Summer's End To Landscaping

Fall is approaching.  My flowers are slowing down, and landscaping for the yellow brick house is coming to a close.  To date, we have planted fourteen trees, two bushes, put a fence up, edged our driveway and sidewalks-discovering more sidewalk that was covered up with grass, and planted several flowers.   We stained our deck and steps, painted the exterior of the house, pulled out a few dead bushes and a small dead tree, added new exterior lights, and brought home a huge, carved bird for the front of the house (still isn't stained).  We added a greenhouse and hot tub in the backyard along with several hanging flowers and vegetables.  Whew!  We 

even changed our mailbox from black to bright white (installed by Mr. B. to help me find my driveway-- the driveway to my house that I consistently drove by).  The bright, red blooms on the geraniums are slowing down, I hate to see them go.  They've been a great color booster for the front of this worn, yellow brick house.  Maybe I should paint my bird statue a bright red in place of the red geraniums this winter.  Hm-m-m--it would match the Jeep.

Red geraniums. Red Jeep.  Red bird?

Speaking of Hair..Don't Believe The Salesclerk.

Lola was in a hair salon yesterday.  The clerk suggested a $18.00 purple shampoo, told her it would bring all the blonde highlights out and diminish yellow tones in her hair.  Lola believed the sales pitch and bought the shampoo.  Strange thing was...it turned her hair purple!  Yes, it looks like she dyed her blonde hair purple.  Great, today is picture day at the university, and she couldn't wash it out.  Lesson:  Don't trust the salesclerk--she might be getting paid commission, or maybe... she hates blondes!

Lola trying to figure out how to disguise the purple for pics at the  Univ.

Three shampoos later...

..looks like the purple/gray is here to stay!

Don't Lose Your Head Over It...

Cosmo got a haircut at the poodle parlor yesterday.  When I walked into the living room, this is what I saw...the headless poodle...

I guess he was embarrassed about his haircut...Where did he go?  He's never hidden his head under furniture before.

It's not that bad Cosmo!

Oh, there he is! 

You're still a handsome boy, Cosmo!

Pencil Me In...

...everyday.  Cause I'm important, and don't you forget it, everyday.  (Just a little reminder).

Stop The Pink!

Rosco sleeping on Lola's pink pillow.

I don't know what it is about this little 7 pound Morkie named Rosco, but lately he has become really attached to Mr. B.  He runs to the door when Mr B. gets home from work, sits beside him on the couch watching T.V., and loves to be in his lap when riding in the car.  When we travel in the RV, Mr. B. drives and Rosco sits in my lap, he used to anyways. 

Roc is leaving the pink to join team blue!

  On our last road trip, he jumped into Mr. B.'s lap to travel the long road home.  Last night, Mr. B. handed Rosco to me, got out of the car, and went inside a restaurant to pick up his food order.  Total time spent out of the car--3 minutes--when he came back to the car and sat down--Rosco sprang out of my lap and gave him kisses all over his face.  Three minutes gone deserved 3 minutes of wet, doggie kisses, or so Rosco thought.  Maybe  Rosco is tired of doing the pink(girl)thing--he now prefers the male (or blue) perspective better!

Rosco's snug as a bug and content in Mr. B.'s lap while traveling in the RV.

Count Von Count

Count Von Count died.  Jerry Nelson, who voiced the Count on "Sesame Street" passed away at the age of 78.  He voiced "Sesame Street" characters for more than 40 years on the show, his most popular perhaps, is Count Von Count.  Just ask any kids who and what the Count did.  He was the Count that loved to count.  Such a unique character, my favorite.
R.I.P. Count                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l7KbMVdN7E

You Can't Go Camping Without...

..seeing one of these cute, little critters.  Or so I thought they were cute, little critters until the day one ran into the store I was working in and refused to leave.  I was sitting at my desk, eating my lunch when it popped up in front of me. I ran after it, but it was too fast for me.   I couldn't believe how much this 'little' creature could eat, ripping into big bags of dog food, bird seed, and peanuts, it never stopped eating.  No wonder it didn't want to leave!  It took two days and two people chasing it to finally get it back outside.  Bet it was too bloated and fat to climb back up its tree!

Look at those eyes.  He'll  have that entire bird feeder emptied in an hour.

The Funky Forest.

This tree look like....?  I see an orchestra (headless) conductor!

Our recent camping trip involved a dog walk through this very interesting forest, to say the least!

The trees were so old....(Time for a Phyllis Diller joke)

Rosco looks scared!

We're going in together.

The never ending branch.

Once Full...Now Empty.

The hot tub water going....going......almost emptied.

That's what happened to my hot tub.  We had just gotten the temperature adjusted to where we liked it, the water PH in check, and it had only been in operation for four days.  I received a phone call that the set-up crew was coming back to the house to replace the ripped cover that had inadvertently been given to us upon delivery.  Well, when they got here, they informed me that they had to empty the tub because there was a slight defect in the wall holding the attached cover. 

The exterior wall is removed and the boards are being put in place

 What??  I couldn't figure out why they did not tell us this prior to this visit, and why did all that water have to be emptied out?  They lied, I think, when they sensed my frustration and told me they were just informed of this change this morning before they left the shop.  To remove the exterior wall, they had to lift up the tub ever so slightly to slide the wall out of the way to put the two missing boards in.  So the emptying began....all that water....all that treated water that was heated to 92 degrees...rolled out onto the lawn.  After 3 1/2  hours of emptying, lifting, removing, and drilling boards into place...they left.  Shortly thereafter, I noticed my hot tub was not in the same position as the original set-up crew had painstakingly placed after careful measuring and moving of the tub.  It was off center on the deck by a 1/4".  I know that's not much, but it had been correct the first time. So the refilling begins....again.

"Goodnight, We Love You."

Phyllis Diller died today at the age of 95. "Goodnight, We Love You" is the 2006 film documenting her career.   My all-time favorite female comedian, the woman with such a unique style that paved the way for other female comedians.  She was the first female stand-up comedian.  She was the original.  The first of the first.  Phyllis didn't get into stand-up until she was nearly 40 years old.  She started her career in the 1950's.  I remember her from the 1960's, with her one of a kind jokes about housework, kids, and her husband-"Fang", while wearing her one of a kind clothing.  All she had to do was walk out on stage in one of her wild, crazy outfits with those skinny, scrawny arms and legs while holding her long cigarette holder in her hand, and the laughs began.  Phyllis said her wardrobe was from "Omar of Omaha!"  She was the comedian that claimed 'she was so ugly at birth, her doctor slapped everyone in the room'!!!
  My mother would roll with laughter at her jokes about housework, "I bury alot of my ironing in the backyard" Phyllis said, followed with that "AH-HHAAAAAAAAAAAA-HA-HA-HA!"  famous laugh.   She died peacefully in her sleep with a smile on her face.  Phyllis Diller is quoted as saying,
"Don't get me wrong, though," she said in a 1982 interview that threatened to turn serious. "I'm a comic. I don't deal with problems when I'm working."
"I want people to laugh."
Boy, she certainly did.  She always did.

Expansion

Cosmo  watching and waiting patiently for us to finish his backyard fence.

Putting my greenhouse and hot tub in my backyard, or dog's back yard, fringed upon their space and made their play area smaller.  Mr. B. and I bought some rabbit fencing to put up to keep the dogs in and the rabbits out.  The two poodles respect this three foot high barrier and haven't made any attempts to jump (I think they're too fat to get over).   Little  Rosco can't get under, so for now, it works.  My three dogs are happy now.  They have lots of lawn to taunt, bark at and chase all the squirrels scurrying quickly across their dog yard to hang out in my perfect maple tree. 

Mr. B. working on the doggie fence.

The squirrels love my perfect maple tree.

You can try, and try, but you can't get out Rosco!

A Brand New...Perfect Condition..

Hm-m-m-m  Where would it be?

Sock monkey, that is.  Rosco got a new one, and now he wants to find it.  Where did it go??

Lola took it.  Not so funny to Rosco--intent on destroying it!

"Horshack"

Ron Palillo, the actor that brought the nerdy character Arnold Horshack to life on "Welcome Back Kotter" died today at the young age of 63.  Horshack, was the lovable nerd that yelled out, "oooh,oooh" each time his hand went up to answer a question in Mr. Kotter's Brooklyn classroom.  Horshack was copied in classrooms throughout North America during the show's popular run from 1975 to 1979.  Odd thing, Ron Palillo felt typecast, and was unable to get decent acting jobs when the show ended.
He was depressed, he wanted to put Horshack to rest and continue on in acting.  His audience didn't want to let him go.  He will be missed and remembered for his famous role, that of a lovable Sweathog in a Brooklyn classroom.

First Wires, Then Water.

After many days of rain, we were lucky we chose Sunday(a no rain day) to have the electricians over-my bother and my dad-to wire the hot tub.  Several hours were spent doing meticulous, precision work. Especially tense when my brother was working around live wires, but he's an expert and knew exactly what he was doing.

 Once finished everyone came inside for a bite to eat while waiting for the hot tub to fill with water. Finished eating, we all went back outside to turn on the hot tub.  Nothing happened.  It didn't turn on, there was no power going to the hot tub.  After checking, rechecking and moving a couple of wires around, we got it.  The hot tub is now bubbling!

Mr. B. checking the water temperature.

The First And The Original Cosmo Girl.

I was thinking about Helen Gurley Brown a few days ago, wondering if she was working on a new project.  I enjoy reading her books, my favorite; "The Late Show," which is more relevant now than it was in my thirties, but still packed full of helpful tidbits for the aging woman.  I read that Helen Gurley Brown died today at the age of 90.  Former 'Cosmopolitan' editor and author, she was a woman that blazed trails with her frank, fearless, timeless energy, and message of empowerment for women of all ages.  Her humble beginnings led her down a path that turned into world renown fame.  Who could forget the 1960's  "Sex And The Single Girl" the book she wrote which led to the hit movie starring Natalie Wood?   Back in the 1960's you didn't talk about this subject, let alone, write a book on it.  Especially a female.  My gosh!  Helen Gurley Brown made jaws drop.  I was a loyal fan to 'Cosmopolitan' the magazine she saved and singlehandedly turned into a goldmine.  During 1970's and 1980's my girlfriends and I faithfully read that magazine from cover to cover each month. Helen Gurley Brown, one of my icons, was a trendsetter, paving the way for women and not afraid to stand up for what she believed in.  Helen Gurley Brown was quoted as saying what she hoped her legacy would be and that people would say:                    'She created something that helped people.'

She certainly did.   I agree wholeheartedly.

Checking For Tattoos.

"Look!  That caterpillar has spikes in his hair!"  My neighbor's four-year old niece shouted when she spotted this caterpillar on my patio step.  "Hm-m-m, I wonder if it has tattoos?"  I laughed.  Then I posed a question, "Well, if he has spiked hair, he probably has tattoos too.  Right?"    She gave me a blank look, then answered in her little voice, "Maybe his tattoo is on his belly."

It's Ba-a-a-ack!

My Jeep, that is.  It returned home, all fixed up and looking like it did pre-crash.  The guy at the body shop told us the jeep didn't get as much damage as the car that hit it.  That's because a Jeep is built to last.  Let's hear it for Jeeps!!  Yeah!!

The front and the driver's side received the most damage.  Looks new again!

Run Romeo, Run!

Enjoying the view from Romeo,Viv's and Terri's deck.

 A frequent visitor to the deck.

Remember that handsome Romeo that my friend Terri lives with?  Well, turns out, he's quite famous in his own right.  He exercises on the treadmill.  He walks on it, doesn't have running down yet.  But still!!  View Romeo in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws0wRQAGmC8&feature=youtu.be