3-27-12 Done for now I think!

 Trying to photograph the deck lights...hard to do in the dark but you get the idea of the pools of light under the puck lights on the railings.

 The stairs are very easy to use at night.

 From far out in the yard...like fairy lights but very useful when you are using them.

 Tonight as the rain slacks off...trying to take some shots while there is still some light.

 The incessant rain has caused the creek to really rise...see the kayak on my dock...a few days ago, it wouldn't have been visible.

 All the lights are on...around 7:30 pm tonight.  Still pretty light, but the lights stand out.

 Looking back at the house tonight.

 The tiny rock zen garden, no flash.  Taken from the bridge...

The Fatsia Japonica by the deck lights and rail lights...really beautiful.

3-23-12 Round up of LAST week?

 The big PUSH to finish is on...Rick working on the sliding gate and metal trim on top of the wall.

 Todd working on the lights!

 Jose and Miguel finishing the top rail.

 The poor long suffering Clematis Armandii is finally sort of hoisted back in a reduced semblance of itself and is blooming away.

 Mike Boyce going over all the welds...A long noisy afternoon, but glad it is all done.

 The control box for all the outside lighting...ready to be finished off.

 Todd wiring and holding up the deck at the same time.

 JR did a great job getting the mortar under the steel plates...Really it looked like a two man job to me, but he did it perfectly.

 Angel, Rick and Dennis trying to get the massive planter full of bamboo out of the back of Rick's truck.  They did it, but it wasn't easy!

 One of Dennis's great gate latches...so creative and imaginative.  I love them.

 Another view of the latch...hope you can open it when you come over!!!

 My heart is back up finally although in a new location.

 Trent brought me this beautiful Tagine...I will have to get cooking one of these days...Moroccan food for all!

 It is a little hard but if you use your imagination and prior knowledge, you can see the Edison 40w light bulbs that Rick picked up and installed.  The clear glass bulbs show the filament and are a perfect fit with the lamps.  Of course I sniveled about power consumption, but Todd reassured me by figuring out that all the LED lights around the house were only using 60w.  We are talking 36 puck lights if not more.  I will have to count one of these days.  And as they all remind me, Ido have a switch and the light won't be on all the time.

 The beautiful bamboo in the custom built Shields planter...I adorned it with the wonderful rock that Dick and Barbara Gleed gave me for my birthday some years back.  Walking in the field yesterday I found the perfect small rock to nestle in it.  Lovely arrangement if I do say so.

 Just an idea of what the light over the front door looks like from the road.  Hand held camera, not so easy to photograph at night.

And finally, the latest in the wind chimes...a beautiful Chakra Wind chime, perfectly tuned.  The large amber crystal at the bottom casts great sparkling facets as it turns.  The perspective is totally off in the photo, it is very small.  If you want to see the whole collection, there is a new store in ClearLake in the Burns Valley Mall that is selling great wind chimes, whirly gigs, kites and spinners.  Fun fun place!  Might be called Wind Toys.  And now to the yard while watching the electricians finish up.  So glad the sun is shining for them to get it all done!

3-20-12 Spring onto Stairs!

 Danny putting on the very last of the metal siding on the house!  I think he was really happy to be done with that.  Almost all the scraps were loaded into the dumpster by me and Rick...whew!

 KOKO channeling the daffodils...

 Happy Spring, so glad I planted tulips and hyacinths with my artichoke!

 Jose painted all the front stairs and is touching up any places we missed along the way.  Looks great.

 The state of the stairs this morning, with the gate in place and only a few treds to go...I walked down them last night, waiting for the finished product.

 Angel installs the last of the wood on the stairs.

 JR and Dennis getting the rolling gate all done

 Finally, today, the first full day of Spring, I am hanging out on the finished stairs!  Woo-Hoo!

Koko had a time of trying to come up the stairs...it took her three tries but the third time was a charm.  It was easier for her to go down.  We shall see how she adapts.

3-18-12 Stairs!

 Out the kitchen window again...I just love this mobile in the wind!

 Out the very dirty eastern kitchen window looking toward the stairs.  THis photo might inspire me to try to clean it off today, but it has sticky stuff on the outside from the label...ugh.

 Down the stairs which are just waiting for the wood treads and rails.  I just can' wait until they are done and the landing completed.

 Looking at the stairway from the deck...already doing some mental landscaping!

The roof of the shed struck me early this am...it was a beautiful color as the sun came up behind me.  Some day the shed will be empty except for plants, and I will be in there doing tai chi...maybe next Sunday?  That would be totally awesome!

3-13-12 Rain, no work!

 Rain rain rain and no work going on, makes Charlotte a curious woman...and I want to know what all these bubbles mean gushing out of my giant oak tree?  If you enlarge, you will see the clear bubbles...

 These seemed to be coming from the crotch of the tree, but in the second photo, they were down at the base.  An hour or so later, all the bubbles were gone.  Worrisome as I am not sure I have seen anything quite like this before.

 More water gushing out of the drainspout...need to make it go farther away from the house.

Water and reflections on the deck as the rain diminished to light sprinkles.

3-12-12 Dang it...lost the post

 View from the kitchen window as the sun comes up!

 Koko unclear on the Foo Dog pose!

 Ground squirrel warning the whole neighborhood that we were out walking.

 A different view of the house and the plum tree.

 Angel working on the most difficult join of the day...putting the Ipe on the railing.

The first run of Ipe...