What's in a name?

Why do I feel like this home needs a name???

Growing up the 'ancestral' home was Haultain house.  It was on Haultain Street.  

That would make this Chief Joseph house.  Not the feel I'm after.

I delved into the conundrum of naming a place... historically... and I'm speaking from my own limited life history.. we've tended to name things based on location.

The Chaucer street house.

Grandma's, Lulie street house

Collins street house.. or Texas house.

The townhouse.  Not even a location moniker attached.

The Pinedale house

The blue house.

Or the West Jordan House.. although that became complicated when we remained in West Jordan but moved... so often it was just referred to as the old house.

This one just had coordinates.

It is simply referred to as 3090.  Not even the 3090 house... just 3090.

We lived here as long as I lived in Haultain House and both had an extraordinary amount of living that took place inside.  

This was at least, the little house on the ranch.

The 'ranch'.. much like visiting the farm in Oregon was ALWAYS referred to as simply 'Portland'.  

There is an actual name for the ranch.  The Flying U, but most often it is referred to as the Noble ranch.. but even that is confusing since there are 4 other Noble ranches within... 'close' proximity. 

So why the desire to name our current home?

It obviously doesn't stem for growing up in estates with formal names.  

Perhaps it is the propensity to name places associated with fun.

G'waydumbee Cottage

Perhaps it isn't even important that it be a house.

Garden of 'Eat'n'

With that in mind I realized that they day we moved in I officially dubbed the hill beyond our barn as Gopher Hill

That same week as we tried to give directions or describe where to put things, Half-pipe Gulch was named.  A few of the buildings had temporary names.  The mini house, the metal building finally became the pump house.  The lean-to, the sheep shed and the ugly metal thing is now the gas shed.

It was obvious that everything was getting named.  Some things are still trying out new names... the clubhouse, the white trailer, the chicken shed.... It may not need naming if Patrick gets his way and we can forever refer to it as no longer!  Recently we even named our neighbours back yard as Antelope Terrace.

The 'garage', recently had a transformation and has christened with a perfect name... another post of its own.  The only constants around here have been... The greenhouse and the barn.

As we drive around, we see that naming a large ranch or homestead is important.  Larch Archways with proudly displayed name placards state;  Pape Estates, Boot Jack Ranch, Rock Bottom Hideaway...  

Why I couldn't be content with Chief Joseph house, or Green River Ranch place (our subdivision name), I just don't know.  I used to joke that I disliked 3090 because we didn't even have a named street.  Now we have a named street... I just don't like it.  Down the road there is Looking Glass Lane.  That would have been FUN! but no....         

I considered Hidden Creek, since our creek is hidden from view... but that would just remind me how sad it is that I can't see the creek.

The name Peaceful Place ran around in my mind for a bit, but it seemed like a meditation retreat.

      

The Tin Can was one I used for a while but it has a rather derogatory connotation, plus it doesn't reflect the whole place and what do I do when we finally build or renovate?

Timbuktoo or Middle of no where are too overused..

The search for a name was on... 

I poured out my lack of a name woes to any unsuspecting soul who would listen... 

Thankfully, most commiserated or just nodded at appropriate times.

And then....

 sweet Elowen solved all my woes.  

It was perfect.  

It summed everything up, 

it was simple,

it was charming,

it was clever and witty.  

Barn and Nobles

It is also apparently INVITING!

Within hours of hanging our sign, visitors began trickling in.

Guests do ask ... why is the barn empty?  When are you getting cows or sheep?

Why so many barns? .. (only one barn.. lots of sheds though)

Reclaimed barn wood

Last summer, the ranch took on a large project

The original barn needed the roof rebuilt.  After one hundred years it was due an update.

Many hours of work and some cute raccoon babies in the rafters later, the barn was rebuilt and ready for the next century.  Christmas nativities will continue to be held, and calves will be assisted on frigid winter nights.

The old barn wood was stacked up and saved for another use. 

Barn wood is a common and popular commodity these days.  People use it to make their brand new homes have character.  This however is real, extremely weathered authentic barn wood.  With all it's rough texture and moss grown glory. 

A new project in the hundred year old house made use of the original barn wood.  The bathroom was renovated. (much needed repairs and updates were done... and the laundry room was brought upstairs!!  hooray for Tina's knees!!)

Some ancestral barn heritage is now preserved in the bathroom of the old ranch house.

The new shower is twice the size and the room is serene.

Little welded touches were added to complete the look.

It's not an elaborate space but it's all it needs to be.

Enough can not be said about having a laundry room on the main floor.  It may not be a grand space by size, but it's fantastic, well located and even gained a great laundry tub sink!

It has made washing up from many a mucky outside ranch task a delightful experience and has kept the line up at the kitchen sink to a minimum.

The weathered and aged wood has been witness to a century of ranching out in the barn.  It has seen the miracle of life, the encouraging of young cowboys, the re-enactment of the birth of Christ.  It is ready to embrace the laundering of well worn out jeans from hard days labor, the potty training of grandchildren, the rinsing of injuries and the cleansing of bodies to tackle yet another day of ranch life.  

Against the Current

I've been walking laps at the track four nights a week while Duncan attends his many choral practices.  It's indoors and warm and open until 8pm.  There aren't many other options for me to do in town.  The library isn't open until 8 every night and I can only wander the small grocery store for so long before they'll start expecting to me stock the shelves or sweep.

Anyway.  On Wednesday evenings, everyone is in town and while we wait for the big boys to be finished with activities, we head to the rec center.  Patrick has been taking the boys swimming while I walk my laps.  The track overlooks the pool for a section and I wave.  They have the pool to themselves.  After many weeks, the lifeguard knows them by name and automatically turns on the water slide and water features for them.  The little boys had been asking me to swim with them.  I remembered my swimsuit the next week and off we went.

After a few minutes of playing... I noticed that the lazy river had a sign.

"28 laps = 1 mile"

hmmm.

I mulled a few minutes.  Then I headed to the lazy river.  "I'll just walk the one mile, then I'll be back to play."

After 3 laps, I decided I'd increase the difficulty level and turned around to walk against the current. 

It was decidedly more difficult.  At times I was pushing my entire body into the current and lifting my legs and I wasn't sure if I had even progressed an inch.  Sometimes I know that I actually lost ground and ended up going backwards.  I found myself using my arms to help propel myself into the current.  My breathing was laboured.  When I made it all the way around I was tired.  But, 28 laps = 1 mile.  So I continued. I had set a goal.

At lap 10, I paused to catch my breath.  Patrick and the boys came over.  They offered to join me.  The boys in their inner tubes simply floated away.  Patrick tried walking in front of me to ease the current but instead he found himself falling over and then an even stronger current hit me.

He's taller so more of him was out of the water than in and the resistance against the current was tough to walk against without putting all your body against it.  It wasn't much fun.  Even when he tried to walk on his knees... it really knocked him over then and then I was walking against the current and against a floating Patrick.  I told him thanks, but no thanks.  I kept inching along.

After 20 laps I decided that I was exhausted and it was taking forever and that while 28 laps = 1 mile, walking a mile against the current at one inch at a time was perhaps more workout than I had bargained for.

So as I completed that lap, I turned around.  I began to walk with the current.

OW!!!  OW!, ow, ow ow... ouch!!!

My feet hurt.  Walking with the current was vastly easier and I could go almost two feet with each step.. with each agonizingly painful step.  I paused and lifted my foot.  The entire ball of my foot was a blister and on one foot the blister had already scraped off and had exposed some very tender skin. 

I had not even noticed the pain as I was putting all my energy into walking against the current.  I was just having a great time knowing that I was working hard and exercising.  Now looking back ... it wasn't such a great time... and the workout had come at a high price. 

I'm a glutton for punishment it would seem since once Patrick saw my feet he asked why I was still walking. "I haven't completed 28 laps yet."

"The sign is just information.. you don't have to do 28 laps.  And your feet hurt!"

I tried walking on only my heels and then I fell over... What happened next was amazing.. Okay not amazing at all... should have been obvious but when you get caught up in your own way of thinking, you forget to rely on what is right in front of you sometimes.  It's a lazy river!  When I fell over, I lifted up my feet... and ...

I floated. 

I completed the last 7 laps floating along on my back.  My feet didn't endure any more abuse, I was lifted and carried by the same current that had caused me such difficulties earlier... I used my arms to guide me so that I didn't hit the walls during the curves, but it was almost effortless. 

Moral:
When walking against the current... wear water shoes and know when to float.


What we think is good and will make us happy, often has disastrous consequences... and we often don't realize the hurt we are causing ourselves until we remove ourselves from the situation and can see more clearly.  We also sometimes have to learn things for ourselves even when loved ones around us can see clearly that we are hurting ourselves and even advise us against doing those things that will continue to hurt us.  Remember that there is a path of ease set ahead of us that although we sometimes feel is restricting is actually freeing and can lift and carry us when we are hurt and have nothing less in us to give. 

Why did the Chicken cross the road?

To get to the Candy?

While that did happen..

He crossed the road to see the skeleton in the Ambulance on the street corner.

It was a fabulous Halloween.

He left a trail of feathers everywhere we went.  We obviously didn't attempt trick or treating in our neighbourhood.  One neighbour who wasn't even home wasn't terribly alluring.  We headed to town where we wandered the halls of the retirement center and visited with the elderly who were so excited to see the children parading through.  Far too much candy was amassed!  After that the chicken 'crossed the road' to the church parking lot where the community trunk or treat was happening.  The snow began then.... and the temperatures dropped dramatically.  (FYI.. it hasn't stopped snowing since...(I'm writing in February) and trunk or treating lasted about ten minutes)

Petrichoral

Duncan joined two choirs this fall.  At first I thought it would be simple.  

Two times a week needing to take him to town won't be bad.

Two times per two choirs meant going to town four times a week.

Remember going to town takes 30 minutes; one way.

After only one month... winter arrived.  

Cold, snow and ice, dark by 5:30pm.

After almost four months his first concert date arrived.

This would determine if all that taxi driving and time in town had been worth it.

Now I may be biased, but the performances before this song were obvious beginner song groups and musicians.  They weren't awful, just not polished or confident.

This group of eight singers is not affiliated with the school.  There is not a teacher or advisor.  It is just a fun group of kids that love to sing and wanted to try something fun.

It was a definite hit!

They've since been invited to perform at the retirement center and at the community Christmas courthouse tree lighting.

After these performances we have a three week break and then practices will resume.  

They have some spring concerts lining up.

Oh.. and he's in the upcoming play, "Singin' in the Rain".

Taxi driving will resume.

Squeak in Peace

A somber Sunday evening graveside.

There was a small fenced off area on the edge of Gopher Hill that has become our personal family (pet) plot.

Humphrietta the Hamster was discovered to have passed in her sleep of natural causes.

(Only a visual autopsy was performed)

The mourners took a moment of silence... to revel in it.. to remember her constant squeaky wheel running through the night.  Her finger nibbling.  Her cage stench.. her gratitude for veggie day.  Her attempts at escape... freedom.

The headstone was ordered and erected.

Then we went inside where it was warm and had lemon meringue pie.

We planned to have pie anyway.

Miles is taking a culinary class and had to whip egg whites to frothy peaks... so.. naturally they needed to be used after that. 

What better use than as comfort food after a funeral service.

The grounds crew arrived the next morning and have been doing a commendable job keeping the small cemetery looking 'pristine'.

Forced Progress

The greenhouse has a few minor issues.  The plastic siding had a few cracks in it and the door doesn't latch so it's constantly blowing and banging in the wind.  It's not a top priority project.  After all it's an extra building.  It won't make us cold this winter or cause things that are stored to be damaged.  

But unlike some of the other outdoor projects we've worked on it wasn't temperature sensitive like the painting.  

I've been watching the weather closely.

NOT because I'm eagerly anticipating winter's chill or a white wonderland.

I've been looking for a day with temperatures above 55* so I could get the garage door painted since I'd already scraped all the paint off and now it was even more important to protect it from the winter moisture and wind.  

I had one afternoon and was distraught.  It was a lovely afternoon.  Almost reached 60* even.  But I was practically home alone for the entire day.  It was an excellent day for writing!  But I didn't dare miss my opportunity.  So paint I did.  

One coat.

And now this is happening.

I hope one coat will protect enough.  I don't anticipate another warm spell long enough to dry it out and let me do another coat!

So... the greenhouse became a project of interest.

The lack of temperature regulation and the free metal we found in the junk pile we've been sifting through behind the garage made it a possibility.

Now all the buildings have uniformity.  They are either metal or painted a charcoal grey.

Well, except the house.  It's still white. 

The new look from the front porch.

Speaking of the front porch....

Since I had the black paint out on that 'warm' afternoon...

The brush was still wet...

Why not make the house match the other buildings ...  in trim at least. 

The shutters only received one coat like the garage door but I made everyone put up with the cold while I propped the door open for it's second coat.  The fireplace is just a few feet from the door so I considered that enough to keep it warm.

Maybe I should build a bonfire by the garage door.

Project Procrastination

Sometimes when there is much to do, it's important to take a moment to reflect and do something completely unrelated to jump start the creative juices.

Or procrastinate...

This afternoon it took the form of, 'Feed the Birds'.

There were bird houses on about 6 of the fence posts around our house.  I assume this means that birds will show up... maybe... at some point.

Personally I think they'd like some trees...but we're not yet at tree phase.

So, on a jaunt to town, (so on a Wednesday), we stopped at the thrift store looking for something we could use as a birdfeeder. 

We left with a dinged up brass chandelier.

An obvious bird feeder choice!

We also picked up a can of spray paint and a bag of bird seed.

Since we don't return home from our day in town until bedtime, our project needed to wait for the next semi-clear/warm, afternoon.

This is the finished product.

We had to change the hanger from the top to the bottom so that we could fill the lampshades.

We also removed the wiring and bulb receptacle.

Doesn't that look inviting.

We should have birds, flocking to our porch in no time!

We also found this little bird bath/feeder, behind the garage when we were doing some clean up.

It weighs a tonne.

I rolled it across the grass with Emerson.

This is sitting next to the porch within the view of the kitchen windows.

Cue birds...

It's been two weeks.

Not a single bird.

Since we had a can of spray paint...

Sarah gave the boys these cacti when we were in SLC.

They needed repotting.

We painted the cans from our peaches after breakfast.

When finally dry, we repotted the cacti and tied a rope around them for that little finishing touch of xeriscaping, je ne sais pas.

we had one more can...

This is the new coin can in the laundry area.

Our barn runneth over

 Within our barn there is a room.

This room has stalls.

This room has hooks.

This room is meant for tack (equipment like saddles and bridles for horses)

We don't have any horses.  

We don't have any tack.

We do however have BICYCLES!

Our bikes have 'tack'.  Helmets, pumps, lights, seat covers, baskets, bells, and patch kits.

So now we have a full tack bike shed within our barn.  

Our barn is more of an activity barn than an animal barn.

Since we don't have any animals.

We do have hammocks, a cardboard box fort, a trampoline, an air hockey table, an archery/wrist rocket range, and now a bike room.  

We aren't sure what to do with the other half of the barn yet.

Maybe some swings, or a dance floor.  (you know, so we can have a barn dance)

Smoke Signals

This rural living has a bit of a learning curve.  

Also this house has ... issues.

This stove is not my favourite thing that came with the house.  

This stove may be one of my favourite things that came with the house... only time will tell.

This stove has nothing to do with this post... it's just my new beautiful double oven stove.  

sigh... It's shiny, it's clean, it works without any flames!

or smoke.

However.. this stove is the one currently getting my angry eyes.

Even after sweeping the chimney from up on the roof, dusting, and scooping out the old ashes, this stove filled our house with smoke when we tested it out.  The chimney pipe looks like it's bleeding some kind of evil black goo.  The damper or flue.. the thing in the chimney meant to block off the air so it can bank down, just spins around and doesn't stay still.  

Smoke blows out those dials on the door.  If you open the door, flames burst out and try to singe your eyebrows off.  (Fine for Patrick he has eyebrows to spare, but I'm lacking in that department)

Either operation fix the stove commenced, or we freeze all winter cause I'm not running the smoke monster.

 This section of pipe was supposed to twist left and lift up for taking apart the chimney for cleaning out the creosote buildup.

It didn't twist or lift.  Even after removing the lower portions it just stayed there looking gross.

I had hoped for a bit more furniture and house protection in the form of plastic covering everything but apparently two old paint sheets was all that was necessary.

 It wasn't simply remove creosote encrusted pipes, clean and return.  Once removed the stove itself was assessed.  

There was creosote buildup throughout the stove and the pipe.  The spinning damper thing had to go.

Patrick may have long arms but the innards of the stove are twisted and small and grungy.

With a flashlight and some brushes, he did manage to get a pot full of grimy gunk out of the back of the stove.

In all they removed an almost full 5 gallon bucket of evil black blech.  It was a chimney fire waiting to happen.  

But it is all a nightmare of the past.

This is the new and improved chimney with fully functional flue's and dampers.  Best of all.. no evil, dripping, oozy, nastiness.

This project was Noella approved.

She enjoys a lounging position in close proximity to the roaring fire.