R & R at Hart Ranch

We arrived at Hart Ranch, a membership only camping resort in the Black Hills, on Friday afternoon. There was rain across the state on Friday on our westward drive and continued through most of the weekend, joined by strong winds. That doesn't make for ideal camping conditions, but if you are warm and dry, it doesn't really matter, especially if you have nothing on the agenda that requires an outdoor activity.

It warmed up enough, high 60s maybe, with sunshine on Tuesday afternoon to actually sit outside. The campground is rather quiet after the busier holiday weekend. I had a book and my camera and enjoyed the quiet and beautiful meadow setting of Hart Ranch. 

This is what I enjoyed...

 Quiet streets, large open spaces, green grass

Camp security was very busy enforcing the 10 mph

speed limit over the week

 This family had just played some pickle ball

The van parked at this RV and started the vacuum

cleaner, and cleaned and cleaned and left

They haven't been back

Hmmmm

A patriotic camper

The cleaning crews who clean the camping 

cabins after visitors leave the five star resort

 Folks biking

Campers arriving

Campers walking

Enjoying the miniature golf area

One of six comfort stations

with men & women's shower facilities

& two washers and dryers in each station

 Campers staying for the summer

(work campers)

The resort is quiet mid-week, 

but will get busier toward the weekend.

It is back inside today...

overcast, windy, chilly...

a good day to read another book!

A perfect R & R location

Planting Petals in Pots

A little alliteration on another chilly, dreary day in the Black Hills. (I am pre-posting this on Saturday and there will be no sign of the sun today.) I got the flowers planted in pots before we left on R & R. I hope they look as good when we return as they did on Thursday afternoon.

My grouping of potted petals in planters

 A pot of three types of geraniums:

a 'regular'-the tall one; a double flowers-the shorter one in front;

and a Martha Washington in a white and pink

The hibiscus I bought in Minneapolis earlier in the month;

it is 3 plants twisted together

The white pot in the back holds a lemon geranium,

also called a mosquito plant, according to the tag.

In the front planter, two variegated pink geraniums,

a pink & green petunia, a red spike, and another trailing 

something in a light pink on the back side.

My purple pot of petals

I love the tea cup planters and thought I would always 

find the right plants in red, yellow or orange for this one. Not so.

The red impatiens did not do well in it last year. I think

I tried red petunias one year. So something different this year.

I really missed doing the greenhouse tours

and flower shopping with girl friends, again this year.

Retired life isn't supposed to be this busy!

I really intended to plant lettuce in a gutter and hang it on the

garden fence wall this summer. (I saw the idea on Pinterest and thought

it was very clever.) However, I barely got the garden planted, so 

wasn't up to something cute and creative. Instead, I bought lettuce

plants (I know, cheating!) and got them in a bowl. A bowl for easy transport as it has

traveled to the Hills with us. We'll have lettuce next week!

My Poor Neglected Flower Bed

My daughter-in-law's mother gave me a star flower for my birthday. I had admired it at her home earlier this month. I had to get it/them planted in the perennial flower bed before we left for our R & R.

The flower bed has been sadly neglected since we got home. Projects inside the house took precedence. I have taken the time to admire the flowers as they show off their colors, but have done nothing to maintain the bed.

I like the look of a little more ground space than what is showing now.

I am almost embarrassed by all the weeds & needed thinning & pruning.

The poppy petals are peeking through.

I will probably miss their blooming this year.

 I really like the extra pop of color the poppies give to

the flower bed.

The "University of Minnesota" columbine has lots of flowers this spring.

I had planned to move it to the back of the flower bed, 

but didn't happen this spring.

This is the purple columbine. It doesn't have as many flowers.

This is my "Watertown Arrows" columbine.

Yes, the bed colors are mostly purple & white right now.

I still don't know the name of this one.

(Liz, can you help me out?)

It needs deadheading and will bloom all summer.

The pink is blooming. I rarely get a good picture of it.

The Stella De Oro Lillies are full of blossoms. They will

add a bright gold color. I thinned the plants last year.

They seem to have loved it as they are big and lush again.

Fall leaves are still around.

The daisy got thinned and pruned last summer.

It survived & is thriving.

The anemone is out of hand. It has almost taken

over the flower bed. It will get some serious trowel

attention in June. It also needs serious deadheading.

I am not a very good plant housekeeper, right now.

It will look better next month. I promise.

The Guest Room Facelift

It is DONE! One month, to the day, the guest room is completed. For before pictures, go to Continuing Facelift posted last month. You will notice some of the decor was just switched from one room to the other. Either a) I liked it so much I wanted to keep it, b)  I have too much and don't know what to do with it, or c)  I was tired of shopping and this will do.

As in many older home remodels, I am guessing, many things do not go as planned. The floors, now that they have been refinished are beautiful, are not necessarily level. That isn't something one might notice unless rolling marbles. We discovered it when we used the floor as a basis for measurement and found things slightly crooked when we were done. The door frame openings have also moved over the years??? We noticed a quarter inch difference in width measurement from top to bottom. So most little projects took longer because of these little oddities. But we are pleased with the looks of our final project.

 The refinished original hardwood floor

Looking into the guest room from the hallway

 This quilt was on the bed in the master bedroom for many years

It fit into the category of a) I liked it so much I wanted to keep it

My mother embroidered it by hand and then hand stitched the quilting.

It went from a cranberry colored room to a pink, almost mauve, bedroom.

 The furniture has a story, too.

This 5 piece set was a wedding gift to my parents 

in 1949 from my mother's parents.

When I got my own room it was my bedroom set the years I lived at home.

Rather than have it placed with the auction items when

folks moved to their current home in 1999, I asked if 

I could have the set.

I refinished the woodwork and had a friend add the side posts

to the headboard to fit a queen bed set.

The new closet doors were hung this morning.

This is a room filled with items I'm not ready to part with, yet.

Family Keepsakes, for now

Now we can go on vacation! We deserve a little R&R 

after a very hectic first month at home.

Copper Wire Bedroom

We moved back into our bedroom Saturday. It is close enough to done to post pictures. To make a comparison, checkout the post on Master Bedroom Facelift  from April.

 The rebuilt closet

I thought I had taken photos of the before closets,

but guess I didn't. Let's just say the remake is 

way better than what we had.

 

The bi-fold doors need to be sanded & painted

The original hardwood floor was sanded & stained

The floor looks as good as the floor of the office

that was refinished last summer Face Lift

We added crown molding after the ceiling & walls

were textured and painted

We also painted the woodwork

 The walls are 'copper wire' in color

I really like the little area rug I found

Although I hate to cover the beautiful floor...

New window coverings, pillow coverings, decorative pillows

and moving some paintings around...

It needs a few more decorative touches, 

but for now it is useable.

Wednesday Morning with Willa

G'ma went in search of one of Willa's B-Day presents this morning when it was time to dress Willa. This post is for Auntie...

 She was most happy to oblige G'ma's request.

The back of Auntie's B-Day gift to Willa.

 Playing with her baby

Reading to her baby

Willa's version of dressing like a diva.

I think I have a new summer goal...looking for dress-up clothes for Ms Willa. I may just start the rounds of garage sales and thrift stores.