Three Snow Days in a Row!

This is only the second time he's shoveled in the 8 years we've lived in this house so it seemed picture worthy.

It sure was pretty with the blue sky and snow.

Randy was skating down as he shoveled this part of the drive - tricky!

Our shovel was mal-functioning (coming off from the handle) and I finally convinced him he didn't need to shovel the front U part of our drive since it's on the level and we wouldn't have any trouble getting thru it if we did drive on it.  Plus tomorrow afternoon it's to get up to 31 and up in the 40's Friday.  They messaged us about 4:30 today that we don't have school tomorrow again - 3 days in a row!  That means my work week is over and consisted of just Monday.  How nice.

It's a "Sent Home Early" Snow Day for CA

Birds on our deck aren't used to having to dig to find the bird seed sloppy birds knocked off.  But we got in on this winter's snow finally even here in Collegedale.  Our school sent kids home at 11 who could get rides to go home.  Others stayed till somebody could pick them up.  Classes were cancelled - so I didn't have to teach at all today!  I went to my Tues. morning Bible study when it had just started snowing about 10.  I watched a lady clearing off her windshield with a credit card.  We didn't have a snow scraper/brush in our car either so Randy cleared the windshield with my gloves! They are saying there are over 100 accidents in the Chattanooga area this afternoon.

This is our neighbor's wood stacked up - just cut down recently, that shows the snow well.

We made it up the hill on University with no trouble.  But a driver ahead of us started sliding back and forth as he started up the hill - but then he turned off so nobody got in our way going up.

Before we know it, we'll be needing to trim the forsythia bushes again.

We don't get many pictures with snow in our yard.

The Wood Cutter Cuts Again

Randy brought home a trailer full of wood he split from a friend who had trees down.  So he has some splitting to do.  At the rate he's going through wood these days, he'll be needing more even yet for next winter.

Updated Pictures of Progress on Amy & Jeremy's Ponderosa

You can see their front and back porches with the cedar posts and railings up now!  They must be getting excited about moving day - whenever that is.  No date yet.  But now that dry walling is done, the painting will happen and then the Hardwood floors and cupboards!

Basement dry wall ceiling, recessed lights, and insulated walls.  At the far end of the picture is the 2 additional flues for 2 woodstoves. 

the stonework on their chimney

Notice the pine log beams in the ceiling.  They are covered right now, but they add a lot to the rooms.  We have log beams in every room of the house except for the hallways and bathrooms.

Garage portion of the front of the house showing the retaining wall.  This is the stone that will be also covering the fireplace wall inside the garage.

Master bedroom

Amy & Jeremy's "Ponderosa" from the back

close-up of siding, windows and trim

Our Snow Days while Claire is in Florida!

We got an extended Christmas vacation here in Collegedale due to the extreme cold these last two days. We even got a little snow Sun. night (as you can see below) but it didn't last.  We broke the old record cold temperature recorded for today, January 7, with our 5 degrees this morning!  It was back in the 70's when it got down to 9.  On the weather, they are calling this the Polar Vortex effect.  It's been -30 in Minneapolis and Bismarck, with wind chills down lower over the last few days.  So thankful for the wood stove here at home, and for the forecast showing temps above freezing starting tomorrow!

While we experience the deep freeze, Claire is enjoying Florida with Grandma Cheri and Grandpa Greg, near Punta Gorda.

They went to Sanibel Island Sunday.  She's waiting with her mommy for her baby cousin Elisha to be born, who is due Jan. 9!  Ryan flew back to Minneapolis yesterday, then drove the rest of the trek on home in sub-zero temperatures.  Fortunately the roads weren't bad for the 7-hour drive and their mini van performed well, except for frost inside the driver's side window!  Brrrr - I shiver thinking about it.

Amy's House Update

The drywall arriving

The basement ceiling is in the process of being dry walled.  They almost got it finished.

My Kitchen area.  Can you tell we don't ever want to run out of outlets?

Our back porch progress with tour cedar posts.

Our garage wall with the light fixtures.

Front porch with cedar posts going up

And more drywall!  It's beginning to look more like a home inside. :)  This is our fireplace as soon as you walk in the front door.  On the far left of the picture is our bedroom door and then the basement steps. 

Looking into our kitchen/dining room.  On the left of the picture is the hallway to our spare bedrooms and guest bathroom.

Bringing in the New Year with Connie & Roger

New Years Eve afternoon walking tour of the Coolidge Park/Walnut Street Bridge/Art District area

Walnut Street Bridge behind Connie and me

New Years Day hike from Cravens House up to Sunset Rock on Lookout Mtn

Boys will be boys!  I remember when Jake and Randy did this and made Anne have heart failure.

This one is part mountain goat I do believe!  Scared me to death watching him dance around up top!

Look at that BLUE sky and good lookin' guy!

It was the first time I've ever been up there in the morning.  Connie and I walked to Point Park along West Brow Rd. while Roger and Randy hiked back down to get the car and come get us.  She enjoyed seeing the lovely homes perched on the edge.

Reading up on the history of the area

You shoulda' seen Connie's face when I said, "Let's take a picture before we put the game away."  Her response was "Why?"  Randy (blue) stole the win from her (green) when he connected his roads.  

"Don't you put these on Facebook, Randy," Connie declared.

Roger (brown)  and I (red) mostly watched them dual it out - good naturedly of course.