Fair Warning: Fair Weather

Fair Warning: over the next few weeks, months, or possibly all summer, posts on this blog will probably be preoccupied with the yard. Trees, shrubs, flowers. Fencing, grading, retaining walls, mowing strips, and cement pavers.

Sheared! and Doggie self-esteem

We finally got around to mowing the whole yard. This has been quite a task because we let it go for far too long, just mowing the areas that were visible to the street, and because the grass seed that I planted last fall just exploded and is going like gangbusters this spring. Now I really should get out there and rake up all those grass clippings before the next mow...

You may not have noticed in other pictures from Wednesday, but Oliver is sporting his summer haircut. His hair is a little shorter than I expected, but it grows fast, so he'll be back to normal in no time. However, he was a little embarrassed about it. He seems to be over it now, but this is the first time I've ever seen him act like this after a trip to the groomer. We took every opportunity to make over him and to tell him how handsome he looks. Not spoiled at all.

Looking through the bent-back tulips...

Framed

We got a visit from the screen and storm window fairy today. Bill called earlier this week to tell me that he is nearly finished with the frames. He's brought them to the house , fit them in the windows, and made adjustments. One of these days mom and I will stain them, and return the frames to Bill and he will install the glass and screens. These are unique because they will be made to fit inside the small, square windows. A few screens came with the house, most of which I have put to good use, that Bill has used as a prototype for screens for the rest, and interior storms for all the small, square windows.
I also talked to Jack yesterday. He put a new piece of veneer on the future front door, but it didn't look good, and Jack was not satisfied with it. Then he got sidetracked with another project (that probably pays better), but he said he will start on my doors again as soon as the other job is done. He expects that will be sometime in the middle of next week. Cool.

This timing isn't too bad because Jack has to mix stain to match, both for the old wood on the front door, and for the new pine on the screen door/storm door. Hmmm... didn't we just get something else made of new pine? That's right! The new screen and storm frames from Bill.

Luckily I was not my usual flaky self when I was on the phone with Jack. I told him all about the frames Bill was going to bring today, and that we intend to stain them. So I asked Jack if he would make us a jar of whatever stain he blends for the storm door/screen door, so mom and I can spare ourselves the tedious process of matching stain. Yea!

Diggy-dog and the purple-leaf plum

I brought home a 7' Thundercloud Purple-Leaf Plum tree today. I'm always impressed at how much I can fit in the Golf.
We selected a spot... Oliver supervised the dig... and inspected the soil quality...
and was surprised to find a layer of gravel about a foot down.
I forgot to take a picture of the tree in place before it got dark, so, maybe tomorrow?

Time Of The [re]Turning

Okay, we are back. It has been a rough winter, but spring is finally here. I have been fighting the winter doldrums since November, and it finally got the better of me. But with the sunshine and the temperatures warming, I'm feeling more normal every day.

There hasn't been much to report on the house, Jack did come and collect the front door, and the new screen door/storm door, but I know he is busy, so I don't know what stage they are at right now. I hope to have the new doors in place in time to enjoy the screen door this spring. We'll see.

Last week we pulled that ugly shrub in front of the porch. I'm so glad to see it go. The new grass is beginning to make an appearance, and I'm planning what type of small, ornamental tree I would like in that spot.

I've always loved purple-leaf plum trees, but I'm hesitant because of the plum-pox virus. Although it has now been almost completely lifted for almost the whole original quarantine area in South-Central Pennsylvania, and it was never actually restricted in my township, I'm still not sure it is responsible of me to plant one. So, I'm not sure what else to plant.

It is a tough spot, right between the porch and the sidewalk. I don't want the roots to interfere with the foundation of the house, or to cause the sidewalk to buckle. I don't want something that is going to drop fruit on the porch or sidewalk, making stains. Or worse, having berries the birds will eat, then drop their berry-colored poop all over my car. Also, I have to keep it to a short tree because of powerlines that run right above the sidewalk, parallel to the house. But I want something to shade the front porch a bit. And I want something with dark purple foliage, to contrast nicely with the green siding. What else fits that bill?

Front Door Project: the Abrasive Story

Mom and I worked on the door a bit more the other day because the weather was nice. After an application of chemical stripper, much patient, diligent scrubbing with stiff bristled brushes (mom) and whining, stomping, and a hasty once-over scrub (me), I declared we were done with the stripper. I've had enough of this project. Remind me to thank my grandfather for thinning his paint and applying it in so many tissue thin layers.


We pulled out the big guns. Now we were finally seeing some results. I started with 60 grit on the orbital sander, then moved to 100 grit. Mom played around with her new 3D sander, which has three small rotating discs that flex; nice if you are working on something curved. Think men's electric razor. I guess I should have snapped a picture of it in action, but we were both tired by then.

The sanders made pretty quick work of those last two stubborn layers. Makes me wonder if we shouldn't have broken out the sanders earlier in the game. We flipped the door and gave the other side a quick wipe down with the denatured alcohol. For some reason I had it in my head that there was shellac on this side, not sure why. Turns out that's not the case, so all the denatured alcohol did was take off the top layer of dirt. I'll let Jack worry about what to do here.

Speaking of Jack, we expect him to pay us a visit any day now. He'll come and pick up the "new" front door, and the shiny new storm/screen door. Jack will take them back to his workshop, do his magic and when he returns them they'll both match in color and both look shiny new. I'm not sure exactly how he'll get the stained side to match, or anything about his process, but quite frankly at this point I don't care, just so long as someone else takes this project off my hands. Mom and I have done as much as we have the skills and patience for. Now it is up to Jack. I'm sure I won't feel as surly about the front door by the time it is returned to us, so maybe I'll ask Jack about his process. Then I can share that part of the saga with all of you.

p.s. for my friends and family who only read my blog to see pictures of Oliver, sorry to disappoint today, but chemicals, power tools, and puppies don't mix.

Keeping warm this winter

For those days when the weather acts like it is supposed to in the winter, and it is bitter cold out, Oli wears his sweater. It is complete coincidence that it just so happens to match my coat. I swear! Mom bought that sweater for our black lab Arthur after he had surgery. They had shaved his whole underside, and we were bringing him home on one of the coldest nights I can ever remember. It was windy and the temperature was around 3 degrees- that is cold, even for Pennsylvania. Well, he never really liked wearing the sweater, so it was tossed in a box with other doggie things and forgotten until Oliver came on the scene several years later. Mom dug through the boxes of Arthur's old things the night that Oliver arrived, just seven weeks old. Of course, it didn't fit him then, and it was August, but somehow the doggie sweater ended up in a box of Oliver stuff in my basement.

Flash forward two years, to this winter. Aside from freakishly warm weather, we have had several days of downright bitter cold. Oli didn't even want to go outside to do his business, and when we told him he had to, he would give us dirty looks, dash out, do what he needed to do, and run right back to the door. The neighbors probably think we neglect this poor dog, the way he looks when he is huddled up against the door, waiting to be let in.

So one day, after observing this behaviour, Lewis says, "that dog needs a sweater or something." And I remembered this thing being in that box in the basement. So I dashed down the stairs, calling Oli to follow me. He stiffly, but patiently, waited for me to put this contraption on him, first backwards, then misaligning the buttons, and fixing them. He gave me reproachful looks, but I sent him back upstairs to show his daddy.

We made a big fuss over him every time we put the sweater on him for the next couple of days, and pretty soon he accepted it. He realized it keeps him warmer when he is outside, so he can stay out and sniff his yard and bark at things like he usually does. Plus everyone makes over him, telling him how cute or handsome he is, and he just lapps up the attention.

Snow dog

We woke up to a thin blanket of snow this morning. Oliver helped Lewis clean off the cars and shovel the front walk.

I've learned that it is much easier to clear snow that no one has tramped through rather than to wait till the snow has stopped, then try to remove it. Our borough requires one shovel width to be cleared within 24 hours after the snow stops falling. Yeah, right. After the first year (never had to deal with this kind of shovelling at mom's house out in the country) I now go out several times to clear the sidewalk. And I usually clear the entire width, because you just know that some idiot is going to walk through the unshovelled snow right next to the nicely cleared path. I don't want to be responsible if that idiot falls and hurts himself.

Mom stopped to let Oli out this afternoon, and she cleared the sidewalks. It looks like she swept it with a broom, it is still light enough to do that, although the forecast says it is going to turn to freezing rain later. Good stuff.

Then when I got home (early), Oliver went out front with me to help with the third clearing.

As you can see, he was immensely helpful at tearing up the freebie newspaper

that got caught in the pile of snow on my shovel.

He also likes to clear my shovel of snow. I scrape the shovel toward him, then he "digs" the snow off the blade of the shovel with his front paws. It is like a game. Fun for puppy, less lifting for me. This actually works well when the snow is that heavy stuff.

On another note, the sidewalk is probably going to need to be replaced within the next few years, and while I'm not looking forward to the expense, it should make shovelling easier with less broken bits and cracks to catch the blade.

Front Door Update

We had some freakishly warm weather this past Wednesday, considering it is February in Pennsylvania. It was blustery, but with temperatures in the low 60s, mom and I couldn't ignore the siren call of the stripping project we started more than a month ago, when we had temperatures in the high 50s in January.

So we hauled out the chemical stripper, orange gloves, and all manner of scrapers. The door, saw horses, and drop cloths were all still out on the front porch, 'cause we're klassy like that.

We set up, and got through two or three layers of stripper. I can't remember which. Mom was doing most of the work, while I was scraping and whining. The wind made it feel like it was in the 40s, not the 60s. My mom is such a good sport.

When we were done, we wiped it all down with mineral spirits, and decided that our next move would be to take the sander to all the flat parts. The sanding I am pretty good at. As for the mullions, I think they are going to get slatered with chemicals a couple more times. I've heard that they make special scrappers for curves and small corners. I must look into this.
You may have noticed that we didn't strip the bottom panel. Well there is good reason for that. As many people suspected, it is in fact a veneer over four vertical boards. I truly don't know how we overlooked it before. I feel kind of silly now, it is so obvious. So since the bottom panel's veneer is so damaged, it will just need to be replaced. Keep in mind, this is the bottom of what was the exterior when it was on my grandparent's house. At the bungalow, it will be on the interior, and the only moisture it will be subject to are Oli nose prints!
Speaking of Oliver, he is anxious for us to complete this project so that he can once again be allowed out on his front porch.