Independence Day

Like Yorkshire sheep farmers, progress is defined as some big steps and some li'l uns. After a good initial clean-up, a week of rain prevented the laborers from doing any more work so my partner and I set to with pitchforks and wheelbarrow to start clearing out the remains of the hay from the big barn. We worked hard but took advantage of the unusual low temperatures that prevailed last week. Things seemed to be going so well -- but then I lost my glasses, got a blister on my finger and was stung by a wasp! Feeling a little sorry for myself I felt myself missing the city, the whine of traffic on the Interstate, the perpetual cacaphony of sirens and helicopters and well, World Cup soccer on TV. But after seeing the results of our hard work - a clear patch of wood on the barn floor - it was all worthwhile. We slept in the house for a night, in what will eventually become the master bedroom, and felt surprisingly rested despite the air mattress. I say it's good Feng Shui. It gave us a great feel for the space and the good news is that my partner has agreed that a fireplace in the master bedroom would be nice. This will help return the house to its historic look which can be seen from this old picture of the original Schwartz family outside of the homestead.

Our best friends came up from Houston for a day and we delighted in showing them around, toasting our good fortune with a glass of champagne. They gave us some great suggestions to improve the floor plan and we now feel very comfortable that we have a workable plan. We got some ballpark estimates from local contractors and have chosen two who we would like to work with. And so we'll get our architect to make some minor tweaks and move ahead to solicit bids. The goal is to get the contractor selected by the end of July or early August and have the first phase - the barn and apartment - completed by November. I hope this will not give cause for us to be reminded of Robert Burns' mouse and its fateful home............   
The best laid schemes o'mice an' men   
Gang aft agley
An lea'e us nought but grief an' pain
For promis'd joy!

But positive thoughts are all around us and none more so than those we are experiencing from the local community. This was really brought home to us when we went to the Independence Day celebrations in the one-street town of Independence with our new friends and neighbors. Man, this is really small town America. This is America at its very best - a parade, a community party and of course the obligatory fireworks display that always bring a lump to my throat. (Yeh, well, I'm just a big softy when it comes to these things!). And what a parade it was. We had vintage cars, vintage tractors, fire trucks, floats and yes, even local politicians vying for the public's vote. I'll be nice and refrain from comment on that one. And whenever I was unable to cadge an import beer from our neighbor's generous cooler, Bud was $1 a can. But what made it so special was the sense of community. We met new neighbors and new friends including one lovely 92 year-old English lady from Taunton, Somerset, who lives in near-by Brenham. Without any reservation this was the best 4th of July parade we have ever experienced. We left the homestead  looking a little better today, with freshly cut grass and a lot of the junk gone. Can't wait to get back.