Doors and Gates

 We adore our two boxer pups, Rowdy and Izzy, but they create extra work for us.

They enjoy being on the back deck, sniffing the wind and basking in the sunshine on spring days when it's not overly hot yet, as it will be this summer.

BUT,

it's a case of us going out and opening the door from the porch onto the deck for them multiple times each day... in and out and in and out.  It generally serves as an interruption for us to whatever we are doing inside the house.

 When we sold our previous home the buyers did not want a doggie door, so we took it out and replaced the door into the garage so it would not leave a huge rectangular hole in the door.

My husband has had this project on his list for a couple of years now... to install the doggie door from the screened porch onto the deck.

Yesterday while I was grocery shopping he tackled the job and completed it.

Within minutes Rowdy and Izzy, with a bit of pushing them through the door, renewed their knowledge of using a doggie door and are now happy with the access they have onto the deck.

 My husband also built a self closing gate at the top of the deck stairway which keeps the pups from running down and all over the property without our supervision.

 Now, when we are on the deck we can let them down into the backyard as we supervise from up above and when we are in the house we are assured that they are safe on the deck and not running into the woods to chase wild critters.

The gate looks as though it was built by the men who built our deck.

It's good for the pups and good for us.

Another win win!

Peachy Flannel Shirt

 It was sort of a perfect spring day today.

I donned a lightweight flannel shirt in a peachy plaid and headed out to the deck to see what was going on out in the yard.

 The shirt was on clearance at Aeropostale earlier in the week and since it was so lightweight I decided it would work for spring days with cool mornings.

*notice anything else new?*

The shirt worked well over a pair of black stretch pants.

*come on.... what's new here?*

 My husband was pulling more electrical through the conduit which he laid last fall for the lights at the end of the driveway... and since next week the final stone wall is to be built along this side of the driveway *the FINAL wall* he needed to get it done today.

OH, and I didn't just mess around all day today, but instead assisted him when it was time to pull the wire through.  Teamwork seems to work best around here.

 Rowdy offered moral support to his human father and spent the rest of the time walking around the wooded areas scoping out great pooping locations.

 Little Miss Izzy preferred dragging her rope around the yard hoping someone would come down from the deck and play keep away with her.

She cheats, so I find it difficult to play that game with her.

 Once my assistance was no longer required I toddled off and purchased our pansies for the season, something I always look forward to each spring.

Now, go back up to a few of the top photos in this post and notice that there are now pansies on the deck railings.

THAT'S what's new!

WEATHER You Like It Or Not

So, Mr. Project Man, aka my husband, replaced our 'no longer working properly' weather station with this gadgety little number, and I have to say that it's really pretty cool.

The item on the left is the rain guage which was mounted to our deck railing in an open area that will catch rain and measure it. AND, the gadget on the right is mounted on the outside of the screened porch and will let us know the temperature and the barometric pressure also.

So, what's this?

It's not a drone, although that might be kind of cool, although I doubt the neighbors would agree, and it's not a toy helicopter either.

It's the wind gauge.

He's just so cute!

Well, okay... the man AND the wind gauge are both cute.

My husband attached it to some PVC pipe and it's bolted to the eave of the house at the highest point so as not to be obstructed... although a pigeon might think it's a great place to sit a spell.

Houston..... we are now ready to give you the daily weather report from atop our tiny mountain west of Fincastle, Virginia.

 *white blobs are reflection from lights*

All of the info is sent to this wireless station on our kitchen counter and gives us temperature, wind, barometric pressure, rainfall, time and the date will appear there also once my husband programs it to. Of course, we could just stick our noses out the door to see what the day is like, but techie dudes enjoy finding out this way.

Vultures On The Hill

 When we purchased our home, the eaves all drained underground to a nicely done *ahem* drainage ditch and it all flowed downhill away from the house out into to a ravine in the wooded area of our property.

But, my husband wants this area of the yard leveled off and a pergola built at some point in the future, so he moved the original drainage ditch further away.

 *Izzy takes a slide down the hill*

 The downspouts/eaves, were still ending up here.... and the water would bubble up into the yard when the eaves were full of rainwater, so, he extended the drainage tubes and now all eave water goes down into the woods and joins up where the other drainage ditch empties out.

*if that doesn't make sense to you it really doesn't matter*

 It was about 30 feet from where the water bubbling up in the yard was, to the wooded area, and he spent a number of hours digging this trench and then laying the drainage hose,

 and then covering it all up again.

 *you will note that there are two vultures up on the hilltop*

 By the end of the day all was covered up with dirt and we are hoping that grass will grow back, although knowing my husband there will be another project in the future in this area with more digging...

These two did a fine job of supervising.... they certainly have enough practice at it!

His Project

 Izzy took a long look at the basement stairwell.

 

Then said, "Mama, something is different here".

 

 

 "Why yes.... yes it is my very observant little Isabelle."

 Prior to last week, this stairwell had a small dry wall, brown painted shelf on the right.  It was hard to dust it off and it added nothing to the look of this area of the house.

 So, my husband built and attached a long wooden shelf that is painted white, and I had plans for this.

In fact.... an hour after it was completed he said that he wondered why it was not yet filled with knick knacks and paddy whacks.

 SO, I found two framed pieces that I had purchased in Maryland about 12-14 years ago for our kitchen, took the artwork out, printed out some photos of our daughters and their husbands and placed them on this ledge/shelf along with a few things that my husband brought back from his trip to Russia last year.

 I would love to have been able to print out something larger than 8x10s, so I may need to purchase a couple of larger items to add to the mix.

 It will probably always be a work-in-progress and a place where I can easily change photos out from time to time without having to hammer any holes in the walls.

Just easy placement of framed photos or art that can lean against the wall.

 Yes, Rowdy.... you may come down with me while I snap four photos and then we can turn around and go right back upstairs.

*he can't be left alone, you know*

The carpet is a brown shag that was installed by the previous owner... yes, you read that right.  BROWN SHAG!

My husband has measured and as soon as I go select a great wearing berber that will stand up to the dogs going up and down these stairs with sometimes dirty paws, then it will be replaced.

One change at a time in this house makes it our home.