Play to My Weaknesses

Now I know what you are thinking, "There goes Joanie getting all *dylexical* again and mixing up sayings!" I know that the saying is Play To Your Strengths, but this Grammie has learned how to accommodate her weaknesses!

Twenty months ago, as winter was closing in, I knew I needed to get Fernando off the street for the winter. I cut down two sections of fence that went along the sidewalk so I could park him on the large expanse of concrete that, in a former life, was a basketball court. As I put up a temporary fence I told myself that, come spring, I would get my boys over here to help me build a new fence.

FENCE MEET SHERA- WARRIOR PRINCESS

NOVEMBER 9, 2013

Somehow that never happened with babies being born and people getting married so I decided to take on the project myself (said the Little Red Hen!) I started thinking, measuring, drafting a plan, shopping out options and thinking some more!

The last week of June into July was blisteringly hot... everyday was in the high 90s to low 100s. Well, I may be crazy... but not that crazy! I don't do well when it gets that hot. Very fortuitously, on Monday-last the weather turned overcast, cool  and with daily thunderstorms! I headed out to Home Depot to buy my posts, 2x4s, cement mix, rebar and various fasteners.

Weakness #1-
Even though I've lost 25 lbs and walk daily, I'm not all that strong.

I ASK FOR HELP! These two young men cut my rebar into the proper lengths. Thank you James and Andrew! I also got help loading my 2- 4"x4"x8' posts, 20- 2"x4"x8' and 4- 60# bags of cement mix (no way could I handle 80#ers on my own!). Incidentally I asked these fellow if they were in the witness-protection program before posting their faces! But beard-man looks a little sketchy to me!

The first thing on my agenda was to dig the post holes.

Reference previous weakness-

I knew I couldn't use a post hole digger with my rocky ground. I soaked the area the night before and then used my shovel.

I remembered that when Kevin and Ryan built the fence in the background of this photo they staked the posts in the holes to keep them level. I'm a quick learner! I mixed up the cement and carefully filled the cardboard sleeves (thank you, Brad, for that idea)

While the cement cured I reworked the sprinklers and added a couple of new heads. Sadly I had to take up part of the rock path... that is another job for another day!

I decided that I wanted to go with 34"x16' hog panels but that meant I'd have to cut those panels to fit on my own. I bought the panels at Cal Ranch but not before I got a bolt cutter and went outside to make sure I was strong enough!

Yay little-Grammie! Your arms aren't so weak after all!

My next problem was how to fasten these fatty-hog panels to the frame. Fastener fail #1! I couldn't use my new pneumatic crown stapler! (Return pneumatic crown stapler)

What to do? What to do?

I needed a way to hold the panel in place while I hammered in the fencing staples by hand. So I cut some shims to hold the panels up while I hammered in the fencing staples.

But what happens when it is an awkward angle? I've never had good hammer skills!

I used some of the dandy screws that Kevin used to mount 2x4 brackets when I built the other fence.

I started by the path and worked steadily *around the horn* to the shed. It occurred to me that I would want a second gate over by the shed that I hadn't originally planned. This time I was in the process of loading cement mix at Home Depot into Fernando by myself  when a female worker called someone to help me. I really could handle it. I was surprised at how my strength had increased in the 5 previous days of work!

I was feeling quite happy that I hadn't encountered any rock-a-dons in digging the previous holes... I got smug just a little too soon!

This was rock #1!

This is his happy *little* companion! And they both came out of the same, now quite large, hole! Are ya kiddin' me??

Each day the thunderstorms drove me inside for a brief respite... I was grateful for that! Saturday's storm was a true East-cost downpour!!

When I went back outside I notice that this poor dragon fly hadn't managed to get out of the storm! Poor baby! I pick him up with my gloved hand and put him safely in the currant bushes.

When dusk fell Saturday evening I had all of the posts in and panels hung except a tiny piece that spans the breach between the raised garden and the shed. I was tired but oh-so-pleased with my week's work.

Sunday was a much appreciated day of rest. This morning I built the tiny section seen here and added all of the small pickets and top header.

As I was returning a tool to Dennis another neighbor stopped to talk. When he asked what I'd been doing I showed him my fence. He couldn't believe I built it all by myself.

Yes, it did make me feel good to see his admiration. I'm so grateful for parents who taught me and a sweet son-Kevin who also teaches me how to be a good builder. And I am ever so grateful for my strong and healthy body! I count my good health as a dear blessing.

You will have to come back (or perhaps sneak over to Pinterest) to see what I have planned for the gates. I am so very excited to build them!!

Tomatoes? Already?

Yes, I've planted my tomatoes already! A full 8 weeks before the normal planting date! The earliest I've ever put out my plants!

I told some friends at the Temple I was going to do this and one asked, "What if they freeze?" Well, then I'll jank them out and replant! Sounds pretty straight forward to me! But with our early spring I hate to see anymore of these warm days go by without at least trying!

Kaia, 11, Kevin's oldest daughter, is earning money so she can participate in a humanitarian effort with her church's youth group this summer in Guatemala. She posted on Kevin's Facebook page that she was looking for work.  Well, this Grammie just happened to be able to provide some of that!

So lasterday I texted Camille and asked if Kaia would like to help me with yard work. I'd just picked up a yard and a half of compost (aka centrifuged sewer sludge) which equals one heaping pickup load of compost! Fernando was really low on his poor old haunches! And speaking of haunches... this ol' Grammie can only make so many step-ups into the back of Fernando to scoop out said compost. (Looks like I might need to add some kind of stair-stepping exercise to my daily routine) I literally get to the point, after several dozen ups and downs with my short-Grammie-legs, that they will not lift me up. Last spring I almost feel over backwards on my last attempt. So I knew I would need some young legs to help me!

Camille came down with Kaia, Elise and the babies. Elise wanted to help too... she's quite the worker! They arrived just in time to finish the compost unload.

Miss Bitty thought she could help too. She had so much fun playing in the dirt. At first Camille was concerned that Miss Bitty was dumping it into undesignated locations... no worries! It made her very happy...

And very dirty! This is the cutest little dirty baby!

By the time they left we had the tomatoes planted, complete with water walls, and all but one wheelie-cartload of compost spread.

So here's looking forward to tomatoes; sweet, garden-fresh tomatoes in June!

Snow Overcometh Fernando...

(This is a post that should have been written last month, but alas... you get it now instead!)

Fernando, our new/old truck, lives at the curb and in the snowy nether-reaches of Utah that can be perilous! When Gordon's Contour had to live at the curb we got a parking ticket because we left it, snowed in, for a couple of weeks. I didn't want to repeat that with Fernando so every time it snows I go clean off the snow and then drive him around a little, knocking down the snow so our local law enforcement can see that he hasn't just been abandoned at the curb.

That worked fairly well until this time about a month ago. I did my normal clean-off-the-windows with the snow brush, but since Fernando's wipers were old they didn't wipe too well. My normal routine is to drive back and forth through the parking spot, from both directions, to knock the snow down. On my third or fourth pass I decided to include the mailbox as well so the mail-lady could get to the mail box.

Ahhhh! It wasn't until too late, looking through a badly wiped windshield, that I saw I was headed for a HUGE berm of snow in front of Kidd's house. Well, no matter! I will just dig a little and back out...Famous last words!

I dug and rocked and salted, all in vain! This was on Friday afternoon. When Pam got home she said to Brad, "I see you missed the truck so much you bought it back!" I called and had to admit my silliness and told them we'd get Fernando moved on Monday. It took a tow-truck to pull Fernando out of this mess.

No wonder he wouldn't budge! He was totally high centered on ice and snow!

It was so bitterly cold that day; just standing on the sidewalk, all bundled up, I got chilled to the bone. It made me reflect on those pioneers from the Martin and Willie handcart companies who were stuck in similar circumstances! I don't know how any of them survived that harsh, bone-chilling cold!

On Thursday of that week (1/17) the sun came out bright and clear. Even though the temperature was still in the low teens the sun was a welcome relief. I went out and shoveled not one but two parking spots at the curb for Fernando and an extra space for company. It felt so good to be outside working!

Trucks at 16 and 60!

For years (almost 8 to be exact) I've taken photos of the beautiful sunsets that always delight and amaze me and especially in the winter there is usually this teal truck in the foreground. Most of you probably don't even notice it... but I do!



Well I finally got sick and tired of it always being there so I moved that *dang-thing*! Where did I move it too?

In front of MY house!!! Bwahahaha!!



We've mentioned to several of our neighbors who have older trucks, "If you ever want to sell your truck, let us know!" Well, Brad did! He made us a wonderful deal AND we know that it has been lovingly cared for. How could we go wrong?

I've wanted a truck since we moved to Utah. We've kicked around the idea. Gordon's looked at trucks online but it just didn't come together until now. We've had to borrow a truck or trailer several times a season to haul green-waste, pick up something big at Home Depot, take a snowblower or mower into to be fixed or move something. But now! Now we have our very own truck!!

Lasterday as Gordon and I were high-fiving each other exalting that we were finally truck owners (for the very first time) I remember that *my first car* was also a truck. It didn't belong to me; my mom bought it after I wrecked her little Dart wagon (stupid kid!!) She bought it for the same reason we did- she just needed a hauler AND a second back-up car to drive her US Mail route, and make little-Joanie mobile. She was very kind to me in that way. (Let's be honest! My mom was kind to me in EVERY WAY!



For some reason I find it a little ironic that the only trucks I've *owned* are teal... the first one at age 16 and now, this one, at age 60.

OK- Here's another conundrum. What to name my new friend. Got any suggestions?