Patio Project Progress

When we bought our first house about 12 years ago I knew it needed a stone patio.  A natural stone patio.  It took the STP 8 years to gather enough rocks and finish the project.  He put his back out in the process.  When we finished it, we sold the house.  The new owners probably tore it out and replaced it with pavers.  I couldn't bear the thought.  I don't really want to know. 
Our new house had a blank canvas for a landscape.  Which is an optimistic way of saying it was a big patch of dirt with a few weeds.  It has not been three full years yet, and we have grass, and flower beds, and baby shrubs and a garden and even a baby tree.  And you may recall that I have patio dishes.  So what I really needed is a patio.  A natural stone patio.  With some old salvaged bricks thrown in to make it look like it has been here forever.  And you may recall that we have a plan.  And we have started. 
So you may be wondering if you will have to wait 8 years for pictures of the finished patio.  The truth is that I have not taken a lot of pictures since we began the hauling and laying of stones.  Because we have passed from the excitement of the first days and the promise of summer days sipping lemonade and iced tea on the patio, to the reality of hot summer days spent picking rocks, and loading rocks, and hauling rocks, and unloading rocks, and placing rocks, and setting rocks.  And every day we say 'maybe one more load of rocks will do it' and 'just one more day and it should be done'.  We have passed through the 'whose idea was this?' stage and are deep into the 'will this ever get finished stage?' of the project.  
Today we hauled the last load of rocks.  (Not that we have all the rocks to complete the whole plan, just that we have hauled our last rock for this summer.  Even though the STP has seen the plan, he is in denial.  Don't mention 'phase two' to him.)  And I think 'one more day' will do it.  No, really.

This is a picture where I had my lawn chair and I was 'trying it on'.  I think it was right after this that the STP stopped laying stones for the day. 
Hoping it will be done by the Fourth of July.  Can't you just see little cups full of cherries with stems?

Before and After

FATHER SON HAIRCUTS

Not exactly extreme make overs, but it's hard to improve perfection.

Big Baby

When the Goob was little bitty and in need of a dresser, the incredible Uncle R. donated one to the cause.  And I stained it with burgundy paint.  (Which looked amazingly pink when it was dry.)  And added rope handles.  And attached a blue hankerchief corner, so it would look like things were hanging out of the drawers.  (How clever and cute!)  The Goob's socks and underwear are still in the bottom drawer of  the pink burgundy dresser where I put them originally so he could reach them himself when he was potty training.  Only the Goob's socks and underwear are significantly bigger than when he was two.  The dresser drawers are unfortunately the same size.  (And things hanging out of them are not so cute or clever.)
Thus, the project of the month:  redoing another donated dresser for the Goob's room.  The Goob sanded and I painted it--blue. (Same rope handles, but I did learn a thing or two about choosing paint colors.)  The only problem was where to place it in the room.  So I looked in the Goob's room and I had this revelation that maybe I could take out the table and chair.  Because the Goob hardly ever used them anymore.

 Because maybe he had out grown them. 










What do you think? 

We also took out the way cool cowboy grooming station that Super Aunt Sara had made him, because the Goob had to squat down to see himself in the mirror.  It was a sad day to see my baby boy's things go to the attic.  Neither of us was ready to tackle the toy box (which was also donated and also painted many years ago),

so we just moved it under the window where it will serve as a bench

 until the Goob leaves for college.







And yes, those things are really in the toy box, and yes, I did cry almost the whole way through Toy Story 3.

This Is The Day

Today was the day we were going to launch the kayaks. 

Every time I tell someone I bought a kayak they ask me if I have learned to roll my kayak (as in flip my kayak upside down and make it come back up.)  Evidently they are trying to merge what kayaking they have seen in movies and summer Olympic coverage with the image of me in a kayak.  I am touched that they care enough about me to raise such concerns, but they needn't worry.  Obviously, we have totally different ideas of what I plan to do in my kayak.  Because I picture a calm secluded mountain lake, and me and the STP leisurely paddling about, and lunch on the far shore.  (Such sorrow that the picnic blanket is no longer in my possession.)  At no time do I envision my kayak being upside down.

Today was the day the plan was going to come together.

I have been searching for the ideal calm secluded mountain lake for the kayaks maiden voyage.  This week I heard that Meadowlark Lake was 'open'.  (This does not mean that the gate was unlocked.  It means that the ice has melted off of it.)  So this afternoon the STP and I loaded the kayaks. And headed for the mountain.   

And when we arrived at the mountain lake there were flashes of lightning and hail. 

Yes, hail.

Perhaps today was the day we practiced loading and unloading the kayaks and enjoyed a lovely ride to the mountain.

We waited a little while and studied the sky and debated whether we wanted to actually approach water that had been ice less than a week ago.   Then we unloaded the kayaks. And then the sun came out and we launched those kayaks. 

And just like that, there we were.  The STP and I kayaking on a calm secluded mountain lake. 

Just the way I had envisioned it.  Next time I will pack a lunch--just in case we make it to the far shore.

Today was also the day we invited friends to share the day with us.  To take our pictures and try out our kayaks and to marvel over the wildflowers with us

and to eat supper with us in Ten Sleep.

 And we didn't come home until the sun set.

Yep, today was the day. 

And I was just thinking that that the Lord's lovingkindnesses are new every morning.  Makes me look forward to what tomorrow might bring.

Another Bloomin' Update

The peony bloomed last week.  (Note peony in the singular)  I rewarded it by chopping it off and putting it in a beautiful green glass vase so I could enjoy it more.  (Note that you can see the table top in this picture.) 

The second bud has refused to open.  I have offered it more water and a promise of amnesty.  Still I am counting the peony transplant project a success for this year.   

The paprika yarrow has come into its own. 

The flame plant is thriving in the hanging basket.  Evidently it helps that I did not water it with vinegar this year.

 The Stella d'oro day lillies are both doing well in the front beds.

And just a teaser--the lupine(a new perennial this year) has the promise of a bloom.  (And the orange daylillies have buds like crazy.)

But possibly my most favorite bloom is in the SFG.  The chocolate cherry tomato plants have little chocolate cherry tomato blossoms.  I can't wait!

 

East Side Story--the Sequel

A note of interest concerning my previous post about the west side of my house: It really happened on the east side.  (Thanks to my less directionally challenged readers for pointing that out to me.)  Much has been happening there since my last post.

The Goob dug a hole. 

And the STP helped him haul away the grass we have worked three summers to grow.  The Goob does not understand this process.  Much in the same way he can not figure out why I water and fertilize the grass, as it only makes it grow so he has to mow it more often.  Anyway he overcame his aversion to the project with the promise of money.

Next we will haul gravel and sand and rocks to fill the hole back in.  There is not enough money in the checking account to convince the Goob that this makes any sense or that he wants any part of it.

I , on the other hand, can't wait.

In fact, I've already started. 

I love it when a plan comes together. 

You Say Frittatta, I Say Fritata

Made the STP iced chai semi-latte tea today. Because he is a good dad.
And I made him a frittata with asparagus, orange peppers, and parmesan cheese.  Which is a fancy way of saying 'baked eggs with all the leftovers in the fridge'.  Because I was raised by a good dad.
Come to think of it, maybe that's where I got my incredible cooking skills.

The Other Side of the Mountain

 The reason we went for a drive on Monday was to see the snow in the mountains. 

We were not disappointed.

It was raining, but the STP got out of the truck to give you some perspective.  Things are looking good for sledding on the first day of Summer.

Odometer Reading of the Week

92526

Not the best pictures, but I was driving at the time.  And I am giving myself extra credit for even recognizing such a cool number.  (Plus I had to stand on my head to take the second picture.)

In Velvet

As usual, I almost missed the picture of the deer altogether.

The STP thinks I can not photograph anything that moves faster than lichen.  (And truthfully sometimes I can't get that in focus.)

But this was the evening when I got a picture of the moose (and the baby moose).

And the same evening the hummingbird sat long enough for me to get in a shot or two.










So if you're thinking just forget about the deer, just look at this:

All that, and a slice of mountain medley pie at Bear Creek Lodge. 

 Oh, and did I mention that the sun set again tonight?

What's Blooming II--Pots and Planters

I stuck my camera up in the hanging basket to see if anything was blooming.  I think this one is in need of some miracle gro.

The other hanging pot just has red petunias in it. I have visions of this growing and overflowing like the baskets in Wilmore, KY. Usually the things I put in this pot shrivel and die, but this could be the year of flourish and overflow,

Speaking of dead and dying, I bought these little crispy yellow things at a yardsale.  I never get anything to grow in these front flower pots.  Mostly because I can't remember to water them.  I don't hold out a lot of hope for these guys, but they sure are cute now in my blue pots, aren't they?

Petunias grow well in my planters.  This year they are both my fillers...





...and my thrillers.

The color scheme this year is purple, red and yellow.

I tried some new things in the boxes.  Yellow marigolds and a new yellow spiller. 

Purple verbena and those red things the STP likes along with the usual red geraniums. 

I'm pretty pleased with the results so far.   

(Thinking that growing flowers is not unlike raising children. Lots of hope and promise.  Lots of work and attention required.  And if you choose which pictures you take and share, you can make them look good.)