Pentimento

Hanging Tomato of Power and Window Replacement 101

The cool thing about having your own blog is that you can write about anything you want. I run the gamut from About Kitsap to Yakity Yak, and anything alphabetically in between.

Today, it's tomatoes! Look at how well our hanging tomato is doing now that the weather's warmed up a bit. Actually, we're under a 'red flag alert" for fire danger in the whole state, which means it's warm, dry and ripe for forest fires. It also means warm nights and happy smiling little tomatoes.  Jim and I talked about maybe next year doing some raised beds in the backyard to grow some of our own veggies. At least some green onions, peppers, and some other things we like. I am so happy with the hanging planter for the tomato that I might get another one for cucumbers. No real plan yet, but as I see more and more articles about tainted food, it's prompting me to do something to try to eat better.

I see that Turnip of Power is going to focus a little more on gardening, so I'm interested to see what he'll be writing about. His current post Garden Under Construction gives us a heads up on future posts. Make sure you click on the picture of his garden. It's spectacular.

So, what else have we been up to? Jim's been hard at it putting in a new bathroom window. That sounds pretty straight forward and easy, right? Ha! We're talking about the Wilkersons. Our catch phrase is: "Everything we know we learned the hard way". That means, in this case anyway, the whole job was more complicated because he had to 'release' the window from it's opening and then take off all the siding below it to make sure the wall wasn't damaged.

Some years ago we had a problem with carpenter ants in the outside wall because the soap dish in the wall wasn't sealed well and wet wood attracts those critters. Until Jim could really examine the wall we didn't know how much damage they might have done to any of the wood. As it turns out, it wasn't bad, but he did have to put in new car decking (structural tongue and groove 2 X 6's) under the tub. Of course, there had to be a rose bush in the way right where he was working too. I'm happy to report no damage was done to "Reba".

Our siding is lapped cedar and when he took it off the wall some of it broke (he anticipated that) and so he had to go buy some more planks to replace them. They don't make that kind anymore though, so he had to buy cedar planks and then router the length of each one to match the old stuff. Tedious, but it looks great. Actually, the new boards look better than the old ones as far as laying flat. So, there you have it. The window is back in, the boards are all primed and painted and the outside is done. We were surprised at how much the yellow paint had faded in just one year. Now, on to the inside of the bathroom.

Sweet Summer Splendor in the Grass

Isn't it funny how certain fragrances can take you back decades to long ago seasons and memories? I'm sitting here tonight with the patio door open. The air is still, or maybe there's a gentle breeze. Every now and then I catch the scent of a cool summer night. You know the one I mean. It smells like dried grass and fresh air. Well, I hope it smells like fresh air where you are. With the Fourth just a few days away, let's hope we don't smell smoke. But, back to my reminiscing.

It's nights like these that remind me of going to the drive in or sleeping outside. When I was a teen we spent a lot of time in cars. Riding in them, parking in them :::gasp::: and smooching in them. Remember the feeling of anticipation that you might see him that night? He'd show up and act like he wasn't thrilled to see you. His cologne was intoxicating and you longed to be near him. But, of course, you had to act all calm and cool. At the drive in, you never said you were going to go be 'with' someone, you said you were going to sit in so-and-so's car, like it was a Rolls Royce and you had to caress the leather seats.

Those days are long gone, and so is the teenage romance. These days, putting on cologne is little more than a snooze, and girls are left with only their memories. What are your memories of summer nights?

Splendor in The Grass

What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.
-William Wordsworth

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