Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Our House - Is a Very Very Very Fine House... (32)

Our House

We've been here for about two years now.


This is what our house looked like when I saw it the first time in mid-April 2006. That's Colleen, our realtor. I know, as usual, I seem to be on a slant! It's me, not the camera. I'll keep my day job. Note the wonky steps up to the door.


We bought the house and moved in on the May long weekend in 2006. This picture was taken in June, around the time of Craig's graduation. The point here is that the front yard was basically a small boreal forest. We could not see the house from the road - except for the door - and more to the point, we could not see the road from the house! In addition, Joe absolutely did not like mowing around 10 trees (yes - TEN!) and up a slope. Further, the front faces south so south sun combined with ten thirsty trees meant the grass was in very bad shape (thin and dry).

Joe's solution was to cut down all the trees. We had a tree company do it - they did a great job. Then he started landscaping. He worked on the front yard during the summer of 2006, did a bit more in summer 2007 and then started on the back yard (that will be for a future post) . He's still working - pretty well every available moment that the weather lets him. You've heard of the Energizer Bunny? Joe puts that guy to shame!


His first priority was to fix the steps. The original ones were all different heights and depths - not very safe. These ones are much better.

He leveled the yard and built the retaining walls. He had this all done by the time the snow came in the fall of 2006.


We got sod on the top level late last summer (2007). This is what it looked like then. See the three little columnar aspens there to the left - we have been replanting! And the shrubs.


This year (as of the May long weekend 2008) this is what it looks like. Nice green grass and he's added the bark mulch to the bottom by the sidewalk. We're not sure if many of the little shrubs will make it. A few of them did, but not all. We'll replace the ones that did not. He's got his flowers planted so in a month or so, things will start looking pretty nice.

We don't have two cats - only two pink flamingos - but this song jumped into my head...

Our House

CROSBY, STILLS and NASH

I'll light the fire, while you place the flowers
In the vase that you bought today.
Staring at the fire for hours and hours,
While I listen to you play your love songs
All night long for me, only for me.

Our house, is a very, very, very fine house.
With two cats in the yard,
Life used to be so hard,
Now everything is easy 'cause of you.

Come to me now, and rest your head for just five minutes,
Everything is done.
Such a cozy room, the windows are illuminated
By the evening sunshine through them,
Fiery gems for you, only for you.

Our house, is a very, very, very fine house.
With two cats in the yard,
Life used to be so hard,
Now everything is easy 'cause of you.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Party! (31)

May 10, 2008 - PARTY!

We haven't had a house party since we moved into the new joint in May 2006, so we decided to have house warming/any other excuse for a party party on May 10. Although we had good intentions of taking lots of pix, the camera remained charged up and ready to go on the desk upstairs. It's hard to do it all. Fortunately Uncle Bob brought his camera and snapped a few pix. These are his and we thank him!


Karen and Val


Ashley (sitting in chair) and Lesley (red top) in the back, Bob and Gord on the couch in the foreground, Marlow and Marla standing against the counter back right.

Chris, Bill and Karl.


Karen, Derek, Val, Lesley and part of Veronica.


Mary and Ashley - he's looking pretty good for a guy who had a heart attack the previous week!


Madeline.


Jean.


Bruce.

This is not a comprehensive list - we think we had between 25 and 30 people - and we also think a good time was had by all! I hope we're right!

Rock On!

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