Norris Family Blog

Shelter House Pavers

Brent and I had discussed laying the pavers for the shelter house floor and neither of us wanted to do it when it was 90 degrees, so when the weather forecast was for cooler temperatures in the lower 70s over the weekend we decided it would be the best time. Brent and family came over Saturday morning to work on laying the brick pavers. We began about 9 AM by laying down PVC pipe and leveling those. We then used a 2" by 4" by 10' board to screed the gravel level by pulling the board along the top of the pieces of PVC pipe. Once we had a 10' long section of the gravel level, Pauline & Brent began laying with Stacey & Linda carrying pavers to them. Julie and Kyle helped too, with my job being, adding gravel or raking it away as needed.

As we started the second half of the paver job, we had to add several tractor scoops of gravel to bring it up to the finish grade. I was able to dump one scoop and spread it with a garden rake, but the other two scoops needed to be shoveled into place as it was needed. We took a break for lunch around 1 PM. Linda had vegetable soup ready in a crock pot and we had PB&J sandwiches with it. As we neared the end of the job, I began to worry about having enough pavers to completely finish, so I made the decision to finish one side and leave a section off until we could count the remaining pavers and also count how many we would need to finish the complete job. We were getting tired anyway, so we stopped, counted the pavers left and counted exactly how many we needed to finish. We would have enough, but I called it a day and we loaded into Brent's Traverse and we all went, as we were, to Major's Pizza for supper.

Sunday morning, Julie and Kyle were running around, Pauline and Brent were acting as if they had no problems moving, but Linda and I were having trouble even walking. After breakfast, and a few Motrins or Tylenols for Linda and I, we all went down to finish the paver job. It only took about an hour until Pauline and Brent had laid the last pavers. Brent and I unhooked the truck from the boat, then hooked up the black trailer and drove towards Albany, where I bought another picnic table. We returned to the farm and set the two tables on the pavers, then returned the trailer to the tractor shed and parked the truck. Linda had started a fire in the fire pit while we were gone, then Pauline and Linda had went to the house and started working on lunch. Linda had baked a tenderloin and fixed some side dishes. We ate, then went down and messed with the fire while the kids played around the firepit and on the rope swing.

Before Pauling and Brent left with their kids, Stacey, Linda and I thanked each one of them for their hard work, even Julie and Kyle had been good helpers. We would still not be finished without ALL their help.
THANKS !!

Posted by Dave at 10:00 PM
Categories: Current Events, Farm

Summer's Last Lake Trip

What a difference? The tourists have gone home and the "Holler" was beautiful and smooth. We were on the lake about 10 AM and took a cruise towards Sunset Dock to enjoy the smooth water and warm temperatures. We stopped to swim just past the cut through for Ashburn Creek. The high for the day was 87 degrees. Water temperature was chilly on entry, but fine after about 30 seconds. After about an hour in the water, we pulled up the anchor and moved into the middle of lake. Kyle put on the trainer skis and after a couple attempts was able to stand up and ski.

Next up was Julie with Brent holding the rope for both of them. The other end of the short rope was attached to the trainer skis, so Brent would let go when Kyle fell and the boat would not drag him. Brent just unhooked the rope at the ski end to let Julie advance her skills. She was learning to cross the boat's wake.

We went inside to eat lunch at Sunset Dock and they told us they would be closing September 28th. We finished our lunch, then rode back towards Star Point and made it through the cut over to Ashburn Creek. The depth was only about 3.5 feet as we went through the channel. We played in the water for a long time, then Brent went for long slalom ski run until he couldn't take any more.

A little water time for Julie and Kyle without their jackets to increase their swimming ability and confidence, then we took a slow ride past Lillydale, through the cut near Holly Creek and into Galton Hollow.

Stacey drove most of the way and then took us back to the State Park Dock where we pulled the boat out of the lake right at 5 PM.
It had been just a beautiful day and a great way to end our summer of boating.

Posted by Dave at 10:30 PM
Categories: Boating, Current Events

Grandparents Day With Kyle

Pauline had told us about Grandparents' Day at Edmonson County Elementary. We had went to be with Julie a previous year, so I told Pauline and Kyle that Stacey and I would come to visit him that day, but Linda had to work.
Pauline called to remind me and I told her we were just about ready to leave and to not worry, we had not forgotten and we would be there at the right time. After an hour and a half drive we parked in the nearly full school parking lot and went inside to find a packed foyer. About 10 minutes later, Kyle's class walked through the foyer and we followed them into the cafeteria. Kyle spotted Stacey and I and waved for us to come and join him near the front of the line. Kyle gave us our meal tickets that had been previously purchased and we followed him through the lunch line. We picked an empty table and began eating our lunches of chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, green beans, fried or fresh apples and chocolate milk.

As we were nearly finished with our lunch, some of Kyle's friends started coming over to say hi. We then tossed our trays in the trash and went to the Library to check out the Book Fair. We picked out a book about insects that was a little above Kyle's reading level and purchased it. Stacey helped him to read it when we went to Kyle's room and he sat down at his desk.

We looked around the rest of the classroom and met a few of Kyle's classmates, then managed to get a lady to take a picture of the three of us. I was worried, she almost dropped my phone a couple of times.

Then Kyle's teacher, Ms Brandy, came in and organized the class into their positions in a circle. I guess they do a lot of activities like this?

We gave Kyle hugs, thanked him for inviting us and told him good bye, then left the school.
It was a fun day and Kyle had been a perfect host.

Posted by Dave at 8:00 PM
Categories: Current Events

Go Kart Races In Daleville

Stacey, Linda and I drove to Daleville to attend the Daleville Grand Prix. We arrived late Friday evening.
Saturday after breakfast, I rolled the golf cart out and went to check out the track and see what was happening. I picked up a schedule of events and went back to the house to pick up Linda. Heat races had already begun when we arrived and parked near Jr Barkdull and Andy Stevenson. As we were talking with them there was a serious wreck in the corner by us. The ambulance came out and the EMTs loaded the driver on a gurney and took him away. The cart was bent badly. They resumed the racing and when that heat was over we moved to the corner near the Daleville Legion.

I saw several people I knew, Phil Davis, Rick Cooper & Kenny Gaddis were some that I stopped to talk with as I walked towards the pit area.

There were a lot of carts in the pits and nearly as many motor homes and campers. There were at least four double rows of pits and I believe 97 go carts.

Sunday morning, we had left one of our cell phones at the house with Stacey and she was supposed to call us if anything went wrong or someone came over. Stacey called, I answered and it was Imon. We returned to the house and talked with them for a while. They decided to follow us back to the track and watch some of the racing. As we arrived they were conducting a drivers' meeting and about to start the finals in several different classes.

Some of the races only had 6 carts, but some had around 20 carts racing at once. The more carts that were running the more action and more wrecks that happened.

I did know two of the drivers and a car owner, but didn't worry about keeping track of how they did. We just watched for the fun of it. Linda K and Imon left just before the last race, but Linda and I stayed until it was all over as we had a golf cart and could easily get back to the Daleville house through the old school grounds without any traffic affecting us.



Overall, it was a good thing for Daleville. It had been planned quickly, about 45 days, because the town of Elwood backed out. I don't know how well they did financially because the entire event was free, as in "free beer", people only had to pay for pit passes, drinks and food. I was surprised that open alcohol was allowed all around the track. Guess I'm used to KY laws?