Birtday Weekend

I took two days vacation and my regular two days off to have a 4 day weekend. How often do you get to celebrate 60?
So the weekend started Wednesday and I slept most of the day after getting home from work. We watched the ball game (Dodgers and Diamondbacks) and had a simple dinner of leftovers. I had a few beers too.
Thursday was very hot. But Terri and I went to the store and got all the food I wanted for Saturday. And I got some steaks for that nights dinner. It was so hot and muggy that all we wanted to do was get the food in the house and stay in the A.C. Early that evening a summer storm came through with high winds and heavy rain, But it was moving so fast that it did not take it long to move through and out to sea Temps dropped about 15 - 20 degrees in less then 30 min. I took a few pictures

Cooler temps and amazing colors!

 I was able to grill the steaks and get some roasted veggies in the oven. And had a few more beers!

Friday was a pretty day and it only got up to the high 70's with a breeze. My Son Gerry and our friend  Lisa came down and helped with the food preps. Saturday's menu

Grilled Burgers, Hot Dogs and Knackwurst

Potato Salad

Carrot Salad with Raisins and Pineapple

 Veggie tray

 Fruit tray

Terri's Cowboy Beans

Cheese tray

Three kinds of Dip

Corn on the Cob

And

Chocolate Brownies

And a Chocolate Peanut Butter pie! 

And A lot of Beer!

We all slept in late Saturday Morning and had a late Breakfast of:

Oatmeal Pancakes with fresh Blueberry Sauce

Bacon and Eggs

We played board games and Card games all afternoon!

We moved the party out side in the evening and had a great time!

I started a fire in the fire place and of course there was more BEER!

Today is Sunday and that means back to work tonight.

So I'm 60 now and life goes on.

It was a good weekend and I got myself the shop delivered and will be working on it in the future.

 TOM

 

Flooded

Last Thursday, Terri and I spent the day building a few raised beds and getting them set up in the new garden area. We even got some of them filled and planted. Tomatoes, Summer Squash and Cucumbers. I also Got a box set up and got some flowering plants planted, 2 Hibiscus and 3 Corral Rose plants. They will come back each year and add color to the garden.

One of the Hibiscus still in the pot it spent last winter in. I got them from the Lady next door and was surprised that they made it!

Here are the first 5 beds. Made from recycled wood and the first is filled and planted with 10 "Roma" Tomatoes.

We even got a few "Sweet" potatoes planted in tires!

And Terri wanted a few flowers planted next to Marks new shed. I placed a box around them too!

And then the Rains came that night and all the next day. As you can see the beds are all in the low end of the garden and are sitting in standing water! Three of them are filled and planted and I will have to figure a way to get them to drain. The Two to the left will be moved to the other end where the water seems to drain off. And place any new beds down at that end too.

What a mess! I will have to back fill this area and get it high enough so that water will not stand here!

I.m glad that we did not get a lot of beds set up here, as they would have to be moved too. The reason I started at this end is because it is close to the house and I hope that would help to keep the Deer at bay. But as they say, "The best laird Plans". But at least I now know where the low spots are and I can deal with them!

As a side note: The Chickens are doing well and still laying 8 - 10 Eggs a day. 1285 as of yesterday! They are still cooped up in the "Projects" as I still have not gotten their new Digs ready yet. There are only so many hours in a day and so much to do!

Gardening is so much fun, But it takes a lot of work to get it right!
Tom 

Birthday gift

I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to get myself a birthday gift this year. Well I wanted something from my wish list and ordered it two early and it was delivered yesterday!


And here it is coming down the road!

My new work shop! It;s 12 X 20 and I can finally get all my wood working stuff out of the middle of the living room!

I have wanted a shop for a long time and had though I would try to build one myself. I have never built anything like this, But I would start getting the materials together to start, But it always seem like I would use the wood for some other project and never get started.

When Mark got his shed a few weeks ago, I was the only one available to be here when it was delivered. I got to talking to the driver  and he told me about this building that had just been turned back in. The 12 X 20 that you see in the photo above. It was ordered by a trucker about a year ago and he used it to store his 2 motorcycles when he was on the road. He moved out of state and turned the building back in. He did not want to pay to have it moved.
So I went down to the lot and talked to the sales lady and got it for half price! and I can afford the monthly payments!

Coming in the driveway. I should have had a big candle on top! That might be a bit much!

Set up near the house. Placed on 18 4" solid blocks so none of it sitting on the ground.

Almost done!

I got to play with it some. Got some stuff moved in, But had to go to work. Will have Tuesday and Wednesday off so I can get more done.
Pretty sweet?
More pictures to follow!
Tom