Digging...Digging....Digging.... that is how September started off. Got the rest of the sod dug up. Kat came over again to help with this project too. We tried to remove any high spots so there would be room for stone and then the top base. We pulled the large rocks that were over by the barns in the driveway - I've hated those rocks there cause they are hard to walk on - so was so happy to try to use them somewhere else! Will level out the driveway with normal pea gravel in 2011. Also had to realign all the sidewalk slabs so they lined up to place the pavers against.
Uneven sidewalk...
Mo came home from work with Charlie Brown - who would end up being our Christmas tree for 2010. She stopped at Oakland Nursery on the way home from work...
on 9/9 - My brother and nephew were back home for Duncan's 11th birthday. Mark brought him home to take him to the OSU/Miami game (lucky kid!). We had a little party for him at my parents house.
At Jerry's in the OSU room for birthday dinner.
Birthday Boy
Next day the order of base for the patio was delivered... let the fun begin! Raked it all out and tamped it down to try to get it settled, watered it a bit. Then had to use piped and a level to get it just right. Took quite a few days to get all the pavers installed. And the worst part for the end - having to saw the edge pieces to fit snug against the sidewalk.
Had to take a mandatory week long break from the project as I had to go to the PA office for work. Came back and finished up with the last pieces.... and by 9/26 we had a finished patio to enjoy!
August started out with building the goats a shelter in the pasture. We had the in the barn while this project was going on. Kat helped me build the shelter - couldn't have done it without her! I think she had some fun as well - I saw the spark in her eye that I had when I first started to do stuff like this.
Me working on the sides
Kat securing the roof.
Soon after this Hammy found a spot in the fence that bent down a little (where a horse jumped over at one point years ago) So I ended up installing the electric fence for the goats (Hammy mainly...) Only ran a line along the top of the fence. But later would have to install a 2nd along the bottom after they learned there were gaps in certain spots that they could crawl and bend the fence out a little. GRH! Here is the video of Hammy's 1st minutes of finding out about an electric fence... Special thanks again to my great friend Kat who helped me install the elec fence as well!
As the garden started to produce lots of yummy veggies.... we got to have a lot of great dinners cooked on the new grill...
The Garden (8/1/10) - Sunflowers that came up on their own
in the compost pile.
Also one of our favorite dinners to make during 'garden season' is homemademargherita pizzas!! In fact its making me hungry just thinking about them!!
Around the 15th Mo decided she wanted to completely repaint the small red barn... I had painted the one side last year, and we found out there was 2 different reds in barn paint... classic red or barn red. for the repaint we picked the classic red which stands out more. Mo painted all the areas she could reach and I went around with the ladder and got all the upper sections.
All Done!
At the end of the month I decided to start on a project that I had told myself could wait till 2011 - but of course why should I rest... must try to kill myself with projects! lol I wanted to double the size of the patio to have more seating area and for the small firepit and hammock.
Patio before the project started. 8/30/10
8/31 - digging out the sod. Mo Rover to the rescue!
Stay tuned for Sept's post when you get to see how it turned out!
