Today has been a really good day here! We sorted out some of the last things in the granary, and cleared out the rubbish from the barn. We cleared the mess from those two buildings that was in the yard, and got a truckload of junk up to the dump. For the first time in years, I am finally at a point where I am not totally and utterly embarrassed about the idea of photographing where I live! It is not a perfect dream home, mind you, but it is not humiliatingly cluttered either! As of this moment, we are at a good starting point, and every day it gets a little better, rather than feeling like a downward spiral into a bottomless pit of filth and the debris of a neglected life that only wants to gather dust and cobwebs, and damn anyone who wants to actually change anything for the better.
Today was a really good day here because we cleared some of the last of the cobwebs and then spent the rest of the day feeling like getting things done because we were not swamped with more to clean than we could possibly do while not neglecting everything else that makes us who we are.
Today was a really good day because we were finally able to take control of our own lives. We were able to choose what to do, and do it, without guilt, without judgment, without accusation. Well, maybe there was accusation, but not from within the walls of our own home. Today was so good because we were free to be ourselves for the first time in so long! And that felt good!
So we cleaned out the truck today. We cleaned out all of the junk the little ones had left on the floor. We also pressure washed the carpet, because yes, it was that bad! Check it. It is outside right now with all four doors open, drying out. It will probably take all day tomorrow too, and maybe tomorrow night as well, and maybe even the next day and the next night, but we have the time, and we know what we are doing over that period of time, so yes, we can do this.
Tonight is supposed to be irrigation night, but I am taking the night off because of the problems we had on Wednesday. The mainline cotter pin broke, sending the little grabber piece on the on/off handle down some 800 feet of pipe, leaving me no way to shut off the line. I kicked the line off the valve opener, and tried to reach in to shut it off. Unfortunately, four inches of gushing water created far too much pressure for me to even reach into. Knock the valve opener off, and we were left with a mushroom of water, shooting in all directions, and going as far as about 30 feet from the center. Jordan said, “Here, hold my hat,” and grabbed the pipe wrench and went into the water and shut down the gate. It was a proud moment. As far as I was concerned, he earned his weeks rent right there in that one move, so he got to keep it today when he came to pay it. It was the very least I could do! It was one of those moments when I was stood looking at something that had to be done, and thinking, “I really don’t want to do this!” Jordan jumped at it like it was nothing! Well done, and bravo Mr. Warner!
Well, I have an early start tomorrow, so I am off to bed now. Maybe I can actually start to photograph the house for some future posts soon. Especially as we work on improving it! There is so much to do, and so much to document. Never mind the hordes.
Kelsey J Bacon