Still on Shower

It is taking longer to get this shower installed than it will the flooring in the whole house. I am convinced of it. But the shower is in...mostly. We still have the handle and some waterproofing to do. But the bulk of the installation is behind us and it is looking great. Butch and I have tested the seat and we both have complete confidence in it. Oh yeah, did I mention it has a seat. Our feet will be much cleaner now.

We will not be working on it today as we are going to a family reunion. The Uncle Phil and Aunt Ruby branch of the family has a reunion every fall and this year they have expanded it to include other branches. Uncle Phil was my mothers brother. There were seven children in the John and Myrtle Zimmerle family and they are all deceased but today we will get together and talk about them. They were a wild and crazy bunch so it should be a fun day.

Reunion pictures and shower pictures will come later...maybe today.

Oh and there is nothing like 30 degree temps to bring on Texas Fever. We are making plans to head that way.

Thunder Bay Resort Aerial video

We workamped at Thunder Bay Golf and RV Resort in the summer of 2010. This video was a wonderful nostalgic event for us.
http://youtu.be/c74Q_KkwKEU

Carpet is down

Bedroom before and...

After. 

Closet before and...

after.

A ways from done but looking good.

The carpet install went well. The cabinet quote fellow came on time and measured, planned and calculated and we plan to keep looking. Butch thought the first quote was outrageous until he heard the second one. We have two more places we plan to check before we make a decision. It will not be happening until spring 2013. It will be very high on the priority list at that time though. So after quote guy left Butch squeezed in 9 holes of golf. When he came home we went to the Lowes store in Ames to pick up our GOOD flooring and while there we purchased a bathroom stool. Since the demo, when the old stool had to go, Butch has missed it and looked forward to having the new one installed. We may get it installed this fall but it most likely will not be hooked up to water till spring. I suggested to Butch that we should buy and install a cabinet for behind the stool before installing the stool to make it easier. There have been times when we had our projects out of sync. So while we were in Lowes I saw a dusty cabinet that had a red X through the price tag so I asked the fellow in that department what he would sell it for. So we purchased a $150 cabinet for $50. Sure like it when that happens.

I called Jason as we left Ames and asked if he and Laura wanted to meet us at the Colorado Grill in Boone for supper. They said "yes"! Love it when things work out. Laura has a really cute short haircut. 

The night before when Jason went home after helping us with the shower he called to tell us he had hit a skunk. At first he didn't think the car had been sprayed but the further he went the stronger it got and that was traveling at highway speed. We saw the skunk he hit on our way back to Jefferson and it was flat as a pancake in the middle of the road just east of the railroad tracks in Grand Junction. Any suggestions on how to get rid of skunk smell on the undercarriage of a car? It would be hard to get at it for the tomato juice option. Time and a car wash or 2 may be the only solution.

This morning we were getting rain so Colleen and I didn't get our walk in. Maybe later...

I cropped one of the pictures I took earlier and I like it for many reasons. It is on the bike trail we have faithfully walked all summer.

Shower install

Thank God for Jason coming to our rescue. The shower install, at least the panels, took brawn and brains and in this case it took 3 of us. This shower is going to look really cool but would I call getting it installed easy? No, Nada, Nyet etc.
Onyx is a really cool shower system but I would consider paying an expert to install it or at least someone who has installed a few before. It is tough for the inexperienced.
http://www.onyxcollection.com/

We do not have it completely installed. Still need to get the seat, soap holder, door and a few other things done on it but here is a pic of the panels.

Below is bedroom -before carpet that is being installed as I write

Below is closet looking west- before carpet

looking east-before carpet

looking through bedroom from closet-before carpet

Looking out front door

kitchen window-south side of room

north side of room

What happens when you are not naturally neat.

Morning walk shots

The much photoed asparagus plant- What a show off!!

Oh yes! They called yesterday afternoon to tell us the flooring is in!! Less than a week!!

More house stuff

We started on shower install yesterday. We have the base in place....it could have gone smoother but hopefully it will all work and serve us well for the rest of our lives. I am going to remain quiet about the shower until we are finished installing it. I do not want to borrow trouble. Jason is coming to help us later today.
We will be getting the carpet installed in the morning. They just called. That is happening sooner than expected. We also have someone coming from Sears to give us a quote on cabinets. That will be quote number two and we plan to get a couple more.
I am still able to get my morning walk in but it sounds like our morning time, recently moved to 7:30, will need to be set back even further to prevent frostbite. Colleen is leaving the 10th so we are winding down because of that deadline as well. I will miss our routine. I saw a quote this morning that I hope applies to both of us about our morning walk and talk. "The worlds best moment is a calm hour passed with a friend who can talk well."- quote from 11th century Arabic poet  Abu al-Alaa'al-Ma'arril.

Morning walk photos

We have had beautiful morning sunshine most of the summer. We have commented much lately on the beauty of the changing leaf color so I decided to take my camera this morning. Wouldn't you know, it was mostly cloudy. Oh well, here are my shots anyway.

Taken at the very north end of the bike trail looking south.

Milkweed

This asparagus has been  a photographic inspiration all summer. It is now a brilliant orange color.

On the bike trail looking north toward the depot

On Olive Street

At the Uptown Cafe

Years ago Colleen painted some old milk cans and they were at Alice Nipps art gallery. Colleen noticed them on Harrison street, a street she walks on every morning to get to the bike trail. How wonderful it is to spot YOUR artwork in an unexpected place many years after you had completed it.

Iowa- More pigs than People

Three guys- card playing buddies

Three old ladies

Three childhood friends

Firestarter

I read this tip on Facebook and when I tried to pin it on Pinterest it didn't work. So I will tell you because I think it is a great tip  for our camping friends. Save your corks from bottles and place them in a glass jar. Pour rubbing alcohol over the corks and when you are ready to start a fire, fish one out and place it among your kindling.