last weekend we came up to the ranch with my Dad and Uncle Bill (and no kids!) for Valentines weekend house fix up :) we wanted to get everything set up to come back with the kids for the week so we set out with two days to set up camp!

Heff and I drove the truck with the horse trailer behind us - full of hand me down furniture, cleaning supplies and warm jackets :)

my dad and Bill drove the Sprinter up for us and we met for lunch at Granzellas

we arrived around 4pm and have them a tour if the ranch.

and had heff's birthday /valentines dinner at Dotty's burgers :)

the plan was to set up the little cabin for our until-we-build-a-house residence and to stay in next week... But we had some work done while we were gone and the pace in fort jones isn't exactly what I'm used to :) so we quickly realized the little house /cabin wasn't going to be ready for the week up here with the kids. Bathroom was gutted, no kitchen, no heat... You get the picture :)

but while Dad and Bill were cozy at the Etna Motel we roughed it on the floor by the fire in the cabin!

we were up early the next morning (easier to get out if bed when it's a sleeping bag!) to start working

sunrise on the drive to breakfast

bob's ranch house breakfast to start the day

and then back to the house to tackle our solution. The big house needs a lot of work - but it was cleared out and just needed a deep (really deep) clean. This is where we started...

Living room

Front bedroom

"parlor" front room

and lots of this in every window under layers of plastic wrap to double pane

so we started by pulling up the 1975 brown shag carpet. It was a dirty job!

but we found great old for floors underneath with multiple layers of paint

then on to the tack strip and nail removal... Took forever!

and lots if sweeping and cleaning. And more cleaning and cleaning.

we had good help!

ammonia on every surface - this was half done...

and the dust!

more tack removal while Moose attacked my crow bar

and finally... Time to paint! Bill and my Dad went to the hardware store in town to get more supplies and floor paint. They picked a great red color

two coats rolled on and we've got improvement! Much better smell too ;)

and after a full day working the neighbors kindly invited us over for dinner! They are such a nice family we are lucky to have at the ranch next to us