Tomatoes on everything.

This is not a bad thing,  but we're ever so slightly being over-run with tomatoes.  There's toasted tomato sandwiches (or,  for a "fuller menu",  add bacon!)  tomato chutney (or whatever the heck that was that T.C. made the other day,  and of course,  we're bagging them up and giving them away to any takers.   Once in a while,  I'll just be passing through the kitchen and pop one in my mouth.  *drool*

Such a problem!

I guess I could say it's been a bit of a busy summer.  They always are.  Mind you,  there haven't been any days when I've been pining to go back to work or anything.  I mean,  are you kidding?



I had counted on trying to finish up at least one outdoor project today,  but we're getting a wee bit of rain it seems.  No complaints.  We can certainly use the rain.  I get tired of trying to water the plants,  and then eventually had to start watering the lawn.  It's recovering,  but there's still a few dead spots.


One of the little projects is a pergola that I'm building at my sister-in-law's place.
For many years now her grape vines have been leaning farther and farther over,  and we decided to do something about it.

It was a little bit more involved than she initially figured I'm sure,  but had I been entirely candid about the lengths to which I was willing to go to make something,  she probably would have told me to not bother.
My benchmark is,  "it shouldn't look like it was constructed by monkeys".   That's the standard.  Typically,  I can manage that.

I still have to put in pieces along the side adjacent to the grape vines in order to train them over onto it,  as well as a cross member for bracing on the near side.  I have those pieces at the ready,  but they're out there in the rain.  And I'd rather not be.

Some of the material I already had,  which was left over from the project we did at the front of The Ponderosa.  Minus the profiles,  of course.
I had three 16 foot two by eight lengths of cedar wrapped up under a tarp,  so I did have to go out and pick up a fourth piece.

Now,  I said "I",  but really,   my nephew has been a huge help.  First of all,  he has the pick-up truck I sold to him back when we moved to Europe.  That's always handy.  He was right there when it was time to put all the pieces together plus,  he and his son dug the post holes for the posts.  That's just nasty work.   I "helped".   But they did all of the heavy lifting.   And that's not just a figure of speech either.   I was going to hire someone with some sort of post hole digging gizmo,  but he insisted that they could do it.  OK then.

Anyway,  these are some of the things that tend to occupy my time.   

Not that that's any excuse for not blogging.  I'm just mostly apathetic in that regard.  

Oh,  I did go to my first ever NFL game a couple days ago.   Jets at Buffalo.   Did the whole "tail gating" thing.  Had a good time.   Probably could have done with some earplugs.   My memory is a bit dim,  but I don't recall ever being at a rock concert that was that loud.   Holy moly!

This pretty much sums up the extent of the activities leading up to the game.   I stole this one from my buddy Steve.    Thanks Steve.

The idea is,  get there plenty early,  at a predetermined,  relatively close parking area,  set up "camp",  eat, drink,  etc.   and generally discuss all things football.   The parking has to be far enough from the stadium to make it easier to get out of there when the game is over,  but not so far away that walking to the venue is a problem.

As we had arrived in plenty of time,  we got the choice spot over under the tree.  It was indeed sunny, and unless you had some sort of temporary shelter,  you'd fry.

As it is,  between that outing and golfing yesterday,  I think I just might have overdone it in the sunshine department.  Feeling a little "funky" today.

Friday golf outings have been a bit of a thing lately.  Just have to make the commitment to GO,  and plan your life around that,  otherwise the summer slips by,  and the clubs sit there in the closet.

We had a newby come out with us as well.  (Like we're not newby's!  Ha!)  That's one of my sisters-in-law Betty,  who had never golfed in her life.  She did make good contact a couple times.  I'm certainly not one to give lessons as,  truth be told,  I should be taking lessons,  but I suppose I might have given her a couple hints.   I could see that there was a very good chance that she could hurt herself,  judging by the way she was swinging the club.  Sure enough,  she was a bit sore later.  She's pretty tough though,  didn't complain.   But I've 'been there, and done that' in that department.
Not too much anymore,  so maybe I'm doing a couple things right?

Hey,  I actually parred one hole.  One.  That's it.

Meh, I guess that's it for a while.

Thanks for stopping by.