Cute Carpenter

The past two Saturdays we have gone to daughter Holly's house. She and husband Tony were wanting to build a little room in their garage for storage. They asked Leon to lend his expertise in this project. Of course, he was more than willing. Leon enjoys building stuff!

Now, don't you think my hunk of man looks so cute in his yard stick type suspenders. He says they are more comfortable to wear than a belt when doing this type work. His work shoes of choice for the day was his Skechers athletic shoes. It looks like he is posing in this picture. I am sure he isn't - he is not a runway type guy. He is probably giving serious thought to the next part of the building project. Sorry ladies, you can look - but he is mine and I am keeping him!

Leon's Latest - January 2008

A few days ago Leon asked me if I saw the picture of a wagon flower pot made from landscape timbers that was in a catalog we had received in the mail. I told him I had. He said he could, would, and did build it. Now, isn't that a wonderful husband. He is checking out some tool for making large holes he used on the handle part.

Showing me how the handle raises up and down.

This thing is heavy. It is 4 foot long and stands 2 foot high.

Use your imagination...won't this look wonderful come spring/summer all full of some kind of flowers? Will have to be something that can use some shade with being under a tree.

Hotel Business Expanding

The housing market may be down but our hotel business is growing.

Hotel housing for birds that is! Enjoying watching the birds as we do, we have several different styles of bird houses scattered about on our property. We spend a small fortune buying feed for them - but that is okay as we enjoy watching them so much.

To add to our collection this year grandson (age 3 1/2) Max gave us one. The house was put together by his dad Tony. However, all the painting and selection of colors were handled by Max.
Grandpa thought it should go in the back yard - where we could get a better view of it at all times.

Holly and Tony had made this sign for us several Christmas'es ago. We figured this would be an appropriate location for the new addition.
This picture can give you an idea as to how it looks in relation to the other things at the "Hotel".

Call soon for reservations ~ and yes, credit cards are accepted!

Leon's Latest

As much as Leon enjoys being retired he feels like he can not just sit in the recliner with feet propped up and a ready finger on the remote. Recently he purchased a large stack of landscape timber for some fun projects. He primarily wanted them to make large flower pots.

On Christmas eve he decided our yard needed these large reindeer to make our yard look more festive. If you look real close you can see the "antlers" on the large one. Of course, the small one had to have the beginning of a rack...look at his little nubbies. Later on, after the wood has seasoned he wants to paint them ~ perhaps add some more details such as eyes, tail etc. Looking towards the road -
These are the flower pots he has been making. He has given quite a few to friends and family. He would like to sell them...if he could find some buyers. He really wants to sell them for about $30.00 - cost of the lumber and screws that goes into making them is not cheap. This price really does not take into consideration his labor involved.

Leon's Latest

Back in an August post I said the flower bed by the peach tree would be changed. The changes have been going on for several weeks now. The north half of the bed was getting too many sprigs of bermuda grass in it. It seemed like I was constantly pulling grass out..I want to enjoy my flowers but also do not want to do too much work. Leon took the big tractor and cleaned out the bed...redid the block edging all around it...pushed the soil up around them to hold them in place...that is why the grass is rather sparse on the outside.

Today he went to Atwoods and purchased two fence panels to build the arches for my vining plants next year. The two plants will probably criss cross with each other-but that is okay. I plan on having Hyacinth vine on one side and cypress vine on the other side.

A couple of weeks ago Leon said the trash cans were going outside. He did not like the odor they caused in the garage. During the summer months he did not notice it very much as the big garage door was open. Now with the onset of cold weather the big door is closed.

He put the two big trash carts out on the small porch on the north side of the house. This is a very open area - very visible from the road- he did not like the looks at all. After a couple of trips for supplies - this is what he made. Our trash cans have their own latticed area.

Another project he just finished was building a 2 foot X 8 foot table in the well house for my plants that have to be brought in during the winter months. I have been putting them in the garage - the number has grown -but the area allowed for them has not.. It gets colder in the well house than the garage so I will have to watch them closer during the cold, cold weather period.

I am very lucky to have such a wonderful and caring husband!

Thankful...

I have so many things for which I am thankful. God continues to send blessings my way each and every day.

At this time I give him thanks that we are not living in southern California and experiencing those fires. Not being able to do anything and know your home is burning would be hard to accept. I want to lift these individuals up in prayer and that God will give them the strength they require at this time. Also, if they do not know him as their personal savior they will seek him.

My home is so important. It is a constant reminder of things I enjoy...my garden, flowers, pond and the rest of the scenery. It seems we are continuing to change things around. We recently built a large raised bed for the strawberries. The size is about 30 inches across and 25 feet long. It is about 30 inches off the ground. Having it this way means I won't have to be on my hands and knees to pick the berries. Next thing is - we will have to get sand to fill it before we can transplant the existing strawberry plants next spring.

This "grass" plant is so pretty by the old wagon. It was planted last June (2006). It did not head out with these billowy tops last year. I suppose the plant has to be so old before it happens. With the wind we have had the last several days they have been a sight to behold. They seem to be like graceful ballerinas leaping across the yard.

The "four o'clocks" are still blooming. Of course, not as much as they were. Wih the calendar being so far into October the flowers are starting to cease their constant display of color.

This is just a random shot taken from the back yard. If you look real close, you can see the okra in the garden. It is still producing - and will until frost.

The garden mums are coming along fair. I should have watered them more - just got lazy, I suppose.

More Going Out.....

This past week was one where there was "MORE GOING OUT" - money that is-than was coming in.

Three out of the ordinary type expenses.

1. Took the truck to the shop to get some minor problems corrected...but as you know with vehicles there are no minor expenses...maybe they are minor problems but the cost is major.

2. The lawn mower (not that old) has not been mowing level for some time...one side would be high and the other side would almost scalp the yard. My sweet dear husband tried everything the book suggested...plus anything else he could think of that would correct the problem...but nothing really worked. He was getting so frustrated with the way the yard was looking that he had been telling me for weeks now he was going to get one of those zero radius turn mowers.

He has problems with his back and shoulders and after mowing he would have pain for a couple or so days from all the turning of the wheel and the raising and lowering of the deck. By the time the pain was pretty well gone- it would be time to mow again.

The middle of this week was the final straw -he loaded up the old mower...told me to get my purse and check book as we were going "Lawn Mower" shopping.

So like a kid in a candy store he looked at several different ones before he decided on the mower. He did not get the one with zero radius turn -those were the ones with the handles and not a steering wheel. I did not think I could handle one like that (if the occasion should arise). The one he selected has power steering...and does it ever turn easy. This one has a 54 inch cut so he has to be careful when pulling in the garden shed to store it. It also has several other features that he was real excited about...guess it was a guy thing.

Let me clue you in...big mowers like this is one was not on the cheap end...but if it makes life easier for my "man" then it is worth it!

3. You know what happens when a deep freeze goes out? Yes, everything thaws. We had three deep freezes...you wonder why so many...well with the fruits/vegetables, meat (both pork and beef), fish, chicken and other items that can be frozen (cake mixes, flour, bread, etc) it requires that many. We buy our beef and pork on the hoof and have them butchered. The last beef Leon ordered got ready before there was room in the deep freezes...so it was being stored in Larry and Melissa's deep freeze.

This past Friday I noticed one of the freezers was thawing...so like a "mad" woman I started putting everything that had to be frozen in the other two. When Leon got up from his nap I told him that I knew where he was going on Saturday morning...of course he wanted to know where.

Told him Lowe's to get a new freezer...anyway he decided to go ahead on late afternoon Friday and get one. So into Shawnee for the purchase...was going to get a big big size...but Lowe's and Sears would have to order anything larger than 15 cubic feet. So it was a 15 cubic foot one he purchased. Came home and plugged it up to start the "chillin time" before adding anything.

The broken deep freeze was pulled out under the car port and some unknown reason he plugged it in to an electrical cord. Later that night when we got home from the ball game we checked that freezer...well it was just as cold and frozen as could be. So we thought maybe it was going to work after all. Hooray!

Early Saturday morning we are in the garage sorting everything into the proper freezer.

Deep freeze # 1-fruits and vegetables
Deep freeze #2-pork and chicken
Deep freeze # 3-cake mixes, flour, bread, pecans, etc
Deep freeze # 4-beef and fish

We step back...patting ourselved on the back as to how organized we were at this point.

We take a look in # 3...well, it has decided to quit working again.

Leon said, "I am headed to Lowe's and get another freezer. "

In the truck he headed to Shawnee again to make another purchase.

In about an hour we were putting stuff in the new freezer...we did not worry about the chilling time on this one as it was holding the items that did not need to be frozen.

Since our beef supply was so low here in # 4 we went to Larry and Melissa's home and brought back a lot of the beef that was stored there.

So this past week the money situation at our house has taken a nose dive...but we were able to pay cash for everything. Sure am glad we were able to save when we were both working.

Hopefully, we don't have more "expensive" weeks like this past one!

Construction Zone

Changes are coming for this area!

Leon and I keep saying we are through with making changes in the yard. Then one of us will get an idea for something different and then - we are up to our elbows or down on our knees with the new project.

Years ago, this was an "ugly" pear tree. No grass would grow - got plenty of pears - but we did not need them as we have another "pretty" pear tree. Leon cut it off and left the stump at about 2 to 3 feet high. Did the tree die...no just plenty of "sucker" branches keep coming out.

So Leon has decided to go below ground level and cut all the main roots. Then he can take the tractor and get the stump out of the ground. This project is going to take time. After the stump is removed he will just level it out and let the bermuda grass grow over it.

This area will soon be changed. At this point we have not made any firm decision as to what we will do. We are having a hard time getting the grass to grow because of the shade from the trees.

PERGOLA BUILDING

This past Saturday Leon and I went to Edmond to assist Tony and Holly (plus Max) in the building of a pergola over their patio. Tony had really done his homework...he knew what he needed and how it was to be assembled. He just needed some extra hands and may be a bit of Leon's experience here and there. Leon has a large variety of tools that was required so those were taken up there. I suppose I was there to take care of Max (which was the best job of all) and to visit with Holly. Holly and I did do some of the work...it was not all play for us "girls".

Max checking out the ladder to make sure it was safe for his Daddy and Grandpa.

Holly and Tony making some final adjustments.

Leon and Tony preparing to cut another one of the boards.

The three main workers deep in discussion as to the next procedure.

Won't this be gorgeous when the Boston Ivy covers it in the year(s) to come?