Sunday, October 2, 2011
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
pond
since our backyard is quite small, we decided to convert the whole thing into a cottage garden with planting berms and walkways and eliminate the need to mow any grass.
sooo . . . once again, we had the lawn crew remove all of the existing trees and shrubs (well, except for one huge ole crape myrtle in the southeast corner) and started with a clean slate. perry sat down with pencil and graph paper and drew out a blueprint of what was to be.
1blueprint.jpg
and i started killing bermuda grass - that stuff is real tenacious!!!
what was . . . Now IS . . .
2backyard.jpg
here's how . . .
early on we had realized that a water feature of sum sort would add a lot of interest, mostly to grow an aquatic garden. so we spent a couple of years gathering information on how to put it all together (since neither one of us had ever built anything like this before). we researched the internet, bought a book of ideas, and watched any program on HGTV remotely related to water features.
when the time came to finally dig in the dirt, the first thing that we did was build a low retaining wall to level out the northeast corner where the greenhouse would be placed. the plan was that as i dug the pond, i would throw the soil behind this retaining wall while perry raked and packed it level.
then we spray painted an outline of the various levels of the pond . . .
and took to diggin . . .
4dig.jpg
once we had the base of the pond sculpted to our liking, we then laid four layers of lining . . .
5lining.jpg
since the backyard has a slight grade, it lent itself quite naturally to a short waterfall. knowing that water follows the course of least resistance, creating the upper falls which spills into a shallow basin which overflows into the pond was quite the feat of mechanical engineering. thankfully perry is very mechanically inclined!!! unfortunately i have no pics of actually creating the waterfalls (so you will just have to come see it for yourself). we were very excitedly anxious to grab the garden hose and get some water into the pond, fire up the pump and see what happens . . .
hurrah!!! it worked!!! success!!! not bad for seven weekends worth of work!!!
now the enjoyment can begin!!! perry found this real cool aquatic landscape retailer where we acquired a variety of interesting plants . . .
7plants.jpg
this retailer also sells koi but the price was a bit too shocking for our budget. since neither of us had ever taken care of outdoor fish, we decided that the learning curve would be more affordable with just plain ole goldfish from petsmart. our first visit there we were amazed at all the different kinds of goldfish from which to choose.
the fish are very entertaining and a whole lot more like pets then we ever thought that they would be. they KNOW when it's feeding time and get to crowding each other all excited like - they're hilarious!!! but mostly it's just real relaxing sitting by the pond, watching the fish swim around and listening to the sound of the waterfalls - the sound is incredible.
the pond has turned into a great big unexpected ongoing science project. while we were up north on vacation this past june, the adult fish decided that it was time to procreate. we now have 7 or 8 little black fish, which will probably turn into orange comets, and 9 little speckled fish, which may be a cross between the comets and shubunkins. so, so cool.
the pond is a fairly decent size - about 900 gallons. we weren't lookin to put in no swimming pool, not even a wading pond. all we really need, especially this time of year, is a pair of shades and ice cold beer and a place to sit somewhere near water.
brad paisley - water
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/brad_paisley/water.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AHnQtY1bg4
another really great part of the science project is the bullfrogs. they found our pond within the first year and i just absolutely love the sound of their croakin!!! there's usually more than one, sometimes as many as four, at different parts of the backyard and when they get to callin back and forth to each other, they put on quite the concert. they produce 100s of tadpoles in each clutch - probably cuz they have a high mortality rate. the bullfrogs have been very prolific this summer - we're currently watchin the third batch of tadpoles growin. it takes the tadpoles about 3 weeks to mature to the point where they sprout legs and hop out of the pond. when that happens, we have little frogs, about the size of a fly, hopping everywhere. it's amazing!!!
Toadies - I Come From The Water
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/t/toadies/i_come_from_the_water.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61oerMwQF6g
places to visit - sites to see:
http://scotte-deuw.blogspot.com/2008/06/3-now-this-is-unreal.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRS8-FFec9Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uTy8tMDJOg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyBuWouso2Q
sooo . . . once again, we had the lawn crew remove all of the existing trees and shrubs (well, except for one huge ole crape myrtle in the southeast corner) and started with a clean slate. perry sat down with pencil and graph paper and drew out a blueprint of what was to be.
1blueprint.jpg
and i started killing bermuda grass - that stuff is real tenacious!!!
what was . . . Now IS . . .
2backyard.jpghere's how . . .
early on we had realized that a water feature of sum sort would add a lot of interest, mostly to grow an aquatic garden. so we spent a couple of years gathering information on how to put it all together (since neither one of us had ever built anything like this before). we researched the internet, bought a book of ideas, and watched any program on HGTV remotely related to water features.
when the time came to finally dig in the dirt, the first thing that we did was build a low retaining wall to level out the northeast corner where the greenhouse would be placed. the plan was that as i dug the pond, i would throw the soil behind this retaining wall while perry raked and packed it level.
then we spray painted an outline of the various levels of the pond . . .
3outline.jpg
and took to diggin . . .
4dig.jpg
once we had the base of the pond sculpted to our liking, we then laid four layers of lining . . .
5lining.jpgsince the backyard has a slight grade, it lent itself quite naturally to a short waterfall. knowing that water follows the course of least resistance, creating the upper falls which spills into a shallow basin which overflows into the pond was quite the feat of mechanical engineering. thankfully perry is very mechanically inclined!!! unfortunately i have no pics of actually creating the waterfalls (so you will just have to come see it for yourself). we were very excitedly anxious to grab the garden hose and get some water into the pond, fire up the pump and see what happens . . .
6fill.jpg
hurrah!!! it worked!!! success!!! not bad for seven weekends worth of work!!!
now the enjoyment can begin!!! perry found this real cool aquatic landscape retailer where we acquired a variety of interesting plants . . .
7plants.jpg
this retailer also sells koi but the price was a bit too shocking for our budget. since neither of us had ever taken care of outdoor fish, we decided that the learning curve would be more affordable with just plain ole goldfish from petsmart. our first visit there we were amazed at all the different kinds of goldfish from which to choose.
8fish.jpg
the fish are very entertaining and a whole lot more like pets then we ever thought that they would be. they KNOW when it's feeding time and get to crowding each other all excited like - they're hilarious!!! but mostly it's just real relaxing sitting by the pond, watching the fish swim around and listening to the sound of the waterfalls - the sound is incredible.
the pond has turned into a great big unexpected ongoing science project. while we were up north on vacation this past june, the adult fish decided that it was time to procreate. we now have 7 or 8 little black fish, which will probably turn into orange comets, and 9 little speckled fish, which may be a cross between the comets and shubunkins. so, so cool.
the pond is a fairly decent size - about 900 gallons. we weren't lookin to put in no swimming pool, not even a wading pond. all we really need, especially this time of year, is a pair of shades and ice cold beer and a place to sit somewhere near water.
brad paisley - water
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/brad_paisley/water.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AHnQtY1bg4
another really great part of the science project is the bullfrogs. they found our pond within the first year and i just absolutely love the sound of their croakin!!! there's usually more than one, sometimes as many as four, at different parts of the backyard and when they get to callin back and forth to each other, they put on quite the concert. they produce 100s of tadpoles in each clutch - probably cuz they have a high mortality rate. the bullfrogs have been very prolific this summer - we're currently watchin the third batch of tadpoles growin. it takes the tadpoles about 3 weeks to mature to the point where they sprout legs and hop out of the pond. when that happens, we have little frogs, about the size of a fly, hopping everywhere. it's amazing!!!
Toadies - I Come From The Water
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/t/toadies/i_come_from_the_water.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61oerMwQF6g
places to visit - sites to see:
http://scotte-deuw.blogspot.com/2008/06/3-now-this-is-unreal.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRS8-FFec9Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uTy8tMDJOg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyBuWouso2Q
Monday, March 22, 2010
the first day of spring - WTF?!?!?
all last week we experienced some really beautiful weather. sooo . . . we planned on cooking saturday nite dinner on the grill. by wednesday the weather forecast was calling for rain starting friday nite and lasting til early saturday morning. no big deal. i was partyin friday nite til 3:30am and it had just barely started sprinkling a little. woke up saturday morning to overcast skies and the north wind blowin like crazy and temps in the 30s??? (just the day before, on friday, the sun was shining with a high of 72??? go figure. that's life out here on the prairie . . .) changed dinner plans to chicken cacciatore with italian cheese bread and peach crisp - cold weather comfort foods ya know. around 2:30 saturday afternoon small frozen pellets of snow started falling. by 5pm huge flakes of snow were being blown horizontally by the strong north winds. sunday morning woke up with my backyard looking like this . . .
the first day of spring??? WTF?!?!? we had plans to spend the afternoon at the dallas arboretum and botanical garden http://www.dallasarboretum.org/ obviously we changed those plans also. now don't get me wrong, i do enjoy a nice snowfall. but NOT when the north winds are blowing and NOT on the first day of spring. there are reasons that i no longer live in minnesota!!!
we did have one of those perfect snowfalls on february 11th. it was a texas record breaker. huge fluffy flakes (with no wind) fell for about 22 hours, from 3am til around midnight, accumulating a foot of snow on the ground. it was beautiful!!!
today the sun is shining again, clear skies and warm temps. yesterday's snow is all gone. everything's back to normal. SPRINGTIME. yahoo!!! here's what my backyard typically looks like . . .
guess it's the contrasts, the variations, that make us all pause for a moment and notice all the little things in life with appreciation.
the first day of spring??? WTF?!?!? we had plans to spend the afternoon at the dallas arboretum and botanical garden http://www.dallasarboretum.org/ obviously we changed those plans also. now don't get me wrong, i do enjoy a nice snowfall. but NOT when the north winds are blowing and NOT on the first day of spring. there are reasons that i no longer live in minnesota!!!
we did have one of those perfect snowfalls on february 11th. it was a texas record breaker. huge fluffy flakes (with no wind) fell for about 22 hours, from 3am til around midnight, accumulating a foot of snow on the ground. it was beautiful!!!
today the sun is shining again, clear skies and warm temps. yesterday's snow is all gone. everything's back to normal. SPRINGTIME. yahoo!!! here's what my backyard typically looks like . . .
guess it's the contrasts, the variations, that make us all pause for a moment and notice all the little things in life with appreciation.
Friday, December 25, 2009
winter wonderland
anne murray - winter wonderland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXsIiAxVuqo
---------------------
bing crosby - white christmas
https://youtu.be/SvfhoWIPoVw
---------------------
dean martin - let it snow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN7LW0Y00kE
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
front yard
when we began talking about moving to a quieter neighborhood with less traffic, we decided that a location with close proximity to a bike trail would be a great added feature. we had been looking at houses for months and never found one that was worth all the hassle of moving - we figured that we might as well just stay where we were. on a thursday night in june, perry found a listing on the internet for a house in an area that we previously had checked out and liked; we knew it would be close to a park with bike trails; the pics posted in the listing looked interesting. since he had an appointment with our realtor the next morning, he added this house to the review list.
when i left for work that friday morning, i told him that if he liked the house and thought that it was the "one" then just go on ahead and sign the paperwork . . .
about 10:30am i received a phone call from him saying "you just gotta see this house!!!" i told him again that if he thought that it was the one then just go on ahead and sign a contract because i trust your judgement but he said "no. kayla (our realtor) says that you REALLY need to see this house."
so i met up with perry and kayla around noon and we drove out to the house and the whole way they were telling me all about the place: a custom floorplan, 10 foot ceilings, amazing rock fireplace, huge kitchen, a glass atrium that divides all of the living areas . . .
as soon as we pulled up front i agreed: yup, this is the one. kayla said, "how do you know? you haven't even seen the inside yet." but perry and i could see the potential . . .
what was . . . Now IS . . .
here's how . . .
did you notice the blue circles painted on each side of the hillside? i sliced out each circle to create a level spot where the multi-trunked red oaks would be planted.
then perry learned of a company that creates sidewalks, driveways and patios using patterned concrete. they did a great job installing a front patio and new steps down the hillside to the street . . .
http://scotte-deuw.blogspot.com/2008/09/12-on-brink.html
this home is a one of a kind find - there's not another house like it. plus it's located across the street from a 340 acre park with a lake, miles of paved bike trails and a huge section of old dense woods with dirt trails - makes for a really beautiful front yard that the city park dept takes care of. it's like driving home every day to vacation property. we can't imagine a reason that we would ever want to move again . . .
http://scotte-deuw.blogspot.com/2008/10/14-reality-check.html
when i left for work that friday morning, i told him that if he liked the house and thought that it was the "one" then just go on ahead and sign the paperwork . . .
about 10:30am i received a phone call from him saying "you just gotta see this house!!!" i told him again that if he thought that it was the one then just go on ahead and sign a contract because i trust your judgement but he said "no. kayla (our realtor) says that you REALLY need to see this house."
so i met up with perry and kayla around noon and we drove out to the house and the whole way they were telling me all about the place: a custom floorplan, 10 foot ceilings, amazing rock fireplace, huge kitchen, a glass atrium that divides all of the living areas . . .
as soon as we pulled up front i agreed: yup, this is the one. kayla said, "how do you know? you haven't even seen the inside yet." but perry and i could see the potential . . .
what was . . . Now IS . . .
here's how . . .
did you notice the blue circles painted on each side of the hillside? i sliced out each circle to create a level spot where the multi-trunked red oaks would be planted.
then perry learned of a company that creates sidewalks, driveways and patios using patterned concrete. they did a great job installing a front patio and new steps down the hillside to the street . . .
http://scotte-deuw.blogspot.com/2008/09/12-on-brink.html
this home is a one of a kind find - there's not another house like it. plus it's located across the street from a 340 acre park with a lake, miles of paved bike trails and a huge section of old dense woods with dirt trails - makes for a really beautiful front yard that the city park dept takes care of. it's like driving home every day to vacation property. we can't imagine a reason that we would ever want to move again . . .
http://scotte-deuw.blogspot.com/2008/10/14-reality-check.html
Thursday, December 25, 2008
home for the holidays
---------------------
nate king cole - the christmas song (chestnuts roasting on an open fire)
https://youtu.be/hwacxSnc4tI
---------------------
perry como - there's no place like home for the holidays
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHDgzQ6eQw4
nate king cole - the christmas song (chestnuts roasting on an open fire)
https://youtu.be/hwacxSnc4tI
---------------------
perry como - there's no place like home for the holidays
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHDgzQ6eQw4
Saturday, December 25, 1999
merry christmas
hey y'all
wishin you a very
merry christmas
and all the best
in the new year!
john lennon - happy christmas
---------------------
Amy Grant - GrownUp Christmas List
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmF2rsDHOZc&ob=av2e
do you remember me?
i sat upon your knee
i wrote to you
with childhood fantasies
well, i'm all grown-up now
and still need help somehow
i'm not a child
but my heart still can dream
so here's my life-long wish
my grown-up christmas list
not for myself
but for a world in need
no more lives torn apart
that wars would never start
and time would heal all hearts
and everyone would have a friend
and right would always win
and love would never end
this is my grown-up christmas list
as children we believed
the grandest sight to see
was something lovely
wrapped beneath our tree
well heaven surely knows
that packages and bows
can never heal
a hurting human soul
no more lives torn apart
that wars would never start
and time would heal all hearts
and everyone would have a friend
and right would always win
and love would never end, oh
this is my grown-up christmas list
this is my only life-long wish
this is my grown-up christmas list
(what is this illusion called the innocence of youth?
maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth)
Amy Grant - GrownUp Christmas List
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmF2rsDHOZc&ob=av2e
do you remember me?
i sat upon your knee
i wrote to you
with childhood fantasies
well, i'm all grown-up now
and still need help somehow
i'm not a child
but my heart still can dream
so here's my life-long wish
my grown-up christmas list
not for myself
but for a world in need
no more lives torn apart
that wars would never start
and time would heal all hearts
and everyone would have a friend
and right would always win
and love would never end
this is my grown-up christmas list
as children we believed
the grandest sight to see
was something lovely
wrapped beneath our tree
well heaven surely knows
that packages and bows
can never heal
a hurting human soul
no more lives torn apart
that wars would never start
and time would heal all hearts
and everyone would have a friend
and right would always win
and love would never end, oh
this is my grown-up christmas list
this is my only life-long wish
this is my grown-up christmas list
(what is this illusion called the innocence of youth?
maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth)
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