A year ago......

 

It's hard to believe we move in just a year ago.....These pics were taken while we were still in the process of moving. As you can see, cinnamon brown had already made herself at home.

Everything looks so new and fresh. We've done our best to maintain it, and I think we've done pretty well. There's some wear and tear in a few places, but nothing that can't be fixed or lived with.

We really love our new house and we're looking forward to working on the landscaping even more next season.

 

pump house - check

This week, it was all about working on the pump house.....We found some leftover siding at the local Restore....just enough to finish the garden side. It doesn't exactly match the other stuff, but, who cares?  Once it's all painted the same color, no one will really be able to tell. The next step with the pump house is to build a door, and then paint. We'll  work on putting a pump in it in the spring, before the garden is planted. That was the whole point, after all....to water the garden with the rain water runoff.

The next project will be gates and fences in the back. The fence builder is going to be on vacation for a couple of weeks here soon, so we're hoping to finish the gate over by the old house and the fence next to the dog kennel. HOPEFULLY that will deter the deer from the back yard.. We'll see. They're pretty determined devils and eating machines.

We're also planning on making a list of things we want to accomplish next season. Some of those things include more landscaping in the back, maybe another dry stream bed, a firepit and stone patio of sorts, cleaning and staining the deck, building a chicken coop, and, I'm sure, a whole bunch of other stuff. We're down to the fun projects now that can be accomplished in a weekend or two, and a whole lot of maintenance.

On the floor scene.......Friday,. we had a flooring inspector here to check it out. Our contractor made an appearance too (surprise!). You could just see his stomach sinking as the inspector did his work. We're pretty sure we may be getting a new floor, which is not as great as it sounds. They'll have to tear up all the old flooring, scrape it down and prep it, and install a new one, re-install all the baseboards and probably repaint the walls....all while we LIVE here. What a mess!!!!!!!!

We should know something this week..Although I'm looking forward to it getting done, I'm not sure I'm looking forward to getting it done. It has the possibility of being very, very bad.

The good news is, he also "promised" to fix the deck, so next spring we can hopefully clean and stain it. We'll see.....

painting away

Last sunday the fog broke enough to get out and finish my paint the shop project. It's all done, except a bit of trim and a second coat on the back door. Monsoon season has started now, so those last bits will probably have to wait until spring when it warms up and dries out.

In the bulb front, they're starting to get marked down now, so I took advantage of a couple of sales and bought 50 more crocus to finish my front yard project - there's 450 or so out there now - and some bulb iris, just for fun. A marked down huchera also followed me home from the depot. Most places are pretty much done with outside plants now, so it's all about waiting out the winter and starting again in February or so with the flower show. In the mean time, we'll be working on finishing the fencing in the back, building gates to keep the deer out, and generally winterizing things so that they'll make an appearance again next year.

We'll also be making our list of projects to finish and work on for the next winter and spring....I'm eying that fire pit that Lowes is going to have on their black Friday sale. It would be great to put away for next summer. (we have a plan)

This week, it's supposed to rain all week, so probably not too much outside stuff will make it on the adjenda.......

nestled all snug in their beds

Yesterday I spent most of the day planting......All these guys and some more, of course.
Each of the green strips represents at least 5 specialty bulbs not found anywhere locally....

There were also 2 witch hazels, 2 clumping bamboos, a native currant (great hummingbird plant), a wegilia, and about 400 bulbs from Costco. Right now, there's about 500 bulbs in the back....daffs, alliums, crocus, and hyacinths......and the same in the front, which also includes muscari, and some species tulips.....not too many big tulips...they're just deer candy. Maybe next year when the back is totally fenced and they can't get in.

Now I'm setting my sights on bulb clearance racks (although I don't really need too many more), and saving my pennies for the spring when Costco and the like will start getting in bare root perennials and trees.

Today, I hope to mostly finish painting the shop and put that project to bed too.....

Next up......a LONG list of things to finish, and a long winter of not finishing them.

painting!

Last weekend was beautiful, so I decided to take what was probably the last opportunity to paint on the shop......
before......

 

after.....a whole day on the ladder!

 

 

I really wanted to work on it more this week, and just finish, but the weather had other ideas. It was too cold, and most important, too wet and foggy to do any work. Today looks promising, though, it's still not too warm, but it's also not that 110 percent humidity fog that we've had all week.

I'm hoping to get most of the front done, and then finish up with the doors. The back side, the one you can see that is "natural", is probably going to stay that way, except for the door and trim. We'll get out he sun and moon collection that I have packed away and put that up to give it some interest.

 

The far side needs to be cleaned up first, but we'll paint that too, and then build our new chicken coop there.  One thing at a time.

artichokes, anyone?

Check this out.....grew it all by myself!!! From artichoke plants that I bought at the grocery store for $2.99. Pretty cool, huh?

They're actually purple ones, yes they're edible, and I certainly hope they'll come back next year. (they should). P.S. the deer don't eat them.....too prickly!

This week, the clearance bin yielded a few goodies....at home depot.....a black mondo grass for $3.50, which I divided into 3 and planted.....a half price hosta, and two daylilies for $1.50 each.
From the master gardener plant sale, we brought home a native currant - pink blooms in January, and a fall crocus (colchium).

I also used a bit of my local nursery gift certificate to get 2 witch hazels and some more allium bulgarum bulbs - the hummingbirds will love both of them.

Speaking of hummingbirds, we put up the feeders yesterday after watching two of them fight over the neighbor's fuschia for nearly an hour. I think he's out there right now, protecting his territory. Next spring, I have to plant some of those hardy fuschias....those little guys love them!

We also put out some Halloween decorations on the porch. I love my little owl guy!

 

This week, the weather is supposed to be great, so we're hoping to paint the shop. I have the paint (at least a good start on it), and if I need more, it's on sale. This'll probably be our last chance until next spring, so........

Finally!!!!

It FINALLY stopped raining!!!!
After having nearly 9" of rain here in the last two weeks of September (honestly, we were ready to build a boat!), it FINALLY quit, and yesterday was a wonderful day to get outside.

We cleaned up the garden a bit.....

and roofed the pump house with some clearance roofing we bought at home depot.

 

The next project here will be putting in the window and some siding. We're down to these kind of projects, little bits here and there, finishing the pump house, painting the shop (well, that's a big project), finishing the fencing, and, of course landscaping, planting, and landscaping some more.

 

Today, the plan is to try to prime the bare boards that they put on the shop when they did the roof, so that they don't get crummy during the winter.

It's nice to know the rain didn't ruin everything.....

and the passion vine has finally grown tall enough for the deer to leave it alone. I was fearing for its survival there for a while.....

 

off to mow and paint while the sun shines.....supposed to rain again tomorrow.