Seabiscuit and Beyond: Farewell to Sweetpea Farm (January 1

Location: Kodiak, Alaska

We are in Kodiak getting the boat ready for the summer season. Because of coronavirus related travel delays, we are later than usual getting the boat into the water. We are also behind on our blog posts, so we are using this time to catch up on our winter and spring adventures. We hope everyone is healthy during these interesting times.

Sunrise at Sweetpea Farm, Alabama

While we were in Houston in December, we accepted an offer on the farm. We spent the month of January moving stuff from Alabama to Texas and enjoying our time with family and friends.

Trip #1, January 1 - 10, 2020: We spent the first few days of the new year loading up the flatbed trailer for our first trip from Alabama to Texas. This load included the International pick-up, the box blade, the disc, a large pine slab for a future fireplace mantle, ladders, ramps, staging, etc. We loaded up the cab of the International with small furniture, tools and other outdoor stuff and loaded the bed of the Chevy with shovels, rakes, etc. and the back seat with small furniture, artwork and other small household stuff. We left the farm just after lunch on January 3rd and drove to Biloxi for the night.

The International pick-up ready to load onto the flatbed trailer.

Load #1 ready to go.

On Saturday, January 4th, we drove from Biloxi, MS to Winnie, TX. Sunday morning we continued our trek west into Houston. As we were transitioning from I-10 to Hwy 290 on the west side of downtown, a pickup came alongside and told us we had a blown tire. We pulled off the highway to check it out, then got busy putting on the spare.

Dave tightening up the lugs after installing the spare tire.

The blown tire.

We got back on the highway and it wasn't more than 15 minutes later when another car pulled alongside and told us we had a blown tire. We pulled off into a shopping center parking area and called roadside assistance. We asked them to bring out two tires.

The second blown tire.

We waited about 2 hours for the tire man. He made quick work of the job once he arrived.

The tire man at work.

We drove up to Salado and unloaded the trailer at a friend's farm then drove into Austin for a visit with the kids and the grandkids. Monday morning we rented a storage unit and stored our indoor stuff. Dave spent the afternoon at the tire shop replacing the other 6 tires on the flatbed.

Dave with Archie under the big oak tree.

Tuesday, January 7th, we turned around and headed back east. We stopped at Casino Coushatta for the night. Wednesday we drove into Biloxi, MS. My mom flew into the Gulfport, MS airport and we picked her up Wednesday evening. We took the day off from driving on Thursday and tried our luck at the Biloxi casinos. Friday morning we loaded up and drove back to the farm.

January 10 - 27, 2020 - Family and Friends on the Farm:
My mom, Louise, stayed with us for a week. We spent most of our time packing boxes and putting stuff in the Goodwill pile. We had our daily walks in the woods and played cards at least twice a day.

Louise and Dave on a walk in the woods.

Louise in the big rocking chair at David's Catfish House in Andalusia, AL

The creek waterfall, Sweetpea Farm, Alabama.

On Thursday, January 16th, we took Mom to the Pensacola airport for her flight home. While we were there we dropped off a bunch of stuff at Goodwill and picked up some fresh seafood at Joe Patti's.

Our son, Ben, and his friend, Andy, arrived on Saturday, January 18th for a week of hunting and to help us pack and move.

Andy and Ben grinding deer meat.

Ben splitting wood.

Andy, Dave and Ben rolling up the living room rug.

Loading the Uhaul trailer.

Andy, Dave and Ben emptying out the container under the barn.

Thursday, January 23rd, Ben's friends, Rocky and Joe, joined us for the final weekend on the farm. James, the guy buying the farm, and his friend, Gerald, came up on Friday and spent the weekend in Andalusia. We had a big cookout with them and our neighbors on Saturday night to welcome them to the neighborhood and to say our farewells. We closed the sale on Monday, January 27th.

Ben, Andy, Rocky and Joe with the Sweetpea Farm sign.

Ben and Andy heading back to Texas towing the Uhaul trailer.

Load #2 on the flatbed ready for the trip to Texas.

The cabin and the barn in the rearview mirror.

Farewell to Sweetpea Farm.

Trip #2, January 27 - February 2, 2020: After the closing on Monday morning, Dave and I drove to Biloxi with our load of lumber on the flatbed. On Tuesday, we took a day off and tried our luck at the casinos. Wednesday, we drove to Casino Coushatta where we spent the evening playing pai gow poker. On Thursday, we drove to Salado and parked the trailer. From there, we drove into Austin for the night and had supper with the kids and grandkids.

Sunrise from our Biloxi hotel room.

Friday we drove back up to Salado and spent the day unloading our lumber from the flatbed.

Our first layer of lumber under the barn in Salado.

All of the lumber unloaded and stored.

Saturday, Cat, our daughter-in-law, and our granddaughter, Maggie, went on a girl scout trip to NASA in Houston. We spent the time with our son, Ben, and our grandsons, Bubby and Archie, doing projects around the house.

Ben and Bubby with a jack hammer preparing to install a basketball hoop.

Dave and Archie supervising the basketball hoop project.

Trip #3, February 3 - 10: On Monday, February 3rd, we headed east for our third and final trip between Texas and Alabama. We spent Monday night at Casino Coushatta and drove to Biloxi on Tuesday.

Pelicans on an old pier, Biloxi, MS.

Wednesday morning we got up early and drove from Biloxi to Alabama. Charles and Chet met us at Charles' place where we had left the tractor and bush hog. We loaded two pine slabs onto the flatbed and then drove the tractor and bush hog up. Rain was on the way so we didn't hang around long before heading back to Biloxi.

Dave driving the tractor up onto the flatbed while Charles gives him a push and Chet stands by.

Charles, Dave and Chet.

We took a day off on Thursday and tried our luck at the Biloxi casinos. Friday we drove to Coushatta and spent the night there. Saturday we drove to Salado, unloaded the tractor and the pine slabs, and parked the flatbed.