Tomato-snatchin' Swine-Deer

This post has been two weeks in the writing... not that I've sat at the computer for 2 weeks, but the incident that perpetuated this post happened two weeks ago today.

I've learned a wonderful truth... if I keep moving DAILY I don't hurt as much. I used to *take Sunday off* from taking my walk but soon realized that those are the days that I REALLY hurt. Welp, I love walking enough that adding a 7th walk each week is, frankly, a delight.

So, Sunday a fortnight ago, Harley and I were just returning from our evening stroll. As I rounded the corner into my backyard movement in the tomato patch caught my eye. I caught two 4-legged thieves in the act of pilfering my prized tomatoes. (I'd noticed a partially eaten tomato a couple of day before and thought, stupidly, that it was the birds!) THEY were surprised at my untimely return and bolted, not towards me and out of harm's way, into the backyard... from which there is no escape! (Dun! Dun! Dun!)

I brandished my dog-deterring, fly swatter, sans the swat, and challenged, "And now what are you going to do?!" They stared mutely back. I loosed my fierce hound-companion on them. They quickly sized up the situation and decided that this Grammie looked less intimidating than said fierce hound and bolted past me and sailed crazily over the newly erected fence and existing hedge meant to keep THEM out and ran home to their mommy.

I waved my swatter-less swat again and hollered, "And don't come back!"

I suppose that it was too much to hope that they would actually leave my open tomato patch alone, even though they've never ventured there before. This meant, you guessed it, more fence building.

My original plans from nearly two years ago had included this section that closes off the raised garden from the side parking area but I had hoped that I was really finished with the fence. No such luck.

I got another section of hog-panel and made a temporary fence whilst I build the new, TALLER section.

The first order of the business was posts. I measured and the center post, at 8 feet, landed right behind the beautiful boxwood bush on the left (pictured below).

WELL, THAT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN! I've nursed these babies for 10 year and they were finally filling the measure of their creation.

Plan change! I trussed up Bush 2 and Bush 3 like a couple of big fat Christmas turkeys and dug the center post hole between them.

The weather has heated up (it is summer, ya'know!) so I didn't work as fast this time. I took 3 days to put in 3 posts. That used up most of week 1.

Then a wonderful thing happened. I got a surprise visit from my niece, Jill, and her family. They've never been here before and wanted the 10 cent tour. When I showed them the partially constructed fence Doug, her husband, suggested that I carry the picket area at the same level as the first section of fence and then go taller from there, keeping a more cohesive look. I loved that idea!!

Saturday I completed the second gate that leads into the raised garden all by myself (remember I had a great teacher). But when it came time to hang it I called son-Kevin to the rescue me again. He brought Chloe and Ethan and they had a wonderful time climbing Grammie's new fence and finding *hidey-holes* under the grape vines.

Monday and Tuesday this last week I finished the fence off. I'm so pleased with how it turned out. The other thing that is an unexpected bonus is that, since I am slow, the new wood is taking on a wonderful patina in the elements. I like it so well that I'm not going to stain it, but seal it in a couple of weeks when all of the new wood is burnished red.

Gordon points out that the deer can still jump over the lower fence into the backyard and then into the garden. I just hope that the swine-deer don't figure that out before I get something tall planted along the inside of the backyard fence.

Keep it on the down-low for me, OK??

Through the Garden Gate

Don't you just love it when a finished project exceeds all of your expectations? Boy, I sure do! As I was looking for fence ideas I ran across a gate on Pinterest. The minute I saw it I KNEW that was MY gate!!

It was one of those pins that make me a little nutty. It is to someone's blog in general rather than to a specific post. But, no worries, I knew we could pull it off even though this was all I had to go on.

You see... I have a secret weapon! My Kevin can build anything! And it's a bonus that his triplet brother, Ryan, normally joins the project! These boys men work together very well.

I wanted an arched top, but no arched bottom (too much temptation for a little dog). I traced the hearts and Kevin used his grandpa's old jig saw to cut them out with precision.

I'd like to say that this project went really fast. The actual building did but I didn't have everything as rounded up as I thought beforehand so there were some last minute errands to get those lose ends.

And what did Nikki and I do while the guys were gate building? I had a project of my own and Nikki is always glad to help out.

Thursday night was a Relief Society activity where one of my neighbors taught us how to make pizza on the bbq! OMSH was it ever yummy! And since this Sunday is Grammie dinner I knew I needed to do a repeat! I hussled up and found some unglazed terra cotta tiles at a local tile store to use on the grill as pizza stones. Compare them at $3.50 per 12"x12" tile to Williams-Sonoma's $29.99 for 4- 4"x4" tiles!

But now I needed the individual sized pizza peels. I asked Kevin if he had the tools to cut them out. Silly me, of course he did. (grandpa's jig saw!) So after a demonstration on technique I took over the cutting. And sanding!

Gordon insisted that I use a dust mask ("I don't want my baby to get sick") and I'm glad he did. For good measure I added my ear plugs.

Nikki did over half the sanding of the 18 pizza peels.

We made the dough earlier and by the end of our work day we were anxious to try out our newest creations! This easily rivals any restaurant pizza I've ever had!

And look at my beautifulness! I am so very, very pleased with my completed garden fence and gate.

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!

Instant Gratification

"Instant gratification!" that's what Jose said.

"Go!" I replied!

"Ack! Camera!!"

And in the time it took me to run in to fetch it this was as close to a *BEFORE* picture as I got!

This Jose wasn't kidding!

I've known that this tree HAD TO GO! Even though it gave some nice shade, that was the only positive thing I can say about it.

Cons-

• Super-hard wood that defied loppers
• Made my little electric chain saw strain
• Covered with ugly, stinky blossoms in the spring
• Dropped even uglier, messier, purple-er sticky berries all summer which then wanted to sprout into more ugly trees OR
• Birds ate said berries then dropped purple poop everywhere
• Stupid little leaves that turned ugly and were hard to rake up
• Was fast growing and in danger of lifting the fence and cement where Fernando lives

Here is the only photo I have of what it looked like as a good shade tree.

(Photo taken July 2013 and makes me long for beautiful flowers and lush grass)

I love to watch skilled workers do their job. You might not think someone who chops down trees qualifies, but he does. He told his helper, "I want to peel this limb." I knew just what he meant- cutting it partially and letting it peel down kept it from whacking the fence. Then the fellow on the ground could get control of it before he cut the last little part.

And you remember the super hard wood from the list above? These guys really had to put their shoulders in it to get this thing to grind! (I even saw them using their legs to give it a push and had to look away!! I don't want any photos of severed limbs!)

I was impressed that Jose and his team of workers had this bad boy cut, chipped, cleaned up and hauled away in just TWENTY MINUTES! Yes, that does qualify as instant gratification. All that is left is the stump, which has had it's brain killed!

Well, and two more stumps added to the collection on my porch. Silly girl! But there you are.

Yes, and all of this would have taken me TWENTY HOURS, minimum!

Sweet Linden Trees

As I sit here this evening blogging from my deck I am enveloped with the aroma of my back-door neighbor's linden trees. Every June they burst forth in a heady, sweet fragrance that is sometime so thick it is almost overpowering!

I'm sure that I've seen them in bloom before but I couldn't remember what they looked like so I asked if I could come capture their likeness. Certainly to pour forth a scent that is best described as being similar to plumeria or freesia the blossoms must be large, similar to east coast dogwood or camellias.

But, no, they are just these little fuzzy blossoms.

And what did I spy on my way to get this photo? A precious white butterfly making the rounds on my lavender. He and the honey bees were taking it in turn to sup at the spikes.

Quail Adventures

It was a *beautiful-work-in-the-yard* day today. I started early with a trip to the green waste dump to get a load of compost. It is so wonderful and black and compost-y!

I bought a bunch of plants yesterday at Home Depot to fill in some blank spots in my yard. I started in the front; planting a big hydrangea and installing my new self-winding hose reel. As I came around into the backyard I saw movement...

It was a quail family: Mama, Daddy and a bunch of little babies were crossing the back lawn and went into hiding under the currant bushes. I struggled to get my iPhone out of my pocket to get some photos. Those little babies move FAST!!! I have several of photos of rocks as they darted along the breach filled with rocks between the garden shed and the raised garden area. I didn't want to unduly upset them, but I NEEDED SOME PHOTOS! So I stood back by the edge of the shed and just kept clicking photos.

Daddy immediately flew away, I'm sure it was a diversionary tactic but I couldn't help but see that it left Mama in crisis with about a dozen babies! She was talking to them the whole time...

"All right babies, be brave and follow me!"

"Stay right along the fence..."

"Be quick now! Come under this nice plant..."

And, my favorite, "Come my babies. Let me gather you under my wings!"

I love how fluffed out she is. I couldn't see any babies under her. What a good Mama!

O ye people... how oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you. (3Nephi 10:4)

Purple Robe Locust

This year, the 9th since I planted it, my Purple Robe locust tree is putting on quite a show. A quick Google search showed me that this beautiful tree doesn't photograph well. I wish you could see it with your very own eyes. It is a beauty!

Now this...

THIS! is what the beautiful flowers look like!

And the smell? Yup, it's heaven! Somewhere sweet between lilacs and honeysuckle. And now I have purple snow on my lawn from the dropping blossoms.

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Or Walk By Our Lilac Tree ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Lilacs will always hold a very special place in my heart. The smell transports me back to my little-girl days at our tiny home in Greenville. We had a huge (6-8" tall and 4-5" wide) lilac hedge that was right along the street in front of our house. There were also several more lilac bushes at the front corners of the house and down the east side.

For whatever reason my lilacs are glorious this spring! Perhaps the lilacs are appreciating this real spring; it is just that right uneven mix between balmy days and stormy days that we rarely get here.

I've always loved the Primary song My Heavenly Father Loves Me. As a child I only knew about lilac bushes, not lilac trees... I thought the song writer was a little mixed up. Now as an adult I've come to appreciate the beauty of a lilac tree or a less bushy bush.

The most wonderful thing about the the 6 lilac bush/trees that live here on my happy little quarter acre of heaven; only two of them are the same color (those shown in the photo above).

My Favorite Lilac

Joy in the Journey

We've had a very mild winter this year. We bought 4 new bags of ice-melt back at the beginning of the winter that are all still languishing in the garage!

And because of this mildness our apricot tree is popping out. (photos taken on 3/28)

Most of these last 10 springs these early bloomers come out; then...

This...

But you know what? I decided several week ago to enjoy the beauty of my apricot tree, even if I don't get a crop. I'm very thankful. What you see here... it isn't just snow! No! It is the result of much fasting and prayer. (I blogged about this special fast back in February.)

So we just aren't fussed... we may not have apricots this summer but we will have that much needed water. I'm so grateful for this glorious blessing.