tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10963934542997145672024-03-13T09:46:47.540-05:00Leaning OakMarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-41635179368848967052017-06-22T19:28:00.001-05:002017-07-02T16:03:34.664-05:00Outdoor Spaces<div style="text-align: justify;">
When we began planning this house, which was immediately after purchasing the land, accessing the outdoors was a priority. We wanted social places in the front (50-foot by 10-foot front porch -- 3 m X 15 m) and the back with our roughly 20-foot (6 m) square covered lanai. The porch on the apartment in which my father-in-law lives also has a 10-foot (3 m) porch. The porches and lanai have fans and recessed lighting so the areas can be used comfortably in the day and the evening. We integrated such ideas into our house plans because we wanted to enjoy the land as much as the house.</div>
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The access of our four remaining acres of woods (of our five total acres, ~ 2.0 ha) was always in our discussions. We knew we wanted to access the woods -- why have them if we cannot enjoy them? A trail loop in the woods was a minimum requirement. As there was no timeline for finalizing the plan for our outdoor spaces, ideas came and went, and some had staying power. We knew we wanted to keep our property as wildlife-friendly as possible, so whatever we did could not destroy significant habitat and shelter.</div>
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The first area to make "people-friendly" was the anterior of the woods. This area had naturally very low ground cover, bare in many places, due to the grove of American Holly trees which occupied the area. It was this grove which we used to set the limits on how far back from the road our campus would sit. We wanted to make sure that the construction of the house and its disruption of the surface soil would not impact this native space. The anterior of the woods extends approximately 71 feet (21.64 m) from the graded yard area, which itself extends 112 feet (34.15 m) from the back of the main house.</div>
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The first improvement to the anterior was to mow the grasses and flora to improve human access:</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OmHG8rVfwQ8/WUvitpkVaoI/AAAAAAAArlc/VMiY_MAbQgosN74oMBfxoO7Imnx8nWozQCKgBGAs/s1600/20170307_093727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OmHG8rVfwQ8/WUvitpkVaoI/AAAAAAAArlc/VMiY_MAbQgosN74oMBfxoO7Imnx8nWozQCKgBGAs/s200/20170307_093727.jpg" width="200" /> </a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ce1PyT0tOSA/WUvitncUm3I/AAAAAAAArlc/zwR9wW6AhHw_9eua8mocNUzXgOqevWFzACKgBGAs/s1600/20170318_154411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ce1PyT0tOSA/WUvitncUm3I/AAAAAAAArlc/zwR9wW6AhHw_9eua8mocNUzXgOqevWFzACKgBGAs/s200/20170318_154411.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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The picture on the left is "before" and the one on the right -- though a different zoom -- is "after". The log on the right side of the right-hand picture is the same as the log in the "before" picture. Note the arched holly tree near the left-center of the "after" picture -- it comes into play in our outdoor spaces design.</div>
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The first element or "people space" which was added was that of a fire pit. We will always have debris to burn, and the opportunity to share memorable times with family and friends around a fire. The fire pit is a good solution for both. Ours is three feet (0.915 m) in diameter:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fire pit in the anterior of the woods. Border Collie is optional, but usually required.</td></tr>
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The logs are re-purposed from a 90+ year-old Loblolly pine (pinus taeda) which we lost to the home construction. Its remnants are used throughout our outdoor spaces. I used pavers resting upon landscape fabric to give the pavers a unified platform, and then used pea gravel to further level the pavers with respect to one another.</div>
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The next space of the anterior woods to enhance was beneath the arched holly. The holly was naturally arched, no doubt its attempt to get more sunshine in heavy woods. As a result, we have a natural arbor. I used a pole-trimmer to clear the branches below the trunk, allowing people to sit comfortably beneath its beauty.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beneath the holly: at first I made it for the only two Adirondack chairs we<br />
had, but it was so pleasant that Pam purchased two more chairs (next photo).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cm7rjXPtSMI/WUvoJdj3ToI/AAAAAAAArl0/_apbCnFwF0Y7wARaG82p2bq5rm3ckvIggCKgBGAs/s1600/20170515_124529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cm7rjXPtSMI/WUvoJdj3ToI/AAAAAAAArl0/_apbCnFwF0Y7wARaG82p2bq5rm3ckvIggCKgBGAs/s400/20170515_124529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the addition of two more chairs, the number of pavers expanded from<br />
15 to 36. It was the right thing to do, and the photo shows the midday shadows.</td></tr>
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The fire pit area and the holly arbor area are the only places added to the anterior. A swing, which was first hung shortly after we bought the property for our then-one-year-old grandson (he's almost nine years old, now), was replaced last spring with a round horizontal mesh swing, to the delight of all the children who visit.</div>
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Tackling the interior of the woods would require more effort -- it would require machines. I hired a contractor to use a forestry mulcher (here is a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iC557Jp6Hc" target="_blank">LINK</a> to one at work in our area of Texas), like the one we used when we first cleared our property, to create a path in the woods. I gave him an idea of the path I wanted, and then turned him loose. His experience gave us a nice "boulevard" in the woods. He did pause and contact me from time to time to discuss ideas or questions which came to mind while he was mulching the path, just to make sure we were on the same page and that I got what I wanted. It is always good to work with professionals who understand service.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo of our dogs and grand-dog (the cream-colored retriever) running fast<br />
and free on our newly-cleared trail. The width will make the path both comfortable<br />
and easy to maintain in the years to come.</td></tr>
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In addition to the trail, I guided the contractor to create some "social spaces" in the woods -- places where people could sit, visit, read, meditate, reflect -- whatever a person or persons might want to do while enjoying the woods. Most of the log sections for creating these spaces came from the 90 year-old pine which we had to cut down, and these sections were pulled into the spaces with our UTV. Further cutting was required and placement was done by hand.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oEWxpFa38C4/WUxbsnquKlI/AAAAAAAArmU/128FAWglzJwTKpyJH0FbNkXN8P-iNVi-gCKgBGAs/s1600/20170516_110100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oEWxpFa38C4/WUxbsnquKlI/AAAAAAAArmU/128FAWglzJwTKpyJH0FbNkXN8P-iNVi-gCKgBGAs/s400/20170516_110100.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the first area when one takes the right-hand side of the trail (facing<br />
away from the house). It has four seats, a "table", and a log for more than<br />
one person (in case you like to sit close to someone).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J1yfc8-Ht-A/WUxbsqSJDvI/AAAAAAAArmU/pLVIdyGo3ekccwcBqd51QRdaKbXFN11nwCKgBGAs/s1600/20170516_104648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J1yfc8-Ht-A/WUxbsqSJDvI/AAAAAAAArmU/pLVIdyGo3ekccwcBqd51QRdaKbXFN11nwCKgBGAs/s400/20170516_104648.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This space is called "Fern Overlook" and is on the bank above the creek which<br />
runs through the back of our property at roughly the boundary.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g66vqXs1RbU/WUxbsqPYL5I/AAAAAAAArmU/f82hjcj4h8kz0JkkJ9uzzOIl_Hxs16M1wCKgBGAs/s1600/20170516_104451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g66vqXs1RbU/WUxbsqPYL5I/AAAAAAAArmU/f82hjcj4h8kz0JkkJ9uzzOIl_Hxs16M1wCKgBGAs/s400/20170516_104451.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just for fun, I call this "Adirondack Point", so named for the green resin<br />
Adirondack chair which I found in the bushes -- a victim of the record<br />
April 2016 rains when it rained 17 inches (43.2 cm) in 20 hours. The bushes<br />
in the background are at least eight feet (2.44 m) above the creek in normal <br />
conditions. Last spring was not normal.</td></tr>
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Fern Overlook (wild native ferns growing on the bank of the creek):</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L8XHYi1Gz5o/WUxduZ_cK_I/AAAAAAAArmg/GOxH9MQjpL4ED72BwMjgrLroRTy1agj0wCKgBGAs/s1600/20170424_144403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L8XHYi1Gz5o/WUxduZ_cK_I/AAAAAAAArmg/GOxH9MQjpL4ED72BwMjgrLroRTy1agj0wCKgBGAs/s400/20170424_144403.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We just planted wood ferns which are native to Texas behind the seating area of the first social space cited above. This place gets very soggy after heavy rains, and I am hoping the combination of grass which I have sown and the ferns (wood ferns spread as they grow) will prevent the area from becoming a mosquito breeding ground after heavy rains.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HR1M7IMfYEI/WUxeikRaEUI/AAAAAAAArmo/7nX_X53dSgkpmDJ9wWq_6zXN-NOa-wQ4wCKgBGAs/s1600/20170620_171808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HR1M7IMfYEI/WUxeikRaEUI/AAAAAAAArmo/7nX_X53dSgkpmDJ9wWq_6zXN-NOa-wQ4wCKgBGAs/s400/20170620_171808.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Last, but not least, the fountain we ordered finally arrived, and with help from my son-in-law, we installed it among the potted bougainvilleas. The fountain is the last landscape element on the campus. While the replanting of failed plants, nurturing the lawn areas, and general outdoor maintenance will continue, the landscape design implementation for Leaning Oak is now complete.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kcE2iESk5ws/WUxfffTgprI/AAAAAAAArmw/5xbJM2juwzgcuA8gCv3oFI1mvLmqE-9CACKgBGAs/s1600/20170616_184437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kcE2iESk5ws/WUxfffTgprI/AAAAAAAArmw/5xbJM2juwzgcuA8gCv3oFI1mvLmqE-9CACKgBGAs/s640/20170616_184437.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-4487265045896034292017-03-07T07:59:00.000-06:002017-03-07T07:59:58.403-06:00Spring (official) is fast approaching...<div style="text-align: justify;">
People "up North" might argue that deep in coastal Texas we do not have winter, but various stages of their fall and spring. That might be true, in a general sense, but I would counter and argue that it only gets 18 F (-8 C) in WINTER, which is what we experienced in January. We lost some plants, but that is all behind us now. We are rapidly approaching the first day of Spring, and with it comes preparations for green and growth.</div>
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<i>Just for the record, any link I post here is for informational purposes only: I do not profit in any way, and have included the 'nofollow' tag as well.</i></div>
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I have already cleared the beds of the fallen leaves of autumn, and the pre-emergent is down to thwart wild grasses and other unwanted annoyances from taking over the beds. I have walked around with <a href="http://www.grampasgardenware.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grampa's Weeder</a> and plucked scores (if not hundreds) of crabgrass remnants, dandelion, and other center-tap weeds and grasses out by the roots. This is one of the best and most useful tools in my garage. I have sharpened my reel mower, guided by the video found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ixb3zYqq44" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> (I have the same mower). I have re-worked/repaired some of the bullrock in our high-water drain areas, and made adjustments adjacent to to the house. All of the lantana, irises, and muhly have been cut back and fed to facilitate new growth. There remains the trimming of the boxwood and dwarf yaupon, which will happen over the next couple of days.<br />
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The Texoka buffalograss seed has been ordered, along with some blue grama. I have a couple of pounds of wildflower seeds arriving in the same order. I have begun monitoring <a href="https://www.etekcity.com/product/100040" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">soil temperature</a> to make sure I do not plant the grass seeds too early. Warm-weather grass seeds need to be sown when ground temperatures are staying above 60 F (15.5 C). I am in the process of leveling the ground in our "turf" areas next to the house. These are the areas of which we want a manicured lawn look as opposed to functional lawn areas or areas simply left native. In the functional lawn areas, there is a lot of clay and therefore bare spots. I have ordered (and expect this week) a <a href="http://www.agri-fab.com/Products/Groomers/48-inch-plug-aerator.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">lawn plug aerator</a> so that I can get soil conditioning treatments and grass seed into the ground.</div>
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We have planted eight Pink Muhly plants and one White Cloud Muhly. The Pink Muhly is planted in a bed adjacent to the garage and lanai; a bed which is still in the design fulfillment stage. It presently contains the eight Pink Muhly and a large urn containing bougainvillea. We will add another urn and bougainvillea, and as finances permit, a two-tier fountain.</div>
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Our most anticipated project of the spring is putting trails in our forest. It is still too wet -- about the time we are almost dry enough, it rains again. But we have a contractor and a bid in-hand. In addition to making the trails, they will remove some fallen trees and clear a couple of areas we want to use for fire pits. Our goal is to have our entire property (five acres/two hectares) accessible (while leaving it as natural as possible). We do have a couple of low areas in the forest which will likely require bridges to maintain ready access.<br />
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By the end of this summer, I hope to have the fountain, trails, and bridges in-place, and all the bare areas of the functional lawn covered in grass. Achieving that end starts now, before official Spring arrives, because it is Spring-enough here in Hockley, Texas. If I can accomplish these goals, it would imply that year three will be devoted to maintenance and selective adding of ornamentals. That will be a very good feeling.</div>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-48586343199025499372017-01-03T17:11:00.000-06:002017-01-03T17:11:36.956-06:00A big rain and a new year about to begin...<div style="text-align: justify;">
Our first year in this house, so far as move-in is concerned, is January 15, 2017. As you can tell from the blog posts, a lot of work has gone into making our home and the property more finished and functional. To be sure, there is more to do: finishing the bougainvillea bed and fountain, adding more pegboard in the garages, overseeding the grass in our "turf" areas, and creating trails and social spaces in our woods.</div>
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Yesterday morning we had very intense rain. It rained at a rate of one inch (2.54 cm) per hour for two hours. This was approximately the same rate as we experienced last spring, but it only lasted a couple of hours instead of 20 hours. This was by far the biggest test for our landscape engineering, and I was curious to see how well our combination of bullrock-work and French drains worked. The pictures which follow are shown in time-lapse order. Note that we would have standing water for at least two or three days prior to doing our hardscape work.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One can see that the "dry creek bed" is flowing water which is draining from<br />the culvert (upper center) and our property area to the left. The flow is slowed<br />which causes pooling as the bed turns into the drain channel (center right). The<br />water coming from the driveway to the left and through the front grove is<br />pooling as the drains and the pipe are completely in overflow condition.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZT_NV8sw60o/WGwrQjWibqI/AAAAAAAApQE/7LPffTIeUVw6RabiOpLoscZXpZt-8v2SwCKgB/s1600/20170102_081927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZT_NV8sw60o/WGwrQjWibqI/AAAAAAAApQE/7LPffTIeUVw6RabiOpLoscZXpZt-8v2SwCKgB/s400/20170102_081927.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The picture was taken just a few minutes after the rain subsided to a<br />very light drizzle. The culvert area is clearing and water levels are receding.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q8I8PsECd8I/WGwrQnSk9NI/AAAAAAAApQE/HmkXIEAOPXUuigZYIEyVIwYaLWk6HpdrwCKgB/s1600/20170102_082328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q8I8PsECd8I/WGwrQnSk9NI/AAAAAAAApQE/HmkXIEAOPXUuigZYIEyVIwYaLWk6HpdrwCKgB/s400/20170102_082328.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture was taken about five minutes after the previous photo..While the<br />drain channel (center right) is still full, the water is receding rapidly.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xeOR4kDh9Yg/WGwrQh9w0yI/AAAAAAAApQE/AppKHVzW84MVj4g4JBlEAt8MTsczKBHdACKgB/s1600/20170102_082826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xeOR4kDh9Yg/WGwrQh9w0yI/AAAAAAAApQE/AppKHVzW84MVj4g4JBlEAt8MTsczKBHdACKgB/s400/20170102_082826.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another five minutes, and the standing water in the lower left is almost gone,<br />and pooling in the dry creek bed is more isolated. The purpose of the dry creek<br />bed is to slow the water passing through it, which reduces the impact of erosion.<br />The French drains are capturing the water which would build up in the area<br />between the front grove of trees, the grass, and the driveway. It is draining so<br />well because we used six-inch diameter pipe instead of the standard four-inch<br />pipe. This gives us a little over twice the volume over a standard install and<br />is highly effective for us.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-azmHoFg6W00/WGwrQiFcXoI/AAAAAAAApQE/TgYgawhb1PUx0hVnZHgAd8oyIzGassbuQCKgB/s1600/20170102_084738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-azmHoFg6W00/WGwrQiFcXoI/AAAAAAAApQE/TgYgawhb1PUx0hVnZHgAd8oyIzGassbuQCKgB/s400/20170102_084738.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ten more minutes have passed, and the standing water is all but gone. The<br />drain channel is significantly lower, also. Prior to this effort, we would have had <br />standing water for two or three days after the rains stopped, and it would be <br />soggy for a couple of days thereafter. We are at the above state 30 minutes after <br />the rain relented. Today, I was walking in the area and not getting muddy.</td></tr>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-40627971852877996812016-12-16T10:21:00.000-06:002017-01-23T10:16:06.330-06:00Christmas at Leaning Oak<div style="text-align: justify;">
We had hoped to be in our house, hosting a family reunion, for Christmas 2015. It did not happen. It all worked out, anyway. That being said, 2016 is our first Christmas, and I'll admit, rushing to get decorated for the 2015 Christmas would have been painful. I am glad this is our first Christmas at Leaning Oak.</div>
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What we realized is that this house could not use all the decorations from our previous house. What does one do with stairway garland when there are no stairs? How do we arrange our Dicken's Village miniatures? What should the outside lighting be? Will our existing ornaments and lights work well on a tree which is 50% taller? The answer to the above questions? AART -- Adapt, Add, Replace, Toss (as in, "toss in the trash). The fine art of AART, at least for us, can be summarized, though not exhaustively, in the following:</div>
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Add: icicles lights along the roofline of the house, lighted swags to the coach-style security lights on the garages, potted and lighted evergreen trees for the lanai, deco-jars/lanterns for the inside fireplace, clustered ornaments for the new tree (Pam created the clusters by tying 4-6 red and gold plastic ornaments together), which has a surface area 2.3 times greater than our old tree. The clusters act as focal points, and by adding normal ornaments around them, it is easier to appreciate the normal-sized ornaments, otherwise, they get lost in the huge surface area of the tree.</div>
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Adapt: stairway garland to mantle and table garland, which meant making shorter sections and removing lights, and morphing an eclectic collection of gold-colored trees, ornaments, and angels into a centerpiece for the kitchen island.</div>
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Replace: the Christmas tree, as we bought the new one after Christmas in 2014 in anticipation of the 2015 Christmas. Buying the Balsam Hill tree after Christmas 2014 saved us about 40% in costs. We converted all of our lighting to LED, replacing all incandescent Christmas lighting. Our wire-frame outdoor nativity scene needed its incandescent rope lights replaced, which I did with new LED "strip lighting". The strip lighting is adhesive on one side, intended as an under-the-cabinet accent light. The adhesive side was ignored by me, as it would not endure the outdoor conditions nor stick well to the round steel of the nativity. I strapped the lighting to the nativity using white zip ties (after repainting the nativity with a high-gloss white paint to restore the nativity and give it more reflectance). The LED strip lighting was much more flexible than the incandescent rope light, and much easier to attach. It it also much brighter than the old rope lights ever were.<br />
<br />
Toss: we tossed several storage boxes of incandescent miniature string lights and net lights, a few boxes of generic ornaments we'll not need, the old tree, a couple of outdoor artificial lighted deciduous trees which really did not work for us anymore.</div>
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The pictures below give you an idea of what our first Christmas here will look like:</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xki6JMOqmjc/WFQMSmqsmbI/AAAAAAAApGg/4RxhhWHflt0mNXrnH2Vn0iNonj4MGnNQwCKgB/s1600/20161106_164746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xki6JMOqmjc/WFQMSmqsmbI/AAAAAAAApGg/4RxhhWHflt0mNXrnH2Vn0iNonj4MGnNQwCKgB/s320/20161106_164746.jpg" width="181" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tree is over 12 feet tall (3.7+ m)<br />
and adorned with 2000 LED lights.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5fZGwkNUwAY/WFQMSr2vtxI/AAAAAAAApGg/60X2CX42HREcgxEk25tjX8nnMIq5LRH5ACKgB/s1600/20161106_200301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5fZGwkNUwAY/WFQMSr2vtxI/AAAAAAAApGg/60X2CX42HREcgxEk25tjX8nnMIq5LRH5ACKgB/s320/20161106_200301.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tree at night, and the reddish<br />
decorations which are visible are<br />
the cluster ornaments, consisting<br />
of red and gold normal-sized ornaments<br />
tied together as one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mBHuL7UwRXU/WFQMSkpTq-I/AAAAAAAApGg/5x_ukDt2P80bChndKWXxyS3VqK034RmWACKgB/s1600/20161128_200150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mBHuL7UwRXU/WFQMSkpTq-I/AAAAAAAApGg/5x_ukDt2P80bChndKWXxyS3VqK034RmWACKgB/s640/20161128_200150.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Nativity as seen from the house. I placed it in the natural grove we have preserved in the front of the property. The<br />
branches of the live oak and the grasses lend to the look of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus being in an ancient stable.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dw1Ts6gTr6s/WFQMSs9NWcI/AAAAAAAApGg/Ke34aPf1Rh0Gsr1U2ff8d4jxiMNAZh-AgCKgB/s1600/20161209_104526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dw1Ts6gTr6s/WFQMSs9NWcI/AAAAAAAApGg/Ke34aPf1Rh0Gsr1U2ff8d4jxiMNAZh-AgCKgB/s400/20161209_104526.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Room is ready for Christmas. We adapted a stairway garland for the<br />
mantle, and placed our Dickens' Village in the shelves to the right of the<br />
fireplace -- a forethought in our design of this room.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YCQOVKQZW6Y/WFQMSur0z4I/AAAAAAAApGg/aoo4B1qdGRAZTKBkkMgFc01IKaCIMD8wACKgB/s1600/20161209_104602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YCQOVKQZW6Y/WFQMSur0z4I/AAAAAAAApGg/aoo4B1qdGRAZTKBkkMgFc01IKaCIMD8wACKgB/s400/20161209_104602.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a close-up of our indoor nativity and Dickens' Village miniatures. We<br />
did add "street lights" so that there is not a dark hole around the skating pond area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_37ohS4Tb0w/WFQMSq0y8wI/AAAAAAAApGg/xd-6TLHb6tEZjP-JPtblQ1h-3d_F-0v8ACKgB/s1600/20161209_105120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_37ohS4Tb0w/WFQMSq0y8wI/AAAAAAAApGg/xd-6TLHb6tEZjP-JPtblQ1h-3d_F-0v8ACKgB/s400/20161209_105120.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the centerpiece for the kitchen island (a.k.a, the kitchen 'continent'),<br />
surrounded by angel hair and gold garland. There is still plenty of room to<br />
prepare a meal, and this picture also highlights the flow from the kitchen to<br />
the Great Room, and yes, the far side of the island allows for bar seating.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w2JryTuljho/WFQMSi_DFBI/AAAAAAAApGg/2BMjQ9NNzCwsxXVLfBYozgtW9sni0lhiACKgB/s1600/20161210_211158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w2JryTuljho/WFQMSi_DFBI/AAAAAAAApGg/2BMjQ9NNzCwsxXVLfBYozgtW9sni0lhiACKgB/s640/20161210_211158.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We added these small evergreens to accent the lanai area. The lights<br />
are on timers and are set to be on for six hours and off for 18 hours.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cNjykEbxON0/WFQRg_i0SrI/AAAAAAAApG0/U2ah8pSTUc4rpYVrpYatMaLslpn05T4IQCKgB/s1600/20161209_104434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cNjykEbxON0/WFQRg_i0SrI/AAAAAAAApG0/U2ah8pSTUc4rpYVrpYatMaLslpn05T4IQCKgB/s400/20161209_104434.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the lanai in daylight, with the trees from the previous photo at the left<br />
of the fireplace, We added "NOEL" pillows and a seasonal centerpiece.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zvdjXrrvNQU/WFQMSoDNJ6I/AAAAAAAApGg/oWMaDsQ9SDcxWGmNVjLt7-lAArLR8OO1QCKgB/s1600/20161210_211434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zvdjXrrvNQU/WFQMSoDNJ6I/AAAAAAAApGg/oWMaDsQ9SDcxWGmNVjLt7-lAArLR8OO1QCKgB/s400/20161210_211434.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We have rockers and a table on either side of the front door, and so in your<br />
mind, mirror image this picture and you can "see" how the front porch looks.<br />
NOEL pillows adorn the chairs, and artificial trees accent the front door.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vAuaknOKVTg/WFQMSqWLmII/AAAAAAAApGg/6N_rr4_-MkADnHV4QXn3cZaMm8CALGsrgCKgB/s1600/20161210_211458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vAuaknOKVTg/WFQMSqWLmII/AAAAAAAApGg/6N_rr4_-MkADnHV4QXn3cZaMm8CALGsrgCKgB/s400/20161210_211458.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to our house just seemed to beg for icicle lights, and I complied, <br />
with pleasure. The whole roofline celebrated with me. I have been wanting to <br />
do this since we drew-up the facade in the architectural design phase. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5XHwsFVgsF4/WFQMSr0M_6I/AAAAAAAApGg/99kTCnQ4AQ88Ye9N0GXHvuquUzUdW8jCwCKgB/s400/20161129_195856.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As one can see, the icicle lights completely illuminate the front of the house,<br />
and turning on the porch lights is unnecessary. We had electrical outlets<br />
installed in the soffits to facilitate Christmas lighting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5XHwsFVgsF4/WFQMSr0M_6I/AAAAAAAApGg/99kTCnQ4AQ88Ye9N0GXHvuquUzUdW8jCwCKgB/s1600/20161129_195856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BXQHg08tSeI/WFQMStESgkI/AAAAAAAApGg/y0a8bjLxFngCKrGIcsjm6z8OviUdZn0dQCKgB/s1600/20161129_200025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BXQHg08tSeI/WFQMStESgkI/AAAAAAAApGg/y0a8bjLxFngCKrGIcsjm6z8OviUdZn0dQCKgB/s640/20161129_200025.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silent Night. Merry Christmas from our family to yours...</td></tr>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-49944809796875749402016-12-16T08:53:00.003-06:002016-12-16T08:53:49.750-06:00Finishing touch...<div style="text-align: justify;">
We had to re-think the area adjacent to the house where the dogs have their fenced-in area. It was originally planted with lantana, mulched, and had four-inch flagstone laid as a footpath. All that remained after a few months of puppies was the flagstone. Many holes were dug, some to see what is under the flagstone, some randomly placed for fun, and some in pursuit of the drainpipe that runs along the back of the house -- they found it about two feet down. Further, the boys remained a disaster, making it difficult to have them in the main areas of the house simply because they were always dirty or muddy. We swept the utility room (which they access through a dog-door and where their crates abide) twice a day, sweeping up half of a dustpan worth of dirt each time. We want the boys to spend more time inside with us, so a solution had to be found.</div>
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The solution was not easy, but has made life with the boys much fuller. I removed the flagstone from the area of concern. I then proceeded to use my landscaper's rake (the head of which is three feet wide (0.9m)) to level what I could. My older daughter and I then proceeded to add 14 bags of dirt (40 pounds each (18 kg)) to fill-in and tap-down the remaining holes and areas needing leveling. After that, we laid two four feet by 50 feet (1.2m by 15.24 m) rolls of chicken wire (a.k.a. "poultry net"). We anchored them in-place using landscaping stables. After that, we moved the flagstone back into position. We then covered the area with cypress mulch, which tends to stay when it gets wet as opposed to floating away as pine mulch can do. THe result is that the boys stay much cleaner, and we can let them in at-will.</div>
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Did it stop them from digging? Yes, once they paw through the mulch and hit the chicken wire, they stop. They still dig in the areas not covered by the chicken wire, which are all further away from the house. Lessons learned? Yes, when putting down the chicken wire, using the landscape staples to hold the ends is not enough alone. I had to go back and use straight wire to lash the chicken wire to the fence, and this kept them from pulling at the ends. If I could have gone under the fence and put the ends and staples out of their reach, it would have been fine to just use the staples.</div>
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Here are some pictures from the project, the last major landscaping effort (and a re-do at that!) for the main campus:</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ikzu3N04MrM/WFP9RFFYwPI/AAAAAAAApGM/TAVoisjTpHUbGwJVPG9jbypxXv6X402hwCKgB/s1600/20161004_081439_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ikzu3N04MrM/WFP9RFFYwPI/AAAAAAAApGM/TAVoisjTpHUbGwJVPG9jbypxXv6X402hwCKgB/s400/20161004_081439_002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see in this picture that all the lantana and mulch have been removed<br />by the presence of "the boys". It should be noted the unevenness of the surface<br />which is typical throughout the area, except out of picture to the right, where<br />deeper holes existed.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-syFfqfhp93Y/WFP9RJDy9pI/AAAAAAAApGM/FXGKHWfC4_sKtY4pQCU0ZANxmVkqq86HQCKgB/s1600/poultry%2Bnet%2Bin%2Bdog%2Barea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-syFfqfhp93Y/WFP9RJDy9pI/AAAAAAAApGM/FXGKHWfC4_sKtY4pQCU0ZANxmVkqq86HQCKgB/s320/poultry%2Bnet%2Bin%2Bdog%2Barea.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stones removed (ufff!), ground filled and<br />leveled, and now the sections of chicken wire<br />are in place. The boys were with us as we worked.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cMIAnHYqw0s/WFP9ROa6OWI/AAAAAAAApGM/YDEHcjjwYO0jGbHuCiuhTQxH-1Ld0tPZQCKgB/s1600/15350722_10157864867420494_3038248324133822025_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cMIAnHYqw0s/WFP9ROa6OWI/AAAAAAAApGM/YDEHcjjwYO0jGbHuCiuhTQxH-1Ld0tPZQCKgB/s320/15350722_10157864867420494_3038248324133822025_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys at the gate of the refurbished area.<br />They are a curious and affectionate pair.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wr3OprWLpFM/WFP9RNH-gKI/AAAAAAAApGM/XY8e4QOFRA082D4CO-2HIroJSjaE0f3AQCKgB/s1600/FB_IMG_1481240359162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wr3OprWLpFM/WFP9RNH-gKI/AAAAAAAApGM/XY8e4QOFRA082D4CO-2HIroJSjaE0f3AQCKgB/s640/FB_IMG_1481240359162.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product, highlighting the restored flagstone path. The re-do of the path helped fix some of the<br />shortcomings of the original effort. The bullrocks immediately in front of the extended porch were reworked to prevent<br />the rocks from sinking (weed-block material was put down before laying the chicken wire) and to integrate better with<br />the footpath and facilitate better water run-off.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IXN12yYE4tU/WFP9ROkDlkI/AAAAAAAApGM/oUuU2PD8WmY8aZGF_l0xKAtQ-SsP7-UQACKgB/s1600/20161213_085755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IXN12yYE4tU/WFP9ROkDlkI/AAAAAAAApGM/oUuU2PD8WmY8aZGF_l0xKAtQ-SsP7-UQACKgB/s640/20161213_085755.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and it is so nice to have them inside whenever I want...</td></tr>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-62440614338905588282016-12-01T07:05:00.001-06:002016-12-01T07:05:16.679-06:00Rains of fall are coming...<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here in the sub-tropical climate that is the upper Texas Gulf Coast, we basically have the dry season and the wet season each year -- not nearly as defined as Central America, but we get most of our rain from November through April. Ironically, hurricane season is basically May through October -- our hot and dry time of the year, unless a hurricane makes landfall.</div>
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Here is what we are looking toward weather-wise:</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XmfYi1YYbSk/WEAZgoeRKUI/AAAAAAAAo4Y/2Rz_G1CKcgI3oUwWMLxUm0ZMfbDzO6VqACLcB/s1600/Screenshot%2B2016-12-01%2Bat%2B06.28.58%2B-%2BDisplay%2B1%2B-%2BEdited.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XmfYi1YYbSk/WEAZgoeRKUI/AAAAAAAAo4Y/2Rz_G1CKcgI3oUwWMLxUm0ZMfbDzO6VqACLcB/s640/Screenshot%2B2016-12-01%2Bat%2B06.28.58%2B-%2BDisplay%2B1%2B-%2BEdited.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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All that blue area says we will see roughly 4.5 inches (11.43 cm) of rain through the weekend, and it could be as high as 6.0 inches (15.24 cm). This will be a big test for all the engineering we have done to manage water flow in and around the property. Our berm does have some grass on it -- I over-seeded with annual ryegrass a couple of weeks ago and it has germinated. The berm looks green, though the grass is still thin. Nonetheless, there is still straw and now grass, so the berm should stand well. There is a place adjacent to our outdoor stairs (actually, the only stairs on the property) which I will steady with some mulch today. I am interested to see how the French drains handle the drain, as we built them with twice the water capacity of a standard drain system.</div>
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When one builds on his own property, things like drainage are serious issues for the house, driveways, sidewalks, garages, plants, and the list goes on. Getting it right is crucial to protecting the value of the home. When one is in a residential development, all of these things are worked out before the streets are poured. Building on one's own lot? It falls to the shoulders of the owner. </div>
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If you have not yet built on your property, my advice is to go out and observe it during a heavy rain. Put on the rubber boots and walk it, paying attention to all water flow around every contour. Learn how water moves around and on your property. It will be very helpful during the house-placement and construction phases, especially to insure that construction traffic does not destroy vital flow patterns (as we experienced).</div>
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Christmas decorations are up, and I will have pictures in my next post.</div>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-87295182253780705022016-11-15T08:04:00.000-06:002016-11-15T08:04:20.394-06:00Everything has been put to bed, so to speak...<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yesterday I reached an important milestone: all areas immediately adjacent to the house have their landscaping done (OK, one area has a plan, which it did not have last week, and that plan will execute after the holidays) and we have entered into maintenance mode. The building of trails in our wooded area will be next year's project.</div>
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I brought in six yards of mulch, 1/2 yard of topsoil, 19 lantana, five coneflowers, and planted our three potted yellow mums. All the beds have been addressed. The maintenance remaining mostly involves lawn care, and overseeding the lawn areas when spring arrives.</div>
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Further, it is berry season now, and I have enclosed some pictures to highlight the colors which surround us.</div>
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Here are the pictures as we close this important chapter at Leaning Oak.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WxT3HtvweYc/WCsJxHkK4yI/AAAAAAAAors/6IfolwmRWKQNs_rcngwOsVjWg-JCo7THgCKgB/s1600/20161114_154331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WxT3HtvweYc/WCsJxHkK4yI/AAAAAAAAors/6IfolwmRWKQNs_rcngwOsVjWg-JCo7THgCKgB/s400/20161114_154331.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bed where the bougainvillea lives received fresh mulch -- 18 <br />
wheelbarrows of it. I also moved some spare flagstone to add accent.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qVBDJ8vEF8I/WCsJxBwleWI/AAAAAAAAors/dz9ao81SCA8UpN0qYzgh7BBYUlXgoPkDACKgB/s1600/20161114_154342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qVBDJ8vEF8I/WCsJxBwleWI/AAAAAAAAors/dz9ao81SCA8UpN0qYzgh7BBYUlXgoPkDACKgB/s400/20161114_154342.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bougainvillea will get a sister plant, and between the two of them, we<br />
will install a small fountain. The plan is set, and due to execute in early 2017.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9s9K9NzNPE/WCsJxLDBCbI/AAAAAAAAors/8_HVJT_rdpcB8uj9dYEmVWTlniZJOisfgCKgB/s1600/20161114_094203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9s9K9NzNPE/WCsJxLDBCbI/AAAAAAAAors/8_HVJT_rdpcB8uj9dYEmVWTlniZJOisfgCKgB/s400/20161114_094203.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stairs and terrace received their lantana and mulch. There are 19 lantana<br />
plants, with nine on each side of the stairs and one at the back of the terrace<br />
(to conceal a standpipe). The lantana will help minimize erosion adjacent to<br />
the stairs, and we will add solar-powered lighting in the spring.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-biFEZCqCqhI/WCsJxOCqx1I/AAAAAAAAors/rFks5n92HY4bhQGHUz4Oh8PHIndi94-eACKgB/s1600/20161111_165739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-biFEZCqCqhI/WCsJxOCqx1I/AAAAAAAAors/rFks5n92HY4bhQGHUz4Oh8PHIndi94-eACKgB/s400/20161111_165739.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our stone two-car garage, originally designated as an outside recreation room,<br />
is now the home of our lawn maintenance vehicles. It is a pretty structure, in<br />
my opinion, as the multi-colored stone creates visual interest. A stone wall<br />
needs ivy (my opinion), and we have fig ivy in place. We planted yellow mums <br />
(foreground) and pink coneflowers (middle row) for color. Both are perennials<br />
in our area. The stone in the bed covers a drain box and prevents it from clogging.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kf7fZhcP8q4/WCsJxFfPbmI/AAAAAAAAors/7c-_iXSsF2kRgbzk67VTmrhYquXM9Yw_QCKgB/s1600/20161104_112241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kf7fZhcP8q4/WCsJxFfPbmI/AAAAAAAAors/7c-_iXSsF2kRgbzk67VTmrhYquXM9Yw_QCKgB/s400/20161104_112241.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Yaupon holly has come forth with brilliant red berries. Its cousin, the<br />
American holly, will have its berries by Thanksgiving (next week).</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yyXh7Dj5weU/WCsJxGQX1wI/AAAAAAAAors/0A-K9bAD2QwLI7wuB8RjZUwDzF6UqreHQCKgB/s1600/20161104_112323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yyXh7Dj5weU/WCsJxGQX1wI/AAAAAAAAors/0A-K9bAD2QwLI7wuB8RjZUwDzF6UqreHQCKgB/s400/20161104_112323.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close of the Yaupon berries -- makes a nice computer wallpaper!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WaNLRzbOIIQ/WCsJxLpXBVI/AAAAAAAAors/Vac_zgFA004T1trpidaC3t43LZ6esFjAQCKgB/s1600/Screenshot_20161104-124654.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WaNLRzbOIIQ/WCsJxLpXBVI/AAAAAAAAors/Vac_zgFA004T1trpidaC3t43LZ6esFjAQCKgB/s400/Screenshot_20161104-124654.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The American Beautyberry, though mostly leafless, is strutting its colors.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FrbMYUeb8fE/WCsJxASKFSI/AAAAAAAAors/rS20ZTrOMgAhBv8RN4J6qzhpqgLO2Ts2gCKgB/s1600/20161104_112223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FrbMYUeb8fE/WCsJxASKFSI/AAAAAAAAors/rS20ZTrOMgAhBv8RN4J6qzhpqgLO2Ts2gCKgB/s400/20161104_112223.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found one with a pair of leaves intact, just to give context.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-omkxvWicDyg/WCsJxNwLKrI/AAAAAAAAors/Xqm5_DXajmgX81b24ALeCDrCmmiPDgkTQCKgB/s1600/20161105_104514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-omkxvWicDyg/WCsJxNwLKrI/AAAAAAAAors/Xqm5_DXajmgX81b24ALeCDrCmmiPDgkTQCKgB/s400/20161105_104514.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are not allowed (per our trash service) to put landscaping and construction<br />
trash out for pickup. We do what other country-folks do -- we have a burn day.<br />
We wait for a good rain to make sure the flora around us is not threatened, which<br />
can take a few weeks during some times of the year. Here, we are burning a lot<br />
of landscaping debris, debris from the construction of our dog run, and debris<br />
from the construction of the stairs and terrace. The remnants have been cleared<br />
and grass seed sown over the ground where the burn took place.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-49690597571877285312016-11-02T20:01:00.001-05:002016-11-02T20:01:33.509-05:00A test for all the landscaping work...<div style="text-align: justify;">
We had a good rain yesterday, recording 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) of rainfall. It all fell over a couple of hours. We had standing water from the driveway run-off. The new French drains worked beautifully, as there was no standing water an hour after the rain stopped. There was no fast-moving water seen -- the dry creek bed, with its bullrock providing orders of magnitude more surface area for the water to traverse, slowed flow from the top of our property as planned. The new berm did its job. The run-off ditch did have water in it; it just filled rather slowly, as we had planned. Both the dry creek bed and the French drain system feed the run-off ditch.</div>
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We are very pleased with the outcomes of this first test. I know more wait for us in the future as we are getting ready to hit our "wet season".</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ynAiZISbMU8/WBqLSWia1CI/AAAAAAAAoT4/S1b1I8JNPQUecNpZMZjN8oc88UrQv8NYQCKgB/s1600/20161101_130907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ynAiZISbMU8/WBqLSWia1CI/AAAAAAAAoT4/S1b1I8JNPQUecNpZMZjN8oc88UrQv8NYQCKgB/s400/20161101_130907.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dry creek bed and French drains (to the left, out of the picture) feed <br />the drainage ditch, but one sees no surface water in the creek bed and<br />would only see a little standing water around the French drains during the rain.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NkYqHSmwNSE/WBqLSbZRD8I/AAAAAAAAoT4/Ey1qylSbg6Y_HTbfI8lF0EeXKI9hpTZtgCKgB/s1600/20161101_130913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NkYqHSmwNSE/WBqLSbZRD8I/AAAAAAAAoT4/Ey1qylSbg6Y_HTbfI8lF0EeXKI9hpTZtgCKgB/s400/20161101_130913.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The drainage ditch has water, but its flow is much slower than one would find<br />in previous pictures of water flow. The berm is minimizing any waterfalls which<br />have come through the woods at this juncture.</td></tr>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-84171024698045142772016-10-30T16:01:00.000-05:002016-10-30T18:30:13.010-05:00Landscaping, Phase 2 completed.<div style="text-align: justify;">
As posted previously, landscaping-of-the-engineering-kind had been ongoing. It completed this past week. There are a couple of minor projects for me to do in the near future -- like getting an answer to the puppies' area where every plant has been destroyed -- but, by in-large, the landscaping/engineering efforts are complete. Pam and I will decide on how to landscape a couple of areas, but no more contractors so far as the immediate landscaping is concerned. I will need a contractor to help clear the trail in the woods. That will take place in a few weeks. </div>
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As far as near the house is concerned, landscaping -- both of the engineering and aesthetic kind -- is about 85% complete. It is a big relief, especially as it appears we have grass covering all areas, bringing the erosion under control. The grass is not great and good-looking yet, but it is enough to keep the soil in place, and some areas are showing promise. I am using Texoka buffalograss in my "manicured turf" areas, blue grama on all slopes, and a mix of blue grama and fescues in other areas. I have also sown high-quality Texas wildflower seeds in key accent areas -- I will have to wait until spring to see whether or not this was a fruitful effort.</div>
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We also completed the construction of flagstone stairs and a terrace in the basin at the rear of the house. As mentioned in earlier blog entries, the pad on which the house was built is up to six feet (two meters) above the natural ground level. The slopes are steep, making it dangerous for young and old alike to traverse safely. The stairs we built are two feet (0.61 meters) wide and a comfortable four inches (0.11 meters) in height, and have a handrail running down the middle at three feet (0.9 meters) high. It should work for us when we have more than 80 years.</div>
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I fell in love with bougainvillea in my travels to Morocco and Spain. Pam and I decided to plant one in an urn (bougainvillea flowers best when it is root-bound) as an experiment. The area in which we placed it gets six to eight hours of sunlight per day, so we shall see...</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E6RQyhB-tpo/WBZaHlXy4XI/AAAAAAAAoQ8/z9pMXanX6m8JitSrtomfzOSCInc5rM3wgCKgB/s1600/20161030_132339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E6RQyhB-tpo/WBZaHlXy4XI/AAAAAAAAoQ8/z9pMXanX6m8JitSrtomfzOSCInc5rM3wgCKgB/s400/20161030_132339.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dry creek bed is intended to the take the water flowing from the right-of-way <br />
area and slow its flow. The flow from the culvert (upper right) is being directed away <br />
from the dry creek bed via a repaired berm. Tall grasses will also slow the water <br />
flow, reducing erosional damage.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ec8cbkBWwO4/WBZaHunWfeI/AAAAAAAAoQ8/-GQjjjRnIxIW_xSXtMFg01bRD0JwOqBsQCKgB/s1600/20161028_103039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ec8cbkBWwO4/WBZaHunWfeI/AAAAAAAAoQ8/-GQjjjRnIxIW_xSXtMFg01bRD0JwOqBsQCKgB/s400/20161028_103039.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The French drain system will alleviate the problem of standing water and<br />
erosional issues across the front of the house. The area under the large oak<br />
around which the driveway bends (upper left) was raised to direct water <br />
around the tree and toward the seven-box drain system.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9WU-KUEO8OA/WBZaHqI_9II/AAAAAAAAoQ8/UGKC_MyNEfU5xA7xoA1DymznOLsG13aEACKgB/s1600/20161026_165938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9WU-KUEO8OA/WBZaHqI_9II/AAAAAAAAoQ8/UGKC_MyNEfU5xA7xoA1DymznOLsG13aEACKgB/s400/20161026_165938.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo was taken under the oak tree cited above. It is an example of the<br />
texoka buffalograss coming through its protective straw. As can be seen, it<br />
is fine-bladed, and it is drought resistant, also. Hopefully, it will prove<br />
to be a <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">good turfgrass for us.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kA1WlqkGEGc/WBZaHpEe7ZI/AAAAAAAAoQ8/LMgweUhL6TEBmqfdnpHmGFGTfOA6ce0twCKgB/s1600/20161026_170002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kA1WlqkGEGc/WBZaHpEe7ZI/AAAAAAAAoQ8/LMgweUhL6TEBmqfdnpHmGFGTfOA6ce0twCKgB/s400/20161026_170002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The texoka buffalograss is beginning to dominate the bermuda grass in this<br />
picture. By using cutting heights more favorable to the texoka, the <br />
bermudagrass will eventually weaken and die. The turf texture is more <br />
aesthetically pleasing now that the texoka buffalograss has emerged.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UKYBGMNBjCk/WBZaHjF74WI/AAAAAAAAoQ8/1XKK-P5IpgUJo3wFDSs-oxbtkbZdRXxbgCKgB/s1600/20161011_132652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UKYBGMNBjCk/WBZaHjF74WI/AAAAAAAAoQ8/1XKK-P5IpgUJo3wFDSs-oxbtkbZdRXxbgCKgB/s400/20161011_132652.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the framing of the outdoor stairs and terrace in the backyard, to which<br />
I refer as "the basin". The top of the stairs is four feet (1.2 meters) above the<br />
natural ground level.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qwMI3q4Vhtg/WBZaHjf4iUI/AAAAAAAAoQ8/qc057Ynbvl4YWdl8vefucclKoRTju4Y5wCKgB/s1600/20161011_143756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qwMI3q4Vhtg/WBZaHjf4iUI/AAAAAAAAoQ8/qc057Ynbvl4YWdl8vefucclKoRTju4Y5wCKgB/s400/20161011_143756.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cement is poured, or at least in pouring progress. It will need to cure before<br />
adding the flagstone. The poles for the rail are natural cedar.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nqlFIYgrSEA/WBZaHiEtQbI/AAAAAAAAoQ8/5Cn72uax3eQJFAlfbXzdmZPY5xEV5L-lgCKgB/s1600/20161028_103219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nqlFIYgrSEA/WBZaHiEtQbI/AAAAAAAAoQ8/5Cn72uax3eQJFAlfbXzdmZPY5xEV5L-lgCKgB/s400/20161028_103219.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stairs and terrace are completed, and the handrail finished. We added<br />
the table around which the terrace dimensions were derived, and dirt and<br />
topsoil have been added. Both ryegrass and blue grama were sown and<br />
covered with straw so the seeds will not get washed away during irrigation or rain.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZE0IeZM9sQM/WBZaHjiMY_I/AAAAAAAAoQ8/HIl4ddNWInkqhWlPtoMfC0D5JFYl2PCKQCKgB/s1600/20161030_151141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZE0IeZM9sQM/WBZaHjiMY_I/AAAAAAAAoQ8/HIl4ddNWInkqhWlPtoMfC0D5JFYl2PCKQCKgB/s400/20161030_151141.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The clustered bougainvillea experiment, shown in the afternoon sun with<br />
the shadow of the lanai chimney falling before it. It has been in-place for<br />
two weeks and continues to show new growth.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uQoS-A1hOJE/WBZaHq635gI/AAAAAAAAoQ8/b-2LghVekDMIga3OqU2Fd8elXODmD28eQCKgB/s1600/20161030_132523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uQoS-A1hOJE/WBZaHq635gI/AAAAAAAAoQ8/b-2LghVekDMIga3OqU2Fd8elXODmD28eQCKgB/s640/20161030_132523.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is an updated photo of our house, taken today. The last 9 1/2 months have been a labor of love. Hard labor, to be<br />
sure, but would have been much more difficult if we were not shaping our dream home.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-24032807197365691012016-09-25T14:33:00.002-05:002016-09-26T07:53:39.082-05:00Landscaping or Engineering?<div style="text-align: justify;">
That is the question. Truthfully, when most of us think of "landscaping", we think aesthetically. We envision flowers, shrubs, trees, accenting hardscapes. The reality for us, right now, is that "landscaping" is "engineering". We have a very important project going on right now, one which will help us better manage the large amounts of rain we can get in our area. There are previous posts on the blog which will give you a very good idea of our rain run-off challenges. You might review those to get a better understanding of the context of this hardscape effort.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Perhaps next spring we can get back to the aesthetics of landscaping...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7826v-Kli0w/V-gjfmJwGlI/AAAAAAAAn-w/ujctL27CTH8QVWfSDZaGIEnJM4XZl23wgCKgB/s1600/20160923_161152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7826v-Kli0w/V-gjfmJwGlI/AAAAAAAAn-w/ujctL27CTH8QVWfSDZaGIEnJM4XZl23wgCKgB/s400/20160923_161152.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OK, as part of this project, the landscaping team cleaned and weeded our beds <br />
in the front of the house. We are grateful, as we had let it slip a little too much.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8TbzCeBC6Qw/V-gjfnoi2_I/AAAAAAAAn-w/n4rL55hHqakExE32AqKZf4JQsUCWgOlCwCKgB/s1600/20160923_161207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8TbzCeBC6Qw/V-gjfnoi2_I/AAAAAAAAn-w/n4rL55hHqakExE32AqKZf4JQsUCWgOlCwCKgB/s400/20160923_161207.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Extending across the front of the house, we have added a French drain system</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">which has drain boxes every ten feet (3m) and are connected via a six-inch </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">(15cm) pipe. We will have over twice the volume of the standard four-inch (10cm)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">pipe, which we feel is needed since so much water is draining into this area. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">It will also eliminate any standing water which kills grass and spawns mosquitoes.</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zZqhoCU5Q04/V-gjfgvfnkI/AAAAAAAAn-w/ulwCUTy5e4MBHLI9XZ9dZ-sVw2dsys4OgCKgB/s1600/20160923_161353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zZqhoCU5Q04/V-gjfgvfnkI/AAAAAAAAn-w/ulwCUTy5e4MBHLI9XZ9dZ-sVw2dsys4OgCKgB/s400/20160923_161353.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pictures shows the "dry creek bed" we are installing to slow the water<br />
which comes off the front of the property. The dirt in the foreground is being<br />
shaped into a berm to keep the water flow properly directed. If you look at the<br />
top of the dry creek bed and to its immediate right, you can see evidence of a berm<br />
being constructed to direct water from the culvert away from the dry creek bed<br />
and into the woods. All water will make it into the drainage we have built at<br />
<b>Note</b> <b>also</b> the native grasses and flora which have appeared with<br />
fresh access to the sun. The grasses will help slow the rush as water as well. The<br />
berms will be seeded with native grasses for the same reason and their own stability.
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EZeKTkZtrY8/V-gjfnaQ3aI/AAAAAAAAn-w/WbBoAAGOFPIFtV4R03pwmDUDOypxVqC6gCKgB/s1600/20160923_161406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EZeKTkZtrY8/V-gjfnaQ3aI/AAAAAAAAn-w/WbBoAAGOFPIFtV4R03pwmDUDOypxVqC6gCKgB/s400/20160923_161406.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water runs off at a high velocity into this bank, which we have reinforced<br />
with landscaping fabric and bullrock. We hope to prevent erosion so that the<br />
trees you see near the bullrock will not lose the strength and stability of their<br />
root system and topple across the drive and possibly onto the two-car garage..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wfvg6L8J7b8/V-gjfsxfDHI/AAAAAAAAn-w/BqxWlchSZIsjsCvYYXu83jH6eDkg7tMWQCKgB/s1600/20160923_161440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wfvg6L8J7b8/V-gjfsxfDHI/AAAAAAAAn-w/BqxWlchSZIsjsCvYYXu83jH6eDkg7tMWQCKgB/s400/20160923_161440.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the water from the motor court area drains toward the basketball goal. As<br />
a result, we were plagued with deep ruts behind the goal, making mowing<br />
very difficult (and eventually threaten the basketball goal itself). The rock bed behind<br />
the goal will help with water run-off and make the entire side-yard easier to maintain.<br />
Over-seeding with grass will be a priority for the next few years until good density<br />
is obtained -- for the sake of erosion control, primarily, and aesthetics.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-22844804312784755842016-06-19T14:06:00.001-05:002016-06-19T14:06:49.063-05:00Taken a beatin'...<div style="text-align: justify;">
We are not the only ones to have experienced rainfall-related problems here in Texas. There are a lot of people who got hit by the recent rains much worse than we did. A couple who are friends of ours had to be evacuated by air boat from their home. They sustained far more damage to their property than we could imagine. So as you look at the video and the pictures here, you will see that the rains and water are pretty intense, and yet we were the lucky ones.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
The video is a mashup automatically generated by Google. The two-gallon bucket, with only half of its top exposed, filled up in the time it will take you to watch the video.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw9L0H2Ymw48IZ2UXSSVqjeo3P9dX1Hnvlj6yy5yJgdPmQcjZEmfp4K3gnAzn3sed2Tir6yuRY6ynzmvw8KZA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
To be sure, the rains have produced disheartening results. The temperatures have risen in May, and have revealed that all of the warm weather grass seed that I had sown previously has been beaten out of the ground and washed downstream. The green cool-weather grasses have gone dormant, which is not a pretty sight. I now have two weeks left to sow some native grasses in order for them to take hold and provide some protection against erosion for the rest of the summer and into the early fall. I found that I have a significant amount of hardscape work to do in order to protect our property from future rains. This is an unexpected expense, adding to us being over 50% of budget already on landscaping.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
You take the bad with the good, and this is certainly part of the bad. We know what we need to improve, without a doubt. This season has been very educational. I'm certain that we can make the corrections and additions to our landscaping that will help us better survive such torrential rains again. One thing is certain, I'm going to put a snorkel on that Jeep of mine.
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uHYwZVqe4jA/V2bbPbayLOI/AAAAAAAAlXM/o_qR2_JIqkA7o_kYgprJC6QnhuPqRhENwCKgB/s1600/20160527_141640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uHYwZVqe4jA/V2bbPbayLOI/AAAAAAAAlXM/o_qR2_JIqkA7o_kYgprJC6QnhuPqRhENwCKgB/s400/20160527_141640.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The right bank (looking downstream from the top of our drive) looks pretty well behaved...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-esax8zsfzT4/V2bbPTEikII/AAAAAAAAlXM/FdtCDuCjGoMl2D7u6Zeyricqc-HnH6WHACKgB/s1600/20160527_141652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-esax8zsfzT4/V2bbPTEikII/AAAAAAAAlXM/FdtCDuCjGoMl2D7u6Zeyricqc-HnH6WHACKgB/s400/20160527_141652.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It picks up volume and speed has it runs downhill...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OCwseqSiVAk/V2bbPe_FHnI/AAAAAAAAlXM/pO3lUlmHfqAv7n1RL6R4LYRaNWbNE6wswCKgB/s1600/20160527_141452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OCwseqSiVAk/V2bbPe_FHnI/AAAAAAAAlXM/pO3lUlmHfqAv7n1RL6R4LYRaNWbNE6wswCKgB/s400/20160527_141452.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But it is of no consequence compared to what is coming off the right of way and from the community culvert...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hlit01vWDI4/V2bbPY_EohI/AAAAAAAAlXM/ET72UJrf78cmtGzhY_RJTHEqFQwfPEa4QCKgB/s1600/20160527_141502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hlit01vWDI4/V2bbPY_EohI/AAAAAAAAlXM/ET72UJrf78cmtGzhY_RJTHEqFQwfPEa4QCKgB/s400/20160527_141502.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Which also pushes larger amounts of water through the anterior woods as well...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ftOBcF_mX8c/V2bbPYqlY2I/AAAAAAAAlXM/uS9iOQDLDdMJSEdJLdX2LlIrHMP7xWj_QCKgB/s1600/20160527_141517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ftOBcF_mX8c/V2bbPYqlY2I/AAAAAAAAlXM/uS9iOQDLDdMJSEdJLdX2LlIrHMP7xWj_QCKgB/s400/20160527_141517.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And cuts deeply as it makes its turn downhill on the left bank...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FD_GLN5fRgQ/V2bbPQqHdtI/AAAAAAAAlXM/OVtrTrmnVrQbShlYt6vh4V51B7lLH9wowCKgB/s1600/20160527_141529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FD_GLN5fRgQ/V2bbPQqHdtI/AAAAAAAAlXM/OVtrTrmnVrQbShlYt6vh4V51B7lLH9wowCKgB/s400/20160527_141529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Which propels the water downhill and aids in filling the creek which took out Pam's car a couple of weeks earlier.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-biR-ictd1pE/V2bbPVUJeEI/AAAAAAAAlXM/c6ix_RDF54UJJ5CCS7ylU4aPpjg1MrYaQCKgB/s1600/20160527_130618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-biR-ictd1pE/V2bbPVUJeEI/AAAAAAAAlXM/c6ix_RDF54UJJ5CCS7ylU4aPpjg1MrYaQCKgB/s400/20160527_130618.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are grateful, for the water is away from the house and all are safe within.</td></tr>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-33048082672492790502016-04-27T20:50:00.000-05:002016-04-27T20:50:29.443-05:00Grapevines and other Wild Things...<div style="text-align: justify;">
As you have seen from recent pictures, we are landscaping immediately adjacent to the house. The reason for this is two-fold: 1) we need to protect the foundation from erosion and excessive moisture, 2) aesthetics. And I might add, in that order. A good stand of grass prevents erosion while keeping the right amount of moisture intact. The rest of the property we will leave "natural", with some maintenance in the areas immediately adjacent to the house. The maintenance might include tree removal (if it is deemed that they pose an imminent threat to the house), brush thinning to allow the natural flora to flourish, and water run-off control.</div>
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Today; however, I want to focus on the natural flora which we have seen this spring. I have reported on the natural flora of Leaning Oak in an earlier <a href="http://leaningoak.blogspot.com/2015/12/flora-native-to-leaning-oak.html" target="_blank">post</a>, but now that spring is here, it is time for an update. I will admit that I have not formally identified everything you will see in the pictures, and some of the flora may look like "weeds" to you. What is a weed? It is nothing more than an unwanted plant. These plants belong here, they are native here, so to call them "weeds" would be very narrow. The flora of a forest is widely varied in its shades of green, its flowers, its textures, and all of these combine to express lushness and beauty.</div>
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We want to maintain as much as that as possible here. We want to be as close to the native forest as we can, keeping it as a welcome place for the deer and birds and other animals which have traversed it for many of their lifetimes. The work I have done to clear debris (trees and shrubs which were knocked down and destroyed by the construction process) has already brought more fauna activity than we saw in the same areas previously. In the process of all of this activity, such as clearing the non-native and invasive Chinese Privet, the natural flora of Leaning Oak is springing forth.</div>
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We have found multiple grapevines of Muscadine on the property. Anything you can make from other grapes, one can make from Muscadine, the grapes of which do not grow in a bunch (or grappe, a francais). We want to create the opportunity (sans cultivation) for the Muscadine to grow well and produce, because I am sure the fauna of Leaning Oak will benefit as well. We will, too, for that matter. I have previously identified the farkleberry plant, which produces a berry similar to blueberry. We have wild blackberry growing on the property. Pink, white, and yellow wildflowers are emerging. Many other flora, including multiple grasses, are rising to a new season.</div>
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Here are some pictures, and again, I cannot identify everything at this point. Remember, one by itself may not look like much, but they are part of a grand and natural mosaic, each contributing to its beauty.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZRLcYjCzmE/Vx-Jmjk1qmI/AAAAAAAAkJI/KKT39V4DXz4F1duhICwy22QfM2eCtxDjACKgB/s1600/20160426_075953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZRLcYjCzmE/Vx-Jmjk1qmI/AAAAAAAAkJI/KKT39V4DXz4F1duhICwy22QfM2eCtxDjACKgB/s400/20160426_075953.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This and the following two pictures are Muscadine grapevines. I have picked<br />this one off the ground of our anterior forest at the rear of the house.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v4PsiJ75NqM/Vx-JmigPFAI/AAAAAAAAkJI/PBJHePaAl-IpEWskVD2wdNwafc6mi0EbQCKgB/s1600/20160426_080030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v4PsiJ75NqM/Vx-JmigPFAI/AAAAAAAAkJI/PBJHePaAl-IpEWskVD2wdNwafc6mi0EbQCKgB/s400/20160426_080030.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is another grapevine, growing on the floor. The vines will seek a tree<br />onto which they will latch and grow thick and strong.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fhI6xZMfYr8/Vx-JmlY0-QI/AAAAAAAAkJI/wEd34DwxDgUDNmELablJIGzf5-INh7IbQCKgB/s1600/20160426_080219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fhI6xZMfYr8/Vx-JmlY0-QI/AAAAAAAAkJI/wEd34DwxDgUDNmELablJIGzf5-INh7IbQCKgB/s640/20160426_080219.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a full-grown Muscadine grapevine, among the trees, in this case, Yaupon Holly, with which it has enjoined itself.<br />The trees serve as natural trellises, and do not benefit so much from the powerful vine.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HXgFpJX8GJY/Vx-JmrQINRI/AAAAAAAAkJU/okb5mB83ZSAVL7tJrWCJfTXQxaZ5eoKBgCKgB/s1600/20160426_075808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HXgFpJX8GJY/Vx-JmrQINRI/AAAAAAAAkJU/okb5mB83ZSAVL7tJrWCJfTXQxaZ5eoKBgCKgB/s400/20160426_075808.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am not sure what this is, perhaps an Indian<br />grass of sorts. More research required.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hT2D0NcO0_c/Vx-JmnjUn9I/AAAAAAAAkJU/6_v47UaDxpc0gjxpdkmJpYOIB2J-IfXLwCKgB/s1600/20160426_075826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hT2D0NcO0_c/Vx-JmnjUn9I/AAAAAAAAkJU/6_v47UaDxpc0gjxpdkmJpYOIB2J-IfXLwCKgB/s400/20160426_075826.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another plant for which I do not yet have<br />an identify.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RcIFEQP_kOU/Vx-JmtJyaOI/AAAAAAAAkJI/qeH5ltxT-TwHwBjHexfdm_ij1d7jc3M-gCKgB/s1600/20160426_080416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RcIFEQP_kOU/Vx-JmtJyaOI/AAAAAAAAkJI/qeH5ltxT-TwHwBjHexfdm_ij1d7jc3M-gCKgB/s400/20160426_080416.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is floor of The Grove, which is a natural grouping of trees in front of<br />the house. The wide-bladed grasses look like Dallisgrass to me, and one<br />can get an impression of the mosaic of which it is a part. Including in this<br />greenscape is American Beautyberry, other grasses, and Sweetgum saplings.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VWSUmir82wA/Vx-JmrG0UGI/AAAAAAAAkJI/xrNPASs6nzoyqKT6B-dPbI560VgcjJr7wCKgB/s1600/20160426_080504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VWSUmir82wA/Vx-JmrG0UGI/AAAAAAAAkJI/xrNPASs6nzoyqKT6B-dPbI560VgcjJr7wCKgB/s400/20160426_080504.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow wildflower in the front of our property.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FgEkgX2mfiw/Vx-JmhXDPBI/AAAAAAAAkJI/AFxbpTmPehkDVdyDeT2D77HaCFhUMjE_QCKgB/s1600/20160426_080538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FgEkgX2mfiw/Vx-JmhXDPBI/AAAAAAAAkJI/AFxbpTmPehkDVdyDeT2D77HaCFhUMjE_QCKgB/s400/20160426_080538.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink wildflowers, names yer unknown.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C1yuT0FtNds/Vx-JmgUAAfI/AAAAAAAAkJI/zfmq2-dPmn4Zy09cXTdDcAqH7Et2bPwJACKgB/s1600/20160426_080553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C1yuT0FtNds/Vx-JmgUAAfI/AAAAAAAAkJI/zfmq2-dPmn4Zy09cXTdDcAqH7Et2bPwJACKgB/s400/20160426_080553.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink wildflowers with a lacey white wildflower.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JfHx3pVPA64/Vx-JmpIO18I/AAAAAAAAkJI/jj6eBqrBC10yMYRYixFeiN04YbrM2H7twCKgB/s1600/20160426_080907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JfHx3pVPA64/Vx-JmpIO18I/AAAAAAAAkJI/jj6eBqrBC10yMYRYixFeiN04YbrM2H7twCKgB/s400/20160426_080907.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Andrew's Cross, very small now, but<br />will grow into a nice open bush with yellow<br />flowers.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PpPYofh0e_E/Vx-Jmp9uGiI/AAAAAAAAkJI/z-KkS1_WqpsQ38mqFFSCNKPWANX3-24eQCKgB/s1600/20160426_080829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PpPYofh0e_E/Vx-Jmp9uGiI/AAAAAAAAkJI/z-KkS1_WqpsQ38mqFFSCNKPWANX3-24eQCKgB/s400/20160426_080829.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The farkleberry bush is thriving right now.<br />Perhaps we will harvest from it this year...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lb3hDwxJDhg/Vx-Jmg0lqZI/AAAAAAAAkJI/Ywka930Qwk4J4GF16Yg5KL_CVdPT43MegCKgB/s1600/20160426_080955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lb3hDwxJDhg/Vx-Jmg0lqZI/AAAAAAAAkJI/Ywka930Qwk4J4GF16Yg5KL_CVdPT43MegCKgB/s640/20160426_080955.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The forest flora mosaic. In this picture are a red oak sapling, wildflowers, Texas bluegrass, a briar (I hate them), St. Andrew's Cross, other things of which I do not know their names.</td></tr>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-91614168971093372152016-04-25T08:55:00.004-05:002016-04-25T09:26:51.298-05:00"It's Floodin' Down in Texas..."<div style="text-align: justify;">
So opens the lines to the "Texas Flood", a song written by Larry Davis in 1958 and made really famous by Stevie Ray Vaughan some 25 years later (you can watch a live performance <a href="https://vimeo.com/92351110" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>).</div>
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We endured the flooding, losing Pam's car about 100 yards (~ 100 m) from the safety of our neighborhood's gate. It stalled in high water, and I got out of the car, waded to the gate, ran about a quarter of a mile (400 m) to get my Jeep, then drove back to retrieve Pam, my mom, and Mom's luggage (we were on our way back from picking her up at the airport). All of this occurred about 1 AM. We are all safe and well. The house had no flooding, and our rain runoff pathed as we had hoped. We were also blessed in that we lost no trees, at least none in the immediate perimeter of the house.</div>
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Just for an example of scale, the 20 inches (50 cm) of rain which fell on our five-acre (two-hectare) property can be expressed as 2,715,439 gallons (10,279,055 liters) of water.</div>
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Here is a video recorded two days later, after the torrential pouring had stopped (<a href="https://goo.gl/photos/BWyWkWxLbUVQAwAo7" target="_blank">video link</a>):</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tjFls9Ckg9k/Vx4nibWC0oI/AAAAAAAAkEQ/KLsHFkVOpgU9W4sh2mWhN1msm78w3xPMgCKgB/s0/20160420_162725.mp4" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6277498403010302594?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe><br />
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The entire drainage ditch was widened at least 50% by the fast moving waters. The next day after the above video was recorded, we had heavy rains again (<a href="https://goo.gl/photos/zFuTiT12ZLrLby3WA" target="_blank">video link</a>):</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P1I079yzoak/Vx4nzzENqkI/AAAAAAAAkEY/6egyZ_pSfo470kR01LhwYY28rdgbAyK3ACKgB/s0/20160421_093603.mp4" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6277498701435742786?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe><br />
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We now need to have a new hardscape plan to prevent further erosion of our drainage ditch, which will include four-inch (10 cm) thick flagstone and bullrock. It might include the building of a retaining wall where the ditch bends around the front of the house and heads downhill.</div>
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Here are additional pictures from this "Texas Flood":</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mlOQKhVRoiY/Vx4amgiWhqI/AAAAAAAAkEI/DlDC2OXkerUcRU5ml9fVdhECd-Uio7XAACKgB/s1600/20160418_102642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mlOQKhVRoiY/Vx4amgiWhqI/AAAAAAAAkEI/DlDC2OXkerUcRU5ml9fVdhECd-Uio7XAACKgB/s400/20160418_102642.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pam's car, the next morning. The water receded considerably, as the the night<br />
before the water was up to the bottom of her headlights.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gDG1n7zlbLM/Vx4amrvpi-I/AAAAAAAAkEI/L7EDdLi35i8TxEFZGYu_zn6tFaohCa-twCKgB/s1600/20160418_102736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gDG1n7zlbLM/Vx4amrvpi-I/AAAAAAAAkEI/L7EDdLi35i8TxEFZGYu_zn6tFaohCa-twCKgB/s400/20160418_102736.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had gotten through the worst part when the car died. This is along the<br />
drainage creek path -- the creek which actually (and ironically) runs along the<br />
rear border of our property. It had overflowed its banks and was over my<br />
ankle-bone as I took this picture. It was knee-high hours earlier when we <br />
stranded the car.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SA0ve1Nac3o/Vx4amsl8vKI/AAAAAAAAkEI/EHhoo_nK1vQvc8VYO3KG6lywKAmCMOptQCKgB/s1600/20160418_103205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SA0ve1Nac3o/Vx4amsl8vKI/AAAAAAAAkEI/EHhoo_nK1vQvc8VYO3KG6lywKAmCMOptQCKgB/s400/20160418_103205.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I drove through the ankle-deep water in the Jeep to take this picture of the <br />
water and Pam's car. The Jeep, with no modifications, can traverse 30 inches<br />
(~80cm) of water. Had we known it was going to flood like this, I would have<br />
put the rear seat in the Jeep and we would have used it to go to the airport.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nREvj2B6g2E/Vx4amlqPu4I/AAAAAAAAkD8/poWba5L8mw40deuIuU1kheF2rkLTLQ8TwCKgB/s1600/20160418_172327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nREvj2B6g2E/Vx4amlqPu4I/AAAAAAAAkD8/poWba5L8mw40deuIuU1kheF2rkLTLQ8TwCKgB/s400/20160418_172327.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is taken from our street, which is about 10 feet (3 m) above the <br />
foundation of the house. The leaning oak after which we have named our<br />
home can be seen in the foreground. </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/---ccNV-C4XI/Vx4amt-aGFI/AAAAAAAAkEI/Mssl0pYugaQ4l2oZaVr-Z-GhEj0xsI_ZgCKgB/s1600/20160418_110400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/---ccNV-C4XI/Vx4amt-aGFI/AAAAAAAAkEI/Mssl0pYugaQ4l2oZaVr-Z-GhEj0xsI_ZgCKgB/s400/20160418_110400.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water drains from the large pipeline right-of-way which runs across the<br />
front of our property through the trees at this point, which is to the left<br />
of the property in the picture above, in front of the two-car garage (the<br />
structure on the far left). Here we will add flagstone to slow the water's<br />
velocity before it hits our drainage ditch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-do6iPdHti_M/Vx4amqkD4OI/AAAAAAAAkD8/DuvjipXQKIIWC-XvTEvu8qkkwVFcx8qrQCKgB/s1600/20160420_112557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-do6iPdHti_M/Vx4amqkD4OI/AAAAAAAAkD8/DuvjipXQKIIWC-XvTEvu8qkkwVFcx8qrQCKgB/s400/20160420_112557.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the bend to which I referred above, and it is at least 100% wider than<br />
it was the day before the rains. I will probably build a retaining wall, as another<br />
heavy rain could cause the tree to fall.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gLXDCq1gaHw/Vx4amj4k4eI/AAAAAAAAkD8/zrITbhmNBzUWiT4llXPwGhtMhGyNH0L0gCKgB/s1600/20160421_132656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gLXDCq1gaHw/Vx4amj4k4eI/AAAAAAAAkD8/zrITbhmNBzUWiT4llXPwGhtMhGyNH0L0gCKgB/s400/20160421_132656.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the way it is supposed to work, with the water draining around the<br />
foundation pad and running downhill to the creek. This part worked well.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4XW2MAOU0F0/Vx4amo8-PEI/AAAAAAAAkD8/vc1TZFaOo9AP41lE3s7wXJFg68oahu9fgCKgB/s1600/20160419_114614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4XW2MAOU0F0/Vx4amo8-PEI/AAAAAAAAkD8/vc1TZFaOo9AP41lE3s7wXJFg68oahu9fgCKgB/s400/20160419_114614.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our deer returned to feed again, and paused long enough for me to take his<br />
picture before entering the thicket.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hSaC6_BmL24/Vx4amoZvCNI/AAAAAAAAkD8/1ynaKnw9WwYp_ex1RCFJrUpKg8tf5DPnACKgB/s1600/20160422_082052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hSaC6_BmL24/Vx4amoZvCNI/AAAAAAAAkD8/1ynaKnw9WwYp_ex1RCFJrUpKg8tf5DPnACKgB/s640/20160422_082052.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wildflowers remind us that there is life after the storm. These have seen many, and continue to return and bless us<br />
with their beauty. These grow in the front of our property.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-60721522400458993572016-04-06T20:44:00.000-05:002016-04-06T20:44:02.212-05:00Terra, Flora, and a Salad (but not necessarily in that order)<div style="text-align: justify;">
The lawn continues to thicken in places, and in other places, it is trying to take hold. Leveling is still a challenge, and over-seeding is still taking place. Raking rocks has become the "dread-but-must-do" task, and the simple pleasure of mowing yet abides.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Low angles are good for viewing many of my lawn areas now, because it is the only way it looks like we have real turf. Don't get me wrong, it is coming along, but not fast enough for me. It is coming along at the right rate, mind you, I just want to see quicker results. That's why pictures in time-lapse are good; they remind me it is all progressing as expected.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I still have some low spots in the front which I need to level in order to improve drainage. The last major leveling effort was effective, but I knew it would need to be tweaked. I watered the lawn until it was soaked and could see the low areas in need of filling. I need to remember to fluff the existing grass through the fill-soil so that it does not get smothered.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I rake the flanks of the property for rocks now, using my three-foot (0.9 m) landscaping rake. Rocks occupy soil in a manner such they grass cannot grow it. Rocks facilitate erosion scarps. Rocks retain heat and dry the soil around them. Rocks and grass do not play well together. All along both sides of our 150-foot+ driveway, I have rocks seeping through from the days of construction. With every rain there is a new rock reveal. The only effective means of removing them is raking with the landscape rack. I have tried others, but the landscape rake is the most efficient. I will be raking well into the month of May.</div>
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The landscaped plants are in bloom, or very near to blooming! The native flora is coming along well, also, with a few surprises (next blog). I have pictures from African Iris, Red Yucca, and our Dogwood trees on this post. We have lost about half of our prostrate rosemary, and our landscaper will replace it. We do not know what problem the plants experienced.</div>
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Mowing is still the easiest and most satisfying aspect of my lawn care -- at this point. I do the raking, edging, weed-whacking, trail maintenance, debris-blowing, adjusting sprinklers and their heads, and mowing. Mowing feels like a reward after I have done the other stuff.</div>
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And I did not forget about the salad (see below)...</div>
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Enjoy the pictures:</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RP7VhQKZx7E/VwW2Wkm2AKI/AAAAAAAAjkA/c40uGgbPY98Ro81vUWK7fGjOyzzbWH2-A/s1600/20160405_175913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RP7VhQKZx7E/VwW2Wkm2AKI/AAAAAAAAjkA/c40uGgbPY98Ro81vUWK7fGjOyzzbWH2-A/s400/20160405_175913.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my trouble areas in the front, still holding water hours after 16 minutes<br />of irrigation. This needs to be resolved by filling and leveling.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uIyt67qiR0c/VwW2WjYgd0I/AAAAAAAAjkA/BupCdpvnXiI8Zel0BsCCuSHrDZXmi9TPw/s1600/20160405_175933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uIyt67qiR0c/VwW2WjYgd0I/AAAAAAAAjkA/BupCdpvnXiI8Zel0BsCCuSHrDZXmi9TPw/s400/20160405_175933.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same area, different perspective using the sun to illuminate the standing <br />water. When filling and leveling, I must take care that I do not damage the <br />existing grass.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fq_CvrjZcX8/VwW2Wii15LI/AAAAAAAAjkA/krtnvwkKfJknCXDkRvkzC-br0L9WWdzrw/s1600/20160405_114655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fq_CvrjZcX8/VwW2Wii15LI/AAAAAAAAjkA/krtnvwkKfJknCXDkRvkzC-br0L9WWdzrw/s400/20160405_114655.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surprise! This is a new project: growing native grasses in four-inch (10 cm)<br />pots. I have Pink Muhly, Mexican Feathergrass, Little Bluestem, Blue Grama,<br />and Texoka Buffalograss. I want to start them and then place them in different<br />areas between the house and the "wild" areas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5_NZITS92dI/VwW2Wi9eB8I/AAAAAAAAjkA/0UhcluVamZce4f_mky8tJKKOp3XanSD8g/s1600/20160406_125526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5_NZITS92dI/VwW2Wi9eB8I/AAAAAAAAjkA/0UhcluVamZce4f_mky8tJKKOp3XanSD8g/s400/20160406_125526.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a picture of the landscaping in the front of the house. There is still<br />more to add, but in general, what is here is growing well.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e2drnA29SZ0/VwW2Wg9A1XI/AAAAAAAAjkA/FypPYq-Gq6UWJ7JDm2LIiJW2jUIWuAT8g/s1600/20160406_125539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e2drnA29SZ0/VwW2Wg9A1XI/AAAAAAAAjkA/FypPYq-Gq6UWJ7JDm2LIiJW2jUIWuAT8g/s400/20160406_125539.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Red Yucca is coming along beautifully.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GL_3oOMwpjw/VwW2Wp55NGI/AAAAAAAAjkA/N1qNiR0fzbo0l9OFzGSg2PHRgQ9a36-YA/s1600/20160406_125604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GL_3oOMwpjw/VwW2Wp55NGI/AAAAAAAAjkA/N1qNiR0fzbo0l9OFzGSg2PHRgQ9a36-YA/s400/20160406_125604.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our African Iris flowers are blooming in greater numbers now.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7RpDN6Ex0mk/VwW2WlfUibI/AAAAAAAAjkA/R0NP-C9N9fodqxhGUKu-aFXWzdYy9LcUg/s1600/20160406_131447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7RpDN6Ex0mk/VwW2WlfUibI/AAAAAAAAjkA/R0NP-C9N9fodqxhGUKu-aFXWzdYy9LcUg/s400/20160406_131447.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When will the Dogwoods bloom? Can we be any closer? The warm temperatures<br />and sunny days which loom ahead could pop the blossoms!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E0S9T79bQFQ/VwW2WquqCpI/AAAAAAAAjkA/_o-6clUBWlodX0zFeWON8LtjCgi-Pup9Q/s1600/20160404_132909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E0S9T79bQFQ/VwW2WquqCpI/AAAAAAAAjkA/_o-6clUBWlodX0zFeWON8LtjCgi-Pup9Q/s640/20160404_132909.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Leaning Oak salad -- a meal unto itself. I got into making "meal salads"<br />while I was in France, but this is the first one I have made at Leaning Oak.<br />It contains a "spring blend" of greens, walnuts, pine nuts, green olives,<br />tomato, carrots, dried cranberries, Italian salami and coppa, Serrano ham,<br />and topped with O2B2: Olive Oil , Balsamic Blanc (White Balsamic<br />Vinegar), and a dash of sea salt. Enjoyed on the lanai.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-74273228478482821452016-03-21T16:33:00.000-05:002016-03-21T16:33:16.639-05:00Landscaping, Three Weeks Later...<div style="text-align: justify;">
I could not believe it had been three weeks since I posted! What is wrong with me? Oh yeah, I've been busy with nurturing the landscaping, among other things.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I looked at my American Express (AX) bill from the last month, which includes the last three weeks. To be sure, Home Depot, Lowe's, and Tractor Supply Company have all benefitted from the landscaping effort at Leaning Oak. Tools, hoses and other related kit, topsoil, and a new mower all put a sizeable ding in the AX bill. I will say; however, that the new mower was among the smallest items purchased. I originally thought I would a big Toro Zero Turn Radius (ZTR) mower for this property, with all the trees and other odd challenges it presents. The one I wanted is <a href="https://www.toro.com/en/homeowner/riding-mowers/timecutter-ss5000-74730" target="_blank">here</a>, but upon examining the places where I actually have grass, I realized the ZTR was overkill. I got this <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/Scotts-20-in-Reel-Mower-2010-20SG/202051457" target="_blank">mower</a>, instead. Yes, an old-style, reel-cut mower. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A reel-cut mower acts like scissors when cutting the grass instead of a machete, as rotary mowers do. I can cut the entire lawn in less than an hour without extra effort. My mower came with a grass catcher, but I have yet to use it. I have been mowing very frequently to encourage grass density development -- this is what golf course managers do to insure a tight turf on golf courses, and it works the same for any turfgrass. As our lawn areas have been seeded, turf density must be stimulated by mowing. The reel-cut mower I have can cut from 1-inch (2.54 cm) to 3-inches (7.62 cm). I was cutting some areas almost daily at 1 1/8-inch (2.86 cm). Because of the scissors-like cut, where the grass blades are cut between a blade's sharp edge and the bedding knife, very small cuts can be achieved.</div>
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Side note: I had a self-propelled powered seven-blade reel-cut mower, very similar to the ones used on putting greens at golf courses when we lived in Oklahoma 25 years ago. Because of the grass type and the mower, it was easily the most beautiful lawn I ever had, and yes, it was almost like a putting green.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
The pictures today show some progress on our turf development, with pictures contrasting where we are now versus where we were three weeks ago. We are still have a long way from having a lush lawn (in the manicured areas immediately adjacent to the house, the rest is still being left wild, but more on that in a near-future post), but we are getting there. The grass which you see is still the cool weather perennial ryegrass, as the temperatures are not yet warm enough for the bermudagrass to emerge.</div>
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Here are the pictures, beginning with the "perspective" shot taken yesterday:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Z7ncdgarhQ/Vu81zar7-7I/AAAAAAAAjX0/51twTaisQKk29FsuUpcFvNo1zdIZSZvHQ/s1600/20160320_184204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Z7ncdgarhQ/Vu81zar7-7I/AAAAAAAAjX0/51twTaisQKk29FsuUpcFvNo1zdIZSZvHQ/s640/20160320_184204.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken yesterday, late afternoon...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_dRD3Mm6cIs/VtTMZNQCuPI/AAAAAAAAixA/a3E37sXS2PIWtGrMHU-injY3UtoSxD8RQ/s1600/20160229_161644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_dRD3Mm6cIs/VtTMZNQCuPI/AAAAAAAAixA/a3E37sXS2PIWtGrMHU-injY3UtoSxD8RQ/s400/20160229_161644.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken three weeks ago...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VW4u5ooZy7w/Vu8yQYJ_N6I/AAAAAAAAjWQ/EeTDn5O4jN0oOu5Ffa_d2nnaOrb2rjOMw/s1600/20160320_181101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VW4u5ooZy7w/Vu8yQYJ_N6I/AAAAAAAAjWQ/EeTDn5O4jN0oOu5Ffa_d2nnaOrb2rjOMw/s400/20160320_181101.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken yesterday</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hBXYfWXs6wk/VtTMZO2bZ1I/AAAAAAAAiwc/0tM0LG28yfg_ABF0RBhGTuTCgV_j1NH1w/s1600/20160229_162237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hBXYfWXs6wk/VtTMZO2bZ1I/AAAAAAAAiwc/0tM0LG28yfg_ABF0RBhGTuTCgV_j1NH1w/s400/20160229_162237.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three weeks ago...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6eR_W7RngMo/Vu8yQQoplNI/AAAAAAAAjYE/5RVH1uwXnng-nun5-TdvT6pUpXLI0jurg/s1600/20160320_181012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6eR_W7RngMo/Vu8yQQoplNI/AAAAAAAAjYE/5RVH1uwXnng-nun5-TdvT6pUpXLI0jurg/s400/20160320_181012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yesterday</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jUxpk58AhBs/VtTMZKr3t8I/AAAAAAAAiwU/bDOl3p8Cw_4jo81rRYDknX9hiIhtrWOOA/s1600/20160229_162346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jUxpk58AhBs/VtTMZKr3t8I/AAAAAAAAiwU/bDOl3p8Cw_4jo81rRYDknX9hiIhtrWOOA/s400/20160229_162346.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three weeks ago...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5DT2yqFHEcc/Vu8yQWp6nEI/AAAAAAAAjWQ/mudov7XYJvcdtvsPOBUpYsixaVCYP0k-g/s1600/20160320_152407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5DT2yqFHEcc/Vu8yQWp6nEI/AAAAAAAAjWQ/mudov7XYJvcdtvsPOBUpYsixaVCYP0k-g/s400/20160320_152407.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yesterday.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vCQUutJywKk/Vu8yQaDGBtI/AAAAAAAAjWc/Bbmh0Q0cDJ8cjJGWu-uCVDrnb0lYOtBZA/s1600/20160320_151735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vCQUutJywKk/Vu8yQaDGBtI/AAAAAAAAjWc/Bbmh0Q0cDJ8cjJGWu-uCVDrnb0lYOtBZA/s400/20160320_151735.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The area in front of the two-car garage looking toward the street. This area<br />did not receive the hydro-mulching (we ran out) and was seeded by hand. It<br />also holds water (it does not always drain well), and getting the seed to<br />establish has been a challenge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nUM_2LAFueg/Vu8yQaXZRAI/AAAAAAAAjWQ/1UszuBUvbcEfEbEoVOSOlwY5i0v30r1Og/s1600/20160320_181020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nUM_2LAFueg/Vu8yQaXZRAI/AAAAAAAAjWQ/1UszuBUvbcEfEbEoVOSOlwY5i0v30r1Og/s400/20160320_181020.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The same area, looking toward the two-car garage shows the gravel trim (to<br />keep cars off the grass) and the dogwood trees, which are now in leaf. Blooms<br />are coming soon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u4avIV1uZRY/Vu8yQcSJqHI/AAAAAAAAjWQ/QL8P_pRa9swI2ptLPTFSRSWhViVcoB_sQ/s1600/20160320_152014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u4avIV1uZRY/Vu8yQcSJqHI/AAAAAAAAjWQ/QL8P_pRa9swI2ptLPTFSRSWhViVcoB_sQ/s640/20160320_152014.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yesterday, taken around mid-day, another perspective on the house and lawn development.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-86174474162285955932016-03-01T08:59:00.000-06:002016-03-03T04:22:56.019-06:00Landscaping is slowly coming around...<div style="text-align: justify;">
Landscaping is a slow process. One cannot construct a tree in a day or two, nor have lush and inviting flowerbeds thriving in a week. Of course, you could transplant those things in a day; but being growing and vibrant? That takes time. Today's pictures are a snapshot in time, if you will. They are about the landscaping effort taking shape: some by our hand, and some by nature. Just a heads-up: I have not yet seen the first of the wildflowers, but it is very early in the season for them.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Here are pictures and their stories:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-988gOe8trgA/VtQoA_jcoTI/AAAAAAAAisw/AaRfgepracM/s1600/20160226_160056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-988gOe8trgA/VtQoA_jcoTI/AAAAAAAAisw/AaRfgepracM/s400/20160226_160056.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We have created a problem for some of the birds. We noticed this bluebird<br />
after we heard a loud THUNK on the window. He was laying on his side<br />
for several minutes, then righted himself, eventually flying away. It has been<br />
years since I have seen a real bluebird, and it is nice to know they are a part<br />
of our property and now our lives.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KwYZh5_UJJ8/VtQoA5rXSVI/AAAAAAAAixk/ik0nsJFWxo8/s1600/20160227_183148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KwYZh5_UJJ8/VtQoA5rXSVI/AAAAAAAAixk/ik0nsJFWxo8/s400/20160227_183148.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We love rocking chairs. We have wanted rocking chairs for the front porch<br />
since it was first conceived. What we could not do was decide which ones<br />
to get. Our first thought was that we should get rockers from Cracker Barrel;<br />
who has not enjoyed those rockers? Yet, look at the wear and tear on the<br />
rocker elements due to the concrete They would not last very long. We looked<br />
at various plastics, including POLYWOOD, which is quite pricey. We settled on<br />
the Riata III collection found at H.E.B grocery stores: cast-aluminum and powder-<br />
coated paint. These are not only comfortable, but should last a very long time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2U2mUo_tVcY/VtQoA4LaQGI/AAAAAAAAixo/O6HOesZ6JPU/s1600/20160228_160925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2U2mUo_tVcY/VtQoA4LaQGI/AAAAAAAAixo/O6HOesZ6JPU/s400/20160228_160925.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the ongoing combat against mud and soft soils, we added this flagstone<br />
path to the rear of the house. It was the first one that i have ever done, and<br />
required about 2500 pounds of stone (~1100 kg). I got help at the end<br />
(shown above) from my daughter and son-in-law as I was pretty tired by then.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sSQC49RjwCo/VtTMZMw-nkI/AAAAAAAAiwM/EEbosBw6rFE/s1600/20160229_162408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sSQC49RjwCo/VtTMZMw-nkI/AAAAAAAAiwM/EEbosBw6rFE/s400/20160229_162408.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flagstone path connects the lanai and the back porch which is off the<br />
utility room, and enables access to plants and sprinkler heads along the way.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-veGNz3aAks8/VtTMZBdsUMI/AAAAAAAAixI/50Oy7npTbQ8/s1600/20160229_161626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-veGNz3aAks8/VtTMZBdsUMI/AAAAAAAAixI/50Oy7npTbQ8/s400/20160229_161626.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soon our new dogwood trees will be in bloom! This is a good sign of health,<br />
as all three of them are making their way toward blossoming.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9wE9kJ1k_78/VtTMZCeETcI/AAAAAAAAixA/tWdE-8HVqic/s1600/20160229_161715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9wE9kJ1k_78/VtTMZCeETcI/AAAAAAAAixA/tWdE-8HVqic/s400/20160229_161715.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The loropetalum is flowering nicely in the front beds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_dRD3Mm6cIs/VtTMZNQCuPI/AAAAAAAAixA/a3E37sXS2PI/s1600/20160229_161644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_dRD3Mm6cIs/VtTMZNQCuPI/AAAAAAAAixA/a3E37sXS2PI/s400/20160229_161644.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the grass seed has taken, and it looks like we might have a lawn after<br />
all. The grass which is seen here is the rye grass, an annual grass which will<br />
give way to the Bermuda grass as the temperatures rise. None of the Bermuda<br />
grass has appeared, nor the fescue we sowed in the back.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DiHQrQBeSUs/VtTMZFE3_5I/AAAAAAAAiws/XaKAUVs6YQw/s1600/20160229_161928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DiHQrQBeSUs/VtTMZFE3_5I/AAAAAAAAiws/XaKAUVs6YQw/s640/20160229_161928.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The perspective shot showing grass along the drive, the side of the house, and grass in front of the two-car garage (far<br />
left center of the photo). I am ready for the oaks to begin leafing...</td></tr>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-51749419302747991172016-02-29T06:03:00.001-06:002016-02-29T06:03:18.171-06:00Weathering the storm<div style="text-align: justify;">
Remember the aggravation I expressed over the delay in the hydro-mulch people shifting their Monday arrival to Friday (then showed up on Thursday)? Oh? You didn't. Oh yeah, I spared you of that post. We could have used the extra days they took from us. A couple of days after the hydro-mulching, a storm blew into our area with intense rainfall (over two inches, five centimeters) and winds up to 40 mph (65 kph). The landscaping blanket was blown off the slope of the main house, and a lot of the hydro-mulch effort is now somewhere in our forest. The days we lost for "whatever" reason would have cut our losses significantly.</div>
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The pictures on this post give illustration of the impact of the storm. Referring back to the previous post and comparing the pictures will illustrate our concerns about the loss of seed. I have since purchased Bermuda Grass seed (25 pounds for $130! (12 kg for 120 euros)). The coverage for such a bag is 10,000 square feet (~930 square meters). Though a lot for that kind of coverage, it is less than 10% of the cost of hydro-mulching (though hydro-mulching also includes rye grass seed with the Bermuda seed, and is supposed to be more effective in establishing a lawn). I could not afford to do the hydro-mulching twice, and as there are a lot of slopes and uneven ground (another place of excelling for hydro-mulching), I got out my hand broadcast spreader and seeded the entire yard. I even threw some wildflower seeds in certain areas for good measure.</div>
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Here are the pictures:</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K-ROCq_d50w/VtQoA9gBFhI/AAAAAAAAisw/e5XEhxqxrPQ/s1600/20160226_100816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K-ROCq_d50w/VtQoA9gBFhI/AAAAAAAAisw/e5XEhxqxrPQ/s640/20160226_100816.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the back 'platform', and the land mine-sized divots are places<br />where the ground gave way on me. I had been walking on this area<br />for several days without a problem, but when the rains came, we<br />discovered how soft the built-up areas around the house really are.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lJ65xbY6HVQ/VtQoA8g0WXI/AAAAAAAAisw/Pfoor4_wbx8/s1600/20160226_100827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lJ65xbY6HVQ/VtQoA8g0WXI/AAAAAAAAisw/Pfoor4_wbx8/s400/20160226_100827.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The landscape blanket got blown off the slope, and took a lot of grass seed<br />with it. One can see the rye grass poking through the places where the<br />blanket remained intact. As the main purpose of the grass is erosion,<br />we are starting over in this area. I will be bringing native grasses into play.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DkT4xOSh_F8/VtQoA8czclI/AAAAAAAAisw/Ek94DNO0sY0/s1600/20160226_100911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DkT4xOSh_F8/VtQoA8czclI/AAAAAAAAisw/Ek94DNO0sY0/s400/20160226_100911.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The natural drainage of the driveway/motor court comes right at the basketball<br />goal, and this storm incised a definitive cut into the slope behind the goal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ppDvQMWh4YM/VtQoAz_uEWI/AAAAAAAAisw/buOG0FO7a44/s1600/20160226_101206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ppDvQMWh4YM/VtQoAz_uEWI/AAAAAAAAisw/buOG0FO7a44/s400/20160226_101206.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another example of erosion off the slopes, this one caused by the drain pipe<br />we installed as part of our rain run-off management. We will permit the erosion<br />for at least one more rain, then we will fill the incisions with landscape fabric<br />and rocks. This will slow the velocity of the water and prevent further erosion.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-apU9912B2c0/VtQoA8O54qI/AAAAAAAAisw/xZCfY9UO2ws/s1600/20160226_101543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-apU9912B2c0/VtQoA8O54qI/AAAAAAAAisw/xZCfY9UO2ws/s400/20160226_101543.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was green with the hydro-mulch stain before, but has now been re-seeded.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zGyVSv7CaXo/VtQoA2ktNNI/AAAAAAAAisw/KlxlquzQEEk/s1600/20160226_101610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zGyVSv7CaXo/VtQoA2ktNNI/AAAAAAAAisw/KlxlquzQEEk/s400/20160226_101610.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rapid pouring of rain also eroded our edging before it could get established.<br />This will be filled-in again and compacted. The grey you see in this picture<br />is from the wildflower seed which I sowed, and if you zoom on a large screen,<br />one can see the much smaller Bermuda seed as well.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-75902925339247010782016-02-18T21:13:00.000-06:002016-02-18T21:14:25.251-06:00Landscaping, Phase I, is now complete.<div style="text-align: justify;">
The hydro-mulch service team gave us a surprise visit this late afternoon (instead of tomorrow), and they completed the job by dusk. This marks the close of Phase I for landscaping. The crew will be here tomorrow to complete tweaks and cleanup, but no further additions will be made at this time (except for the already-paid-for blue lantana and Mexican Feather Grass, when suitable plants become available).</div>
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I have already begun my own Phase 1, which involves some tree-trimming, tree-removal, and removal of "undesirables" (defined as Chinese Privet and briar vines, for the most part). I am also in the process of identifying saplings for harvest and protecting their development for the time-being with stakes and a little bit of string. I have areas which I have identified for re-forestation, and will use the saplings for these areas when the areas are prepped.</div>
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Looking ahead, we will be adding a terrace which will be placed amongst the trees and below the house. I will continue removing the undesirables in the anterior forest, trimming its trees, and creating its outdoor "living spaces". Getting the anterior space useable and enjoyable will be my highest priority over the coming weeks.</div>
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A video and photos from the completion of Landscaping Phase I:</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwVU8hsVbFJnemY1Aho1Q03-UY_kmbH2UVD8aDEbNUARVrT8CU4yb_9J9D5FPnArTZW3fWEvyvv8SW2PC0b0g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8jvGSg8kK-8/VsZ7srLFoQI/AAAAAAAAim4/-IN0u6CVwKQ/s1600/20160218_170205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8jvGSg8kK-8/VsZ7srLFoQI/AAAAAAAAim4/-IN0u6CVwKQ/s400/20160218_170205.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the back of the casita the hydro-mulch can be seen as applied to the<br />
area between the rocks and landscape "blanket". The hydro-mulch was<br />
applied directly to the porous blanket, which will continue to control<br />
erosion until the grass takes full hold. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wygSgz2ehgQ/VsZ7spdZG1I/AAAAAAAAim4/vuSFbwGY8EM/s1600/20160218_170155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wygSgz2ehgQ/VsZ7spdZG1I/AAAAAAAAim4/vuSFbwGY8EM/s400/20160218_170155.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the corner off the shop -- the fifth car slot -- showing what happens<br />
when the guy wielding the hose stumbles in the mud -- the gravel gets<br />
hydro-mulched as well. LOL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kZNVuFYaWvw/VsZ7shg3lwI/AAAAAAAAim4/ngpv1B1kvdA/s1600/20160218_173315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kZNVuFYaWvw/VsZ7shg3lwI/AAAAAAAAim4/ngpv1B1kvdA/s400/20160218_173315.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out strategy was not to hydro-mulch the entire area, but just enough to<br />
control erosion and let nature take its course. We are seeding Bermuda<br />
grass, which spreads across the surface of an area and then takes root.<br />
What we did not hydro-mulch, the Bermuda will cover on its own, in time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u0jafZDoY5s/VsZ7sqjLq-I/AAAAAAAAim4/oX6MEQGN22A/s1600/20160218_174014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u0jafZDoY5s/VsZ7sqjLq-I/AAAAAAAAim4/oX6MEQGN22A/s400/20160218_174014.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The job is finished and the crew readies itself to depart. The area around<br />
the tree will receive regular mulch. In two weeks or so, we should see grass.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-20850319374639258182016-02-15T19:26:00.000-06:002016-02-15T19:26:07.012-06:00Landscaping, Phase I, drawing to a close<div style="text-align: justify;">
Finally, we have some flora on the landscaping! This is Phase I with our landscaping architect, Jeremy Macki, owner of <a href="https://hortuslandscapedesign.com/" target="_blank">Hortus Landscape Design</a>. Honestly, it is a big property, and it needs a lot of plants to cover any area, which makes it all quite a bit more expensive than we realized -- despite the fact we are only landscaping near the house! But we have a plan, and we are adjusting and working it according to plant availability and our budget. All that remains of this phase is the hydro-mulching of grass seed. This will be mainly for erosion control. Phase 2 of the landscaping (next year) will add flora to some of the areas receiving grass this year.</div>
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My own work on the landscaping begins when Phase I closes. My job is that of forest ranger and park curator. There are some other trees I need to take down, non-native invasives I need to remove, cultivation of trails, and sitting areas I will create. I do not expect to get all of these done in this calendar year, but I expect to make decent progress in the short-term. Pam and I will also do some addition of plants ourselves in advance of the formal Phase 2.</div>
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Here are some pictures from the work to-date:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HpJ6-glf6jI/VsJw0qklC9I/AAAAAAAAikM/NkMduI2DFbA/s1600/20160215_122842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HpJ6-glf6jI/VsJw0qklC9I/AAAAAAAAikM/NkMduI2DFbA/s640/20160215_122842.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The perspective picture shows that a little greenery goes a long way. In a few weeks, I hope to see the dirt covered in grass.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8q0jU_yL7pI/VsJw0qoxBLI/AAAAAAAAikM/-6Gv6rc7e_M/s1600/20160215_122945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8q0jU_yL7pI/VsJw0qoxBLI/AAAAAAAAikM/-6Gv6rc7e_M/s400/20160215_122945.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the outside of the first driveway turn, and you can see that we have<br />"padded" the curve with creek pebbles in case of "navigation errors". We<br />have red yucca planted along the landscaping stone near the center.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwOqrwhL4dM/VsJw0nES0CI/AAAAAAAAikM/UVsZN75PHik/s1600/20160215_122949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwOqrwhL4dM/VsJw0nES0CI/AAAAAAAAikM/UVsZN75PHik/s400/20160215_122949.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front beds are mirror images of one another, with muhly, boxwood,<br />African iris, prostrate rosemary, and soon-to-be-added blue lantana. We will<br />also harvest a couple of multi-trunk Yaupon hollies from the property to<br />frame the bay windows.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--zqK_a2NV7Y/VsJw0i2uWYI/AAAAAAAAikM/_QNu_d1yvZM/s1600/20160215_122952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--zqK_a2NV7Y/VsJw0i2uWYI/AAAAAAAAikM/_QNu_d1yvZM/s400/20160215_122952.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Leaning Oak (Bienvenue a Chene se Penchant)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oy3XuZNg2ik/VsJw0pPQSKI/AAAAAAAAikM/9dH5f-RRars/s1600/20160215_123009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oy3XuZNg2ik/VsJw0pPQSKI/AAAAAAAAikM/9dH5f-RRars/s400/20160215_123009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close-up of the prostrate rosemary and the African iris which will greet you<br />as you approach the front door...</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TLM65xopc9M/VsJw0qLKedI/AAAAAAAAikM/lGh5raTxGng/s1600/20160215_123044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TLM65xopc9M/VsJw0qLKedI/AAAAAAAAikM/lGh5raTxGng/s400/20160215_123044.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We planted three dogwood trees in front of the two-car garage. We live<br />just 2-3 miles north of the southern-most extent of dogwood growth.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FWwYnBiFCGo/VsJw0v3DuXI/AAAAAAAAikM/sCdpds_z3DQ/s1600/20160215_125747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FWwYnBiFCGo/VsJw0v3DuXI/AAAAAAAAikM/sCdpds_z3DQ/s400/20160215_125747.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture captures our yellow lantana and water management effort. The<br />bull-rock will slow water coming from the roof and drive it toward our basin<br />drains which we installed previously.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uuOXJiwMLCg/VsJw0sOFumI/AAAAAAAAikM/UuE447rlIc8/s1600/20160215_125834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uuOXJiwMLCg/VsJw0sOFumI/AAAAAAAAikM/UuE447rlIc8/s400/20160215_125834.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The casita received its landscaping look as well, mostly its bull-rock and<br />grass line.</td></tr>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-23415611151685413412016-02-11T06:37:00.001-06:002016-02-11T20:27:06.962-06:00Landscaping begins in earnest...<div style="text-align: justify;">
Though I will not say we are completely "settled", we are at the point of being weary of all the dirt around us. We have begun landscaping, and have hired Hortus Landscape Design (https://hortuslandscapedesign.com/) to do the design and work. We are keeping things as native as possible, while adding a bit of color at the same time. There will be no exotics -- everything chosen does well in this part of Texas. Out property is near the confluence of the Blackland Prairies, South and East Central Plains, and Western Gulf Coastal Plains. As a result, we have a varied ecosystem that is quite unique.</div>
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The first thing we did for landscaping, as seen in previous posts, was to bring in extra dirt to build-up the areas around the campus. We did an assessment of trees which we might have lost during construction and found that a small pine, a holly tree, and a very tall pine near the house had to be removed. A sweetgum tree and white oak tree are "on the watch" -- if they do not come back in the spring, they will need to be removed.</div>
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Here are some pictures:</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OypUd2w68Bw/VrxmUItza5I/AAAAAAAAidI/ZeJYk0fGA1k/s1600/20160208_061247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OypUd2w68Bw/VrxmUItza5I/AAAAAAAAidI/ZeJYk0fGA1k/s400/20160208_061247.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First, this is the direction our lanai has taken. And that is a rug in the middle,<br />
not tile.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RJAxzoQMM6U/VrxmUHu5tnI/AAAAAAAAidI/aGwxt2VBINU/s1600/20160209_072525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RJAxzoQMM6U/VrxmUHu5tnI/AAAAAAAAidI/aGwxt2VBINU/s400/20160209_072525.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are the remains of the trees taken down, and the large trunks are from<br />
the tall pine tree which was near the house.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xmzbyoRWKFk/VrxmULQ_ZwI/AAAAAAAAidI/Ojd7RngzU10/s1600/20160210_131239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xmzbyoRWKFk/VrxmULQ_ZwI/AAAAAAAAidI/Ojd7RngzU10/s400/20160210_131239.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irrigation lines have been run, and should be operational by the end of today.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m3auD8aEGKI/VrxmUNl2JeI/AAAAAAAAidI/9PaO-lRjy4k/s1600/20160210_132034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m3auD8aEGKI/VrxmUNl2JeI/AAAAAAAAidI/9PaO-lRjy4k/s400/20160210_132034.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Fresh loamy dirt being brought in for the front beds. I always enjoy its smell.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9RnRlo7q2iY/VrxmUHBaOYI/AAAAAAAAidI/SOfzNlzll7E/s1600/20160210_132014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9RnRlo7q2iY/VrxmUHBaOYI/AAAAAAAAidI/SOfzNlzll7E/s400/20160210_132014.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We will have two types of gravel on our site, with the one above being used<br />
in areas where people will walk, and "bull rock", two-inch stones, being used<br />
in water run-off areas.</td></tr>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzrP7la3etLTkf1AJ81e-ce_aTdl2gnvFY1Iqf0KgYJ5p7wk8UcAyJN98OUY7UozzgsSsi2-y7MvgVFaEIw0A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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The felling of the Lolblolly pine's top.</div>
<br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-55936397904668279692016-02-06T21:19:00.001-06:002016-02-06T21:19:19.085-06:00Major mission accomplished!<div style="text-align: justify;">
What major mission? I am so glad you asked! We now have four cars in the garage and the main garage (the five-car one, with the fifth slot being the shop) is about 95% in-place (by that I mean that there is a little tweaking to do, but it is all but finished). Getting that fourth car in was very, very, and seriously important because it was Pam's car! So tonight, all vehicles sleep inside. Mission accomplished!</div>
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We had a lot of trash hauled away, which was not surprising to us. We had been at our old house for 24 years, and "stuff" just accumulates. We just have to be rather mercenary in getting rid of it. The peg board is full of tools and other "kit". Dirty little secret: a lot of family furniture was moved from the five-car garage to the two-car garage as out-of-town family members will be coming later this month to pick it up. Since I knew I could not even begin on the two-car garage until after that event, getting the five-car garage in-shape and Pam's car inside was the main mission.</div>
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I finally got around to hanging robe hooks in Pam's voluminous closet. Somehow we forgot to make provision for such items in the plans, but I took care of them and it looks like they are well-anchored, even though they will only be used for a robe (of course) and pajamas. However, it is also a big win for the me because it made her happy.</div>
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One other thing: our basketball goal was installed! Many thanks to my daughter and son-in-law for being partners in it becoming a reality!</div>
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Here are some photos:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iylGRd4nKAI/Vra0An7QwMI/AAAAAAAAiW8/flnyhGuBxHk/s1600/20160206_175941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iylGRd4nKAI/Vra0An7QwMI/AAAAAAAAiW8/flnyhGuBxHk/s640/20160206_175941.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All four cars are in as Pam has comfortably parked her car in the garage at Leaning Oak for the first time..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sQJDzcuVruM/VrCfwDY5W3I/AAAAAAAAiL0/MQjdQsPq1Hk/s1600/20160202_061220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sQJDzcuVruM/VrCfwDY5W3I/AAAAAAAAiL0/MQjdQsPq1Hk/s400/20160202_061220.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The garage, several days ago, even after some clean-up.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8CJKBR5RSV0/VraLpZ3L_mI/AAAAAAAAiUA/3DmNhowPrkU/s1600/20160206_175026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8CJKBR5RSV0/VraLpZ3L_mI/AAAAAAAAiUA/3DmNhowPrkU/s400/20160206_175026.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo taken from the door of the "fifth cat slot", a.k.a. "The Shop". The <br />cabinets to the lower right form a very good workbench and space.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BZ_0gC7kHVY/VraLpcvOm6I/AAAAAAAAiUA/utI_6WCLR2E/s1600/20160206_175005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BZ_0gC7kHVY/VraLpcvOm6I/AAAAAAAAiUA/utI_6WCLR2E/s400/20160206_175005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "no-cars land" between the two double car slots. I have packed our<br />camping equipment for storage in these shelves. Golf clubs can be seen<br />between the wall and the shelving unit. The containers in the foreground<br />are destined to depart Leaning Oak in the near future.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--lMUqFnD1m0/VraLpY1peSI/AAAAAAAAiUI/dBCjmiVMr9E/s1600/20160206_175736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--lMUqFnD1m0/VraLpY1peSI/AAAAAAAAiUI/dBCjmiVMr9E/s400/20160206_175736.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The above and the three photos following document Pam's car <br />finding its home in the garage.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mission accomplished!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rupp Arena, Hockley Campus.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My only team for hoops...</td></tr>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-57076012020780062562016-02-02T07:55:00.000-06:002016-02-02T07:55:06.483-06:00The Move-In relentlessly continues<div style="text-align: justify;">
The move-in continues onward. The big things were easy by comparison. After all, the living room furniture goes in the living room, and after that it's just a matter of moving them around until you either get tired or you decide you really like it. The bedrooms are much the same, they have beds and there is only so many ways you can place the bed in the bedroom. The kitchen is a bit more of a challenge, because there is a significant amount of get involved. Each must have a place, that place must make sense with respect to the person cooking. These things we have accomplished to date. What remains, is what to do with the other "stuff". However you wish to describe it, separating the wheat from the chaff, or separating the sheep from the goats, it is an arduous task.</div>
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The next few days, or less hopefully, will find me in the garage sorting through our stuff. The things we are likely to find our tools, exercise equipment, cookware previously stored away, pictures, books, and a myriad of other small items. I hung 24 feet (7.32m) of pegboard to facilitate this process. The pegboard is 8 feet (2.44m) tall and as of right now, it is mostly full. Despite that effort, it appears only a small dent has been made in the stuff. As is normal with any move, many things are being thrown away that had once held some value or esteem. Some things one finds and it recalls a use or a memory, and then the realization comes that this item has not seen the light of day for 15 to 20 years. It is trash. This is what makes the "stuff stage" so painfully slow.</div>
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Today I will start with some pictures of the dining room, and end it with pictures of the "stuff".</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0h0IZCQ2YDw/VrCtqidpMaI/AAAAAAAAiN0/QbIksgoSCr8/s1600/20160202_065245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0h0IZCQ2YDw/VrCtqidpMaI/AAAAAAAAiN0/QbIksgoSCr8/s640/20160202_065245.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dining Room is complete now as the chairs arrived on January 29 (this past Friday). Pictures are hung, and flowers<br />on the tables. In this configuration it will seat 16 people, which can occur at least monthly around here.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9Mp-VNhVr8/VrCtqgPq5NI/AAAAAAAAiNQ/Mrtz_ZS1wDM/s1600/20160202_065210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9Mp-VNhVr8/VrCtqgPq5NI/AAAAAAAAiNQ/Mrtz_ZS1wDM/s320/20160202_065210.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down the length of the table with<br />chairs one can see that there is plenty of<br />room for everyone.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QHS2o17awBc/VrBsqRzX1EI/AAAAAAAAiKo/PraadGsICSA/s1600/20160129_131628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QHS2o17awBc/VrBsqRzX1EI/AAAAAAAAiKo/PraadGsICSA/s320/20160129_131628.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tables as decorated for Pam's birthday, with tablecloths.<br />We have to buy long, rectangular tablecloths (at least 108<br />inches - 274cm), and be able to buy two at a time, which is<br />not always as easy as it sounds</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sQJDzcuVruM/VrCfwDY5W3I/AAAAAAAAiL0/MQjdQsPq1Hk/s1600/20160202_061220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sQJDzcuVruM/VrCfwDY5W3I/AAAAAAAAiL0/MQjdQsPq1Hk/s400/20160202_061220.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is in the five-car garage, which is full of "stuff". Some things one can<br />ascertain, others not so much. It does not help to be closer.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bq0uRQN52W4/VrCfwO5qzgI/AAAAAAAAiL0/yQc4ZouSIvg/s1600/20160202_061233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bq0uRQN52W4/VrCfwO5qzgI/AAAAAAAAiL0/yQc4ZouSIvg/s400/20160202_061233.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Progress is hard to measure, but the two boxes center-right have been<br />converted from "stuff" to garbage. In addition to the stacked boxes, the large<br />box to the far left needs to see such a conversion.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pYihdnmB4HE/VrCfwLLClpI/AAAAAAAAiL0/LSDZw9SoYpk/s1600/20160202_061310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pYihdnmB4HE/VrCfwLLClpI/AAAAAAAAiL0/LSDZw9SoYpk/s400/20160202_061310.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the "fifth-car slot" which will be the shop area for tools, storage and<br />outdoor vehicles like a UTV-4WD and mower.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rSaj7YLzEBQ/VrCfwGbWmFI/AAAAAAAAiL0/sLmxND4NoTI/s1600/20160202_061303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rSaj7YLzEBQ/VrCfwGbWmFI/AAAAAAAAiL0/sLmxND4NoTI/s320/20160202_061303.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pegboard is up and has tools hanging all over it. I have thrown some<br />tools away because of broken handles, duplications, or irrelevance; these<br />are the ones which remain.</td></tr>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-76140032372948788202016-01-23T04:36:00.000-06:002016-01-23T04:36:21.911-06:00Move-in is a work in progress<div style="text-align: justify;">
We have spent the last seven days moving our lives to our new home. In the midst of it all, we have had an offer on our previous home fall through, requiring a shift in market strategy and home preparation (furnished homes are easier to sell). Our battle cry for the last seven days has been "Empty a box!"; seriously, just any box, because they all need to be emptied before we are officially "moved-in".</div>
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This move is a bit different for us. This is, the Lord willing, our last move. We have no other house plans beyond this one. As a result, our approach is different. There is no need to hurry and stash things "out of site" so the house can be functional for the kids, schedules, etc. We are placing everything in its right place, even if that right place is the garbage. Even though we have ample attic storage, enough to contain the stores of a small South American country, nothing will be stored within their confines. We have played that game before -- what goes up does not come down, unless it is special seasonal items (and even those items will now be accessible on the first floor). Things either have a place in the house, or on the curb.</div>
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Oh yes, we are in the season of the punch list, and much of the time from my last post until the move-in day of January 15, 2016 was spent on those items. The sixty-six items had been reduced to 16 items, and yesterday was further reduced to 13 items. The list is scheduled to be reduced to zero by sometime next week.</div>
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Landscaping continues, with fill dirt (23 truckloads), and grading being recently completed. No planting as of yet, but that will come soon. As rains have recently indicated, our property is now draining well.</div>
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Here are some pictures of the move-in to date. I am not showing the messes of boxes past nor those remaining. Here are a few pictures; when the move-in is complete, I will post a video walk-through in addition to pictures of each room.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f3i9LZtiOjY/VqNTIGmjESI/AAAAAAAAiDo/PVb8gevuSTc/s1600/20160112_130124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f3i9LZtiOjY/VqNTIGmjESI/AAAAAAAAiDo/PVb8gevuSTc/s400/20160112_130124.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my jobs was to mount these guitar hangers in the Conservatory. Such<br />fine and detailed work is not my strength, but I managed to get them evenly spaced<br />and on the same line with one another.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L4ALoJvqqmE/VqNTIH9q7uI/AAAAAAAAiDo/dznUW7HY4c4/s1600/20160112_181629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L4ALoJvqqmE/VqNTIH9q7uI/AAAAAAAAiDo/dznUW7HY4c4/s400/20160112_181629.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The guitars are hung with care a couple of days before move-in begins. The<br />blue Telecaster was not permitted to hang with the others due to it not being<br />an earth-tone color. The racism of it all!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HwwjZ_Lo-FI/VqNTIPrkpzI/AAAAAAAAiDo/djkfW24lVkM/s1600/20160121_080354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HwwjZ_Lo-FI/VqNTIPrkpzI/AAAAAAAAiDo/djkfW24lVkM/s400/20160121_080354.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post move-in view from the foyer shows the view unhindered by furniture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xWMJOELj1k0/VqNTIK3iqsI/AAAAAAAAiDo/fK5ItMQwd5Y/s1600/20160121_080413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xWMJOELj1k0/VqNTIK3iqsI/AAAAAAAAiDo/fK5ItMQwd5Y/s400/20160121_080413.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dining room tables arrived, each expandable from seven feet to 10.5 feet<br />(2.13m to 3.2m). The chairs (18 of them) are scheduled to arrive next Friday. You <br />are correct, no pictures have been hung. This will be addressed today, with the <br />help of our daughter and her husband, who seem to have a knack and flair for it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PN2mi4n36l8/VqNTIEHl4iI/AAAAAAAAiDo/yRuQOON-qRs/s1600/20160121_080601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PN2mi4n36l8/VqNTIEHl4iI/AAAAAAAAiDo/yRuQOON-qRs/s400/20160121_080601.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This the Conservatory post move-in (again, no pictures yet hung) and is more<br />or less in its final configuration. There is a piano on the wall opposite the picture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jOZekbRjU2o/VqNTICp0MiI/AAAAAAAAiDo/QnGXfLhJlOk/s1600/20160121_080859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jOZekbRjU2o/VqNTICp0MiI/AAAAAAAAiDo/QnGXfLhJlOk/s640/20160121_080859.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Room furnished, but not yet finished. We are enjoying the fireplace as the Houston area is experiencing near-freezing temperatures the past few days.</td></tr>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-73648295722964112002016-01-12T06:14:00.000-06:002016-01-12T07:22:26.850-06:00Exterior cleanup is done, with coarse grading<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yesterday, the crew came in to clean the exterior of the property. The cleaning included power washing all outdoor living spaces, the stone, and doing a coarse grade of the area around the house. </div>
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The interior of the house was receiving its fixes and corrections, and the painting crew will arrive today. After the painting crew has finished its tasks, the final cleanup of the inside of the house will begin. While this might sound boring, it does indicate that the house is ready for us to move in. We are down to the final few days before leaving our home of 24 years and enjoy the home in which we plan to live for the rest of our lives. It is truly a dream come true.</div>
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The pictures today are all about the exterior of the home. I did a walk around of the home, so my photos will include not only its structural exterior, but also the landscaping grading. Without further ado, here are the pictures:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kNwU_-B7WLY/VpTXqV0b1KI/AAAAAAAAh1U/8Q_YNBg2-OI/s1600/20160111_154702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kNwU_-B7WLY/VpTXqV0b1KI/AAAAAAAAh1U/8Q_YNBg2-OI/s640/20160111_154702.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The perspective photo for the "morph" file shows the house with the land graded and NO TRASH in sight! Go ahead,<br />
click the photo, zoom it up -- all construction debris has been removed. The coarse grading is not the final landscape<br />
grade which our landscape architect will execute, but this is his "step one", as I invited him out while the cleanup crew<br />
was doing their task. He and his crew arrive. tomorrow, and already has a leg up on his efforts. Further, the cleanup<br />
crew reduced the amount of dirt and sand we will need, which will be applied to more flora.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oi4TeRpEqOI/VpTXqaU4eRI/AAAAAAAAhzs/tFle-yOA-5o/s1600/20160111_154758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oi4TeRpEqOI/VpTXqaU4eRI/AAAAAAAAhzs/tFle-yOA-5o/s400/20160111_154758.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo shows the sweep past the entrance, and on the left, the swell<br />
which was created to aid in drainage of rain water away from the house.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_b-WpbVRoP8/VpTXqWCttHI/AAAAAAAAhzs/oa6iIHT4U2U/s1600/20160111_154838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_b-WpbVRoP8/VpTXqWCttHI/AAAAAAAAhzs/oa6iIHT4U2U/s400/20160111_154838.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As I continued around toward the motor court, the ground strongly slopes<br />
away from the driveway. This facilitates good drainage down the NW <br />
property line</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_2Nn04z_ZPg/VpTXqUZFmYI/AAAAAAAAh1M/VryjlNDbako/s1600/20160111_154953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_2Nn04z_ZPg/VpTXqUZFmYI/AAAAAAAAh1M/VryjlNDbako/s400/20160111_154953.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stepping into the lanai from the motor court gives a glimpse of afternoon<br />
outdoor living at Leaning Oak. We used the fireplace the night before last.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tCpYk3JFZ0o/VpTXqVgCHJI/AAAAAAAAh04/1yXDRiDtWo0/s1600/20160111_155512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tCpYk3JFZ0o/VpTXqVgCHJI/AAAAAAAAh04/1yXDRiDtWo0/s400/20160111_155512.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture was taken from the far side of the casita entrance. The green<br />
landscaping material was placed to prevent erosion. Landscaping starts in<br />
earnest tomorrow with filling, grading, and irrigation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sfTp_oW-Mcs/VpTXqcYakrI/AAAAAAAAh0o/1fa5F9rsnBs/s1600/20160111_155601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sfTp_oW-Mcs/VpTXqcYakrI/AAAAAAAAh0o/1fa5F9rsnBs/s400/20160111_155601.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is taken from the casita's porch, a view my father-in-law will enjoy<br />
daily. This is a grove of holly trees. Our property is dominated by three<br />
varieties of holly trees in addition to oaks of at least six varieties.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u4PYjgb6inQ/VpTXqU_51EI/AAAAAAAAh0g/wO9F1ZzsiyI/s1600/20160111_155623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u4PYjgb6inQ/VpTXqU_51EI/AAAAAAAAh0g/wO9F1ZzsiyI/s400/20160111_155623.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After cleanup, fallen trees and branches have been removed and is ready<br />
for the park curator (me) to take over. We will let natural flora abound,<br />
while seeking to eliminate invasives such as Chinese Privet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tF_iOpmhLs0/VpTXqfbesdI/AAAAAAAAh1E/9aD7KAWn-CQ/s1600/20160111_155243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tF_iOpmhLs0/VpTXqfbesdI/AAAAAAAAh1E/9aD7KAWn-CQ/s400/20160111_155243.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main house and casita in the late January sun shows off its new grading<br />
which includes the removal/dispersal of the dirt pile which has stood to<br />
the left of this picture for four or five months, at least.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZxIw0xyu5Y/VpTXqYrmpAI/AAAAAAAAh0E/TFD1RcdqQrY/s1600/20160111_155720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZxIw0xyu5Y/VpTXqYrmpAI/AAAAAAAAh0E/TFD1RcdqQrY/s640/20160111_155720.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took this photo standing behind the lanai fireplace to highlight our daily outdoor view as we pass from the house to<br />
the garage, or just mill about with friends and family. We look forward to being here. You be sure and pay us a visit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096393454299714567.post-76023526605794215132016-01-08T14:45:00.000-06:002016-01-08T14:45:41.130-06:00The Construction Phase is Complete, the Punch List Phase Begins<div style="text-align: justify;">
On January 7th, 2016, we completed the construction phase of our house. This came almost 13 months after we signed the construction loan.The final act of the construction phase was the hanging of Pam's mirror in the master bathroom suite. The flat work was completed the day before.</div>
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Now that we have completed the construction phase of the house, we begin to punch list phase. The builder has at least 66 different tasks to complete in this house before we can say that it has been handed off successfully and we are ready to take occupancy and full ownership.The builder plan to have all of this completed by Thursday, January 14th, 2016. We will be moving in the very next day, Friday, January 15th.</div>
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It is an understatement to say that we are excited. The reality of the completion of this home began 13 months ago, but this home has been in our hearts and minds since the earliest days of our marriage. We had always wanted the "house in the country". We found the property by ourselves, we designed the house by ourselves, we selected the builder and architect, and now we have seen it through to completion. Every element of our existence feels the currents of anticipation and excitement.</div>
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Concurrent with the punch list phase, we have begun the landscaping phase as well. The landscape in itself will be done in two to three distinct phases or steps. This is in large part due to capital constraints. For now, we will be completing the drainage, the irrigation, the grading, planting of grass, and establishment of a few plants.</div>
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I will talk more about the landscaping in a future blog, but for now I will bring you the pictures of the last test of the construction phase:</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r3mafdqKY5I/Voq0f8mqBxI/AAAAAAAAhgo/tmGTf0fxovA/s1600/20160104_084950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r3mafdqKY5I/Voq0f8mqBxI/AAAAAAAAhgo/tmGTf0fxovA/s400/20160104_084950.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sidewalk from the lanai turned out very well. It was the only part of the<br />
flatwork which I was having trouble visualizing, but my concerns are abated.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v9NnW4oLhnM/Voq0fyfTQ2I/AAAAAAAAhgg/cl8wPSINPLI/s1600/20160104_084922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v9NnW4oLhnM/Voq0fyfTQ2I/AAAAAAAAhgg/cl8wPSINPLI/s400/20160104_084922.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The motor court and porte cochere from the far end of the five-care garage<br />
gives a feel of continuity to the three buildings we have on-site.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OKSpe4xsSQA/Voq0f4dX6HI/AAAAAAAAhgY/o2ewONLAmOA/s1600/20160104_084902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OKSpe4xsSQA/Voq0f4dX6HI/AAAAAAAAhgY/o2ewONLAmOA/s400/20160104_084902.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back to the five-car garage (the other slot is behind the left-most<br />
slot of the left door) from the driveway adjacent to the two-car garage<br />
highlights the stone in both buildings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DL8Tt_YePbM/Voq0fyD2stI/AAAAAAAAhfw/lTsf0NEx9Lo/s1600/20160104_084716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DL8Tt_YePbM/Voq0fyD2stI/AAAAAAAAhfw/lTsf0NEx9Lo/s400/20160104_084716.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pictures shows where Day 1 of pouring ended, just prior to the start<br />
of Day 2, which actually came three days later due to New Year's. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F7p1tz__0HM/VowL7qYu3mI/AAAAAAAAhjo/Gyu2oy779Hk/s1600/20160105_093836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F7p1tz__0HM/VowL7qYu3mI/AAAAAAAAhjo/Gyu2oy779Hk/s400/20160105_093836.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The concrete pour crosses the pipeline in front of our property and all is <br />
well. They are nearing completion as they head toward the "in turn" at<br />
the entrance from the road.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oFiBrmUE-Fg/VowL7mbl4fI/AAAAAAAAhkU/45zIQENkXC0/s1600/20160105_103159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oFiBrmUE-Fg/VowL7mbl4fI/AAAAAAAAhkU/45zIQENkXC0/s400/20160105_103159.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking from behind of where they started Day 2...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HcT4YGm5QnY/VowL7snOCqI/AAAAAAAAhkc/rF_pbqddmlI/s1600/20160105_103216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HcT4YGm5QnY/VowL7snOCqI/AAAAAAAAhkc/rF_pbqddmlI/s400/20160105_103216.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...across the front of the house...</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RnezxREftw0/VowL7mw9C0I/AAAAAAAAhjo/ygJBedsT70M/s1600/20160105_103254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RnezxREftw0/VowL7mw9C0I/AAAAAAAAhjo/ygJBedsT70M/s400/20160105_103254.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...around my oak tree...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dsGgPK5gOXg/Vo1EO_aB3DI/AAAAAAAAhrU/LnjY3zVtGps/s1600/20160105_132837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dsGgPK5gOXg/Vo1EO_aB3DI/AAAAAAAAhrU/LnjY3zVtGps/s400/20160105_132837.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...to the head of the drive.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JRa8EhY_gso/Vo1EO-ZfG0I/AAAAAAAAhrU/dIlLahFHGvo/s1600/20160105_170735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JRa8EhY_gso/Vo1EO-ZfG0I/AAAAAAAAhrU/dIlLahFHGvo/s640/20160105_170735.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun is setting as the structural construction is complete. How can you tell there is no more construction outside? <br />
For the first time, the orange fence protecting my oak tree is gone. Landscaping will begin soon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5mOLd0XEZ0Y/Vo1EOyeX_TI/AAAAAAAAhrU/g5A0M2IJ60M/s1600/20160106_084353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5mOLd0XEZ0Y/Vo1EOyeX_TI/AAAAAAAAhrU/g5A0M2IJ60M/s400/20160106_084353.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On another note, our 1935 PeDe No. 3 coffee grinder, which we found in an <br />
antique store in Gruene, Texas, takes up its residence in the kitchen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dCNHF9Pjq0/Vo1EO_adkSI/AAAAAAAAhrU/fZ4wmZVfGgg/s1600/20160106_084437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dCNHF9Pjq0/Vo1EO_adkSI/AAAAAAAAhrU/fZ4wmZVfGgg/s640/20160106_084437.jpg" width="394" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hand grinder produces a very nice coarse ground coffee for our French <br />
presses (it can do fine grinds as well, but coarse is needed for the French <br />
press). I only drink one to two cups a coffee a day, but I like them to be excellent.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PYCBpRwlXwQ/Vo1EO51HwQI/AAAAAAAAhrU/MBkugMiktQo/s1600/image-20160106_103541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PYCBpRwlXwQ/Vo1EO51HwQI/AAAAAAAAhrU/MBkugMiktQo/s400/image-20160106_103541.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last piece of the formal construction phase was the hanging of Pam's<br />
bathroom mirror. This is taken from the hall leading to our closets.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rWgEw0coXHs/Vo1EOz3QQ3I/AAAAAAAAhrU/SUb5TAIgVCU/s1600/20160106_103720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rWgEw0coXHs/Vo1EOz3QQ3I/AAAAAAAAhrU/SUb5TAIgVCU/s400/20160106_103720.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is taken with me standing inside my shower stall, trying my best to<br />
stay out of the picture. Now that the mirror is hung, the construction phase<br />
is over, and the punch list can begin. One last step before being ready for us.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487959822600964399noreply@blogger.com0