After more than a month -- 1" of rain!

Clarinda, IA 79º - 81% humidity.

We got an inch of rain overnight.  This photo was taken through the front window when the rain first started and it was still light out.  Note the really brown lawn.  (The little white area is reflection of the TV that was on behind me)

    We had a few dips in the lights, but didn't loose electricity.  Phyllis' classmate Nancy, who was at the Assisted Living place with her mother about a half mile from us called to say they were running on emergency generator with only dim lights in the hall working.  Don't know how much of the town was without lights, or how long.

Last couple of days I have been, slowly, working on straightening door from our bedroom to the deck that had shifted enough that it wouldn't close properly, or lock.  After taking off internal trim and finding no nails or screws from the door frame to the surrounding 2" x 4" I finally removed the siding and found that the door was secured to the wall with nails through a metal flange.

Due to the low eave I couldn't get to the top flange without removing all the facia above the area.  With only a small space and the nails being tight it took quite some time getting the nails out above the door.


But, I was able to move the top of the door enough to get the latch to match and the rod that runs both up and down at the end of the door into the top and floor when it locks to match.

Notice the nail hole in the weather material beside the hole in the metal flange surrounding the door.  That is how much the top of the door had to move.  This is right at junction of the older part of the house and an addition for the bedroom that was built in 1994; I suppose there is some settling in the new part.

  Closing, latching, and locking worked perfectly.  However, since I had started looking on the inside by taking off the trim and doorstop pieces, they had to be put back on.  I snugged them too tight and the locking part still doesn't work.  Will take off the doorstop boards and move them in slightly, which should allow the pins to go up above the door and down into the sill.



Phyllis will be glad when I get it all back together.

When we were riding the trikes couple mornings ago we went by the local Lied Center (Swimming Pool) and rode by this huge cement pumper that was pouring cement around a new outdoor wading pool.

More later, Lynn