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On Sunday we set about finishing off some of the garden beds around the house and garage. We picked up a few plants for around the patio; planted some grasses behind the house and bought some new shady plants.

We also finished putting in the bed on the side of the garage, which is were the blood comes in. Whilst cutting the edging to fit my knife slipped and slashed my knee (warning: graphic photos), which required four stitches.

The Rochester Urgent Care was fantastic and had me sewed up in no time. Here is a snippet of my favorite exchange:

Doctor: “Was the knife dirty”

Me: “Well, it was a utility knife I keep in the garage and I was kneeling in dirt cutting plastic, so I’m going to say ‘yes’ to that.”

The old wooden fence is gone. Long live the vinyl fence.

Never again will I worry about parts of my fence falling down. In the end, there were at least four sections held up by rope, twine and pure momentum.

For comparison, I give you before and after, looking from the house to the back of our lot. And the reverse view: before; after.

If you look closely in the second set you will also see some of the patio work I did this Spring. For a better idea, here is the old cistern that was outside our backdoor. We had concrete work done last summer and I have now finished the landscaping.

And for good measure, I helped my neighbor add a matching section of fence at the front of our houses.

Project Totals:

• 35 posts (and holes)
• 33 fence panels
• 2 gates
• 45 80lbs bags of concrete

A big thanks goes to Sarah, she helped with a couple of large sections, kept the house running, Olivia entertained, etc.; my Dad; Jack; my father-in-law; and my neighbor. They all pitched in to tear down the old fence, dig some holes and install the new fencing.

That’d be the current in a lightning bolt. We been discovering exactly what that does to stuff in your house.

OK, we didn’t get hit directly — as there is no evidence of a strike on or near our home — however Tuesday night there was the flash and thunder at the same time. Essentially a strike right on top of us. (more…)

Apparently we don’t cook much. Or at least we don’t use the oven much — ours died more than a week ago.

We started to look into replacements, but while stores sell the size we need none of them actually have them in stock. I really don’t want to by a new oven sight-unseen.

Back in January we ordered a new dining room set from The Amish Barn — a local Amish furniture dealer. Yesterday it arrived. (more…)