The Years To Remember

 It seems August is all about the house as my activities are centered here along with trips to Lowe's and Home Depot. I hope to ride my bike tomorrow, and a kayak trip is scheduled for Tuesday. Hot tub installation is Wednesday, hair and car appts on Thursday so my week is about set. Another round of work on the patio Friday included setting the steps in place and installing a french drain in front of the patio and deck and topping it with stone. The yard will remain a wreck as the fence needs to go in and it will just get torn up again. I don't have a date for that, but Wayne has proven to be very punctual on this project so far ... fingers crossed. I really like the steps up to the landing pad for the garage door. I didn't even request that; it  was all Wayne's planning and forethought to include it to finish it nicely. I have quite a few projects of my own to work on this weekend. I bought some new porch lights for the front of the house so I'll install them. I d...

Northern fritillary on zinnia.  Yesterday's shopping trip for a hot tub turned into purchase day too. I settled on a salt water system for several reasons - no chlorine smell, better water feel and buoyancy, easy to maintain, only drain and refill once per year. The down side is extra cost - but when it comes down to it, this is just one big, extravagant splurge for me, so I'm not going to cheap out on the details.  Concrete pour day. The garden has become overgrown and unkempt as the summer peak has passed. It will get a make-over this fall and next spring. Concrete pouring. The concrete is being poured as I write this on an unexpectedly rainy morning. The rain has stopped and the concrete is being pumped up from the street.  Concrete poured, all done by 8 am. Stamped to resemble natural rock. Tomorrow stain will be added, then sealant, then wait for it to cure. That little pipe is the conduit for the electric line to the hot tub. As soon as the concrete guy gives the wo...

 While I'm not really happy with the state of the garden overall - too straggly and a mish mash - there are some specimens that have done very well. The Limelight hydrangeas are just starting to blush pink and the flower heads are huge! I never grew zinnias before and now I love them. This zinnia was a straggly little seeding from a six pack on sale and now this! The Lantana is so pretty I'm contemplating keeping it over the winter in the house. I'm coming to the conclusion that the whole garden needs to be redone. Some plants are not placed well, others I just don't like at all. Maybe it has something to do with the back yard being all torn up? In any case, I'm working through it and even went to shop, evaluate, and price out hot tubs. I thought I was certain I wanted a salt water system, but now I'm not sure after talking with a couple of dealers. My internet research is not giving me a clear answer either.  The area is all prepped and ready for concrete. It w...

 This past weekend I started harvesting what I could from my veggie garden: a mass of basil, 2 delicata squash, a few undersized beets and kohlrabi, and a bunch of tiny carrots. I also took down the raised beds in preparation for deck demolition and patio install. I obsessed for a few hours about where to place the veggie garden for next year, but based on the paltry harvest, I think I won't have a vegetable garden at all. My neighbor's son and his partner started a farm a couple of miles away so I'll just support that endeavor, and work on my flower garden. Giving something like that up will be an experiment to see if I really miss it, or just plant it because it's there.  This is the before picture. I'm keeping the upper roofed deck. The lower section of deck, I just don't use and the wood is badly weather beaten. The deck roof side panel really needs a coat of paint, or three. I began my part of the project by painting the side panel of the deck roof. I knew ...

Aruba was beautiful and very hot and humid. I'm not sure why people choose to travel there in the heat of summer, but it was quite a popular place. I'm guessing it's even busier in winter. We got up early to walk the beach before it got too hot. Me with the younger girls. Me and my sister. We beach walkers had a nice breakfast at a restaurant on the beach, then went for a swim before heading back to get ready for the wedding. Burrowing owls just hanging around their home. The wedding was lovely and right on the beach. We all ditched our foot wear early on and danced the night away. I was happy to spend time with my daughter most of all as living on opposite coasts means we don't get to do that too often. I really hated saying goodbye to her.  The bride's side of the family. The beach at night. My sister, brother (father of the bride), and me. Daughter and her partner. On the sunset cruise on our last night. Flying to Aruba takes the better part of a day (8 hrs) so i...