Garden

I checked on that little pine tree and it really hasn't been getting any water.  It looks like that tube never got hooked into the mainline.  I fixed it but I may have to replace that tree later this fall.  I watered it for a couple of hours hoping that getting some water on it will help.

Watering the North Side Windbreak for two hours this afternoon.

Worked on the shed this morning.  I got a bunch of the Simpson's clips screwed down on the center ridgepole.  Tonight I am hoping to get the rest of the screws in.  Also, hoping to get the first seam covering board up.  That would be progress indeed. I also got 2 posts cut off flush at the top.  I started the last post but ran out of battery.  I 'll do the best I can to get a bit more done this afternoon.

It's my birthday today and I received several birthday cards in the mail.  That was nice.  Mom and Dad sent me the nicest card.  And mom called and said she meant every word.  I was so happy.  I got a couple of emails as well and all in all it has been a very nice day.  Hubby brought me a card, a nice bouquet of flowers and some candy.  I actually bought several things for myself so I told him I didn't really need any presents.  I got the nice mattress topper and I got new pillows for me and different new pillows for him.  I slept in the guest room for the last two nights and the breeze coming through the window is wonderful.   I think this will save us money on the A/C since I will be able to open up the house at night before I go to bed and because I get a nice cool breeze on me, I won't be suffering from the heat!

I also bought myself some Dansko clogs and some pants from Cabela's.  We have had points to use up and we got a coupon for money off.  I noticed though that shipping was an outrageous $16 so I don't know if getting the $20 off is enough anymore.  After all, I also have to pay $7.50 in sales tax, as well.

I picked strawberries and got a small bowl full.  The quail have been eating some of them, I think.  I got some more zukes and hope I can give some of them away tomorrow.  I am having a few of the ladies over at 1pm.  We are having pizza, corn on the cob, potatoes with green beans and Terri is bringing dessert.  I thought it was about time we all got together again.

This evening I got out there, pulled weeds for the goats and trimmed a poplar tree and that went into the goat pen as well.  They got a whole bunch of pea pods, which they loved.

Then, I managed to work on the shed a bit more.  All the Simpson's clips are now done [Of course, I still have to install 13 more when the roof is going on this weekend but that does mean that I am three quarters of the way done with that phase of the project.  Yeah!!].  The neighbor kid and her friend came by and I enlisted their help in cutting and placing the first crack covering for the shed.  Felt good to be moving on like that.  I really am going to finish this project one of these days.

I think I will have the neighbor girl come over and help me place the facia boards on the back side of the shed.  She gets $5 an hour and I get a whole lot done with a lot less effort.  And I don't have to wait for Hubby to help me.  That gets frustrating as the days turn into weeks for me to finish this project.  It's no one's fault.  I worked well into the winter but late winter and early spring were far too cold and windy to get anything done.  Then it was gardening season so that took precedence but I would like to finish this project up by September 30th.  I am sure that is over a year to do this shed and shade cover.  I have built several shelves into the long shed and it will be made more usable with just a few more shelves in place. The shelves also sturdy up the shed by making some cross pieces so they are serving a couple of functions.  It is a pole shed so the posts are directly placed into the ground with cement holding them in place.  But that isn't what makes it structurally sound since we are building in sand.  It is the box framing of the structure that gives it stability,

 I need to do something about getting a front covering onto the building but I haven't quite decided what I want to do yet.

I am actually pretty proud of the job I am doing.  I am no carpenter but the shed is sturdy and well built.  It is over 20 feet long and it is 6 feet wide.  It is about 8 feet at the front and about 6 feet tall at the back.  It functions as a windbreak for the veggie garden and will hold wheelbarrows, a rototiller,  all the garden tools, rodent traps and assorted doodads.  And some items from the garage like the box of electrical stuff and the box of paintbrushes and such, all in plastic containers with nicely sealing lids.

The garage has become a much more functioning space with a few items out of there.

The shade cover is coming out great!  It is about 15 by 15 feet and is a pole shed as well.  Putting the roof on has sturdied it up considerably as a couple of the posts were a bit wobbly.  I put the posts in my self in the middle and front rows and honestly, although they are straight up and down, they aren't exactly in a straight line.  I thought that might happen since I am not usually the one to put posts in but Hubby is very busy and working overtime and I need to keep moving on this.  Honestly, you can't really tell and it is working out fine.