Here it is October, and I've been mute.

Seems that most of anything I have to say revolves around "stuff" around the house.  Hate to say it consumes most of my time,  but that does tend to be the way it goes.
We've been having a bit of a blow for the last few days,  including a whack of rain.  There has been flooding.  Thankfully not affecting us.  I'd like to think I've taken all the steps necessary to mitigate any flooding here at the Ponderosa,  but we're in a neighbourhood where the storm drains and sewer drains all FLOW TOGETHER.   No bueno.   Resolving that issue would be a somewhat major undertaking I would think.  It'll never happen.

Now, in spite of the huge system that has been dumping on us,  there was a break in the rain yesterday long enough for me to finish off yet another project.

Yes,  we now have a section of fence between us and our neighbour.  There's a plan afoot to put some sort of plant there that needs not only lots of sun,  but also something to grow against.   "Wisteria",  I think it was?   Not my department, although I'll likely be pressed into service to plant the thing.

Oh,  and when I say "finished",  I'm not.    There will be more of this type of fence,  going along the front.   Next year.   Can't wait!   Not.


The neighbour's son came over to compliment me on the look of the thing,  and I did say that I'd not recommend this particular activity as "a hobby".   It's taken me several days,  my goal being to put in one panel a day.    By "son",  I mean a dude who is about my age,  as his Mom,   who lives next door on her own,  is most certainly in her early eighties.  So her "kids" come by fairly regularly to help out. He cuts the grass.



And being on the corner is one of the reasons for the fence.   It would be nice to have an extended garden,  without the thought of someone (usually kids) deciding to take a shortcut across the corner.
The security cameras have definitely been a deterrent in that regard, or at least that has been my impression.
Hey,  I'm not about to sit there watching hours of footage to see if anyone has had to nerve to take a short cut.  It's usually only if there are definite signs,  like footprints in the snow,  or depressions in a way too soft spring lawn.  Or,  when someone is permitted to step on my brand new downspout!   Still pissed about that,  but that's another story.  I think it was someones small child,  but that was before the cameras went in,  and I can only guess from the tiny footprints in the snow.)


And yes,  there are a bunch of rocks there next to the house (in the "back alley")  that I need to sort out.  I'm thinking there will be a rock garden somewhere out towards the corner.  

There was a guy (neighbour I'm guessing) who came by last year some time and offered to "take them off my hands",  but he also didn't offer any money,  so that was that.  Turns out,  rocks ain't "free",  even though I did go and collect them off a farmer's rock pile,  and he was happy to be rid of them,  my time and fuel might just be worth something.  Go to the local building supplier and check out the cost of granite.  You'll faint.  Seems to me I said something like, "That much for freakin' rocks?"  and decided to try and go off and collect my own.  Needed them for the pillars I built.

Supposed to go sailing tomorrow.  Not too sure about that.  That lake looks pretty damned angry right about now.  I'd prefer that the last sail of the season not be the worst sail of the season?  Just saying.

Maybe we'll just meet for a cold beverage and a few snacks.  

That's about it for the time being.  Thanks for stopping by.  Keep those sticks on the ice.

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.

Perfect weather for doing "stuff".

Talk about the temperature having a direct effect on ones energy level.  Sad to say,  anytime it's hot and humid,  I have the motivation of a sloth.  Which of course,  made working in a hot school somewhat problematic.  Glad those days are far behind me.
Anyway,  'nuff of that talk about that four letter word.  Don't want to get all maudlin.  Or whatever emotion it is that comes out when talking about wo...well,  let's not even mention it.

So,  Travelling Companion and I had a golf morning.  It wasn't much of an early morning,  since I had to call the club and tell them that we'd be late.   Our t-off was for 9:30,  and I noticed on my receipt that we did manage to at least pay our green fees at something like 9:37.   I don't like being "late" though,  and they appreciated that I called.  One needs to be civilized,  after all.
Getting ourselves out the door this morning was somewhat akin to "herding cats",  and don't get me wrong,  I was just as disconnected from any kind of time pressure as T.C.

Anyhoodle,  we had a wonderful time.  Never really broke a sweat,  except for maybe when we got back into the hot car.  Even then the temperature was something like 25º (Celsius)  We've made plans to go back next week.  Providing of course,  that the weather cooperates.
That's the key.

Not easy taking pictures of the two of you,  and not totally cock it up.

T.C. is never overly thrilled at having her picture taken,  so the fact that she's slightly out of focus back there is probably a good thing.

Of course,  I sucked.  But hey,  like I said,  it was such an awesome morning,  it didn't really matter.  There are plenty more golf balls in the store.  Or at least that's the way I look at it.  It's best not to get too emotionally attached to any particular type or set of golf balls I find.  Much easier to handle to inevitable losses.   And trust me,  there were a few of those.

*ahem*

Moving on,  I managed to have the energy in the afternoon to get started on a pergola that my nephew and I are contemplating for my sister-in-law.

These are pieces I had left over from when we did the front of the house.  I'm in need of a third sixteen footer.  We'll fetch that tomorrow.   The posts and other cross members will be pressure treated,  but the main bits will be cedar.   Only because I actually had these three pieces on hand.  Initially we talked about making the whole thing from pressure treated,  and simply using an opaque stain to dress it up.  It's a colour that's very similar to what you see around the garage windows there.

That was the big excitement for today.  There's other "stuff".  I have pictures.  But maybe that'll be for another time.

Don't you just hate this sort of "click bait" thing I have going on?  A few words are better than none.  At least that's the story I'm going with.

Thanks for stopping by.


.