Celebration

There's a party goin' on right here...
because we are celebrating life.
With Britney arriving this week and many of my family next week, our celebration will be big enough to last the whole year.  Everyday should be a celebration, so bring your good times and your laughter too... all of you are invited to come party with us.

Saturday at 9:22 am, we got a text message that 'the package' had safely arrived.
Briney's midnight and pre-dawn flights had successfully gotten her to Cedar Rapids Iowa, where the Volk's picked her up and took her to Hills.  Seen right, she is with her cousin Ryan's daughters, Delaney and baby Charlotte.  I was celebrating the fact that she was back on US soil and closer to coming home to us.  It's not like she is in the military or anything... her home is in Costa Rica and she is safe there.  But I worry when she is traveling.  There is just too much unrest in this world today.


I opened at the Dorchester Pool, enjoying the sun as I cleaned the pool and deck and got it ready for customers.  Several came early, so I let them in.  I am not sure I like this habit, but it is what my manager does, so I feel like I should follow suit.  We had great sun until about 11:00, and then a storm blew in.  I ended up closing the pool and was home just after 12:30.

I took a nap while it rained and had a cup of tea when I woke up.  It had really cooled off and I needed some caffeine.  Finally, I decided I had best get going on the mulch again.  It goes slowly because there is a lot of weed pulling to do first.  I knew I would still need more mulch, and wanted one more delivery before Joe left for Iowa.





I took a break for dinner (I had cooked frozen lasagna and Joe did the corn on the cob).  Back outside, I worked until past dark and then finally had to have Joe help me pull the tarp out of the trailer with the remaining mulch.  I took these photos of what I had accomplished the next morning.



It was a beautiful sunny Sunday.  This huge Imperial moth (almost as large as my hand) was on my car when I left for Church.  Once home, I planned to work on the ditch since there was little chance of rain.  I had a lot of rock cleaning and arranging to do before I was ready to cement them in.



For those of you who wonder where I learned to make mortared rock walls, I learned everything I know from my dad.  This is a photo of the backyard of my childhood house.  I spent many an hour out helping Dad make these walls.  I picked up many tricks to the trade: finding a rock to fit into a certain spot, cleaning it off, mixing the cement so that it was the right consistency, cleaning the finished section after the concrete was partly cured, covering it in plastic, etc.  I have also gained experience making walls of my own at several houses Joe and I have lived in. 

After a quick lunch, I was finally ready to start the process.  I ended up making three batches of cement.  A few of these photos were taken the next day.  I did a section of wall on the right side, and got all of the wall on Allen's side of the ditch finished (worth a celebration).  You can see it better below.  I also filled in the cracks between the pavers and got the rest of the cement replaced in the spots where it had washed out.

I had worked diligently all day, taking a few food, drink, and potty breaks.  Below, a before look at the rocks (fitted, cleaned and ready for permanent placement).  And to the right, what I had completed.




  













As I was finishing up for the day, Allen and Brian both ended up dropping by at the same time.  As often happens, we ended up talking politics.  (I mostly listened.)  In last week's Tearin' It Up blog, I was going to mention that this is what our current president has done to this country.  But I tend to keep quiet on political matters.


I covered all the cement in plastic and finished up by watering the new grass and seed that hasn't germinated yet.  Look at how much it has greened up.  Done at 7:45, I still had time to take Maggie for a good walk after she ate.  Home just before 9 pm, I chose beer and popcorn for my last meal of the day and it wasn't long before I was asleep (out on the lounge chair pads on the floor of the back porch).


Monday I was expecting the possibility of rain and hopefully Jeremy.  I cleaned up the kitchen, moved things out of the way of the electrical panel in the garage, and did a load of laundry.  I wanted to get the third load of mulch spread so after messing around here on my computer till 9:30, I got busy outside.  It takes forever to get the weeds (especially grass) out from the phlox.  Weedy patch of phlox seen left.

 I have also noticed, and wondered why, some of my phlox is not doing so well.  This photo shows good phlox (right side of tree) vs bad phlox (left side of tree).  What is up with that?

I stayed busy out front all day while waiting for Jeremy, who never did come... no surprise.  But I just don't get it.


I worked till 4 pm, getting a fair amount weeded but not much more mulch spread.
"Tomorrow is another day," as my Mamma says.

Now it was time to celebrate at Mirror Lake Blast.

I had put chairs out to reserve our spot, right under the oak tree, and picked up Shirley at 5:30.  Soul Soup was the band (the Glade's favorite) and did not let anyone down.  I needed another shower after all the dancing I did.  I like to celebrate, celebrate, dance to the music!

Tuesday I went out with the intention of weeding and mulching, but first went to remove the plastic from the ditch in back and water new grass.  I soon got distracted by reinforcing the back of the wall on Allen's side, moving rock and dirt to begin to finish it off (seen left).  I even put in a little retaining wall to enable more of the rock slab to show.  Way before quitting time, I was dripping sweat, dirt, and maybe even a little blood.  The heat index was high, especially due to the humidity.




Finally I got out front, but with only two hours of time to spend.  Again, more weeding and less mulching occurred.

I put in a 2-7:30 shift at the outdoor pool, and for the third time this month, enjoyed a great dinner from the Tuesday evening potluck group.  I did have to do some extra clean-up, scrubbing and hosing melted cheese off the deck... but boy were the bean and cheese dip and pizza good tasting earlier in the evening.

Wednesday was the day Joe and Britney were to get home.  Seen left, Britney showed she could fit into the large tractor tire (like the kids had done) at the Science Center in St. Louis.  Jeremy was also expected to come do some jobs, so I decided to work outside until he arrived.  I had a lot to get done, too much really, so started early.







I had asked the seeding crew of gas guys, what they did with the big rocks they had churned up while digging the ditch.  He said they would haul them off.  I asked if I could have them and he said sure.  So I took five wheel barrow loads of big and small boulders to the back yard.  It was crappy sandstone, but would work as fill behind the wall and at the bottom of the hill where I am not cementing but banking the ditch with loose rock and dirt.  You can see what I got in the above photo.

Next I focused my attention on the front yard, weeding in preparation for mulching.  Jeremy arrived at 11 am, a little late, but at least he got here.  While here, he replaced a thing on our electrical panel, replaced all the inner workings of the up-stairs toilet and rebuilt our garbage disposal.  (So nice to have all that working again).  Stephanie cleaned windows while Jeremy worked.  Stevie supervised them both.  Ha ha ha.

I puttered around and worked at cleaning house (mostly the bathrooms) until Britney and Joe arrived.  We had lunch (they had bought) and visited some.

Our two workers left at 3:00 and then I went out to haul the dirt which Joe had just brought home.  I spread it out on both sides of the wall, filling in most of the void behind the cemented rocks.








 





Notice the new dirt, greening new grass, and hammock now hung out back.  Joe went to play cards, Britney rested and read, and I moved to the front to continue weeding.  Britney made dinner for the two of us (salad and mac and cheese).  We ate late and then took a long walk before retiring for the evening.

Britney and I had a slow relaxing morning Thursday while Joe was at the Marina working.  Maggie watching me take corn out to the deer (squirrel and chipmunk actually).  It wasn't long before I went out to continue weeding and mulching.  The heat and humidity had me dripping sweat, thinking I was melting.

My shift at work went fast because we were busy.  The sun, heat, and humidity brought the folks out to the pool.  I love my customers (all 18 years of age and over), just a bunch of kids at heart (seen below). 


I also had visitors (Joe, Britney, Lisa, Nolan, Shirley, and Judy) whom I wish I had photographed.  I wanted to join the party (celebration) but only took time to sit and eat with them.  (Joe and Britney brought food over from Dorchester club house.)  It was a busy evening with customers arriving up through 6 pm.  I had to move fast to get everything cleaned up for the evening.

Britney and I took a long walk once I got home.  I could barely finish my beer before crashing in bed.



Friday morning, the week long debate of whether to turn on the AC or not, was raised again.  Britney and I are energy savers but the heat and humidity was getting to Joe.  It was predicted to cool down, but with family coming, we knew the AC would probably be a must.

I worked all day in the yard, mostly putting down mulch.  I also had to water everything because it was so hot.  I used up all of the mulch, and then Joe went and got me another trailer load.  By the time Carol arrived at 5:30, I had emptied the second trailer load and parked Brian's trailer back under his house.  I was finally done, ready to start the celebration and family vacation.  This last set of photos shows the weed patch (left) and corresponding area (weeded and mulched) on the right.