Rock Collector

Husband runs heavy equipment and I'm fortunate that he enjoys bringing home large flat rocks that he finds at work. I wonder if it is a boy-thing, but our 3 year old has yet to go for a walk or bike ride without bringing home 3 (because three is the limit!) new rocks for his "collection". I guess you might say our family enjoys the rugged shapes, textures and colours of stone, and we are itching to get doing some landscaping in our new yard. So, along with packing and cleaning, we've been loading and hauling our collection of landscaping rocks.

Many of our rocks have a story. Shortly after we had our eldest son, Husband and I went rock picking at our friend's property. Most of those went in the backyard flowerbed.

My dad and brother have saved me some that they found in their fields, and Husband has brought home, literally, a tonne over the years. I'm glad to go to the effort of loading and hauling our rocks: it would take years to replace them, but also it is comforting to bring them along and place them in a new yard and see them arranged differently.

Do you use stone in your landscaping scheme? Where have you gathered your stone, or did you have to purchase?

A River Runs Through It

We took a load of landscaping rocks out to our acreage site on Thursday. While there, we put a lock on our new mailbox at the group box site a mile down the highway from our corner (I was strangely excited to finally get our new address--partly so I could start changing our address everywhere, but also so that it feels like we will eventually have our own home back!)

I didn't take new pictures of the trail through the snow drifts to our property. The snow has dropped by several feet but the road is still soft and there is much melting to do before it will be passable for small vehicles (or 12' x 20' sheds!). The yard site itself, however, was plowed in the winter and the wind helped to blow a lot of snow away (presumably onto the road!) so it is drying nicely once one makes it into the yard.

Instead of new pictures of the same old snow banks, I took a few of the water running across my parents' road to get to their slough.

To the left, the water crossing their road. The close up below shows how the water is washing the road out.

Below, water crossing in a second spot. It flows into the slough, which drains into a lake a few miles away.

After a couple days of this water (over)filling the slough, the force of the water washed away a culvert and road at the other end. No one knows where the culvert has ended up, or when the water will stop. Lucky for my parents their house is uphill from the worst of the water. Is there a lot of run-off where you are this spring? Are you seeing much damage or has it mostly finished for the year?

Tree Planting

Well, perhaps I have a lot on my mind. I left a loaf of bread in the oven for over two hours the other day (it was well done!) and I used facial cleanser as toothpaste the other morning (I noticed in the nick of time!). So it doesn't surprise me that I forgot I had used my parents' address on our tree application (in case we had already moved when the letter came out). So for two months I've been assuming that we didn't get trees from the shelterbelt program which is finished this year. Instead, the letter has been riding around in my mom's vehicle and she forgot to give it to me (she probably has a lot on her mind too, this can't be hereditary!). At any rate, the letter was delivered to me yesterday and I was tickled to find that we will receive free trees after all. The program ran out of trees so I didn't get all of the types I requested, but beggars can't be choosers. I'm happy to get any at all.

Including the trees that I purchased, we will have to plant:

150 Hedge Rose
250 Scots Pine
300 Mix Poplar Cuttings
50 Mix Willow Cuttings

120 Colorado Spruce
200 Northwest Poplar
180 Manitoba Maple

I will have to pull out the drawings I made this winter to decide where everything will go...we are going to be busy! As we go, I'd like to get into more detail regarding the use of trees in wildlife habitat and as part of an overall permaculture approach to yard design (as my very beginner perspective understands it!). For now, back to the drawing board as we get nearer to beginning work in the new yard!

Hangin' Out

I was quite happy to get some laundry hung out to dry on the clothesline yesterday. Happy in that it is the end of April and it is finally warm enough in the afternoon sun that something might get dry, and also happy that we could open the side door of the house. The snow had drifted halfway up the door and it was blocked off all winter.

We had company for the weekend so laundry had piled up, and it is nice to put a load out to hang while the dryer works away inside. In the summer I try not to use the dryer unless it is to work some of the crunchiness out of things...I've found that about 5 minutes in the dryer before hanging outside really keeps soften the laundry.

Yesterday I left some blankets and towels out most of the day, which reached a high of about 6 degrees Celsius. Today I have some floor mats out there. I hung them in the morning; by about 2 pm the sun has made its way around to hit the clothesline. Although it's not that warm yet, I have time to wait and I'm enjoying the last few uses of my clothesline here. In our new house the laundry room is on the second floor (along with all the bedrooms). I worry that the stairs will dissuade me from hanging my laundry outside as much as I like, so we are thinking of having the line go out the laundry room window. For now, though, I'll just be glad to see the snow bank between the house and fence melt away!

The Drywall Stage

We had a chance to look at the house again today: at this point the siding is on and, inside, the drywall is up but not taped or plastered.

We secretly wish we had chosen trim and shakes with more contrast in colour, but we had so many selections thrown at us in an hour (with two hungry, tired boys climbing the walls) that by the time we got home we weren't sure what colour we had picked. Not to mention, dark siding is $1 more/foot (would have been $1807 more...as Husband says, "No Dice!")



My sittin' porch

The decks will be built on site, but the overhang with pot lights is ready. Can't wait for coffee overlooking the garden!

 

In my current home, company comes in through the attached garage. Nightmare to keep the garage respectable-looking with strollers, garbage, recycling, and Husband (garage-tidier-extraordinaire) usually working away. Above is my bright, lovely company entryway. LOVE IT!

To the right is the dining room. These doors lead to the covered sittin' porch, which will face south and west and overlook the garden and across our quarter-section of land.

Below, the master bedroom--it has a small Juliet deck and a nice sized walk-in closet. We are just thrilled with the house; it is going to be so exciting when the flooring and cabinets go in! Now for the weather to cooperate so we can get a basement dug to put it on!

Have a great weekend!

The Slow Thaw

As I've mentioned (and complained about here and here), our winter has been long and persistent and our spring, well, late to arrive. We have had more snow and wind than usual and, as a result, roads (including ours) have been blocked and impassable. Our plan to move a shed onto our land in which to store our belongings is being revised: unless some serious melting and drying happens in a hurry, we will store in my brother's shop and home until we can get into our yard. Here's why:



April 14, 2013




A trail to our acreage, April 14, 2013

 There is just no way to bring a 12 foot wide by 20 foot long shed up this road. When the snow is finally melted we don't know how long it will take to dry out. We are lucky in that our house is not supposed to come until July/August, but it is worrisome to think how far behind the basement builder will be due to this very late thaw. All the people needing their basements built before us are waiting too, and the season might get off to a very slow start for everyone. Likewise, Husband won't be returning to work until it dries up and any delay in that regard is stressful and costly. Luckily I plan for the worst when it comes to spring break-up, and we are accustomed to not spending until he is back to work. This year will be no different, beyond what is needed for the house and acreage and our upcoming move.

How is spring progressing where you live? Are you, like most of us, experiencing lower than average temperatures?

Time Lines

We are drawing nearer to our moving day. As it approaches, so do more deadlines.

• more packing
• get rid of all recycling
• get a new address, if Canada Post can decide what it will be! done!
• cancel services in old house
• replace wax seal on toilet in master bath
• replace kitchen window
• trim around kitchen window, caulking
• change address everywhere
• quote from septic/sewer guy (call after Wednesday)
• confirm any final quotes/ trades
• garage sale (ongoing)
• pick up trailer
• clear spot for belongings in brother's shop
• load and haul rocks to acreage site
• prepare site for shed
• delivery of shed to acreage
• insure shed
• finish packing and cleaning
• well finished
• prepare camper for Husband to live in this summer
• vacate old house, move to parents'
• tree planting, fencing
• when weather permits, have road and pad built at acreage
• dig basement hole, fill in old dugout
• price out central vac
• basement built
• raised beds, stone work
• gas, phone and electric companies notified, and hopefully services completed soon
• general yard work at acreage
• delivery of RTM
• services hooked up
• decks built
• move in to house YAY!!
• garage and decks completed
• more yard work

I am too exhausted to go on. But I hope this is most of it.