MOVE AND GET ANOTHER DOG... WHY NOT!

 While we were packing and getting ready for our move to Paute I read about a poor dog who was found up in the Cajas (13,000 ft elev). It was a dachshund. A boy, and he was fixed. Here is the picture that was posted......

Dexter when he was found

 I sent the poster a note saying that if she could not find the owner, I would take him.  This was an executive decision.. poor Randy he was so shocked when I told him that Holly was coming with a dog for us.

This is Holly, the day she brought Dexter to us.

 After Holly brought Dex over it did not take long to know that Frankie was going to not like it but would "deal" ok. So Holly left, and Dex started the bonding process with Frankie.

OK, you can lay here but I am going to ignore you,.... new dog...


Since Randy had never had the joy of naming a dog is was his decision. So after a few days he came up with DEXTER. I immediately shortened it to DEX, so he now answers to both... well kind of lifts his head.. no words are spoken. :)

I dont like that thing in your hand

Make her go away!


Since we have had Dexter, our life has taken a new turn. Frankie is more playful, they are buddies now and we have more joy in the house. Dex is only about 3 yrs old and has alot of puppy in him. He also loves to sleep ON you.. whether its in a chair or a bed he is right up against you.  We are hoping to make his life a wonderful one, and that he will never be cold or hungry again!

THE OTHER SIDE OF OUR DUPLEX IS FINISHED

This is still a catch up blog. we have been using both sides of the duplex since March.

While we had moved into the "better side" of the duplex, the other was under major renovation. Even more so than the one we moved into. This one was FILTHY and really buggy. The workers were very diligent and would show up each day at 7 to start work, and leave at 6.

Here are some before and after photos. I can see a big difference and it was all worth it!

Before a yellow "kitchen

After a nice white laundry room

 

Before a scary dirty yellow bathroom

After a clean somewhat less scary white bathroom!

After.. painted 2nd side living room

After After, a huge bedroom!

Before, a house with out closets or built in dressers.

After shelving and a rod to hang our clothes!

Before, a yard filled with rocks and  trash

After "plugs" scavenged from the park by our worker

After After, a yard! Free lawn!

The idea of having to put all this money and work into a rental seems a bit crazy in the states, but the living standards are different here. So if you want something you are used to, at a price you can afford, then this is what you do.

WE MADE THE MOVE!

We moved in March. So I am still catching up on blogs..

We were up and ready very early eagerly awaiting our movers. Being the custom here that what time is said is not really the time that is a reality; we were not concerned when our 8:30 move time came and went. When the big hand started past 9, we started getting antsy and by 15 after I was on the phone..

I have learned that a smile in my voice and a teasing tone goes along way here. Luckliy our mover contact (and owner) speaks great English so I did not have to worry about getting my "tease" across... Hey, Did you get lost? Sebastian, was very sweet and said his workers should have been there by now and must be parked somewhere nearby waiting ... I walked out and looked by did not find them.. only a few minutes later Sebastian showed up and said they had been parked on the Other corner.. sheesh.. I did not look there.

And then they ATTACKED! Oh my word, what a wonderful, smiling crew he has. They flung stuff up in the air like it weight nothing. I was totally amazed.

After a quick walk through of our house, during the prelimanary visit, we had been told two trucks could take all our stuff. We were uncertain until we saw how they seemed to have digital eyeballs that could calculate exactly what went where in the truck... even to the point of stuffing in small items so nothing jostled around. Knowing the road to Paute, with its curves, unexpected road hazards as well as the occasional cow, I was very happy to see them packing things so tightly.

After they had everything loaded up we were off to Paute. They met us there after lunch and began to unload. Wow... the energy and smiles were still there. Pretty amazing. Even when Randy and I pointed to two different directions on where furniture went... they just smiled and stood there waiting for a decision.

Everything was unloaded and they were off to another move by 4:00. We had to go back into town  and get the dogs (thanks Manon for being our Doggie Daycare for the week).


It was a long day, but the next was rapidly approaching and look who came to help unpack?

Then for lunch we all invaded Jani's house and she treated us to her 1st time Primo Corned Beef and Cabbage that she made from scratch! Oh it was delicious. And because she did not add some horrible chemical it was not pink! hooray for natural Corned Beef! I have never had it this way and I am now a true convert.. I may even have her show me how its done.
It was quite the move and we are still not totally unpacked. We are not quite two weeks into the house, and hopefully will be able to expand into the other side in one more week.

Stay Tuned I will post about the other side next.

RENOVATING A RENTAL IN PAUTE

August 8th. Just got my bugs out. Putting pictures to posts I wrote until this happen. so its catch up time.
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We  have decided that our landlord is getting a good deal with us living here.  Insert smiley face.

We continue to update and clean up the other side of the house. Our workers are chipping out cracks and re-cementing, plastering and then sanding.. its a messy business and one that I am so glad I am not doing. 

I have not been feeling well so I was not going over and saying hello and checking in on them.. when I did pop over I was horrified to see the maestro sanding away on the ceiling with no eye or face protection. He had been doing this for hours.. his face was covered in plaster grit.. I commented and he said yes, it was bad and got on safety glasses he had. I asked if he had a dust mask and he did not.. so I made sure Rodrigo got both of them one.

This is one of the issues I need to keep in mind when we have work done. They do not use safety items like gloves, eye protection or dust masks unless they are supplied by the employer... I felt so bad that I had overlooked that. Realizing that he had done the whole other side of the house without any protection and probably would continue to work that way on his next job..it just made me sad.

The Land lady had her worker put up a fence across the back of the property so it delineates our areas.. I say that because it does not keep the dogs out.. Frankie promptly walked right under the chicken wire and went on to explore the other side.

Randy assures we will be putting up a "sturdier" fence and hopefully we can convince the LL to take down the chickenwire creation.

Rodrigo worked with the LL to get a gate put in at the very back of the property so we have our privacy. As it is now, they are coming into our front area and using a pass through hall to get to the back yard. They agreed to put in the gate, but only if we absorbed all the cost. Sigh... fine.. how much will that be?

Soon it will all be done and we can start using all of our house  :) I am looking forward to that day!