Time with the Grands

We are enjoying time with the G'Kids on Wednesday afternoons. I have taken advantage to the Washington Pavilion membership I purchased by taking the kids there on our day. We have been there twice now. It always surprises me what they enjoy and how they spend their time.

The Pavilion is showcasing a dinosaur exhibit this summer. I expected it to capture M's attention and interest. It did for 5 minutes max. There are three floors of exhibits to keep them busy.

An art class is also offered each afternoon. Miss W enjoys it more than M. What the two of them enjoyed the most the first visit was going through all the costumes, also in the art room.

This week's art class was titled Bubble Art. Not certain how the title and the technique are related to bubble, but it was rather a unique process. Drops of different colored paint on a small white paper plate. Tape the plate to the bottom of a salad spinner. Pull the cord. 

Miss W's Bubble Art

our Mona Lisa

We also saw a movie this week, Tiny Giants in Nature. There are 2 other movies offered, so we will return...

Backyard Visitors

Back in early May I had seen a sturdier shepherd's hook at a local big box store with the option of 4 hooks. Of course, when I was ready to buy it, the store didn't have one. Luckily, we live in a community with 4 of those big box stores and another store had just what I wanted. When I bought it earlier this month, the ground was too hard to actually get the 3 pronged hook into the ground. I made some holes with long nails and poured 2 gallons of water in the holes to get the hook in far enough to keep it somewhat secure. It rained 2 inches this morning and I was able to pound the prongs even further into the ground.

Also this week, while looking for a cooler, I found the birdseed I had moved last summer. The containers were safely stored in one of the 3 coolers we own. (I must have discarded the 2 coolers aged 20 years or more.) I had the 2 bird feeders from the other place, so I was in business.

The hummingbird feeder has been out for more than a week. We have not seen a hummer. I don't think there is enough protection for them. The development is too new and the trees too young.

Late this afternoon I noticed visitors at the bird feeders. YEA! They found it!

we did see finches this weekend

hope they find the feeders

delphinium blooms

Although it doesn't look like it, I also spent some time trimming the grass and weeds around the flower bed. I found a wild rose 'bush' in the weeds and grass in the neighbor's area, so I trimmed around it so they can enjoy the pink flowers. 

The HOA furnished tree in our back yard did not have leaves last summer and did not have any this spring. They came to replace it on Tuesday.

posts and rope to help keep it straight

YEA! a tree with leaves!

A New Perennial Flower

One of the things I have missed from the old house, although not in the house but in the yard, is my perennial flower beds. They were a labor of love over a number of years. I enjoyed seeing the colors of the early spring flowers when we arrived home each spring. I enjoyed watching the lilies burst with their various colors. Recently I had added more later summer/fall blooming plants.

When I learned it was highly recommended by the landscaping company that takes care of the yards NOT to have any structures or decor that inhibited fast mowing by large machines, I was rather bummed. There is tall wild grass (weeds) growing in the wash or Skunk Creek behind our house. It is NOT an attractive view. I noticed some of our neighbors have used the high part of the creek or wash bank as a flower garden. HOA landscaping said that was a perfect solution as THEY did not maintain the creek banks.

So I had a plan and a project I started in mid-May, along with all the other projects we had going on at the time. As the guys were working on building the steps, I was digging gumbo.

I wore my hiking boots as they gave the best leverage and digging power with the spades I used. I chose to work the ground when it was wet as there is no way I could have turned the soil in dry conditions. It is like cement.

I collected rocks from the new building sites and the was to help 'mark' my flower bed so the city or county mower will know NOT to mow my perennial flower bed.

it was wet and this guy kept me company

finally have the area turned 

weeds and grass about 12 inches high in mid-May

these were SOME of the perennials I had 

bought for my new flower bed

a variety of colors when blooming

all surviving and thriving in full sunshine

I bought 6 50+pound bags of soil to add to the gumbo mix. I borrowed the wheelbarrow from the kids and hauled dirt to the back yard. When I couldn't lift the bags into the wheelbarrow, I enlisted the help of a younger neighbor who hoisted the bags like 5 pound sugar bags. A good way to meet the neighbors!

everything was planted by Memorial Day weekend, finally

I had kept some of the yard decor from our other place

I bought some new things on a trip to the new Fleet Farm store

the bird bath has a home at the end of the perennial bed

The grasses and weeds along the creek bank are now 24 inches high and higher. I have trimmed the grasses and weeds around the flower bed, so there is no way a large tractor and mower will mistakenly mow the perennial bed. I'm also quite certain the bed will grow at least a couple feet on either end to accommodate new plants this fall.

Right now as I am creating this post, it is raining, again. We have had rain every day for the past week; sometimes as little as .10 and as much as .50. I know because I added a decorative rain gauge to the decor. The hibiscus says enough already. The tomatoes and cucumber need some dry weather. The perennials are happy to be in the ground.

AND the 3 tomato plants and 1 cucumber hill

in the raised garden bed next to the deck

Life is good and I have a pretty view off the deck!

Deck Saga Continues

Between soccer games, school Carnaval, medical appointments, and some just for fun things, we got the deck boards replaced when they were not salvage-able and flipped the deck boards we could use. All the spindles were removed for easier staining. I began staining, working only when the deck was in the shade or the temp was not 80º+, and working around the rainy days.

We watched the grand dog for a few days while his family traveled to Utah for a graduation. He's attached to the garden bed framework while I stained deck spindles.

deck spindles were removed for easier staining

stained spindles back in place

deck boards flipped and new ones in place

Hubby also created some projects from the scrap cedar pieces or the OOPS pieces.

a planter for the front of the house

the base for the raised garden 

with tomato and cucumber plants

and a small deck table

and a second small deck table

While waiting to stain the deck floor, I also stained the front cedar stoop...

And finally, around June 9th, the deck was completed,  and ready for use.

and we have, nearly every day

Deck Addition Saga

Our townhouse came with a 10x10 foot cedar deck off the main floor living space. No steps on the deck. All winter Hubby talked about the steps he wanted to build when we got back home. We had some discussions and after mutual agreement on step placement, and HOA approval, the plan became reality. (I have to admit, I just didn't think the steps off the deck were necessary. I didn't't think we would use them.) But as the project took shape I realized the steps allowed us a second exit to our home and am very thankful to have that option if ever it was needed. I can't see either of us vaulting the deck railing and jumping 57 inches to the ground.

Hubby enlisted the help of Jerry, our engineer friend, and thus began a week of measuring, sawing and hammering.

thinking, planning, 

concrete fabrication (block) to support the pipes

below the frost line, required by code

and to support the landing posts

using a jack hammer to push the 4'

pipes into the concrete block

the process went easier than either of them anticipated

all four in the ground and capped

2 of them

playing in the sand to set the concrete pads

landing pads in place

stringers cut and in place

Jerry was busy that day, so I was the

helping hand

steps done, landing is not, railing is not

Jerry was back

landing done, railings attached

Woo Hoo! 

Old wood. New wood.

So, that led to another project. Some folks told us the cedar should 'set' a year before staining. Others told us to stain right away. Hubby wanted this project completed before his foot surgery on June 3. We rented a power wash machine and cleaned off the old wood. (Old wood meaning the deck was built in May 2018.) Cleaning off the wood brought about another project...some of the cedar was so chewed by the power washing process, floor boards needed replacing as did some of the deck spindles. We were now on week two of 'adding steps to the deck' and hampered by rain every other day. The saga continues...