the Purple Cow

Grandma Hunsaker taught elementary school for years.
Through the years it was common to see the following poem along with a picture (I improvised) on one of her bulletin boards.



THE PURPLE COW

by: Gelett Burgess (1866-1951)

NEVER saw a Purple Cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.

Moving along

The house is moving along. The first pic is from Monday, August 1 and the second from Friday August 5. Rain interrupted their work this week. The porticos (porch covernings) add a nice touch don't you think?

Church in the Bronx

Yesterday afternoon I drove down a typical street in the Bronx.


Along one side of the road is an underground parking lot ...



But this isn't an ordinary parking garage, it's parking for the Kingsbridge Ward church building. Actually few members park in the parking garage. Most walk or ride public transportation to church.



Further down the street is a cottage in a park where a famous American author and poet spent the last years of his life. His signature is posted on a sign by a park entrance (Edgar Allen Poe).



Here's the cottage. Notice what's in the background.



This is a better view of this side of the Kingsbridge church building.



The entrance on this street is protected by a steel door that stays down when not in use.



Here's the entrance with the door up (looks like the entrance to a typical church building).



And here's the Institute class I visited last night in the Kingsbridge building. It was Elder and Sister Cropper's last class. They go home tomorrow. Other called teachers and missionary couples will take their place in the important work of blessing the lives of the Young Single Adults in New York City.

A few more pics

A few more house pics. We were gone cabinet shopping Friday & Saturday so we'll post new pics tomorrow. Here's were they were before we left. Dedie was amazed at their fearlessness as they nailed boards way up high. She always remembers them in her prayers that they'll be safe.

Music Under the Stars

The West Point Band, adult army officers who serve at West Point to support the cadets, have a concert series in the summer on Sunday night called Music Under the Stars. It's great music in a great setting. Here's a pic of the Jazz Band, the Jazz Knights from a couple of weeks ago, and the Concert Band that performed tonight. Notice the great setting overlooking a bend in the Hudson River.

Raising the roof

These framers are amazing! Look what they've accomplished in two days!
It rained Monday so the house stayed covered until Tuesday when the upstairs walls were built. Then today they built the roof trusses from scratch. Notice in the fourth picture how the worker is swinging up the long truss boards up against the house. Then they lifted them in place to nail in place. Our house is on a long bend in the road so it really stands out with the second story and tall roof. I guess we won't paint it pink.

Remodel chapter one

Finally our remodel begins. Last Monday (July 18, 2011) workers came and started cutting off our roof and threw it in a dumpster. By Tuesday we could see sky in every room in our house. Then they put down new ceiling/floor joists then covered it with the subfloor for the second story. They were this far by Thursday (a very hot, humid day). Rain was predicted for Sunday so they skipped Friday and tarped the house for the weekend. Here are pics.