The Landscaping Saga and Beyond

 

Home Sweet Home

It hasn't been long since my previous post, but I have memories to add to this journal, so here I am. The above photo is how our front yard looks today. The photo below is how it was yesterday:

removing the old lawn

On Wednesday, after waiting from 8am to 5:30 pm and in that time placing phone calls that automatically went into voice mail, our promised yard contract saw absolutely no progress. To say we were angry and frustrated would be an understatement. By days' end we were finally told the scheduling in the office had messed up (duh!) and they would be out the following day. We impressed on them that "sooner would be better than later" since one of us had a dental appointment in the afternoon.

Gary (in white shorts) speaks to the supervisor

To their credit, the very next morning shortly after 8am a literal army of trucks showed up all along and across the street from our house. I lost count how many vehicles there were, maybe 5. 

8 men working

Many men wearing matching chartreuse, company logo T-shirts jumped out and after a brief consultation with Gary, began tearing up the existing lawn (what remained after severe winter-kill, extreme drought conditions for months) in preparation for the new sod. 

our new lawn on the flatbed truck

With all the right equipment, tools, and obvious necessary skills this army of men "got to it!!" with determination to get the job done well and in a timely manner.They reminded me of ants working hard and fast to accomplish their goals.

I admit that in spite of my irritation at the delay and lack of communication the day before, I was impressed with how well the job was carried out. We watched the entire process within their view -- not leaving any opportunity for people to goof off. There was none of that.

the end result!

As you can see, they did a good job. As the men cleaned up the work area, Gary was instructed how to water the new lawn for the first 30 days as the roots grow down into the soil to take hold. 

Then today we went to our water company to let them know that in these continued drought conditions, we will be exceeding the current rule to water only once a week. They understood. Their computer system issues naughty notices when their meters tell them a homeowner is exceeding the requirements; but today we were told it's okay to ignore that if/when it comes. Keep our paperwork and all should be well. 

It was time for fun. Gary suggested we have lunch at Swampy's, a riverside grill about 20 minutes from our house. I'm not sure we've been there since last fall, and it is one of my fav places, so off we went.

We've had the burgers many times in the past, and they are good. I snapped this picture of the menu to prove to those not familiar with Florida cuisine that serving alligator is not at all unusual. What would be unusual was if Gary or I would order that. We don't dine on reptiles. (The very idea makes me want to upchuck!!)

looking south on the Rainbow River and
the Hwy 484 bridge

About 90 percent of the dining tables at Swampy's are open air (no walls), with a small indoor seating area. But a huge draw to this place are the water-front tables. It's also a good idea to show up before the crowds, which we did.

looking north on the Rainbow River 

Countless times on this blog I have written of my love for eating within view of water. While that was pretty hard to do in my former home state of Colorado, here in Florida it's an easy goal to attain.

kayak traffic on the river

We have been a part of the river traffic in the past. The first time was via a shared kayak and the second time in a canoe. Both adventures were new to me, experiences Gary has given me (along with zip-lines, a couple of airboat rides, and steering a 2-seat catamaran).

Us

I do not mean to belittle myself when I honestly state that in comparison to my former self who preferred to sit for hours hunched over needlework and was a fraidy-cat to try athletic amusements, with Gary I've enjoyed amazing adventures. 

(Apparently my theme song has become, "What I Did For Love.")

Our food came and we thoroughly enjoyed it. My friend Sheila commented that the servings at Swampy's are huge. Well, yes, they are generous, but this open-faced Philly sandwich is smaller when folded over. But with that said, we couldn't finish all of our French fries, and I forgot to eat my pickle.

After the long wait for the landscaping project to get started, then the furious activity to get it done, and concerns regarding the water company, it was so good to get that all behind us. 

Today's retreat to a quiet place was wonderful. We are thankful to have that work done and to now be able to enjoy the fruits of labor, eat well, and doze in our recliners.

Arise, my love,

my beautiful one,

and come away.

Song of Solomon 2:10

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

Journaling on the Front Porch

Today's writing prompts were provided by Joyce with her Hodgepodge questions for June 3rd. Click on the link below if you want to link up with your blog.

http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/2026/05/hodgepodge-questions-volume-656.html

1.What's something you find extremely difficult that most people would say is simple?

I cannot snap my fingers. Never have been able to do it. When I needed to snap my fingers to get my small children's attention without speaking, I would wave my hands or pat the floor -- neither of which is anywhere as effective as snapping one's fingers.

2.  "And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow fast in movies I  had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer." 

~F. Scott Fitzgerald

Does the season of summer make you feel this way? Elaborate. 

Summer is not my favorite season, mostly due to the heat and bugs, so I don't relate to this piece by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I do remember the wondrous freedom I felt as a schoolgirl when summer vacation began.

3. Pickles. Love 'em or no thank you? What's your favorite type of pickle? What's something you eat that definitely needs a pickle added?

Yes, I like pickles, especially sweet ones. These are some of the best I've ever had: Fickle Pickles

4. Tis the season...do you know any June brides? Are there any weddings on your summer calendar? What's your favorite movie wedding? 

Right off hand, no, I don't know of any June brides nor am I aware of any summer weddings this year.

My favorite movie wedding? How about my favorite movies with a wedding in them? 

5. June 1st is/was National Say Something Nice Day...say something nice here. 

The kind comments left on my blog have encouraged me time and again over the years.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Sharing snapshots of current events around here, none of which is terribly exciting but definitely has helped us to fall asleep easily while watching TV! 😆 Posting in the order in which the pictures were taken (which is the order in which these thrilling activities happened):

Modeling my new wide-brimmed hat for the cute photographer (see his shadow). I'm pulling weeds and depositing them in an old bucket. 

Look closely to see the metal tool in my right hand. We have had a Black Racer snake patrolling our property for a couple of years. Said to be "the good kind," because he's not venomous and he eats mice, etc (geckos, too, I assume), neither Mr Snake nor I want to encounter each other. 

🙄 You may have seen on the TV news this past weekend Robert Kennedy Jr. (our current Secretary of Health and Human Services) at the Florida home of Dr. Mehmet Oz (our current Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) handling a couple of these Black Racer snakes as they were mating.  They bit him in self-defense, which is painful, but he was not especially concerned because they are not poisonous. 

HOWEVER, snake mouths carry bacteria. Treatment should be a thorough washing with warm soap and water, followed by application of an antibacterial ointment and a bandage. Then the wounds should be monitored for signs of infection. 

Anyway, I carry a defensive tool with me when I am outside pulling weeds, and sometimes I sing to myself -- both activities to inform the snake that I'm around with the hopes he'll slither away.  I promise you I'll not be purposefully touching any snakes!!!

In another snapshot taken that same day, Gary was blowing pine needles off our rock, a noisy but much less scary aspect of yard work! You can see in this picture one of several examples of Asian art we have as a tribute to Gary's 3 military assignments in that part of the world in years past.

These are clippings from some of the rose bushes in our front yard.  Years ago I embroidered the clusters of flowers on this doily. There are a lot of French Knots in there!

As I type this while sitting on our front porch, we are waiting for our landscapers to show up with new sod (St. Augustine grass) for our front yard. As Gary has often said, "There's a secret to growing grass in Florida, but I don't know what it is!!" We live in a gated +55 community with a hefty monthly HOA fee, so there's pressure to have a smart-looking lawn.

With the new sod coming, we decided to take out the ring of curved bricks and rocks surrounding the Holly tree and have the grass grow right up to the base of the tree trunk. Gary set the curved bricks out on the driveway and I posted this snapshot on our neighborhood Facebook page. That was right after breakfast. Long before lunch, somebody took us up on the free offer!

We both knelt on our rubber knee pads to scrape up the rock from the tree's base and carry it to the driveway where Gary hosed it off thoroughly. Then the rocks were added to other ares of our landscaping. It was a labor-intensive task in our Florida heat and humidity (sweat rolling down the center of my back...); but as I said earlier, we later fell asleep in our recliners while watching our TV shows!

This is a Crepe Myrtle tree. They are blooming all over around here now and are just gorgeous. Most of them are pink, lavender, and sometimes white. But the ones I like the best are this dark red (almost crimson). We don't have one in our yard (they are kinda messy when the flowers fall off). I took this snapshot while on one of our bike rides.

Bringing this summary of our current events to a close, this is the puzzle I'm working on now. I found it in Gary's china hutch when we got married. He's had it for so long that he doesn't remember how it came into his possession. The design is CRAZY, but it's only 300 oversized pieces, the kind of puzzle I like the best, so every day I work on it for a few minutes. 

My readers know I don't discuss politics on my blog. I just don't want to field the comments it brings.. With that said, I close with this verse that is an excellent prayer prompt:

So then let us pursue the things

which make for peace

and the building up of one another.

Romans 14:19

Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

Graduating Out of May With the Hodgepodge

 

United States Air Force Academy graduation 
from a previous year

Responding (late) to Joyce's Wednesday Hodgepodge questions,  I'm touching on several subjects. If you want to link up to the Hodgepodge on your blog, click here.

1. Do you like your name? Are you named after someone (grandparent, etc)? If you have children how did you choose their names? 

The name "Barbara" means "beautiful stranger." While the "beautiful" part is debatable (depending if it's a good hair day or not 🤭), I have spent more years than some as a "stranger." The careers of both my father and my first husband transferred my family many times. I'm very experienced as the new kid at school and the new mom on the block.

Do I like my name? Yes, now I do, and most especially since my husband told me on one of our first dates that he likes my name. People have asked me over the years if I want to be called "Barbara" or "Barb." I've been open to both, but as I age, I really don't like being called "Barb" because I don't want to be a barb (a sharp point or a cutting remark) to anyone. But if you call me Barb, I'll just let it go.

My father liked a first cousin with this name and so that's why he gave it to me. My late husband and I debated for a long time regarding the names for our children. That was a long time ago.

2.  A piece of red velvet cake, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of blueberry pie? You can only have one...which will you choose? If you could pick any red, white, or blue dessert other than those listed here, what would you choose? 

Those are some tough choices because I would not turn any of them down. Since it's 90 degrees outside right now, I'll go with the vanilla ice cream.

If I were to choose any other red, white, or blue dessert that, too, would be tough. Just about the only dessert I can think of that I DON'T like is mincemeat pie. But since you asked, I'll say that Strawberry Pretzel Dessert. is a favorite. (click on the name for a link to the recipe)

3.  What's a job you'd like to try for just one day? 

I have been pondering this question since Joyce came out with this week's Hodgepodge questions and I honestly can't think of a burning desire to try any job that I haven't already done. Of the several jobs I have had, my favorite was the receptionist at a Christian radio station back in the mid-1990s in Colorado Springs.

4. Any patriotic decor in your home currently or coming up this summer? 

Yes, in my previous blog post I shared a snapshot of the dish towel Phylis had sent to me. Here it is again, this time on our refrigerator handle. 

In my husband's office is the flag his late wife was given when she retired from government service. 

In our living room is the flag given to me at my late husband's gravesite service. Pictured above is a tribute to our late spouses. It was Gary's idea that we set this up. His wife is pictured on the right and the photo on the left is of me with my late husband and our Cocker Spaniel.

You'll see this snapshot again in July. I cross stitched this design in 2019. The pattern is by Heart in Hand, "4th of July Bird." To order this pattern, click here.

5. It's the end of May, so let's exercise our brains. Sum up your month with an acrostic using the word MAY. We can do it!!  

I am drawing an absolute blank with this one, so I came up with a sentence using the 3 letters given. 

Many patterned And Yellow pieces make up my newest puzzle project.

300 oversized puzzle pieces

I'm interested to see how other bloggers respond to this question!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

As this month wraps up, there are a lot of graduations. FaceBook has posted some photos from a previous year's graduation ceremonies at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). I have lived in Colorado Springs twice in past years, a truly beautiful place. Of the pictures posted on FB this week from the USAFA, this one is my favorite:

This is where the graduates get their diplomas with the Rocky Mountains to the West and the Air Force Thunderbirds flying over the football stadium. 

Here is a blessing for graduates:

The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face to shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

Memorial Day Weekend 2026

borrowing this from Mari's Little Corner

The above graphic is from Mari's blog today at http://marislittlecorner.blogspot.com/2026/05/memorial-day.html. I hope and trust she will forgive me for copying her message. It's just so accurate and appropriate (and "storing it" on my blog is a good way for me to save it for future reference.)

Once we understand the purpose of this special day, it seems odd to me to wish people a "Happy Memorial Day." Nobody wishes us "Happy Grief and Mourning" when our dear ones have passed, so why should it be any different when we focus on the dying sacrifices of our military? Sometimes we say the most inane things without thinking first. 

Okay, I'll step down from my soap box now. I feel certain the majority of my readers are in agreement with me on this. What follows are various snapshots from this weekend, (mostly) in the order in which they were taken.

My newest hobby or passion is jigsaw puzzles. I've brought this up before. 

It has been so much fun that a couple of times when I stepped away to attend to other things, somebody else took up where I left off. 🥰

The previous puzzle (below) was a bit of a bear to assemble. 500 pieces that didn't always fit together nicely, and a lot of dark, non-descript parts.

But (with help) I got it done. I didn't want to think of myself as a quitter, so it's done and now taken apart, returned to its box. It's an illustration and a reminder to think carefully before committing to things.

This one (above) is now done. It was so much fun because it was only 300 larger-than-usual pieces, and had many definitive patterns. It will be returned to Jersey Girl this week and I'll be on the look-out for more that are similar to this one.

In late April, Mari posted her recipe for Mini Air Fryer Cherry Hand Pies. (click on the title for the recipe) The idea of little hand-sized pies fascinated me, so I decided to give it a try. I used canned apple pie filling instead of cherry.

You roll out a prepared pie crust so it's flat, and then use a 3-inch diameter biscuit cutter to cut the individual pie crusts.

Mine weren't near as pretty as Mari's. Go to her blog to see her beautiful handiwork.

The first batch cooked nicely in our air fryer. They really are a convenient snack size. Translation: you can't eat just one!! 

For my next batch, I decided to use apple butter from a jar instead of apple pie filling.... I just wanted to see if it would work. I'm wondering if any jam would work, too. Jellies might be too runny??

They don't last long and they were very tasty.

Although it was our intention to have a quiet weekend, with pretty much just the two of us at home, we did have unexpected guests in the back yard. A lot of Ibis (white birds with long skinny beaks poking into the ground in search of bugs) have been in our neighborhood the past several weeks. They tend to be only a little tame, so I snapped their picture through the window screen and left them to their foraging. They are beautiful birds and do not harm anything that concerns us.

"You are not forgotten"

Specific to this holiday weekend, Gary put out his black POW/MIA flag. He likes to post it on the Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

Then on Memorial Day, he posts the American flag. 

In the spirit of celebratory American themes, I had some leftover apple pie filling from the earlier project, so an apple pie was created (larger than the mini pies). An "emergency trip" to the grocery store was required for ice cream .....

After church on Sunday (we watch the service from home), we tuned in to the Indianapolis 500 race.

Indy 500

Of course, this event was dimmed by the untimely passing of famous race car driver, Kyle Busch. This weekend is particularly sobering.

Today, the actual holiday, we rode our bicycles through the neighborhood. Traffic was much less, which greatly adds to our enjoyment of the ride. For lunch, Gary grilled our steaks and served them with French fries. 

We watched the ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, appreciating how it is well-planned and carried out in every aspect. Gary tells me that in the many years he lived in the Washington DC area, he attended this ceremony in person a couple of times.

purchase info

This afternoon I began working on the book study one of my neighbors is hosting for the next several weeks. Getting together with neighbor gals to discuss Scripture and watch the accompanying video is enjoyable.

This dish towel from Phyllis sums up the weekend. How thankful we are for those who put themselves "out there" for the sake of freedom. May God comfort those who grieve over the ones who did not come back.

Like many of you, I can say this verse is true:

The Lord is close

to the brokenhearted

and saves those who

are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara