With 1,377 miles between Canton and Denver, it made communication betwixt Dad and us difficult.  Dad was working in Denver at the time, when I was placed in isolation lock-up.  My folks would correspond on a daily basis, numbering each letter as to keep them in progressive order.  Dad said that he would only telephone in the event of some difficulty.  Well, as soon as I was diagnosed with Scarlet Fever and quarantined, Dad called home wanting to know what was wrong. This was the first time that I became aware that some things are beyond reasoning or explanation. Weird things always happened to Dad, as I was to find out later

Some years later, one of Dad’s strangest events happened. This particular occurrence took place in the middle of the night. Dad sat bolt up in bed and was talking to Aunt Mable.  Mable was assuring Dad that everything would be alright and not to worry. This occurred at the time of Aunt Mable’s passing.  Is this strange enough for you or what?

Here’s another;  This happened while visiting my folks back in Dalton over the 4th of July. After going to bed one evening, I kept hearing a screen door banging shut. Pat heard it too. There would be a pause of maybe five minutes or so, then it would start banging again. The banging came from the house next door, which was the only other house on the street. Finally, I had had enough and went over to investigate. I could not figure it out for the house next door was unoccupied at the time. The two spinsters who lived there had died and the house had laid empty for a while. Anyway, when I reached the back door, I checked the screen door and found it to be well secured and locked tight. Standing there looking things over, the door started banging again but without moving. Now, that’s the kind of thing that will make your hair stand on end. And believe me, it did.

Pat and I purchased our home in 1971 late July.  We had no history of the previous owners, but for the fact that the house had laid empty for a few years. Everything was in disrepair and it had been vandalized. This house really had a history, but the price was the determining factor of our procurement. After months and many hours of hard work we finally made it livable. One evening while sitting back relaxing in front of the TV, I saw her.  She, being a diaphanous, wispy apparition that appeared drifting down the hallway in my direction. As soon as I looked directly across the room, she vanished. This specter would always show up in the later hours of evening. She appeared many times in the succeeding weeks and always just drifting along the hallway. I had never commented or mentioned to Pat of my experiencing this abhorrent phantom, until one morning while at the breakfast table.  “Pat have you ever seen……….She stopped me in my tracks and said……..a white lady in the hallway.”  Pat had never said anything either for fear of me thinking her nutzoid.  I made up my mind that we needed to evict this unwanted sojourner resident infesting our comfort zone. Later on when she next appeared, I loosened my tongue and spoke at that puff of smoke.  “You can just leave now, you don’t live here anymore, we do.”  She was gone. We never saw her again.

This next installment happened early one morning as Pat was preparing for work. Pat had just opened the back door to place some trash into the garbage can when Ann called out Pat’s name. There, in the cover of the carport next door, stood Ann and her husband. As Pat was eager to reply to the greeting, both individuals faded from view. The only problem with that was, Ann had just passed away recently and her husband had passed many years before.  We guessed they just wanted to say goodbye and take a last look around the house they had built together so long ago?

The sixthly entry for this composition of strange, unusual, bewailed and unexplained incidences, which should have left everyone questioning and or paralyzed, follows next.

After rebuilding the carport and the adjacent wall on the West side of the house, it was time to paint.  Incidentally, painting is one of my least favorite things to do.  I’m good at it, but I just hate doing it. Anyway, I was bent down painting the bottom lap boards of the afore mentioned wall, when I got a cold chill.  A shadow passed over the wall from left to right at ground level. I turned around to see who was watching me paint or whatever. There stood Mr. Nobody.   Not a soul,car or black helicopter to cast a shadow.  So, I shrugged it off and went back to the job at hand, painting.  Progressing up the wall, I was making good time, and yes, I know that one is supposed to paint from top to bottom not bottom up, but I’ve always done stuff my own way. Standing there with brush in hand and a slack jaw, it happened again. This time the shadow was of an out-of-focus figure of a man. The arms, legs and head were clearly recognizable on that projection on the newly painted surface. When I turned, of course there was nothing to be seen, but the shadow remained still.  I quit painting that day.

The impetus for this thesis occurred last evening at 8:30 pm 5 May 2013.  I was walking from the kitchen back to the living room when I noticed a black dog at my feet.  It was traversing down the hallway to my left. The black dog made headway along the hallway of about 6 feet before vanishing. He just wasn’t there anymore. The only thing remaining was the hair standing upright on my forearms and neck.

I make no claims of knowing what this all means. It’s just one of those weird, odd and unexplainable things that happens.  By-the-way……..weird, odd and unexplainable, kinda describes me.  Hahahaha !

A house should come with an Owner’s Manual. Everything comes with a manual these days.  You buy a salt and pepper shaker and there is a fold out 9 page instruction and operation manual.  In six languages!

There are a lot of complex operating systems in our homes.  We might have a septic tank, a well, solar panels, a high efficiency furnace, or a home security system.  There might be a sprinkler system, a garage door opener, or a built in microwave.  All of these items and a very long list of others you can think of, have a procedure or sequence to their operation and maintenance.  Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to either remember it all or figure it out every time?

Fear not happy Home Owner!  It is not too late!  Why not build up your own for your house.  Grab a nice three ring binder and some tabs and pages and start an organized effort to identify all the systems and equipment in your home and one by one, document the operation and maintenance of them.

If there is a regular servicing of the item or area, you can use the manual for a record of dates, condition, work done, by whom, and any comments.  You can punch and attach warranty cards, product information, and even the appropriate language version of whatever paperwork comes with the item.

You can record and the noises, thumps, and creaks that make your house unique so that if and when found, you can record the closure of the issue.  You could also keep track of remodeling or improvements with photos and all the accompanying paperwork.

The binder (can we say “binder” without snickering yet?) is going to get thick, and how far you take this OCD quest is up to you.  But as you do this, you will become better aware of systems and how they interact with each other.  With a summary page of service dates and scheduled maintenance, you will better know what needs to be done and when so that you are not getting backed up or stressed out that you have to remember all that needs to take place.

I wrote in my first book that I liked using a Daytimer for document storage.  A good old half page monster with a leather flip over cover that is a direct extension of my brain.  Daytimers (or binders) do not get stolen from your car.  Binders do not get dropped in toilets.  Binders do not need to be recharged, and Binders can be updated or duplicated anytime, anywhere, if you choose.  And when you sell the house, you can hand over the binder to the next owner.   For these reasons and more, I would not keep all your house information on your computer or pad.  You might be taking this into your attic or crawlspace.  Or outside when it is 5 degrees out.  A binder is a better format.  Right up there with a Fanny Pack.  Out of style, but still very functional.

You might need help with generating the “How To” pages and professionals can assist with this as you have them in your home.  Have the furnace guy show you how to shut down and start up.  Or your Plumber show you how to drain your water heater.  Put it in the binder.  Document everything, you will be rewarded!

Bill Jacobs from Alloway Lighting is the expert guest today talking about home and commercial lighting, LED and CFL technology, the future of lighting, and his journey as a local business owner.  Also, Melanie and Chris from Second Chance Building Materials announce the party for their 8th Anniversary and the mission work of SHIP.  Joe takes calls on planning an addition to a home and patching holes in concrete.

The first hour of the show is for yo if you are just starting out in life with a new home.  Joe gives advice as far as what tools and materials new home owners should have.  He also talks about some sprinkler system design basics.    Caller find sprinkler systems a hot topic and ask about low pressure on a zone, bad sprinkler wiring, narrow spray heads, and more as well as white powder on foundations, scratches on stainless steel sinks, whistling showers, cleaning granite, filling rotten rail road ties, painting a garage door, noisy microwave vent flappers, and Joe is asked his opinion of Rustoleum Restore Deck Paint.

Joe phones in the show from The U of I and it is a busy one!  Joe talks about selecting textures for your house, exploding sinks, adding electrical outlets, cleaning vent fans, and the differences between interlocking pavers and stamped concrete.  Callers ask about foundatin cracks, heating systems, canceling a job with a roofer, and a mystery plugged toilet.

The Habitat for Humanity one day house build is explained by Pastor Duane Anders from First United Methodist Church Cathedral of the Rockies.  The event is April 20th at 7:30 AM.  Joe talks about graphite like deposits on hinges and carpeting, Callers ask about fence gate hardware, sizing for window replacement and removal of aluminum frames, removing floor tiles, replacing a pop off valve on a water heater, connecting aluminum to copper wire, gray lines on walls and ceilings, garbage disposal drain issues, stucco cracks, removing a vinyl floor, and replacing a disposal splash guard.

Topics on today’s show include Joe talking about Metal roofing fasteners and where to place them, the new Restore deck finish from Rustoleum, skylight replacement with Velux FCM series windows, Dryer vent cautions, and callers ask about concrete surface deterioration, separation of tile back splash, and painting bath tubs.  Jeff from Solid Earth calls in and adds info about the damaged concrete issue suspecting City de-ice chemicals.

Kevin from Garage Door Store Boise is Joe’s expert guest today and talks about garage door maintenance and repair, trouble shooting, and answers calls from listeners about garage door weatherstrip, noisy doors, stripped opener gears, lubrication, tune ups, safety sensors, transmitters, and replacing coil springs.  March on Hunger happens next weekend and Pastor David Thompson stops by and lets us know what it is all about and how we can be involved in this hunger ministry.  Joe answers callers questions about hanging a medicine cabinet, squeaky floors, and refinishing a deck.  Emails include selecting the right anchors for attaching to bricks.  And hear the story of how Master Rooter Plumbing saved a customer over $2000!

You’re sitting there quietly drinking your first cup of coffee of the day when your wife hits with her new project request.  “ I think I want a nice wood privacy fence in the back yard. What do you think?” You think to yourself ‘Oh boy, here we go again, another Martha Stewart idea.’  But, you say,”Now, how much is this going to cost me?”  She says that she doesn’t know, but she called a guy and he’s going to be here in an hour or so to give a bid.  Great, just great!

Enter the fence man. This guy looks as if he is on his last leg. He is a sun-beaten grizzled old guy, but with a bright smile on his lined-wrinkled face. He walks around the property, takes a few measurements, then hands you the bid.  The bid, my Lord, does he want to settle the National debt with this one job? He’s polite enough, but gee whiz, that’s a lot of money. You tell him that you and the wife will have to talk it over for a while. He thanks you politely and says to call him at your convenience, then leaves. As he pulls out and down the drive, you tell your wife,”If you want a fence so badly, I’ll just build it myself. I know I can do just as good and a heck of a lot cheaper.”

The preceding is my general impression of a few customer reactions that I have dealt with in the past.

So, you’re going to do it yourself. Well, let me give you the skivey on the how and whys: ——————

First off, after you have cleared all your stuff from the back line, find all of your property pins and establish your boundaries. Stake out all corners. Then go in the house and call 811.  If you don’t call 811, then make sure that you designate a friend or neighbor to call 911 in the event of something going wrong.

Next, while waiting for Dig-Line, ‘811’, order your supplies. Generally, the wait is no longer than two days.

After Dig-Line has marked everything, proceed with the digging of the corner post holes.  Please do not accomplish shovel sets.  Only use a post hole digger.  The depth should be 20 inches minimum.  For a 4×4 cedar post, the hole should have a 7 or 8 inch diameter at the top.  The bottom, however, needs to be of a larger diameter to prevent any frost heave.  Select a good straight post for the corners.  Place a couple inches of gravel in the bottom of each hole for the post to foundation on solidly.  This will prevent any water damage by affording good drainage.  Proceed by setting posts with concrete or post mix while squaring sides with each line.  Always, I mean always, dome the top of the set for water drainage.

Oh yes, what to do with the dirt from your digging?  Well, haul it out front of the house and make a pile out of the way on the driveway.  I’ll tell later why.

Now comes the time for the line posts.  It is 8 ft. on center as recommended by most.  Never stretch that measurement beyond 8 feet.  I have always marked out to 7 ft. 11 inches so as to have a little wiggle room.  After digging all of the holes for the line posts, you find that you’re running out of daylight.  You figure that you can finish tomorrow, but wait, you have to go to work tomorrow.  You think to yourself, “ well, I’ll finish up in the evening after work.  Boy, this is taking longer than I thought.”  The following evening, you find that, sometimes a crooked post will throw your measurement off.  Any post with a slight curve should be placed with the curve facing in line with the run.  That is why you need a little wiggle room.

While the line posts set, now is the time to get out your masonry [nylon] string.  Firmly attach string to opposing end posts and pull taut until it sings in the breeze.  Temporarily tack up any sags in the string with a nail.  Stand back and eyeball the general overview of the ups and downs from one post to the other.  Make adjustments to the string on each post until your eye appeal is satisfied.  Then mark each post and cut the top off flat at the markings.  The flat top will make for a good surface to enable the placing of the top rail. { * }—The same string process applies in the placing of the pickets.

{ * }—The post height should never be any less than 63 inches top to bottom.

Next comes the rails.  I always use three fir 2x4x8 rails.  Place one flat on top of the posts.  This gives shear strength against buffeting winds.  Place two rails vertical, ‘skinny side up’, between the posts, with one close to the bottom and the other halfway between the other two.  Doing this prevents sagging of each section.  The bottom and middle rails should be set into fence clips.  Simpson makes a good bracket for this purpose.

Oh yes, I hope you didn’t forget to dump the dirt onto the driveway.

Now for the pickets.  Make sure to select each picket from a different stack, for they come in pairs and make for mirror images.  It is well advised to paint the bottom end grain of each picket with a good sealer before assembly.  Nail or screw with galvanized or stainless steel hardware.  Each picket should have at least six fasteners, two into each rail   Don’t place the bottom of the boards touching the ground if at all possible.  I’ve always used a nail gun with 1 and 7/8 inch cement coated ring-shank nails.  They just will never pull out.

After a period of time passing as to allow boards to dry out sufficiently, apply a good quality sealer.  Messmer’s UV-Plus, Flood CWF-UV or equivalent.  Just make sure the product that you select has a UV blocker additive.  It is imperative to seal the top of each picket’s end grain with a sealing agent.

Finally, done.  Done did it done!  But, was it worth it?  It would have been a lot easier to have had that old grizzled, sun-whipped, wrinkled faced fencer contracted for the job.  But then, you’re happy and most importantly, your wife is happy.  So, feeling good over a job completed and everything accomplished to satisfaction, sit back and relax.

Oh, yeah, that pile of dirt out there in the drive—now that’s your brag.  Every time a friend, neighbor or relative comes by, they will ask, “What’s that pile of dirt for?”  That gives you the opportunity to tell your harrowing story of your fencing adventure and accomplishment.  Then you can show them all your hard work out back.

PS—That old grizzled guy—well, that’s me.

Special Program, Ken Liston announces the Grand Opening of the Nampa Filter Factory Outlet and Joe and Ken give away a BUNCH of prizes!  Joe talks about lubricants and what they are best for, selecting screen for new screen windows, Shutting of water before vacations, and replacing a shower pan.  Callers ask furnace filter questions and also about the different woods for deck building, plastic moldings, and tile on a shower ceiling.