leder legends

  Nathania and the kids came to visit in time for our anniversary.  They spent a week here in the rain and cool air! They still went to local parks, a trampoline park, a water park, a day at the lake with old friends, shopping, went for a pedicure, time with the cousins, and much more.

The pergola is about 20 years old and was in need of repair. We enjoy hosting dinner parties out there or sitting there to enjoy a morning cup of coffee. I thought we could simply (nothing is simple) replace the soft boards.  I did not want anyone breaking a leg etc. but upon inspection, it was deemed unfixable.  Ok, let’s fix it!   The original deck was made of cedar... That wasn’t going to happen because paying $84 for ONE long board, never mind the many we needed, would break the bank! Treated deck boards are pricy at the moment too but much more reasonable.  They did a great job !  Come on over!! We have had one Baltimore Oriole here so far!!  

  I thought I would take a picture of the same bed every week! Pretty slow so far! WEEK FOUR  WEEK THREE WEEK TWO WEEK ONE

"Adventure" #1  My annual playing with fire or revealing my inner pyromania! I have around 7 clumps of ornamental grasses --in the front yard. Years ago a friend suggested that the best way to "cut down" these grasses in the winter was to set fire to them!! I confess that for me that's a lot of fun!  BUT (and it's a big but) this must be done in winter while everything around is covered with snow and it must not be be windy! Unfortunately, last winter my annual burning did not happen and I had to struggle with all this grass.   It was a nice spring day and there was no wind but there was no snow! These grasses REALLY burn because, as I was informed by my biologist neighbor, they contain a lot of oil.  Since I did not want to burn down the entire neighborhood nor did I want to hear the sirens of the fire trucks, I cut them all down which was no easy feat! I left stumps of 8 inches tall.  I conscientiously gather up all the straw and piled it in the wheelbarr...