Java Momma: Captain's Log #16

Thursday, September 15 – the girls and I arrived around 6:00 pm. All was well; the tent was still standing as well as the cabin. Set up the sleeping bag and fixed myself some chef-boy-r-dee spaghetti with meatballs. Funny. I remember them being so much better! It rained on and off all night and was very cold and windy as well. Neither the girls nor I slept well this night!

Friday, September 16 – got up around 7:00. Fixed coffee and the girls and I went for our morning “walk-about”. I set up a tent for “Uncle Rick” who was coming to help us, then went back to the cabin and attempted to sweep off the rain water on the cabin floor with my tent broom. Not very productive but it helped to warm me up. Waited for the contractors to arrive. They showed up about 9:00 and had the last 4 trusses flipped and in place in less than an hour. The girls and I hiked the back 40 for a spell and then I watched the workers put on our roof. Around 1:00, Jim, the contractor, told me that Home Depot had sent the incorrect size of metal roofing. We had 3 solutions. 1) Cut off the overhang, not recommended by Jim and I agreed whole heartedly! 2) Take back the roofing and get the correct length! But I had no way of doing that, so we opted for 3) getting 2’ sections from a metal roofing place that had recently opened up in Great Falls. Jim called the company and miraculously the call went through, he ordered what we needed and said it was an emergency and off the girls and I went into G.F. for the slice pieces. The crew stayed and put up all the rest of the sheathing, felt and incorrect tin. I met them on the road to the cabin on my way back at 3:20. They had done all they could for the day and would be back in the a.m. to finish up. The girls and I cleaned up the cabin floor of saw dust and cigarette butts with my mini broom. I then attempted to bake biscuits in the Dutch oven to go along with my chef-boy-r-dee ravioli’s; again not as good as I had remembered! The crew used up my water supply so the girls and I made a water run. The wind came up with a vengeance and the cold settled in. I left the tent zipper partly open for the girls to come and go in the night and at one point they both charged out of the tent barking up a storm! I was too cold to care! If it was a bear, just make the end quick!

And that was run #11. Remind me to recommend Home Depot to all of my friends.

Saturday, September 17 - Up at 7:00, Brrrrr! Made my coffee and waited for the contractor. They arrived around 9:00 and were done by 10:30. Home Depot, once again, provided us with the wrong items. We needed gable flashing to finish off the ends of the roof and they gave us end pieces. We will have to get the correct stuff and finish off the ends ourselves.

After the contractors left I sprayed all of the thistle growing around the house with round-up, unloaded all of the sheathing off of the trailer and contemplated heading home. I did not want to spend $$ on a hotel room and it was too late to drive all the way so moved the bed out of the tent and into the lee side of the cabin! The wind was relentless and I was not looking forward to an entire night of tent flapping! So I put a window in an opening I could reach with a ladder and closed up the other opening as best as I could with a blanket! Anything to help the wind from lambasting us all night! Again, we had a frantic barking incident in the middle of the night. A bright light shone in the cabin and went from one side to the other. I thought for sure the UFO had landed! But, alas, of course we were safe - the door was in! So cold, Jackie snuggled with me under the covers - Gracie on her own bed with tummy exposed thinkin' "this is what I'm talking about!"