Grand Plans
I've been giving the basement a bit more thought. My dad seems to be on board for the idea so that does help. The quote is around what I was expecting. But we should be able to do it in pieces, which definitely helps financially. So we have to start thinking about how much we are wanting to spend. Bathtubs can get pricey, and we are unsure of what will actually fit through the house to the basement, so those are two things that we need to think about. Otherwise I am leaning towards having an office/theatre room along with a family room. Tracy can have a study space until school is done and by that time I will have gotten what I need for a theatre room. I'm probably just going to repurpose Tracy's old tv and get myself a fancy chair and some dark curtains and I'll have an awesome theatre room. I'm not thinking I'll get too fancy as I don't think I would use it that much nor do I have the money for that. I think that the biggest issue is going to be my sister's indecisiveness on what to do. Like what sort of tub to get. Or how to lay out the rooms. This will probably be like trying to name Catie. She will have NO clue on what she wants but will say no to 99% of my ideas.
I'm looking forward to next week. Tracy was going to take vacation and try to get things done around the house. It wasn't going to happen. It would be really nice, there is a "I haven't been cleaned in forever" smell coming from Tracy's room reminiscent of the truck stop smell. But instead work is sending her to Calgary. I'm excited because the house is mine for a week. And the mooch is gone for a week. I guess my mom was asking Tracy where he was going to stay and she told my mom that he would be staying elsewhere. I really hope she doesn't ask if he can stay. I think she will not bother because I'm sure she knows what my answer would be. If she's not here, he's not here. So that should be a nice week. I'm also always happy when he has to leave. It should really make him realize that he doesn't belong. I really think that this is why she doesn't like going away without him because he gets pissy about having to pack up his shit for a week. But that just isn't my problem.
With the combination of the crazy rain and now the heat my yard is doing good. Things have finally started taking off. Some of it is still struggling a bit. And I got way carried away with buying plants this year so I have all these pots everywhere. It's a little ridiculous. So next year I am determined to keep it in check. I can dream, but hopefully this years experience will help... But here are some pictures of what things are looking like. I figure the chances of having some sort of barbecue where I can actually find a date that works for most everyone is a bit of an exercise in futility, so I'll let you all see it online instead!
I'll start the tour off with my mallows. They've fully taken over again. But nothing else really grows so I'm not that bothered. I am jealous of my cousin with her three colors so I think that I might try to get seeds of the other colors and let them fight it out. Also it means that there is no space for Wally to use it as a litter box.
Here are my tomatoes. They have taken over. I always seem to plant them all super close, forgetting that the little plants in the spring will get at least 10 times bigger. But it really just means that I will find surprise tomatoes over the summer when they hide in the middle. I am excited to see how the Black Krum ones look and taste. I do love the different stuff to grow.
Here is a semi distant shot of the garden. Everything is growing well. Oddly enough the middle section gets more sun so everything is growing just a little bit better. But my peas have blossoms, which means that peas will soon appear. I also have blossoms on my cucumbers. I should be eating good soon!
I did prune the willow. I cut off a lot of dead growth. And as I feared it is mostly growing out instead of up. I'm still undecided on what to do with it. It grows so unpredictably and despite what it has lead me to believe the pussy willows aren't even that exciting. My dad really wants me to get rid of it. Maybe that can be a project for him in the spring.
My awesome new bird bath, which the birds don't seem to use... I might have to move it. We'll see. I'm also amazed with my flowering crab. This spring it seems to have decided to have new growth. If you look closely there are all these red branches springing out of the tree randomly. They really just appeared over night. It looks crazy but fuller than when I bought it. Which I am liking.
The new grass sod has blended in with the old. You can still tell the difference as the grass sod is much thicker than the old grass. But it was perfect timing for planting the tree and sod. The rain that came for the next few weeks meant that I didn't have to water it. Yeah!
This has to be one of the more exciting plants that I've bought over the years. It has these delightful flowers which all start out red, but as they keep growing they turn orange and yellow. All together. I'm highly excited by them.
This is one of the planters that is doing very well. My favorite of these plants is the strange one in the middle. They featured it in the newspaper a few summers ago and I was intrigued. But I found it this year and am very happy with how it is doing.
My lovely new shrubs. I pulled out all the white flowered ones, as they were struggling badly. I found these after some deliberation. I do really like the name, Mango Tango. How could I resist? But in colder weather they turn more orange, and in the warm they are more yellow. They also look nice and healthy.
This is my hosta out front. I thought that it had died. But it surprised me and grew this year. It even has this 2 foot tall purple flower. The plant is a little small, but growing so how can I complain?
This is my thistle bush. It gets bigger every year. But I do like to cut off the thistles and save them. They too have started getting bigger.
And lastly, the pots on the front porch. Since they get less sun they struggle a little bit, but have started to take off in the last bit. I like them.
I'm looking forward to next week. Tracy was going to take vacation and try to get things done around the house. It wasn't going to happen. It would be really nice, there is a "I haven't been cleaned in forever" smell coming from Tracy's room reminiscent of the truck stop smell. But instead work is sending her to Calgary. I'm excited because the house is mine for a week. And the mooch is gone for a week. I guess my mom was asking Tracy where he was going to stay and she told my mom that he would be staying elsewhere. I really hope she doesn't ask if he can stay. I think she will not bother because I'm sure she knows what my answer would be. If she's not here, he's not here. So that should be a nice week. I'm also always happy when he has to leave. It should really make him realize that he doesn't belong. I really think that this is why she doesn't like going away without him because he gets pissy about having to pack up his shit for a week. But that just isn't my problem.
With the combination of the crazy rain and now the heat my yard is doing good. Things have finally started taking off. Some of it is still struggling a bit. And I got way carried away with buying plants this year so I have all these pots everywhere. It's a little ridiculous. So next year I am determined to keep it in check. I can dream, but hopefully this years experience will help... But here are some pictures of what things are looking like. I figure the chances of having some sort of barbecue where I can actually find a date that works for most everyone is a bit of an exercise in futility, so I'll let you all see it online instead!
I'll start the tour off with my mallows. They've fully taken over again. But nothing else really grows so I'm not that bothered. I am jealous of my cousin with her three colors so I think that I might try to get seeds of the other colors and let them fight it out. Also it means that there is no space for Wally to use it as a litter box.
Here are my tomatoes. They have taken over. I always seem to plant them all super close, forgetting that the little plants in the spring will get at least 10 times bigger. But it really just means that I will find surprise tomatoes over the summer when they hide in the middle. I am excited to see how the Black Krum ones look and taste. I do love the different stuff to grow.
Here is a semi distant shot of the garden. Everything is growing well. Oddly enough the middle section gets more sun so everything is growing just a little bit better. But my peas have blossoms, which means that peas will soon appear. I also have blossoms on my cucumbers. I should be eating good soon!
I did prune the willow. I cut off a lot of dead growth. And as I feared it is mostly growing out instead of up. I'm still undecided on what to do with it. It grows so unpredictably and despite what it has lead me to believe the pussy willows aren't even that exciting. My dad really wants me to get rid of it. Maybe that can be a project for him in the spring.
My awesome new bird bath, which the birds don't seem to use... I might have to move it. We'll see. I'm also amazed with my flowering crab. This spring it seems to have decided to have new growth. If you look closely there are all these red branches springing out of the tree randomly. They really just appeared over night. It looks crazy but fuller than when I bought it. Which I am liking.
The new grass sod has blended in with the old. You can still tell the difference as the grass sod is much thicker than the old grass. But it was perfect timing for planting the tree and sod. The rain that came for the next few weeks meant that I didn't have to water it. Yeah!
This has to be one of the more exciting plants that I've bought over the years. It has these delightful flowers which all start out red, but as they keep growing they turn orange and yellow. All together. I'm highly excited by them.
This is one of the planters that is doing very well. My favorite of these plants is the strange one in the middle. They featured it in the newspaper a few summers ago and I was intrigued. But I found it this year and am very happy with how it is doing.
My lovely new shrubs. I pulled out all the white flowered ones, as they were struggling badly. I found these after some deliberation. I do really like the name, Mango Tango. How could I resist? But in colder weather they turn more orange, and in the warm they are more yellow. They also look nice and healthy.
This is my hosta out front. I thought that it had died. But it surprised me and grew this year. It even has this 2 foot tall purple flower. The plant is a little small, but growing so how can I complain?
This is my thistle bush. It gets bigger every year. But I do like to cut off the thistles and save them. They too have started getting bigger.
And lastly, the pots on the front porch. Since they get less sun they struggle a little bit, but have started to take off in the last bit. I like them.