03/20/2021 I actually typed 2020 in error and nobody in their right mind would want to go there again. We have had an unseasonably warm March, at least much warmer than last March was. I’ll take it. I just told Bill we’re going to need to start getting out the door earlier because as it warms up, it’s too hot for Max. He has a coat like a Malamute, double layer and thick enough to make a rug. This morning we walked them before we fed them, Then around 9 Am as I was cleaning out the refrigerator I noticed they were all swarming around my feet, I forgot to feed them! It doesn’t take much, get me off my schedule and my brain goes out the door. I have stopped feeding them liver, I think it was the cause of Barrio and Gringo’s skin issues, too much protein. I’ve been cooking the remaining packs of frozen veggies and giving them that. If we have leftover fresh spinach and some apples I chop that up with their zucchini and they get fresh veggies. We/ve recently discovered they LOVE red cabbage and grilled Brussel sprouts. I need to be growing vegetables and unfortunately, it’s too hot here.
We went to the Avocado Nursery and bought plants, a Mediterranean Palm, another kind of palm, 2 rosemary, 2 oleanders, 2 artemesias, 3 ground covers and a really cool pillar cactus. We had a crew come in and cut down the 3 dead Queen Palms, They chopped them up and hauled them away. They also dug the old stone out from between the patio and the pool. Then we ordered 6 tons of Arizona Gold stones and had them redo between pool and patio and spread new stone on the whole rest of the yard. It looks so much better. They also planted all 13 of the new plants. I decided I needed succulents so I went to Lowes and bought way too many and another terracotta planter. They’re all planted and growing well.
The new stone makes such a difference, I’m glad we did it. Hopefully we’ll be spending more time outdoors now that we have a table.
We (Bill) painted the guest bath and the office. I’ll take photos once I have it set up for the company that arrives the 3rd. Yes, company. A guy I worked with at 2 different banks, Kevin, and his wife and 2 kids are coming to visit. Kevin is one of the funniest people I know, I dearly love him and his wife. His wife also worked at the last bank we were both at. I met their daughter soon after she was born and then again at a party before we moved to the island. I have never met their son. We’re both really excited to have them come to visit. Addison will be 9 the end of this month and Bryson is 5 1/2. I bought ladder golf for them to play and look forward to them joining us on morning dog walks. The pool is 66, if it stays as warm as it’s been at night it should be over 70 soon,
I got the brilliant idea to recover all 6 of the dining room chairs. Sitting on them was like sitting on a wooden bench. I went to Joann’s and found some green pleather material, it’s pretty much the same color as our island house. I figured it wouldn’t attract dog hair and wet swimsuits weren’t a big deal. I bought it and came home. Then we decided we needed new foam, well, we kind of knew it, but I wasn’t in a foam shopping mood. I ordered a 2″ foam mattress pad from WalMart. It, of course, was delayed. The pad finally came and was just big enough to do all 6 chairs. We got 3 chairs finished and decided we needed some dacron or whatever it is they cover all the staples on the bottoms of chairs with. Back to Joann’s.
Let me say, the first chair was easy. We did a good job on it. From then on out it was curse city, calling the stapler and the material that didn’t form around a corner nasty names. The second and third chairs were not easy. We saved the last 3 for the next day. We swore while doing them too. THEN, we had so much green material left, I suggested we make a nice big pad for the wooden outdoor bench. It’s really too low to sit and eat at the table, well, unless you’re Michael Jordan. I drove back to Joann’s and bought the foam, 3″ thick. I almost had a stroke when they said how much it was. Thankfully it was 40% off but it was still expensive for foam. Bill cut the wood for the bottom (he cut all new bottoms for the chairs also) and we did the bench in 2 sections, otherwise, we didn’t have enough material for the whole bench. The 3″ foam is very hard to work with, especially when you have no skills and are using a non-compliant material. We got it done and while it’s not perfect, it’s really comfy.
I’ll start baking and cooking on Thursday. I plan to make blueberry zucchini muffins and banana chocolate chip bread plus some broccoli salad. Bill is going to hard boil eggs so the kids can do their Easter egg dying here. I got some things to entertain them plus I have an Easter “bag” for each of them.
Yesterday I took all 3 dog crates apart and drug them outside. They were gross, so I scrubbed them. Then I bathed all 4 dogs. Since the dogs were all clean I had to wash the towels we throw on the leather chairs if they are wet. Clean dogs, clean crates, clean towels.
My friend David posted about his windchimes. It made me realize that I missed my windchimes, which are still at the island house. I decided to order some and found these: WIND CHIMES FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE THEIR NEIGHBORS, Soothing Melodic Tones & Solidly Constructed Bamboo/Aluminum Chime. They are not obnoxious sounding at all, however as I carried them to the back porch, they were really loud. Much better now that they are hanging.
Today I cleaned the dog hair out of the cracks on the back patio then hosed the patio off. I’ll tell you, this is a dirty place to live. The air is so dusty that things are covered in dirt 2 days after you clean them. I also vacuumed the yard because there was so much dog hair from bathing the dogs that it looked gross. My vac is torn apart, drying in the sun. It will be clean until I use it once, then it will be filthy again. This is serious dirt, like living in a dustbowl. It’s getting hot quickly, we’re going to need to walk the dogs earlier now, getting too hot for them at 8:30 AM. Actually, I look forward to the heat of the summer when I walk them in the dark, kind of nice to be out before others are even awake. I was never much of a super early riser bit if it means the dogs get to walk, then early rising it will be.
I hope spring is happening wherever you may be. I think we skipped it and moved right on to summer. Until next month. XOXO
Mermaid on a Raft 