Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Mr. and I and our two little furkids spent the last two weeks in Washington state with our daughter and son-in-law. The cherry trees and apple trees were in full bloom and the rhododendron and other blooming foliage were spectacular! The mossy growth above is at the base of the cherry tree in their backyard and the cherry tree is huge as you can see by the 6 foot fence in the background. The weather was very cooperative as the Mr. spent a good deal of time under the house? Why, you might ask?
He was renovating the main floor bathroom. She spent many trips shuttling him back and forth to the big hardware store for parts and he helped the Mr. with the removal of the tub and the numerous other obstacles encountered with this undertaking. That is another story for another time. Her best friend from Virginia flew out and his sister and some of their friends came to support Erica in her first screen print poster display for the Artwalk held last week in Olympia.
I got to see first hand how the process of stretching screen fabric, applying emulsion, exposing the images and printing the colors, evolved into a finished poster. There was also a Parade of the Species which is an annual event in which the local residents participate. This was no small event either. Hundreds of people of all ages dressed in costumes, mostly homemade as various species. We had to guess at some of the interpretations, but there was sea life...crabs, shells, fish, seaweed, mermaids etc. There were bugs of all kinds, lady bugs, butterflies, bees, etc. There were dogs, cats, apes, hippos....you name it. There were lots of bands, very few with traditional instruments...drums from 10 gallon paint buckets and water bottles..let your imagination go wild. Then we all went back to their home for an evening of drink and great food..all prepared by Erica and her friend and I helped a little. She and Jeffery were two busy people the entire time, but we all enjoyed the trip.

So I am back at the keyboard just in time for another snow storm!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Oooops!



I blew my new year resolution to be better at posting, but gee....I find so much to do! Stay with me...I will try more! We finished the basement bathroom and here are a few pics of the finished project. Remember, there were no walls..nothing! The shower was elevated to accommodate the plumbing without having to tear up the concrete. We have done that before.


The larger tiles were installed on the shower step because they have a matte textured surface which was a safety precaution and we think they look great.
We spent the weekend in Saratoga at a pool tournament and the Mr. did quite well. The roads were closed Fri a.m., but we did make it out after they opened the interstate. It snowed on Sat and Sun and we made it home OK although the wind blew with pretty strong gusts. It is storming now as I type and this is springtime in the Rockies. I have columbine up, tulips, dianthus, alium, canterbury bells, delphinium and more. Brave little souls they are! I cannot wait to get my hands in the earth and see what survived this brutal winter!

"The trouble with gardening is that it does not remain an avocation. It becomes an obsession."
~ Phyllis McGinley