it is finally happening.

Other than all of that work which I have been out in the middle of every day, I am writing and working on a new website. Since 1997 I have had a website where I sell collectibles and this year I decided to go big finally and get a whole new upscale and fantastic site. It has been 6 months in the making and now it is down to me adding over 800 products, full descriptions, pictures, etc. So far I only have 290 done and am anxious to get it done and online ASAP but it is so labor intensive it may take forever. The old site is just dated and doesn’t have search, customer log-in etc. but it was great for 13 years and thanks to Linda, I was able to build it myself. Among her other vast talents our fearless leader is a whiz at anything to do with a computer. Yep, she is another angel in my life, for many many reasons.

So even though I am going in many directions and so busy right now, I have to pause and thank God for sending me all of these angels to help me – I am one lucky woman!