redpinemountain.com

Questions Answered

I adore my readers. I can’t tell you how much and I can’t say it enough. And to those of you who leave comments, a special thanks. Without comments to keep me going, I would stop blogging. And, I’m especially happy to answer questions.

Kath asked why we don’t live in the RV. Here’s a sample conversation:
“Mountain Man, can’t we just stay in the RV?  It’s scary in the house.”
“No, absolutely not, don’t even think about it.”
“But why?”
“We have to run the generator for heat and that bus gets cold. Think about how much we’ll spend on gas.”
“Oh.”
He’s right. It’s freezing in there. So cold that when we stop for the night, I put a piece of cardboard behind our heads to block the influx of frigid air from the windows.
“Every time you have to pee, you’re going to run to the house?”  I thought about braving strange creatures lurking in the night.
“Can’t we use the RV bathroom?”
“No, it’s already winterized (an expensive process RVs need to get through cold weather).  We can’t risk the tanks freezing with water in them. That would cost a fortune to fix.”
The RV is for sale.  Mountain Man has designed a Mountain Man no frills, practical vehicle comprised of a removable box.  It will carry me and the dogs and have stalls for Khrysta and the donkeys and then when not in use, he’ll remove the box and it will become a work truck.  Multipurpose, no glamor at all.  I’m secretly hoping the RV doesn’t sell.

Karen wanted to know if there are still mice in the walls. No mice, no ladybugs and no rats. Thanks to Mountain Man. 

Deborah wanted to know how warm it is here. It’s beautiful. In the 40s and 50s, lots of sunshine and for us Vermonters that means we are running around in short sleeves while the natives are bundled up in coats and hats.

She also asked when the donkeys are arriving.  Mid to late January when they are old enough to leave Mom.

Alan had questions about horses and when they come into their own and mature. I’ll let some more knowledgeable person answer because I don’t have a clue. Khrysta is still a work in progress but then so am I.

EthelMaePotter wanted to know about the skull on the fence.  It’s a cow skull.  This used to be a cattle ranch so I expect it belonged to one of the residents.  Maybe used to scare birds?  Or perhaps just a decoration.

Karen and I think alike. She wanted to know why we just didn’t tear down the house. That was my suggestion. Tear it down and be done with it but Mountain Man wanted a challenge and he thought he could take the original structure and turn it into a wonderful home. As I watch him progress, I finally believe him.

Diane wanted to know why we moved here. As we’ve suffered through this renovation, I’ve asked myself the same question many, many times. Call it a crazy experiment. We found this neglected old ranch on a lovely piece of property. Mountain Man thought we could make some money redoing and reselling it and at the same time get our old bones out of the Vermont winters. So far it’s working.  With Mountain Man supplying 99% of the materials and with his doing all the work, we are able to afford this experiment.   And, we love the Ozarks, the wonderful, friendly people and the easy living.  We’re thinking we’d like to try this idea in other states so we can learn more about our beautiful country. Right now, we’re considering Kentucky for our next adventure.

Misha wanted to know about the apron in the walls. I didn’t look and I assume it’s in the trash but if Mountain Man starts cooking in an unfamiliar apron, I’m out of here. P.S. – Loved the idea about using it in a blog giveaway. I’ll keep that in mind for the next unusual find.

Deborah and Mommanator were curious about the bed. It’s a tad over 3 feet off of the ground and the reason the legs are spindly is because it is anchored to the wall behind us. Originally Mountain Man built a ladder for me.  Naturally, he just jumped up there.  But, he forgot to take into account my short legs and I struggled pulling myself up each step.  So he built steps for me.  He also put a vent in them because they block the heating duct.  Here’s some more photos:

The steep ladder.  There’s one other step under the quilt. The black blob in the front of the picture is not a rug.  It’s Toby, our newfoundland.

My steps and the heat vent.  Hopefully, this is temporary so Mountain Man didn’t paint them.

 

Mountain Man; everyone wants to know where to get one. I suggest checking Eharmony which is where I found him. Put in your profile that you are a helpless female who doesn’t know which end of a hammer is which and who can’t slice a tomato without including part of a finger and voila, he’ll appear as a match for you. I have suggested to Mountain Man he allow me to auction his services on Ebay but alas, he’s said no. My secret dream is that DIY or HGTV will discover Mountain Man and ask him to host a radio show or a television show.  Or perhaps a reality television show. 

As to his working all the time, I, who strongly believe in repose and introspection, have asked him many times,
“Why do you work so hard? All the time? Day in Day out?”
“It’s what I do.” That’s a Yankee for you.

If anyone told me I’d be leaving my wonderful home to live without my creature comforts at the age of 50+, I would have said they are crazy.  But life is an adventure and if you don’t walk through open doors, you’ll never find out what’s waiting on the other side.

I hope you keep asking questions.  They’re fun to answer.  Thanks again all and have a great weekend.