We are gonna be GRANDPARENTS!

AND it is gonna be twins!!! A girl and a boy. Paul is prepping the bedroom before the real paint job takes place.

Did I mention that Jan and I are excited!!!

You gotta love Colorado weather!

Low 50's with lots of sun!!!!!

I got the bike down and took Sadie on a bike/run, she loved it! Me too!

Oh, I should make sure that somewhere this is recorded--Kevin is 3 for 3. Is it 3-3 for 2 for 2?
Each time he visits he takes the dogs out as he runs or bikes and brings them back injured.

I need help remembering!! He took Maddy out for a bike ride and came back limping. He took Sadie out for a run and stepped on her paw--he carried her home. Both are well, though and they love him. What was the third?

I thought I was exercising hard, BUT.......

I thought I needed a picture so this is one of my favorite roads--heading north into Loveland from Hygiene. I noticed that around Loveland the paintings on the path, the rider does not have a helmet.

Well, anyway, I thought I was riding hard this summer, I think I posted some of the season end totals. The bike is hanging up, Sadie is sad because I usually took her for a 3 mile run along side before I took off on my own. So she hasn't had a good run for about a month.

Since it is a little chilly for this far weather rider, I have gone back to the cycling classes at the rec center. My summer averaged 5 days a week, 80-100 miles a week, average heart rate of around 120 and 600-800 calories burned. I took 3 classes this week, almost 50 miles, average heart rate of 130+ and 1000+ calories burned. Thanks to Jill, Ann and Collette for the ride!!

Got her DONE!

The last deck screw! With some help from my always present companion-Sadie, it is DONE! All that is left is some brick/mortar work but that can wait. I replaced the entire deck except the stairs and the spindles. I suppose it would pass city inspection, but I forgot to get a permit--hummmmmmmmmmm.

Now it is time for some painting on the twin's room and some house hunting for a Loveland rental place for us--Feb through May.

NOT a good day!!

OH! the deck is gone, no need to sweep. How did I get out here?

Gettin' close to being done. My plan did not include redoing the railings. But as things happen--the far pillar shifted, don't know why but that made at least two of the railing short. Then I dropped the one that's not up, it was spliced by the builder so it split into. Another trip to Home Depot and more wood. The board that is laying there was to the left some and hanging over the stairs. I hit my head on it, but I didn't move it until I hit my head a second time when I flinched I hit my head on a tool I was carrying and cut my eyebrow. Dumb--but not the dumbest move.

I had the material delivered by Home Depot which included some 2x10x16's--long dudes. I needed to return them, my neighbor and I were going to use his trailer but I thought I would take them back on the way to pick up some more wood. I laid them across the seat backs and through the back window, tied them down but not good enough. I was going slow but a dip caused the wood to bounce and cracked the windshield--VERY DUMB!!!!

My deck helpers!

Since I started the deck project Sadie has been outside with me the whole time. Sometimes she is this close other times she is looking for rabbits or just laying near by. She goes to the front yard every time I go up. About the only time she is not on my heels is when I walk across the deck and it is not totally covered so that she can't see to the ground. This has really interfered with her nap time--usually most of the afternoon.
Paul was a day early with the orange for the Bronco Sunday. He was a big help on Saturday while mom and the mom to be made a maternity and baby clothes shopping run. His processing skills were very helpful, not to mention that he carried and cut several 2x10's while I pretended to be busy.

Deck Repair

The deck has lasted 12 years, we bought our home in 1998. I have always wanted a larger deck. Now that I am taking this one apart I have changed my mind. WOW! I should have paid to have it done. Rotted 28 2x10 joists, very heavy long pieces of composition decking, and over 2000 screws to remove makes my hands and arm really tired. I realize that biking is great for legs and heart but does very little for hands and arms.

I had to chisel the wood out of the pillars, the builder did not skimp on the nails and screws. Lots of wood rot and carpenter ants (large black dudes). My neighbor has some great labor saving tools. He helped on Saturday afternoon, the stairs caused us some delay, too rainy to do anything on Sunday, so I am back to being by myself.