Trusses are up

Boys enjoy a cold winter morning on the pole barn slab. Trusses are up. Now for the roof!

Freezing temperatures

It's such a novelty in Florida, especially after unseasonably warm temperatures in December. Here we are enjoying ice that formed overnight in the outdoor shower.

Celebrations

We celebrate at the drop of a hat. A 50th birthday and 25th wedding anniversary. Now that deserves a party.

Five years' growth

Our midwife noted the difference in the landscape, remembering when she came weekly to our house during my pregnancy with our forth son. So I pulled out a photo then (2010) and took one now from the same spot (2015). A mulberry tree is now in the foreground.

Winter rye

Our Mom is eccentric--that is a nice word for weird. She told us that we did not need to buy her a Christmas gift; she had ordered it herself and it was being delivered. What could it be?

Huh?! Top soil for the front yard?

And our gift to her? Spreading the top soil and sowing it with winter rye. Awww, Mom, can't we just go shopping?!

We feel we must serve notice to our future wives that if we are socially crippled when it comes to showing our love through gifts of romance or beauty, we have only our mother to blame.

But look, it did become a gift of beauty! A magnificent transformation made possible by the tremendous energy contained in the humble rye seed ignited by water and sunlight. Thank you to the Kiker boys in partnership with God's green earth for this most brilliant gift. Mom loves it.

It's like a green shag rug for your yard...haut retro style out here in the backwoods.

Pole barn progress

Framing is progressing, thanks to Grandpa Kiker, the grand master of the pole barn.

Pole barn

We're starting a pole barn to house the 1941 Packard that is coming down from Uncle Cliff in North Carolina. Everyone at the Alachua County Office of Codes Enforcement remembered me, still with two boys in tow only now it's Joe and Sam instead of Nate and Ned.

Mr Jones passed away several years ago, so we hired one of his colleagues, Naaman Webb, to do the pour. He's done a great job, we passed our first inspection, and plan to begin framing soon. The delivery of a dump truck filled with 18 yards of Archer yellow sand fill inspired days of outdoor play.

Butterfly Flowers

The plant by the outdoor shower provides food all summer long for humming birds and zebra butterflies. We enjoy showering in the midst of frenzied feeders fluttering by. The hummingbirds sound like tiny torpedoes zooming past, and their territorial high-pitched chirping warns others, "I found it first...back off!" Then they find the roses, aloes, and feeders and relax a bit. There is enough for everyone!

Spring 2015

Agapanthus and day lilies color our spring surrounds as we celebrate six years in residence on our land. Last week we tasted the first peach and now await eagerly the plum harvest. The Kiker family has been blessed beyond measure to enjoy this home, rich with love and laughter and Florida sunshine.

In the spirit of AA Milne, "Wherever they go, and whatever happens to them along the way, in that enchanted place at Long Leaf, four boys will always be playing."

Another Victim of the Lightening Strike

A beloved long leaf pine in the front yard which was next to two others struck by lightning during construction, although seemingly unscathed for several years, we now believe was weakened in the encounter with nature's powerful electricity. We discovered termites in its base several months ago, and sadly our research results all pointed to the need for the tree to be removed before it weakened further and fell on the house. Although we regretfully bid farewell to our beautiful tree, we always enjoy it when a field trip comes to our house in the form of big machines and chain saws!

Rainbow

The sun came out as the afternoon rain misted a rainbow across the front drive.

Staining the barn

The barn is a welcomed addition to the site, providing a much-needed workshop and brew house.

Comfort on the porch

The porch continues to receive small gifts to make it a comfortable
place to relax. We recently invested in some outdoor furniture that
should hold up to the Florida humidity.

West end view

The barn sits about twelve feet from the house at the west end. This
leaves enough room for the air conditioner to have sufficient
breathing room, and it is close enough for the hot water heater to be
relocated into its new home.

We decided to run the roof line on the barn perpendicular to the big
house, hoping to break up the long, straight run we've got going. The
first house with the addition is 87 feet long. That's what you do when
you have flat land and plenty of it. We thoroughly enjoy the layout
that David Howard at First Day Cottage designed for us, but we didn't
want to go too far with our long, lean lines.

Getting a roof on the barn

Today was roofing day. It was a two-person job, the weather was cool,
and it went up without a hitch. Who could ask for more?

Wood maintenance

An annual coat (one year overdue) of shingle oil mixed with stain. The
wood soaks up the protective balm.

Typar and insulation

Preparations for roofing on "the barn" (our new nickname for the shed).

Camellias and azaleas

Thank you to Mr Blankenship for giving us four trailers overflowing with
camellias, azaleas, palms, and ornamental grasses. We've planted over
100 plants in the last few weeks. As I stepped back to admire the
beauty, I put my hands on my hips (to support a tired back), and
smiled. In the process, we also moved a few errant piles of building
supplies, pushing back the remnants of construction, further
beautifying the building site.

Here's a "masterpiece" camellia in bloom

Hammer in hand

Young helpers drive in the 8-penny nails.

The first truss is up

Granddad got the first truss up all by himself. He is a wizard with
levers and pulleys.