We have running water!

We still don't have one of those new-fangled telephones in the house, but by golly, we've now got running water -- two sinks, a shower, and a toilet! Hey, especially with a toilet, what more do you really need?!

Well, toilet paper, for one thing, I found out as I went to try out our new seat. (I made do -- you don't need to know the details.) So I stopped on the way home from picking up the kids and bought a pack of toilet paper. Sofia brought it out to the new house with me after lunch -- we were there perhaps 20 minutes, and she had to use the new potty twice! We're all pretty excited about plumbing, apparently.

Here's the kitchen sink, with the dark faucet I was so excited about. The plumber didn't put it exactly where I'd envisioned it (he left off the bottom plate), but after looking at it for a while, I like it as it is. It's simpler this way.


We got all the hardware for the cabinets put on and the shelves put in a couple evenings ago. All that's missing is the microwave shelf, the shorter empty spot to the right, and the door above the sink, which was damaged when we got it, so we'll have to get a replacement.


Here's the bathroom sink ... grabbed very quickly at the end of a cranky trip to Menard's. Good thing I like it!

... I was up filling knotholes with wood filler this evening. I don't really like the way it looks -- the filler is lighter than the rest of the wood, and it's distracting when you look at it. But I haven't tried putting the wood glue-sawdust mix over the top of the holes -- that might help. Even just staining the filled spots darker would help, as then they wouldn't be so noticeable. That's my next job.


... Erik has figured out how to pick apples from the tree, and (sort of) eat them. (Dave sliced that apple for him after the picture.)


... We had a family corn processing day on Saturday -- two wheelbarrows full are now in baggies in the freezer! That's 50 quarts. It's a lot of work, but it's actually a lot of fun to work with the family on that kind of a project. (It's a good thing I feel that way, since we've got an apple processing day coming up!)


... The swallows have been congregating here for some weeks now, but a few days ago they had a swallow convention in the front yard. They really filled the electric lines! Looks like barn swallows and tree swallows together. I don't mind their presence! They seem to be swooping after bugs a lot while they're here.


... Well, we've had several signs of fall lately: The leaves on the trees are starting to turn, and the mice are moving in. We've set out one trap, but it's tricky trying to tuck traps in places where Erik won't find them.

At least I haven't noticed any mice over at the new house! Though the wall by the east porch is infested with spiders. Dave doesn't feel at all sorry for me when I complain about the creepy crawlies. "That's it, we're complaining to the Realtor," Dave said. (Ha, ha.)

Ah, well. That's all part of country living. And I still think rural life's positives outweigh the negatives (even if I'm typing this with my feet held up off the floor in case the mouse comes running by).