THE MULCH PILE

SHRINKING, SHRINKING, SHRINKING ...JUNE 27 2014

The mountain has now become a small hill.  Hopefully in the next few days the hill will become a mound.  I only have one more area to mulch.  Between the end of the house and the dog pen.

Why do I mulch there?  Darned if I know.

When Bossman bought the place, there was no dog pen, were no flower beds, no landscaping of any kind, but lots of rocks.  Lots and lots of rocks.  Previous owners must have had a thing about rocks.  The only place we have any of their rocks left is at the end of the house.  We built the dog pen when we came here.

This is the end of the house that contains the propane tanks and the air conditioning unit.  They had laid sheets and sheets and sheets of heavy duty black plastic, then held it down with about a bejillion rocks.  Made walking very interesting to say the least.

So as our landscaping progressed and I put in flower beds and laid tons of mulch, I didn't know what to do with that end of the house.  And so using my amazing mind I hit on a solution.

Mulch, mulch and more mulch.  Each year I have been able to cover more of this area with left over mulch.   You can walk on the mulch.  Makes it easier for our A.C. maintenance and refilling the propane tanks.  And uses the left-over mulch.  And it looks better.  Am I brilliant or what?

Just do me a favor - don't ask Bossman that question.  I am sure you would get a tirade and you would have to kick yourself for asking. 

Anyhoo that is the only spot left to mulch.  Also got the used- to- be Iris bed dug up, Irises finding new homes away from here and Bossman laid out the design for the new bed.  Attaching some before and after pics.  The goose moved behind the machine shed in one of my flower beds there.  Don't know where the pink flamingo went.  It is somewhere around here.

GUESS THE COMPUTER DID NOT LIKE THE ORDER IN WHICH I LOADED THE PICTURES.  BUT YOU CAN GET THE GIST/JIST, WHATEVER.

What ever mulch remaining Bossman is putting around his new fruit trees he planted this spring.  It definitely will not go to waste.

I am tired.  For some unknown reason.  Have a great day and God Bless.

WINDING DOWN - OR

ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING ....

You are finishing a job, completing a project, approaching the end of something, or just getting older.  Yes, I am winding down.  And because I am winding down, I have been involved in numerous projects.  Hopefully they will all be completed.

This winding down process is just a fancy way of feeling your age.   You tire sooner.  Things that were important last year don't really matter.  Thing you have been putting off you have decided to complete, start, or finish.  Or just forget about.

Don't get me wrong.  I am not being morbid.  I am not feeling sorry for myself.  I am just planning and scheming, as I always have my entire life.  It is just that the planning and scheming have taken on a different look. 

The mulch is winding down.  The pile is just a fraction of what it was.  Most of the flower beds have a brand new look because the weeds that are left are buried under the mulch.  They will re-appear sooner or later, but I'll worry about that - later.

My two tomato plants in their containers are almost 2 foot - that is right - high, each one supported with its own personal trellis, and have about half a dozen of small tomatoes.  The pepper plants have lots of blooms and some little peppers set on.  In another month to 6 weeks they will also begin the winding down process, in preparation for fall and winter.

My irises, peonies, oriental poppies, wisteria and rhododendron are in the winding down process.  It is their time to take it easy and plan for next springs blooms.

The past two years, for me, have been completing the necessary paper work that will be needed sometime in the future, hopefully longer than shorter.  But you never know.  So all my affairs are in order, such as they may be, everything is signed, less to worry about.  That is another winding down, taking care of what will need to be done.

But there is still a lot of planning and scheming in process.  I will be spending a couple of days with friends in Ashtabula Co Ohio.  This marks our 65th year of friendship - one that has survived the distance we are apart, only seeing each other when time permits, but once we connect it is as if we had just seen each other the other day.  We were teen-agers,  grew up, married, watched each others families grow, become adults, and then we became grand-parents. 

Friends and I have 4 bus trips scheduled for later this summer, other friends and I have two photo-shoots scheduled in July, since we all belong to the BARNSTORMERS, and when they are in town for the picnic we take a day or two scouting for MP barns that we can take new pictures of. 

There are the upcoming cook-outs, hopefully a trip to Maine, college graduations, life has been good.  /there have been bumps in the road, but that is what has made the smoother roads more enjoyable and special.  Looking back I can honestly say I have no regrets.  Life has been good.  Family has been exceptional.  Friendships have been awesome, and long lasting.  What more could anyone ask for?

And so for everyday I look forward, wondering what mischief I can get into,  what outlandish thing can I do to stir the pot?  After all when you get to my age you can act any old way you want to.  What are the they's out there going to do?  Shake their heads and tell themselves they will never be like that.  The joke is on them.

So I'll do my 8 weekends of up-coming festivals, prepare for my presentation at the local camera club I - March 2014 - now that is planning ahead.  Looking forward to my 6th, and final  book to be published, drive Bossman crazier than he already is and keep my kids - all 5 of them - just shaking their heads - or maybe it is because they are shuddering so hard it makes their heads shake.  Watever.

Remember age is just a number. Life is doing what you love to do and not worrying about that number.  What the heck.  Have a great day and God Bless.    

REMEMBER THE SONG 14 TONS .... JUNE 07 2014 ...

Or some such song.  I have 14 yards of mulch - black just like coal.  Been working on the 14 yards of mulch.  Me and Bossman. 

We have quite a production line going.  He fills 11 LARGE buckets with Mulch, loads them on the gator and brings them to me.  Then he works on stuff.  He is a pretty good judge of just how long it takes me to spread 11 buckets of mulch. 

We are half way around now.  I must say it is really looking nice.  Lot of work, but looking nice. 

I do know one thing.  If we have any left over that rabbit hole is going to be filled with mulch.

Problem is, we never have any left over.  I remember the days at our other home, before we bought the farm back, that I could take the pick-up truck to Yensens, have it loaded, drive home and place the mulch in the flower beds. All in 1 day.  Just had normal flower beds then.

Then we moved.  9 years ago.  To the farm.  No landscaping had ever even been attempted.  Just steep banks covered with large stones, and weeds.  Random stones making a sort of uneven walk to the back patio and back door.  No walk to the front door, no steps at the front door, no in and out at the front door.  No porch.  No deck.  Just nothing. 

Bossman has been busy.  We now have a front deck, with partial roof, paver sidewalks, terraced landscaping replacing the steep banks, a fenced in dog yard easily accessible from our laundry room.  And 14 yards of mulch to lay.  Which is now delivered.

I think I know why there was no landscaping.  Talk about a lot of work.  Lots and lots of work. 

However the bucket brigade is working out just fine. 

I just hope we don't add any more flower beds.  If I have to order any more than 14 yards it will take 2 trucks to deliver it.

Enjoy your day and God Bless.