Moving Right Along...

Thanksgiving is over and we are now moving right into the winter season which is approaching as quickly as the fall was here and now, just about gone.  I hope everyone celebrated a wonderful Thanksgiving and took the time to count your blessings.  On our part, it was wonderful to have Kevin home and to be together, if only for a few days.

Here at Blooming Hill, Thanksgiving was not only about taking time for taking stock.  It was also about moving into the first stages of building our studio/showroom.  While most people were relaxing, or at least out shopping, after their turkey dinner, we here at Blooming Hill were as busy as ever chopping down trees, burning brush and digging dirt in anticipation of what is to come. 

To say we were busy might be a bit of an understatement and, if Kevin had probably known the amount work that was in store for him this past weekend, he might have opted to stay at college or go to a friend's or relative's house for Thanksgiving instead.  It's a good thing that he, like his father, actually likes to chop trees, burn brush and clear land...yet a few more things to be thankful for.

In any case, it all began last Wednesday when the rental company delivered a small front load tractor bright and early.  Peter looked like a kid in a candy store as the man unhitched the tractor from the truck.  To Peter, something like this is comparable to Christmas morning, only a month early.  I could only imagine the wheels turning already and the bucket digging away furiously with Pete at the controls, but that was still two days away.  Afterall, there was still a lot of clearing to be done first, followed by Thanksgiving, a day for giving thanks for family, friends and everything we hold dear, and that is exactly what we did.

Then Friday morning rolled around and it was time to fire up the tractor, start the chainsaw and haul out the shovels, rakes and work gloves to begin the process of making way for our studio/showroom.  It was especially exciting for me because I got to go off to work for two days and miss all of the heavy stuff, while each night, coming home to see the progress made while I was away.  However, I did manage to take a few pictures for a sneak peak at what was happening.

By Saturday, Kevin had managed to talk a friend into helping with the clearing and chopping of trees.  However, I was away at work, again, and nobody thought to take any pictures so all we can do is imagine how hard they worked by looking at Kevin, after dinner, who seemed to be practically passed out and exhausted on the floor with Tucker trying very hard to comfort him...good and loyal dog!  Don't feel too bad for Kevin.  He went out to a party with friends later on that night.  As for the dog, no party time for him, but forty winks with one of his favorite humans was just the thing a doctor would have ordered

Thanks to Peter and company, working at what seemed to me to be break-neck speed, by Sunday morning, the spot of land we have set for the new little structure is now cleared and waiting for a 12' by 16' studio/showroom. We were now ready for a family picture on the very spot they had spent the weekend clearing just before Kevin was on his way back to school.

To top it all off, Peter and I even got the Christmas trees and decorations up by late Sunday evening (more on that, later).  However, I think everyone, by that time, was indeed truly thankful for the holiday weekend to be over and to be moving on into the Advent Season and all that life holds for us.

Finally, yesterday, I brought home five bails of straw, late in the afternoon, and worked at spreading it over the freshly planted grass seed in order to hold the dirt in place as the winter weather sets in.  Of course, as usual, no one was there to take a picture of me actually doing something around here--typical!  There are still two to three more trees to be taken down but that will be done by professionals who have the equipment and experience at taking down trees that require climbing up into and being taken down in stages, hopefully within the next week or two.  We had a great Thanksgiving weekend and are moving right along!