Good morning!!!!

[txdon]

Don, this weekend is the Wendish fest, and I see the fish fry is next weekend.

Yes I know. But My one trip a week to Lee county this week was for Mom's birthday party. Next week we meet with the House cleaner for her.
We had a high water detour on loop 79 in Taylor going there and had to turn around on FM 112 on the way back as water was crossing the road. We saw a big wheeled hi rise pickup that make it through the water on the road but when he got to our side he motioned for us to turn around. It must have scared him even though his clearance was about a foot higher than the Subaru's. The best thing at the wendishfest is the fresh corse grind corn meal that they make on site.

 

[Buppies]

Ed I値l still bet everybody had fun

 

[mostly_gas]

Good evening all. 69F this morning, rain, calm wind. Rain gauge was full when emptied this morning( 6 1/4 in), another 5 in in gauge tonight, more heavy rain approaching on radar. 2 ft over road north of us, low water south was closed this morning, but was open at dinner time so we could go out to eat Was supposed to go for bike ride but all day rain fixed that:irked: Did spend nice day with wife :thumbsup:
Happy belated birthday Mrs Kyle :drink:
Drew, the end is in sight .
Thomas, chowder sounds good on a day like today.
Ted nice work on the sink.
Prayers for all

 

[sodamo]

As said, best laid plans.
Morning was never rainy, just misty and threatening. Enough i decided not to mow. On my todo list is the refurb of two metal patio tables. So today became the day.
Turns out they were completely rusted under the existing paint layer

Lots of wire brushing, scraping, and sanding.

The wrought iron bases were in much better shape, just wire brushing before priming. Just rattle can paint, the rust inhibitor primer then finish coat.

Happy with the results even if it too way longer than anticipated.

 

[sodamo]

Topic i’d like to throw out for discussion.
I’m sure most of us on the down slope of the age curve have had thoughts. How do I leave things for my significant other? My discussion with my financial planner last week and I’m confident that financially, we have a good plan in place regardless of who goes first. And with the planner being aware, he’ll be able to step in and assist with the financial aspects.
But what about the physical aspects? If i predecease wife will she be able to take care of the day to day requirements to live here? I’ll guess that may have been a factor in Don choosing Sun City. Funny thing is there are 3 single women of similar ages that live on the street, 1 longer and 2 about same length of time as us. And they do very well. No doubt she is aware what needs to be done, but not getting any younger either. One of my thoughts (but slow to implement) is the hiring of someone to do what I term caretaker stuff. Someone familiar with the off grid systems (catchment, PV, generator) that can perform the basics as well as some mowing/weedeating. My plan includes building a studio type residence so I that person is on site.
Just curious as to other thoughts.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Topic i’d like to throw out for discussion.
I’m sure most of us on the down slope of the age curve have had thoughts. How do I leave things for my significant other? My discussion with my financial planner last week and I’m confident that financially, we have a good plan in place regardless of who goes first. And with the planner being aware, he’ll be able to step in and assist with the financial aspects.
But what about the physical aspects? If i predecease wife will she be able to take care of the day to day requirements to live here? I’ll guess that may have been a factor in Don choosing Sun City. Funny thing is there are 3 single women of similar ages that live on the street, 1 longer and 2 about same length of time as us. And they do very well. No doubt she is aware what needs to be done, but not getting any younger either. One of my thoughts (but slow to implement) is the hiring of someone to do what I term caretaker stuff. Someone familiar with the off grid systems (catchment, PV, generator) that can perform the basics as well as some mowing/weedeating. My plan includes building a studio type residence so I that person is on site.
Just curious as to other thoughts.

We have thought of those 'physical' requirements, and wifey basically can run / troubleshoot the mechanical aspects of the house. She also knows all of the financial stuff. We have planned "who gets what" as far as stuff like jewelry, tools, and equipment.

Whether it all comes to fruition, who knows. I think a lot depends how 'old' the surviving spouse is, whether they are physically able to run the homestead. If they are 80 or 90.... Might be difficult.

 

[daugen]

Good morning all.
Drew, the end is in sight .
for me or the driveway?

miserable problems with leg cramps last night, trip to shower, then trip to hot tub, that big muscle in the very front of your leg, just knots up on me, sure gets your attention. Maybe I worked the kinks out so today won't be so bad.

watched a video of NC highway workers and firemen hosing dead fish off the main road into Wilmington. I have friends who still aren't back home there.

Emotional needs and physical needs upon passing of spouse.
Particularly women, feeling of terrible loss and insecurity, no matter how much life insurance money there is.
Having a plan for where to live is most important. Too often a distraught spouse makes decisions too quickly; i.e. I have to sell this house, too many memories, I can't afford it any more, etc. It's good to make plans while healthy, knowing that not all plans work out.
Important that spouse understand finances, knows burial wishes, knows where all legal papers are. Everything has to be in writing and legal or terrible problems can occur caused by kids not on same page.

My MIL that I'm seeing next Sunday is 93 and still living in her big house. All her friends have died and the thought of a "nursing home" is too dreadful to her, despite the fact she can afford the nicest Quaker run CCC locally. One I can't afford to get in...
Get rid of fear and worry and you give your surviving spouse a huge gift. My MIL was not taking all her prescriptions because she was worried about the drug copays being so expensive. And she sure can afford it. It was all mental. No matter how much money survivors have, they worry about it and a good plan can help reduce that worry. It seems like common sense, but having gone over all these issues with families for almost ten years, it was the exception not the rule to who had their ducks in line.
Organizing that information for remaining spouse is a great gift for them, one less thing to worry about.
Living wills super important. Will, Power of Attorney, Medical end of life instructions; if you don't have them all carefully organized for your spouse, you should really make it a priority.

Lastly, think about the support system available, where are the kids, close friends, etc. This is where being in a place like where Don moved to is wonderful. Moving in with the kids is not always such a hot idea for anyone.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Good morning all, 58 going to 61 with an 80-50% chance of rain. Already have 1.20 and still raining. Not near what other have had but that is OK by me. Plan to take it easy today, spend time with wife and boy.

Buppies, Yes it was a good time, didn't want to make it look bad in any way. The boy was very tired when we got home, after a nap wife asked it he felt better and he said yeah. That is a big thing. He only says 4 or 5 words and they don't answer questions, just words he uses. He has said 6 or 7 other words in his life that we know of and yeah is a new one. Hope that one sticks around.

Prayers for everyone with the rain and other needs. Have a great day. Ed

 

[txdon]

Topic i’d like to throw out for discussion.
I’m sure most of us on the down slope of the age curve have had thoughts. How do I leave things for my significant other? My discussion with my financial planner last week and I’m confident that financially, we have a good plan in place regardless of who goes first. And with the planner being aware, he’ll be able to step in and assist with the financial aspects.
But what about the physical aspects? If i predecease wife will she be able to take care of the day to day requirements to live here? I’ll guess that may have been a factor in Don choosing Sun City. Funny thing is there are 3 single women of similar ages that live on the street, 1 longer and 2 about same length of time as us. And they do very well. No doubt she is aware what needs to be done, but not getting any younger either. One of my thoughts (but slow to implement) is the hiring of someone to do what I term caretaker stuff. Someone familiar with the off grid systems (catchment, PV, generator) that can perform the basics as well as some mowing/weedeating. My plan includes building a studio type residence so I that person is on site.
Just curious as to other thoughts.

On the morning thread, which is like a journal of all the things we do every week, it is easy to see that to live in a remote area you have to be physically able not only to maintain your buildings and property but also maintain the equipment to do the maintenance. If you have children nearby that have the time to take over for you when you physically cannot that is great but you will have to depend on them two to three days per week. I have constructed a support group for Mom that consist of a yard person, a house person, a personal aid person, and three close relatives to take her to appointments. We have also leased out the farm work to four separate people. This does not include the other people needed - Ac repair person, septic tank plumber, small appliance repair person, etc. . I have had to turn from helping Mom, to managing the help because there is too much. David you might want to build an apartment. You have to remember that you both are working more than 40 hours a week to maintain the house, property, maintenance equipment and yourselves.

There is a point when you will have to move. If you want to stay where you are at till they carry you out start preparing your support team and someone to manage your support team. What you and your wife do cannot be done by one person especially when you add in personal care that you are providing each other now.

 

[Eric Salop]

Just curious as to other thoughts.

David, I can see the logic in having someone on site who is dependant on the same water and electricity supply as they will have a vested interest in keeping that working well. If you already have guest accommodation, would your wife want to keep that going, or could that be used for a live in caretaker without more building work ?

I'm not sure if my wife will want to still live here when I'm gone. We planned this place with a bedroom and bathroom downstairs and put enough ground source heat pump pipes in the field to be able to heat the whole house relatively efficiently with electricity, instead of having to burn wood all the time. It would certainly be possible for it to be a "forever" home, if that's what she wants.

I have started to simplify some parts of our house so that it will be much easier for her to get someone in to do any repairs come the day I'm not here. For example, up to this year I had our hot water solar panels arranged to divert any excess heat into our underfloor heating system. Now it is back to two separate systems that any good plumber or electrician can readily take on.

My hope is that she will find a caring younger lover with good DIY skills - ideally only after I am dead

 

[Eric Salop]

Some heavy showers are going to make me rethink what I planned to do today. Maybe just as well as yesterdays visit by the grand kids has taken it's toll, the young one is getting heavy to carry around and my arms would appreciate a bit of a rest.

Ed - yeah :thumbsup:

 

[wngsprd]

60 and hard rain going to 64 and more rain.

Ted, that tile work is beautiful.

Drew, driveway is looking real good. But you overworked yourself, right?

Buppies, sorry you have a leak...I think I have one and finding the source is proving to be nearly impossible.

Ed, glad you had a nice drive up in Shenandoah NP...I'm itching to get back there. Adding a word to the vocabulary, especially a positive one, is good news.

David, we've begun the talk but don't have a plan yet...my wife says taking care of our place will be too much for just her. She's never driven the tractor or lawnmower, and only one son lives near (40 miles roundtrip). You have a special challenge since you are your own utility.

Spent a few hours mowing yesterday. I finally caught up except one small flooded area in the frisbee field. Moved a couple of wheelbarrows of field rocks to fill in the outlet of my French drain now that I've had a couple of turns watching it drain out during a hard rain. My accumulated rock pile is getting small.

Need to hit the gym today and pick up some groceries. Wife is still out of town .

There's a new tropical storm Kirk out there headed for the Caribbean.

 

[wngsprd]

My hope is that she will find a caring younger lover with good DIY skills - ideally only after I am dead

Now there's a plan the two of you can agree on!

 

[RoyJackson]

2018-09-23, 0636
41 right now...high in the mid-60's today.

Did pretty much everything I planned yesterday....tractor is set up for winter. Probably just knock around today...

 

[wngsprd]

Don, great plan for your mom.

 

[ronjhall]

Poured second cup of coffee. 42° with clear skies this morning. Heading to 70° with sunny skies. Got my projects done yesterday. Except, saved the Menards trip for today. 11% off everything this week. Do some Garden Pond maintenance today. First time to use the lift arm I made to lift net frame up so I can vacuum pond bottom. Then relax.

LS, nice job on the sink base.

Drew, doing drive coating is not easy work. Pace yourself. Wife had me pick her up some Theraworx for her leg cramps. She says it works. But is not long term.

Ed, glad your son enjoyed the trip and found a new word. :thumbsup:

RNG, along with Blue Sea I used a lot of Ancor products.

David, some good thoughts on preparing for that day. I have been thinking about these things especially with my coming surgery. We have all the legal papers in order. But would like to do a trust. Also do a Lady Bird Deed for house and property. Beyond that I do not see how my wife could maintain this place. But she could hire people to do the chores. We have 2 sons that are very concerned about our health and care. That helps a lot. But they are 30 and 700 miles away. They would both be by here in a flash when needed. I started making a list of different documents and their locations. Have also started a internet, password list for whomever has to close up my accounts. Also a list of insurances, accounts and savings. Hope I get the chance to say goodby like my friend did. Tuff thing to do. But very helpful to those left behind. As for how to keep this place running. I have a complete list for wife and sons. Getting rid of our stuff will be the biggest challenge. Looking forward to others thoughts on this subject.

Kyle, our visit to the Wendish museum a couple years ago was a very enlightening experience.

Payers for all those in need.

Good Morning All.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Good Morning!!!! 67F @ 4:15AM. Sunny. High 84F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.

The future is uncertain, you can make plans, but you have to remain flexible as things change. Don has a good strategy in building a support team, that's exactly what my late friend's widow has done and she seems to be keeping up her little lavender farm just fine. We all do so many things for ourselves, but finding the right people to take on those jobs, and do them well and reliably, is a daunting prospect. It can have a major impact on the family budget, too, so that's worth planning for as well. Lots to think about, and get ready for. I have another friend that is helping an older buddy through a cancer diagnosis and treatment. There wasn't much planning done, the old guy is in bankruptcy, and the only family is estranged. There is no will, power of attorney, or advance directive in place, just spoken desires to "take care of me". My friend has his hands full I think, and his buddy is very lucky to have him around.

Keep chipping away at that driveway, Drew, maybe taking smaller bites. It'll take more days to complete that way, but you'll get there eventually.:thumbsup:

The Blue Seas fuse panel was a very nice design, but after printing up a full size version of a couple of them, I found there just wasn't room enough on the old motorcycle. I've used a Centech AP-2 on two other bikes, and now have another on order for this one. Not as waterproof, but smaller, and proven over many years and miles. I did get a Blue Seas grounding bus bar, though, and it also looks to be very well made. Both should be here tomorrow; gotta love that Amazon Prime guaranteed two day shipping!

Managed to pull all the right pieces together yesterday and got the carbs and associated cables installed on the old BMW. Then took all the leftovers and put them in one box for when it's time to put together the other R80 G/S that's still up in the rafters. Hopefully some day that'll save me some hunting around.

I purchased a little LCD display that shows the time, temperature, and alternator voltage, and need to figure out where it will be mounted. The handlebars on this bike have one of those old school reinforcing bars across the middle, and I was thinking that would be a good place, but it'll be a tricky job making up the mounts to attach it and I'm not sure how easy it'll be to see there. More head scratching is needed.:confused3:

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend!

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Ron makes a good point about leaving a breadcrumb trail for a caregiver to follow. I use a password manager on the computer to keep track of all the logins for banks, utilities, and pretty much everything else, and also an electronic note or two listing where things are and account contact information. The password for the computer and password manager is on a piece of paper in the folder with the will, advance directive, and other estate related paperwork, so as long as my caregiver can find that folder, things should be fine. I just worry about that folder disappearing should someone burglarize the house! Perhaps I need to keep that stuff in a safe, and make sure my caregiver has the combo?:confused3:

 

[Buppies]

60 coolish degrees this morning still very wet and cloudy outside. Part of our road was closed last night due to a mud slide too much rain and more on the way but by next weekend much cooler temperatures maybe even 30s for lows

Good topic Sodamo one we all need to pay attention to and have plans laid out

Prayers for all of those in need spoken or silent

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Brought dad my old rotary mower. I havent used it in yrs.
Course he had to try it. Little small for the tractor. Checked gear box after trying it, was pretty much empty, so filled it. But where did the gear oil go? Has to be a bad seal somewhere.

Lives alone on the farm. He still has a few cows, made some hay last summer, but didnt need much. Getting very hard for him to get around.

We got them to do wills and trusts, poa, several yrs ago. Helped a lot when mom died to have all the paperwork.