What do you have going on this time of year? So many things to do around the house. Yesterday I spent 12 1/2 hours of labor intensive work on putting a new brick walkway in front and around the side of the house. I was so tired that I didn't even get online yesterday except very early in the morning. There's at least that much more to go. Then there's the garden to get ready. This morning I spent about 1 1/2 hours working on it, then it started to rain. :bigthmb: :pleased: Then there's an unlimited number of other things that need attention. So if you don't hear from me for a day or two, chances are I'm just tired. What do you have going on?

Ed

We're coming into summer months which means most of the outside stuff should have been done in the cooler months. There are still things to do though.
Hey, don't kill yourself Ed. You still want to be around to enjoy the fruits in the fall.
DJ

Ed, I must protest at this type of posting. Just reading the opening sentences brought on acute nausea. Intensive work, brick walkway, gardening ! You can't go putting this type of stuff on the site without warning, spare a thought for us lounge lizards !

My sincere apologies Chris! :D

Deb,
The cooler months? Like 95 degrees or so? :D Don't worry about me -- I thrive on that type of work .

Ed

Ed, you inspired me to begin some summer projects and I suggested to the Wife that she get right on them. The temperature here went from "zero to boil" in about 6 seconds....Tom

:lol: Tom, you do like to live dangerously!

Ed, we have been known to get frost on the pumpkin upon occasion but as soon as we take them out of the freezer it seems to melt. I dread those days of 95 coming fast. The only way you can survive here is to do a little work and jump in the pool, do a little more work and jump in the pool. Making sure that the pool time is at least 4 times the length of the work time of course.

Hurricane season starts in about 6 more weeks. That means memorizing what you own so you can recognize it in a heap several blocks away after the storm. We've been playing Russian Roulette for the last 20 years not owning shutters. Sure hope our luck holds out a few more seasons. :)
DJ

Normally I'd be outside doing yard work at this time of year but winter went on for a reallly long time and the snow is only starting to go away now. also I couldn't really do it anyways because I'm recovering from my knee surgery i had yesterday, so i've been basically just lying around, taking lots of pain medications and sitting at my computer. At least I'll have lots of time to do retouch pro challenges and things like that now.

- David

I heard that Tom's wife just bought a big insurance policy on him because of his upcoming *accident*. :D

Deb, you can send the pool up my way, but please keep the hurricanes away!

David,
Sorry to hear that you're laid up for a while. Hope everything goes well for you.

Ed

David,
So sorry to hear about your surgery. Hope the pain goes away fast so you can concentrate on all these challenges you plan on doing while having to stay off your feet. Well, at least you have us to cheer you up. :D

Ed,
If you get the pool you get the high winds and rain too. :D
DJ

Sorry to hear that you're laid up for a while. Hope everything goes well for you
So sorry to hear about your surgery. Hope the pain goes away fast so you can concentrate on all these challenges you plan on doing while having to stay off your feet. Well, at least you have us to cheer you up
Thanks Ed and DJ! yep these forums are a great place to get my mind off things and get cheered up.

- David :)
(P.S. sorry if my posts in the next couple days don't make any sense because i'm on lots of codeine and tylenol and I'm kind of incoherent lots of the time lately:dizzy: )

David, Take care of that knee! Good luck and I hope it heals up real quick. Tom

Ed, I'm feeling like I should be out in the yard, but have way to many projects inside the house (most involve the computer!). But, the weather here has been fantastic the past few days, so I'm at least getting out and getting some hikes in. Of course, that means I have to walk by the front garden bed everytime I go out and I just cringe looking at it. :( Luckily I live a little ways out of town, so don't need to keep the yard looking too tidy or risk being thrown out of the neighborhood! Usually this would be the perfect time to pull out the grass that's in the garden because it's usually moist from melting snow, but we're way below normal for snow/rain fall this year. They're saying it's as dry now as it usually is in July. This is really bad news for the upcoming fire season! Guess that means I have to get out and at least make sure there's "defensible space" around our house!

David, Sorry to hear about your surgery. Bummer time of the year to have it done, huh? Are you the "motivated type" to push the envelope on a speedy recovery?

Jeanie

Hey David, I know what you're feeling having had knee surgery myself last September. Hope all goes well, mine has been improving week by week and I'm glad I had the surgery. Hope you can say the same in a couple of months. Hang in there and know we are all thinking of you.
Sandra

Pollen season...Oh Joy!!! I'm with Chris...give me a tall, cold drink, a rocking chair and just call me a lounge lizard.

David- uagsdjfg kjag dfja gk k ak jklll !! (He'll understand) :D

Tom - Thanks! I'm already noticing some improvements.

Jeanie - yeah, around this time I usally go on long bike rides in the huge river valley in Edmonton. this has been going on for about 4 and a 1/2 months now, so I'm definitely going to be pushing it as much as i can for recovery time.

Sandra - thanks, nice to hear from somebody whos had the same kind of thing! what kind of knee surgery did you have? (mine was to go in and remove a quite large cyst in the bone at the top of my left knee)

Greg - heheh got that, thanks :D

- David :

Hi David,

Just wanted to add my get well wishes to the others...I know you will bounce back quickly.

Sharon

thanks sharon! and everybody else too. I really appreciate all the support:)

- David

Hi David,
I had quite an extensive operation, they had to take the kneecap(it was way out of position)clean out all the bone fragments from the joint because the kneecap was breaking up because it wasn't in the right place. Then they had to chisle some of the bone out from the join and put the kneecap back in the right place.Then put a few screws in to keep it all together. I was off it for around 6 weeks and in a brace for 3 months but it's much better now I' getting around better than I did before.
Sorry everybody for the gory description but David did ask.

:eek: yikes thats a major operation! for a big surgery like that, that's impressive that you've recovered so fast. good to hear its better now :)

- David

I fertilized the grass in the front last weekend -- big mistake!! Now it's starting to grow. That means I either have to start mowing again, or teach one of my four-footed companions to pull the mower. (Since they refuse to allow themselves to be listed as a tax deduction on my yearly return, it seems they could do some labor in return for their lavish lifestyle).

Ed, when I saw the thread title, I figured you were talking about taxes (which I just got done Friday). But given a choice between hard labor and doing taxes, I'd ... sit down with a cold soft drink and surf the net for a few hours looking for a third choice.

David - Sorry about your pain, and hope you feel better fast. I'm glad that your interests include retouching and related endeavors that don't require great use of your wounded knee -- you'll have a great portfolio ready by the time you're back on your feet fulltime.

well I *thought* it was finally turning into spring here, but it turns out I was completely wrong. last night the snow was almost completely melted away and gone. today I woke up to find about a foot of snow covering everything! I'm not sure whats going on with our weather, but I was told by somebody that we're stuck in a pocket of arctic air out here :cold:

- David :)

We had some spring like weather, then it snowed two weeks ago. We didn't get a whole lot, but maybe an inch or two (it didn't last long). Yesterday it was 90 degrees! The sun was too hot to be in when doing anything physically challenging. There's no telling what tomorrow will bring. :) Yes, it's that time of year!

Ed

I'll take it David. Send that nice cold weather down here. Usually by the time it arrives it tempered off to a perfect 60 degrees. That hot weather is creeping up just a bit too fast down here.

Funny, isn't it? Just a matter of perspective. You guys are looking for the warmth and I'm looking to keep cool. :D
DJ

I'll take it David. Send that nice cold weather down here. :D sounds good DJ, as long as you send some of your warm weather this way!

- David

95 degrees at 75% humidity, sure thing, you got it. :D How about a good hurricane to make it really feel tropical to you? :)
DJ

95 degrees at this time of year? around here people run to get their summer clothes on if it goes over 40!:D

- David

We had our first 100 degree day the other day, but then a windy cold front came in -- right now it's only 79 degrees. David, that kind of weather would probably help you recuperate -- don't know about the 100+ that will be back soon, and for the rest of the summer.

I bought a new lawn mower Sunday -- so I guess I should try it out EARLY tomorrow a.m., before the heat returns.

It's interesting hearing what this time of year means to members from different areas. We need to hear from some of our members in Austrailia and South Africa since they will be making plans for the coming winter. Now that seems so weird to me. :)
DJ

We're into our Autumn, your Fall, and so far it's been pretty good. We are still able to wear shorts and t-shirts. In the coming months winter will be here, where I am we don't get snow, it just doesn't get that cold. In fact I've never even seen snow, I know that would sound weird to you but it's the truth. Our winters don't usually get much colder than about 10-12deg C in my area. We do get snow in Astralia but only in the south on the mountains. And sometimes a freak snow fall in other areas but not regular snow as you know it, not more than a dusting of snow except as I said in the mountains.
Our winters would be considered quite mild to those in the USA and Europe but it's still too cold for me I like to be warm. I love summer, most Aussies do.

Finally, winter seems to have hit the road. Good RIDDANCE, I say (and none too soon)!

:)

Today I plowed about a quarter of the garden and mowed part of the "back 40" as they say. Actually, the whole thing is only about an acre, but it feels like more with a walk behind plow and a push mower...

If I'm still alive and able to move in the morning (I am sooooo sore and soooooo burnt) I'll plant the first of the veggies, mow more of the yard and possibly plow more of the garden.

Gawd, I love Spring!!

:)
Jak

I bought a shovel today...does that count?

(I never could call a spade a spade)

Jakaleena, Yikes!! And I was griping about mowing my front grass -- approximately 10 feet by 20 feet.

CJ,

I used to live in Phoenix (18 years). I'd gripe too if I was still in that HEAT.

Right after I moved away, I got soooooooooo tired of people saying, "well, it's a DRY heat - right?"

121 degrees is HOT! - wet OR dry....

I got so I started answering, "Yeah? Well so's your oven but you don't wanna LIVE there, now DO you....?"

I don't envy your 10x20 ft. at allllllll - LOL

:)
Jak

One acre is quite a bit to do with a walk behing mower. My lot is about 1/2 acre. I also use a walk behind mower, and I prefer it to a riding mower. But my 1/2 acre is enough for me. Any more, and I'd probably want a riding mower. But 121 degrees?? A 10 X 20 foot patch of grass must feel like an acre!

Ed

Okay, now, just to clear some things up about Phoenix weather -- 121 degrees only happens rarely, and you barely notice the difference from the more common 118 degrees. Actually, the last few years, we've only had a few 113 days, with the norm being 108-111 during the hot part of the summer. Add to that, that we don't have humidity (or so I've been told by Michiganders & Minnesotans), and we're back to the old saying about "it's a dry heat" -- we even sell T-shirts with that saying -- plus a couple of skeletons sitting around sipping some brew after their 18 holes of golf.

But LAWN MOWING in the heat?! Egad! But then I purposely don't plant winter rye grass so that I don't have to mow during the winter and spring, so I guess that only leaves the summer -- hmm, I SHOULD be planting the winter grass so I can mow during the cool season, and figuring a way to keep the bermuda from growing in the summer...:cool:

Doug -- BUYING a shovel is like my BUYING the lawn mower...

Please describe, in detail, what you actually DO with that shovel... and why you bought it while you were fishing on your vacation?;)

Ahhh, Phoenix.... Some people love the heat. I'm definately not one of them. My sis is still in Phoenix and will probably live there till she dies. I still visit Phoenix regularly.

I've lived in Kentucky, Florida, West Virginia, Ohio, Arizona & Oregon... I've spent time in most of the other continental states. You couldn't get me to live in Phoenix again for all the tea in China.

I guess the AZ Tourism board ran a contest the year after I moved away for a new AZ slogan. The AZ Republic printed some of the ones that didn't win. One of them went:

"Visit Arizona, it's cooler than Hell..."

Just barely.

I'd have voted for that one.

:)
Jak

Jak,

Believe me, I wish more people felt the way you do -- but folks keep moving here by the droves, building more homes with concrete driveways, requiring more streets and highways to be built, all which add to the heat island effect. Oh, and building more swimming pools so they can cool off once in a while.

I was born here and love it, and wouldn't want to live in the cold. I grew up reading the storybook about Chilly Willie, the penguin who didn't like the cold and wanted to float away to a tropical climate -- I'm still a Chilly Willie!:cold:

CJ,

I know what you mean about Phoenix growing so much. I moved to Oregon in 1991 and when I left I think the population in PHX was something like 5 million. Besides the heat, that's another reason for me leaving. I graduated from Paradise Valley H.S. in 1977 and back then there was nothing out there. When I visited last summer, I could have sworn that Phoenix stretched all the way to Flagstaff! (Ok, an exaggeration, but I agree it has gotten way too big). And the SMOG! I don't even think the smog in LA is as bad and that layer of brown sludge hanging over the Valley of the Sun... And, I think the reason I just can't do that kind of heat anymore is because I got really badly sun poisoned tubing down the Salt one year. I ended up in the ER and spent weeks off work, covered in bandages and Zinc goop.

You know, there's still a lot about Arizona I miss though. I only get good Mexican food when I visit there (don't even TRY to imagine Ohio style Mex food - yecch!) I love camping in Payson, and I love the monsoon season and thunderstorms - and the way the creosote smells after the rain in the desert. And those bruise-colored clouds with rainbows that happen sometimes after a storm along the mesa's on the drive to the Canyon - I miss being able to just jump in the car and go to the Canyon on a whim. I miss going to Nogales. I miss the Southwestern "style" of things...

After I moved, I spent the 90's in Oregon, but then it started growing as bad as Phoenix. I think the entire state of California decided that Oregon was the place to be. Traffic grew. Roads didn't.... Same old story I guess.

So now I live in rural Ohio. There's a little town about 12 miles down the road that has a little old theater. It's like going to the movies in Mayberry. The little place I live in has about 10 houses - maybe (and lots of cows). The population of both of the closest little towns put together is less than 3000. The BIG city, about 35 miles away, has about 35,000.

Pretty soon it will be warm enough to go wading in the river down the road.... And in a couple of months - lightening bugs!

I guess I was just never meant to be a city girl.

:)
Jak

Jak,

I hope lots of folks read your description of Arizona and decide not to move here -- but, WATCH OUT! Now lots of folks will be heading for Heaven in a small town in Ohio!!:eek:

Thought I'd bring this one back to life. We had the first thunderstorm of the spring/summer season last nite (not that we'd really had winter this year). I haven't even gotten around to pruning the roses and they're already blooming...