Chris, hope your back heals quickly, that is painful! I like your pavers - you do "mosaic" work with everything!

I have had both a "junk rug" and a doormat out on the patio for the dogs, and it does help. I threw the rug out recently after using it for two or three years out there. People laugh about the doormat, though. It is the one with dog paw prints on it that reads "Wipe Your Paws!" They ask if I think that my dogs can read it.

Hahahah Nancy. you mean like this one?? And I also have the porch rug and much worse for wear after two years. I figure to leave it for this winter then toss it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wipe your paws.

Shades, nice job. And I saw your morning glories. Wow, they are big and lush! I love vining plants.

It just occurred to me that the rubber mulch stuff, which they are using in children's playgrounds at our parks, is a good solution to the muddy paws prevention program. The rubber comes from shredded tires. It is softer even than the bark mulch, which of course will eventually deteriorate, and the rubber does not. Don't know if it gets hot to the feet though. But I know that gravel eventually disappears into the soil, and is difficult to keep contained, and it will get thrown around by the lawn mower...that is, IF you have a lawn, which DesertSteph might not have?

Steph, BTW, do you even own a lawn mower? Or do you just weed whack? Strange to think of places that might not even need to cut the grass like we do.

"right now I am laid up again for awhile while my back heals"

you take care of that! I know what it's like. it happens to me often. it's hell. working with pavers would do it. i won't be able to do that. or put down about 2 a day. I'd get a patch done in about 10 yrs...dbf has his own cement company (maybe he's leased it out to someone now). He brought out 2 slabs last yr but I'm not sure what he'll use them for - under the home? (will need more then...), under my water tank? under the steps? I could use a good number of those slabs!

"IF you have a lawn, which DesertSteph might not have?

Steph, BTW, do you even own a lawn mower? Or do you just weed whack? Strange to think of places that might not even need to cut the grass like we do."

no, i don't have a lawn. thank you God! I love the desert...lol! there are times in the spring after a lot of rain that it begins to look like i have grass coming up - but it's weeds and will turn to dry 'fire hazard' about mid June. I hate that. the other yr I did hear my neighbor out with a lawnmower attempting to mow his weeds. I heard lots of clunks when the stones got 'mowed' tho. I had to laugh at him mowing the weeds and stones - what was he thinking? that's dangerous! he should have at least used a push mower. imagine hearing a mower going with a CLUNK every second or 2!

i don't think I do own one anymore. the last one i had (in town) was one of those old push mowers (a new one tho). I pushed it around the back yard of the rental house I lived in in town. great exercise. in 115 degrees in the summer. never again tho.

I also had a weed whacker - I used that on the front yard (smaller). the city would get riled up if your grass was over 6" high. I used to go out front with the weed whacker and whack some, then put my ruler down to see if I was under 6"... then move on to another strip. I worked for that city.

the whacker was stolen but the mower might be at one of dbf's 'yards'. I have stuff stored there somewhere.

We had a dust storm blow thru late yesterday followed by a ton of rain. more than last week. I have about 10' out my 'now' front door to the back door of the new place. like an alley. to the east is my car and to the west is land and I can go around either home from there. last night and this morning I couldn't go in either direction - there was a mini lake blocking me to the east and the west! it's dried up a lot now - but still a bit muddy.

last night I put down my girl's big towel to come in on after her potty trip. i used part of the towel to dry off (unmud?) each paw before I let her go into the bedroom. it did a good job. today I'll roll up the towel and shake the dried mud out of it outside.

I thought I'd post a couple of pics

these are the cement slabs dbf made and brought out for under the steps. he might put one under my water tank. I hope he has more of them...

it also shows around and behind them how it is here in the desert. NO GRASS to mow!

another pic that shows more NO GRASS! behind the guys is what's normal out here. in front of them is where they've scraped the brush off of the land to make way for the mfg home to 'land'.

Wow, that is really barren. Do most people let the native stuff grow as it wants or do they try to landscape it? Where does your water come from?

Your dbf is a very handy guy.

Steph, will the latest rain muck up the landing pad for your home to move onto very soon? Will they have to come out again and smooth it?

When you do try to garden, do you choose xeriscaping plants?
I recall you said when you need water, you call and they deliver it. Is there any emergency backup source of water? Is there any benefit to a rain collection system? Would it have helped you any in the long run, to contain the rain which created the mud around your trailer? And if you had contained it, how long could you hang on to it in a sealed container which minimizes evaporation?

I figure that one of these days, the old tales of range wars over water rights will be put to shame by the shortages of the future. And individuals just won't stand a snowball's chance in ......of having ANY rights compared to large corporations. Especially if the Supreme Court's ruling that corporations are persons/individuals is allowed to stand.

"Wow, that is really barren. Do most people let the native stuff grow as it wants or do they try to landscape it? Where does your water come from?

Your dbf is a very handy guy"

yes, it is somewhat. the other half of my land is even more so. I'll take a pic of some it it later and post.

out here with acreage most let it grow naturally but they landscape for up around the house. Which I'll do also. i hadn't been able to in the past because i always knew that this one would go and another come in - which would mean anything i planted up close would be dozed. i did have 2 or 3 cacti that were rather close and dbf scooped them out and had them replanted farther out. the brush grows so wildly it isn't really worth replanting them. i had some very large ones up close that i really liked having up close tho. they helped to barricade me from the road, the neighbors etc.

in the developments near here (one starts just 2 roads away from me now) a lot of people do plant grass. most don't have much land tho. a few feet around the house is about it. I'll try to take some pics of that also.

the water comes from another city... they have places where one can go and get it. people have trucks that will carry it or small tanks on the back of a pick up to fill up and bring back to their land. then there's a few people who operate a bz doing it for others. that's the route i go because i don't have a truck. It's a lot cheaper to haul your own tho - a lot cheaper. They have a 2,000 gal truck they use. i have a 1500 gal tank plus and an old one (about 3,000 gals) that is set up for gravity feed (no pump used). i use the gravity feed for the plants. tho, in the past i did use it for everything (not to drink or cook). it was hooked to the pump in the past but dbf brought me out another tank a yr or so ago and hooked the pump to it. They operate separately now. if I run out of water in the newer tank, I can resort to the other one. I have taken a hose shower outside before - lol! and I regularly color my hair outside (the rinsing out of it).

I'm usually ok with 2,000 gals a month. in the summer I sometimes need it more often. I certainly will next summer after planting more trees etc this fall. In the winter I've often gone 5 or 6 wks on 2,000 gals. this winter probably not tho as new plants will need watered.

dbf is handy at about everything. when it gets to major electrical or plumbing he calls a licensed one in tho. and a few other things like the hauling of the mfg home (tho he has done that in the past) and the setting up of the mfg home. laws changed here as of last january requiring a licensed person to do set up. I'm glad that is the case, it sure makes me feel safer.

dbf and some of his men hauled the single wide i'm in out here and set it up. they did great at it but this double wide might be different. they'd need special equip etc (not that dbf wouldn't have access to that equip. He knows about anyone in the area that does this stuff). he's done this stuff for about 50 yrs now. Starting out as a young guy struggling to support a young family. He learned to do it all. He's done so many different things. buy and sell houses. fixes up, lives in a yr or so then sells at a profit. often contract sells. buys and sells bars and restaurants, fixes up and runs himself (hires someone to do it for him) or leases the property out to someone else to operate. often does a lease/sell to them. often gets the property back too. makes money on those either way. He hires out a lot of the fix up work these days (last 30 yrs or so) but he is more often than not in the mix of it doing whatever needs done.

I think he enjoys the design and fix up of the places really. Then he's bored so he sells it (or leases out) and starts on another place. Even most of what he doesn't do he knows how to do just doesn't have the time or the license needed. He tears down places and builds them back up and resells them. yrs ago as he saw cities grow and major money made by those who had land in the outskirts, he began to buy up land outside of a city or 2. He now owns many acres outside of one local city that is worth mega money. Some he has sold off over the past 10 yrs as he needed money for other 'projects'.

He has most of his own machinery to do this things. last yr he had over 50 vehicles licensed - lol!

he's as ornery as H and has a heart of gold.

last month after he tore out the deck out back he apologized for disturbing the nest of 'Africanized' scorpions there. He said there were 10's of thousdands of them. HA! He thought i wouldn't catch on to that little slip up...or was that on purpose? I really didn't even need that word - I've been out here 12 yrs and have only seen 1 scorpie - way out on the front side of the land. a nest right outside of my back door and I'd have been overrun by them!

"Steph, will the latest rain muck up the landing pad for your home to move onto very soon? Will they have to come out again and smooth it?"

ML - no, the mfg home is already on the pad. too late to smooth it. He did have it lazer leveled before the home was brought here.

I do choose xeriscaping plants. my sister and i took a city sponsored class on it in the late 90's. We took it twice we loved it so much! I've spent time online picking out what to plant and I also dug out my book from class to double check everything.

I want it as natural desert as possible, as little water usage as possible and with as little upkeep as possible.

I have the back up of my gravity feed tank. if it's out, I'm done til they bring out more water. If they know I am out they'll juggle to get water to me asap. I buy (or get at my sister's) water to drink and use in cooking - and for girl dog to drink. I switched her to that last yr because of her being sick. Boy still gets water from the tank. It's ok - it doesn't go thru the old pipes of this trailer to him - just thru the hose. i bought a drink safe hose for that. If I were totally out I'd go fill lots of jugs to keep the dogs and me in water to drink. I did have the water from the old (my original) tank tested when I moved out here. The city I worked at had an environmental specialist for this stuff (their dept was adjacent to ours). He said i wouldn't die from drinking it so if no other source and I needed water to live i could drink it. but i don't want to do that... lol! haven't come close to that yet either.

I do plan to collect rain water after i get settled - and divert it to the plants. dbf is talking about putting down some piping to the trees 'we' plant. it'll be gravity feed. he does plan to take the oldest tank away and bring me out another one he has from another one of his properties (no longer in use).

I don't know how long water would hold in a container. It's not something i need to worry about tho. it seldom rains here. prior to the recent rain i think it'd been 3 months (at least) since we'd had rain. It'll probably go to the land w/in a week.

I don't notice any evaporation loss in my tanks.

water is scarce out here and something to be used carefully.
planting non low water use plants would not be responsible - and many people out here aren't.

here's a pic of my land on the west side of the wash - and the wash too!

another pic of the west side - it's stonier -

and this...this...this...SNAKE!

desertsteph, I can hardly tell what's in the last pic--looks like 'someone' was [[shakin']] in her boots!!

Good heavens you've been busy!

"looks like 'someone' was [[shakin']] in her boots!!"

oh, it must be obvious... lol!

the snake was perfectly still and that's the BETTER of the 2 pics I took!

If I was a snake on the ground in AZ, I'd be really nasty tempered. Shaking is appropriate!

that's it! I thought it was you Moccasin!

lol! that thing in the pic doesn't even look like a snake. I don't remember the camera shaking...

it probably wasn't. it was my whole body!

the permit finally got approved! got stuck at environmental dept. I knew that long before the guy who applied did. AND I knew why it was 'stuck' there. they couldn't find permit/inspection on my septic! gee, I went thru that with them about 6 wks ago. It was under my original temporary address (my address will probably change again...)not the address i ended up with. besides some of those county workers don't know what they are doing. In the past 6 wks they couldn't have updated that? no...guess not.

then a hassle because the home is 4 bedroom and the septic size is for max 3 bedroom. she said I'd have to have septic enlarged and I told her 'that ain't happening'. she said she ask her boss about it but insisted there wasn't anyway around it. She called me the next morning with 'the way around it'. I knew it was there but she wouldn't listen to me. I had to draw out the LO of the mfg home, mark where and what I was going to do on it(remove closet from one bdrm and open wall into kitchen), sign and date it and fax over to her and she'd release the permit. that was over a wk ago...

dbf called me about 4pm today and said he was on his way out and workers for set up were on the way also. I can't believe they came out so late in the day... great notice they gave me. dbf only stayed long enough to drop off more cement pads for them (small ones) for underneath it.

they worked for a few hrs. got both sides up on jacks and tires off 1 side and pads down and pyramids things set on them. water leveling it (best way).

they're supposed to fix the underbelly of it also - lots of rips, holes that need sealed before it's lowered down a bit.

so they're starting on it - might be out tomorrow. they'll probably call an hour ahead...

but they're starting on it!

Woo Hoo Steph!!! Things will probably go quickly now. Getting so excited for you!!!

Steph, you will be able to remember when all this happened. It was Labor Day weekend.

It won't be long now. Stay calm! :)

here she is from the SEC on the outside of it. She's pulled together!

take a peek! the back screen door blew open and someone left the door to the utility room open a bit... take a peek into the kitchen. I'm standing on the ground a few ft below bottom level of the mfg home.

this is to the right of the door into the backhall/kitchen area... the 'inner' side of the utility room.

lookie here! the LR area from the back to the front. they opened the sliding door (seen in 1st pic above) on the back wall so I peeked in and took a few pics!

this is to the left of where i'm standing (I'm outside of the room) - it's on the inside of the LR area. I don't like it tho and will attempt to have it removed...

I got a peek into the mstr bath earlier but didn't have the camera with me then... that is a garden tub in there in the 'bumped out' area on the end. there's a vanity and single sink. a good sized shower and a toilet (I hope) that I couldn't see. I was looking at it from the other end of the 5' hall leading to it. I couldn't see around one of those corners...

I tried taking a pic of my 'owied' finger too but they didn't come out. they come out soooo red! I made them b/w but that just faded the owie away. it was hard to take a pic of my right pinky using my left hand. I'm right handed!
It is healing up nicely tho. much better in last 2 days which surprised me. I used some new stuff on it and was shocked at how fast it worked. I used it on my sore elbow also and that healed up a ton also. didn't do this good on medicine the doc told me to get for ii (OTC).

I left earlier to go to the bank and pick up a 'to go' dinner from the local Mexican diner (I love them) and told the guys if they got all done to go on to the vacuuming, mopping, wall washing etc... oh yeah - they'll get to that! lol!

yeah, it's move'n along. I'm thinking i might go into the floor store tomorrow or Monday. town is pretty deserted so maybe the store won't be crowded.

the outside lights by the back door and slider are both - plastic! ugh. I'll have to stop at HD and pick up something cheap. I'll replace the front one also - because it's too tight for me to get my hand in to get bulb out and put new one in, maybe I could get one of those silicone tipped tongs for that tho... most aren't very big anyway. i just don't want to struggle with them. i've been thru that before.

Time to feed the 'kids'. back later!

it is exciting! sometimes it seems like this isn't gonna really happen. looks like it will now! yahoo!

Whoohoo Steph! It looks huge in there! Are you putting down new carpet or is that the carpet rolled up? I like your fireplace. Do you not like it because of the color or the kind of stone?

So happy for you Steph.This really is exciting. I remember it for us and it has only been a little over 2 years. Your place looks like it will be a great space for you.

Chris

What a great end-of-summer gift for you! I suppose your summer there goes on and on and on, though. This is going to be so nice for you.

If it is just the look of the fireplace you dislike, these people in England have some nice, easy-to-use tinting for brick that may work for you.

Here is a link that might be useful: And I think the shipping is included in the price.

"Do you not like it because of the color or the kind of stone?"

both and if it's a wood burning one I won't be able to use it and it just takes up space.

that's the old carpet and padding. it's so full of dust and dirt after 4 yrs sitting in the desert. ugh. I thought it looked like nice carpet tho but dbf said it wasn't and just get rid of it. after i spent months looking online at flooring he then said 'well, it is good carpet, maybe you should keep it'. ugh. make up your mind. by then I'd gotten used to and liked the idea of non carpeted floors.

Wow Steph ~ This is exciting. It is so great seeing this project come together, and it will be even more exciting to see you turn it into your home. I think the mantle is neat, although I might change the coloring. Couldn't you get one of those electric inserts that they make these days? Of course, this is your place, and if you don't like something, and it can be changed, then do it and enjoy the new look.

You make me want to get up and do something. :-)

Hope your finger is feeling much better.

FlowerLady

So fun watching your tranisition Steph. Thanks for letting us go on the ride.

You will have such a great time going shopping and figuring out what is wanted/needed. It can get frustrating, but still you are at this point now.

If anyone can understand all you are going through it is Chris. And she has created a wonderful comfy home/garden through a lot of good and bad experiences.

I lived in the desert too and loved everything about it. Am sure all the dirt movement has caused the critters to take on a job of finding a new home too. If you start meeting them at the hardware store with paint in hand, I bet they would have some stories to tell you too about their being shaken from their homes.

Wow, a rain to make things a bit rougher in getting this done. But on the other hand, good for settling the earth around your place. Love seeing the pics and can feel your total excitement about all.

The old towel trick and a rug by the door works wonders for muddy feet and is right by my washer so I can just throw them in. I also have two outdoor rugs, one by the base of the steps and one at the door. This has cut down on mud by the time he reaches indoors. Sometimes the paws still need a dunk in water, but not often. The floor is wood, but I've given up trying to keep this new. Life is for living.

Sorry about your pinkies. I had a major slice a couple of years ago on a Sunday and sat in the ER for 6 hours. By then it was too late for stitches. So, I too doctored myself and it turned out fine. To heck with rushing about for help, just keep it clean and watch the healing. You definitely need a first aide kit put together. So much happening and possibilities to be prepared for.

Have used peroxide my whole life, but then heard that it actually gets rid of the cells we need for healing. I just keep using it and can't figure out what they mean by this. Probably a marketing stunt to use other things since it still remains inexpensive.

Awesome, Steph! I saw that front door design, and it is really an eye catcher. There is a lot of space in this house, and the ceilings do not feel low at all.

I rather like the fireplace design, but if both stone type and color don't please you, something can be done. Do you have propane gas out there? No way for natural gas to be run way out where you are, but maybe a propane fireplace? Do you cook with gas too?

And now all at once you have to come up with appliances and floors and curtains, and a/c does it work, or do you have plans for a swamp cooler....now that I know about those things, I'm enchanted by them. They'd work for YOU, in that dry place.

I really am impressed with all the space you'll have. You'll be like a hermit crab. Move out of the shell she's outgrown, and into a bigger one. Only take from the old what will really fit. Then cut yourself loose from the rest of it, both emotionally and physically. The first thing will be cutting loose emotionally, seeing that you can live without something.

Love it... wow, I go to bed early last night and look what is blossoming in the desert!

" I suppose your summer there goes on and on and on, though."

well, sort of... our REAL summer will end (hopefully) within a month. it has been still in triple digits into mid Oct before tho. Then it'll go down to the 90's, maybe the 80's (daytime) by Nov. It's been pretty hot here the last few days. I'm so ready for the over 103 temps to go away forever.

flowerlady - it's gonna take a lot of work (and money) to turn it into livable space. The mantel is the only part of the fireplace I like. I could have an insert put in I guess. I just don't like it well enough to put the money into it. will have to find out what it will cost to remove it. I have found someone who works on mfg homes - that's his bz. he came out the other day but we couldn't get in anyway.
don't let me cause you to get up and do something - I'm not! not yet anyway... too hot here and girl dog keeps me busy feeding her, walking her and cleaning up after her...

the pinky is healing amazingly fast. it's come so far since just Thurs it's hard for me to believe- if I didn't see it for myself! I'm gonna have dbf try this stuff on some 'owie' (maybe my boy can nip his finger again?) and if it works for him have him use it on his foot stub.

emagineer - you're welcome for coming on the 'ride' with me. I figured you all are like me in that - I love seeing all the pics of everything so thought you would also.

so you know what it's like out in the desert. so different than other areas (with grass, humidity etc) but sooo beautiful too. there are a few things I don't like about it - like rattlers. you get something like that anywhere you live tho. I have seen a massive number of black ants racing around on the west end of mfg home. they seem to be in a frenzy... packing up maybe? I hope I don't meet all of them at the hardware tho. They've got a lot of options for a new home here on my land!

I think I'll just put down an old towel for the furbabies if they have muddy feet. I was glad to see there's a door between 'living' space and the utility room so I can contain them until feet are clean/dry!

I didn't have a thing here for my finger! I wrapped a folded kleenex around it and taped with scotch tape! then I did go buy bandaids and ointment. I need those things. I now also have a splinter owie. got the wood piece out. I think...but it's sore and reddish. I'm using peroxide on it - I survived childhood on it so it'll do. and it IS still cheap!

moccasin - the ceiling angles up - if you look real closely in the top right corner you can just barely see the start of the angle. it sure helps give the feeling of space! it isn't cave like! the door you see (closed) is the 'screen' door. not a screen tho, it's all metal with thousands of little holes in it - and it has a very good lock on it! I was so happy this place has that type at the front and back doors. the dogs can't go thru those! I can keep the regular door open and lock those. the dogs will be able to see out a bit (maybe not girl. not sure she's seeing a lot of anything anymore). I'll take a close up pic of it later and post.
no gas lines out here. all electric. I could get a propane tank but don't want to - too dangerous.

It has a range in it - but the top corner (where oven door closes) looks like a car bumped into it or something. bent.
it also has a dw (2 even!) 1 is dead on the LR floor and the one in place really isn't 'in place', it's sort of lopsided... dbf thinks it's fine (eyeroll). men! that'll be replaced asap. I'll take my fridge over there - it's still purring along, tho 12 yrs old now. The fridge in there will have to find a new home.

dbf will be finding an a/c for it. he probably has a few lying around one of his equipment yards from some prev office, building he had. I'd prefer a swamp cooler - at least for 10.5 months of the yr! having both is probably too much to deal with tho - plus the water access to it.

It's about double the space I have now. everything to the right (east) of about a foot or so right of the slider is mstr bdrm and bath. bath along the backside, bdrm to the front.

to the left of LR front is kitchen, then bath and bdroom. to the left (west) of the fireplace is utility room, bedrm and another bdrm. The bdrm that shares a wall with the utility room is the one I want to knock part of the wall out - on the side facing the kitchen, so it opens into the kitchen.

lol! I've been living w/o most of my 'stuff' for 14 yrs now... will be glad to see most of it again. what doesn't make it in new place will go. This is the last stop I plan before Home. After I'm settled in (probably next summer while I stay in out of the heat) I plan to go thru all boxes etc. I have tons of stuff from the kids paternal ggma and gma's houses - and a few things from my mom. I plan to photo them and put in a photo album with info on each. Sort thru what's worth keeping for the kids and what isn't. pack stuff for each in a plastic bin and store in a back bdrm closet for them. some stuff will be kept handier to get to them whenever I can for them to have now. All excess (or not used) household stuff - curtains, utensils, dishes etc) will go if not in use here. except gma's good china - tho, I'll use that. that's what it's for! dbf and i have in the past ordered pizza in and used the good china and silver for it! and her good linen napkins. yeah!

Probably most of 1 closet in the back room will be family heirlooms for the kids to go thru and divide up.
that alone will be a big job to do.

having those extra closets (2 walkins too) and pantry will sure help with storage. So will having bookcases again!

Steph ~ It might take less $$ than you think, if you think of paint, for cosmetic, and simple other changes, instead of major renovation. Your place is really neat and I'm happy for you.

Do you realize what it's going to feel like when you open boxes, etc. to see things that have been packed away for 14 years? Some you'll want to get rid of, some you'll want to decorate with, so have fun during the whole process. It sounds like you've already got plans to work with your stuff and that's great.

Have a great weekend ~ FlowerLady

Oh yeah, it will be like Christmas when you start unpacking your stuff. How fun! I am really enjoying seeing all this happen for you. What is the stuff you are putting on your finger to make it heal so fast?

flowerlady - thx for your post. I mostly plan on just the cleaning, painting and flooring for now. I might want that door between bdrm and kitchen done fairly soon too. otherwise, I think a lot can wait until after the first of the yr. i'll have plenty to do just cleaning and clearing stuff from here to there (and stuff dbf has in storage will even come a bit later).
getting me and the dogs settled over there and this one removed will be a major milestone. then I have to plant some trees and bushes before it gets too cold.

I think I have enough curtains for most windows. they don't all even need anything really. and I can manage fine with the appliances I have - except the dw. that I'll need. so starting out, other than flooring I don't need much. a cleaning lady would be good tho - lol!

yes, it'll be interesting to see all the 'stuff' again. i have a lot of lovely treasures I inherited. I'm planning to rotate some around a few times a yr (keep in cabinet in storage bdrm when in hibernation). I have too much to put out at one time - this way I can enjoy the different things without being too cluttered.

I hope after the holidays I have the strength and money to work on redoing the kitchen - and the outside needs attention and painted. I'll have to hire the upper part out anyway - I'm afraid of heights and couldn't be trusted to remain safe on a ladder.

I'll be so glad to have more space and open space for girl to walk around in. she shouldn't have to walk backwards anymore! I keep telling her how she'll be able to run around over there... I'll have to work on a 'step up' to the bed for her tho since she's having trouble making it up now.

this stuff is called ASAP SOL (solution) and I heard about it on TV. The doctor behind it has seemingly great credentials (Dr Pederson, I think Gordon is his first name) and they say even our military is stocking up on it. Supposedly great for burns. I listened to them so often being skeptical of it and since I don't heal well these days I started looking online for it. found a tube of the gel on Amazon for about 16.00 and thought i'd give it a try. I just got it last Thursday. It did surprise me how quickly it worked on my finger! I wish I could have gotten a good pic of my finger on Friday to show the difference.

I also used it on my elbow - psoriasis (the dry skin thing, not liver damage). I always get those mixed up. my elbow has been very painful lately - I've had that a good number of yrs and tried stuff the doctor recommended and then used Mary Kay night cream - now that worked pretty good too. But since I put this stuff on it Thurs night by Friday afternoon I could tell a major difference! it's almost all smoothed over now from cracked and flaking! I tried it there before feeling safe enough to put on my finger. If this continues to help my elbow I'll be recommending it to my sister who has this stuff in a major way all over her body. She has been to doctors for yrs and yrs and tried every treatment out there for it. I didn't put any on the elbow yesterday so I will tonight.

I bought a baby's bible on Amazon too for my gson so I didn't even have to pay postage. They do have a smaller tube of it but I wanted to hit the 25.00 mark anyway.

Steph,
Not too long ago I actually liked cleaning house. It included a little adventure to mess with things I hadn't really looked at for awhile.

Going through your boxes will be like the history of your life. I never minded moving either because of this, things forgotten and many remembered.

Since one of the first things your going to do is paint. Wouldn't it be fast and easier to have someone come in and spray the whole place empty? At the price of paint, I'd bet this would even be cheaper than doing it yourself and he may have a quicker way to clean beforehand too. You could add color later. Just a thought.

Glad your pinkies are better. And yes I know the desert. It is beautiful in the spring, I was always surprised at how incredibly bright the flowers were on such spindly plants. Getting rid of tumble weeds was a pain, they just don't let go when the wind runs them into corners. I had great gardens and the right things grew well. One I was always surprised at was roses which I'm a terrible keeper of.

"how incredibly bright the flowers were on such spindly plants"

this is so true! the bloom of the desert after a rainy early spring is just incredible!

i love roses but wouldn't attempt them here. I've had cacti die...

I'll ask around about the spray painting. most rooms will be the same - Navajo white. my bdrm and bath will be different.

here's a close up of a piece of that 'screen' door -

and here's a pic of what someone considered an outdoor light fixture -

OH Steph That screen door is wonderful. Wish we had one here like that. And we DO have those same plastic light fixtures on the front and back. the guy broke the globe and was freaked out I would get mad at him. Well no way I had a pretty globe to fit is knowing some day I too would be replacing it. Still has not happened though. Sort of forgot about it.

The funny part is the back light is still the round globe and looks like a moon. So I told neighbor he would know I was Mooning him at night when that light went on. We laugh about it. He is a fun guy.

TOtally loving that door. I want one!!!

DBF is fixing you up with a really nice place.

AND we painted the outside of one of our houses Navajo White and a pretty gray. LOVED it.

That is a really pretty door. It looks stronger than the screen door we have, which would be really good when the dog jumps on it.

Dh & Bil just got home from the lease and bil had cut two of his fingers, and I just snipped the end of my finger with a pair of kitchen sheers. I told him I had just read of something to speed healing and worked on psoriasis too and he wants me to send him a link. I can't find anything called ASAP SOL. Is it also called Silver Shield? Or can you link to the one you bought on Amazon?

here's a site with the metal screen doors. security doors... they can be very expensive with designs on them. mine are not... lol! I love them anyway - they'll allow me to have doors open without dog damage or escaping and feel secure also.

http://www.firstimpressionsecuritydoors.com/products/security-screen-doors/southwest

i hope your BIL heals quickly! you too! if I could think of something to put some in I'd squeeze some into it and send you! It's a gel. the site below has option of 1 oz tube or 4 oz. i looked for the pic on the tube because it's just like they showed on tv. there are other things out there with similar names and I wanted to be sure to get the same stuff I saw.

my finger is hardly noticeable anymore and doesn't hurt either. i took a shower earlier and didn't even think to put a plastic glove on it. It didn't burn with the soap, shampoo or conditioner.

Here is a link that might be useful: amazon silver sol

Thanks Steph! I'm going to buy some & I bet bil will too. Too bad you can't get a commission on it. lol

shades - geeze. plastic lights. mine don't have any globes with them. I don't think the light bulb should be open to the elements like that. the front one is metal (or looks it from my view below it). I'll get 3 of something so they go together - but not expensive. I think you can get nice ones for little $'s for porch lights. I hope anyway.

I was thinking of painting the outside a desert beige color with brown trim, BUT I want the purple door (someone here has it - enigma?) so I think grey would go with it better. Light grey with darker grey trim. I did see one painted like that yrs ago over by one of dbf's properties. I'll have to drive by (I do that on a regular basis anyway - it's on my way to some stores i go to) and see if it's still grey. it's a bit hidden now by dbf's building on his acreage (he leases it out). I saw it before he bought the land and put that bldg on it.

My sister has the navajo white thru her whole house. I was gonna do that also, it seemed the easy way to go. Then I saw idie's bedroom...

dbf has a good heart. I think he'd like to see me get somewhat back to where I was before I got sick - unpacked. lol! and he knows I'm not getting any younger and need to sort thru all of this stuff - and he knows it'll take me a long time. He doesn't want me to die and leave it to him to deal with along with my kids - lol!

Earlier I headed out to the flooring store - and got a flat tire about 13 miles from home. My tire guy had moved his bz from about 2 miles away to another town, so I called dbf. He got his older son, 2 tires, a jack etc and found me and changed both of my front tires. guess he didn't want me calling again in a few hours... by then I was exhausted so I just headed home!

I might try the flooring store tomorrow. I hope my back tires are ok. I kept the non flat front tire for a spare.

" Too bad you can't get a commission on it. lol"

wouldn't that be great! you and BIL should share some to start and see how you like it. 4 oz is a fairly big tube. I didn't think it would be this big.

dbf said he'd try it on his footless... I'd rather he tried it on another owie first. hmmm... should I bite him or hit him? lol!

Steph,
I have had those same screen doors on my houses for 13 yrs. The are definitely dog proof and the neat thing is no one can see inside. This bugs people when they are on my steps and I won't open the door. They are actually security doors, but being white and other colors they come in, I think nice looking and not like I'm in a bad neighborhood.

Glad your healing up well.

Do those screens have smaller bug screening in them as well? I'd like something like that on our garage.

I wish bil lived closer, then we could get just one tube. But he lives over an hour away and we don't see them that often.

thx emagineer !
i'll feel safer also when i keep my doors open.

marti - they don't need regular screening on them. those holes are very, very small. I don't know what could make it thru them.

that's too bad you and BIL don't live close. my sister is just down the road so i'll be able to share with her. if she finds it works good for her i'm sure she'll then buy her own tube.

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Hey Steph, you can get what they call MARINE LIGHTS. They have the metal "face mask" (like on a football helmet) which covers the glass globe. There is an o-ring in there which makes the light part of it waterproof. I have one inside my shower. It was the kind of lighting fixture we had on the big boats I worked on, so I was used to them.

The metal grillwork will keep the screen door from slamming on anything that breaks...unless the door dints itself?

Steph, thats a nice screen door. I looked at something similiar in Lowes (but not as pretty). They had them with or without glass. I like to keep the doors open, as much as possible. The lock is broken on my back screen, so I have been considering replacing it with a security door because it has a key.

moccasin - you have a light in your shower? wow...
I saw some on Lowe's site that were a bit similar. they hang vertically and don't have the metal covering on the globe. they do have that little thing you unscrew to let the globe down to replace the bulb tho. I hate those. but the ones that are open at the bottom don't have much room for a hand. unless it's a very tiny hand! the ones I saw were only about 20.00 - sort of look like what's on there now except black and with a globe. very plain. if I don't see something southwestern cheap I'll probably just get 2 of those for the back and maybe something else for the front. I measure the space and it's about 5" wide for the base. they might have more options in the store. the screen opens away from the light - on both doors.

idie - that's a good door for security. not as easy as just slitting a screen to reach in and unlock the door. I wish they had a slider screen with that at least on the bottom part - for the dogs.

Steph, with the light above, the globe unscrews too, and the threads are inside for the glass globe, outside for the metal frame. You can put some vaseline or whatever on the threads to keep the threads from corroding at all, which is what we'd do on the boats, and of course there was a neoprene o-ring that sealed out any moisture from the electrical parts. It is a good choice in a wet environment. (Which might not be a descriptive term for ARIZONA DESERT.)

If you are interested, I'll look it up for you.
But yes, in the shower it is a good feature. To have it up high and on the wall required no wiring down low or across the shower ceiling. I've always liked the way boating equipment is designed to be water proof or at least water resistant.

Steph, below is the link to Oceanic Electrical home page. Their list of markets served includes home decorating and landscaping, interior and exterior, pendants, wall mount, and ceiling mount. They also make things which are spark proof in hazardous environments (gas fumes) and water proof.

I like their styles. You might find something you like there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Marine style lighting source

moccasin - those are some nice lights! i can see why you like them. I bet they're more than 20-30 $s each tho... I loved that the globes come in colors... I'd stay away from the red tho. OTOH that could be good for an emergency signal to a neighbor.

I'm too poor to pay much for the lights - even if I find a SWern one i like it's sure to be more than 30.00 and I think I should limit it to that. I need 3 - plus a few (plus) inside need replaced based on they are UGLY.

I found these 2 at lowe's. both plain but would do the job - cheaply. it'll probably be the first one unless I find something better for the price in the store.

around 25.00 with clean lines. I'd have to see how my chubby little fingers fit for changing the bulb. it's better I don't have to mess with those little screws and chance dropping the globe since things seems to jump out of my hands. I remember changing bulbs in the screw on globe type yrs ago. max wattage is 100w

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this one is about 21.00. I like it, again clean, simple lines - this one has a frosted globe. has the little screws tho and max wattage is 60w.

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I like that second one!

marti - I do too! but i have to think about the ease of changing the bulbs for me. the other would be easier IF it isn't to tight of a squeeze to get my fingers in there.

I went over and looked at the one on the front of mfg home. it's very similar to the 1st one. I might be able to even re use that one. When I paint (me? someone...) next spring it can come down so I can clean it up and repaint it.

but looks wise, I like #2 also.