On the left looking down into kitchen from sleeping loft. Note ceiling in kitchen had been removed during restoration, originally you could not look down into the lower floor. I found written on the perlins lists of workers hours and money paid at cents per days labor. A skilled carpenter could make up to $3 per day as they were paid a premium wage. On the right I am standing on a ladder where the steps up to the loft used to be. There were no interior stairs, the loft was reached by climbing stairs from the outside. Too bad I have no picture before the cobwebs, muddaubers, and debris were removed. Left is my upstairs bedroom as it looks now. You can see the collar ties are much higher and cause no head ducking. The edge of the kneewall is visable where the stairs enter the upper floor

Above my brother supports rafters before decking is applied (center). The rafters were further supported with new interior walls. The collar ties were raised. Above right picture show the dormer that was added at top of new interior stairs for space and light. The "before and after" of my kitchen is pretty dramatic. The original kitchen had a 1931 facelift that well, was a failure! The kitchen had so much water and termite damage that it was gutted! 2011 update on kitchen shows my orchid window. Every year the orchids grace me with blooms Jan to Sept and they are beginning to take over the house. A daily misting of water and bright light keeps them happy.

This is the bathroom as it looked when I came to live here, too bad this isn't scratch and sniff!  Some of the contents of the commode went down the clay pipe to empty out on a field several hundred feet to the East. I soon found the source of an unpleasant odor and the bath was condemned by me and through the good grace of my neighbor I had bathroom facilities to use in their guest quarters.

OH HEAVENLY DAY! After a year without a bathroom to call my own my new old bath was finished. This is a composit picture of my lovely bathroom now. The lavatory is a old hotel washstand which was very hard to locate. Most washstands were too small for my needs. My wallpaper appears as the background on Molly's page

South across a courtyard from the rock home pictured above is the James Pruitt Home(circa 1853) pictured at right as it appeared when I purchased this property. The original board and batten home was covered with similated brick sheeting in 1903. Removal of this sheeting showed termite damage so the home was stuccoed to match the adjacent smokehouse. The two room home originally had a porch across the front (left side) that was closed in to make a third room in 1903.

The Smokehouse has been converted to my puppy play yard with a petdoor installed in one of the lower panels of the door. A/C installed in the back window and a fenced covered area. Trees have grown up on west side of area for shade. The old fire pits are still there and the pups run around it for hide and seek.

Right is the cabin during restoration and as it nears completion. It was my home for a year while the rock house was being restored. It was a fun time, no plumbing but lots of dogs under foot in the 312 square foot interior. I spent one Christmas in the cabin, had an old fashion cedar tree with popcorn & cranberry strings, no lights...it was so period and fun but I would not like to spend another year without a bathroom!!! The home has now "gone to the dogs" and my shelties enjoy it as their home. They have pet doors and can come and go freely. The dogs join me in the "rock house" from time to time. My dogs are only confined in the runs when I am going to be gone or during bad weather, storms, fireworks or when I have guests.

The cabin as it appears now (2010) is shown just below the kennel pictures..

Below is how my place is set up now. To the rear (South) of the dog house (white cabin) is my kennel and training arena. The covered 20 x 40 carpeted arena is for training, the 18 x 33 covered concrete paved area is for wet weather when I must confine my dogs so they can get some excercise. Then there is a row of covered 8x8 chain link dog runs to confine my dogs, or guest dogs, when needed. The folks shown are members of the Alamo Area Shetland Sheepdog Club who are enjoying a puppy play day and training session. The black iron fencing allows me to "herd" my dogs where I want them and keep them out of the gardens. I can perserve areas for pups only and keep adults from running the grass down. There are gates on either side of the dog cabin that I close when it is raining so the shelties have to stay on paved areas on the sides and rear of the cabin or on the cabin porch. But if there is a place where they can stand in the rain...they do!

The rock house is about twenty five feet to the north of the dog cabin and all are enclosed by my yard fence (rock wall). In addition the whole five acres are fenced. Outside of the front of the rock house (above center) is an acre of land fenced with deer proof fencing for the dogs to run. It is a great area with large oak and elm trees for shade, the dogs love the freedom it provides. I often begin pups on lead by walking with them as they explore this large area as they are eager to be moving.

Above is the West side of the house looking North (in the distance you see the rock yard fence and paddock beyond). This area is cross fenced for a guest yard for sheltie visitors. Gives them some freedom in this nice grass area at the same time isolating them from my herd. I am standing in my puppy pen to take the picture on the left, red flowers are in my kitchen window. The old smoke house is behind where I am standing. It now has a covered pea gravel area, pet door, A/C and heat and a large open air fenced play area for puppies. It is shaded so I have outdoor carpet installed to keep them clean. It is just two steps out my back door so I can keep an eye on the little boogers. The picture right is looking around the west corner at my fountain and pergola.

Since my retirement, I have spent a lot of time in the yard and it is beginning to show. We have had so many dry periods that I have had to do the yard in pieces as my water well is shallow and I have to take care and limit watering. I use drought resistant plants that require little water when established. The yard it is not finished but looking much better with only the East side left to plant.

Above left is the East side of the house which was the original front entrance. Spring Branch road was rerouted to the north of the house in the 1940s and the pergola (North) side became the front entrance at that time but everyone comes through the back kitchen door off the driveway!

You can see my grooming table set up on the porch. I also fence off the stairs and use this area for very young pups. It is covered, protected from north winds and provides a perfect first outing area. The porch catches the early morning sun and warms quickly but is shaded by mid morning...perfect for pups. The rock path my dogs follow from the cabin to the paddock is visable and you can see the dog house in the rear just above the picnic table.

Right is the front of house facing due North. Built the pergola in 2010 my first year of retirement. It is a great place to watch the shelties play in the paddock. The dogs follow the rock walk along the black iron fencing out through the rock pillars to the front acre paddock. As soon as I open the gate the race is on to see who can get to the far fence first.

I cannot stop planting gardens and iris are my favorites. Far right is my wildflower garden along the driveway. I still have to complete the east side of the home but need to redo my pumphouse and take a tree down before I plant anything. Need to wait for the 2011 drought to end also. Now I am cutting and burning the dead hackberry trees that succumed to the drought. I am going to plant some color in the woods so I can enjoy the view. Sure wish I did not have to deal with deer.

This year 2011, we lost my daughter's dog Dante who was my dear Lottie' brother and it prompted me to build a cementery for my past shelties. So now their ashes rest under a giant oak tree in the dog paddock where they can enjoy all the sheltie play time. Any Lockehill sheltie is welcome to come back home and rest here with my shelties when the time comes.