10 Weeks

This post is long overdue, but finding the free time to do it when we don't have something else we should be doing is nearly impossible. It's hard to believe it has already been 10 weeks since we met this guy. His scrunchy newborn face has stretched out into an adorable smiling baby face. Most nights he sleeps through the night. He loves the mirror and staring at himself, his stuffed skunk, anything outside, and bathtime with Daddy. His falcon scream has changed into a real "Wahhhhh" and a pouty lip to match. The mohawk is starting to fall as his hair gets longer, but that won't stop me from styling one. It's been a life-changing ten weeks and we can't wait to see what comes with the next ten.

2013 Review

2013 was a fruitful year for 765, in more ways than one, as evidenced by our orange tree. In the past we've been lucky to have a handful by the end of the year, but this time the branches are weighted down by the fruit.
It wasn't the busiest year on the blog, but the projects that did happen were all substantial ones, for our home and for us. Here's a quick recap of 2013...

We started the year off working on the drafty (and nasty) cabinet under the kitchen sink. A little insulation, spray foam, and fresh shelving makes all the difference now.

Thanks to Travis I got a closet update. No more peeling fake paneling that drops on my clothes. Painted walls and bright light make it (a little) easier to pick out my outfits in the the morning.

It wasn't the greatest year for our garden thanks to busy schedules, but we did get a few good crops and experimented with some new veggies in the garden. A little bit of time off has hopefully given the soil some replenishment time and we'll have a bountiful season coming up.

We announced a new project. A big new project. A baby room.
It's already amazing to look back on these pictures to see how far we've come. This kid sure is going to have an awesome room.

Family, friends and neighbors came together to help 765 have the best baby room ever. Demo, sanding, painting, more sanding, installation and more painting - it wasn't the easiest of work, but we couldn't have done it without your help. A millions thank-yous go out to all of you!

The gender of baby Moore is finally revealed!

A big kudos to Travis for the baby room. Clearly the room construction was not my handy work (mine is just about to begin) and thanks to his skills and puzzle solving the room has come together beautifully. It looks all that much better knowing the room came together because of our own efforts and I'm pretty damn proud of how well he's done.

Tame Teal officially became the color of the 765 Baby Room. With color on the wall it's starting to get real.

Hopefully 2014 will begin with a completed room, as Travis works away on the trim as I type. Only 64 days and counting - it's really go time now.
As we count down into the new year we normally cheers with a Blue Moon and our freshly picked oranges. It may just be a glass of OJ this year but we're certainly excited for what's to come in 2014.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Live Downtown

When I moved to Baton Rouge Travis chose Spanish Town for our first apartment knowing it was a neighborhood I would like, plus it was walking distance to his work. He was right, and the longer I live here the more I realize I wouldn't live anywhere else in BR. Downtown is getting better daily, with a corner grocery and pharmacy on the way. (If only Trader Joe's was coming downtown, but beggars can't be choosers right?) To attract more people to live downtown the DDD created this video, and I think you'll recognize two people and some feathered friends in it. Enjoy!

2012 - A Look Back

The past few years we've enjoyed a Blue Moon and our oranges on New Year's eve as we review everything we accomplished at 765 that year. Sadly the odd weather at the end of Winter last year confused our orange trees and left them with fruit at the wrong time. The fruit didn't last, and instead the trees spent the year growing like crazy. Hopefully that means next year will be that much more fruitful.
Here's a look back at what we did at 765 in 2012:

I got a new peep hole in my stocking.

We began a walkway project as soon as it wasn't freezing outside

The front door got a makeover.

We celebrated TWO whole years at 765 and the chickens helped us pour some concrete.

  All of our basil was put to good use for the winter months.

 The backyard walkway was completed!

Hurricane Isaac forced Travis to return home early, but luckily 765 came out damage-free.



The front window got a makeover since the door looked so good.

We (mostly Travis) installed lights above our dining table. I still get excited when I turn them on.

 Our winter garden turned out much more successful than our spring crop.

We already have some electrical projects under way to begin the new year, and a crop of cabbage ready to pick for good luck.
Cheers to a happy, healthy and FRUITFUL 2013!

The Backyard View

One of the best things about the blog is being able to go back through and see how the house has changed. The fence in the back yard bothered me when we moved in because of how flimsy it was, though changing it was nowhere on the list. Fast forward two years and the fence is completely covered in passion vine, actually giving us a bit of privacy. And seasonally we're graced by caterpillars and butterflies because of it. Turns out putting it at the bottom of the list got us the easiest and prettiest solution we could have wished for.
Even more, as the neighbors continue their renovation our view over the fence gets better. We can actually boast 'lake view property' now, and mean it!

Hello!

Hi there dear old blog!
I know it's been far too long and I wish I could say you have all missed so much going on at 765, but the truth is there hasn't been much going on here. In fact, I've probably missed 765 as much as some of you guys. You see, there has been some traveling. And then a little more. Plus some cold weather. And of course Mardi Gras season. That left projects at 765 on the back burner while we spent time traveling and playing.
But what better day to get back into it than Leap Day?! So here is a little summary of what we've been up to. Play time is now over though, let the projects begin!

HOT.

There really isn't any other way to put it. It's HOT.

Does everyone out there know what a heat index is? Well, I guess I never really had much of an index to pay attention to back in California, so here's what I've learned about said index:

        "An index that combines air temperature and relative humidity in an attempt to determine the human-perceived equivalent temperature." (www.wunderground.com)

While The Weather Channel says it is only going to be 95 degrees today that 95% humidity that we are currently swimming in is knocking it up to at least 105 degrees. Kind of like a sauna but you have to wear clothes unless you want to get arrested. 

Needless to say this has left our motivation for projects a little low. Maintaining the Zinnias and tarantula tomatoes is enough outside work for me. We'll be back with more as soon as we don't need snorkel gear to be outside, promise.

Happy National Junk Food Day?

It may sound like the perfect excuse for gorging on potato chips, candy bars and twinkies, but before you fill up check out this video:



Yum?
I think I'll stick with the farmer's market and my garden.

Just Finished

There aren't many books that I can say I finished in a few days. I generally have a short attention span with books, marked by my pile of half-read selections on the shelf. This one had my attention though, probably because I could picture a minuscule version in our own yard.

The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball

The Dirty Life - A Memoir of Farming, Food and Love by Kristin Kimball. The author is a New York city writer that stumbles upon a love for farming while doing an interview, and clumsily goes from enjoying reading the paper at a coffee shop to milking the cows before sun-up and providing crops for an entire community.  One afternoon she finds a horseshoe from decades past while plowing the field and notes:

 "You can't truly own a farm, no matter what the deed says. It has a life of its own. You can love it beyond measure, and you are responsible for it, but at most you're married to it."

It made me think of our tiny 7x7ft square in the front yard. The bullets, canning jars and marbles that we turn up while weeding, and how if the dirt could talk it would have more stories than our neighbors that have been there since birth. Chickens have returned, cucumbers are growing rapidly, we have our first watermelon, eggplants are bright purple, and the tomato plants look like tarantulas taking over the plot. 765 may be tiny but it sure is productive.

Moving Dirt, Finding History

There hasn't been much action at 765 as far as house projects go as of late. Any extra minute seems to be spent doing something for the wedding.This isn't much exception. A friend of ours that has a landscaping business happened to have a job on our street that included a dingo, a machine that turns ripping out grass from a day-long job to just a few minutes. Major score.

In place of grass? Flowers for the wedding. At least that's the plan, but for now we're waiting for a few days of no rain to lighten the load of the dirt.

{Cosmo wanted to help}

In the midst of tilling up the dirt and adding some good soil 'eagle eyes' spotted yet another historic treasure in the mound, but what it was exactly we were all stumped. After a bit of google research we found out not only what it, but also how old it really is. Before I post what the gem is I'm interested to see everybody else's guess is... (But please not cheating, googling or phoning-a-friend!)

{mystery object}

Knock, Knock

We're staying warm, for now.

After a servicing our 45-year old water heater seems to be running better than ever.  It's back to a steaming (literally) hot shower that wakes me every morning for work.

But then one night we were in the kitchen cooking dinner, and there was a knock. We looked at the door - nobody. Another knock. Still, nobody. Then a light bulb flashed on over Travis' head and he remembered what the repairman had said: when the water heater starts to go it will start knocking. It was knocking all right. So its back to researching water heaters while we cross our fingers this antique can last us into a warmer, post-tax-return season.

It's Mighty Cold...

... showering without hot water. In January.

We were warned when we bought 765 that the water heater was old. And by old I mean the don't-touch-it-wrong-because-it-might-just-crumble kind of old. As in, all that cypress on the walls that is pretty ancient, it was built around the water heater and we can't get it out. Of course this kind of stuff never seems to happen when you want it to. Not in mid-July when it is 110 degrees outside and the last thing you want is anything hot touching you. NOPE. It happens on a 24 degree morning in January.

So now Travis and I are researching water heaters while we buy time continually relighting the pilot light. The conundrum: we like to be green & energy efficient BUT we like to be cheap too. Those two usually don't go together. Let's see what our options are:

You have your good old fashioned storage tank water heater. Water goes in, gas or electricity heats it up, then the stored hot water comes out. A gas one is generally more expensive than an electric one, but overall gas is usually a cheaper utility than electric. Then you've got to decide size: 30 gal, 40 gal or 50 gallon. For us we could surely get by with a 30 gallon, but what about when (dare I say) we want to sell the house? Starting around $400 this one wouldn't break the bank.

{GE 40 gallon gas water heater}

Then there is the tankless/on demand water heater. As it's name says there is no tank. Instead water is heated quickly through gas or electric coil, reducing the need to constantly be keeping water in a tank warmer (i.e. easier on your utility bill) But these puppies aren't cheap. They average around $1,000 though you can often end up with some kind of tax credit for purchasing one. These often have limitation with installation too, so our old pipes might not match up too well with modern marvel.

{Rheem tankless water heater}

Decisions, decisions. Any water heater advice out there send it our way! And be thinking good thoughts - the repairman comes tomorrow. Let's all cross our fingers this research is for nothing and it's just a quick fix.

A Little History

It's funny how growing up in different parts of the United States leaves Travis and me remembering vastly different parts from our U.S. history classes. Missions, the Gold Rush, the railroad, and even the Zoot Suit era seem to ring clearer in my mind, whereas Travis can manage to rattle off names and dates of the Civil War that sound vaguely familiar to me. I guess for good reason. The Civil War took place in Louisiana and that history is still present in so many ways here in Baton Rouge, including Spanish Town, and even 765.

{Spanish Town}

As you can see in the sign above, Spanish Town was developed in 1805 by Carlos de GrandPre for the Canary Islanders to continue living on Spanish owned soil when their original home in Galvez Town (20 miles southeast of Baton Rouge) was taken in the Louisiana Purchase. It is now the oldest neighborhood in Baton Rouge and still includes some architecture from the early and mid 1800's. A few blocks away are the Pentagon Barracks, built in 1823 on the site of the British fort that began in 1779. In 1810 the British turned the land over to the U.S. and it became an assembly point for American troops. The U.S. expanded the site and built the barracks, along with an arsenal depot to serve the southeastern states. The area remained a military post until 1861 when the state of Louisiana turned it over to the Confederacy, becoming Fort Williams shortly after. Once the Civil War ended the Barracks became owned by Louisiana State University and today they house the office of the Lieutenant Governor and are apartments for state legislators. 

All this is to say there is alot of history here and it's not a huge surprise what we found in our front yard:

{three ringer}

Months ago there were rumors that a neighbor had found a Civil War button in his yard - a rare one - that was worth a good bit of money. It wasn't the next day that groups of people came hunting around Spanish Town yards with metal detectors, searching for a piece of history (and money) for themselves. Travis and I happened to be out front when a two men and a boy came by our house and asked to do just that. Travis allowed them, under the condition that the first bullet they find on the property was his - anything else was fair game. It was a deal and detecting they went. The younger boy was scouting out the front yard and it seemed he wouldn't find much more than some nickles and screws, until we finally moved the metal security sign. A loud beep. The kid started digging, and less than an inch under the dirt sat a bullet. A "three ringer" from the Civil War era to be exact. He was absolutely ecstatic because this was his first "three ringer" and he needed it to add to his collection. Sadly, a deal is a deal and the poor guy had to give it up. So the bullet sits in our living room, a little piece of history that leaves us wondering what we might find if we looked under the house...

Spanish Town history
Pentagon Barracks

A Bit of Press!

We made the newspaper!! The Advocate, the newspaper for Baton Rouge, periodically features articles on historic neighborhoods throughout the city and discusses their culture, community, and why they are so successful. Today's front page of the People section featured 'Spanish Town Thriving' with Travis and me on the front cover painting our orange door!  View the article with all of Mr. Moore's quotes, and be sure to check out the multimedia link to the left with all the pictures.


     "Moore, a landscape architect planner, is even getting married a block outside the neighborhood, at St. Joseph Cathedral. “We live, work and play downtown,” he said.

      "Moore loves the fact that he can walk or ride his bicycle to his downtown office. “We share a symbiotic  relationship with the state buildings and downtown,” he said. “I made a lifestyle choice not to sit in traffic 30 to 40 minutes a day.”

He has an edible garden and is raising chickens in his backyard.

“We trade with our neighbor — cucumbers for blackberries,” Moore said. “That’s the way a neighborhood should interact. Spanish Town is not some cookie-cutter development that tears up some tract of land. We’re investing in a home some 90 years old that has a lot of work to do. That’s right for the environment and the lifestyle that comes with it.”

 It does a wonderful job of explaining why we all love Spanish Town so much. Thanks to our neighbor and Advocate photographer Liz for coming by to take the pictures!

{Spanish Town residents! Photo by Liz Condo from the Advocate!}

In other news, we are loving everybody commenting on the blog and interacting with us as we document our projects. The other day we received two surprises in the mail: chalk and eraser for our chalkboard from Deb and Dwain, and a giftcard for Home Depot from Boppy and Reggie. THANK YOU!! We are preparing for our next big project and that card will surely come in handy! 

{We love the chalk!!}

Tropical Depression Bonnie passed over us last night. Our emptied rain tank gained 150 gallons and the thunder and lighting shook the house a bit in the early morning hours I'm told, but all in all it was fairly uneventful being that I was snoring away. Not that I want some huge storm, but hey, for someone that is used to earthquakes, these storms are new territory and kind of exciting. Maybe next time it could come by during they day so I could see it??

Poor Blog

I know, I know. It's been way too long since the last post, but I promise we didn't forget about the blog. In the past few weeks we have been VERY busy, and the list just keeps on growing. Let's see if I can remember everything we've done:

• Planted a mini-garden with some of our vegetables.
• Got the front doorbell working.
• Backyard security light sensor is up and running. 
• Cleaned out the gutters only to find the concrete elbow completely packed with debris. Fixed just in time for a downpour.
• Finally received our very own recycling bin!!
• Raided the back shed with a bug bomb while we left for the weekend. We came home to a cemetery of roaches. (For someone that grew up where roaches were a sign of a restaurant that didn't pass its health inspection rather than just the southern humidity, the roaches HAD to go.) The mosquitoes somehow figured out how to survive :(
• Bought a rain tank! 
• Picked some tomatoes, blueberries, and peppers from our yard. Watched our oranges get a little bigger.
• Discovered it's about time to begin projects inside, as it's certainly not cooling down anytime soon.
• And.... we got CHICKENS!!!

Yes chickens. Little tweeting baby puff-balls that are beginning to look like real chickens now.  Two brown ladies and one black chick (named Cosmo, in honor of Kwaaammmiieee). They hang out in their coop while we are at work, then come flapping out to peck around in the yard until it gets dark, where they like to roost on the handrail to the backdoor. Pretty darn cute. Countdown begins until the Fall when we will hopefully have a daily dose of fresh eggs!!

{baby cheep}

{getting bigger}

{cheeeeepieeess}

The 200 gallon rain tank will hopefully be installed this weekend, raised and with a drain so we can get some pressure to water our plants and keep excess water from piling up under the foundation. Plus it couldn't hurt our water bill. 

{200 gallons of awesome-ness}

{veggie garden beginnings & the rest to come after the shed destruction}

All of our tomatoes seemed to ripen at the same time, so I ended up making a pizza with our garden prizes. And I have to say, the crust rivaled Trader Joe's herb crust pizza dough, it was THAT good.

{mmmmmmmmmm}

It is finally raining again downtown. I say that because it can easily be a torrential downpour at work 15 minutes away, and not a drop will fall at home, and because I have somehow gotten used to a daily afternoon rain, instead of SLO's 3 days/year. Time to watch the lightning over the river.

Guest Room/Man Cave

This weekend is Bayou Country Superfest!!! Two days, 10 country artists, 80,000 people, 1 stadium.... Let's hope we make it out alive. Since Nick and Abby are coming to stay with us for the concert I decided to do a little work on the Guest Room/ Man Cave. The two don't normally go together, but we're working on that. The back room almost instantly became the Man Cave because of the walls. Most of the house is covered with cypress paneling, but the back room has Pecky Cypress paneling. To me it was just more wood, and when I mentioned painting it in front of the house inspector he nearly killed me. Apparently it's very special wood, and has sort of become the theme of this blog. According to Dogtrot General Store:
       "Pecky Cypress refers to cypress lumber, whether tidewater or sinker, that has holes throughout it. It is rare, since it only occurs in occasional logs, and cannot be discovered until the log is cut. It only forms from the inside out in a circular pattern following the tree's rings. When milled, the pattern of pecky holes is random, and only lumber cut from the inside of the log will contain the pecky. Like all cypress, pecky is beautiful and durable. It has all the properties of regular cypress, including rot resistance and insect resistance."
 This also makes it very expensive... hence the no painting.

 {pecky cypress}

So, Man Cave it is. And a perfect location for the Moore family fish pictures that we have inherited. Fish. Wood. Powertools. Argh, argh, argh. I think Tim Allen would be proud.
Now getting the pictures actually hung, straight, aligned and perfectly evenly spaced, let's just say, it took a little longer than expected and the T-squares and levels were brought out because someone didn't trust my eye...

 {fishies}

They made it up and look perfect. I hope Nick and Abby enjoy their weekend in the Man Cave. We are off to test out Travis' new crawfish boiler than two awesome girls bought him for his birthday, and to get this Memorial Weekend started. Hopefully I will have a picture of me and Keith Urban to post next time :)

Today Is The Day

Eeeeeekk! After what our Realtor has called the longest, most difficult way we could have possibly bought the house, it is finally going to be ours! At 4:30 this afternoon we're signing those documents and handing over the largest check I've ever written. For those of you that have heard the whole process from Day 1 you know what a crazy battle this has been. For those of you that didn't hear the daily updates, here is a brief timeline:

1: Found online listing for the house - checked it out that day and got a viewing asap.
2: Loved it! Offer made that night.
3. Offer accepted (minus a few minor details)
4. Celebration!!
5. Scratch that.... we can't accept the offer because of our loan - Renegotiate.
6. Play hardball with our offer - one good guy, one bad guy. Can you guess who is who?
7. Renegotiated offer accepted. Yay!
8. Wait... loan requires no repairs needing to be made - Renegotiate, again.
9. Renegotiated offer accepted, again. Yay!
10. Unplanned glitch - Hello new job.
11. Unplanned glitch - Prove I'm making some money to keep that loan.
12. Unplanned glitch is fixed by our wonderful mortgage lady.
13. Everything FINALLY works itself out, but with still a couple weeks left to wait for closing.

14. SOLD (today!)

That may not seem like a very long list, but trust me, I think it was the most up and down roller-coaster we have ever been on. But, as we kept saying, what's meant to be will be and everything good doesn't come easy. So, after all that paperwork is done we are heading straight over to 765 with a bottle of champagne and a camera to document the first evening in OUR HOUSE! Pizza party on the floor and the required picture in front of the SOLD sign will be a must. For anyone that is around, come stop by and join in our celebration!