Busy, busy, busy! Lots of effort going in to make the July 28-31, 2017, family gathering to be a real success! Rick and I have been readying two bunkhouses, we're bringing beds and cots and bunks. The generator Rick found is running great, providing running water, a water heater, and lighting while in use. It will also power air conditioning in one of the two mobile office trailers we have re-purposed in group sleeping quarters.

Rick tuned up the kitchen stove to run well on bottle gas. We have a dorm refrigerator in the kitchen - a step better than an ice chest and a leap above using the spring house as a cooler.

So, with hot and cold running water, we wash dishes in the sink! And flush the toilet. And there's more! Hot showers!

I'm excited! Busy repairing the farm's pickup truck brakes to tow the second bunkhouse up this weekend! It is a great day to be alive!

Now I share this Facebook message because it is of hysterical value to the partnership, its heirs and assigns:

Barbara Gill the first transgender toilet

Like · Reply · August 18 at 3:54am

Dan Morrison I'll always remember the project Dad entrusted to me at age 15. I designed and prefabricated an outhouse for The Farm. Built it in my Mom's back yard. If there were any complaints, I was oblivious.
Knocked it down, trailered it to the mountains where we were greeted with a deep snowstorm. We broke it into several bundles and we dragged it 1/4 mile or so, up and down hill. It stood up here (I'm at our country place right now) for more than 20 years until crushed by a falling tree.

Like · Reply · 1 · August 18 at 9:47pm

Dan Morrison http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xkgUDE66L18
Those were the days.

All in The Family (Intro) S5 (1975)

YOUTUBE.COM

Like · Reply · Remove Preview · August 18 at 9:57pm

Rick, Jim, and I travel to the farm tomorrow, Friday, and we intend to get some work done Friday and Saturday.  I think the first priority is mowing, maybe some trail cutting. I'm on medical light duty, but expect to get the plumbing back in A-1 (well, maybe B-3, G-19, BINGO!) shape. Big plans for the second week of July.

Jen & Rick left Sophia, Emma, and Cookie with the Smith grandparents and headed up to The Farm Wednesday, August 5.  By the time I arrived a little more than 24 hours later, they had stripped the former kitchen (the west room on the first floor) and,well, here are a few photos:

Before......

......and after.

I showed up Thursday afternoon and gazed in amazement.  Acting only as a consultant, I refrained from disturbing the workers and did not let on how impressed I was.  I did figure out how to get the plumbing working next visit.  I need to recover a little more from surgery (2 weeks ago) first.  Just a little more - as long as I don't get caught lifting weights over 10 pounds.

Jennifer and Richard took me to dinner at The Casselman Inn.  It must have been senior citizen night, and I almost asked Rick and Jen to leave me in the dining room - perhaps they could eat on the porch. 

Here's hoping and praying that Rick gets his next permanent duty station recruiting near home. If he does well, he can complete 20 years active duty as an Army Recruiter, MOS 79R and retire to Fort Living Room, Maryland about 2023 if I did my math right. 

Away too long....

Last went to the farm in October, 2014. Last week in March, 2015, we had a nice visit.  Richard and Jennifer, and their girls, Sophia and Emma, overnighted at the Casselman Inn, but visited at the country place all day.
Greg, our dogs, Cash and Willow, and I stayed in the farmhouse.
I think our next priority is to repair/replace plumbing to give us hot and cold running water, with toilet, sink, and shower, again.
Talking with Michael and Richard on returning home, and we want the future partners to be involved in planning - especially where capital is concerned.  My question, for the group, is, "what is the purpose of The James Morrison Family Partnership regarding the real estate?"
We have some income from coal mining - but it changes with the marketability of metallurgical coal.  We cannot make plans expecting it to continue, giving the state of the world coal and iron use, and steel production.
What we have profited amounts to about about enough to pay the real estate taxes for the next 20 years.
Keith and I are overdue a partnership meeting - maybe we can - and should - let you future partners observe and comment via Skype.

Back from another visit to The Farm.  Rick, Greg, and I drove up mid day Wednesday.  We happened to meet at Sidling Hill.  Parked right next to an RV.  Says I to Greg, "That RV looks a lot like Rick's" just as Ricky came down from the latrine (GIspeak for "bathroom").

Jennifer, Sophia, Emma, and Cookie drove their Jeep up Thursday and spent the night.  Of course, they bunked in their RV.

Wonderful family time, including a campfire and s'mores. My quiver is full to overflowing! They left Friday morning for Ft Hood, TX, Rick's new duty station.

Greg was still recovering from gall bladder surgery the Friday before.  He was unable to help much physically, but I loved his company, especially during the load-out.

We went to The Farm to complete what we had started - mowing and spraying, plumbing, and electrical systems.  Rained every day but the one we left on - Saturday.  No mowing or spraying.

We accomplished a lot of detailed tasks.  The results of this and two prior work trips:

1. Running cold water from the tank in the cellar.
2. Water heater in bathroom (so it can be adjusted by a showerer)
3. Flush toilet
4. Basin
5. Nice shower stall
6. Replaced kitchen sink faucets
7. Grey water, sinks, shower, spring overflow, and tank overflow combined in the pipe that drains at the barn foundation
8. Kitchen cabinets hung and re-assembled
9. Several 12V CFL lights
10. Outside:
1. House battery charging station
2. Waste composting system vented up the sunny side of the house - 4" PCV black painted soil pipe - great draft - no stink in the basement.
11. In the cellar:
1. Basement toilet waste composting system vented outside
2. Water tank (existing blue drum)
3. 12 volt RV pump
4. 120 volt powered 12 volt x 45 amp RV battery charger
5. 3,700 watt 120V inverter.
6. 2,200 watt Kawasaki 120/240 volt generator (run out of doors, of course)
12. Rick demolished the old range, base cabinets, and sink from the old kitchen. We will mount the old pitcher pump on the deck once we replace the plywood and roof membrane.
13. Cleanup - started but not completed.  I'll take photos when the work areas are neater.

Rick left a long post in the journal.  I loved this time with my son.  I am pleased that Richard loves his family, wife, kids, and grands. He's a good father and a good son. 

Greg is also faithful to family and helps out as much as we ask him to do.  His are a good pair of eyes to observe and check my work and provide counsel.  As he heals from his gall bladder excision, we will go up again.

We are more able to travel as Nora's condition has improved enough to be left alone or to enjoy visiting with family.  She is now visiting Laura and family in NC.

Next trip?  In a few weeks to improve what we have done in house, to install a larger pump and two sediment filters. and to mow and spray herbicides.

After that, tear off the deck roofing, maybe the plywood, too, and replace with an paint on elastomeric system or marine vinyl flooring.

Once the porch is repaired, weather tight, and safe, I hope to clean up the kitchen junk tossed over the rail, transfer kitchen storage to the kitchen, improve temporary storage of building materials.

Thinking of using a 1,000W inverter to drive 120V 18+/-W lighting.  1,000/18 = 50 or more lamps. The temporary DC wiring is enough for now - but not to be expanded any more.  All the CFLs flicker and dim as the battery pack voltage drops.  The pump draws a lot of current.

Enough thinking.  Do you smell burning hair?

Dan

Nice farm trip.  Greg did not make it - sick.  Rick and Jasper and I went up to work.  Jennifer and Sophia and Emma, and Mary and Hunter came by for a few days.

Rick and Jennifer bought a nice RV - and the girls spent the nights in the RV.

I had a great time.  It was really sweet around the fire ring.  It is interesting to observe these grand-kids interact with each other and with adults.

Nora is feeling and functioning so much better - I may be able to go up much more often and work.