Keep Smiling

Keep Smiling

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Happy Husband


His & Hers



Call it a late Father's Day
or
An early Christmas . . .
for the next several years, LOL.


Steve's new toy arrived
and he is one happy man :)


What you can't see in this photo
is the huge smile on his sweet face.


Actually the mower parts on our old mower,
(which we bought secondhand)
broke and the repair quote was three times
what we paid for it.
So we had the blades removed.

Now it's "Connie's" tractor !   😉


We started setting fence posts and building
the remainder of our back fence. 


Then the temperature reached 103,
so we are putting the rest of the project on hold,
until it gets back in the 80's.  


We had holes dug in the yard . . .




And three of these beauties installed.
That means no more laying on my belly 
in the grass each fall installing heat tapes,
and that puts a big smile on my face :) 


That ladder is one that I found in a dumpster
a few years ago . . .
I painted it blue and planted morning glories under it. 


Well, that was my week . . .

Lot's of work,
but every job makes our little country home
more special.

Keep Smiling!

Your Blogging Sister,
Connie :)

46 comments:

  1. CONGRATS!!! Your morning glories are going to look great climbing up that old ladder. I always enjoy seeing what you are up to...thanks for sharing!

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    1. Good Afternoon Val, it is nice to see you :) I will have to post another photo of that blue ladder a month from now. That should be enough time for the morning glories to be climbing all over it. Thanks for stopping by to visit:)

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  2. Love the bike and flowers!

    Love that you have your own tractor. ;-)

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    1. I know! Now I can play with it and add a little bit of a Connie's touch. I'm thinking about adding rails to the cart. I'm so happy that you like my old bike, it's a fun planter:)

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  3. Everything looks wonderful around your home. I have to admit stupidity here...didn't understand about the heat tapes. Can you explain sometime in a post?

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    1. We live in a very cold winter climate, so you have to wrap your outdoor faucets with an electric tape that generates heat although the winter. If you don't you are taking a chance of having those pipes freeze and break. This type of faucet has some kind of an underground drain valve that prevents frozen pipes. As Martha Stewart would say, It's a very good thing :)

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  4. Looks like everyone has smiles on at your place

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  5. Good for you! Your very own tractor! Does it have a hitch so you can pull a little cart with your garden tools? Only eight and one half days :) and I can be back on my farm tractor. In fact, this week looks to be good hay weather so maybe I can scoot the days up and bit and rake hay. I really like the ladder and the bicycle with the containers; things like this make a garden interesting to walk through.

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    1. I agree a garden needs little nooks, crannies, and things of interest. My tractor does have a cart and it has saved my back many times. Now I won't have to unhook it when we mow, because it doesn't mow anymore. Also now that there are no blades underneath it, I feel like I can teach our granddaughters to drive it. There is a must less chance of them getting hurt, now. They mowed the hay across the road several days ago, so it won't be long before I can sit out on the porch and watch them rake and bale. It's one of my country living pleasures . . . the simplest of things can make me happy :)

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  6. I just had to show this to my hubby. You know everyone loves a John Deere! You've got a beautiful place to work on. Sweet hugs!

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    1. Our guys do love those Deeres, LOL. When we bought it they gave Steve a ball cap, then when they delivered it they gave him another one . . . he was delighted about that, too :)

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  7. Boys do like their toys. I love that bike with the flowers

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    1. Thank you . . . it is actually looking prettier this year, because I put a drip line in each planter. Around here it gets so hot and dry that if you forget to water a container for more than two days, it's dead. I always slip up before the season is over and then I have a sorry looking mess of dead flowers. With the drip-lines it's so much easier:)

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  8. I really like the bike with all its pretty flowers! And I'm glad you explained the bit about heat tapes! I think around here we drain all the outside taps and turn off the water.

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    1. Our waterlines were set up back in the 60's and they were old and in need of repair anyway, so these new ones will be a blessing. The older I get the less I'm able to do the hard work that calls for crawling on my hand and knees, bending or lifting. It feels good to be making things easier. We'll burn less energy, too by eliminating those heat tapes. I love that you like my old bike turned planter :) Thanks for visiting.

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  9. I would be a happy camper with that John Deere, too! You are so creative...love that idea with the ladder and morning glories. I hope you take a photo when they get bigger and start blooming.

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    1. I'll be sure and do that . . . there are always weeks when you think . . . what can I possibly blog about . . . yea . . . my morning glories :)

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  10. His and her tractors are a fun idea! Working in the yard together is a great way to spend time. I'd hide inside if the temperature was 103, too.

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    1. Hi Lorrie, that's why my alarm goes off at 5:45 each morning. I have to get outdoors as early as possible and get the majority of my work done in the morning. When I was young I tried doing my work (on days off from work) in the morning, so that I could play out in the sun or sunbath in the afternoons. Now, I'd rather hide from the hot afternoon sun if I can. It's funny how time and age changes our perspective, LOL.

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  11. Love the tractors!
    Love the garden!! You have a great one....
    What are heat tapes?? Never heard of those....
    Nancy
    wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com

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    1. Hi Nancy, thanks for visiting. Heat tapes are electric cords that give off heat, you use them to wrap around water-pipes that are above the ground or exposed to temperatures within the freezing range of the earth. They keep the pipes from freezing and breaking. Our home is old and the outdoor pipes have not been updated. Now they are. These frost free faucets have a drain way down in the ground below the freezing level . . . now when we turn them off there is no water in the pipes to freeze.

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  12. This is one post that I am not sharing with my husband LOL!

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    1. LOL . . . you don't want him down at the John Deere store, right! Still LOL.

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  13. Just wanted you to know, your blog brings a smile to my face every time I read it :).

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  14. I'm sure that retired mower will come in handy with all your yard projects. I love the way you spruce it up. It's looking great!
    xx Beca

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    1. Thanks . . . I washed it and then I used Pledge on it to give it a wax job, LOL.

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  15. Hi Connie! Glad to see you! You make those John Deeres look like Farm Art! Everything you touch turns to beauty. I adore the bike with the flowers, and the ladder you painted. Will the poles be for the birdhouses? Will you put them in a grouping? I want to see that when you are done!

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    1. Hi Ginny, I'm sorry I've gone back and looked at all my photos and I just don't know what you're talking about when you ask about the poles? I must be missing something. Thanks for the visit . . . it is always a pleasure.

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  16. It's fun to have yard toys. : )
    I mow our lawn on one of those zero turn mowers and whip through our acre in 40 minutes and of course Ken has his tractor up at Happy Trails.
    Love your yard decoration with the fence, bike, and ladder.

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    1. Before the blades went out on the old mower I was still mowing the lawn with the push mower because it had a grass catcher and I wanted the clippings for the garden. Now that we have the Deere and it has a catcher I can just do the boarders. I'm sure that with your zero turn you don't even need a small mower for edges, those things are pretty amazing tools. Steve loves his new toy and I love having a small tractor and cart, that cart saves my back. I'm truly enjoying having a place large enough to add decorations like the bike and ladder. It's fun having unique things of interest scattered around the garden.

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  17. Hi Connie, Sure enjoyed this post. Seeing Steve happy with his tractor put a smile on my face. Your yard is great ... that garden patch near where Steve was working looks like a dream to an old city dweller like me. :-) Love it that you have your own tractor too, now! Enjoyed all the photos. Connie, thank you kindly for your comments on my blog. Great question you asked about my full Thunder Moon photo. When I first looked outside on Saturday morning I saw that full moon in the west. I quickly set up the tripod and camera to get some captures. The first thing I noticed on the pics, as they were taken, was that the moon was so bright it was overexposing in the shots. So, I tried shortening the exposure time and tried several until I got the shot I posted on my blog. I think honestly, I should say it was "processed" since the end result makes the sky look darker than it really was. And, except resizing for faster speed across the web, there was no other processing. I thank you for the question and your kind words about that shot. Did you happen to see the Full Thunder Moon over on your side of the State? Your clearer and darker skies may have made it even more beautiful. Thanks again, Connie! Wishing you and Steve a fine week ahead!

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    1. I have been noticing the moon lately. When we lived in a tight community we kept our curtains pulled shut and if any light did come in at night it was from street lights. Now, I enjoy the moon light coming through the window at night . . . when there is a full moon it sends a lovely beam across the room. Bella Luna :)

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  18. Love your new ride! :) Yes, too hot to work! That's how it's been here. Down in the 90's this week, but back up to triple digits this weekend. UGH! Love your bike and ladder. I didn't plant my bike this year. Wanting to do something fun with it for summer.
    hugs,
    Jann

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    1. I will be looking forward to seeing what you have in mind for it . . . you do come up with some unique and interesting ideas :)

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  19. Every single thing about this post made me smile. The tractors, the ladder, the bicycle,. Even the faucet that doesn't need heat tape. You lead a wonderful life. Blessings,
    Betsy

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    1. Wonderful and always busy, but that keeps it interesting :)

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  20. Boys and their toys! Pete has always hankered after one of these mowers and we don't even have a garden xxxx

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    1. That is so funny, but boys will be boys, LOL

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  21. Oh I bet he was very happy, I have noticed they are going on sale, hoping ours makes it through another year. Win win for you to have your own tractor now! I have stopped the work outside here too, we are in the 100's, just too hot for anything outside! Plenty to do inside :) Good find with the ladder!

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    1. The only trouble with taking time off from the heat is that those pesky old weeds never go on break. They will be waiting for us both, when our breaks are over, LOL

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  22. Good to have a happy husband! I'm glad you still have YOUR little tractor for hauling stuff around. That would be really handy, even in my small town lot as the little plastic cart just doesn't do the trick sometimes. How wonderful to get those freeze free faucets. They are a Godsend in such cold climates. Your place is just so beautiful. Love it so much and always love seeing your posts in my inbox. I somehow missed this one back on July 9th! Hugs.. Marilyn

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    1. Oh, we are just working away trying to get everything done before Steve's retirement (a year away) and old age . . . wait a minute we've already missed that deadline, LOL.
      Have a great weekend :)

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  23. How sweet that you have your own tractors. Will you two be racing around your homestead? ;) Love your bike, fence and ladder. So charming. xo

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    1. Nope, because his tractor would win, LOL.

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