MICE!

I watched with delight as Max stalked and caught the 1st mouse. He was outside and focused on the bird seed that had fallen on the ground. Max was happy to catch and kill it and began patrolling its pathway from the garage to the house. I vowed to buy traps to deal with the problem but still haven't done that a week later.

Now I've seen 3 mice inside the house. The 1st scampered under the stove to get away from behind the cabinets. It was next found hiding behind a box and I let Max catch and kill it. Max has now TASTED BLOOD. I'm not sure that is a good thing.

Today as I washed last night's dishes a slightly larger gray mouse ran along the counter behind the sink and down behind the fridge. I next saw him scurrying along the dining room wall headed for shelter in the storage closet.

The plan is to 1st buy Door Sweeps for the Storage Closet door and the Garage door. I will then place Peppermint Oil soaked cotton balls in the closet and in the garage. Supposedly it creates a hostile environment for the mice. The garage will have to be cleaned out and secured to whatever extent possible.

Steel Wool stuffed in access holes should keep them out of the house and garage and hopefully the Peppermint will repel them.

Whether or not they have found shelter in unpacked boxes is a current mystery. Max has already torn apart one box which was headed for the sewing room. I will get into that box to see if there is the start of a nest (or mouse pee). Time to convert to Plastic Storage Containers for those things I just have to keep.

And for Today

More yard work. I'd like to get the rest of the gravel out of the carport so I can park there. There is probably plenty of room for it along the West side of the yard. I also need 3 more stepping stones to complete the pathway through my gravel garden. It is looking good. The sidewalk area needs cleanup and I want to rethink the placement of container plantings.

I'll also want to breakdown the rest of the styrofoam for next weeks garbage pickup and gather whatever recyclables I have.

I've made the decision to move the unpacked file storage boxes to a storage unit for the 'interim'. Once 'home' is shaped up the way it should be I can think about getting the contents of those boxes dealt with. Some of it is just plain indecision and procrastination.

Cooking Okinawan today complete with sticky white rice.

Tomatillos

Those little green suckers finally got to me. I made both a Tomatillo Pie and Tomatillo Jelly. Not sure whether or not it will be edible. I noticed a strong after taste which might have been the Sugar Twin I used instead of real sugar. I might also have added too much chili powder. It was great in the sauce for the beans but perhaps it didn't belong with the lemon juice and sugar.

Awoke to our first real rain of the season. It might prevent progress in the yard today. Not something I will worry about. What gets done, gets done.

An update of my hair style and classic look as Fall settles in.

Starting With Intentions

The plan for the day is to finish off a Garbage Can Garage in the NW corner of the front yard. To complete my Zen Gravel Garden look I'm considering a Bamboo screen to disguise it. Learned yesterday that Ace will have a 50% off sale Halloween weekend. That would be a great time to pickup any shrubs or perennials I might be wanting. They have some Viburnum that looks great and a Meyer Lemon for $50 that I'm thinking I want.

Diane is 73

Breakfast at Amber and Kyle's

Cory picked my brains about growing up in the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s while Amber and 'big' John Mz fixed breakfast. We had a delicious Smoked Salmon Salsa on Ciabatta and Onion Bagels with roasted veggies and avocado. I finally met the 'enemy' and he wasn't all that terrifying.

Cory will spend a few hours here today helping me out in the front yard. My goal is to fix a place for the Garbage Can 'Garage' and level the gravel in the front yard and get it all tamped down and settled in for the winter. Bought Concrete Cloverleaf Pavers for the Garbage Garage and contrasting stepping stones for the Zen Gravel Garden. Raked the gravel and started on the garbage can area. Transplanted the Jasmine and Foxglove to the West Side Fence area. Watered it all down to get the 'settling' started. Tomorrow the paver area gets completed.

Finished Karin's Devil Hat for Halloween and now I am starting on a green one for her friend Sam.

I have a skein of Lion Wool in Lemongrass which should be perfect for his use. Then I will get started on a 3rd hat for Tracie. I really should knit up a bunch of these to give away as Christmas gifts to my widening circle of 'followers'.

Damn, I Forgot to Mail a Birthday Card

Diane's 73rd birthday is tomorrow. For once I bought the card on time but then I misplaced it on the Dining Room table. Bummer. She will get another e-Card.

The day is starting out cold (41 degrees) and overcast with lots of moisture in the air. My inclination is to bundle up with a knitting project and eat comfort food and drink hot liquids.

I'll go buy 4 more stepping stones for the pathway through the Zen Garden. Might prepare a space at the fence for the garbage can storage. It will require transplanting the Jasmine and Foxglove. I will definitely try to get the remaining gravel inside and off my driveway.

Beyond that I need to finish the Devil Hat and start on a Beanie with ear flaps for Sam in an underwater green.

Not Much of a Day except...

When Amber and Kyle came by last night to watch a movie they had to bring their own A/V cable. Today I went to Radio Shack for: A/V Cable, RCA Universal Remote and a Surge Protector for the living room.

I actually left the house to pickup some dessert. I particularly wanted Marie Callander's Apple Crumb Cobbler but 1st walked by the Tillamook Freezer and picked up a half gallon of Banana Split Ice Cream.

Tomorrow I will hang a picture or two downstairs and work on finishing the gravel transfer.

Great Day of Production

The slider trim is finally done. Now I need to caulk it. After that I will start adding the Faux Wallpaper on that wall. I am quite pleased. This place is shaping up.

Dan gave me good advice on the landscaping project. Actually advised lowering the level of the gravel garden and adding a cedar border to prevent drift. Need to incorporate a space for garbage can storage that is both useful and attractive. He also supplied a clue as to how to get through the winter without replacing the siding. It is inexpensive and doable with caulk and a decent ladder.

Good progress with organization today. More clutter dealt with. Managed to find a few things that were misplaced in unpacked boxes. I did a bit of knitting on the blue shawl wrap. And best of all managed to work in a long nap (important since I've been up since 4 a.m. today.

Woke up Full of It

I've moved another 5-6 cartloads of pea gravel and now I am taking a break. I have a few errands to run and some boxes to unpack and dispose of. I might do more later if the spirit moves me. It looks as if 5 or 6 more will provide minimal coverage and then I will need to fill in depressions, level it out and strategically place the stepping stones. I'm not sure how much gravel is left at this point but I would estimate 3/4 ton+. It's nowhere near photodocumentation time yet.

Uninspired

It's turning out to be a somewhat lackluster day. No interest in getting much done. I did however clean the kitchen and unload the dryer twice and fold the clean clothes.

I am doing small cleanup projects out front. This morning Max found a mouse. It was camping out behind the dog box and Max got into the box and growled and snarled at the tiny mouse until it ran off. I think Max was finally able to track it along the fence. It looks as if it is attracted by the overflow from the bird feeder so I moved the feeder to the backyard. Left 2 finch socks out front just in case they are still around and hungry.

I need to move more gravel today but I want to tidy up the yard and breakdown some cardboard boxes before I do that.

I awoke way too early (before 5 a.m.) and feel as if my clock is 'off'. Perhaps after a short nap I will find some inspiration and get the old body moving.

I managed to move another 4 garden carts of pea gravel. I think about a ton of it is now inside the yard. Tomorrow I will make an effort to finish off the main area I want covered and then will expand the Zen Gravel Garden until the gravel is gone.

Pea Gravel and Other Landscaping Ideas

Yesterday Wes Green Landscaping delivered 2 tons of Pea Gravel and dropped it in my driveway. I was able to move about 50 2-gallon buckets of it into the front yard with minimal effort. This is a snapshot of how I left it yesterday.When complete the stepping stones will be nestled into the pea gravel and provide some stable footing. As you can see even the doggie footsteps are visible in the thick gravel.

Today I will use Sandy's Garden Cart to move the bulk of it inside the fence. This is probably the most economical way to deal with the drainage problems of the front yard while putting in a Xerascape.

For plants I can have containers, including a Wine Barrel with a Meyer Lemon and a well pruned fruit tree. The Tea Rose and the Hummingbird Plant seem to be doing alright but need daily supervision. The left side of the yard will be the wet area with Forest and shade loving favorites like ferns, Azalea and Rhododendrons all planted in the ground and lovingly tended by yours truly. I haven't made any decisions about the morning glories. They are beautiful while blooming but a bother most of the time. For the time being the Tulip Bulbs will go into containers to pop into the ground when they start blooming in the spring.

Hauled an additional 5 carts of gravel into the front yard and roughly spread it. Then I drove to Ace in McKinleyville for a Garden Rake to more or less level out what is there. It's 70 at 1:30 p.m. and I might just do some EASY gardening now. I have a Weed Eater that would make short work of the weeds out there. I'm thinking some clean up of the green stuff is in order. There are also some cardboard boxes to flatten and recycle. I can keep busy in the yard without working up a sweat.

While at Ace I priced 12" round stepping stones in Terra Cotta to alternate with the aggregate stones that were here. I think that would dress up the pathway a bit. This will all come together over time to make for a comfortable, clean, environmentally stable landscape.

Uncomfortable with the Inevitable

Made contact with Robin yesterday only to learn it would be a matter of hours for Lisa. Why is it that when faced with death the mind grasps for solutions to the problem? The inevitable comes no matter what survivors may feel. R.I.P. Lisa, the struggle is over.

Taking Care of Business

First of the month and flush with cash. Rent, Utilities, Dues. Source the Pea Gravel and arrange for delivery. Stopped by Wes Green's and arranged for delivery of 2 tons of pea gravel. Won't get here until Monday. That is OK. Hope I can handle this project. It is a relatively inexpensive way to eliminate the front yard landscaping issues.

Yarn for Devil Hat for Karin. Get started on it as a Halloween Surprise. Here's the beanie before the horns and ear flaps. I bought some really fine wool yarn to make it and it may last her a lifetime.