How about a nice big slab of concrete?
As many of you know, we have been inhabiting the Miracle Bayou Tree House since fall of last year and waiting for the land to get dry enough to haul dirt and river sand, and for these heavy trucks to get back here without bogging axle deep in the process.
While waiting, our builder was in a serious motorcycle accident, breaking both arms and his neck, which prolonged the wait. I could have hired another cement contractor, but we had a deal, and I keep my word. It’s been a long wait, but everything came together last week.
The rest of the dirt and sand were delivered, spread, and the pouring of the cement has been done. The hard part is trying to keep Ti Du (the little black dog) from running around marking the wet cement with her paw prints.
Now, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
They are still working on this as I type and say we should be able to drive on it in about a week. Hopefully, having this concrete under teh house will cut down on all the dust that comes in here. Later, when I win the lottery, we might be able to screen in a little “seafood boiling room” downstairs in order to enjoy the outdoors without being carried away by the bayou mosquitoes and biting gnats!!
In the meantime, I want all of you to dig deep into your sofas and find all that spare change hanging around and cash it in for bills and mail the money to me so I can pay these guys. Did you know that cement is almost as costly as gold these days?
The only big chore left to do now is get the rest of our belongings out of the old house and tear it down. BW is not looking forward to that task, for some strange reason.
I’m just slab happy right now!
BW
I hadn’t even seen your stairs yet so it was good to see all these pictures! I think you should leave all those little dog paw prints in the cement. You know they get a lot of money for those Mexican tiles that have animal prints on them. It will make that solid gold slab worth even more!
Hahahah, Kim! Only you would think of leaving the doggie prints as being a plus! I did not let her make any . . . I carried her to the car and took her to the camp to run around for a while. Now she is quarantined to the house again! Hopefully, by the time she does escape, it will be dry enough. Hey, we forgot to put the year and our names in it!!!
Ya’ll get the mud bath plumbed in aforehand, missie?
I used to fiddle in ‘crete when I was a young ‘un should of stayed wit it.
My cajun accordion lessons are here. Please everybody pray for my neighbors.
My husband plays cajun accordian. Are you taking lessons up north or in Louisiana?
What? Accordion? Where did yours come from?
You’ve never heard Sam play it? He’s played for years. He got a custom one made from some guy in Lafayette that is known for his cajun accordians. He has had it since before he and I met.
No, I have never heard him play! I knew he had a deep in interest in the music . . . now I know why!
Virtual zydeco one on iPad along with bag pipes and air hockey and foosball and……
DVD lessons from Big Nick in Wisconsin, where else?
Hey if I get the hang of it I’ll need a real one.
Yeppers.
Cool 🙂
I am very happy for you. Did your contractor teach my grandson to ride a bike? He broke his arm/elbow Friday and is now the official “six million dollar” grandson.
Unfortunately, all that spare change is heading to his hospital bills.
I hope you get that seafood boiling room. We are already planning our next crawfish boil in the near future.
Ha! Hope your prices are better than ours for crawfish!!!
They are almost the same as last years. $89 for 30 lbs. Is that good or bad?
That is about $3 a pound, my friend, and that is pretty dog gone high. When conditions are normal, they go from between 49 Cents to 99 cents a pound. Those are the prices I like to see, but I believe those days are gone. This year it was all those days down in the twenties that got to the poor mud bugs. But eat hearty, and enjoy every juicy slurp!!!
As busy as you’ve been lately, I think you’re going to have to do some delegating to your boys on the tearing done of the old home. Give them each a sledgehammer…it shouldn’t take too long. Being the mother of 2 boys myself, I know they can be very destructive. Better yet, you’ve got the concrete now, (as much as it hurts) boil a sack of crawfish and let them invite some friends over. The old homestead will be reduced to rubble in short order. (hold out on the crawfish till the job is done though)
Steffi, if you recall, they tore down the old back side of the Cypress House and even shoveled gravel off the flat roof beforehand. So, I know they can do the work. Getting them both off the boat at the same time is a problem. But, the REAL holdup is ME. I have not been able to go in there and sort through stuff on a regular basis without falling apart, breaking down, crying. There it is. True confession. I am hoping to get to a point where it’s not so painful, for whatever reason.
Have you thought about taking building materials from the old house and using them to make something in the yard? As a tribute to the old house?
Kim has a great idea. Use some of the stuff in the old house to make a memory garden or to put things in the yard.
I’ve seen re-furbished “yard art” quite a few times. If you decide to do this, PLEASE DON’T USE THE TOILET! It is NOT attractive. I’ve actually seen these works of “art” before. They made planters out of them!
I will NOT use the toilets as planters. I promise. No worries there, Steffi!
I was gathering my change for you until I found out yesterday I have to have sinus surgery next month. I’m going to have to dip into my “come see Wendy” fund and I am NOT happy about it!
NO WAY!! NO NO NO!! This cannot happen!!! Sorry about the surgery. Tell your sinuses to behave!
Oh we are still coming! We may eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches all week but we will be there!!!!!! At least we found the cause to all the headaches. I’m ready for everyone at my house to be healthy for a change!
Okay, so I will say it: HEALTH TO THE GIBSON FAMILY! There it is done! AND while you are here, I would be honored to cook you some blackened speckled trout at the camp. Would that be okay?
That would be great! I’m bringing stuff for fry bread and grape dumplings.
Oh yippee and yummy!!!! What sides do you think your gang will want with blackened fish?
Want to share a room? I have to have surgery next month too!
Absolutely. It might cut down on the cost for us both.
Mike and I are going to come help you during our Easter break!! Please pick a day and let me know! I MEAN IT!
Really? Really? That will be oh so very nice now that the slab is done. I can put some of the things I need to restore under the new house. And I want to save my clawfoot tub. And I want to use the old farm table under the house, too. And I want to use the old kitchen cabinets in my screened boiling room/outdoor kitchen. The stove goes up to the camp, and the stove at the camp goes under the new house for the outdoor kitchen. With me?
I’m available to help when I’m there too!
Yep! Pick a day, give me a call. It’s in my calendar, just waiting on a date! Spring break is April 22-29.
We need a furniture dolly and hand truck. Well, we’ll talk and pick a date.
BW, I can hardly wait to see it all come to pass. That is going to be one nice outdoor kitchen!
I wish my front porch was still screened in. It was until the early ’60s. I love to sit in my porch swing in the evenings but, the mosquitoes are already having fun.
The screen room (under the house) is just a vision at this point, Cammy. We don’t have the funds to get something like that done, but I can’t let go of all those things I want to put in it now, can I? Especially when I already own them? I guess my downstairs will look like a kitchen without the walls, LOL!!!
Good grief. I thought I posted a comment when you first put up the pics, but I guess not. Mind, meet the sieve.
That looks just great, and all your plans sound wonderful. Sorting through stuff can be hard, but I’ve gotten better about it over the years.
Crawfish are down to $1.25 a pound here. Want I should bring you a sackful? That price is at a new fishmarket and restaurant by the Kemah boardwalk. It’s possible the guy is trying to undercut the big boys. 😉
If you’re delivering, I’ll take 3 sacks too! LOL
She could go up on the price per pound and pay for the fuel!!! So, Linda, when you coming?
WOW! They are NOT that cheap down here. Amazing!!!
I bet the high price here is partly due to the cost of gas since they are bringing them all the way from LA to Dallas. Gas is $3.38 gal. here this evening. Was a penny higher this morning.
We are definitely going to be having the boil before my surgery is scheduled. I plan to enjoy every delicious bite and drop of juice.
And I surely hope you do get to enjoy those tasty mud bugs! I won’t have any until a big boil at BigSis’s house on April 3rd.
Hi, there!
Been reading the posts but just haven’t commented.
Glad to hear that the concrete work is done.
I remember when Dad moved in to his lake house and the problems he had getting his 400 foot long drive poured. (Their lot was narrow and very, very long!) The weather wasn’t cooperating and they lived with mud for several months before the work was done. At least, they were able to park in the lot next door, closer to the house, so didn’t have to hike in all the way from the road.
Crawfish are starting slow this year, but they should drop in price before too long when a few more start coming out to play. remember its not even Easter yet.
OMG, The Satsuma’s are going to have a bumper crop year!!! The ground is snow white with falling blooms, never seen a bloom like this. Actually thinking of pruning back for fear of splitting the tree!
Don’t prune! Get some boards/poles and prop those branches up. That’s what Hubby’s grandmother used to do to her pear tree.
STEP AWAY FROM THE PRUNING SHEARS!!!