Garden shed III

 

Dale didn't always do well in school.

A teacher once told him that he'd never amount
to anything more than a "ditch digger."

His father thought doing farm chores was more important than homework,

but it was his dad who put him to work on a tractor at the age of five.

The teacher's words were prophetic, but a construction career
of digging ditches and moving dirt with equipment small and very large
wasn't the demeaning occupation she meant it to be.
Shame on his teacher.

With the foundation done,
the underground utilities and drain system can go in.
We all know that construction = a mess, don't we?
Thankfully, no digging had to be done
 through the flower bed.

The power and phone to the garden shed will tie in at Dale's shop.

Putting an iris rhizome back in the ground.

 

Everything's cleaned up here.

 

 

 

Sewer pipe makes excellent drain pipe.

Connections are glued together; plant roots

can't grow into it and plug things up.

 

 

Before daylight this morning he started the last of the ditch.

Kim got to help, holding the electrical conduit in place.

 

 

 

Backfilling the ditch.

 

 

The dirt will settle under the sod.

 

Wired! And ready for downspouts.

 

 

More to come... when the IRS sends our refund check.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



not an eruption

 

Anyone living here in Whatcom County knows

this wasn't shot today...the "Fraser Valley outflow winds,"

aka Northeaster, are howling today. Brrr! 

Photos taken January 17th.

 

 

 

vapor trail lingers

eastbound jet left evidence

not an eruption

 

 

 

 



 

 



Garden shed II

Concrete's coming today and everything's ready...

Tarp to keep moisture from coming up through the floor.
(It was one of my Christmas gifts. Dale had to explain why he
gave me a tarp. "It's for the garden shed." "Oh, uh...thank you.")

 

Bushes tied out of the way.

 

 

It's here!

 

 

The Kubota's doing the hauling.

Shovelers get to work.

Daughter, helping brothers-in-law Darrell and Dean.

She says she loves construction, but isn't too sure about

moving concrete. In her job, she's usually the one who

makes sure everyone else is doing it right.

 

 

Darrell's in the thick of it with the tamper.

 

Balancing on the plank.

 

Another load.

 

 

Getting ready to insert the J-bolts.

 

The J-bolts will hold the wall to the concrete.

 

 

The long-handled smoother-outer thingy, aka bull float.

 

 

12th man spirit!

 

Finishing touch on the edges.

 

Washing off a trowel. Brrr! It was cold.
Now, it just needs to dry.
To be continued...



Garden shed

 After Disneyland opened in 1955 my Dad told me that,

one day when my brothers were a little older,

he'd take us there. I was so excited about his promise

I boldly announced it in 3rd grade "Show and Tell."

He never took us; I harbor no resentment.

I'm sure my classmates neither cared nor

 remembered what I bragged about.

But I've learned to keep promises made something to be

filed away under "We'll see if that ever happens."

When my husband started talking about building a garden shed,

I mostly kept it to myself.

We once looked at a pre-built shed at a local

home improvement store and agreed that ours could look like that,

with our own personal touches and some upgrades.

Walking the back yard, I was shocked to learn he wanted to put it

"Where? No! Not there!

I thought you meant in that big open space in the lawn.

Not where I look out the kitchen window to see my birds

and Japanese maple and, and, and... NO!"

I put that promise right back in the

"It'll Never Happen" file.

 

My view of “that spot” through the seasons:



In the curve of the lawn is where he wanted it.

 

 

Between the golden-leafed Japanese maple and red-leafed dogwood.

 

 

Where roses ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ and ‘Fragrant Cloud’ are planted.

And fall asters and anemones.       

Where the bird feeders are hung on the fence… No!

 

However, given time, much pondering,

a few plants that didn't do well in "that spot,"

I conceded... he was right.

After all, I could make it look really cute like this,

couldn't I?

 

 

 

A chandelier?

 

 

Trowel door handle?

 

So, I told him it was O.K. where he wanted to put it.

I started moving plants.

For nearly a year "that spot" looked rather bare.

I wondered if this was going to be another unfulfilled promise.

But bits and pieces for it started showing up:

March 2013, a roll of electrical wire.

August 2013, a door and one window.

Could it be??

September 2013, a roll-up door.

January 2014, two more windows and roofing.

Glory be! I believe... I believe!

 

 

This is the basic idea:

 

The man door on the left, two windows across the front and the roll-up door

on the east end. Siding yet to be determined, but I'm partial to the

pre-painted Hardie board that looks like shingles.

The other end will have a lovely arched Andersen window

that we found on Craig's List.

 

 

Taking advantage of our really nice, dry January weather,

he bought materials to put the forms for the foundation in place

this past weekend.

 

 

Rough exterior...placement gets my approval.

 

Working Saturday afternoon till dusk.

I offered to hold a flashlight for him.

 

 

Still frosty, but he's at it early Sunday morning.

 

 

 

Using the laser level make sure everything's to grade.

 

 

 

A pad outside the man door.

Stepping stones or pavers to create a "patio" in front.

 

 

 

There, in the little corner this side of the door...

a perfect spot to plant something...

a clematis, or climbing rose!

 

 

"A little premature, aren't you?"

Just testing...

 

Next: concrete!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



seeing red

 

I enjoy the pop of color this red horseshoe heart

brings to my garden, but what is that red

object in the neighbor's fruit tree?

Oh.....

 

 

 

colorful accents

of red brighten the garden

even the finch knows

 

 

some competition

lures my backyard visitors

neighbor’s new feeder