This week has been a page out of that mythical tome, "The Joys of Home Ownership." I decided to take on some yard projects this summer that I've been putting off for a long time.
First and foremost was replacing the patio slab that a tree root had jacked up to the point it was ready to lift the siding off the house, too. The contractor tore out the old one and poured the new one. Except for the clean-up and tearing up the yard, that was the easy part. But, I had them leave a space (theoretically 8X5') to put pavers in around the troublesome root so when it expanded enough to lift the surface again, it could be easily leveled out. The space didn't get measured correctly, so no pavers would easily fit. Not wanting to cut cement or stone, I looked for an alternative. A resin fountain at Costco had great appeal, but it didn't entirely fill the space. I finally decided to pour my own "pavers" and have been collecting materials all week. Today I finished setting the forms, and should be able to tackle the ugly part--mixing and pouring cement-- tomorrow. My friend says the driveway, which is filled with piles of rocks, sand and gravel, and cement mix looks like 40 years of hard labor splitting rocks; I hope the project doesn't take that long, but my experience leads me to wonder if it might.
The patio project required removing the six-year-old "temporary" fence so many times that it could no longer be "reinstalled." So, I bit the bullet and bought the materials to install the ideal fence I originally envisioned for that space. I have spent the last few weeks putting in posts, finding and assembling a trellace, and making picket sections fit the space and my dogs. I even figured out how to install a fence post that can be removed so trucks can still access the yard.
I also made an impulsive trip to the nursery to buy some perennials I discovered online that are rumored to tolerate shade. The last time I became this inspired was when Shelby and Sister Sue were little pups. I learned after the fact that I had "taught" them to dig plants, which they did well. All winter. At Christmas time they drug an azalea into the family room, forcing it through the doggie door. The bedraggled bush became our "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree. But, I digress. Having invested the money, I'm still trying to choose the best placement for the "shade-loving" plants I am betting on.
But, my experience is that no good, thought-out expenditure goes unpunished, let alone impulsive ones. Yesterday I discovered swarming carpenter ants all over and around the patio doors. Scores of them. After spraying enough febreeze scent to disable their wings and my eyes, I collected the lot with a paper towel and forgot all about it. Really. That is, until I came inside around noon today to discover hundreds of the creatures crawling on the utility room floor. I reflexively grabbed my can of febreeze. Then I turned around to discover yesterday's nightmare repeated at the patio door. All told, it took enough febreeze to disable my lungs, as well. When I called for possible treatment options, I heard the cash register "ca-ching" at $325. Oh, well, it's only money, right?
Oh, and did I mention that I've been fighting a colony of rodent settlers in my house for weeks now? I've caught 3 of them, the dogs have caught one, but evidently we're still being far too hospitable. I discovered rat droppings in the utility room cupboards and shelves for the first time this morning. And, the dogs are still on "critter alert." But, I'm wondering if some of the suspicious noise we've been hearing is the munching of wood...
A week from now, I hope to be sitting on the patio, listening to the water feature, and enjoying the new fence and plantings of the revived landscape. But, tonight, every muscle of my body aches, I'm tired and hot from working outside in 90+-degree weather, at the crack of dawn I'm tackling a complicated project I've never done before, and I'm sharing my house with both winged and filthy creatures.
You may think I plagiarized this from page 634 of "The Joys of Home Ownership." Maybe. Or, perhaps I wrote the book!
