Junk or Treasure?

It was all treasure at some point, but now it's definitely junk! It's that time of year when the town has their free bulk pick up, making it a good time to get rid of some of the accumulations of junk around the property. This year was especially important, because we had to dispose of lots of stuff from the other property that was left behind. This week also presented the opportunity to get metal together to bring down to the scrap metal recyclers. Dave and John stripped some of the bikes of their fairings and luggage for the heap, while I got to drive the New Holland and place everything curbside.

Scrappers:

Observers:

These baby woodchucks were so cute hiding out in our pallet pile, watching us. Too bad they get to be such a nuisance when they grow up.

Soon we'll gather all this mountain of scrap metal, along with quite a bit that is still way out back in the big shed, load it up on one of the utility trailers, and see what the market is paying. Anything is better than having piles around....even if the cute critters like to make homes in them.

Rallying the Troops

The first 2014 Rally in the Woods trail ride took place on Saturday, and even though it wasn't one of our largest, it was still a great get-together. Many of the trails were cleaned up as well as the whole party area. Even the outhouse is a classy place.

 

The food at the Handlebar Cafe was superb as usual! 

Dave's Minions sit over the antique stove on their pistons, keeping an ever faithful eye on the happenings...sort of like his real 'minions' do! We couldn't do any of this without them and all their help, that's for sure.

Until about 6:30PM, Sara and I were the only females there so we had fun tearing around the property. I always drive my four wheeler, and since helmets are required for everyone, Sara and I dress ours up with pigtails (Pink Ladies still rule!).

Sara raced around on any bike she could get her hands on, and as you can see there were many classic bikes at the ready for her to choose from.

 

Did you notice our new signs? Thanks to cousin Chuck for the use of the Sinclair sign. Many years ago, Dave's father used to have about 20 of these, and Chuck was the only smart person to take one home. Since then, the rest have been destroyed. Back then we never would have guessed that they would become so collectable.

The tractor crossing sign was a must too since the Farmall has become so popular. Both Tyler and his father Kenny, got the hang of driving it quite quickly (and now they want one!).

New to the fleet this year is the pull start David Bradley. It was a big hit too, and Walt really liked it because it went just his speed.

 

 Kevin brought his usual entourage of bikes so there's something for everyone...while Jimmy keeps working on getting his going.

 

Hey Kenny, Tyler, and Tim....where's Kerstin? We missed her!

The chef took some time off from grilling to try and start the mini bike. We won't tell his wife he did this ;-)...or else that broomstick he uses to guide his grandson really WILL be coming out of his you know what!

Stay tuned for the next Rally in the Woods, because the Trials section has begun. All the huge tires, Bayliner hull, trees, etc. that we have been saving for this reason are finally being put to use. This section has been in the works for 3 years. First Hercules broke so these big obstacles couldn't be moved, and then once that was fixed, Dave broke! Now everything and everyone are up and running...or at least walking again.

 By the end of the day, the campfire was red hot and the branding iron saw some action. If your name starts with 'P', you too can have anything you want branded.

 The best part, besides the camaraderie, food, and stress relief? We get to do it all over again in another few weeks before the summer heat really kicks in.

Done!

May is done and I have only written two posts on my blog, so I better make it at least three for the month. The time just flew by with the house project, but finally we too are done! Or at least the house is presentable for prospective buyers. We still have a few small things to deal with, but it looks pretty good. Even a week ago though, I wondered if we were going to make the June 1st deadline. Now, unless we get a contract and inspection quickly, we should be able to take our time to complete the remaining projects.

Meanwhile, EVERYTHING is blooming and the days of grey and brown are way in the past. Green rules..as does the grass! Now I have an additional property to mow this summer and the tractor has to be loaded on the trailer and taken down there weekly. Plus here at the Pashley Ranch, and of course mowing the never ending thick fertile grass of Ticonderoga (must be all the cows in the area. HA!). Thank goodness for our lifesaving weedwacker friends Kevin and John who worked so hard at the two properties here.

My three rhododendrons are gorgeous this year, but next to the pink and purple ones, my white one is definitely queen of the yard. The flowers are so heavy, it is drooping to the ground. The bees, hummingbirds and other birds love it, including the robins with an active nest.

Today we celebrate the spring and have our premier trail ride of the season. First the trails and party spot need to be cleaned up, and everyone is going to pitch in to complete this quest. With everything else going on, I barely even remember that we live at the edge of the woods. Hopefully all that will change now. It's time to get on with spring and look forward to summer!

In Case You Are Wondering...

We have been diligently working on the repossessed property and house. Raking of about 3 of the 4.8 acres of land is complete (thank goodness for the New Holland tractor and the special leaf scoop that Dave made for the bucket). I weeded out all of the strawberry plants that massively invaded the flower garden behind the house and put 6 huge bags of red mulch around.  We have had to pick up tons of garbage strewn around, and out by the point where the fire pit is, there were two gigantic piles of old roofing and plywood that we disposed of. Dave has been power blowing like crazy (he tripped and fell  while we were moving stuff and scared the heck out of us both, but it was a soft landing on leaves and he’s okay). I pressure washed the lower garage that was moldy green, plus the doors on all the garages, including all pass doors. Now I need to paint them once this next bout of rain is over. We found used appliances on Craig’s list and have a washer/dryer, fridge, furnace, and brand new hot water heater that are ready to be installed. When I looked inside the house, it didn’t look too bad at first, but now that the power is back on, we certainly have our hands full. I have never seen dust so thick and so sooty from them burning wood and the oil furnace having issues. I don’t know how they could breathe. Thank goodness there is no furniture and we have carpet cleaners coming. The upstairs shower ceiling is black. They took weird stuff like the smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detector, curtain rods, and towel racks, but left all the brackets for them. Don’t ask me how  they will use them elsewhere. The kitchen faucet has to be replaced because parts are missing. The downstairs bathroom faucets are totally corroded and we need to get that too. The upstairs bathroom sink is cracked and broken...how do you break granite/marble? We just bought a used vanity and sink, since it will be cheaper and easier to switch over. The closet doors in the lower bedroom had slats totally out of it and Dave has rebuilt it. He has also been working on replacing trim in the kitchen. They moved the free standing pantry to make room for a dishwasher, but then sold the dishwasher and incorrectly put the pantry back, but there are huge gaps and holes in the trim. The list goes on and on. Plus we have to have this all done and ready to be shown by June 1st. At least the leaves are out and the flowers are blooming, making everything look inviting. Dave is trying to juggle work at the shop and work at the house, so you know where you will find us and what we’re up to. Did I mention that we are buying stock in Aleve...one bottle at a time?

 

Pickers Dream

We couldn't let a little rain and cold stop us from attending the Antique fair at the Washington County Fairgrounds today. It didn't stop a lot of people from attending this huge event (it must have been a record attendance day). Just about every building on the premises was filled with antiques from different vendors. They even had a gigantic tent set up in one of the fields in case of rain. It was overwhelming, but people were definitely buying. There was a New Holland tractor towing a trailer/wagon that spent the day transporting anyone and their goods back to their vehicles in the parking lot.

 

I loved this brass bell in the archway.

 

 Dave had his eye on this tandem Schwinn bike.

 

 Mirror selfie

 

 You name it, it was there.

 Some folks came with their own carts to haul away their new possessions.

 

 This is a strange conglomeration of items!

 Nice hay rake wheels, small plow, and the plane propeller too.

 

 A field of metal statues including a 5 ft. chicken.

My mother would have loved this carousel horse since she has always wanted one.

 

 The question is...is it for real or just a reproduction to look like one? We just aren't a good judge.

After all our window shopping, we ended up coming home empty handed this time. We were prepared though...we brought the truck! You never know what you might find that you can't live without!

A Few More Shades of Brown

I glanced out the window as I went to wash dishes tonight and found three deer almost at our back door! I grabbed my camera, but what must have been two yearlings, ran into the woods. Mom stayed awhile and ate some of the grass. She looked like she had a hard winter and wasn't particularly afraid of us watching her as she foraged for whatever she could find to eat, including the small buds on the trees and bushes. Meanwhile, her 'kids' were picking at the buds on the berry bushes at the edge of the woods (I guess we won't be expecting the banner crop of blackberries that we had last year). It's amazing that the thorns and prickers don't bother them. If they are hungry enough, they'll eat just about anything and everything in the yard. Oh well, I still enjoy seeing them.

50 Shades of Grey...and Brown!

We  have arrived in upstate New York and it still looks rather wintery up here. We even saw some snow in our travels to Ticonderoga today (and there was ice along the shady shore of Eagle Lake). It is hard to get used to the bare trees and hardly any green grass coming up, which makes everything look mono-chromatic and grey. Luckily though, lots of the old brown leaves from the fall have blown into the woods, but there is still plenty of work to be done around here. Dave even had to fix two frozen pipes in the cellar despite winterizing them before we left. The heat came right on, and thanks to Jim R. and John V., our cellar dried up from the deluges of intruding water this winter. The vehicles are all on the road now, and Hercules is ready to remove any fallen trees. Tomorrow I will be out on the New Holland tractor...if it's warm enough out! The tractor/motorcycle shed had 3"of ice in it this winter and everything was frozen to the ground. My favorite Billy Goat blower will be put into service too, and it makes quick work of any leaves and small branches that are left. Once the yard is picked up and in good shape, all the equipment will move down to the Saratoga Rd. house, which was defaulted on once again and we now have regained ownership. MUCH work is required there before we try and sell it...for the last time. Wow, I know I have said this before, but we sure have diversified lives!