The Tale of The Toilets

 Hey, there!  Some weird weather here yesterday and today....it is NOT supposed to be this cold this late in April!  Honestly, I am a bit worried about these apple trees, as they are just beginning to bloom.

 And, the pear trees?  Fully blooming as of this morning! 

A quick update on the ducks before we get to the real story...

The new guys, Big and Rich, have settled in nicely.  They comfortably peruse the pond and forage on the bank.  The mallard that has decided to stick around "claimed"  Reba.  The issue?  He sometimes gets rather aggressive towards Big and Rich when they move in close...or when food is involved.

STILL not finding Reba's eggs.  It is quite the mystery.  

It would be pretty fun, however, if , one day I am resting on the porch or meandering around the pond and see sweet little ducklings!

As for the cottage project...remember a few months ago when I suggested in a post that it would be completed by "end of March or early-April"??  I was wrong.

With the cost of finished lumber SO high right now, Don decided to buy rough lumber and mill it himself.  It turned out beautiful!

And, then there's the bathroom...Don wanted a specific type of toilet.  A rear discharge set-up.  These are available by order only through Home Depot.  It took SIX weeks for the first one to be delivered to our local store!

When Don arrives for pick-up, he and the store associate discover it is broken!  Oye!  Another order is placed at a 20% discount.  Well, at least we're saving a bit of money!

Two weeks later, toilet number 2 arrives....BROKEN AGAIN!  The manager places a rush order for a new one and takes 30% off this time.  

Four days later, Don gets a call that toilet number THREE is at the store.  We hold our breath in anticipation as he heads to the store for pickup...

The seat and bowl are in one piece, but the back, the tank piece, is cracked! 

(Ya just can't make this stuff up!)

 So, he takes the good piece and the store manager orders yet another toilet for us in hopes that the next deliver includes an undamaged tank.

FINALLY!  Yesterday's pick-up yielded a whole tank.  And, we ended up getting the whole unit for HALF the original cost.... albeit 9 weeks after we began this journey!

As the final stage of this not-so-little project unfolds, I will share more photos with ya'll.  As the orchard develops over the next several months, I'll be sure to share THAT too!

In the meantime, a couple of spring photos from around the farm....