Photo 312 - July 31
At the beginning of this project I absolutely loved wood. I guess I still love the way it looks, but I'm getting tired of staining and varnishing - it's getting a bit old. It was a good feeling to have Jeff come down and screw in the last cold air return tonight. Of course that leaves me the opportunity to cut more baseboards. Sigh...I keep hoping to see an end in sight, but there are still doors and closet doors.
Photo 311 - July 30
After a stifling evening of volleyball - almost 90 and very humid - we were treated to a beautiful sunset. After that the lightning came, although there has been no rain to follow it. One of these days I will have my camera and tripod in the right place at the right time and capture some of that too.
Photo 310 - July 29
When Dale was stationed at Ellsworth, there was this really cool picture that hung in the McDonald's by our house. We liked it so much that we bought a signed copy of it...and then it was forgotten. About 8 years or so ago, I had a mat cut for it, and then it went in a sleeve and remained there - still forgotten. But now, as I'm trying to finish Dale's "I Love Me" wall, I decided it needed to be framed and included. It turned out great - the B52 and B1 flying past Mt. Rushmore. It is huge, but will be a great addition to his wall.
Before James left for Afghanistan, we had a family picture done. That one's only been in the box for a couple of years...so apparently I am getting a little better.
Photo 309 - July 28
I got to find out where Batavia is today - and also got to watch Rebecca play in an All Star Softball game. She caught, pitched, and made it on base. Plus - they won! Congratulations, Rebecca!
Photo 308 - July 27
Wouldn't you know it - after not having any appreciable rain for weeks, it decides to rain on Kyle and Krystle's wedding day. Happily, it was just a half hour or so delay, and then the ceremony went off beautifully. Andy (my mail order minister future son-in-law) did a wonderful job with the service, the meal was fantastic, and we all had a great party afterwards. Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Nusslock, and wishes for a happy and beautiful life together!
And a picture of me and Jeff, per Dale's request.
Photo 307 - July 26
When I left the ballpark, I asked Kristin if she wanted me to put the pictures on disk for her, and she asked if I took that many. I knew I took a bunch, but when I downloaded them there were 145. So yeah, I guess I took that many. Jesse started out catching tonight, and then made his was to pitching. And what an amazing job he did, especially for being one of the youngest on his team. It appears this young man has quite a baseball career ahead of him. I'm glad I got to be there to witness his pitching debut!
Photo 306 - July 25
The sun was shining when Trinka and I left the house this morning, so a rainbow was the last thing I expected to find. After we got about halfway through, the rain caught up with us...and of course there were windows open at home. Murphy's Law at work, as usual. Nothing got in though - we made it home in time.
Photo 305 - July 24
Well, I am 50% further along in the table department than I was the last time I bought them. That was when the store I bought them from put them on backorder for about 2 months and then called me to tell me they were discontinued. Needless to say I changed stores after that. I did manage to get the box out of the truck all by myself, but only got as far as the table. It's not that it was too heavy - my arms just weren't long enough to wrap around the box and I didn't feel comfortable trying to get it all the way up the walk and in the house. Thanks, Jeff, for helping me get it in! Hopefully the other one will arrive in a couple of weeks. Otherwise I will not be a happy camper.
Photo 304 - July 23
This 300+ in the photo numbers...Dale's coming home keeps getting closer and closer, and it's getting pretty exciting. To commemorate it, a patriotic picture! This is the flag light that Sheila got me for Christmas last year. I didn't realize that it was color changing until I got home tonight - I thought it was just lighted red!
And I think this is my lone Tomato Soup coneflower. Apparently this variety must taste awfully good, because the rabbits have not been very willing to let the plant grow or produce more than this flower. It must taste as good as my Maui Sunshine coneflowers that are planted in the front of the house. Of the three plants I have there, I didn't get a flower on any of them. Those might need to be moved to a safe (and less rabbit-infested) location.
Photo 303 - July 22
Every day at Fish Day I try to find a new and unique treasure for my garden. This year was no exception. Andy could have sold half a dozen of them, because he was constantly stopped on our way down the hill asking him where he found it. It has now taken up residency in one of my gardens, and will stay there until (or if) I find a place I like better.
And this one's for you, Dale. I'm not sure where you want to hang him - maybe he can find a spot on your boat, or maybe by your desk (which I unhappily put a couple dings in today attempting to move it to it's permanent location). But I thought you might get a kick out of him. I would have sent it, but I didn't want you to have to worry about shipping it home. But he's excitedly waiting for your return!
Photo 302 - July 21
As I've made good and clear, part of my redecorating effort includes using photographs that I've taken in the living room. Dale told me he had a picture that he had taken and asked me if I would include it. Well, since he almost never takes pictures, how could I say no? It's a beautiful picture, and a great addition to the living room.
Today was also Fish Day in Port Washington - people, people, everywhere! It sure didn't seem right to not have a boat to hang out on all day. Laura and Andy came with me to walk around, and help me carry my treasures (thanks, Andy!). Next year...life should be back to normal soon.
Photo 301 - July 20
I'm pretty fond of them too - and my Stargazer Lilies are in full bloom on the walkway, and they look and smell wonderful. Laura wants to have these in her bridal bouquet. Hopefully they grow well next summer!
Photo 300 - July 19
Check it out! Photo 300! When I first started this project I didn't think there was any way I would be able to keep it up. But I am very happily surprised that I've been able to do it.
I really wanted a second opinion before I started pounding nails in my newly painted living room, but tonight I started putting something back on the wall. I even pulled other stuff out of my downstairs "storage." It shows me how much more I have to do before Dale gets here, so I better pick up my pace!
Photo 299 - July 18
Wouldn't you know it? I make a spur of the moment decision to run to Home Depot, and when I come out, the sky is blacker than black and it looks like it's pouring somewhere. All I can think is, please don't let it be raining at home until I can get there and close the windows! I was lucky - it hadn't started doing anything when I got there. It's rumbling pretty good upstairs now, so here's hoping we get some much needed rain!
Photo 298 - July 17
Over the weekend, I found some dirt disturbed in my flower garden. I figured that the dogs had been in there digging, but the strange thing was that I found no holes. Tonight, I found mounds of newly dug up dirt - and you can clearly see that it's coming out of the window well. Jeff came down to collect some paperwork for Dale, and he said he can see that there is a hole running away from the window well - next to the house foundation, and we're thinking that maybe it's the woodchuck. So our brilliant idea was to pour some bleach in the hole, hoping that if it's in there, the smell will drive it out, and if it was out chasing around, that the smell would keep it from going back in. The problem now is that the dogs have taken to monitoring the window well - I came outside to find Trinka lying next to it staring in wait. I'm really hoping that it's not there anymore.
Photo 297 - July 16
I can see green outside from my window at work, but I didn't realize exactly how much there was until I was on the deck today looking down at it. It almost looks like an island in a sea of brown. You can definitely see where the water runs when Cindy does her best to keep her plants growing. The rest of it looks pretty desolate
Photo 296 - July 15
I don't give myself a lot of time to just sit back and do nothing, but by the time I went to church, met Angela and Deb for lunch to discuss FRG business, got home and talked to Dale, it was already 4:00p. So the dogs and I did a little R&R out in the back yard. It was kind of nice...but it's back to the grind tomorrow.
Photo 295 - July 14
So much for the rain we were supposed to have today. It did look a little dark first thing in the morning, but that cleared up and made way for a hot, beautiful day. I'm dog sitting this week for my sister-in-law, and while I was outside planting, the dogs were a little too interested in something they seemed to have pinned underneath the raspberry bushes. I had seen something little running through the garden, which I kind of assumed was a mouse, so I thought maybe they had found that. I was not quite prepared to find what they were messing with. After putting them both in the house, I grabbed my camera and got a couple pictures. Until what I think is a woodchuck decided he had enough visiting and disappeared under the fence and the neighbor's pine tree.
Photo 294 - July 13
It rained today! It probably wasn't enough, but it did make the grass soft enough to walk on, which was kind of nice. And I have a couple of roses blooming that I really love the color of - Shreveport and Laura Bush.
Photo 293 - July 12
You will have to look back in the blogs to June 19 to see the beginnings of my plumeria plant that I brought back from Hawaii. It apparently loves this hot summer weather we're having, because I swear I can now see it growing every day. I also have an orchid growing a couple shoots...I'm just sad that the hibiscus hasn't sprouted. I haven't given up all hope yet, although the lonely stick in the pot is a little disheartening.
Photo 292 - July 11
Not too long ago I had a conversation with Kayla and Kelley about spiders...I knew Kayla hated spiders, but apparently Kelley is just as unhappy with them as Kayla is. they seem to be hatching in droves right now, and there are patches of spiderwebs all over the grass. They don't have the pretty structure of the webs that hang off the house, and they seem to be quite a bit denser. And no worries, girls - I didn't even see any spiders.
Photo 291 - July 10
Even with the drought, most of my flowers are still hanging in there. The pincushion flowers on the walkway have gone bananas, and I'm going to have to find some way to tie them back so they don't block the way to the house. This morning on my way out the door this rose caught my eye. It's growing on my pink Knockout rose bush, and it is very definitely two-toned, and is the only flower on the bush that looks that way. Thought it was a neat way to start out the day.
Photo 290 - July 9
Yes! There's finally something back on the living room wall! Thank you to Steve and Kristin for helping me measure up the other side on Sunday. It was easy to put the first screw in, but not so easy to hold it up and figure out where to put the other one. I also have four pictures printed and in frames, so it shouldn't be long before I have even more decorating done. The time is getting short before Dale gets back home, so I need to crank in all the work I can in the next two months. It's gonna go fast - I already know that.
