650 Small squares baled up

Monday, June 24th, dawned as a beautiful day. The borrowed quad was dropped off with its compartment door broken. S managed to get the dealership to look for a replacement. Meanwhile, he spoke with his Suncor retirement representatives to arrange everything, as I updated yesterday's blog.

Kaylin sent this memory of Renn 1 year ago XOXO

After 11, we headed to town to check on the rental property and make some decisions about the flooring. It was a brief visit but we had to return following S's doctor's appointment at 11:40. I made a quick trip to the library to pick up two new books, then back to the rental. Realizing we needed some door trim and flooring transition, we went to Rona. S received a quote for custom countertops, which, after a lengthy discussion, turned out to be upwards of $1500—a price we declined. Instead, we decided to reinforce the existing piece as necessary.

goodbye garish green walls

It was time for lunch. Since our regular spot, Origins, known for its brisket and beer, was closed on Monday, we opted for Boston Pizza. After refueling, we returned to the rental to drop off the trim we wanted to keep. It was voted against replacing and actually pulled the other side off. The front entry area's drywall, which I've always insisted still smelled bad and needed replacement, was cut into, revealing dampness in certain areas.

We then went to the hospital for S to have his foot x-rayed, only to return as more issues were discovered. The door base sweep sill, once removed, was found to be filled with dried urine, yet another shocking revelation of the previous occupants' living conditions. The current plan is to apply an odor-sealing coat to the interior areas. Tonight, I'll steam clean the vents and such, and by tomorrow morning, we'll determine if the odor persists and whether the tiles need to be removed.

We returned home at 3:30. I turned on the soaker hoses and then joined S to check the hay swaths. As expected, they were mostly ready. We prepared the baler and attached it to Johnny. S began baling small squares while I returned to manually water the raised beds and planters.

Something happened to 1/2 of one of my alpine betony plants.. peed on perhaps?

Noticing a slight issue in the field, I brought out a cold beer and a bag of Spitz. S had exhausted the twine supply and failed to notice the row wasn't wrapping properly, but he managed to fix it. Afterwards, I painted the rental bathroom mirror. Once the cleaning supplies were packed, I left for town at 6:30. S was wrapping up the small squares in the winter pasture.

At the rental house, I busied myself with scrubbing the entryway by hand and using the steamer. It was dreadful; there was urine along the higher edges of the step and even in the closet. I tested the steamer on the grout but will need to wait until all renos are done. I took out the trash, including my soiled rags, to the bin. The cabinet over the toilet was moved out to the back deck, and I offered it for free online. It was claimed quickly, as a list of people expressed interest and it was picked up soon after. For dinner, I grabbed KFC and returned to the ranch by 8:30 PM.

Look at that door sill

sealer on the areas still smelling

The grungy painted on brackets I put in water to soak

the basement flooring is down with 2 3/4 boxes left

UGH this register is disgusting and smelly

steaming all the areas before hand scrubbing

wall colours looking better

the toilet cabinet I posted

The back door frame is just a swollen and gross so will need to be replaced as well

Dave was arranging his bales in stacks of six in the freshly cut house paddock, totaling 32 bales there alone. S was out in the southeast hayfield, crafting more small squares for Dave. Meanwhile, Sharon was visiting Timba and Britt, who was wrapping up her horse feeding. S came inside to enjoy a hot meal and catch the final 12 minutes of the big hockey game. B & D dropped by to watch the last five minutes, discuss bales, and then they left. After the Panthers clinched the Stanley Cup, S returned outside to complete the small squares, managing to bundle 650 in less than five hours. It was the finest hay he'd ever produced, so I asked him to set aside 50 bales for B and me to pick up the following evening.

I started writing todays blog before I assisted him with connecting the round baler for tomorrow. Once the PTO was connected, he came in at 10:30. Blogging paused, we opted for a hot tub session. To our astonishment, the tub was an incredibly warm 106 degrees. Apparently, the filter cleaning system further heats the water, just as the power engineer explained. It felt like lounging in a cauldron, especially under the still, warm, and delightful night sky. Post showers, it was time to unwind in bed with a bowl of yogurt while S caught up on the hockey highlights he had missed. Surprisingly, it was past midnight when we finally turned off the lights.