Odds and Ends

For the last couple of days, we have been busy with many little "odds and ends" jobs to finish before we go north.

The shoots of grass are starting to germinate
and to promise a green lawn someday.

We are trying to get the grass to grow, so Rick ordered extra seed and we pretty much reseeded the entire back yard.  We took the burlap off the areas that were still covered. Yesterday we spent most of the afternoon just moving the sprinkler around the yard and really letting the lawn soak.  We are WAY behind in rainfall this winter, so the earth is parched in this part of the country.  I hope that we have a wet summer so everything gets the moisture it needs.

The grass seed is starting to germinate in most areas, so with a little luck we can get something to cover the dirt before we leave for the summer.  Even weeds are somewhat appreciated as they are green (thank you, God) and they keep the dirt from blowing around.

The bud is fat and ready to open... probably tomorrow.

In the yard maintenance department yesterday, I took some insecticide and sprayed both the bougainvillea and the gardenia tree in the corner.  The bougainvillea definitely has something munching on the leaves, so the insecticide can't hurt.  I need to fertilize it again in the next couple of weeks and once more before we leave.  Then I just hope it rains enough to keep it going for the summer.

The gardenia looks a little weary with few leaves, but since this is early spring, I am hoping that water and bug resistance will help it leaf out again.  It did have one flower yesterday with buds for two more, but today the flower is already gone; the buds, however, remain to promise more beauty.

While I tackled some inside jobs today, Rick put on paint clothes and finished the necessary painting. He gave the patched soffits in back a second coat and painted the the front porch wall where the crew had splattered new concrete when putting in the sidewalk.

The wall and shutters have a fresh coat of paint,
and my Queen Kalanchoe plant adds a splash of color.

Sadly, to protect the shutters, he used painter's tape and plastic to cover them.  When he took off the painter's tape, part of the green paint peeled away also, so he ended up repainting the shutters, too.

Three of the windowsills needed attention, so they got a bit of scraping, sanding, and a fresh coat of paint.  Ah, the joys of home ownership.  The work really never ends.

As we were cleaning up the garage today, we decided to hang the wagon up out of the way.  In lifting it, Rick caught his finger between two metal joins.  He cut up a good flap of skin at the end of one finger that is going to remind him of what happened for quite a few days.  We got a bandage on it right away, but he probably should have had a Steri-strip on it to help it heal. Of course, he was too stubborn to go to the doctor.

By that time we were past noon, so we took a break for lunch and then finished cleaning up.  This afternoon is a good time to rest (and heal!), and that is just what we intend to do.