We loaded the first of three tables for the store. This one has a checker board top. It is good to see some of this in place and even better to have a spot to sit down for a meal.
The posts are covered with by 12 inch boards six feet tall. The remaining cedar was patched and we now have a nice place to hang lanterns or whatever light we can find on each post. The signs we made that say "come on in" and "sit a spell: were finished by our son-in-law Chuck and our Grandson Clint. On second thought we only hung the "sit a spell" sign as "come on in" seemed the wrong message since we are not ready to open.
NOTE: If you are thinking about purchasing precut letters for your store signs, remember to choose carefully as the fonts need to be close in the other signs you make to give a uniform look. The font we found closest is Cupid, and it will work nicely tho not our first choice for store lettering.
The red metalic sign above the porch from the metal building installer was painted out white and three cedar boards are in place over the entry to hold our CHRISTOPHERS letters. Bill is going to give that a whack with his dremel. I will match the font on my print program so he has a pattern. Now we need the cedar to age so it matches the old cedar we left in place.
It took 16 hours to construct the new posts, cap them, and seal, prime, and paint. The sign we had planned would have been 24 feet long and three feet high. Bills eyes rolled around in his head at the thought of trying to build and put it in place so the new plan is much more cost effective and serves the same purpose with out hiring a crane and Bill is breathing a lot easier now.
I want to make a comment here about primer. If you have never used primer it may come as a shock to find the stuff just will not wash off. It gets a death grip on your hair, lens of your glasses, all manner of exposed skin but most especially your hands arms and of course your shoes. I have taken a decided dislike to primer. I came home as usual with a good bit of it still attached. About the time it wears off I will be back for another coat of it as the store is only about 1/3 painted. I know it is small and petty of me to complain but it is one of the least favorite jobs I have and one of the few I am qualified to tackle.
Our daughters family coming to help us out was a special treat. Charlie is feeling much better as he continues to improve. He said he will come help us out in the store once it is up and running:0)
Michael Bryant came by on his bike. Everyday was rain free and it was a good thing as every pool, pond, creek and lake is full to the brim! He shared memories of the cucumber picking that used to start and end at Vann's store. He explained how the pickles were sorted by size and pickers were paid more for small ones. It was good to see him again. Michael told us he had a line of credit at both stores in Kanawha at the ripe ole age of 12!
We stopped to visit with my parents on the way home. Moma shared some about Mrs. Fennel who passed on not so long ago.....Daddy mentioned a man named Garland Johnson who used to do work for him. He said Mr. Johnson broke horses and farmed. Those were good ole days.
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We have encountered a sewage issue that threatens to stop our store plans. It has consumed most of my time for the better part of two weeks. We are faced with the only three legal options we are aware of.
Traditional septic systems require 10 acres to install. If you need a refresher just look at the postage stamp size piece of property the store sits on and you realize this is no option at all.
Aerobic a system like this has three chambers and converts your poop to water that sprays out over your lawn. It uses electricity and requires an additional electrician all only if approved. The cost for this new fandangle system with all the bells and whistles is about 10 thousand dollars by the time everyone gets their share. The biggest drawback besides the bank heist we would need to pull off to pay for it, is just like anything that does extra stuff all those bells and whistles can break and need constant attention and as the one site said you might as well buy the upkeep policy because something likely will go wrong.
This seems an unlikely choice even if we could get it approved, as we plan a covered picnic table, horseshoe pit and outdoor checker board for the very limited green area we were blessed with. I do not think folks would take kindly to being sprayed with waste water no matter how treated it was.
First two choices are not available to us and the third is not nearly as desirable as the first two. However, it is an option that allows for opening the store. Out of desperation we sent an email request to the nearest college (A and M) engineering program asking if they might challenge their engineers to come up with a solution for us. That would be choice number four.
At this point we have not heard from the college, even to decline helping us, and are following the number three route. We love Kanawha and its residents. Becoming polluters is not an option for us. I will share our solution on this blog as soon as we find one.
http://weblife.org:80/humanure/chapter6_3.html
http://www.sunnyjohn.com:80/indexpages/emailcontacts.htm
http://www.letsgogreen.com/residential-composting-toilets.html
http://www.oasisdesign.net/compostingtoilets/book/index.htm
On a cheery note we learned urine is not a polutant as it quickly disapates. Poop however is a whole nother matter.
We owe a special thank you to Jane of the TCEQ and Rodney who is the Authorized Agent of Red River County for helping us come up with a user friendly answer.
Did you know it is illegal to poop in your yard? This would have astounded my grandmother who used an out house her whole life.
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This is from rootsweb genealogy site about the old country store:
"More than just retail outlets, community stores once served as social centers, post offices, election places, saloons, and much more. You have probably either heard about or experienced neighbors sitting around the pot-bellied stove, with sawdust or peanut hulls on the floor, and discussing the issues of the day. The store owner often would provide all that a person (usually a farmer) needed that could not be produced from the land, and frequently on credit terms."
