CARRIAGELESS BUT WELL APPOINTED!

 A new light fixture by the front door really adds some class to our little rancher in the foothills. This seudo carriage light replaces quite possibly one of the ugliest things ever installed for outdoor lighting. 

We found this one at Lowe's and it came in three sizes. We picked the middle size which is about 18" tall. The antiqued bronze finish and amber glass add a certain...a certain...wait for it... je ne sais quoi. Had to look it up on my phone for the correct spelling! So Joyeux Noel while I'm in a French mode!

BOB AND HIS BOBCAT

 This is our driveway...about 120' of rutted gravel and weeds on the side. For six long years we've had to mow it (it goes uphill to the street). Not a fun job! So when a Bobcat showed up across the driveway at the derelict house... (the owner of the house is having all the broken concrete removed and a whole new driveway pad, walkway and back patio poured so he can sell the house)...we jumped at the chance to employ Bob and his Bobcat to fix our mess.   

 First we had to have gravel delivered quickly. I called and they were here within an hour with 10 yards of 3/4 minus! The driver was able to dump/spread it up the driveway within about 3' of the fence.

 Then Bob went to work. Talk about "poetry in motion" as Howard Cosell used to say...

 Within 15 minutes he had it moved over to the fence and smoothed out. He even graded the driveway!

So here it is all done. NO MORE MOWING! LOVING IT! We gave Bob $75 for his work.   

NOVEMBER SURPRISES

 Whilst out in the very dampish garden, intent on tying up rogue ivy and clematis, I spied some welcome surprises...a white clematis bloom, some miniature pink roses ignoring the cold and some big double delight tea roses slightly water logged but still willing to keep their blooms upright and fragrant. I just added some Westerlund rose hips  to fill out the bouquet. Heavy rain predicted this afternoon so I'm glad I found these to bring in and enjoy indoors. 

MINNESOTA REUNION

In late October I met up with my younger brothers and my cousin Jackie to bury my mom's ashes in the Union cemetery in Mound, Minnesota, on the banks of Lake Minnetonka. My youngest brother Dean (with the beard) arranged the whole thing and I'm most thankful to him for doing it. And the unexpected plus was reuniting with my cousin after 60 years! And I managed to put my best foot forward and get along with my other brother Steve for two days. This was no simple task as he and his kids were able to live well on my mother's money for several years. At least now the "gravy train" for him is over and the remaining funds were split up evenly among the three of us (even though he got more than his share ahead of time!) Ain't families great!!! That's as nice as I can be about the situation.

A FALLISH DISPLAY

 I got a new fall oak leaf swag from Crate & Barrel this year, combined it with my ceramic pumpkins,  ivy and miniature lights for a pleasing fall look. We've had a particularly colourful fall this year for some reason and so are enjoying it even if we've had to bag up thousands of leaves from our maple trees.  

NOT BIRD BRAINED!

 I've been using a concrete birdbath for a couple of years and discovered that it has developed a leak. It was always hard to manage as I had to take the heavy top off to empty it and the porous concrete was very good at letting algae grow.  I had to frequently douse it with bleach. So the Wild Birds Unlimited store had a 3-hour 15% off sale for it's preferred customers...I've bought a lot of bird seed over the years so I am one of those customers. This new bird bath is cast iron base and a powder coated bowl.

We've kitted it out with a heater (the light grey rectangle), a water spout/mister which makes it easy to fill without dragging over the hose, and the battery operated "tiddler" that agitates the water and attracts the birds. No kidding, they like the water to be moving! Yeah, lucky birds!!!

LEAF ME BE!

I took this photo out our patio door about 30 minutes after I had cleaned up all the leaves on the patio. I was convinced that the "worst was over." Not so much! Seems I forgot to look up...on the roof. The wind came up as predicted by the weather guessers and all the leaves came cascading down from the roof and gutter.
We started our annual leaf-o-rama early this year...in early October as our maples were already dropping lots of beautiful red leaves. We filled up nine big black 40 gallon leaf bags and hauled them up to the road for collection by mid October. Surely, we thought, the worst is over now!
Expectations unmet as we were knee deep in maple by Halloween and loading up more bags. 
It's raining today so I'm glad we got most of the leaves collected before they got wet and slimy.
Seems like I've spent the entire month raking, blowing, raking, blowing, bagging, hauling........
Time for a glass of wine and a nap!💤🍁

It's been a while since I've blogged...so here goes. I finally was able to access this blog after we got a new computer with Windows 10. Ugh!
This fall I made a trip to Minneapolis/Saint Paul with my brothers to place my mom's ashes on top of her mom's grave in Mound, Minnesota (SW of the Twin Cities) on Lake Minnetonka. It had been the better part of 60 years since we kids were back there.
The photo is of my cousin Jackie Kielkopf and my younger brother Dean Coy out in front of Jackie's house in St. Paul.
It was a quick trip but we managed to get the grave marker ordered and hold a service at the gravesite. We also stopped by the little house where mom grew up right on the banks of the lake.
It gave us all some closure on what had been a very disheartening time as mom's health failed and she went into severe dementia. At least we were able to honor her wish to return to Mound.
I was able to reconnect with my cousin after all this time. I feel like I missed out on a lot.
There is a PBS series titled "My Mother And Other Strangers." That could be applied to this situation as several people that I had never heard of attended the graveside service!





gravesid

HAMMERED ON FATHER'S DAY

 While working on yet another Saab V4 engine rebuild, the unthinkable happens.... 

 Those pesky stuck rocker arms...using a hammer...not so good when it slips!

 The engine is turning out nicely, as usual...

Mr. A...no stitches required...and as he said, "It will ride up with wear..."

NOT SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL....

 I LIKE TO TRY A NEW PRODUCT FROM TRADER JOE'S EVERY TIME I SHOP. THIS TIME I FOUND CARROT SPIRALS IN THE FREEZER SECTION. WHO KNEW? I DIDN'T HAVE A PLAN AS TO HOW I'D USE THEM BUT I WAS INSPIRED TODAY TO ADD THEM TO A CROCKPOT FULL OF SAUTED SWEET ONIONS AND COUNTRY STYLE PORK RIBS.

 THE RIBS ARE ON TOP OF THE ONIONS, ALONG WITH SOME DOROT GARLIC CUBES, TERIYAKI SAUCE AND BBQ SAUCE.

THESE CARROTS ARE IN A FROZEN CLUMP SO I JUST PLOPPED THE ENTIRE PACKAGE ON TOP OF THE RIBS. WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM AFTER A FEW HOURS OF SLOW COOKING. BY THE WAY, THESE CARROTS ARE FROM ITALY! AS I SAID, WHO KNEW?

MINI DECKS FOR POTS

                                   
 Gosh, I love 2"x12" cedar planks! They make the best "mini decks for pots. I like to group my pots because it makes it easier to water when it heats up here in the Rogue Valley. Plus, I don't have to level each pot individually...I just level the deck and add a variety of pots. The perennials make up the most of what you see since it's too early for annuals. I'll add a Chamaecyparis obtusa Filicoides (Fernspray False Cypress) a nice pyramidal evergreen to the big pot next to the house. Hopefully I can find one at the nursery this spring. (I've always been glad I took Latin in high school!)  

Evidently no garden is complete without a gnome...and I finally found one that isn't so cute or painted hideous colors. 

HAPPY APRIL DAYS!

 We're reeling here in the Rogue Valley from more than one...more than two...up to five days of NO RAIN WHATSOEVER! Somebody up there finally turned off the spigot! So the "smart" tulips waited until now to bloom.  

These are my "pink and green" tulips...according to the label on the bag when I bought them...looking very orange and yellow to me! Oh well, they do spice up the early spring garden which is mainly white and shades of green at this point. 

CRANING MY GARDEN NECK...

Okay, so I made a quick stop at Tuesday Morning...right next to TJMaxx. I was looking for more bunnies and found a couple. But on my way to the check stand I passed "temptation alley" and saw these metal beauties.

 I made a quick U-turn and replaced the bunnies on their shelves. I opted for these lovelies...even if they were made in You-Know-Where. They just looked so natural. And it saved me from succumbing to ah...the pink bird thingies for some added height and interest. 

This one just had to be by the birdbath and I placed the other one among some osmanthus bushes. I wonder if it will scare away the little birds? 

GRAINSATIONAL

 My  undergardener and I went to an "industrial" antique store. I was looking for unusual stuff that I could repurpose in the garden. I found lots of items that I loved so it was hard to focus on just one or two due to budget constraints. I settled on this grain mill (it works) even though I wasn't thinking about another antique for the house just then. But it was too good to pass up and too good to put outside. 

Originally I thought I'd put a plant on it, but ended up for now using it as a candleholder on the hearth.  It is sitting on a rubberized pad because my trusty undergardener thought he should "oil" it thinking that I was going to put it outside. So he used some old stinky motor oil. When he learned of my intentions to use it INSIDE, he had to douche it out with simple green. Oye!
That's my mom's old oak sideboard in the background...the only piece of the furniture that I was able to get...but the best one in my view. The rest of the set (table and chairs) was handed over to a nephew without a bye or leave from me.
So I'll have to go back to "Coop de Ville" soon and get some actual garden stuff...metal sculpture, old iron hooks and galvanized watering cans, maybe an old bench...stay tuned!

GRAVELICIOUS!

 Early spring is gravel time here at Angelcrest Manor. With this year's rains, I was sure wishing that I had done this last year when we were both a year younger! The weather guessers predicted a few days of no rain and temps above 50, so I took the leap of faith and ordered it. 
My trusty undergardener is hard at work with the flatpoint shovel and wheelbarrow. I keep saying, "Repeat after me...it will be so nice when it's done!"
This time we got 6 yds of a crushed pea gravel for the entire backyard garden area. It seems that I got lucky as I was wishing for a brown gravel instead of the usual grey stuff. Turns out this gravel is light tan...a nicer look for sure!

As it dries, it gets even lighter so it will reflect more light. 
So after 3 days of hauling this stuff, we've taken a day off and are trying to recuperate. I keep saying, "The worst is over." Looks like we still have a couple of yards left for the side yard and bird feeder area. "Oh goodie," says Jack. Oye! Well, it's good to be outside and think about other stuff again!

HEARTBROKEN

We had to say goodbye to our kitty Izzie. We've had her since she was 8 weeks old. You don't realize how much a cat can become part of your everyday life from the time you wake up until you go to bed. We are reliving that now and missing her. But she is in a better place where she doesn't have to suffer from failing kidneys or liver. There will never be another one like her! Our thanks to Chris for finding her in Roseburg and bringing her to us as a tiny little kitty. She had a good life and  had some great adventures in Chico and Medford. Chase misses her a lot and you can't tell a dog that his best buddy won't be coming home. We have a nice place reserved for her in the garden where she'll feel the sun as she slumbers.

REMEMBERING...

When I came across this small glass pitcher among a box of glass items in my mom's storage unit, I snapped it up and put it into my box of stuff to take home. I remember this little pitcher sitting on my mom's kitchen windowsill for over 70 years, holding bits of succulents or perhaps a rose or sweetpeas from her garden. I can't remember its origin but I believe it is Italian and hand blown. I think someone gave it to her. 
I have been waiting for the daphne to bloom so I could make use of this vase. It's funny what you remember and what is meaningful as the years go by...now it graces my kitchen windowsill.

PLUMBING THE DEPTHS OF PLUMBING

I've been spending lots of quality time with plumbers this week as they cut away my old one piece tub/shower  and put in this Maax brand modular one. It is quite well finished. But we added this embellishment above it. 

They've made some major improvement in pre-fab showers! They've added ledges for plants and soaps and a corner bench and grab bar. As my former mother-in-law used to say, "Don't you just feel like a queen!" Yes, I sure do!

LUCY AND ETHEL

A new laundry pair! These Electrolux babies are fantastic. Jack said that they were expensive enough to have names, so I call them Lucy and Ethel. 
Unfortunately my old Bosch washer was a mold factory! Wet laundry was left in it by our Medford tennant when we were living in Chico and the door gasket was permanently affected. I couldn't stand the smell any longer and I the mold spores were bad. So out it went, along with the dryer and now I don't have to worry about mold. This new washer has a better system and a little door spring that lets the air into the washer to help dry it out. 

I also learned that most detergents and additives build up a thick residue on the outside of the inner washer drum, which adds to the smell and encourages more mold. The liquid detergent the appliance store recommends is called "Excelsior." They offered a discount on the detergent when we bought the laundry pair, so I bought 2 boxes. It is also sold on Amazon. The amazing thing is that you use only about 1 tablespoon per load! And you don't need fabric softener either! The results have been great...renewed life for my towels and bedding. Who knew?  

BITE ME!

A new chair for my Valentine! The dark chocolate leather is so convincing that I've been craving a good bite of Lindt intense bittersweet chocolate ever since we got the chair. I keep thinking that the chair should smell like chocolate instead of leather! 
After 30 years of faithful service, Jack tried to donate his old Ekornes chair to Goodwill or the Restore. They wouldn't take it. The leather was worn thin. Luckily as he was going to put it in a dumpster at Mark's business, a guy came out of the office next door and asked if he could have it. He said, "My ex-wife left me with an old couch, a coffee table with a broken leg and a cat." He really needed a chair. He is probably sitting in the chair with the cat on his lap watching the Superbowl right now! And Jack is in his new chair snoozing right now! We're all happy! 

GOT A PLUMBER?

A nice place to be on a cold winter day is my heated greenhouse. The geraniums like it, too!
But what's on my mind today is plumbing...precisely fixing the main bathroom shower. Right now it's a tub/shower combo, which means you have to pull a lever on the tub spout to divert the water to the shower head. A pain normally and really stupid when all you want is a shower! And the diverter doesn't work properly so water still comes out the spout and just dribbles out the shower head. Time for a plumber. 
Never mind that there are tons of plumbers listed in the DEX and online...just try getting one to call back! Well, one did...not one that I called! I'm thinking that many plumbing companies just want to do commercial and construction jobs and not piss-ant residential jobs, so they refer. He'll be out Thursday to give us an estimate. 

ANSWER THE STUPID PHONE!

I treated myself to a cell phone before my trip down to the Bay Area. I hadn't had one for several years and I knew it would be a steep learning curve. But how hard could it be? They're intuitive, right? So I learned how to send a text and attach a photo. I learned how to place a call. I learned how to take photos and send them. I learned how to access my email. My teachers included a nice man at the airport whilst we waited 5 hours to leave on a flight, my brother Dean, and my son Chris.
But what I didn't know how to do, it seemed, was answer the phone. I figured I just had to press the green circle with the phone receiver in it. Simple, right?
But everytime that I got a call, I would do that and I couldn't get the phone to stop ringing. It would always go to voice mail. Then I'd hear the message and either phone or text back. I thought that there must be something wrong with the stupid phone.
But I looked up the phone user manual and finally on page 48 of 145,  titled "Receiving calls" I read the instruction: "When a call comes in, drag (the green circle with the phone handset icon) outside the large circle to answer the call." Okay, I asked, What large circle?" So I had to call myself from my land line. Seems that when the cell phone rings a funny large freaking green outline of a circle appears when you tap the green circle. It is about half the size of the screen, so you really have to drag the green circle far enough to get outside the flashing circle. Yeah, so intuitive if you were born a lot closer to the 21st Century than me! Oye!
Evidently I have a lot more capability on this phone than I'll ever use unless I plan to send a rocket to Mars...
Good times!