Washington Baked

Happy Sunday to all,

Last weekend I didn’t get to finish the yard project I was undertaking.  Woes me, I didn’t get to finish this weekend either.

We have been hit hard with a heat wave.  Though I live in the Valley of the Jolly Green Giant, we have broke many records in this early summer heat.  Today was 112, and yesterday was 108.  So the family has been huddled inside the air conditioned house.

I spent the morning looking for a drill bit I bought purposely to hang up the towel racks in the bathroom.  Ended up unpacking some boxes and finally finding the drill bit, just before I had to make supper.  You know how you put something up so that you will remember where it is when you need it?  Well that is what I did with the drill bit.  4 hours later I remembered where I put it.  Ugh, this memory thing is beginning to bug me.

Well I got a few things done in the house today, but not nearly as much as I wanted.

Yesterday morning Lynn and I managed to put up a piece of OSB where the gate is going to be, seeing as the weather isn’t letting-up for at least another week.  We didn’t want to wait another week to get Kinzie in the yard.  We also hung two small gates.  One in the morning and one in the evening.  Kinzie spent her first night in her new yard.  I worried all night long, but she survived just fine.  She spent the day in the house though.

Kinzie, staying where it is cool.

So I had to take a few pictures for the insurance on the house, so I will post those so you can see what has been done and some of what is left to do.

Front looking east

Side looking East

Back yard looking Southeast

The yard looks pretty pitiful, but new grass will not be planted until next year.  So I am watering to green up the weeds, as they at least look better than brown weeds.  My new dream is to get it professionally landscaped with a sprinkling system.  It is good to have dreams and goals.  Although now I need to just chill-out and enjoy what I do have.

Stay cool and have a great week.

Annie, Having Hot Flashes in Washington 🙂

Cleaning up the Appraiser is coming

The appraiser called and will be coming out Monday afternoon to do the appraisal on the house.  This is the dream house that we have been building for almost 20 years.  Needs to appraise it for the bank loan.  He will assess what the value should be when it is finished.  That takes a little imagination and being able to see the potential.  The contractors have been working on the inside and starting to frame in some of the closets and the plumbers and electricians have been working their magic, but it is still really rough.

Unfortunately, the grounds around the house are riddled with weeds and that takes a lot away from the appearance of the home.  I am hoping the appraiser can see the potential.  I have been out there weed eating and pulling up puncture vine which has spread all over.  Our riding mower needs a starter and is hard to start.  The parts have been ordered and I hope they come in today.  In the meantime I have been using the weed-eater.  That little gem was something I bought for Lynn for Father’s day about 15 years ago.  He used it once, but I use it every summer.  It is leaking oil but I manage to start it and use it anyway.  Some day it will need to go in for a spa day and be rejuvenated.  But for right now I hope it hangs in there.  It can rest in December.

Handy dandy weed whacker. Momma’s toy.

Thought I would get out of the sun for a bit and work on the blog, but will be heading out there again in a little bit.  I sure hope all the weed pulling and hauling and moving  shows up when I weigh in on the scale this week.  Being lighter would just be a bonus.

Okay, as much as I am loving this house, the one thing I’m really looking for is a nice lush green lawn and flowers.  It isn’t in the construction budget, but I am hoping that when I sell the house we are in, that I can get it professionally landscaped with a sprinkling system and the maintenance would be much simpler.

I grew us on the streets of Detroit where the sidewalks and alleys were my play ground.  I thought we were rich when my mother was finally able to purchase a house that had a postage-sized yard.  Loved mowing the yard (push mower) and planting flowers.  Then a blight came to the area and we lost all the elms to the “Dutch Elm” disease, then the riots and unrest came and we had to move.  I have longed for a nice green lush yard ever since.  Some day it will happen.

During my weed-eating this morning, I was accompanied by my sweet collie Kinzie.  She is my rock.  She makes me live in the moment.  When I get anxious or down, she lifts me up.  Unconditional love that is what she gives me.

My lovely Kenzie

More photos of the clean-up and inside of the house, later.

Annie, Master Weed Whacker