Clubhouse Grille (*** NO LIV DISCUSSIONS ***) (*** NO POLITICS/RELIGION ***)

[scomac2002]

That was never in the plans; doing it myself. All it took was one snow to realize that the jungle had to be tamed far more aggressively than I would ever manage on my own. It's amazing what a couple of good young Dutch farm boys and a 4 ton mini ex can accomplish in a day. They even got the base tamped down for the front walkway!

[scomac2002]

@scomac2002. Sometimes with projects, the only heavy lifting one needs to perform is writing the check. Easier on the back also.There has been/will be a fair bit of that sort of heavy lifting going on since we moved. Typical, I suppose, for those at our station in life. Get 'er done! That seems to be our mantra with three major projects since moving -- a bathroom renovation, a gas fireplace for the basement and redoing the landscaping. I suspect that the landscaping is going to be a two part operation as that backyard is in need of work just as badly as the front. There used to be a pool, but it was taken out. Nothing done with the aftermath of that operation. I guess we're going to be here for a while now...
[Added] Perhaps part two would be a good time to suggest to DW that a putting green could be part of the backyard renovation...

[tolmij]

Putting green sounds good as long as you have the time for maintenance.

 

another problem arose tonight, when I give a like all the text underneath the liked post disappeared and came back when the like eventually updated. Sometimes takes a minute for the like to update.

 

had the roof fixed today, hopefully. When we had a fireplace fitted four years ago the fitter did not do too good a job and we have had intermittent leakage into the ceiling aperture. We are hoping the $1200 dollar fix is a good one, only took two hours to fit the piece they manufactured back at home base. The good part is the tradesman was a polite hard working tidy person and the finished job looks good. Now we have to wait for the rain which is about a month late, to see if it works.

 

hot here today now it is almost 9 pm and the temp is still 78.☀️☀️☀️

 

 

[scomac2002]

Putting green sounds good as long as you have the time for maintenance.What maintenance? It's made of artificial turf. I assume that other than the occasional leaf blow it should be maintenance free. Am I missing something?

DW would like a stone patio with a pergola and I have always fancied a Japanese style garden with water features and the various Zen calming aspects. Somehow I see a putting green as a competing influence to the others. What I really want is low maintenance so that I'll have plenty of time for golf and other things.

We've agreed to tidy things up by removing half the shrubs to create some space for plants to fill in and then live with a simple sodded yard until we figure out exactly what we want. I may end up just working away at it on my own for the next year or two and then when we have a clearer picture of what we want the finished product to look like, hire a contractor for the "heavy lifting".

[scomac2002]

Raining here today, so the landscapers are on hold until it clears. Somewhat unfortunate as we can't use the front entry until the interlock is completed which I hope will be done by the weekend.

It was a glorious sun filled day with a high of 57°! Hard to believe that two weeks earlier I was digging out from under a foot of snow! I mentioned to the lady who cuts my hair that it would have been a wonderful day for golf to which she responded: "Hold your tongue! I'm stuck inside here and you're talking of golf!" I told her not to lament as no place was open for play even if she could get away. She's a serious golfaholic playing two to three times a week with her sisters despite working 4 days a week. I've never had the opportunity to play with her. We've talked about it, but we've never gotten around to making plans. I imagine she would kick my arse!

[Conrad1953]

If you're gonna spend some money anyway I would go with a putting green Sco. You'll get years

of enjoyment I'm sure.....and like you said; no maintenance.

[tolmij]

Never considered artificial turf, we have two dogs not very fussy with their ablutions, possums always around, kangaroos visit regularly and a flock of cockatoos who treat our garden as a second home. This plus all the trees locally that drop leaves and the wind is always in our direction off the local hills. A trip to the local golf course for putting practice is far more practical for me. ?????????? Some of our visitors.

[tolmij]

Not having a good morning, painting a portrait of sons cat who passed away six months ago as a Christmas gift, it should be fairly straight forward as I have done many similar paintings, but for some reason because it matters that this one is correct the paint brush is not cooperating, said a few words to it that should pull it back into line so after my cup of tea I will go back and try again?. ?

[scomac2002]

As the landscaping job progresses, I've been doing some thinking about what I'd like to see in the backyard. We have a lot of open space there at the moment and I can see transplanting some of the existing perennials and flowering shrubs into the open spaces where some of the larger trees were removed. That would allow for a new and clean border to be installed around the house consisting of river rock and a barberry hedge similar to what was done at the farm.

They have made good progress this afternoon on completing the interlock stone landing and entranceway. We will have the use of our front entrance again tomorrow some time. The rest is just bare earth at the moment as much of the grass was scraped off before they begin to reset the field stones for the various raised plantings that will define our front yard. We have a stretch of fair weather upcoming. It's going to be seasonably cool/cold, but should be relatively dry which should help with completing the work.

[Conrad1953]

Eating season has begun............................

[billh17]

Will be looking forward to seeing the pics Sco. !

[billh17]

LOL Already done here ! All that prep,and work, and cooking, and done in twenty minutes !

[Conrad1953]

We went to a friend's house for Thanksgiving today; about 40 some people there.......feels

good to be back home again.......to our peaceful little cottage.

[tolmij]

Quiet on here today, must all be getting ready for the feast. Don’t eat too much, does not leave enough room for the booze. ??

[SixtySomePing]

Interesting Thanksgiving around town. We were to go to our daughter's house, however there were power outages everywhere caused by the high winds and downed tree limbs I suppose. Anyway, after 40 minutes of turkey roasting at her place, everything went out, so they all grabbed all the food and turkey in the roaster pan, and brought it to our place. We had a great time with our daughter, son-in-law and 3 grandchildren, watched parade on tv, ate gobs of food, played games, played music etc. Their power finally came back on around 3:30 so we had a nice long day together. We had no electrical problems here, even without the new generator, our part of town was spared the inconvenience of the outage this time around.

[tolmij]

Sydney had massive storms yesterday and thousands lost power and it will be out in some areas for days. There are hundreds of trees down across the lines and many power poles snapped off. Millions of dollars worth of house damage, the storm lasted six minutes.

[tolmij]

Nice you had a good family day, all our family both DW and mine are in the UK. Hope the meal went well and did not suffer for the move

[scomac2002]

Interesting day yesterday to say the least. DW and I were sitting having coffee in the front room watching proceedings and she noticed an older gentleman walking around our property surveying the work in progress. I wonder if that's an inspector, she quipped. I went to the dining room window and observed him for a moment and wondered aloud if that was our neighbour's father as the age seemed about right. DW says: You better go out and see what he wants.

By the time I get my coat and boots on and make my way outside this fellow has pulled one of the crew aside and is asking questions. I listen to what is being said and after a minute respond: Maybe you should talk to me? I'm the owner! He then extends his hand and identifies himself as one of the former owners of the property having sold it in 2018 to the people we bought from. He said that he was talking to the neighbour across the street and she told him that he wouldn't believe the changes that were going on with their former home. So, he said: I had to come and have a look. By this point I'm thinking that my jaw must be dragging on the ground, I'm in such a state of shock! WTF is it with people?

He then proceeds to ask why we're doing what we're doing? Because it was a mess from years of inattention, I bark at him! He then laments that the cherry tree is gone. To which I respond: It was so full of disease it was practically dead and poisoning other trees around it! At some point he proceeds to tell me how he's 76 years old and it was too much work to look after as if I hadn't already figured that out in my first half a year here, hence the major overhaul. It was at this point that he says that he approves of what we're doing! Really? How big of you as if it's any of your business anyway! He then wondered how much something like that might cost? Huh? I told him to come back next spring when the job is finished. Then he will see what we've done!

So, I guess we're the talk of the neighbourhood. So much so that it's worthy of the gossip grapevine. I have half a mind to tell off the nosey neighbour across the street, but I have to live next to her. Needless to say, she won't be on the Christmas card list! It's funny, but when I met my Cuban neighbour down the street in the summer he said that the former owner -- the guy who paid me a visit -- was a real A-hole. I'll be sure to tell him that he was right on the money when I see him next.

[Conrad1953]

Well, as this wise man once said, "ex presidents should be relocated to a foreign country and not

allowed back. Can you imagine an ex president wandering around the white house grounds

complaining that the cherry tree had been removed?"

 

[scomac2002]

 

The new landing.

Mountains of dirt to be distributed.

3 1/2 skids of sod.

A truckload of trees and shrubs.

The boys have their work cut out for them! ?

 

 

 

[SixtySomePing]

Dang, what if he comes into the Grille?

[scomac2002]

Dang, what if he comes into the Grille?Well, if he's as big a d*ck with Tammy and Cyndy as he was with me, then I would expect Gus to kick his arse and tell him not to let the door hit him on the way out!

[billh17]

Looks good Sco . I like that new Landing, and i bet all those plantings will look great !

[tolmij]

Gus will sort him out, he will leave very quickly with his tail between his legs

A former work mate of DW sold a house near to where we lived, she used to drive past daily to check it out and when they re painted the garage door she was annoyed enough to go and tell them they had spoiled her house. She did not appreciate DW telling her it was none of her business.

we have come across two of our previouse houses for sale on the net, one which was our oasis was made to look like an industrial site, and the other had a makeover that completely transformed it to what we would have liked it to be but could not afford, both we said not our business move On??✈️

[tolmij]

Christmas is a coming and the goose is getting fat. Today is our traditional decoration day, this year will be different as we have a six month old kitten that likes to climb, so untill he is trained no tree decorations. This year is significant because the tree is 25years old, a goodie but an oldie. Today is also the start of our Christmas festivities, which always start with the baking of mince pies, at the time of posting this the first two batches are out of the oven, several more to come over the next few weeks.

Why has it started turning the pictures, another waste of time.

[tolmij]

 

OK tried a different method. No did not work, please Sco tell me how your pics came the correct way up, never had a problem before

[billh17]

 

was just fooling around...mine came thru ok...now ...how do i get rid of it ?

[billh17]

now theres a good question...if you upload to the comment section, and then decide not to post it, how do you get rid of it?

anybody can set this computer skill lacking old man straight?

[Conrad1953]

I'm sitting here watching the European Tour Alfred Dunhill Links in the RSA....and the pros

..................................are wearing........................SHORTS......and they look just fine and no less

professional. Some guys are still wearing long pants but looks to me that most are

wearing shorts.

 

Really, this is and should be no big deal IMO and I hope the PGA Tour at least tries it soon

and not just in practice rounds.

[Conrad1953]

I think it was Bick who posted about finding "My Drafts" and then clicking on it and then Xing out

the saved draft that you decided not to post. I forget where you find the "My Drafts" though on the

right sidebar. You have to be on a certain page for it to show up.