Just a short update.

Things are proceeding slowly on the house.

We have harvested probably another 250 pounds of pecans since the post where I told you we sold 460 pounds. This is all done by hand (with a hand held picker) because all of our trees are too old and big to use a mechanical shaker on, even if we knew someone who had one.

My husband's back has been bothering him a lot more since we retired, understandably. It has bothered him for years, but with a desk job, he usually was okay after a cortisone shot. Now with all the clearing, roof repair, plumbing repairs and other various things; it is bothering him more. He is concerned he may need back surgery.

My biggest concern, after buying the house and seeing all the work needing to be done (4 years ago) was that we might be getting too old to accomplish it.

His knees have been bothering him more, too. He had outpatient surgery on one knee, oh, maybe five years ago? Maybe a bit longer.
The doctor mentioned knee replacement surgery then.
We were hoping not to have to go that route; but now I don't know.

Anyway. We have a bathroom about half finished.
We got the counters. One was measured wrong. Because we did not pay $900 to have them installed, we were told at the time we ordered them that any problems would be ours to deal with.
We paid $35 to have the Lowe's 'professional' measure the cabinets for the counter tops.
It has taken us a week of thinking and moving and measuring, and finally cutting a notch in one of the cabinets, to be able to get the counters to match so I could have a sink where it should be; without having to move all the major appliances.

I did complain to Lowe's, home office 3 days ago; and supposedly someone from the local office is going to call; but I am not holding my breath.
We have already come up with our own solution which we think will work (fingers crossed).

I've already told my husband we need to find other places to buy our lumber. There are several options, so hopefully it won't cost us a lot more. There's a lot of work to be done on the house yet.

So, that's why no updates and no pictures. I do still try to document things, but now that we are here, I see it every day.

I've also been in touch with the daughter of Eva-Lou Joffrion, who also grew up in this house back in the early 1900's. Nice times.

Have a wonderful, safe weekend!

We saw this on Sunday, coming back from Pineville, about one in the afternoon.





Never saw one before. I did a bit of research, but mostly couldn't find out what causes them.
I suppose it could have been an airplane.
Daily temps have been in the low to mid 70s for about a week now.

Oh well.
Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving or a wonderful Thursday. ♥

Saw this on the way home from the flea market in Lafayette today.


I thought, that doesn't look good.
Been seeing a lot of this lately.


As we got closer, hubby said "I know, they're burning the sugar cane fields." I, of course, said
"What? Why would they do that, that sounds crazy."


He explained they burn the leaves off to harvest the sugar cane.


Still sounds crazy to me, but there's the pile of canes - so he said.
And that is how they harvest sugar cane in this part of Louisiana, anyway.

Sometime I'll try to remember to take a picture of what's left of the old building where they used to cook down the sugar cane in bowls like this one we have in the yard,


to make the cane syrup. And maybe sugar too? I'm not too clear on that. Oh well.
Have a wonderful, safe Sunday, everyone!

P.S. Sorry about the quality, we were moving. And I believe if you click on them, they will expand a little. :o)

At least I believe these to be wild tomatillos.



We have these growing, quite literally, all over the property.
As I understand it, the fruit of wild tomatillos stays fairly small. And I believe they are used in Mexican cooking?
Wish I cooked a lot of Mexican food, I'd like to have a use for all the tomatillos that are growing around here.
The flowers are pretty.

Have a blessed weekend! (To include tomorrow, of course.)

and you are registered, please vote Tuesday, whatever your affiliation.
And if you could, but aren't registered, why not?





Happy Tuesday and God Bless America!