So, I'm way behind on my blogging! No surprise there - 3 children, right now feeling the "tummy gymnastics" of our fourth due in April, and maintaining two homes - I'm a little bit busy.
To sum up our week spent at the property - we had a toilet overflow, on the particle board floors (what a nightmare!). We need to replace that toilet because even a normal amount flushed down that toilet is too much for it, not to mention the large amounts of t.p. that toddlers tend to flush! The kitchen is now painted a lovely butter yellow (I did the whole thing myself).
And, the biggest accomplishment of that week is that our trailer now has skirting - which means it is now insurable. We were able to buy used corrugated metal (like barn tin) for the skirting - giving us a durable product and saving us tons of money, but the downside - it takes a LONG time to custom cut it into trailer skirting. But it is done. Praise the Lord!
Since then we have finished painting the living room, which was wall paper, but is now brown, with a darker shade of brown on the bottom, and white trim in the middle. Baby girl's room is now lilac, and the living room, hallway, and baby's room are now done with this vinyl plank flooring called Allure that we got at Home Depot. It was advertised as the "easiest floor ever", and I've not installed any other flooring, but this stuff was pretty easy. It consisted of vinyl planks with sticky strips that overlap each other, and it is supposed to be waterproof - a big plus in our decision to get it. It looks great, and I'm so pleased that we got it! The baby's room also now has baseboards, and oh, what a difference it makes!
We still have flooring left to do in both bathrooms - sheet vinyl, kinda nervous about that, and in the master bedroom - carpet, which we got for free from a neighbor, but we've never done carpet, so nervous about that one, too. The hall bath still needs sheetrock to be hung, painting, the vanity, toilet and tub (including tub surround) to be put back in; so pretty much everything! and the master bath needs a section of flooring to be replaced, the shower needs to be replaced (and who knows what else will need to be replaced once we pull the shower out), and the aforementioned overflowing toilet needs a replacement. In also needs painting and mirrors replaced, and probably a new vanity before it's all over with, but I guess we will see! The whole house needs baseboards. We need a deck built/rebuilt, because the makeshift stairs leading up to the front door are inadequate - the last step before going into the home is not tall enough, and my pregnant self almost can't make it! Especially not while carrying a child. There is just so much left to do, and not much time left before the baby is due. All in God's time, though; all in God's time.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Our Week at the Property: Day Two
So now we have sleepy people and stinky laundry! And, we have a nice list of things we need to go into town for, so after breakfast and dishes, we head into town. We, of course, stop at Home Depot, as we do almost every time we are down there. We need more paint and other supplies for the house. Jeremy got in touch with a guy we know who rents out mobile homes to ask his opinion on skirting for the trailer. You see, the insurance company will not insure our trailer until there is skirting up, so that is priority one on the to-do list. As it turns out, he will sell us some used metal , which happens to be the most sturdy material we could probably get for this purpose, for much, much less than we could buy new. So we pick up some miscellaneous materials needed to put this skirting up (or rather, we have McCoy's deliver it), and then later on, Jeremy and his dad (who arrived later that afternoon) pick up the metal. We stopped at our favorite local taco place, Taco Shack, for lunch. Then I trek to Wal-Mart with just Seth to pick up some things we needed there (and Seth picks up a birthday gift for his brother!). I ended up having to go BACK to Home Depot with a very sleepy Seth to pick up something that was forgotten, and by the time I got back, I was so DONE with shopping for the day! We wrapped the gift for Jude, and the children got to open some of their presents from their grandparents. After dinner, the last of the gifts were unwrapped and we had a nice stack for the burn pile, and lots of toys floating around. The men had accomplished some work on the skirting. We put sleepyheads to bed and enjoyed a nice bath in our only working (garden) bathtub. This night's sleep was much better!
Our Week at the Property: Day One
So last week my husband and in-laws took the week off and we all stayed at the property so we could work, work, work! We were going to just head out Monday morning, but since we already had our game plan, we just started packing up the van on Sunday. It's probably hard to imagine what a family of five (plus 2 in-laws) would take to stay out at a trailer that has practically NOTHING in it, but I'll give you a "short" list:
1 dorm size refrigerator - which was taken the day before, or else we would have been strapping even MORE things to the top. This held the most perishable things like meat, milk, yogurt, cheese, leftovers and any produce we could squeeze in. Probiotics and Bentonite in case anyone got sick because Wal-Mart doesn't stock these things. Faith ended up with diarrhea, so it was a good thing we brought them.
1 very large cooler, along with a smaller one - these were refilled almost daily; the bigger one held the least perishables, like eggs, some produce, bottled water, etc. And the small one held only ice for drinking purposes.
Linens galore: kitchen towels, sponges, washcloths, bath towels, shop rags, sheets for 3 beds (including extras for the little ones), and pillows.
Cleaning: soap, shampoo, dishwasher detergent, and everything to hand wash dishes as well, including a dish drainer.
Food, Prep Utensils, and pots/pans: I had to think through every meal we would have and what would I need to prepare it: a can opener? knife & cutting board? Spoons to serve it with? We ate out SOO much at the beginning of this pregnancy because of morning sickness, so now I'm trying to stick with eating healthy. I feel much better and have more energy when I eat like I should. Of course it would have been easier to just bring cereal and sandwiches, but we've been down this road before, and this just isn't the kind of food that satisfies working men and a pregnant mom! I don't regret the time I spent cooking, though it does mean I accomplish less around the property. It is a way to bless my family, esp. my growing baby.
A weeks worth of clothing for five people
Some vinyl flooring strapped to the roof, and some tools that weren't already at the property
All of this adds up to one VERY full van! We couldn't open the back door when we arrived, we had to carefully unload, piece by piece, from the side doors. We arrived somewhat late, so we had to air up the inflatable beds and set up the baby's playpen while trying to unload the van. The children were already asleep! Then we had to load all the food into the refrigerator, and try to find places for the kitchen stuff amidst dirty cabinets. Yuck. Eventually all the beds were made, and most things put away, and the kitchen counters cleared of most of the tools. And then we finally settled in to sleep. But neither of us slept well. Unfamiliar noises, plus a night-potty-trained 3-year-old who awoke us early in the morning because he wet the bed! So we had to take down the extra sheet we were using as a curtain to put on their bed. And Faith woke up with diarrhea, and of course we were using disposables, that of course leaked (people think cloth diapers leak, but it is very rare that we have even diarrhea leak out of our cloth diapers). So we immediately had lots of laundry to do. I brought supplies to hand wash, and we have a clothes line, but of course it would be cold and rain in the forecast! Thank God for nice neighbors who lent us their washer/dryer. I'll continue with my next post to let you know how the rest of this second day went....
1 dorm size refrigerator - which was taken the day before, or else we would have been strapping even MORE things to the top. This held the most perishable things like meat, milk, yogurt, cheese, leftovers and any produce we could squeeze in. Probiotics and Bentonite in case anyone got sick because Wal-Mart doesn't stock these things. Faith ended up with diarrhea, so it was a good thing we brought them.
1 very large cooler, along with a smaller one - these were refilled almost daily; the bigger one held the least perishables, like eggs, some produce, bottled water, etc. And the small one held only ice for drinking purposes.
Linens galore: kitchen towels, sponges, washcloths, bath towels, shop rags, sheets for 3 beds (including extras for the little ones), and pillows.
Cleaning: soap, shampoo, dishwasher detergent, and everything to hand wash dishes as well, including a dish drainer.
Food, Prep Utensils, and pots/pans: I had to think through every meal we would have and what would I need to prepare it: a can opener? knife & cutting board? Spoons to serve it with? We ate out SOO much at the beginning of this pregnancy because of morning sickness, so now I'm trying to stick with eating healthy. I feel much better and have more energy when I eat like I should. Of course it would have been easier to just bring cereal and sandwiches, but we've been down this road before, and this just isn't the kind of food that satisfies working men and a pregnant mom! I don't regret the time I spent cooking, though it does mean I accomplish less around the property. It is a way to bless my family, esp. my growing baby.
A weeks worth of clothing for five people
Some vinyl flooring strapped to the roof, and some tools that weren't already at the property
All of this adds up to one VERY full van! We couldn't open the back door when we arrived, we had to carefully unload, piece by piece, from the side doors. We arrived somewhat late, so we had to air up the inflatable beds and set up the baby's playpen while trying to unload the van. The children were already asleep! Then we had to load all the food into the refrigerator, and try to find places for the kitchen stuff amidst dirty cabinets. Yuck. Eventually all the beds were made, and most things put away, and the kitchen counters cleared of most of the tools. And then we finally settled in to sleep. But neither of us slept well. Unfamiliar noises, plus a night-potty-trained 3-year-old who awoke us early in the morning because he wet the bed! So we had to take down the extra sheet we were using as a curtain to put on their bed. And Faith woke up with diarrhea, and of course we were using disposables, that of course leaked (people think cloth diapers leak, but it is very rare that we have even diarrhea leak out of our cloth diapers). So we immediately had lots of laundry to do. I brought supplies to hand wash, and we have a clothes line, but of course it would be cold and rain in the forecast! Thank God for nice neighbors who lent us their washer/dryer. I'll continue with my next post to let you know how the rest of this second day went....
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Electricity and a Sprained Ankle!
We got an early start last Saturday to meet the guys we hired to help install the utility pole. The pole had already been delivered and everything was ready to go. It was our turn to go pick up milk, eggs, cheese, meat, etc. from the farm for our church's co-op, so since we had a very busy day, I volunteered to drive out there. It is always a pleasant visit at the farm: a sweet Menonnite family with 10 (or is it 12?) children, most of whom are already grown and moved out of the house, but those who are still at home are always so helpful. One of the daughters is very good at organizing the milk into coolers, making everything fit. This time we went home with a cooler on loan, since we had about 20 gallons of milk, 10 dozen eggs, and other meat, cheese, and dairy products. That was one full van!
Upon returning, I learned that our hired help did not show, would not return calls, and had disappeared with our copper piping from our metal pile. We had discussed him taking metal, but the WHOLE thing, not just the copper. The copper is, of course, most valuable, and the main reason why someone would even come to pick up the load. Later on in the week they came back for the rest of the metal, but still never called to talk about not showing. So disappointing! Fortunately, a good friend, who is an electrician, spent the WHOLE day out there, working out of the kindness of his heart, helping Jeremy hook everything up, rent an auger, hoisting that 16 foot pole (along with our neighbor) into the hole, and working through all the kinks with us. We finally got it all done. We just needed to get have the electric company come out and hook it up, and they did on Monday.
The plan on Monday was to come out and see how everything was working. The children and I prepared a nice meal ahead of time (just in case there was a problem, we didn't want to depend on the stove working!), and brought it out there to meet Jeremy. When we arrived we saw lights in the house - a good sign! Then we could hear the heater going! We had nice hot water - stinky and black at first, but eventually usable. It feels more like home now....well, all except for the nasty particle board subfloors with no flooring! And the rooms that still need painting....oh, and the gutted bathroom...but you get the picture. We're getting there.
Wednesday our front door arrived at our current house (for our mobile home, that's just how the delivery worked). You see, up until this point, we had a busted door that didn't close right, and that had to be WIRED shut! Yes, you read that right. The door didn't actually LOCK, we just had a piece of wire wrapped around it to keep the thing from flying open. And our light switches required the use of a screwdriver to operate, so the mobile home dealer delivered new switches, too. Jeremy came home early and helped strap the door onto the top of the van, and we took dinner out there once again.
The little ones were fussy and kept stepping on and/or losing small but vital pieces to the door, so I decided, after dinner dishes were washed, to take Seth to Wal-Mart (not too many choices out there) to get a few things we needed, and put Faith to bed in the playpen in the trailer. While we were gone, Jeremy fell from the latter and sprained his ankle. He was in a lot of pain this morning, so we took him to Care Now to verify that it was, indeed, NOT broken, but just a bad sprain. So, no work for us this weekend! We will take a much needed break. But our new utilities mean that we can stay for the weekend whenever we want now. We are going to try to finish the boys' room and put the carpet squares down so that we can bring an inflatable mattress and "camp out" in there. Much better than the dirty particle board. You just can't clean that stuff!
Upon returning, I learned that our hired help did not show, would not return calls, and had disappeared with our copper piping from our metal pile. We had discussed him taking metal, but the WHOLE thing, not just the copper. The copper is, of course, most valuable, and the main reason why someone would even come to pick up the load. Later on in the week they came back for the rest of the metal, but still never called to talk about not showing. So disappointing! Fortunately, a good friend, who is an electrician, spent the WHOLE day out there, working out of the kindness of his heart, helping Jeremy hook everything up, rent an auger, hoisting that 16 foot pole (along with our neighbor) into the hole, and working through all the kinks with us. We finally got it all done. We just needed to get have the electric company come out and hook it up, and they did on Monday.
The plan on Monday was to come out and see how everything was working. The children and I prepared a nice meal ahead of time (just in case there was a problem, we didn't want to depend on the stove working!), and brought it out there to meet Jeremy. When we arrived we saw lights in the house - a good sign! Then we could hear the heater going! We had nice hot water - stinky and black at first, but eventually usable. It feels more like home now....well, all except for the nasty particle board subfloors with no flooring! And the rooms that still need painting....oh, and the gutted bathroom...but you get the picture. We're getting there.
Wednesday our front door arrived at our current house (for our mobile home, that's just how the delivery worked). You see, up until this point, we had a busted door that didn't close right, and that had to be WIRED shut! Yes, you read that right. The door didn't actually LOCK, we just had a piece of wire wrapped around it to keep the thing from flying open. And our light switches required the use of a screwdriver to operate, so the mobile home dealer delivered new switches, too. Jeremy came home early and helped strap the door onto the top of the van, and we took dinner out there once again.
The little ones were fussy and kept stepping on and/or losing small but vital pieces to the door, so I decided, after dinner dishes were washed, to take Seth to Wal-Mart (not too many choices out there) to get a few things we needed, and put Faith to bed in the playpen in the trailer. While we were gone, Jeremy fell from the latter and sprained his ankle. He was in a lot of pain this morning, so we took him to Care Now to verify that it was, indeed, NOT broken, but just a bad sprain. So, no work for us this weekend! We will take a much needed break. But our new utilities mean that we can stay for the weekend whenever we want now. We are going to try to finish the boys' room and put the carpet squares down so that we can bring an inflatable mattress and "camp out" in there. Much better than the dirty particle board. You just can't clean that stuff!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Home in Place, Septic & Water Hooked up
Today was a very productive day out in Terrell! We woke up at 6 AM (EARLY for Jeremy!), loaded everyone in the car, and headed out. In the chill of the morning, Jeremy began digging up the water pipes that used to run to the old house, to see how much work needed to be done to make them trailer-ready. We were trying to get some things accomplished while waiting for the mobile home guys to move our mobile home to its permanent spot.
While he continued digging, a truck with a couple guys pulled up, and lots of talking was taking place. Baby girl and I were waiting in the warm car, since there wasn't much for us to do anyway. The guys got out of the truck and started helping Jeremy dig, so I just assumed they were some of the guys helping with the mobile home. Jeremy came to the car to ask me to get something out of the trailer for him, and he explained who these fellows were. One of the guys lives down the street, and they just happened to be driving by and saw Jeremy working and asked if he needed help. They work on mobile homes for a living, so we agreed to hire them (for not much money really) to help us find out what was going on with the old water pipes and also to hook up the septic pipes once the mobile home was in place. You see, Jeremy can do all these things, but with these guys helping, we knew for sure it would get done today.
Next to arrive was the mobile home dealer who was ready to move our mobile home. And he was definitely ready! It went very fast! Our sweet neighbors have a garage converted into an apartment (bedroom/bath) with a separate entrance, and they offered to let us come and go to the apartment as we needed for the day. So, by the time I got the baby's playpen set up next door and had her down for her nap, the truck was hooked up, and the home was in motion! I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch or if I didn't....but my curiosity won over my nervousness. I was amazed! They calculated their plan and got it all done in one move. I figured with all the obstacles we had, that they'd have to back it out, pull it forward and reposition several times, but it only took once and it was perfect! I can't even park my minivan on the first try sometimes! I did get a little nervous a few times as the back wheels on the truck spun, and they appeared to be stuck, but they knew what to do. No mishaps; it is now in place! We ate lunch while the guys leveled and transferred it to the cinder blocks and removed the axles. Not long after returning, Seth, Faith and I went next door to take a nap, and when I woke from our nap, the water and septic had already been hooked up! We discovered a slight leak, and some faucets that are broken, and some really dirty, smelly water (perhaps that had been sitting in the long-unused water heater?), but overall, we are SO thankful to have flushing toilets and at least SOME faucets that work! And with the home in place, there's no more bouncing floors and swaying with the wind, and we can hang pictures and move some things in. It feels more like home, and we are so excited!
We are paying those same guys to install our utility pole. Can you believe the electric company doesn't install the poles, even if you pay them? Again, Jeremy could do it, but by the time he rents an auger, etc., we are coming out cheap by paying someone. This will hopefully be done this week or the next.
There is still so much to be done, but we made big progress today. The most crucial things are getting accomplished. I have a feeling it will go fast after this point.
While he continued digging, a truck with a couple guys pulled up, and lots of talking was taking place. Baby girl and I were waiting in the warm car, since there wasn't much for us to do anyway. The guys got out of the truck and started helping Jeremy dig, so I just assumed they were some of the guys helping with the mobile home. Jeremy came to the car to ask me to get something out of the trailer for him, and he explained who these fellows were. One of the guys lives down the street, and they just happened to be driving by and saw Jeremy working and asked if he needed help. They work on mobile homes for a living, so we agreed to hire them (for not much money really) to help us find out what was going on with the old water pipes and also to hook up the septic pipes once the mobile home was in place. You see, Jeremy can do all these things, but with these guys helping, we knew for sure it would get done today.
Next to arrive was the mobile home dealer who was ready to move our mobile home. And he was definitely ready! It went very fast! Our sweet neighbors have a garage converted into an apartment (bedroom/bath) with a separate entrance, and they offered to let us come and go to the apartment as we needed for the day. So, by the time I got the baby's playpen set up next door and had her down for her nap, the truck was hooked up, and the home was in motion! I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch or if I didn't....but my curiosity won over my nervousness. I was amazed! They calculated their plan and got it all done in one move. I figured with all the obstacles we had, that they'd have to back it out, pull it forward and reposition several times, but it only took once and it was perfect! I can't even park my minivan on the first try sometimes! I did get a little nervous a few times as the back wheels on the truck spun, and they appeared to be stuck, but they knew what to do. No mishaps; it is now in place! We ate lunch while the guys leveled and transferred it to the cinder blocks and removed the axles. Not long after returning, Seth, Faith and I went next door to take a nap, and when I woke from our nap, the water and septic had already been hooked up! We discovered a slight leak, and some faucets that are broken, and some really dirty, smelly water (perhaps that had been sitting in the long-unused water heater?), but overall, we are SO thankful to have flushing toilets and at least SOME faucets that work! And with the home in place, there's no more bouncing floors and swaying with the wind, and we can hang pictures and move some things in. It feels more like home, and we are so excited!
We are paying those same guys to install our utility pole. Can you believe the electric company doesn't install the poles, even if you pay them? Again, Jeremy could do it, but by the time he rents an auger, etc., we are coming out cheap by paying someone. This will hopefully be done this week or the next.
There is still so much to be done, but we made big progress today. The most crucial things are getting accomplished. I have a feeling it will go fast after this point.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
If You Rip up Old Flooring...
Ever read any of the children's books like If You Give a Pig a Pancake or If You Give a Moose a Muffin? Well, the last couple weeks have reminded me of that....
If you rip up old flooring, you might discover the subflooring underneath is rotten. When you dig up the subflooring, you might find that the insulation is rotten, too. And when you go to replace the insulation, you might find that the plumbing needs work, too. And if you are going to replace the plumbing, you might as well rip out the tub and tub surround as well. When you rip out the tub surround, you might find that the walls need to be replaced too. And as soon as we rip open the old walls, I'll probably have more reasons why...
if you believe ignorance is bliss, and you just happen to buy, say, an old trailer on blue light special, you might just want to leave the old vinyl floors in place. And the carpet, too. :)
If you rip up old flooring, you might discover the subflooring underneath is rotten. When you dig up the subflooring, you might find that the insulation is rotten, too. And when you go to replace the insulation, you might find that the plumbing needs work, too. And if you are going to replace the plumbing, you might as well rip out the tub and tub surround as well. When you rip out the tub surround, you might find that the walls need to be replaced too. And as soon as we rip open the old walls, I'll probably have more reasons why...
if you believe ignorance is bliss, and you just happen to buy, say, an old trailer on blue light special, you might just want to leave the old vinyl floors in place. And the carpet, too. :)
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Septic Ready and Horse Drama
The boys room is painted, and they love it! We can't quite install the carpet squares because we need to replace some of the plywood. This is where electricity and power tools would come in handy, but we'll just have to wait for now. It is so nice to have a room almost finished....OK, so we have a lot of rooms almost finished, but this one is the closest, I suppose.
My lovely kitchen curtains do, indeed, look lovely, except that they are too short. I was convinced that the directions I had were incorrect, and I did it my own way. Well, she ended up being right, and it still makes no sense to me why. If you measure a curtain to the length you want it, and then you want a six inch hem (plus a 1/2 inch to fold under), why does that mean you have to add 12 1/2 inches of fabric? Oh, well, I guess I'll settle for a 3 inch hem.
The septic guy was out today, and our septic is done! The only thing that remains is for him to come back out in the morning with a different piece of heavy equipment that will pack down and smooth out the dirt. Then, we'll have the mobile home guy come back and move the home into place. I'm a little nervous about that. It only has to be moved a short distance, but lots of maneuvering in a "tight" space must be accomplished for that to happen. Praying for everything to go smoothly!
The septic guy was so nice to give our little boys a ride on the backhoe! They loved it and will be talking about it for weeks, I'm sure. He even let them pull the levers and lower and raise the bucket. Fun times! In the process of moving the gravel to the leach line site, the septic guy was having to come in and out of the pasture with the backhoe. Well, the horses decided to make a run for it out of the open gate, and we were nervous! The septic guy was throwing dirt clods at them and trying to shew them back in the gate, but they instead got scared and ran the OTHER way! Our neighbor, the owner of the horses, was not home at the time, so Jeremy and I came running out to help. We were looking for peppermints (the horses' favorite), anything to lure them back in. We finally found some apples, and Jeremy was able to lead them back over toward the neighbor's pasture. They soon returned, probably looking for more apples, and Jeremy manned the gate, opening and closing each time the backhoe came through. The younger horse, still a "toddler", stubbornly kept by the gate, in spite of Jeremy pushing on him and throwing dirt clods, so Jeremy suggested the children and I take the remaining apple and try to lead them over again. Well, that didn't work so well. Once the younger horse discovered I had the apple, he constantly had his face right by my face, no matter where I went, and had his head right on top of Seth's head, sniffing for food I guess. He kept opening his mouth, and setting his teeth on top of Seth's head (sniffing maybe?), and it was scaring me! I'd never seen a horse act that way before, so I threw the apple, and the two horses fought over it. Then, they were back again , doing the same thing! Jeremy was encouraging me to just keep walking and lead him over to the neighbor's pasture, but when an animal that large is butting you in the back with his head, and breathing on your neck, and not leaving even an inch between you and him, and you have small children with you, you want to get away NOW! Sometimes, maybe out of fear of the backhoe, he would even start to run a little, and I wondered if we might get trampled. Either way, Jeremy was able to lead them away from me, and they acted normal around him - maybe since they figured he didn't have food? Maybe one day, like the chickens, I will get used to the horses and not be concerned over them, but for now, I like being on the OTHER side of the fence, petting them from there. At least the chickens I can kick. :)
My lovely kitchen curtains do, indeed, look lovely, except that they are too short. I was convinced that the directions I had were incorrect, and I did it my own way. Well, she ended up being right, and it still makes no sense to me why. If you measure a curtain to the length you want it, and then you want a six inch hem (plus a 1/2 inch to fold under), why does that mean you have to add 12 1/2 inches of fabric? Oh, well, I guess I'll settle for a 3 inch hem.
The septic guy was out today, and our septic is done! The only thing that remains is for him to come back out in the morning with a different piece of heavy equipment that will pack down and smooth out the dirt. Then, we'll have the mobile home guy come back and move the home into place. I'm a little nervous about that. It only has to be moved a short distance, but lots of maneuvering in a "tight" space must be accomplished for that to happen. Praying for everything to go smoothly!
The septic guy was so nice to give our little boys a ride on the backhoe! They loved it and will be talking about it for weeks, I'm sure. He even let them pull the levers and lower and raise the bucket. Fun times! In the process of moving the gravel to the leach line site, the septic guy was having to come in and out of the pasture with the backhoe. Well, the horses decided to make a run for it out of the open gate, and we were nervous! The septic guy was throwing dirt clods at them and trying to shew them back in the gate, but they instead got scared and ran the OTHER way! Our neighbor, the owner of the horses, was not home at the time, so Jeremy and I came running out to help. We were looking for peppermints (the horses' favorite), anything to lure them back in. We finally found some apples, and Jeremy was able to lead them back over toward the neighbor's pasture. They soon returned, probably looking for more apples, and Jeremy manned the gate, opening and closing each time the backhoe came through. The younger horse, still a "toddler", stubbornly kept by the gate, in spite of Jeremy pushing on him and throwing dirt clods, so Jeremy suggested the children and I take the remaining apple and try to lead them over again. Well, that didn't work so well. Once the younger horse discovered I had the apple, he constantly had his face right by my face, no matter where I went, and had his head right on top of Seth's head, sniffing for food I guess. He kept opening his mouth, and setting his teeth on top of Seth's head (sniffing maybe?), and it was scaring me! I'd never seen a horse act that way before, so I threw the apple, and the two horses fought over it. Then, they were back again , doing the same thing! Jeremy was encouraging me to just keep walking and lead him over to the neighbor's pasture, but when an animal that large is butting you in the back with his head, and breathing on your neck, and not leaving even an inch between you and him, and you have small children with you, you want to get away NOW! Sometimes, maybe out of fear of the backhoe, he would even start to run a little, and I wondered if we might get trampled. Either way, Jeremy was able to lead them away from me, and they acted normal around him - maybe since they figured he didn't have food? Maybe one day, like the chickens, I will get used to the horses and not be concerned over them, but for now, I like being on the OTHER side of the fence, petting them from there. At least the chickens I can kick. :)
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