Sun, sun, the wonderful sun!

23 - 26 July 2010
Friday - Monday

Apparently we've been having way too much fun because I am really falling behind here.

Friday was a wonderful day and the weather was superb: lots of sun, no humidity--the kind of day that we dream about at home. Jim and Jeff slatted the chain-link fence and then worked on removing some fill from an area and replacing it with rock or topsoil. When Lisa finished work, she and I planted Hostas, Siberian Irises and something called Elephant Ears, but they don't look like the Elephant Ears that I remember from my childhood. Lisa and Jeff have a LOT of planting areas to fill-in, all of which will be irrigated. The under-pinnings of this lot must be a plumber's dream of infrastructure. Jeff can really visualize the end-product. Guess that's why the rest of us are labor. We hooked up the irrigation under the new plantings, Lisa tweaked the heads a bit and one bed is in business. By then we were dirty and dusty and sweaty [all good in this time and place] so we showered and got a ride in their convertible to a nearby pub for supper and few beers.

Saturday it was a little foggy but by the time we finished breakfast, we had ourselves one very beautiful day. Turns out that this part of Washington has warm, dry Julys. Who knew? Today we dug ditches for irrigation and put in rock around it. Then we filled in with topsoil for future plantings. Lisa, Jeff and I did the digging and shoveling and raking and plumbing while Jim manned the bobcat [And you can imagine how much he hated that!] ferrying a half-load of rock followed by two loads of top soil, then repeat, repeat, repeat. We worked until we ran out of raw materials [and I ran out of energy in the heat]. Then Jim and Jeff did some more digging and rocking along an area that will house a wrought-iron fence. By 10:00 PM we decided that we might need to eat supper.

Sunday dawned absolutely gorgeous: that blue, blue sky with never-ending sunshine. We [mostly Jim and Jeff] put in the wrought-iron fence along the western edge of the property. It turned out perfect thanks to double measuring and a few "adaptations." Turned out that even American-made isn't always a guarantee of an easy installation.

In the afternoon we returned to their house and I got a garden tour of Lisa's yard. It is HUGE! I love all the rhododendrons and azaleas they have. From there we went to niece Danielle and her husband's home nearby for an awesome supper of BBQ ribs, cole slaw, fruit salad and the first sweet corn. Wayne is a home brewer so Jim was in heaven. Danielle likes to make ice cream so I was in heaven. Great chefs!

Today it is warm and sunny and blue-skied! This is NOT the Washington we have heard about. BUT, we are not complaining. We had a lazy AM [only Lisa had to work] and this PM Jim and Jeff are off to the gravel quarry to procure more dirt and rock in order to continue with the project. Lisa is working and I am "working" on our computers.


A plan is being devised to continue the adventure. Stay tuned.