I need a masseuse...

my neck is sore, my arms are sore, my back is sore, my legs are sore.... I had a complete workout today! It wasn't a traditional workout in any sense, but it certainly did the trick!! Today was a de-landscaping day, which means the kids and I put in some serious labor getting the property cleaned up. We used Tony's truck and a chain to yank out scraggly bushes and half-dead trees that made everthing look bad. I raked and raked and raked around the cattle loading ramp in our front yard clearing out years and years worth of garbage and junk. (No kidding... I found a 1980's Pepsi glass bottle in there!) We filled the burnhouse to maximum capacity and got it all burning, and then I built six more small piles of the lawn garbage and set it burning. With 7 fires going, the yard all looked like it was on fire! This is some of the foliage we got rid of today. I didn't feel like taking after photos when I was done, so I will get some of those tomorrow.



We also burned a pile of old tires the last owners left behind. Tires make a lot of black smoke, which is a slight understatement. Our neighbors across the street raise racehorses, and the poor horses were actually spooked a bit by the smoke.


Jessica had the camera this afternoon, which was fine with me, but she kept taking my picture... yuck! I told her to take my picture after I have a shower, brush my hair,and I am not covered in dirt and soot and generally looking disgusting! This is the only one of me she took today that I can live with... LOL...she took it while Tony and I were working on pulling out a tree. I love how she saw my reflection in the mirror and was shooting it. I also love that the mirror was so dirty it makes me look barely there!



Last week while the kids were in school, I primed the unfinished wood on our patio. This week while they are gone, I am going to get the color up on it. Bit by bit, things are coming together. All those bushes you see along the side of the house are gone now.



Tony came over a little before 7 this morning because he wanted his Senior pictures taken before we started working. This was good practice for me because I got to really see where the best spots are on the property for sunrise shots. (Anybody who knows me knows that it isn't often that this nightowl sees the sun come up!) I haven't had time to add any conversions or actions to the images, but these are some of my favorites from the shoot fresh from the camera. He doesn't feel very comfortable taking his pictures... I have over 200 shots of him, and in almost every picture he did actually smile in he has his hand over his face!



I should go to sleep... but I am too wide awake. So if any of you are up and are bored, give me a call! I will post some after shots tomorrow!