Back To Work Soon

State Government Shut Down.
The Governor blinked first, backed down, made yet another offer, and the Republicans apparently accepted it.  No one won, and the citizens of Minnesota are the biggest losers.  I hope when all those legislators come up for re-election, the voters remember that they toed the party line, did not increase taxes for those best able to pay, and that those with the least will have even less.   No word on when we will be going back, but my unpaid vacation will be ending soon.  Going back will be difficult, except for the part about getting paid!

So much happened over the past two weeks, so much fun, so many adventures, so many projects completed.  Eliminating the work-related stress allowed me to really relax - can't remember when I last did that.  Just as well we will be returning soon as I could easily get used to being retired - but still have projects to complete!

The Arboks at 5 days

The little Arboks are doing well, growing like crazy, all chubby and polished by their very attentive mum.  Reebok is starting to get bored though, and follows me around the basement when I do fish chores.  She's not quite so eager to come back indoors after a visit to the dog yard, and has suggested that she would like to come upstairs to the family room.  This weekend I will crate up the others and let her come up for a visit, leaving the basement door open in case a pup squeaks and she has to dash down and check it out.

Went through pictures last night and posted a number of flower pictures to Facebook.  Was particularly pleased with the Water Lily and Orchid pictures, but I am annoyed that I can't display the pictures the way I want them here. I can generally make corrections to the html coding, but am at a loss for why one picture won't align right. Oh well.


Water Lilies




Orchid





Hibiscus


Patio door finished, but WHY did I think it was a good idea to stain it myself to save $200.00?  It turned out fine, but was a lot of work.  My pay per hour of work was very low!  Nice to have a screen again, but Josie has already tried to stick her nose through it, and I had to put up a piece of tape at eye height to keep Ron from walking through it.  I have a feeling that this screen will not survive very long here.

Next project, finishing the bathroom.  Wonder if I can get all the wallpaper up this weekend, plus cut and paint a new door frame?  Probably not, but I know that with puppies to tend, and all the resulting company it is now or never.   Pups are so darned cute that if you plan to visit them for a minute, it quickly becomes an hour.

Not much more to be done in the yard this summer, other than keeping the weeds out - and the mulch helps that a lot.  While digging behind the new fence, putting in a walkway outside the gate, I discovered old flagstones beneath 2 inches of sod.  No wonder the grass always dried up so quickly in that spot!  I felt like an archaeologist digging up ruins.  The stones are now covered with mulch which works better, and the ornamental grass I purchased at the Arboretum has been planted.

My birthday sofa arrives today, and the elderly radio/phonograph that took up so much wall space is on the deck covered with plastic, waiting for Ron to take it apart.  Good bye old friend.  Now to figure out how to arrange things.  Might also be a good time to change the pictures, some of which have been in the same location for 25 years!  Where does time go?