OUTSIDE

JUNE 1, 2011

Frank consolidated our left over wood and recovered it.

The grass he planted there is up and green. Most of his bushes are growing. We do need to replace a few of them.

Something comes at night and roots through the hay Frank put on the area to help the grass sprout. Glenn K. thinks that it is probably skunks or 'possums. I don't know what it is, but I'm very unhappy with them. I had been using grass for mulch in my flower beds. Whatever it is roots there, too. They have rooted out some of my flowers. I have replanted them over and over and over, but I still find them rooted out. Of course, this is not good for plants, and several have died. I am working on weeding. It takes so long because I think that I have to replant the grass! However, some places are looking green that hadn't been. This is my shade bed by the lower drive way. See all the weeding I still need to do?

This is the area I added to this bed. My seeds are coming up by the wall and behind the main row.

This is my row of bushes and flowers to the south along our boundary.

Frank bought and installed an "air chair" in the gazebo.

Frank put tongue and groove in and on the carport.

He also stained it and under the deck.

This was to go with the last post. Since then, another of our "girls" died. We get six to eight, and occasionally nine eggs a day--one for each "girl".

PROJECTS

MAY 23, 2011

We finally finished the stairs to the basement.

John and Tonya bought an "Egg Carton" which we promptly filled with twelve "girls"--laying hens. One died the next day, so Tonya disinfected the coop right away. All the other hens have stayed well. I think they get 8 to ten eggs daily--and once or twice have gotten eleven! The roosts, nests, food, and water are "upstairs." They can go down and scratch in the grass. The whole thing is on wheels, so it gets moved every day. This way, the chickens are actually "free range," but also entirely protected.

Frank planted grass to the north and south of the shed. He also planted bushes to the south and around the gas tank. He planted raspberries to the north of the shed. The bushes are to mark the boundary between our lawn and the woods.

Frank took one of the first warm, clear days of the year to finish the roof. (The flashing hadn't been finished.)

He also finished around the garage door.

One day we went to the Pittsburgh Zoo with John, Tonya, and some of her friends. There were seven adults and nine children. That kept four mothers busy! The polar bear was in a playful mood, but the pea hen was camera shy.

Here is a project I started in 2002. We also worked on it in 2008 and in December 2010. We have mostly new plates from the grandchildren, although I kept an older one of Brandon's. They are now displayed over my sink and bar. (I never said that I was fast!) They are pictured here in family groups.

This is a picture that John took lately. We like it. I hope you do too.