DIY  

Project 1...  With my right wrist in a brace from moving all the firewood with too small of hands and too big of logs (and caulking an entire tube worth of foam water barrier on the roof back into place didn't help), I went to the grocery store and tried to tidy up a few areas of the house. - Complete

Project 2... I am still working on cleaning out the barn, but besides getting about a third of it raked clean, I also got plastic paneling dug into the ground on the far side where the snow and rain build up and cause water to come in.  It won't help from water seeping up from below, but will do a lot to keep the barn floor more dry. - Complete

First was to clean up all the pine cones and needles that had built up there.

 

Then clean up from the inside by moving half the stuff and raking.

 

Digging was almost as hard as all the other digging, so I only got about 4 inches down.  Hopefully it will be enough.

 

The panels are not long enough to cover the full distance with one, so I used some remaining outdoor caulk to seal the overlap before packing the dirt back in from the outside.

 

Cleaning and organizing the barn fully will take a lot more time, but as least that first step is done.

Project 3... While the ground was still soft(ish) from the rains we have been having, it is slowly getting dryer and harder.  So I thought I had better get to the rest of those baby trees trying to grow too close behind the house and near the well-head.  Pulling 1 to 3 foot tall trees up by the root is no small task, but considerably easier in moist ground and with the help of a hammer hook to grip the stubborn ones.  I can't just cut them off because they try to grow back from the root and are even stronger, so pulling them is painful on the back, but the best way to permanently remove them. - Complete

 

 

Project 4...  Replacing the dead tires on my big yellow cart.  The tires on my cart only lasted about a year before one started going flat and three of them were un-repairable this year.  I think because it was a display model that sat outside in the sun for a long time. However, four new tires would cost almost as much as the cart cost in the first place.  So I opted for getting cheap super-coupon 10 inch tires for $4 each instead of the $20-ish each for the 13 inch tires.  This caused an issue with the length of the axles though as the 10 inch are smaller and would wobble around without some kind of spacer.  Luckily 1/2 inch pvc was almost a perfect fit and with a slit down the side they went onto the axle bar and made very nice spacers to take up the extra room.  The cart sits lower with the little wheels, but should work for everything I need it for.

 

 

Project 5...  Cleaning up the house (or at least parts of it) so that my parents will have somewhere to sleep while they come for a visit. - In Progress

Project 6...  Prepping the little shed by the barn with caulk for painting and painting it.

Project 7...  Prepping the entire front of the house with caulk for painting and painting it.

Both caulking jobs will need to wait until there is at least a little less chance of rain (hopefully this weekend).  I have a new, exciting tool to play with... a battery powered caulk gun.... so we will see how that goes.  Then the caulk has to cure for a full 7 days before I can start to paint, however, there may be areas I can get started on while the caulk cures.  

Of course, I could be out there scraping and sanding paint of the little shed's fascia boards, but that is probably a task for tomorrow as the sky is already clouding up for today's afternoon thunderstorms... and I am still working on cleaning up some parts of the house.