Hi I’m Mike, Erin is off in DC for a National Farmers Market Conference, and that leave
me alone at home with the kids and the project list, on our Wyoming life.
There are days that I wish everything went the same every day, get up, go to work, come
home, dinner then bed.
In reality for us, a lot of times we don’t know what to expect from one day to the other.
Because of that we have gotten pretty good at winging it.
I’d like to say that I am semi pro.
As you may know, Erin, my other half and some say, my much better half is out of town for
the next few days.
Some say you don’t know what you have until its gone, and although I try to never forget
everything she does around here, its times that she is gone that I really do remember
how she holds this whole place together.
She has now been gone for 3 days, dishes are piling up, the toys are slowly spreading throughout
the house and I will have that all taken care of by the time she gets back but one thing
that I really do miss is her help with the kids.
As a single dad, I’m pretty sure I would never get anything done on the ranch.
I would spend my time getting gum out of hair, and making sure that Lincoln doesn’t bring
too many rocks into the house, let alone barn cats, and snakes and whatever else he can
find.
Her and I really work well as a team but today I am a team of one.
Soon the kids will be up and its gonna be time to get the girls off on the school bus,
take Lincoln in for his morning preschool and also try to take care of some of the projects
around here.
But along with that, never knowing what might come, I received a phone call last night from
our neighbor Gary, asking for his help with a project that is really important to him,
so we will be working on his project list today and helping him, help others.
But first, lets get the kids off to school.
Hello, Good Morning
Mackenzie, Grace and Lincoln are now up and awake but no where near ready to go.
While they eat breakfast, I can start getting lunches ready to go.
Mackenzie and Grace go to the same school and neither one of them has quite grown accustomed
to school lunch, so for now, we still pack their lunch for them.
Today its summer sausage, strawberries and string cheese, some of their favorites.
After breakfast and getting dressed for their day, its time for hair.
Something I am ashamed to say that I am not great at.
Erin usually takes care of braids and hair do’s.
I can get a half way decent pony tail in, on a good day.
Lucky for me, headbands are easy to do.
We don’t have much time and we can finish getting ready before the bus arrives and off
they go for the day.
Leaving me and Lincoln.
Getting him ready to go and off to the car, headed in for pre school.
A two hour program he goes to twice per week.
After dropping him off I have about an hour and half to go and help Gary out with his
project for the day.
A good friend of his named PJ has Parkinson’s disease.
Gary has known him for over 20 years and soon PJ will be in a wheel chair.
Because the front of his house has stairs, PJ will have to come in through the backyard
with his chair and Gary has decided to help build PJ a sidewalk, down into his back yard
to be able to get safely from his garage to his back door.
As I arrive the concrete truck is already here and I am quickly put to work.
Gary called me last night and asked for my help.
He told me the situation and we all know, when a neighbor needs help, we come running.
I’m not the only neighbor helping as you can see.
Marlin is here along with Frank to help Gary get this project done for his friend.
I’m not a well versed concrete guy, I have done a bit but no where enough to even claim
I know what I am doing, but as we roll through the process, wheelbarrowing concrete in, dumping
it and leveling it.
We use a board to screed off by off excess wet concrete to bring the top surface of a
slab to the proper grade and smoothness.
This sidewalk is 58 feet long, slightly downhill with a curve at the end.
Eventually all the concrete is in and level and then comes the finishing process.
Using hand trowels to smooth the top surface and edgers to roll over the edge of the concrete.
Marlin lays in an isolation or expansion joint to limit cracking and then its run over with
a broom to give it some texture.
Completing the job just in time for me to run back to Lincolns school and pick him up
and get him home for the day
When we get home, Lincoln empties the rocks from his boots that he gathered in the playground
and heads to his workbench, to tackle his own project list.
Not the most exciting day of the year, but not the dullest either.
It always amazes me how kids keep you hopping but they also say they keep you young.
I’m glad I was able to help out PJ as he continues to adapt and over come his adversities
as well and I do thank Gary for asking me to come help and all of them to allow me to
film while there.
For me, my day continues.
Lincoln will head up to his grandmas for a few hours today and let me get some work done
and who knows, maybe I’ll get to cross something off the list.
I know it’s a short one today, but I am also happy you were able to come along for
a bit of my day.
Why don’t you stop by here on Thursday, Erin will be back and we are going to be live
at 7pm Mountain time.
We are going to talk about her trip, also my adventures while she was gone and a whole
lot more.
I hope you are able to stop by, pull up a chair, and hang out with us a bit.
As an added bonus, you can subscribe and you should, not guaranteeing anything get a notification
when we go live if you hit that little bell icon on there.
That’s our time together today, lots more coming up, and yes I am looking forward to
Erin being home.
Until I see you again, have a great week and thanks for joining us in our Wyoming life.