sweating with the oldies ~

No ... I'm not on an exercise kick with old Richard Simmons ... all decked out in a leotard ... it's just me and my raggy old jeans and t-shirt getting down in the dirt.

Finally ~ the black lagoon (my rubbermaid tub sunk at the bottom of the hill for the goldfish) and the waterfall are back up and running.  I still have a bit more rock placements to make ... but with some hard sweating and earth shaking movements it's getting there.

Here's a few weeks back ... we (my son Sam & I ) pulled out the old waterfalls.  It was plastic lined and always leaking.  We cut some plastic barrels lengthwise and put them in for replacement.

The whole hillside was looking mighty sad ...  the waterfalls, the dirty black lagoon, the terraced flower beds.  What a mess I had going on.

I had a pile of mulch that needed to be put into the flower beds after some serious movement and replacement of some of my perennials.

Isn't that just the prettiest thing ever ~ not one; but two big ol' piles of mulch Dear Hubby hauled home for me.  What a great Mother's Day gift.    LOVE IT!!!

 The waterfall is running ... the mulch has been moved (some of it anyways) ... the ferns and hostas are coming up ... yes ... a big sigh of relief ... it's getting there and things are looking better :)  A big thank you too ~ to my lil' bro' Eric ~ for helping me one evening with the waterfalls and helping me turn the soil in the flower bed.  Ladies ... sometimes it's just great to have a helping hand from a man when it comes to moving dirt and tossing those rocks around!

 It'll be pretty as summer progresses and the pink and purple astilbes start to bloom; then into the fall with the joy of autumn sedums and cosmos showing there colors.

Things are still showing up in the garden alongside the garage ~ build them a home and you'll get some gnomes ...

My mom surprised me with these little guys.  Thanks Mom!

Even a toad has taken up residency ... along with a few mushrooms and a wood spirit ~

My hypertufa pots are growing moss ... the trick to it ... use peat moss when you make them ... it will grow naturally ~

I'll save my hypertufa pot making for another post.  I think I bored you enough for today :)

~~
Had my annual checkup with the heart doctor ~ all is well.  He said I need to get more exercise.  I felt like grabbing his tie and choking him and telling him to "bite me" as I kicked him in the shins; but I didn't.  He said I needed to join the gym.  I told him I have a gym ... it's called my home.  I know how to work up a sweat and have something to show for it.  In my case, it's my flower beds and my veggie garden ... when my body wants to kick in and show the results of my sweat equity ~ bonus!  But in the meantime ... Join a gym.  I don't have the time.

Until next time ...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel