Cottonwood, Strawberries and... Summer!

Happy first day of Summer!  The cottonwood trees are sending their fluffy white nuisance crap everywhere again.  They fly in the air looking like snow, get into the garage and create what look like huge dust bunnies, cover every inch of the lawn and stick in every cobweb.  At least it only lasts a couple weeks.  I hear they are illegal to plant in Madison anymore because of all the mess they make.

Here, Kate is picking more strawberries.  This has become a daily job, as new berries are ripening constantly.  Unfortunately many of them are small, probably due to the weather and rainfall though we do try to water them on days that no rain is expected.  These are June-bearing strawberries, so there may only be a week or so more of picking to do.  Just as well.  If they were ever-bearing then I'm sure we would tire of them by late July or August!

One of my next projects, as long as my back allows, is to add a rail and gate to the front of the gardens.  The ones that are on the sides were an afterthought that I added basically just to help hold up the chicken wire (remember, I was kind of making it up as I went along).  A rail in front will do the same, and a proper gate will make it so much easier to enter the path in between the raised beds.  Last weekend I bought all the lumber and hardware to do this, so maybe this weekend if I have a chance.

Happy Fathers Day 2011

Yes, it's a repost from the last Pic Dump.  I meant to save it for today, so here it is.  Yes, I have father issues.  We are having my wife's family over today and grilling out.  I hope you're doing what you like today.  Have fun!

More Percocet, Please

And again, it has been days since I posted.  There must be something about the month of June.  Anyway, it has been a pretty normal week.  All I have to report is just medical stuff again, so brace yourself!

I had an appointment with my regular doctor yesterday.  The purpose of this visit was to get the ball rolling on my possible next back surgery because I just can't take the pain anymore, even with all the percocet I've been taking.  Physical therapy exercises have not worked and are now too painful to do effectively.  I await the hospital to call me to schedule an MRI soon, and the sooner the better.  Those results will most likely send me to see a surgeon, possibly the same one who operated on my neck at the end of March.  I fully expect to have to have the surgery again in the same spot as I did in 2000.  They did a partial discectomy then and now I may have to have the rest removed and have a fusion.  Back then it was my left leg that was getting the pain, now it is my right leg, the same leg I broke last August.  I still use the cane regularly, more when I'm out than when I'm at home, all because of the pain and tingling in that leg from the affected nerve in my lower back.  This would be the third surgery for me in less than a year.  Yippee Skippee.

I also got some news that could make my back seem trivial.  I'm not ready to mention that problem to anyone yet, but I will find out more next week.  I'm agnostic so I won't ask for your prayers, but I could use some good luck thrown my way for a change!

Things Done... Today!

While we did get some things done yesterday, it was more the usual domestic chores that we did.  Today, with nicer weather, we knocked out some of the projects I listed.  It seemed a bit breezy so I won't get to spray painting the front handrails, but we weeded, removed grass, and added mulch to the area back by the lilac bush.  It actually looks better than I thought it would, it really makes the plants we have back there stand out more.  On the back side of the lilac is the corner we call the 'compost corner,' where we throw plant clippings, weeds, and other compostable  yard waste.  Eventually when we get or build an actual composter, I think we may move the compost corner to the other side of the back yard where it is less noticeable and plant other things behind the lilac.

We also added more mulch to the corner of the tree area where we replanted the peony from where our new back steps are.  It has grown well but will not bloom this year due to the Spring replanting we did.  In the Fall I think we will replant it again so it is more centered between the two hostas you see here.  When we did it earlier the hostas had barely started to come up so we didn't realize how close it actually was.  Besides that, we also water sealed the new back steps today.  It took probably an hour with the two of us working on it.  They aren't big steps but there was a lot of surface area to cover.  Depending on if it needs it, we may do that again in the Fall, before the inevitable snow and ice of Winter.

Aside from all that, we did some more planting in the garden so, again, I'll have another update over at our Garden Blog.  We tasted our first home grown strawberries today!  And before I forget, congrats to the Brewers who finished a sweep of the Cardinals today to take over first place in the NL Central!

Things To Do... Later

Historically - all 2 years of it - June has been a pretty light posting month for me and this year seems to be no different.  In this case, no news is good news.  The week started with temps in the upper 90F's and ended with temps in the 50's and 60's, supposedly good, cool weather this weekend to help get some outside projects done.  We need to wash and water seal the new back steps soon.  I need to take a wire brush to the front railings and paint.  And lastly, we need to dig out some sod and put in mulch in the corner of the back yard by the lilac.

Today, the overcast skies seems to be affecting our energy and none of those are getting done.  After I slept in late, we have shopped, cleaned the house and mowed instead.  Kate also did some weeding in the garden.  There has been progress in that area so I will be posting over at our Garden Blog later (check out the strawberries!).  In this picture, note the light pink peonies are in bloom and also take another peek at our neighbor Jane's sun and moon collection on her garage.  I think they look pretty dang neat!

There Is No 'Other'

'My Other Favorites' list in the right column is now 'My Favorite Sites'.  Just having the word 'other' in there seemed to diminish them somehow, other favorites, which just never quite sounded right.  I guess I only called it that because it followed the blogs list and the podcast list.  And all of them are exactly what it says: I listen to all those podcasts, read all those blogs and visit my favorite sites as daily as I can manage.

I haven't been writing much lately, but there hasn't been much to write about.  Nothing out of the ordinary has been happening other than I took a 4 day weekend to try and settle down my sciatica (I hate that word but it conveys my meaning in a concise way).  I have been making myself get on the exercise bike more and do more physical therapy exercises for my back, mainly different stretches and planks to get those muscles back into form.  If I saw the doc, therapy is the first thing he will recommend, so I want to be able to say I've been doing it already when I see him for my physical at the end of July.  Hopefully, if I maintain it, this will be a much smaller issue for me then.  Pain is very good motivation.

Pic Dump 31

Already another Pic Dump, which means I've spent too much time surfing lately.  Same as usual, click the pic for original size, some may be NSFW, etc etc.  Enjoy!

As always, thanks to the fine sites on 'My Other Favorites' list on the right!  More after the break!

A Look At The Yard

I have taken a day off from work today to try and get my back to settle down a bit, so - inspired by Delcatto's post this morning - and as I get ready to watch The Mike O'meara Show live - I thought I would limp out and get a couple pics of how our yard is shaping up this Spring.  The sun is not out, but it had to be now before the rain comes later.*

The irises outside the back porch are starting to bloom.  I know they are mostly yellow, but I thought there should be more purple and pink than this.

The Hostas have filled out around the Silver Maple in the back yard.  If you look beyond the tree on the right you'll see the Bleeding Heart plant is still flowering.  And in the top right corner, the lilac bush just finished for the year.

After starting with just a few plants last year, and adding a few early this year, the Lily Of The Valley is starting to fill out nicely.  Hopefully even more next year.  As you can see, they are just done flowering.

At the bottom of our new back stairs one of our Peonies is getting ready to burst forth in large blooms!

If you're interested in the gardens, I updated that site just the other day.  Other than that, blogger still won't let me post videos and I have no idea why.  Probably something stupid I'm doing or not doing.  Maybe I'll look into it later...

*Update: 2:00pm - Of course it is no longer cloudy and no rain materialized.  The sun has been shining for quite some time now.  Meteorologists are well paid hypothesizers.

Happy Memorial Day 2011

Happy Memorial Day to all.  Be thankful for the freedoms you have and the people who fought for your right to enjoy them.  I want to thank everybody who responded to my last post, I've left a response to everyone in that comments section. 

As for us, we have had a pretty low-key weekend so far, filled mostly with domestic chores and relaxation.  Both Saturday and Sunday were cool, wet and dreary and unfortunately our energy levels matched the weather.  Today, though, is supposed to be very hot, sunny and windy.  We're going to go out for breakfast this morning.  Then Kate wants to plant some things in the garden.  And about noon we will have just a few friends over for grilled burgers and drinks.  Nothing terribly special, but then again, we really needed the rest.  Tomorrow is back to the daily grind, but at least we can now dress casual at work every day until Labor Day at the end of Summer!  Cheers, all!

No, What Are YOU Doing?

I just looked up and it was Thursday.  It has been a pretty normal week, which is nice.  I tried to post the new U.D.O. videos earlier this week but blogger wouldn't let me embed them for some reason.  Maybe I'll try again later.  So, sorry, no real updates this week yet except for over at my garden blog.  That will be all for now.

I have an idea!  Why don't you tell me how your going to spend this upcoming long holiday weekend?  Taking the kids anywhere?  Kev, Kel?   Maybe a road trip to Madison?   Anyone else?  Tell us all how you plan on spending Memorial Day weekend in the comments!

Hmm, asking for outside input on my site.  Someone please respond?