The First Six Months

Back in June I wrote about a new life in the country and adjusting to different ways than I was used to living in the city, the first couple of crazy weeks. A few more entertaining things have happened since then that are worth mentioning (especially if you're considering making the switch yourself). And I'm sorry I haven't written much lately or posted many DIYs (but will again shortly), it's just been a bit bananas here trying to get settled/unpacked and renovate the house.

Fixer uppers can be fun but not if you're living amidst the disarray of construction for a long period of time; especially not for a family with two dogs, one cat and three small children.... what can I say, it's fun being impulsive?! This is not the first time hubby and I have taken on updating a house, so he and I are very aware of the necessity to keep the construction minimal... but that never happens. And just to give you an idea of how much of an inconvenience it has been, the main bathroom is missing a couple of walls and there is no other running toilet in the house. So, NO there is absolutely no privacy in the only bathroom at the house! There's only so much more this mama can take, but I'm assured by hubby that it will be fixed any day now. He has a drywall guy coming to help him build new walls within a week. It's also been difficult finding available handymen in the area as it's a very busy time of year for home renovations. Some have even come to the house to give a quote at a later time and never contacted back? A little frustrating!

The easy remodel projects like bedrooms and mudroom hubby and I were able to complete somewhat with ease and it's now down to the kitchen and bath. As the financial budget for all of these projects is a bit tight, it's a slow progression. In the kitchen, only the dishwasher has been replaced to a very basic inexpensive white washer. And there might be a little bit of cabinet painting, hardware replacement and light fixture swap outs happening soon as a temporary inexpensive spruce up. The kitchen faucet still leaks unless the handle is turned to hot when off.... the current bathtub however still leaks occasionally. The well (that supplies all of the water for the house) has now become an easy adjustment and I'm no longer worried about running out of water. The only problem now is the hard water leaving a film on ceramics and faucets. Now, after drinking my green tea I have to scrub down the mug every time before putting in the dishwasher; the dogs' ceramic water dish having to be scrubbed often too.

Rocky and Dexter keep taking off to roam the back country roads. The neighbour next door warned hubby that they could easily be shot by farmers in the area if the dogs harassed their livestock (which the big energetic one year old German Shepherd would totally do). The reason being, if the dogs spook the cows when trying to chase them, the cows' milk could go sour and it's then loss of income to the owner. They're not taking any chances when it comes to their livelihood. Other than that lol, people are really friendly and super nice here. It's great feeling like you're part of a tight knit community that really looks out for each other, even though lately I've been keeping to myself a lot.

There's a marsh on half of the one-acre lot that the house sits on. It was unexpected and a bit of a disappointment but there's a plan brewing to fix everything next spring. In the meantime, now that the wet is frozen, the fam and I plan on doing some exploring in the forest at the back on snowshoes. The idea is to proceed with caution as there have been wolf cries heard from a short distance. It's been terrific watching the seasons change for the first time and seeing the sun set beautifully over the neighbour's field. It's funny because in the spring and fall there's a stream in the backyard, but in the summer it's just a dried-out ditch. There have been a few more garter snake sightings than I would've liked, but I'm now starting to get used to it and see that they're pretty afraid of me too. I also learned that it's 'garter' snake and not 'garden' snake. My favourite part of country living is the slower paced lifestyle in a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere. It also doesn't hurt that there's no fuss when trying to figure out what to wear when leaving the house.