[gardeners] Weekend report

George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 11 Aug 2003 09:41:51 -0500

Left about noon last Friday to drive over to daughter's new home in 
Tomball, TX. Looonnng drive for me anymore, about 3.5 hours total. 
Mapped out a different route home so it took nearly an hour less, lots 
of back roads involved.

Since both our grandsons have moved out the daughter got a smaller home, 
about 600 square feet smaller, moved from 2000 square feet into about 
1450 square feet. Large kitchen and dining area but not a lot of 
cabinets. Small lot so not a lot of mowing to do. She moved off of two 
acres so sold the chain saw, riding mower, and the big Troybilt tiller.
The new house also has a fireplace but I cut a panel to fit the opening 
and she's going to paint it to match the bricks there and then caulk it 
into place. By coincidence the trim on her house is almost exactly the 
same color as the trim on ours.

Ran two more phone jacks, put in a motion sensor light over the garage 
doors, got her non-riding mower running and replaced the blade, old 
blade looked like the boys had been mowing rocks. We got some plastic 
trellis, two sheets 4X8 feet, and some treated posts and built a shade 
for her ac unit. It's in direct sun, is 20 years old, and too small for 
the house in my opinion. With the trellis in place it seemed to run less 
so she may be able to wait a year to replace it. She is going to replace 
the flooring in the house as it is old and past due for replacement. 
Looks like she will get ceramic tile throughout as she and daughter both 
have allergies.

Got to visit with both of her sons, the DIL, and most importantly, ZOE 
MICHALA ROBERTSON, our only great-grand at the moment. The caps denote 
shouting as that is how Miss Zoe announces herself nowadays. Such a joy 
to have that little girl around trying to help ggranpa work.

Only gardening content is we did get the tall grass mowed, took two trys 
to keep from scalping it. We also hauled over lots of potted herbs (she 
has a greenhouse window in her kitchen), daylillies, gingers, and iris. 
Now she has something to pretty up the place and replace the Mexican 
heather, unidentifiable green stuff, and generally spruce up the joint. 
Previous owners worked, slept, and worked evidently, no evidence of 
gardening whatsoever.

Life is truly good.

George