PORCH AND POOCH'S

Another weekend of the back porch redo. This time we put on a bottom coat to soak into and treat the wood. we have cedar wood on the top deck,(built with the house), and red wood on the bottom deck.

Yes the first coat is PINK! Go figure

Not only do we have to stain the floor and railings but the slated top. We did this about 5 years ago and said "NEVER EVER AGAIN!"

And with old age the memory goes. Eric has to go up on top because:

1. I am terrified of height. 2. I could not get up there let alone down with out the fire department

3. I hate the sun when the temps reach 97 degrees.

Their are 4 sides to these 1 inch slates AND 4 sides on all the cross beams under these 1" slates to keep them stable. ALL needing to be stained with 2 separate coats of stain/paint.

Oh where is that memory of my youth? I am getting a tape recorder, you know the kind the CIA carry in their coat pockets.

This is lower deck, my staining project. It is DONE and looks damn good thank you very much!!

Isn't she pretty. I had the job of the lower railing as well. Another point for us to remember is NEVER EVER stain/paint a deck when all the climbing flowers are in bloom, the big apple tree that is loaded this year was a bear to fight with. We now have apples and flowers that are the color of red wood.

I turned my back for just a minute, long enough to walk up stairs to get a basket of dirty clothes and this is what I returned to.

They had a great time pulling down the toilet paper

I could just hear them saying "hurry here she comes, let's hide, do you think she will notice, if she was us she would do the same thing"

All this for these two little bones they found in the bathroom cabinet.

All I could do was laugh and say " Did you 2 have FUN."

Between the back porch and these very cute but busy pooches I am now on these.

Yes my back/sciatica nerve gave out this past weekend. It started Friday night by Saturday could barely walk. Since I had the porch to get done and this was the only weekend to do it, I stained wood, lots of wood and some flowers while whistling tunes on my pain medication.

Between allot of bending and getting in weird positions no women my age should attempt and chasing young energized puppies I was in REAL" ER "pain by Saturday evening.

Sunday afternoon I was in bed, in the fetal position sucking my thumb and counting the minutes until I could take another pain pill.

Monday was better but not good. I can not stay in any one position long.

I even had to call to excuse myself from a fun "catch up" quilting day with fellow quilters.

Poor Eric having to listen to my complaints, but his knees and back are screaming too. He has to get his own pain meds, I am not giving up one pill till I can fold into a pretzel.

SUNDAY IN THE GARDEN

Iris (they grow like weeds here)

Blue Bird

Love the White Blossoms

Pine Cone

Our Pine Tree

Have a great Sunday, we are staining our porch. This is a 2 weekend job and a job people our age should not be doing. Though it will be beautiful when all done. Just need the rain to hold off today.

WOOL MART

Can't wait to get these beauties on the needles. Have not totally decided what will be made into what, but it will include a sweater and several scarfs.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN MORAINE PARK

Spent a weekend up in Rocky Mountain Park. As we were driving in the smell of the pine forest is a scent that just lowers my blood pressure and centers my mind. Mountain pine has to be one of my most favorite scents. This scent can never be reproduced in a bottle, I have to experience it in the mountains.

Getting the trailer all settled. Takes allot less time then putting up tents and tarps.

Another reason to go to the Mountains. These beautiful animals were right outside our trailer.

Up close and personal ,( but never to close this is her home. I am the visitor).

E does all the cooking.

Saw this in the meadow

Grabbed the camera and ran to the meadow for more pictures

I could do this all day!

Storm clouds moving in.

Knitting in beautiful Rocky Mountain, life does not get any better, unless my children were with me!

BEAUTIFUL

Rivers and streams running very high. The river in town had breached it's banks. Remembering the Big Thompson Flood in the 1976, seeing high water makes everyone a little nervous.

The puppies found this carcass of an elk lying in tall grass. Kinda feel sorry for the guy or gal.

This moved in on Friday night and we watched the low clouds and rain for 2 days then packed up and came home. It was a wonderful, beautiful, peaceful weekend. Thank you Rocky Mountain Park!!!!

Next post I will have pictures of the Wool Fair this weekend up in Estes Park. Another reason for the trip to the Park.

MAKING SOAP AND OTHER THINGS

The Mixer

The ingredients

Today was soap making day, I have been trying to get this done for weeks. Truth be told," soap making terrifies me", it is really dangerous. But dog gone it I love the soap, I use it as regular bar soap though the best use is for shampoo. Yes my hair has never been better behaved and no dry scalp other wise known as dandruff. My sister claims it cleared up her face. I am sure she was talking about clearing all the blemishes and not clearing her face off. I have heard that this recipe can be grated and use as laundry soap, but I would never waste it that way.

Lye and Water

Olive Oil, Rice Oil and Coconut Oil

The trick to soap making is to get the lye solution and the 3 different oils at 50C at the same time. Since I am now experience in soap making I realized to mix the water and the lye first. Once this dangerous procedure is done I can breathe easy if I have done it correctly. Meaning I did not inhale any of the fumes, or splash any of the lye on me, particularly in my eyes. The first time I mixed water with lye I gowned, gloved and goggled up to the task. However I soon realized I could not see through the 30 year old goggles or feel through the thick thick gloves that was advised to wear. After spending much thought on how more dangerous it was for me to wear all this garb then just to take my time and be careful. I work around deadly organisms on a daily basis, things like hepatitis, Aids, mersa, etc,etc........ And their are ways to be safe called........BE VERY CAREFUL, ALERT, ON GUARD, THINK, MOVE SLOWLY, USE YOUR BRAIN!!!!!!!! So I now use this philosophy (training) when making soap. So far so good

Put in mixer and blend till "trace".

Pour into pans and cure for 6-8 weeks.

You can find a wonderful how to on this blog, one of my favs.

I bet you are wondering why I would put a dirty bucket in my tub? Well silly , of course it is to collect the water from my shower before it runs down the drain. You see I figure I paid for that water and I am going to use it. How? Watering all my pots around the yard. Works great, it is called" Grey Water". A short shower I can collect 5 gallons of grey water. Oh do not mind the dirt, it is not from me, but stuck to the bottom of the container. I should not have left this container sit outside all winter!

These are my new running shoes. Well not really new I found them in the back of the closet and thought great I will start to run again. Running isn't going to well, you see I am too old to be young and too young to be old. In other words my arthritic joints some I did not even know I owned and 50+ year old knees are screaming " Are you kidding me"? I ignore them and keep moving. Moving is not the problem it is when I stop! I stiffen up so tight I know what rigor mortis feels like. Staying healthy never gets easier and the end product is always the same , sick or healthy!

But I do enjoy eating this kind of food on the week-ends.

What's for dinner?

Hi sweetie, you will be home soon making SOAP!!!!