Well, after a little bit of sleep last night (guess my mind is thinking too much because I had a hard time sleeping) I headed back to the farm this morning.  They started pouring concrete around 10 AM in the morning.  The temperature was a lot colder last night than forecast.  It actually got down to 10-13 degrees!  So, that made for a BRRRRRRRR morning!

  At least the weather was nice.  Not a cloud in the sky today.  Beautiful day – just a little cold.

  Congratulations goes out to Mariah – she got her drivers license today!!!!  I know Dione is thrilled!!!!!!!!!

  They actually got most of the foundation poured.  Still a lot of work to go – but a very good start.  Everything is moving along quickly!!!!

  At 3 PM we went to Ballard County to pick up the tower (HDX 555 US Tower – Model) for emergency management.  It has been sitting at Herb Hendrickson’s farm since I bought it a few years ago.  This tower will go on the west side of my property and will hold the tower cam, digital television antenna, anemometer, and emergency management antennas.  This is the 55′ tower. 

  I wasn’t sure we would be able to get it up on the trailer.  Dylan and his friend helped us.  Daddy helped along with Joey and Tony.  So, with everyone working together we managed to get it up on the trailer and tied down.  Tony drove it over to Massac County.  We off-loaded it right as the sun was setting.

 

 
First truck of the day arrives – bringing chat/rock to lay down.  This is to keep the concrete trucks from
sinking.  The ground is frozen and is hard as a rock, though.  So, not a big deal.  Thankfully.  That could
change later this week.  Temperatures might approach 50 degrees by Friday.

 

Dumping chat

 

 

 

Laying down the driveway

 

Concrete truck arrives!  First of many.

 

 

 

Concrete is flowing!!!!  Foundation going in.

 

 

 

Concrete trucks came and went all day long.  Not sure how many loads – several. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Placing the flags for the tower.  It needs to be seven feet deep – then six feet by six feet.  Pretty big hole!

 

Joey – Dylan and Dylan’s friend – ready to move the tower.

 

Tony bringing the truck in

 

It weighs over 800 pounds.

 

Up on the truck!!!!

 

Tony trying to lift the tower 🙂

 

Taking the tower to Massac County! 

 

Arriving at the farm.  Time to unload the tower.

 

Sunset arriving!

 

And there it is.  Ready to go into the ground.

 

One of the big reasons I am moving to the farm.  The SUNSET view!!!!!

 

 

 

Sunset behind the big Oak Tree.   January 21, 2009!!!!

 

  Tomorrow we do it all over again! 

 

Dione’s emails from today on Mariah and the drivers license experience 🙂

Ok…so in a little under 2 hours my life as I know it will have changed. At this point I am still not sure if it is for the good or bad…I will let you know this time next year. I can’t believe how nervous I am, my palms are sweaty and my stomach feels a little nauseous…(is that how you spell that?)
Anyway, as our president (should that be a capital p?) said yesterday this is a new dawn….I am about to take my 16 year old daughter for her drivers test.

Only two things can happen today at 2:00 pm…neither of which are good. Either we will go there and she will pass her test and I will be in a worry mode for now until she turns 30 or she won’t get her license in which case I really worry for the police officer who doesn’t pass her. Either way today is not a good day. I shall return to work this afternoon and let you know the outcome but I would suggest either way you stay off the roads and /or don’t call Mariah until she takes her anger management pills.

I will try to post as to when she is driving and in what direction she is heading as often as I can but as you know…sometimes teenagers can take wrong turns…in that case…I am warning you know…that I take no responsibility as to what she hits and on what sidewalk she hit it.

God help us all.

Dione Stanford

Then later in the day 🙂

Ok…after Mariah and I left school we went by her dad’s house to get her contacts to which she forgot this morning.

She decided to try her hand at parallel parking since we had plenty of time before the test. So she pulls up next to the car in front of her dad’s house and trys her luck…after going forward and backing up a couple of times I feel that she has done the best she could and just let it be and go inside to get her contacts in so that we can go.

In the house she is having trouble getting one eyes contact in so I help her by putting in her eye which is now red, tearing and burning from two many fingers being put in it and half a bottle of liquid stuff that you are suppose to put on the contact. At one point she just tipped her head to the side and put the liquid right into her eye ((Don’t ask))…so anyway

We got it in and I walk outside to get into the car and I see the fruits of her labor of parallel parking. The car is setting on 3 tires and the 4th of which is on top of the curb. As I get into the car I’m thinking is this really a good thing…kids getting their license at 16. Shouldn’t maybe someone step up and change the laws.

Anyway, as we pull up into the parking lot the woman is there waiting on us. Mariah pulls up into the parking spot to try this thing called a driving test. I was trying to gather all my things and my purse so that I could get out of the car and leave Mariah to the test…the woman asks her to put her lights on, her windshield wipers all of which I showed her where they were. Then she asked her to turn on her hazard lights, at that time I panicked and pointed to the little red button on the dash for Mariah, at which time Mariah yelled at me to stop showing her where things are.

Needless to say when I got to the bench with another man waiting for his 16 year old son to get back, I wasn’t feeling to good. About 5 minutes later the man’s son came back with an "F" that would mean he flunked. I was not feeling very confident at this time at all. So Mariah pulls back into the parking lot with a huge smile on her face and I know at this moment that nothing will ever be the same again.

Dione

 

  It has been a long day!  They started on the foundation work early this morning.  There was snow on the ground when they started – it was white in Paducah.  We had enough to dust the ground.  Massac County had a little less.  Still, our first snowfall!

  After we finished at the farm we headed to Mayfield with a U-Haul truck.  Trying to go through everything and downsize even more.  Less is more.  🙂  I don’t want to mess with it this summer – so we are getting it finished now.

  Cold night.  We should dip down to 15-18 degrees.   Brrr!

  There could be a winter storm next week.  Everyone needs to stay tuned for this one.  Could be rough.

  My email forecast that I sent out this morning:

 

January 21, 2009

Threat:
Wintry precipitation – low confidence

Time Period:
Monday night into Tuesday

After the quiet weather of the last few days we are about to enter a more active weather pattern.  At this time it appears that precipitation will develop on Monday into Monday night/Tuesday morning.  As always, temperatures are going to be marginal across our counties to produce frozen precipitation.  A wintry mix is possible on Monday and Tuesday and then again later in the week (although the second storm system could be rain).

I have low confidence in precipitation type for Monday into Tuesday.  The rain/ice/snow line should drape across our region.  However, with that said, some type of wintry event appears to be developing for our region.

I am certain that the forecast models will change a dozen times over the next few days.  I will have a better idea of what to expect as we enter the weekend and will update the forecast accordingly.

Beau Dodson
Paducah/McCracken County Emergency Management
Meteorological Specialist

 

  Some photos from today’s work!

 

This is what I woke up to this morning – a dusting of snow!  Our first snowfall of the season. 
We had some sleet in December but no snow.

 

AND SO IT BEGINS!!!!!!  THey have marked off the foundation.  Starting to dig.  10 AM.

 

Git-er-done!!!

 

Up on the hill.  🙂

 

The first pile of dirt!

 

 

Looking north at the old house.  Piles of lumber are starting to show up.  🙂

 

That would be me.  The first day of construction!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Moving dirt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting to see trenches!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

The foundation work continues.

 

 

Kelly talking to Bobby about the construction and foundation.

 

 

 

 

Our driveway will go here.

 

 

Time for the inauguration to start.  Watching it in my car streaming off the internet!!!!

 

WE HAVE A NEW PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

THE SWEARING IN CEREMONY.  AN HISTORIC DAY FOR AMERICA.

 

Our driveway is starting to show up.  🙂

 

Snow on the ground at the farm.

 

Trenches for the foundation.

 

The foundation work – day one of construction.

 

Kelly measuring the trenches.

 

 

 

THE FOUNDATION TRENCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

GETTING THERE!  Late afternoon.

 

We got a U-Haul this afternoon – going to Mayfield to load up on "stuff" – going through storage.

 

Mayfield, Kentucky – late evening

 

Joey moving boxes into the truck.

 

Unloading in Lone Oak – 10 PM