The Best Use of Bad Weather

Today we had a storm go through - 35 mph winds, 43 degrees, and blowing rain - ALL day.  We really wanted to sit and watch TV all day, read, or sleep; but, we still have lots to do before winter sets in.   So, we took the opportunity to work inside and clean the pole barn painting booth, now that we moved most of the boxes and furniture out.  The pole barn was just that - an open, one story metal and pole barn, until about seven years ago.  The past owner had a boyfriend that cemented part of the floor and put up three walls and doors, turning 1/3 of it into a painting booth.  He obviously painted cars in it.

We are turning it into a workshop for Mark and a gym for us both to use.  I must admit, cleaning it was a nasty job, I had to vacuum the windows, walls, and floors (spiders and webs galore).  I KNOW that nothing had been cleaned in there for at least the last 10-15 years.

Well, we are not finished my any means, but here are a few photos of what we did accomplish.

We still need to sell my big desk so Mark can set up the workout equipment and the universal weight machine

He now has two workbenches

Mark now has shelves and can open all his boxes of tools and get organized

We stopped at lunch and drove to the lake - this is what was going on there.

The waves are HUGE compared to normal

This is the breakers - it protects the canal.  It normally seems very tall and today was almost underwater

A better photo of the wave size

The lighthouse was being engulfed in fog

I asked Mark to stand so I could get proportion for the waves

As Mark and I drove back to the farm (one mile away) and walked back into the barn to work, I told him that I feel alive here.  He agreed with me.  When I say that, I mean that this place is not EASY, the way it is in St. Louis.  The locals here have to live with weather harshness most of the time and because of that, they seem like they don't take life for granted, they live it, both summer and winter.  They are outside all seasons and don't cocoon because of a storm.  I think they are watching us (the strangers from the south) to see how we deal with the weather here.  We are hoping that we can live with it - even if it is for a year, a few years, or a decade, we are having our adventure!