09.25.26 Maybe it was a sign, and then some good work...

     So of course I have to drag Theresa into this truck drama. I asked her to take a ride out to Beaufort to check on that 2011 Silverado 2500 HD. Listen, these are not the times, and the Lowcountry isn't the place, to find a solid beater for a few thousand. Down here, even the old ones, basically can look pretty dam good, because they don't have the weather exposure and rust. So those $2,500 trucks back home are $7,000 down here. And they usually have high miles and have been work trucks. And on top of that most are 4x2, or RWD. 

     When I saw the truck my first impression was, it's really nice, but also, it's really big. It's a lot of truck. I don't have a problem with having a little more of a truck than I need, but it's the running costs and repairs that I'm concerned about. We're talking about a big diesel engine and an Allison transmission that calls for it's own kind of tools and expertise to work on. This wouldn't be me ordering up some parts and tinkering under the hood. 

     One thing that was interesting to me was the guy wouldn't let us take the truck for a test ride without. I really wanted to take it back to Sun City but he said that was against their policy. Really bro? What could happen? So we took it for a test ride and it seemed okay to me. It's been a few 

years, remember that one above, since I drove a diesel so I wasn't sure of how they pull out of the gate and ride, again this is a truck truck. I was about 80% in, and still might be, when Theresa took the upper photo. I can say today, that if the next things didn't happen, this beast would be sitting in our driveway. If you look above, under the front bumper, you can just see a little puddle forming. To me, that's not where the A/C drains so I went down and took a look.

     Well it turns out what it was was coolant. The leak wasn't coming a hose either, the radiator was cracked. Can you imagine if this happened when Theresa and I were alone, or snuck over to Sun City? Maybe the guys policy is spot on. So is this a sign? Or is just something that could have happened anytime or anywhere? The truck is mine for $13,500 if I want it, but there's a part of me that's nervous about it. If I was ever going to buy it would definitely just run it past a diesel mechanic to get their quick take on it, just in case there's something glaringly obvious that I'm missing. 

     After a few hours with the truck thing we headed over to The Fly Barn to get something done. We've started by finishing up the batten part of the board and batten siding. Next will be caulk it and then paint it, but to me, it looks 100% better. 

     We then moved over to Phase 3 of the fence project, measuring and laying out where and how we would trim it down to. 48 inches is where it's supposed to be so I made a few jigs and we went to work laying it out.

     After it was laid it it was time just get out the saw and have at it. My initial thought was to mimic the scalloped top but after we did what we did I may just leave them straight cut. 

     when I first pulled out the saw I explained to Theresa how hard it was going to be to hold the saw, walk, and maintain a straight line while cutting it. While it's not a new idea by any means, I used a pice of blocking on top of the rail and just ran the saw across. It was a beautiful thing. 

     Today we'll tackle cutting down the remaining section of fence and the posts. We'll leave the gate re-do for a later date. One thing's for sure going from six down to four feet does change the view, both ways. That's one reason why I wanted to get that siding off and get the home wrap up before we cut the fence. But looking out from the house we like what we see, and really don't mind who sees in when they drive by. 

     And then there's the truck sitting right outside the bubble. Is it just a lipstick on a pig lemon? To me the price range is above a beater and with trucks you just never know really who did what with and to it so I'd be rolling the dice. Can a piece of shit truck look that good? 

     I might swing by and check for some codes and test drive it again. Or maybe I should just plan on driving the Suburban back to New Jersey enjoy week and dealing with this truck stuff when we get back. There's been a few inquires on FBM but no one is knocking down the door for it. It really shouldn't be this hard. 

    

09.24.26 Sometimes, better to ask for forgiveness, and the truck search continues...

     So at some point when we cut down the fence the "house", as I'll call it, will be more in view and under the watchful eyes of the neighbors and officials from the Town. I don't want to sound important, or paranoid, but when things happen, or don't down here, people notice and talk. Add to it coming from the outside, and you're bound to be a topic of discussion at the water cooler.

     When I first found this dream palace I had our realtor go and give it a look. I thought I was dead in the water, as far as Theresa's support, when she sent some pics and said, to some effect, that this place looks like where a serial killer might live and bury the bodies in the yard. Oh, my poor little tiny house. 

     Even when our friend down here came and took a look he advised that there could be some rot and termite damage going on. If you look above you can see why. The rain just pours off the roof and finds its way around the bottom of the house. The T1-11 siding, which I can say is pretty substantial in build and weight, needs to be ripped off and replaced, or cut and pieced in. I am going for the replace. 

     Above you can see a quick concept drawing I did and shared with the Town. All I'm doing is removing the T1-11 and replacing it with Hardie trim and board and batten. When the zoning official stopped by he just asked that I keep him informed and make sure I pull permits for anything new that I'm doing. There's a house, directly in front of me, but over the tracks, that has been undergoing some kind of Hardie transformation as well. In the window I do see a sign, but I'm not sure if that's a permit or an eviction notice. But that's a house house, a little different than what I have going on. 

       And that's where getting the house ready for siding, before it is in full view, came to be. I had to do some assessing of the sill plate and studs that, no doubt, had seen better days. So out came the tools that I thankfully brought with me and went to work.

     Well, yep the termites were here. Just some old damage working its way from the sill plate up. That plate is pressure treated, thank God, but some of the studs, well, let's just say needed some love. So I cut them out and pieced in new wood. I screwed it all in and it's solid as a rock. 

     I worked from left to right removing and replacing as needed with the goal as getting it wrapped before any "visitors" stopped by. In the end it looks cleaner, and more presentable, and will be a relatively easy to re-side. 

     Working with Hardie products is great, there's nothing going to chew on it, but it is expensive. The 4 x8 sheets run about $65 a piece and the trim boards are about $1.50 a foot, and I have some feet to cover. I just wish Lowe's would kick in some money for the free advertising that goes with using their house wrap. I did do a tour of the new construction area going on at Sun City to see if I could dumpster dive but there was nothing to be found, so new, or someone's extra posted on FBM, it will be. 

     I then jumped back to the fence to sand down the boards that are off color after being hidden from the elements. I just feathered them in a bit hoping the color will change on it's own and I won't have to touch them up with stain or sealer. One thing I notice above is that I am looking more like a horse as I get older. If I'm nearing the 200-pound mark on the scales then my legs together weigh 25 pounds, my head about 10, and from my waist to my neck the rest of the 165 pounds. I would be a perfect candidate to get cow tipped like we used to do when we were kids. Running and knocking cows over, or trying to, as they slept upright. That's what we did in Millstone when it was farm country.

     I had a good roll going on and jumped into completing the two front panels. Basically there were two half sheets on plywood barely held on by some rusty screws. They were wobbly and unsightly. I thought it would be nice to change my neighbors view and give the Town a sneak-peek as to what would be coming. 

     Above is a shot that I took after Theresa and I had completed one side. It's so much easier working with another set of hands around. Just holding things level while they get screwed in 

takes half the amount of time with a buddy on the other end. So the left side took me longer but by days end I had them matching. 

     Today we'll install the batten strips which will really make the entrance look better. I don't know if I'm mental, or just wishful, but I think this place will quickly go up in value with each step of refurbishment that gets completed. That T1-11 siding that sits up at the peak? It's staying, but I am going to trim it out with Hardie trim and put the battens over where some of the grooves are, and then it will all get painted off white, I think. 

     And when my day was done and I headed home I passed that used car lot. I've been waiting for a call to come and do the deal for that 2010 Silverado, the one with a blown tranny. Well, to my surprise it was out front and ready for the market.

     I grabbed Theresa and we headed over and talked to the salesman and took it for a ride. They dropped in a refurbished transmission with 140,000 miles on it. It has 208,000 engine and body miles. It's a good truck, but, it is a little concerning to me. It has a backstory, that maybe the guy shouldn't have told us, but he's straight up. He said he didn't mind telling us, because this one, and the other pickups will be gone in a week or so, especially if they have four wheel drive. At $11,500 I'm not taking that risk, for $8,000 I would. 

     This morning Theresa and I will take a side trip to Beaufort to check on that stupidly beautiful 2011 Silverado. It's a 2500HD with a Duramax diesel engine and Allison transmission. There would be no getting stuck in puddles like I did with the Suburban. It's been for sale for a month and I have been back on forth with the seller. Since it's still around is it meant to be?

      Even though I fell in love with this one, virtually, there's a few things that I'm concerned about. One, it's a lot of truck, two, how noisy is it, and three, is the price of diesel these days, which right now is $6.29 a gallon. When I had my last diesel it was running $5 a gallon, so it ain't cheap to fill her up. But that won't last forever, I sure hope not. 

     It has had one owner who babied it. The 256,000 miles, not too concerning as it's a diesel and could go well over 400,000 miles. And since it's a southern truck there is no rust. I can take the lotta truck concern, but rattling my elderly neighbors out of their bunks each morning is a good-neighbor thought I have in the back of my brain.

     Since the truck has been waiting for me the current price is down to $13,900. That's a cash money price. If I had it I would just plop it down and buy it and worry about moving the Suburban later. But that's like buying a new house while you still own the one while it's for sale. It's even more of a pickle if you need the proceeds from one to buy the other. So....

     While I was hoping to trade her in on a new ride, selling her privately may bring in a better take at the till. I listed her this morning on Marketplace for $8,000, which would be great to put down on the new truck. The balance I'll have to figure out as a used car loan on a 2011 truck isn't an option. My goal is to have this all done before we head back to Jersey in October. Fingers crossed. 

     If this doesn't work out then I guess I can just stop by the Chevy dealership and pick a new one out. How much could they be? Well a 2026 Silverado with the Duramax engine....

.... only $69,989, with $13,027 in savings. If I put down $10,000 and financed $60,000 for 84 months, that's seven years, the payment would be $825 a month, if I were get the $3.8 % financing. I would be 65 years old when I would make the last payment, yeah, that's not an option. I paid $87,000 for The Fly Barn, and that value is only going to go up.

I'm going to remember this post. Because in seven years I am going to see what the above truck would worth in 2033, and what the place in Ridgeland is worth, that's if I'm still kicking and still writing this blog. Hell, it's been 17 years and 3,618 posts, I wonder how long I, and this blog, will be around. 

09.23.26 This will be the last year for this, and hot, but not hard work...

 

     It's one of my favorite all time photos of Ryan. That's him above playing the guitar, while alone, on a dock on Lower Saranac Lake, New York, back in 2009. With today being the 9th anniversary of his death I'm going to end this practice of throwing it out there like I have done for years. Nothing on Facebook, nothing here, I'm done. 

     People react and grieve death in a variety of ways. As I learned in school there's no right or wrong way to grieve. There's no rules and no playbooks. It's very individual and in the end it's all alright. That is, until, the surviving people have maladaptive thoughts or behaviors due to the death or trauma, and that's where help from the outside comes in. 

    We celebrate anniversaries for many reasons, and the good ones are many. Birthdays, weddings, and big-life milestones are things we choose to remember and cherish. And then on the flip side there's those events, usually traumas, that have a date etched into our amygdala, the part of our brains that "store" trauma, that come and bring with it the associated pains out. It's kind of like picking open a scab when a wound is partially healed. 

     And those flip side things include deaths, injures, divorce, natural, and man made disasters. Just a week or so ago we remembered twenty five years post 9/11. On those anniversary dates we say things like, "Never Forget", although deep in our minds and hearts we would rather, one, that it never to have happened, and two, to have to relive the events of that day. In my case, finding Ryan deceased in my basement is something, one, a parent shouldn't have to experience, and two, something I am not going to "anniversary" moving forward. 

     I will always remember September 23rd, 2017, and the days and weeks after his death. I can't erase it and can't control or change how his parents, family, and friends choose to remember this date. For forever, parents have stated they couldn't imagine losing a child, and wouldn't be able survive if they did, but, I can say through experience, you can and you will, if you let yourself. So I am letting myself remember Ryan going forward and will pay extra attention to dates in his life like the day he was born, August 18th, 1996. I'll "Never Forget" September 23rd, but why put any effort into dragging the pain out of my brain, when there's so many other things to celebrate during his short 21 year long life lived. 

     He would have been 30 this year, and I, and the rest of his gang, have missed all of the big things that happen, some which become good anniversaries, between the ages of 21 - 30. You can't remember what didn't happen but I can say the what if's do play on my mind and heart. The best I can do is remember and be the best I can be for his siblings, and make sure I don't miss out on their big life events. Life is short and we only have one shot at it so being my best can be a way to remember Ryan moving forward. 

      And then back to The Fly Barn. I started out solo before I was joined by Theresa who showed up at just the right time. I was swore to not take any photos of her in her work outfit and to not jeopardize the help again I honored it. And to boot my iPhone died and I didn't have a charger so she was safe. But with that I wasn't able to capture all what we got done. 

     With Theres's help I was able to level out that big gate that is part of the fence. I was also able to move the mid-rail on a long run and secure the boards before I cut them down in height.

     The morning started out hot and humid before the rains came and deluged the area like it does everyday. With the alterations the outside of the fence looks good while the inside shows the places where the wood wasn't exposed to the elements, which leaves it different shades of wood. 

     I think I'll just lightly sand the brighter areas down a bit to feather them in hoping the sun will blend them all in after some time. Everything is level, for the most part, and I think in the end the change in elevations will look just fine. 

     Right before the rain we moved to repair and replace the walls that front the barn. I had a visit from the Town's zoning officer who thanked me for a job well done. I told him my plans moving forward and he said he would have to check if I need to pull a permit to re-side the house, or out building, or shed, whatever it is. By days end I had it one of the front sections reframed and the Hardie trim and sheet installed. But with no iPhone progress pics will have to wait. 

     After I got home and cleaned up we headed to Georgia to look for some pillows for the couch and to hit Lowe's. While my dumpster diving in Florida saved me some money I had to pick up some new Hardie trim at full price, and it ain't cheap. Today I'm going to drive around the section of Sun City that's still under construction to see if there's a dumpster I can dive in. I'm sure security here wouldn't approve. 

      And at 930 the hunger pangs started to rumble in my stomach. It was pancakes I wanted and, like New Jersey these days, there's no 24-hour diners around. But there are Waffle Houses, located at just about every exit on 95. So we hit one and I sat down and looked to order some flapjacks. "This is the Waffle House, we have waffles, no pancakes". So a half a waffle it was.

     Lukes been eating and drinking out of a dish and a to-go lid since we haven't been able to find his dog bowl. Well while walking around the store, At Home, we found the perfect one. It even had the marble top to go with it which matches the kitchen perfectly. It was $29, which killed me to have to pay, but we got 25% off since we joined the store's online something or other. Now Luke is kinda metal. Partly because he is a rescue, and partly because he lives with both of us, who are mental as well. He likes routine, and without change. Well we have blown his shit up a lot this year, with more to come. So when I put it down and put some water and a couple of Scooby snacks inside the above was his response. 

It's a dog bowl Luke, just relax. Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff. 

09.22.26 Beast mode....

     Phase 1 of the fence project is complete. And if I didn't get injured or killed yesterday then I should be pretty good moving forward. I got to The Fly Barn around 7 am and it was more humid than I like, which is high heat and humidity, rather than low heat and humidity. Breathing is a tad easier when it's hot out. I got to work quickly and finished up installing the remaining posts, rails, and boards. 

     Then I was left on what to do with the gate. The gate is a bear. 10 feet long and six foot and awkwardly heavy. My idea was to let the concrete set around the posts overnight and then figure it out for another day, but I couldn't wait. I got my Dad on the phone and we devised a plan on how to tackle it. In the end it was agreed to install it and then cut it down. So I took a chance and went to work, probably too soon.

     It took awhile getting it vertical and then moving it horizontal and into place. With another set of hands or two it would have been much easier but in the end I got it into place and got the hinges installed. Luckily I had measured it correctly and had enough clearence on both posts for it to to open and close. Everything is level, but it's not square and level with each other, if you get what I mean.

     The gate is a little off, having settled with the weight, so it'll take some fine tuning and shimming to get it right. I installed the spring wheel on the moving end but it needs a fixed wheel to handle the weight. That'll be for later. This is not a daily in and out gate, but needed to deliver materials inside the yard, access the tiny house, or open it up when the parties start hopefully in the near future.

     If you look at the fence now you'll see there's s a few short boards which will be about the height of the finished fence after it's cut down. I think it'll all look better when that does happen as the fence is out of proportion to the house. At that height it's more like a fortress then a privacy fence. 

     The above view is from my neighbor's house and the line is about where the fence will be cut down to. But like the other sections the middle rail needs to be raised and secured before the top screws are removed. These boards will twist up if not secured within a timely fashion.

     So what I'm thinking is remove the boards near the posts to get access to the screws for the mid-rail, then unscrew the boards, move the mid-rail, and then secure the boards. Luckily the bottom rail stays where it is. Then I'll have to cut the posts and the remaining upper section down and remove it to its final height. Sounds easy enough. The only thing is there's no oak tree and Spanish moss to protect me from the sun and heat.

     Luckily I had enough sense to plan out what I needed for the outdoor shower and I have what I need. Today I might head up there and lay that out a little better then I did the other day. A few posts, 4x4 pressure treated base and floor, and these sections should give the space and privacy one'll need to wash down after work or fun. 

     Just as I was done cleaning up the scraps and tools it started to thunder in the distance, and the clouds went dark. Then it started to rain, and then Mother Nature poured buckets of water down from up above. It didn't rain, it monsooned. 

     You don't a place until you spend time there at different times of the day and during weather events. This was my first good downpour. Looking above you can see there's some drainage and landscaping that needs to be done. Unlike New Jersey, where when it pours and stays around for hours or days, down here it pours and then it's quickly gone. In a matter of an hour it's blue skies and everything dries up shortly thereafter. 

     Whoever built this joint just ran the metal roof without any gutter system. When it rains all that water just ours off and pools where it wants to. The same can be said for the pitch on the road, with the low spot being right at the apron or driveway into the barn.

     There's no curbing or drains leading into a sewer system so it just sits until it quickly recedes. I'm glad I was there to get some pictures which I'll be able to send to the Town or State in order to get some help with it. I'll need to come up with a master plan so I'm not doing piecemeal work which will have to ripped out at a later time. 

     I'm contemplating jumping to another project, which what I always do, and replacing the two sections above with Hardie board and batten siding. It'll dress the place up and be a nice view for my neighbor when she's sitting on her porch or when she leaves for work. I have the materials already, thanks to the dumpster diving I did in Florida, so it's just work and time. I have to look into if you trim ir first and then put the siding on, or vice versa. 

Theresa said she's coming up to help today. Now I just have to figure out what we can get done in the two hours that she'll last up there. And in other news the North East is on target to get hit with some nasty weather this week. With the full moon hitting on Saturday and a Nor' Easter New Jersey hasn't seen this since Sandy in 2012.

     I know it's early, and there's different weather models, but somebody, somewhere, is going to get something, someday. It'll happen when and where the low pressure and high pressure systems meet. If it's not the rain it'll be the flooding and big waves that will pound the shore. I have a feeling this is going to be a doozy.

Frank Pallone Jr. and his beach nourishment cronies must be licking their lips. 

09.21.26 Alright, I'm about done with this...

     Back at it yesterday. First kudos to myself was not dismantling the sections before I was ready to install. Like I said, they were screwed together during the original construction, an once you unscrew them they tend to want to twist up. Well overnight it rained about 19 inches in Ridgeland, okay, about 2 inches in an hour, and when I got there in the morning the humidity was about 150%.

     The street, and apron, around The Fly Barn is obviously the low spot on the corner. You can see by the collection of dirt and leaves that when it pours the water sits and then quickly drains, thanks to the soil being most sand. It's unsightly for sure.

     I have spoken with the Town who advised me that the road is a State road and they are responsible for its maintenance. I don't know what they can do about it but some type of culvert or drain needs to be installed. This was once a sleeper kind of run down neighborhood but that has changed. Lucky for me, my neighbor works for the Town's Public Works Department so she's in the know. We spoke about it yesterday and at some point I'll make some inquiries and calls. 

     Today's session, more like a hard labor camp, was to install the posts and finish putting up the boards. In one section I forgot to screw in the bottoms and I paid for it as the boards twisted up, so they had to be removed and trimmed. They swell with the water and humidity, and shrink in the sun and heat. 

     On Friday I had phoned a friend, my Dad, for some help with the layout. I don't have a transit, and there's different elevations, so I needed him to guide me on how to do it with a six foot level and some string. We didn't connect so I did my best, but, as left meets right, I'm fearful it might be off a bit. 

     There's level, and square, and then there's "level with the world", meaning that although it might be off, and it is, is kinda looks like it should. I had to work off of both existing sides and have the "new" fence meet up in the middle, where the dreaded gate sits. 

     No matter how hard I wracked my brain with the level, string, and tape measurements I couldn't get it right. And 1/2 inch off here, a little out of true there, and frustration building with on how to correct it, I just cut it all down. 

     So with the strings down and levels away I just went with eyeing it up. It is what it is, and it will be fine. My goal was to do the work during the weekend so I wouldn't have a constant set of eyes watching and every move being reported back to the offices at Town Hall. The last thing I need is an inspector dropping by.

     When they roll into work this morning they'll see there's no more fence where it was and now sits where it should have been. The bear of the project will be that 10 foot gate section which I'll tackle tomorrow with Theresa. Today I'll install the double post which will hold the non-swinging end of the gate. This I have to get correct, the elevation differences I'll have to work around. 

     I bought Luke with me thinking it would be fun for him. He'd be able to roam around without being on a leash like he has to be in Sun City. Basically it was hot, and he sought refuge by sitting under the skiff, which is under the barn, with the floor made of cool concrete. I basically think he's an air-conditioning kind of dog, with the bi-day long walks. 

     And just like that the NFL season has begun. I'm not a big one-team fan but do enjoy a good game. I would say, partly because of my Father, that I was a Giant fan. Then that kind of morphed into following the Eagles when we moved down to Titusville, and now, down here, it's the Atlanta Falcons or Carolina Panthers. 

     So I listened to that game on Sirius yesterday and will probably hit a local hang tonight to watch the Monday Night Football game between the Giants and the Los Angelos Rams. I refuse to get caught up in all the streaming channels, and am not paying $90 a month for You Tube TV, so if I can listen to it on Sirius, or watch it for free at a bar, I'm in. Our Roku plays NFL games, but repeats only. 

     After about 6 hours I was done, and so was Luke. I readied things for today and dropped him off at home. There was about two hours left on a weak incoming tide so I went and took a long walk and a look. I was looking for heads, or tails, or anything, but I didn't. There was a lot of clatter from the fiddlers, and a head from a turtle that I thought was a tail, but nothing else. 

     And on my way home from a long and sweaty trudging through the marsh I looked over and saw that my baby was back from the truck hospital. She was sitting in the used car lot. I've been creeping on her waiting for the call from the owner to take a look at my Suburban to see if a trade is possible. 

     I was told by the salesman that they were going to put in a new tranny, one that would come with a warranty, so we'll see about that. They probably threw in a refurbished transmission with such and such miles. One thing is for sure it's super clean, although the inside now needs a day at the spa, which is basically the covered area just above the hood. My hopes are high to get this done, but, time will tell. 

     And the new diet and working in the 1,000 degree heat and humidity? Well, going pretty good. I'm three pounds away from slide in under 200 which was my first goal in my new healthy life. 

     I probably have to give a little credit to Luke who now has us trained as to what a dog walk really means. I swear he holds his stuff until he's ready to be done, which seems like a mile after we started. There's no just opening the door and letting him out to roam down here, so the steps help as well. 

     We're ten days away from heading back to New Jersey for a month. There's a lot to do before then. Then it'll be a long stretch down here in the Lowcountry before heading back up there in late April or May, to open up Cape May, and hit the Delaware River. At least there I know how to find fish.