Monday, July 31, 2017

And So Goes the Kitchen Floor

The kitchen floor has been an eyesore for the past three years.  One of the things that was supposed to be done before we moved in that didn't happen.  

Old linoleum was ripped up leaving tar on the floor that was steamed and scraped, but still leaving enough remnants of tar to look dirty and requiring another sanding.

These are 75 year old yellow pine subflooring, which is throughout the house.  We exposed them in the kitchen and master bedroom, but the rest of the house was somewhere along the way covered with oak.  One day I would like to pull them all up and have the pine throughout.



Thanks to my man Jake, the sanding is completed leaving me to tung oil the floors for a natural effect.  

Jake was happy there wasn't much dust!



That's a man for ya!  Everything had a layer of dust on it, and I am still wiping ledges down.

Look how beautiful!  The graining is awesome.  Everything looks clean!  Jake forgot to tell me that I needed a couple of dry, cool days to oil my floor, meaning no walking in the kitchen.  Now how is that possible?  That was one reason I didn't want to poly the floors.  

Looks like we won't be able to oil the floors for another month or so when we start to see signs of fall, even though last night it was 59 degrees!  We should have taken advantage of that, but it took us by surprise.

So down on the floor goes the contractor's paper until that time comes.  My kitchen is back to looking a mess.

For some reason, the dogs seem to like the paper.

The next floor project will be the bathroom.  I was willing to live with the ugly floor tiles, until I found out how dirty they get and how hard they are to clean, so goodbye ugly tiles!

I want a cement tile that is matte, and that is not easy to find.  It would blend nicely with the cream tile wallsm which we are not replacing and the Mercer tiles hanging on the walls, which have a lot of concrete.

This is as close as I have been able to come with a tile from Lowes and not going custom.  

They go nicely with the stainless fixtures, too.  The grout would be dark, so much easier to clean and dirt will not be as noticeable.

I had thought of going with the beige natural stone, but wasn't working for me. I think the gray is the right choice. 

I wanted to post my $32 turk's cap lily.  It bloomed today, and it is gorgeous.  I say it is $32 because I bought a dozen, and between rain, chipmunks, squirrels and dogs, only one survived, sadly.  At least it has three blooms!

In rescue, this is Donnie, who is in an SC shelter.  A chow rescue in Buffalo wants him, and I was supposed to get him today, but with shelter complications, I won't be getting him and Marie until Aug. 11.

This is Marie.  I guess their last name is Osmond?  LOL She will be coming with Donnie, and I will be getting them on a transport to Buffalo.  Looking forward to meeting these two beauties!

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

We Live in a Rain Forest

No drought this year!  Seems like every day for the past three months we get some form of rain, usually in the form of a thunderstorm. 

No matter where I am, the clouds start to gather and thunder starts to rumble, the skies open up.  

It has now switched from afternoon to evening and night.  One of the benefits of living in an isothermal belt?



The downside, lots of mud and squishy ground.

Steamy car windows.

Threats of tornadoes.

Flooded pathways.



There is an upside!  Beautiful moss on the bricks.

Roadsides lined with sunflowers, since we do get sun every day, too!

Lots of delicious tomatoes!
This week in rescue.  Scotch spent a night with us before going to my friend Denise in Houston with Houston Chow Chow Connection.  


For a laugh, Denise's chow sporting a Trump comb-over!


James Brown?  As I write, my kitchen floor is being sanded by Jake, reno photos to come!


Tuesday, July 11, 2017

My Puppy Nightmare

So the rescue I work with in Lancaster, PA, asks if I can keep some puppies from GA for a few days.  I'm thinking puppies, 10, 15 lbs., will sleep a lot, easy.

Nope.  These guys are 25 to 30 lbs. and full of energy.  They are flat coat retrievers, a breed I know nothing about, sweet, pretty and way too much energy and the three feed off each other.

They were set to be killed on the day the rescue called the shelter.  She had adopters for them, so I just couldn't say no.  The boys were yet to be named, so this one I called Big. He is now named Lewie for Lewes, DE where they spend the summer.

This is their sister, who was named by the adopter, Piper.

And this one I called Little, my favorite, who is now named Murphy.

Not too thrilled to be going on transport.

Now this is what I consider a puppy!


Chow puppies only in the future.


The mess they left behind.  Muddy floors.

Soiled blankets.

Filthy windows.  I am happy to report their new families have them in training classes!

Adopters of Big and Little (Murphy).
Piper with her new dad.  She will have a golden retriever brother.


Friends Junus and Patti from Minnesota came for the 4th of July, former NC residents, and of course brought yet another dog for me to keep the following week named Sabrina who would be going to CT.  I can handle a senior!

As usual, the table is set, camera is on the counter ready for photos, we begin talking and eating, I forget the photos.  A house warming gift for their new home was a mercury glass fruit bowl found at an estate sale.

This is Sabrina.  She was a sweet, easy chow.

This week I was going to take a break . . . right.  My friend in Houston asked me to help her get this guy, who I have named Scotch, from SC to KY.  Bob will be driving him to TN on Saturday.  Just another week in rescue!