Tuesday, June 5, 2012

The war of the rats...

I cannot "a tale unfold, whose lightest word would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres, thy knotted and combined locks to part and each particular hair to stand on end, like quills upon the fretful porpentine [or porcupine to most of us]" because I am not clever with words and have not plumbed the depths of human tragedy. Dostoyevsky, Gobol, or possibly Tolstoy would have done it well. Yet as your humble (or possibly not so humble) chronicler of these adventures I will do my best.
As the song says, "This is the end, beautiful friend, the end. Of our elaborate plans the end." The war between good and evil, vermin and human, stealing and a hard days work rewarded has gone on for centuries. Before we were born and long after we are gone it will continue. However, each of us has the responsibility, nay the duty to do our little part. When darkness raises its ugly head or perhaps chews on the wood in your walls, one and all must come to the aid of the party. Cry Havoc! and let loose the traps (filled with peanut butter and dog food) of war.
With no defiance sent or formal declaration of war, we were invaded. The scurrying of feet and gnawing of wood as they entrenched themselves beneath our very feet was all we heard. Measures were taken. The stench of Death filled the heater vents. Long adventures to the underworld of our house were taken. Their defeat was inevitable.
Now we raise the victory flag. They were not our beloved adversary such a dandelions or stink weed. No they go to their garbage can (wrapped in a sealed bag) unwept, unmourned, forgotten. So we pass from this dark day with a lesson learned... Seal up your dog and bird food.


Sunday, June 3, 2012

More weekend fantastic, full, fickle, fragrance fun...

You may have guessed it from the title, but I'll still tell you. We are making progress. Between the late Friday hours and on to the late Sunday hours, I didn't get as much done as I wanted, but the yard does look different. It seems with every project that things are always different on paper, than in reality. For example the arbor seats we planned on were gone when we went to purchase and Fred Meyers wasn't planning on getting any more in. Also, the only Abelia we could find was not scented. Well, like McDonalds says, "When life gives you strawberries, make strawberry lemonade." Or like R W Emerson once said, "For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else." Or to put it another way, we lost Abelia and gained Sarcocca and lost an arbor but gained (after we get my mother in law to come up and make it) a paver patio for some chairs!
The writer chappies put thing so succinctly.
Here are a few pictures, it doesn't look finished, and that is only because it isn't. However, it will make for lots of fun the next week or so.

Before

Watching Dad work, and feeding the baby

work in progress