Baby Birds Hatch & Drywall & More Flowers

 

Franklin and Russ worked on drywall all last week and this is the kitchen with the large window that will overlook a little rock garden.

 

Close-up of one of the first sunflowers of the season. I think I'll make this my new desktop photo.

 

You've probably seen enough hollyhocks but these are gorgeous this year. They're an old-fashioned type with single blooms that I think are more attractive than the modern ones. When they die back, I take the seed pods and crush and sprinkle them wherever there's bare earth. That fall or the following spring, I have all the volunteers I want and just transplant them to where I have room. These volunteer plants are the reward for getting in there and cutting down the plants and distributing the seeds because the plants are hairy and those hairs tend to get into your clothes and make you itch.

 

THE BABY BIRDS HATCHED - it was either late on July 4th or early this morning because I'd checked them the morning of the 4th. I still have to identify them and hope snakes don't find them, road dust doesn't kill them or a myriad of other dangers doesn't befall them. I'll try to photo journal them daily and will publish some of that so stay tuned. Last night we went to get Jake from Waynesville - he's back from the Bahamas. We have some photos to blog but he ran off again a few minutes ago to visit Walker at Tuckasegee so it'll be Sunday night or Monday before he writes captions to the photos I'm sending. We were invited to the home of some friends who have hundreds of acres here in Fairview and an incredible view of the Asheville fireworks (not to mention their own contraban supply). There I picked up a little pun that I had to call Gabriel and report right away: "May the 'fourth' be with you."

The House Comes Along

  These first two are of the new kitchen addition. This view is from the road side and the large opening will be the front door to the house. The window next to it has a beautiful westward view.
  We should be able to get to the interior sheetrocking Monday, June 30th. This is a veiw from the upper pasture looking down on the house. I guess we can call it a 'house' now instead of 'the barn'. That big opening is for a great picture window over the sink.
  This view is from the inside looking towards the new kitchen addition. What used to be the front door and front wall of the barn was removed and is an opening into the new kitchen.
  Here's Franklin working on the shower/tub plumbing. He did all the electrical and plumbing himself !! (Shhh) If it weren't for his talents, we could never afford this remodeling job. He keeps the big picture in his head and is truly a Jack-of-all-Trades. It is a huge regret of ours that the boys are not here helping because the things they'd learn are invaluable. Walker can't leave Tuckaseegee much and Jake is whooping it up in the Bahamas.
PS: I saw the mama bird today so all is well with the eggs and we finally got rain. Not a great deal but enough to mention.