Dogs, mulch, and gates, O My

Good Morning,

It is early here in the high desert. I spent last night at the hospital taking a sleep study and find myself up and attempting to be productive L O N G before that would usually happen.

Since the last blog entry things have been busy around here.

I made a trip to Denver to see the Labradoodle dogs that will be having puppies this year and fell in love. The dogs are wonderful and have the temperament of a lab and the benefits of the standard poodle - no shedding, no allergies. I have included a picture here of the dog that I will be getting a puppy from. That will happen most likely in the winter. I am very excited.

The work continues on the back yard but yesterday we came very close to finishing the entire thing. We have added the rubber mulch - yes rubber, as in recycled tires died to match the landscaping. This stuff doesn't blow away, fade in color, float in rainstorms, support the growth of any bugs or microbes and wont need replaced for at least 15 years.

The plants you see at the end of the hot tub are hot pepper plants - so come for a visit and let me cook for you - teehee.

The gate was installed yesterday also and now it is my job to stain it to match the patio roof. The work is within spitting distance of being finished and it has been lots of fun - but it will feel so good to have it all finished - sit under the stars and have a glass of wine.

The week has also been filled with wonderful events. One of my best friends ever dropped back into my life through email and this blog - Sandy, a very long time friend from High School - one of the nicest things to happen to me in quite a while.

I also had the ugly overhead fluorescent light taken out of the kitchen and had 8 can lights added to brighten the room and take away the shadows. What a huge change. Next we add door and drawer pulls to the cabinets.

There will be lots more to tell you and pictures to continue to show you sometime after Tuesday - so stay tuned.

With much love and blessings.

Chuck

Oh and yes - Happy Birthday Mike!!

A Homeowner's Work . . .

Good Evening and Happy July,

Today was "Make as Much Progress on the Back Yard as Possible Day" and boy did we make progress.

There are many pictures attached so I hope you enjoy them. My wonderful neighbors John, George, and Demetrio did tons of work today. Our math was screwed up so we are short a few square feet of sod - but that will be easy to fix.

As you can see, there is more work to be done but it should all be finished within 2 weeks and then there will be a Yard Warming Party to which you are all invited. Hope to see you there.

Hugs - Chuck

Bringing in the Sod, bringing in the Sod, we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the Sod.

Demetrio, the neighborhood stud, show off his newly acquired arms after lifting the garden hose all by himself.

John and George unwind the border for the lawn.

The nearly finished lawn looking north.

This picture is really of the view to the bench, NOT of Demetrio's butt.

The Days of Summer

Good Afternoon!

Its wonderfully warm and dry today and the weather in NM still enchants me. Last night as we sat on the patio I had to wrap in a blanket but it still was wonderful with a clear sky full of stars and promise.

My promise to you was to add more pictures more often. And here it goes. I still haven't figured out all of this blog technical stuff so sometimes the pictures and the captions don't match up - but today I promise to work more on the technique.

This week is busy with work and preparation for a week long weaving class I will be taking later in the month. I will be working on 4 treadle looms and learning the technique from start to finish. The class is 6 days - 6 hours a day so it is pretty intensive. I hope to have some amazing project to show you when completed. Maybe weaving is how I will pass my golden years - so be prepared to get hand made gifts of the next few years.

If I love this class the next big project will be to find a way to fit a loom into my house.

Speaking of the house - the back yard will be nearly finished by this weekend so stay tuned for pictures of that. I never thought I would say how good it feels to be working in the yard - but it does.

So here are some pictures.

Chris posing in a redwood tree trunk.

Outside the Church of San Francisco de Asis in Taos.

Chris and our special friends Mike (r) and Eric (center) and our hosts while in San Francisco. They and their amazing dogs made us feel like we were home.

One of my favorite places - Angle Fire New Mexcico outside Taos. A place I hope someday to own a little get away.

Home at Last

Good Afternoon and Happy 4th of July Weekend.

It feels good to be home from all my travels. A long weekend in Palm Springs planning the wedding of my dear friends Scott and Charlie - lots of fun - but wow its hot there.

My friend Chris from Hilton Head arrived 2 days after I retruned and then we traveled to San Francisco for Gay Pride - an amazing weekend filled with very special friends, music, parades, shows, concerts, and of course street fairs. Chris had never been to SF so we also played tourist and visited the redwoods, took a zillion pictures and just had a ball.

Chris and me just after we were mistaken for the happy couple at the wedding and congratualted.

We returned to NM on Monday night and spent the next 2 days playing tourist here. I achieved another big goal during that visit. 2 years ago my dear friend David was here and went to Bandilier National Monument - Native American cliff dwelllings - and as I sat in the car and read my book David went exploring.

Chris in one of the cliff dwellings.

This year I walked the two miles back into the ruins, climbed a million steps up to the dwellings and even climbed a few ladders into the houses. Of course any sign of emotion would surprise you all I am sure - but I cried much of the way back to the car - relaizing how much my life has changed for the good.

The whole gang - the best friends in the world.

The cops in SF are SOOO friendly - this is Lenny - a charmer.

I am adding some pictures to this entry from the parade, Muir Woods, and the Cliff Dwellings - do enjoy and stay tuned for more fun and excitement.

The real happy couple - Matthew and Andy - I married these guys 11 years ago - and last Friday it was all made legal - a very emotional and special day for us all.

One of the beautiful giants in Muir Woods - one of the most profoundly beautiful spots in CA.

Barbie rides again.

Fun with balloons - how does one get the job

attaching these? Hmmmmmm.