A New Rhythm
Tuesday, March 28th, 2023 12:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snoozefestaudio36F this morning, but zero breeze. Overcast but still bright, not dark and gloomy. Song birds singing, and a generally springy feel out there.
Francisco showed up at noon, as promised and was the first contractor who seemed to genuinely give a shit.
He had a tape measure and a spray paint thingy, and used them to help us determine where the center of the patio should go... where the edges would be... where the sides of the firepit would be, etc.
And 18 foot diameter is perfect. It's big enough to move around, but it fits comfortably back there, and the patio can hide behind the house a bit so that it's mostly not visible from the street.
He said they had several palats of used pavers from a patio they'd removed, that I could use for this project, to bring the price down. I also picked out a pre-made rock fire pit that they'd join up with in the center.
And then I picked out a paver for the perimeter of the patio, and the fire pit.
He said they'd make it level, of course, but a bit higher than the surface, and use the excavated dirt to slope away from it, so that water doesn't pool on the patio, but it's still easy to mow around.
Once again, I'm waiting for a quote, but I think he'll actually send me one. He seemed like he actually wanted to do this job.
fingers crossed, if it's not too much money, I think these are the guys!
--<>--
Amazon says the sledge hammer is out for delivery, as well as the wood chipper today. So hopefully I'll come home to both of them on the front stoop tonight.
------------{=0=}------------
12:20AM
The wood chipper was delivered before I left for work. It's a big heavy box, that I had to move with the dolly, into the dog yard... because I can't get it up the front, side, or back steps.
But I took the garbage bins to the curb and then left the chipper, in it's box, inside the dog yard, behind a padlock, with a camera pointed at it.
--<>--
Another night of carpet shampooing. This is an easy week though... three classrooms a night. No garbage or any other tasks.
I've had plenty of time to sit around and play, Word Trip, on my phone.
And Rosa's coming early in the morning this week, so I'm all alone in the building, which is nice too.
--<>--
The sledge hammer was on the front stoop when I got home from work tonight... thank God!
So now most of the puzzle pieces are in place!.. I can bust up the barbecue this weekend, and chip up the juniper. Then the tree guys come on Monday!
The dumpster gets here Tuesday, so I can immediately dispose of the jungle gym, and the rubble from the barbecue, and then begin emptying out the old shed.
And by then, the trees, logs, and brush will be gone!
The final puzzle piece is getting Francisco to install the patio on Friday the 7th!
--<>--
I've just ordered 200 square feet of grass seed mat. They come in rolls and I've used the stuff before. It always works like a charm if you water it... or if it rains.
These will be needed for the footprints of the old shed, and the brush pile.
So, if we're being wishful and imagining tonight that the patio DOES get installed on Friday the 7th, then they'll have put down a bunch of grass seed too, and... all that grass in the new back yard will have all spring to get established!
And this would leave me with only the task of creating the rock garden on the site of the old barbecue... over the 8th and 9th!
Then when Brian, Karen, and Max come on the 15th, they'll be bowled over!
--<>--
Mowing the lawn all spring and summer is gonna be a hell of a lot easier than it ever was before, simply because I won't have to be navigating around... the shed, the brush pile, the barbecue, the jungle gym & juniper, the fire kettle, and Mom's peonies!
That used to take FOREVER!
The trade off is, it's gonna be full southwestern sun blasting my ass while I mow back there but... Dad's dead, so now I can mow at sunset!
--<>--
And other than mowing, all I'll need to do back there is cut down one nuisance sapling a week... cut the trunk into firewood... and chip up the branches!
The amount of bush cricket habitat being removed back there is gonna be pretty substantial! Both mulberry trees, the juniper, seven to ten saplings, and all the weeds around the brush pile, the barbecue, and behind the back room!
And the field crickets will have gained habitat in the square footage of the old shed, and the brush pile.
And, if my theory about them liking some pavement and lights is right, then they'll be liking the patio, and the rock garden... out in that field that's a lot less noisy with bush crickets!
------------{=0=}------------
There is a lot of other stuff to do inside the house, of course, but yard transformations have to happen in March, April, and May, before it starts getting too hot out there.
Once June's here, yard stuff should be simple maintenance. And that's when house projects can start to be considered.
Outside structural projects first, while it's warm out... indoor projects over the fall and winter.
That's the rhythm of home ownership.
--<>--
Two days down, and three to go, before the action starts!
°¦}
https://soundcloud.com/snoozefestaudio
Francisco showed up at noon, as promised and was the first contractor who seemed to genuinely give a shit.
He had a tape measure and a spray paint thingy, and used them to help us determine where the center of the patio should go... where the edges would be... where the sides of the firepit would be, etc.
And 18 foot diameter is perfect. It's big enough to move around, but it fits comfortably back there, and the patio can hide behind the house a bit so that it's mostly not visible from the street.
He said they had several palats of used pavers from a patio they'd removed, that I could use for this project, to bring the price down. I also picked out a pre-made rock fire pit that they'd join up with in the center.
And then I picked out a paver for the perimeter of the patio, and the fire pit.
He said they'd make it level, of course, but a bit higher than the surface, and use the excavated dirt to slope away from it, so that water doesn't pool on the patio, but it's still easy to mow around.
Once again, I'm waiting for a quote, but I think he'll actually send me one. He seemed like he actually wanted to do this job.
fingers crossed, if it's not too much money, I think these are the guys!
Amazon says the sledge hammer is out for delivery, as well as the wood chipper today. So hopefully I'll come home to both of them on the front stoop tonight.
The wood chipper was delivered before I left for work. It's a big heavy box, that I had to move with the dolly, into the dog yard... because I can't get it up the front, side, or back steps.
But I took the garbage bins to the curb and then left the chipper, in it's box, inside the dog yard, behind a padlock, with a camera pointed at it.
Another night of carpet shampooing. This is an easy week though... three classrooms a night. No garbage or any other tasks.
I've had plenty of time to sit around and play, Word Trip, on my phone.
And Rosa's coming early in the morning this week, so I'm all alone in the building, which is nice too.
The sledge hammer was on the front stoop when I got home from work tonight... thank God!
So now most of the puzzle pieces are in place!.. I can bust up the barbecue this weekend, and chip up the juniper. Then the tree guys come on Monday!
The dumpster gets here Tuesday, so I can immediately dispose of the jungle gym, and the rubble from the barbecue, and then begin emptying out the old shed.
And by then, the trees, logs, and brush will be gone!
The final puzzle piece is getting Francisco to install the patio on Friday the 7th!
I've just ordered 200 square feet of grass seed mat. They come in rolls and I've used the stuff before. It always works like a charm if you water it... or if it rains.
These will be needed for the footprints of the old shed, and the brush pile.
So, if we're being wishful and imagining tonight that the patio DOES get installed on Friday the 7th, then they'll have put down a bunch of grass seed too, and... all that grass in the new back yard will have all spring to get established!
And this would leave me with only the task of creating the rock garden on the site of the old barbecue... over the 8th and 9th!
Then when Brian, Karen, and Max come on the 15th, they'll be bowled over!
Mowing the lawn all spring and summer is gonna be a hell of a lot easier than it ever was before, simply because I won't have to be navigating around... the shed, the brush pile, the barbecue, the jungle gym & juniper, the fire kettle, and Mom's peonies!
That used to take FOREVER!
The trade off is, it's gonna be full southwestern sun blasting my ass while I mow back there but... Dad's dead, so now I can mow at sunset!
And other than mowing, all I'll need to do back there is cut down one nuisance sapling a week... cut the trunk into firewood... and chip up the branches!
The amount of bush cricket habitat being removed back there is gonna be pretty substantial! Both mulberry trees, the juniper, seven to ten saplings, and all the weeds around the brush pile, the barbecue, and behind the back room!
And the field crickets will have gained habitat in the square footage of the old shed, and the brush pile.
And, if my theory about them liking some pavement and lights is right, then they'll be liking the patio, and the rock garden... out in that field that's a lot less noisy with bush crickets!
There is a lot of other stuff to do inside the house, of course, but yard transformations have to happen in March, April, and May, before it starts getting too hot out there.
Once June's here, yard stuff should be simple maintenance. And that's when house projects can start to be considered.
Outside structural projects first, while it's warm out... indoor projects over the fall and winter.
That's the rhythm of home ownership.
Two days down, and three to go, before the action starts!
°¦}
