Getting Busy in Autumn

After a record 2012 summer drought, Keith and I were more than ready to get some things done outside that couldn't be done in the awful heat.  Before the first glorious rainfall was over after that drought, we were out in the yard getting busy. 

Keith had purchased a sapling puller from a company in Canada and gave it a good work out after the rain soaked the soil well. 

Then I got busy with transplanting since rain-time is the best time.  It was not long after the rain that most of the plants around the yard were refreshed and looking good.  The drought from the past summer had come earlier than usual so many plants had gone into a dormancy with many leaves crumbing at touch.  Amazingly, a few weeks after the rainfalls, many plants bloomed like it was springtime!

Transplanting potted plants into the gardens where dried-up flowers from the drought were removed

                                          A few short weeks later, the garden is flourishing!

                         A new garden spot below the mailbox has drought-tolerant plants now

Dozens of 35 year old iris' were transplanted to the slope along the street while new iris are planted here

            Lilac usually bloom in early spring.  Here is a late bloomer again in the fall.

                   The sweet potato vines came alive again at both Sassy and Daffney's grave sites

In between the fall rains, Keith and I got busy making plans for additional projects around the yard.  We went to the SW Field Day at Mt. Vernon Extension Center where there were many workshops and helpful information available.  Hundreds of people attended.  We learned about the American Beauty Bush and want to have one in our yard.  We learned about which fruit trees do well.  We want to build a simple greenhouse and found just the right example here.  We learned about it last spring and waited until today to see it in person and take notes.  Hopefully, we can make it real in our yard next year.

Of course, I found time to get busy with the Master Gardener group in Hickory County.  Here we had a fun work day at the McCarty Greenhouse washing plant pots getting them ready for next season.  There was a barbecue afterwards.

Adding to our social life were some local wild neighbors come to visit.  Tuffy, the Hemingway cat with six toes on each paw is a daily visitor and is always welcome to keep us company and get a good petting.  For the past several weeks, we have had a new visitor everyday...a vixen!  She is not afraid of us and I believe she has been watching us for a long time.  She has a sore foot and may have shortened her hunting territory because of her injury.  I hope she gets well soon.  I have been leaving food out for her although she helps herself to what's left in the garden and in the compost pile.  The young deer take their time under our oak tree eating the acorns.  they do not mind that we watch them...for now.  A couple days ago, we found a large scat pile in the carport.  The suet bird feeder was torn down from the back deck and I am missing my old garden shoes; one gone the day after the first one was missing.  We set the trap in the carport with a boiled egg and half a suet cake.  We caught a large raccoon who was transported to a new lake home.

                                                                        Foxy Lady

                                                             Young deer eating acorns

                                             Raccoon ready to move to new lake home

Finally, Keith and I have been Getting Busy with major projects that include sanding and staining three exterior doors, building a concrete pathway and cutting down a cedar tree.  Keith had taken a week off from his job.  Usually we go to Hot Springs, Arkansas this time of year for some spa time but not this year so we could get stuff done and save money that will be needed for our son's wedding in December.  All was completed in time for Oktoberfest in Hermann, Missouri last Sunday where we celebrated all that we have accomplished recently. 

Keith machine sanded and I stained the exterior siding in the front of the house.  The front door was hand sanded over a couple weeks in the detail areas then machine sanded and stained in one day.  I have also stained the fences in the yard not pictured here.  All are a teak brown.

The front door also had the brass hardware polished for the first time in 35 years!

The same hand sanding was done for the kitchen door details around the windows and indented areas and then the door was removed like the front door where it could be machine sanded then stained.

Here is the basement door in process.  The hand sanding was already done taking the usual 2-3 days of 2-3 hours.  Then it was removed and placed on sawhorses for the machine sanding.  It was very helpful to have the air compressor available to blow away the sawdust during the process.

You can see the difference in the first machine sanding with course sandpaper which is needed to remove the 35 year old finish and protective coating that was nearly worn off in places.  A second sanding with finer and paper helped to smooth the raised grain better.

The raised grain  before first sanding was very weather worn.  All the doors were in similar degrees of being weather worn after 35 years.

The basement door is finished and set to dry.  It will then be hung and the windows cleaned.

Keith had dug a pathway for the concrete forms previously with some leveling done last year.  He built the forms and used our electric mixer to mix the individual bags of concrete mix.  He did all the forms and mixed and poured the concrete over a few days.

He worked in sections and then connected the sections to keep it all nice and level

The building inspector from the neighborhood Fox Network came around daily to issue the proper permits and even gave a stamp of approval on the wet cement :)

This large cedar tree was damaged several years ago when we felled another tree that was growing too close to our house.  It had since grown many vines and was not in good shape.  Keith left about 15' of stump to allow a decorative cedar post.  We still have to burn the three piles of branches when they dry out soon.

The last two days of Keith's vacation was spent enjoying fruits of our labors especially a couple bottles from the three cases of wine we just purchased at Stone Hill Winery in Hermann!  All we have left to do from our plans this year would be planting some special lilies and four fruit trees that are on order and scheduled to arrive in November.