No More Room

This weekend the wind was high and even though the temperature was pleasant enough to work, the brisk Southern breeze made it too much to get much outside work done. So we worked inside the house.

 We have plum run out of room. It's not hard to do when living in a tiny house. Never enough cabinet space and never enough counter tops. So the next best thing to use is the walls.
We got the cast iron off the floor and mounted them to the wall for easy access. Candy also got her kitchen herbs planted in some really nice antique tins she picked up at a garage sale on put on the shelf above the window.
Notice the little lights on the stove, yes they work. It takes a medium base bulb you cannot find anymore unless you special order them. We ended up finding some old large Christmas lights in a box and taking the red off.   

The little homemade, horseshoe Christmas tree has been decorated and put under the loft stairs. The little tree is not too big and fits just right, plus it goes with the country look we have. 

 Speaking of the bedroom loft. This was the place planned for overnight stays when one of the girls came by. It fits a twin size blow up mattress perfectly. Well, plans have changed a little because the grand baby took it over as her play room.
Now there is no way we will be able to move all the toys and blow up the air bed. So I guess the camper will remain the guest house.  

I also built Candy a small cabinet that sits next to the stove out of some old barn wood. Now she has a place to store the baking dishes, mixer and cookie sheets.

We got more boxes out from storage and filled the kitchen cabinets and drawers to max capacity. There is no more room for anything and we still have many more boxes to go. I see a garage sale in the future.

Thanks,
Jerry

Where's The Fish

After this weekend the official total rainfall here in North Texas is 59.5 inches. I am sure we have had more than that up here where I live, but "officially" I don't have a clue.
The creeks are up out of their banks making my Crappie holes un-fishable. This is about the time of year I live on the creek banks jigging for Crappie. As it is now I would have to walk back at least a mile through thick swamp brush to get to the fish and I don't think I am going to do that.  I like fishing, but I don't like it that well.

So instead I worked on the house. This weekend I got the Ladder built and installed for the bedroom loft, plus ran and hooked up the power to the kitchen island. I also got the shelves finished in the upstairs craft room and started unpacking boxes of books and chili trophies to fill them.

Right off the bat Saturday morning my dad and I finished installing the new stove and making sure everything works with no leaks. The stove weighs 400 pounds and was a chore trying to get it in place, they just don't make them like that anymore, but it fits and looks like it belongs there.
 Modern cookware just did not seem right on this old girl so we pulled out and polished up the cast iron and put some to use.   

Candy was so happy to finally be able to cook inside.
(It's funny to write that down because it makes us sound like hillbillies or something, "look maw, running water").

Okay side note, funny story. You know I finally got the kitchen sink in the house right? Well everyone that comes over walks to the sink and turns it on just to see if it works. One of my nephews after checking it even laughed and said, "Oh wow! you got running water in here."
A friend of mine was looking around the sink and asked if I ran the garden hose through the floor or came in through the wall. I told him, "hu no, it's actually plumbed in with hot water and everything, just like real people have." 
I just thought it was kinda funny and had to share it.

Anyway back to the post, she was so happy in fact she made me up some fried chicken and vegetables. Then to top it all off, she even baked me some cookies and served them with a big glass of milk.
If I would have only known that I would be treated like this, I might have spoiled her and got her a stove a long time ago.


These chickens came from the farm, processed last weekend. We had some new comers (city folks) show up and wanted to help out just to see how it's done. Processing your own meat is something everyone needs to know how to do if it's chickens, fish, pork or beef and I don't mind teaching others and I sure don't mind the help. 

We would have had forty more to do at the end of next month, but selling them was a better option.

This week I plan to focus on where the fish are at, trimming out the porch, getting all the kitchen stuff out of storage and maybe even building the little cabinet next to the stove.

So until then,
Hillbilly Jerry

It's Alive

I sent the wife to go and look at that stove I was talking about in the last post and when I got home it was in the back of the truck.

It ends up being a 1941 Chambers, Model B. I also found out there is a cult like following on the internet with Chambers Stoves. I think I am one of those folks now. This stove is amazing. I never thought I would ever be this excited about a cook stove.

We got her unloaded and started going though it.
The old girl does need a little repair, like the oven burner brackets need to be remade, but other than that she is cherry.
All the controls and air vents were frozen, but with a little PB Blaster and care, they were working like new.

We hooked it up, put the lighter to it and she fired right up with the most beautiful blue flame. Just like it was the first time off the show room floor

I don't plan on repainting or restoring it. Every drag mark across the top has it's own story and I feel like taking those away will remove it's history.

I do need to find a decal set somehow, somewhere so I can remember where all the knobs go.  

And the best thing about it, I can work on it.




Later,
Jerry

That Was A Close One

 I smell hair burning....

 
This last week I was able to get the trim stained and installed in the living room/kitchen area, plus build the railing and get it in place for the bedroom/play area loft.
Waiting for stain to dry is like watching grass grow. Before long you get tired of waiting and just cut and fit leaving stain all over you, your tools and whatever else it touches. 
Waiting is not a strong trait I have.
I still have the loft ladder, the island counter top, the hide away bar stools and the small cabinet next to the stove to do and then I will be done with the inside until spring when I will do the floors.

 So last weekend I had one of those friend of a friend deals where I switched out a stove for a lady and she was going to give me her old one. Sounds like a great deal right?
Well, in all fairness it was. I didn't know this one did not have a pilot light and took the top off. The top is not suppose to come off and when I put it back on I guess I, unknowingly, broke a gas line. After cleaning it, switching it over to LP and putting it in the house, all the burners fired up except one. Me and the wife sat there, looking at it hearing it clicking away and wondering why this one burner would not light. Just then it exploded sending a fire ball through us and into the room.
With the smell of burning hair hanging heavily in the room, we checked ourselves to make sure we still had eyebrows and I still had my beard.
I took the top back off and in doing so I broke three more gas lines and then said to hell with it. It's going in the trash. I am sure I could fix it by using flexible line in place of the small ridged feeder lines, but I didn't like the design anyway, it's just not me and now I am scared of it. I couldn't get the oven to work as well so my mind is made up.  
    

I found this little stove just down the road yesterday so I think I might stop back by and pick it up today.
To justify the extra expense, this is the look we were originally going for. This time I will put it in the shop, clean it, make sure everything is safe and fire it up before putting it in the house. No electronics, no switching it over, nothing but fire and cooking. 






I have to get the porches and house painted before the heavy winter so that will be what I do next. I need to build the railing around the upstairs porch and the accent lighting and the trim and the.........
The list keeps going and going. I don't think I will ever be done.

Until next time,
Jerry