Kanawha is Cool

Over the past 3 years, we have noticed the size of Kanawha mosquitos has multiplied several times. On this trip, they were so big, we worried a transfusion might be necessary, but surprisingly we lived through several bites. Bill had the wasp and hornet spray out on at least two occassions "spraying for wasps" he said...but I know better.

Mr. Stan Graff of Graff Chevrolet stopped by to visit. He has a ranch just north of us and has encouraged populations of wild turkey, duck and recently bluebirds. We look forward to meeting Mr Pennington from his ranch.

"YOU GET BACK WHAT YOU GIVE"

is the Graff family motto.

http://www.graffchevy.com/

There has been a request for a soft drink machine on the porch. This may not happen for a while, but we will keep it on the todo list.

We saw a "lost white goat" sign, just as we entered Kanawha.

Our air conditioners are in, we ordered the refrigerated units and freezers, but are still struggling to find outlets to plug them into. Seems you can not use extension cords on commercial appliances and old stores and outlets are not always harmonious. I have an email into Frigidare to see if they can give us the cord length on the units prior to delivery in June.

It rained but not continuously so we labored between times, with Will getting in a shampoo break during one of the downpours.

FM 410 is being resurfaced near Detroit. Interesting pointy cones line the way.

I got a coat of the wash on over most of the back wall, the red baseboards, a good bit of floor three folding chairs and myself. When they tell you dilute with water and roll on, you should know it splatters everywhere unlike paint that is heavier, not to mention the way it runs down the wall just like water so you can not hope to catch the runs and spread them out. The result after 30 minutes of painting and 55 minutes of clean up is a light coat of tint over the wood grain that shows through. It is something like white wash and should have the desired effect.

On the way to Kanawha we stopped in Nichols RV and bought a used trailer that is a little bigger than we currently have and a lot heavier. It is a fix for temp housing so we can make it long enough to purchase a little place to build a cottage.

In a few weeks we will begin the big move. A land line will be needed, a source for sawdust, a compost bin and a refrigeration unit for our truck.

The Bible, Cokesbury Hymnal and a Backscratcher

Bill and I rushed to pack for our Kanawha work trip so I did not notice what he had packed until we were unloading the truck. On top of his work clothes and usual bag of shaving stuff he has placed my Bible, a Cokesbury Hymnal and a backscratcher! I have married the perfect man.

When Bill turned the water on he found the spicket was occupied by a black widow and her egg sack. She was glossy black like someone polished her and her hourglass red stamp made her look like you could flip her over and it would say "made in China". She and her egg sack are far too dangerous to occupy the same lawn with us.

We were surprised to find a car parked at the store. It had suffered a flat and the owner and his mother from several miles up the loop stopped in to say they were moving it. It was nice to meet Judy Pyle. She ask when the store will open, and Bill told her July 11th.

We stopped at Sears and remeasured the AC units. Leah was already gone for the day but we will see her next time.

We gathered the framing and shelving materials at Home Depot Friday evening and lost our race against the sun. As we neared the turn at Woodland a fire engine, lights ablaze and siren singing made the turn to Kanawha. We followed it, lagging further and further behind until we lost sight of them. We still do not know what emergency they were answering.

Saturday afternoon Jody stopped to visit a bit and she introduced us to Brenda Fennel. It was good to meet her. Brenda makes homemade juice for her family and has a clever made in Kanawha label she puts on each one just for fun. Maybe country women are just more inventive and industrious than most city people or maybe they watch less TV.

The Vaughn family will be moving to Kanawha soon. Their little daughter, Alexis introduced herself. She is as bubbly as she is pretty. Bill helped her Dad fill his 4 wheeler tire with air. Alexis has a baby brother 3 months old.

June bugs are out in mass...it was disgusting to crunch them but they are attracted to the light reflected through the glass door and carpet the porch every night...so in the morning you have the grizzly task of washing their squashed bodies away.

Bill removed the old rusted out steel door on the side of the building. He framed it in and secured it with heavy duty plywood, screws and nails. He caulked it and primed it until we can return to finish it off. This will be where we piggy back the two AC units from Sears. Eventually we will have an arbor over them and althea planted to give more shade.

He also finished the plywood covering for the wall partition inside the store. He told me he could have finished several more projects if he had not been called to cut so much wood for "my" project.

In addition to all this he made the mistake of using his new can o foam and realized he had to use it all or waste it so he climbed a ladder and foamed quite a few places where the air just blows through the building.

The mail lady stopped to deliver our mail and low and behold we have a permit to sell tobacco products! Thank you Shelly.

Our cousin Gerald came over to visit. He gave us quite a bit of expert advice and help. Gerald knows a great deal about all aspects of building, plumbing and electrical as well as being frugal and acquainted with many fine tradesmen in the area. We were very thankful for all the information, but also glad to finally get to visit with him and look forward to his return.

I hammered many boards together and though the shelves do not look at all like the plan I drew on paper they will be handy for merchandise, as soon as Bill secures them to the base.

It began to rain on our last day. Jody is our weather watcher and she said this was coming. The ride home, we found the section of 410 North coming out of Detroit toward Woodland is under construction. It seems to be a major renovation. We stopped to visit my parents and another stop on 271 to look at portable buildings. The drive home was dark and dreary as a wall cloud loomed in front of us and then veered off to the left. It had the greenish tint that warns of impending tornado activity, but none could be seen yet.

Signs of Woodland

Our family would like to thank the board members of 410 Water for the generous and kind gift of the sign located in Woodland. We are very grateful. Our advertising budget for the store is zero, so when we saw this under utilized sign in the perfect spot it seemed too good to be true. We are working on ideas for paint that will not detract from the serenity of the Woodland Community or clash with the neighboring sign for the Leesville Church.

The down sizing and division of our family continues. Boxes line the walls in our Dallas county home...products for the store, personal items that need packed away (...you know the plaster fish with the broken tail held on by a bandaid, made with love by your child in his first art class... times 5) and stored so the house can revamp to sell and the struggle to decide what is purchased when, so we can all have clean clothes and food to eat while this two year fix goes on.

Bill has most of the store wall in place. In spite of the indecission over where this wall should go we seem to have come out ok. The room is large enough to house a desk, file cabinet, 2 storage cabinets and appliances. At least that is what the tape measure is telling us.

Our cousin cut up and neatly stacked the tornado downed limb so the grounds are looking better still. We really appreciate that as it was on the todo list.

May is order AC units and June is take delivery and install. June will be my first live in Kanawha experiment. If you have been praying for me please don't stop in June! And if your not praying for me, don't let that stop you from starting. I feel like Ma Kettle without Pa.

Next weekend is a long one Sat through Tue. Pictures (hopefully) when we return.

Jody says the Blueberry Farm in Kiomatia is about to open "for pick your own". Nice folks operate this pretty place open May and June of each year.

http://kiomatiablueberryfarm.com/

digging deeper

The Sunday quick trip was an effort to clear the area of trash, relocate a mound of dirt to around the foundation and create a black board for menu items. We actually got most of this done. One area still in need of help involves large strips of sheet metal and a barrel, but that is for another day.

We had a wonderful surprise visit from Cathy. She is moving back to Kanawha in two years! Her plan is a good one as our community continues to grow. She also brought a little fur ball dog with her. He enjoyed a brief tour of the store. Michael Bryant was helping Cathy reach some goals that will help with her security. It is always good to see him again.

Jody called to tell us we have a broken window in the trailer. She was kind enough to cover it before the next big rain. Her complete family except her son in Germany will attend dinner at her home. Still she found time to call me and patch the window.

We pray everyone in Kanawha has a blessed Easter.

Flaws Create Character

We arrived at the store with a light rain following us out of Paris on Thursday afternoon. This trip is the "build a wall" trip. We have been drawing this wall on the concrete floor for months. It has zigged and zagged all over the place a foot here and two feet there like a dancer who hasn't had near enough lessons. Once unloaded and rechecking everything like it might change back into a pumpkin since last month we counted and recounted the 2x4's needed for this job and headed out for the Home Depot.

Forty 2x4's later we were back in Kanawha with several hours and a half box of chalk to redraw that wall several times before bed. Outside the rain stopped and billions of stars dotted the country sky. Bill called me outside to listen to the multitude of frogs who already knew it was Spring.

Up fairly early we drove to Detroit to open a business account in the store name. Seems like we are official now with a bank account and a tax ID number. Leasa at the bank was very kind and helpful. She is the daughter of the Blossom Superette owner.

Mike is with us and between him and Bill's new Driver Drill they made fast work of the wall framing. I think it astounded them too that it went up so fast even with Bill measuring everything 10 times. The next day everyone is stiff and no one slept well. Mike had a throbbing purple finger from a good hammer whack he gave his self. Bill just had strange dreams, but no one is happy except the wall itself which is still standing and looking good. Day two is install the screen door.

I wanted a screen door with a spring that would slam shut, but in today's world screen doors are controlled closing with spring loaded hinges. I went outside to start a fire that would get rid of the tree stumps and after a good bit of smoke inhalation I returned to find Bill and Mike just as I left them. Trying to hang a door on a bent post with a crooked wall on a wavy cracked floor and against a slanted cabinet is damn near impossible so crooked is good in an old country store. But after my leaving again to check on the fire they managed to hang it straight anyway. Lucky for me one of the hinges was slightly slanted and guess what? It creaks!!! It has the most beautiful old creaky squeaky sound just before it thuds closed.

Outside we see cousin Gerald has lite a bonfire that makes our little stumps seem puny. Our eyes catch sight of Clay at the Blake Boulware property, he is burning the tall grass. Mike helps him stomp a few errant blazes out. He is our latest new neighbor and we welcome him and his wife to Kanawha.

The last work day we get a few sheets of plywood on the framing. It gives us a glimpse of what it will look like. Bill cuts a board we will paint with chalk board paint so we have a menu spot. We brought it home to work on during the week. (this was Mikes idea...being a teacher)

We saw my parents who were looking much peppier now that spring is here. I told them about talking to my cousins. Butch and I are about the same age. He lives on a mountain top in Arizona and he has been researching the Boulwares. It was wonderful to hear from him. His brother Ronnie lives in California on a warm beach. Son Stephen and Granddaughter Danielle came by and said hello. Danielle has returned from her trip to Chicago, where she said they dyed the water green for St Patricks Day.

Bill and I walked to the Kanawha Cemetery and we were surprised to see the T.J. and Julia P. Hart stone had been repaired. It has a beautiful arch across the top that says Father and Mother. I think we can thank Mary Montgomery for this restoration. What a blessing. Julia P. Hart is my Great Great Grandmother. I did not expect this turn of events so had no camera, but will try to get a shot of the stone later.

I have included a picture of the lighted cabinet we installed last time. Other than threatening to remove both Bill's level and square this trip went pretty well. Obsessing with whether something is square or level in an old store is a life sentence to dissatisfaction and unhappiness but God bless him for trying.

Mike and Bill plan another weekend trip to further clean up the outside. We have no trash pick up at the store, but our town will take anything in a trash bag so we are hauling it home a piece at a time.