Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RaZ]

@RaZ one way or another things keep going and going.

Yup. It keeps on going. Sometimes it seems like it keeps rolling over me. Not going to let it get me down. I still have some fight left in me.

 

[bigmrg74]

Checking in.

Have had a pretty busy summer. Amy's dad Mark passed away very unexpectedly Father's day weekend on us, and we've been helping her mom Sally deal with all of that. Thankfully Mark had pretty much everything all set up and ready to go for when the time came. Only real fly in the ointment we had was that Mark had just bought a new used GMC terrain about 10 days before he passed. Didn't even have a chance to make his first monthly payment on it. And to get it into Sally's name because she wasn't on the title, she had to go and pay it all off in one shot. Kinda irked me that they had to have that done pretty much right away, instead of saying, oh, 3 months or so. But thankfully they did have the money to go ahead and pay it off.

And with helping out Sally at her house, we also made the decision to move in with her as well. There was some days where I was bouncing between our apartment in Tecumseh, my mom's farm, and Sally's, and going to work on top of that. It was going to be easier if we didn't have the apartment. Thankfully, our landlord was cool and allowed us out of our lease early, and we just called him yesterday to find out that he did rent out the apartment for October, so we're not on the hook for that rent, plus we're going to get our cleaning deposit back. So worth it to go through and patch up all of our nail holes and other minor defects in the walls.

So we've been moved in with Sally since the 13th, and things are slowly starting to get together. Still keeping the chickens at mom's farm as Clinton doesn't allow them in the village limits, and I doubt that I could get away with 20 of them here. would drive the neighbors dogs bonkers.

 

[chickflick]

So sorry to hear about Amy's dad. A lot of changes for you two. Hope everyone is settling into their new normal. Sally will be glad for the company and help.
We did miss you at Chickenstock.

 

[Sally PB]

Thanks for checking in, @bigmrg74. I'm sorry for your loss.

Thinking about everyone in Ian's path, hoping for the best.

 

[1muttsfan]

I'm so sorry to hear about Amy's dad. A big change in many ways for everyone I'm sure.

Hurricane landfall was just south of my BF's house. So far it sounds like everything is still standing, but there's so much water on the roads. Nobody can get around yet. The worst of the flooding so far has been south of landfall. God bless all those people down there.

 

[Dreamzchaser]

Hi everyone! Spoke briefly to my sister in PR and she finally got electricity yesterday. She lost everything in the fridge. Worries me because she is diebetic. Then was able to text with my sister in Tampa. She lost power by noon. Front of her house,the tree fell. At least youngest brother is with her and her husband to care for her and children.


Then texted with my ex-first sergeant and he is ok in Tampa as well. Ian made landfall around 3pm south from Tampa. They had lots of wind and rain. But my in-laws, are all in Orlando, where the eye is to go through. So, up early to check the weather channel and be on stand by. Hub will not drive south but I do. I am not scared of the road but it is he who should go. He is an airplane person while I am a road warrior,lol. Will keep you posted as I can.

Sorry for the loss of friend's to this comminuty.

 

[Sally PB]

You be safe too, @Dreamzchaser, if you go down there.

 

[1muttsfan]

My BF's house is in Englewood, the eye of the storm went directly overhead. His house survived without damage - it was built many years ago and is rock solid, and had a new roof put on a few years back. Some of his family have trailers on Manasota Key in a park, which has sustained major damage, although not to their homes thank goodness. Power is out, no water or sewage, no gas stations open, roads choked with debris and standing water. He left to day to head down, his mom is going to need him there.

 

[Dreamzchaser]

You be safe too, @Dreamzchaser, if you go down there.

I will but I cannot go. His family is ok. The other brother connected a super generator to his house that hub sent him 4 yrs ago. So he bought one for his parents and connected too to their house. I need him to come and connect mine too,lol he used to work for the PREC PR electric company decades ago,so he knows all about that.

Here all is ok. Not doing the garden yet. Sorry SallyPB,lol
However, began putting the plastic on duck run. Had very little of the 6 mil,so I used it for the north side (thank you Aart for teaching me). They the rest is 4 mil. They are cold hardy, so they will be OK. Also got the darn automatic door working. I tell them in around 730, go home, and they file inside the house, no fussing!

I still have to finish the front and doors to move to the chickens. Hub built a house for Pitbull and his chihuahuas, lol Will take pic tomorrow
The food and water are for the ducks was a real mess. So took a few pallets and built the umbrella some with an angle so it drains towards the outside. Not the best but it has been working for a week not. Below before and after pictures.



We also put some dirt with a few rocks that the county put on the road in front but the put some on top of my grass,so we shoveled in the ducks,lol
And here you can see the automatic door.

 

[Sally PB]

Looking good, @Dreamzchaser!

We didn't get frost last night, because the clouds stuck around. It's clear now, so we'll probably get frost tonight. Fine by me. I'm ready for the plants in the garden to die or go dormant. Then I can pull it all up or cut it all off and not have to "go around" stuff.

I did my 8th "hugel trench" today. I want to put in one more. Then I'm done (I hope) with the big digging projects.