Feb1-21 The Big Chill

The month started out as usual . Kevin cleaned up some brush and trees in the pasture and moved some junk vehicles that are headed to the junkyard. The drizzling rain kept the pasture a little to wet to do everything he wanted to do.  Susan and I got our first covid shots on the 9th. It took awhile to get scheduled but the process went smooth and easy, we get our second shot March 2.  Susan had her annual M.D. Anderson checkup and it was good . She was scheduled for a colonoscopy (routine) and an upper GI (having trouble swallowing, acid reflux,etc}.  This got rescheduled due to the big chill. An Artic Blast was heading our way. At first forecast it looked like just a couple of bad days but then changed into much more. We stocked up on supplies, I filled 4  5 gallon  buckets of water for flushing toilets in case of power outage. I got both my generators set up. Normally we just move into trailer for extended power outages but that's typically in warmer months. It was going to be too cold to stay in trailer. My water well runs on 220 and my big generator has 220v production but when in 220v mode there is no 110v output. I'm on Entergy (not part of ERCOT) and they had just finished trimming tree limbs and such in our area so I didn't think we would have extended outage. I decided to just drip water pretty good and use generators on house.  I drained both rvs and all the outside lines to garden and down to Kevins.  I tarped my well house and put 100 watt light bulb in it and I tarped the inlet water to house and also had light bulb, Both are on North side.  We never lost power due to Line issues but we got caught up in the power blackouts, Our first blackout lasted about 14 hours.  I opened all the water drains on house, I didn"t worry about well house because it was tarped and light was hooked to generator. My furnace is propane so I hooked up to its power source so we had heat the whole time. I was set up to run Susan's sewing room and our tv"s. My small generator could handle this. My big generator ran fridge, coffee maker,microwave, freezer and lights to well house.  The first time the power came back on I tried my water well but it was already froze up. Other than no running water we were fine thru it all.  After about 3 days we got our power back and no more outages.When it finally warmed up I started inspecting lines. I keep lots of fittings but not enough for everything. I got the well going and water to the garage.  I have lots of pipes busted in garage attic.  The house lines are cvpc.  I think these lines are just old and brittle and just split, there really wasn"t water in them. Getting enough pipe and fittings is a challenge. I may have enough except for block valves.  I pulled the trailer and set it up. We now have hot showers, functioning toilets and kitchen sinks.   Another thing happened, Friday evening I stepped outside about 5:46 and I smelled propane, I checked my tank and it was venting some out of a plug, it was not the safety valve.  I never in my life had ever had a problem with a propane tank. With the brisk north wind I didn"t think there was a problem igniting but I didn"t take any chances. Shut the main breaker down to house and turned the hot water heater off, ( it was just on pilot). Just didn"t want any source of ignition. I called my propane folks but could not get ahold of anyone. Talked to a couple of neighbors and they had"t seen this before either. One of them called Fire Marshall, he said pour some water over it and it might freeze up.  Tried it but didn"t work. We spent the night at my sisters.  The propane guys came out next morning. It was the Liquid Withdraw line that was leaking. In screws into tank but also has a threaded piece on top that that has an o ring in it, he took that little part off and put lots if pipe dope on it and screwed it back on tight. Luckily it held. He said to let the tank run out and they would replace. Tank has to be empty. Glad I didnt have to lose what I had because i just filled it before the freeze. He also said with such low pressure propane doesn"t ignite that easily after about 20 ft.  Now I have to get in garage attic and start re-piping.

leaking plug water did help a little

I run thru a UPC for Susans sewing machines

Sewing room powered up

Jan 7-31 A Slow Month

 Its been a pretty slow month for us.  Susan got her annual check-up at M.D.Anderson (all good) and I do my annual checkup next month.  My doctor did adjust my blood pressure medicine again trying to get it regulated. I email my readings so he can make changes.  Club volleyball is going strong for the girls. Tournament protocols allow only two spectators per player. We have been able to watch Ashley once and Sammi once.  While it does suck it sure is nice to watch the games without all the crowds.  The weather has been mostily wet and drizzly so I haven"t spent much time at the deer lease. I went and got my Ranger and brought it home. It was pretty filthy but got the first washing done.  We were looking around to go camping somewhere close for a week . Friday and Saturday night are almost impossible to get as everything is already reserved for the month.  We drove down to Sea Rim State Park just to look at it. It is a small park with just a few sites. It does have a lot of beach that you can drive to or walk.  The few sites we like are booked solid till April. On our way home we stopped at Pine Tree Lodge to eat an early supper. Its been here a long time but has been rebuilt since I have been there years ago. The shrimp we had was really good and fresh.  As far as camping we decided to just to stay home for the month and wait for better weather in Feb. We booked a week at Lake Corpus Christi State Park toward the end of the month. On a much sadder note for us and the USA, I went to Corrigan and brought the Cardinal home. Kevin has been living in it the last year as he has been working in Arp and Corrigan  building pump stations.  Biden shut down Keystone XL and put thousands of workers out of a job. The trickle down effect will continue. Then he hit the drilling operations. The US better wake up.  I could go on and on but i will stop at this. It"s going to get ugly.

Kevin washing the old Cardinal

Ranger is somewhat cleaned

west beach Sea Rim State Park

east beach Sea Rim State Park

Susan stayed in the car as it was a chilly wind blowing

Sammi

Jan 2021 Deer Season is over

 We ended a fairly successful deer season. We lost a lot of land last year and our main camp,  so we had to start over with no electricity or water. Our members are much smaller as we only have 730 acres now. We saw more deer this year than ever before. Lots of does and young bucks , but not many 13 plus bucks. We think that because they sprayed the thinned pines and killed the underbrush the deer had to move for food. They came to corn everywhere and fed on the pipelines a lot. I believe that when the underbrush comes back it will back to where it gets hard to see deer.  I really didn"t hunt much the last four days as Kyle and Kevin were off and they started building on their cabin and a bath house.  We have water tanks set up around camp and Lil John has kept them full. We really didn"t use much water as we had no bath house nor kitchen this year. We mostly cooked on a fire pit and used a propane camp stove.  By next season our bath house will have a toilet, sink and shower with hot water. We will put a water tank behind it with a DC water pump on it, Everything else will be powered by a generator.  I pulled my trailer out and took it home to wash and clean, ready to go somewhere depending on weather. I still will go do a little squirrel hunting and maybe some hog hunting. 

This is our camp shed

Bath House

Once the vinyl siding is cleaned it should look good

 

Dec 31, 2020 2020 is Finally Over

 Yes 2020 is finally over. Lets hope 2021 is better, maybe the vaccine for covid will work and we can get back to some kind of normal.  I have stayed at the deer lease most of the season. I have seen lots of deer this year but not many legal bucks.  Kyle and Kevin have been building a little cabin and its almost finished. Rain has stopped work the last two days. The last day of the year here is rainy. Susan has went to a friends and they are sewing till Sunday.  I didn't hunt this morning as its drizzling and warm. The cold front should arrive tonight and be really pretty the rest of the season.  On Susan's birthday we went out to eat with Mike/Kristi and the girls.  On Christmas day morning we went over there to watch the girls open their gifts. The next morning Kyle and the boys along with Kevin came to our house for Christmas.  I have our summer trip planned , we will leave about June 20 and be back home around Sept 10.  Northern New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming will be our stomping grounds.  I"m also planning a Florida trip next Jan/Feb. You have to reserve a year in advance is some places so its a little difficult to get the dates all coordinated. We also have a Spring Break trip with our grandsons scheduled in March.  I April we will spend about two weeks at Canyon Lake, Hoping the wineries will be back to normal by then. The girls have started club volleyball but due to tournament covid restrictions we have not been able to go yet. Hope it changes soon.

                                         Lil John shot this 8 Pt.            14.5 inch spread

                                    Jen shot a hog with Bubba and Holly

Susan and Kenna

Susan and Sammi

                                                                    Susan and Ashley

                                                                 Luke and Peyton

                                                                     Kyle Kevin

                                            Had to buy a little high priced lumber for cabin

                                           Kevin  Kyle  Holly all watching Lil John

                                                   Holly Grace and Maggie

Knotty Yellow Pine reclaimed from my Mom and Dads old house.

                                                Luke

                                                        Peyton

                                         Peyton, Holly, John (Bubba), Luke

                            Door and vinyl siding also reclaimed from the old house.

Last day of the year and its raining