Home Sweet Home
On the road again, just can’t wait to get on the road again…..
Oh, Willie, who knew your words would strike an accord with so many people for so long time . Yeah, we are on the road home. Goodbye squatting home and welcome Boxes in Fields home. Goodbye to AC and full sized stove/oven. Goodbye two bedroom, one bathroom with tub. Hello to three people and a doggo in one teeny tiny trailer. Ahhh, home.
The closer we got to ground zero, the more the debris on roadsides build up. To accommodate for the tens of thousands of tons of debris the county and TxDot is collecting, TxDot has turned medians all across the county into a waste stations. From sunup to sundown, dump truck full of trash and trees come and go. There are no words to describe the sheer volume waste produced from Harvey cleanup. No words.
Being it is still hotter than hades, the Airstream was set next to the Shop Box in order to offer some afternoon break from the sun. Some. Not much, just some. This is only temporary as we are already working on a different living accommodation for the Kid and the Doubter.
Now that we are finally home full time, the boxes can now be un-hurricaned. All the windows and doors were tacked shut and must be ground free.
The storage boxes on the ground were removed of their silicone caulking and inspected for leakage. Amazingly enough, even with the water as high as it was, there was not water leakage through the floorboards.
This cannot be said about the windows. The tacked windows held against the wind fabulously, it did not hold against the water. In just a few short weeks, the amount of rust appearing on the window frames is a reminder of the harsh environment we call home.
To reduce further rust, all tools and equipment were cleaned, polished, and sprayed down with grease or WD-40.
The work bench was stripped, sanded, and rewaxed. It was so clean and free of metal bits, welding scars, and rust marks, it was reflective. Reflective.
Some equipment and tools were so far gone, they were tossed. Some were left as they were becuase it really didn’t matter. And some were left becuase the results were astounding. Who knew. Now if we could just figure a way to preserve the look for years to come. Hmmm.
To beautify the homestead again, the nasty poison ivy was sprayed until the leaves were glossy and dripping with toxins. May they wither in agony and die painfully. DIE!
Plants were purchased from a local supplier for instant beautification. These poor things survived the storm and were worse for wear. Showing little signs at full recovery, they were on clearance. The deck is once again surrounded with life. There is a firebush and a Vine. By the shower, a Texas Gold Esperanza. All native, all salt tolerant, all given one last chance.
Another beautiful thing was the collection of the very first fertilized egg. If allowed, Boxes in Fields could have little peppers. Life is a beautiful thing. Sorry momma chickens, these are dinner.
Having not been able to be a boy the last few weeks, the Kid was happy to return home. There were trenches and tunnels to be dug, trees to climb, and bikes to ride. Monkeys will be monkeys . Oh, I meant to say boys will be boys. So glad to be home.