Hacking Away

The energy from the inertia of momentum can be used to gradually complete something, by continuously working at it.  I have been hacking away at little projects, the yard, house work, and my bad habits of a less healthy life style.  Some hacks have been more successful than others.

Druid Pool nears completion. 

Thankfully, we have been hacking away at the days that families are allowed to swim at our adult pool and we will see an end to this on July 2nd.  However, I don't like to see our days of summer being hacked off as we end June and move into July.  As always, time just goes too fast.





Saturday morning Maggie was still having gut issues.  She kept wanting to eat grass during walks, which Joe and I let her do, since her instincts told her to do so.  But when she ate the grass, she would then start hacking.  She never vomited again, but in the end (literally)  the grass and white pillow stuffing worked their way out.

I went to work my pool shift a little early because there was a leaky faucet in the men's dressing room that needed attention.  I also put extra time into brushing down the pool walls and bottom.  However, three families (a reunion) came shortly after the 10:00 opening time and also two large families on vacation at Wyndham arrived, and suddenly, I had 40 people (the majority were kids) in the pool.
I was unable to finish brushing one of the walls and the steps, and felt bad about how they looked.  At least my shift went fast because it was so busy all day.

As soon as I got home I got to work in the yard, hacking away at the forsythia project.  I got the second two planted as Maggie watched and enjoyed being outside.  The four (smaller) new bushes and the three (more gangly, even though I really hacked them back) older bushes can best be seen below.

I had to quick clean up tools and myself so we could be off to Spikes with Brian.
 








There was a better singer playing, than last time we went, and it was a lovely evening out on the patio.



Sunday morning I officially became a member of the United Methodist Church, standing up in front of the congregation with Shirley by my side.

Lunch, reading, and a nap on the deck in the warm, almost too hot, sunlight was next on my agenda.

During one walk, I went back on Library Trail to check out the step making progress.  Seen left, Maggie jumped up on this boulder as if she were King of the jungle.







I worked in the yard awhile, and planted three more Japanese spurge.  Seen right, the patch of this ground cover I have gotten started.  Below, you can see many of the juniper in the background, that I have also planted.


I did get two more juniper planted, seen below.  The rock retaining wall needs to be built better, a project for another day.
















And here is another view including three of the juniper I have planted recently.

I met Deana at the barn and we were on the trail by 4:25, heading to Terry's.  We met Jan at Marmaduke (seen here) and rode part of the Kirkstone loop together.

Once back at Terry's, we sat around chatting with her and her family and then horsed around awhile out in her field, trying a few drill team maneuvers.  What fun.  Seen in this (video) Jan maneuvering Cash to close the gate.









I got home about 7:40 and was too tired to fix myself a real meal (Joe had gotten a hamburger at the golf course), so it was a beer, popcorn, and some nuts for my evening meal. 

It was 53 degrees outside when I got up at 5:30 Monday morning.  It warmed up and remained perfect, in the mid 70's throughout the day.  I left for the gym at 8:30 and did weights and the Ballroom Aerobics class. 









When I got home, Joe and Maggie were already out catching some rays, while Stevie slept by my desk.



I grabbed an early lunch and then Joe and I, with Maggie, went to hike the Overlook Trail, checking out the new section that is still under construction.




Seen left, behind Maggie and I, what is left of an old logging trail.  This multi level bridge goes over natural  moss covered rock steps where water runs down the hill after it rains.  And to the left, skillfully made rock steps to descend or ascend this step section of hill.

Once down by Daddy's Creek, we let Maggie get in it a few times, to get a drink and cool off.

We saw this Copperhead, who Maggie had stepped on while running down the trail, but it hardly moved, so we went around it. 
Below, these ferns were growing on the forest floor along the creek, as far as the eye could see.  Just Beautiful.














I had almost three hours before our 4:00 Skype time with Britney, so worked in the back, preparing for the load of wood chips that was supposed to come, but never did.  I moved sod and soil, chipping (hacking) away at this section of lawn.  


I did have one wheel barrow load of mulch left over from our last load, so moved it to the newly enlarged mulched bed, seen below.

It was good to see and talk with Britney.  She has been working hard on research for her Master's thesis and starts class in July at the college in El Rodeo, Mora Canton (a two hour commute by bus from San Jose). 

Next we were off for Mirror Lake Blast.  I was pleasantly surprised that Pink Cadillac played, instead of the country singer listed on the venue.  They are a very fun band, so lots of dancing, by many people, occurred.  This internet photo is not the correct night or band, but is a good representation.  I still had energy to take Maggie on a 30 minute walk when we got home around 8:30.

Tuesday, during work at the pool from 9-2, it was not at all busy.  So after cleaning, I decided to move two paver stepping stones to make a section of six which will be easier for our guests to navigate.  Before, the two squares were at another section where pool chairs usually blocked their usability, and for both 'walk ways' people had to take bigger steps to go from paver to paver. 



After getting home from a relaxing shift at work, I continued my project in back, hacking away at clearing sod for the wood chips.  Seen below, a before photo (left) and then the day's progress (right).

I sprayed grass-be-gone on most of the remaining grass.  Joe fixed dinner, grilling chicken and potatoes (Army style the way Dad used to grill them) and cooking corn.

At dinner time I took the lower photos of some golfers searching for balls.  Quite a few golfers coming down the fairway, just hacking away, end up with their balls in the pond or our backyard.

I did my hour long nightly walk with Maggie.

Wednesday I lingered here a bit too long so instead of going to Ballroom Aerobics, I ended up making a quick trip with the SUV (before Joe left for his whole day of golf and poker) to get some dirt and dig up a juniper.

Once home, I immediately got the little tree planted in the hole I had ready.  If you look closely, you will see that it has three 'trunks.'  I rescued it from a ditch, where it has been mowed down once or twice.  Each time it's been hacked off, it started a new shoot of growth.  The base where the three shoots emerged, is rather gnarly.      







Next I went to the gym to lift weights, deciding I needed to do it sooner rather than later.  I bought some produce at the Farmers Market on the way home.




After a quick bite to eat for lunch, I headed to the barn.  I met this little kitten in the tack room.  He was so sweet and affectionate.  He climbed up my jeans and shirt to get to my shoulder so he could cuddle.

He really reminded me of Maya.  There are several more where he came from, so I may go check them out.

I rode Amiga on the long trail ride, including two little excursions from the trail.  At the swimming hole, the inner tubes were no longer hanging in the tree, so people have been down there.  I could also tell because of the four-wheeler tracks on the trail.

The rhododendron were in full bloom and it was very pretty along the creek. 


Amiga did very well during our nearly two hour ride and got special care once we were back at the barn.

I was so hungry when I got home at 4 pm, I fried an onion and part of the yellow squash I had just bought and then added leftovers from the night before.










Then I went out to do more work with planting the Bar Harbor Juniper.  I added some dirt around the holes because there was a huge rock slab not very far beneath the soil.  It amazes me that the big trees are able to grow on top of the rock.

I worked out back until 7:30 and then took Maggie for a 40 minute walk.  I had to check out the Druid Family Pool, and was delighted to see that they were in the process of filling it.  Below you can see that the water is almost covering the whole bottom of the pool.

 






Because I had eaten such an early dinner, I had to have a late evening snack.  And guess what, it was a beer and popcorn, which certainly hit the spot.  I really need to get out of this habit, but there is something about an ice cold brew and salty popcorn to end a hard, hot day outside. 

Thursday I got an early start outside because I wanted the SUV and Joe would be leaving with it to golf at 11:00.  I went into the back roads where a pile of soil had been dumped from construction work, which I had found the day before, and I loaded up all my bins and buckets.  Then I drove to another cul-de-sac where I dug up a dogwood tree.  It started pouring rain before I even started digging up the tree.





I was soaked by the time I got home, and it hadn't even rained here.  I planted the dogwood right away and then got the four juniper in.  The dirt was added around the bushes to help build it up over the rock.  The excess soil was put down by the path to the creek.  The new bushes and tree can be seen above and right.  Now, if the wood chips would just come.


My afternoon was spent at the pool (working).  It had been overcast all morning, but got nicer out, so many families of swimmers came and it was busy.  I had forgotten my sack dinner, so when Joe came to swim after golf, he went to Dorchester club house to get us both dinner.
I scrubbed down the restrooms well, at the end of my shift, because they had had a lot of traffic.  Once home I took a much needed shower, and observed that our shower is grungier than the ones at the pool.  Scheesh, that's embarrassing, but at least nobody sees ours.

During our early morning walk Friday, I went to the pond and right away the fish and turtle spotted us.  Seen right, Maggie is eyeing the fish.  Little did she know, Mr. Turtle was coming to get her, seen below.  I pulled her away from the edge of the pond to get her out of harms way.  I didn't want him hacking away at her nose.

Messaging with Britney, she complained of a possible pinched nerve because of all the time she has spent sitting and reading.  She has had a ton of it to do with her research.  As she continuously keeps hacking away at it, hour upon hour, her neck and back are strained.

The day's weather was going to get rainy, so plans to work out in the front yard with Joe's help, were put on hold.  I did decide to take the SUV to get more dirt so I could at least get grass seed planted.  I dug up another juniper tree in the process, as it again started raining on me.  Once home I had to get it planted, so was very wet by the time I got done.

Stevie thought this puzzle would be a good rainy day activity.

I spent more time on my computer while watching it drizzle and then finally clear off.  So out I went to dump and spread all the dirt and get grass seed planted (well, sowed I guess is the better term).







It started drizzling before I finished, but I stayed out until the job was done.  Seen right, the main area I seeded next to the wood chip path.

I put seed down on the back hill where there were bare spots.  Seen left, the skunks have been rooting around in the new grass, damaging it, so I also over seeded here by the creek.




Not wanting to sit home, I went to town to buy a few things, including one more blue rug juniper, root starter, and more peat moss.  It rained fairly hard a few times and saved me needing to water the new plantings.






I rushed to unload my purchases and then went to the gym to lift weights.  Just as I was finishing up, the trainer showed me some new equipment and exercises, so I really got a good workout in.  The evening ended at Manny and Isabella's with several old friends (not age 😜 but former) and new friends.