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What I did on my summer, er, my day off!

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 3:10 am

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We did go to yard sales today. We did quite well. We quit when the truck was full, inside and out, too. I didn't sleep too well last night so we got a late start. At the first sale we bought quite a few things, some dr intends to resell. I bought another bear and then of course I bought a chair with a bear sitting in it. Where did I put it? It's in the middle of the floor right now. That's two bears, right. Those people were moving. Wish I could buy their house. It was all made of stone, six sided with a great room in the center. Only thing is, they attached an ugly garage onto the front of it. They only want $400,000.00 for it. I guess I will wait a long time if I have to save for it. The next was a bust. We hit a good one when we was looking for a different one. We only spent $3.00 there but came away with half a truck full because they had a lot of free stuff. There was 2 and 1/2 pieces of that lattice (redwood). We were going to buy four pieces so now we need to buy only l and 1/2 pieces. The lattice was free but she charged us a dollar for the posts. There were a lot of them and some other boards with rebar through them that dr has plans for already. He bought a huge amount of heavy plastic sheeting for two dollars. We always have a use for that, even just to cover plants or things we have outside when it rains. There was some free rolled roofing. That comes in handy sometimes. Could have used some when we built Chance's dog house and her deck. Then, we hit a couple that weren't so good. When we finally found the one we were looking for we didn't buy anything at all. We went way across town for the next one. Directions weren't so good but we found it. dr bought some things there. We had to turn around and go back the way we came because we had seen a sign for another one. We bought a couple things there. When we were leaving I asked the lady where the road went if we kept going on it. She said it went around in a circle and took us back to where we had turned onto the road. So, we went on around the circle. We hit another jackpot because before we completed the circle we found another sale. Everything was under a dollar. Well, most everything. dr managed to find a few things that were higher priced. I bought a yard ornament. A frog made from heavy duty wire with a green glass ball inside. Picture will come when we get one taken. I set it down with some other things by the people who were collecting money. Everyone who came in zeroed in on it. I don't know why no one had bought it before we got there. I got one of those big poles with the crook for hanging pots in the yard. I got a welcome sign with a hummingbird and one with windchimes in it. All on poles to be stuck in the ground. I got five more bears. Lots of flower pots to be filled with seeds. dr bought a hose reel with hose on it. He says the reel isn't too great but he can probably fix it. But the hose is super duty. He bought things to resell there. I bought practical things like super large yard bags, small plastic cups for earwig food, bamboo plant supports, all kinds of little things that were 10 cents to 25 cents. Now, it's sitting all over waiting to claim a space. dr sorted his out and loaded it back in the truck so he can go to the flea market tomorrow. It's going to be near 80 and not windy. He made a reservation so he's sure to get a spot. I'm going to work a bit early so he can be there by eight o'clock and get started. They like you to be early so they know how many spaces are taken before they start giving them away because someone didn't come or call them to say they weren't coming. While dr was sorting and loading the truck for tomorrow, I took my diet coke and some popcorn and a book and went out and sat with Chance in the backyard. I didn't get much reading done. My eyes weren't inclined to stay open. We went to the local restaurant for supper. Fish since it is Friday. That was the special. I almost fell asleep waiting because they had a couple of big groups and it was pretty slow coming. I think an early night is called for. I'm having a mug of tea right now and dr is playing squeaky with Chance. The apricot trees have really put on blossems so I stopped at one to smell them. I almost smelled a bee. They are very busy right now. I hope we don't have a heavy frost and kill the apricots again this year. I'll have dr take a picture of some of the pots we got. A lot are just the average red ones but one or two look quite nice. I didn't get any housework done and I didn't get any yard work done. But, I have another day off on Sunday. I need to work on my quilting project too or it won't get finished. I almost bought more material today, but sanity preveiled and I left it there. Dooley

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Things are blooming!

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 6:03 am

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Things are beginning to bloom. The apricot trees are starting to bloom. It's a few days before they are covered but it's always nice to see them. Last year, they bloomed in February and then got ten inches of snow on them. We only had three apricots because of the cold. This year, already, the bees are buzzing around them. The trees sound like they are humming when you walk under them. Then, there is that one wee little daffidol that is blooming. It isn't very high. Guess it couldn't wait to grow taller. There are a few more that will bloom in a few days and there are more that are just coming through the ground. The tulips are coming up nicely. Only something is eating the leaves on the ones in the side yard. Not the bulb, the leaves. I suspect earwigs. I blame earwigs for everything if I can't find anything else. The grape hyacinths are coming up too. I haven't seen any sign of the hosta's but I only planted them a couple weeks ago. I looked in the garden for the asparagus but no sigh of it. The plants that were already there aren't growing yet either. It really is a bit early for it but I thought I'd look. Our last average frost date is the end of April but it's going to be in the 70's for the next couple of weeks so I thought maybe it would be early this year. Maybe not. I took all the plants back inside and covered my spinach when I got home tonight. The row of Little Marvel peas that I planted are coming up. Nice little shoots just peeping through the ground. I gave them water today. I couldn't see any swiss chard yet though. I was hoping it would get big before it got warm enough for ants and earwigs and slugs or snails. I moved a board a couple of weeks ago and found some big snails. Got rid of them. I'm afraid to pick up any more boards. I really am not fond of snails. Dan tells me there are good snails and bad snails but...
This morning I stopped at the Dollar Store. I bought some things to put in a box for grandma for Easter. I also bought four boxes of flower seeds. Zinnia, marigold, mixed and allysum(?) Also, two bleeding heart plants which I planted in big pots. dr says they are poisonous so I am going to move the pots to the front so Chance won't have the opportunity to nibble on them. I dug a little of the grass out of the spot for the new bed. My knees have been bothering me and I think it's the digging so I'm trying to do it a little at a time. One of the ladies at work suggested Cherry Juice Concentrate is good for arthritis so we bought a bottle. I have taken it three days not. I hope it works. It seems like it has a little, but three days is not a fair trial. I'll keep at it a little longer. I hate taking so much pain relievers though. Tomorrow is a day off. dr says we'll do whatever I want to do. Oh, boy! He brought me a list of the yard sales that was in the Prescott paper tonight. Do I want to go to yard sales? Maybe! I got paid today. We bought several bags of dirt this week, big bags. I could fill pots with dirt. I really need to wait and see how much it takes for the new flower bed though. I need to plant the gladiola bulbs. I could put the manure blend mix on the garden and flower beds I already have and rake it in. That sounds like work. I need to clean the small bedroom. I only got the laundry room done this week. I rested on my last day off so....Maybe I will go to yard sales.
It was a very slow night at the library. No one brought up the book cart from the drop box today so there will be lots to do on Saturday. I finished early so sat at the checkout desk. It was very slow. I think people were not coming because it was so nice outside. There weren't even a lot of kids. The new supervisor they hired quit before she even started work so now they have to look for another one. They are supposed to decide on the new aide for the children's room tomorrow so she can start next week. They are hiring another ass't director but that's not a done deal yet. Now, I hear another person may be moving. New faces again. I have been there almost nine months now. Doesn't seem like that long at all.
Guess maybe I should go to bed and rest up for my day off. Chance and dr have both gone to bed. I'm always the last one to bed and the last one up. I wonder why. Dooley

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Not so busy today

Category: Yard work! | Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:57 am

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It has been cold the past week or two and I've been staying inside because of the congestion and cough I've been having. But, today was so nice. It was 70 and sunny. The thermometer said it was in the 80's but it was in the afternoon sun so it was lying. dr and I sat outside for quite awhile. We'd get up and do this or that and end up back at the table. Chance hung out with us. I took the camera out but with her keeping us company the birds stayed away. I started several different things but didn't finish any of them. I marked out where I want a new flower bed but I need to dig the weeds out and put some dirt in it. We need to sort of terrace it because it goes down the slope by the shed. I used railroad ties along the other side of the yard but I might use big rocks along the shed. We have to get some fence for it too so Chance won't get into it. dr fixed the long flower bed in the lower yard. I put rocks along the bottom of the fence. Chance was out moving the rocks when we looked. dr says now he will move the rocks and put landscape timbers there. Dumb dog! The butterfly bush is looking good. The apple trees are a late tree so probably won't get leaves or flowers until April or May. They are Newton Pippens. We just planted them last year. dr said they probably won't get flowers this year. They are doing well though. They grew about triple in one year. I didn't decide where to plant the gladiola bulbs I bought last week. I can't put them in the front. It's too shady. I put Hosta's in the front. I'm going to put Impatients in the front too. As soon as it warms up a bit more. I have daffidols about to bloom and tulips are up. I notice that something is eating on the tulip leaves and on the daffidol buds. I should get my flashlight and go look to see if earwigs are out. The rose bushes have little red leaves so maybe tomorrow I will hunt out the rose food and feed and water them. I think it's time. I can do the honeysuckle bushes too. I see the star Jasmine is getting ready to bloom too. It has yellow flowers. The chives are about three inches high. The spinach in the wheelbarrow is about an inch or two high. I see a teeny little second set of leaves coming. I was going to dig a small ditch to drain water into my flower bed but didn't do it. We put a grate over the drainage basin and will finish it after it rains and we can see where the water goes. We haven't had rain for some time. At least not enough to flood the lower yard.
I cleaned the laundry room and dr put a set of shelves in one corner behind the washing machine. Then, he had to relevel the washing machine. Chance tried to help. She got between him and the washing machine so dr couldn't see anything. I had to bring Chance outside and make her sit. She does that very well. It's the "stay" that she can't quite manage. She did stay but only because I stood by her and kept saying,"stay." She hasn't quite managed "down" either. She just gets too excited when anyone comes in her territory. We're working on it though and it is getting better.
I told her we bought an owl for the garden so she won't have to work so hard. She keeps the birds out. Because she doesn't get to go into the garden after I plant things they tend to ignore her. She does a good job keeping them out of her yard though. She doesn't understand she can't walk where things are planted and she runs pell mell over things or she stops and digs. We have these serious talks about it but it doesn't do much good so I keep the gate shut.
We had to take the truck up for service on Friday. A 20 minute job that seems to take 2 hours. We went early and stopped at the DAV thrift shop. I bought some half pint jelly jars, a welcome sign with bears on it for the front door (maybe) and a hot air balloon for a little bear. I posted a picture of it in the member's gallery. dr bought me a turtle yesterday and I posted a picture of it too. Dan took the pictures for me. This morning when we went to breakfast we stopped at the flea market. I found two hat racks for hanging on the wall. dr is going to put them in the hallway tomorrow. One has a big turtle and one has a little turtle. Seems like I'm collecting a few turtles. I sure hope they don't accumulate like the bears do. I really need to rearrange things and get some of these bears out of the living room before we have visitors in April. Right now the computer chair is about the only one not occuppied by a bear. I don't understand it at all. Oh, well! Chance says it's bedtime. Dooley

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