Who doesn’t like to take stock of their projects completed this summer? How about the ones I still wish we/he had completed? Okay, maybe that’s just me. I know I’ve done my share of pondering our efforts over the summer as I wore a path in the grass between the deck and the tea house.
Checking off items on a to-do list and being outside make me smile. Like seeing the fall field look like spring after much needed rain.
Even though Mr.’s major spring/summer project did get completed, I still have it on my list to show off all the steps you didn’t get to see. For now, below is a glorious photo of the finished retaining wall.
Sorry, spoiler alert, it’s just the new grass that grew around it. Mr. watered it and it grew very well.
That long grass reminds me of my walks in the dewy grass this summer that soaked into my well-loved, well-worn, vintage LadyBug shoes. I added to get a new pair someday to my growing list of items for me and Mr. to buy/do before the snow flies here in WI.
Where was I going with that story?
Oh, yes, my broken garden shoes…take a look, don’t they look awful? Yes, the lighting doesn’t help! Sure, they still have functional soles, but the cracked tops leak and my socks get soaked when I wear them.
I’ve worn them a lot this summer. Especially while taking care of plants. I wore them the day I took some photos of our 9 baby trees before Mr. put homemade chicken wire fences around them to keep the scoundrels from eating them over the winter, ✅ I dreamed about a new pair of boots that would work better.
If you remember from earlier this year, I was on a mission to save trees from the tree removed from the old retaining wall.
With the drought of a summer we had, Mr. added the chore of daily watering of the baby trees to his honey-I’ll-do-that-too list. ✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅
Together, we’ve attempted to save the sprouts of the tree. I even potted 2 just in case the 9 planted in the yard don’t survive. One pot was consumed by some spider infestation that ate it so I tossed it. And the other one seemed to be doing quite well until I discovered bugs. Grr. I loathe soil gnats.
To dry them out of the soil I carried the potted tree to the deck to bake in the sun. As far as I can tell, the potting soil I used sprouted the little gnats. I don’t want to bring them into the house to spread their love with my other plants. I may let the tree go dormant in the tea house over the winter. I think hope it’ll survive. 🤔
Walking around in my garden shoes inspired my to-do list often. I added random inside projects to my list(s) as the weather turned cooler outside.
Such as what to do with the kitty litter boxes. The litter sticks like concrete to the plastic bottom and sides. The metal scooper has worked well but the stick factor pisses me off. I had no idea there was a different solution until I saw a random YouTube video about better litter box options.
This week, I broke down and ordered a new pair of garden/rain boots, along with some stainless steel kitty litter pans. Gotta love the front-door deliveries, right? One pan was damaged so we sent it back for replacement. So far, the cats have adapted to them. 🤞🏻🤞🏻✅
And, the boots? Well, I’m feeling a tad guilty. I have a different pair that I bought in 2017. Bogs is the brand. I spent quite a bit on them. They were so darn cute. Unfortunately, they are extremely hard to get off once I get them on. I’ve kicked myself in the shins more than once. I’ve even had to ask Mr. to pull them off. I kept the original shoes for my default visiting my gardens attire.
I haven’t decided if I’ll keep the new boots or not. They are easy to get on and off and are comfortable and cute in a different kind of way. 🤔✅
So, my garden shoe problem may have been solved. They will come in handy in the Spring. Or to wear if I ever gather wood for the wood stove if Mr. isn’t available.
Speaking of that, we haven’t turned on the heat yet and found the wood stove is quite cozy this month. Wood heat is wonderful. Our heat budget will be tight due to the cost of removing 3 giant dead oak trees from a rental property, $5k’s worth. Thankfully, we get to keep the wood and burn it this year. Mr. added this cool new fan to distribute the heat around the house better.
Here it is in action. See the blur of the fan blade spinning?
On the chilly morning of the last nice day this week, I put on the old garden shoes (along with my cozy robe, because who doesn’t do that at 4:30 a.m.?) to step out on the doorstep to capture a photo of the Moon and Venus. The sky was so clear, I could see every star! Hold on to your hats folks the photos are stunning. Some of my best of the best to delete.
Here’s the original. I guess I was a little shaky. 🤔
So I auto-enhanced with the photo editor. Wow…look at the additional stars and planets and objects.
Maybe in B&W, it’s even better? Who knew I could be so talented in those garden shoes? Is that a moon, a swan, or a pelican?
I wore the old shoes again on another swoop around the yard later that day. I saw the other item on the list to be completed. I was fearful it was close to extinction from the honey-do list or to be added as a Spring project on a future list.
I went back into the house. I knew I had to find a way to mention it to Mr. It was a sunny day and the gnawing feeling that the field mice would be on the move to find cozy spots for the winter was overwhelming. They find their way into our service panel in the basement through this corner. Coincidentally, a package arrived that Mr. had ordered. The project must’ve been on his mind, don’t you agree?
Me (seizing the opportunity): “That’s cool, hope they work. Um, could the patching compound work wonders on the entryway hole and dry in the sun before it is too cold to do so?”
Mr.: “I suppose, dear, I’ll get the patching compound.”
Me: “Great, I’ll get my camera.”
It was one of those 10-minute projects that always seemed like they could be done ‘later’. It took me less than that to rebuild the rock tower to block the mice from entry. We shall see if either solution works. The full project of replacing the foam along that wall has been added to next Spring’s list. ✅
Together, we finished putting away all the pots from the annual plants. We’re ready for fall/winter, I think. At least our lonely pumpkin decorating the front doorstep attracts the attention of Dessy.
By the way, IMHO that perfectly shaped pumpkin is as astonishing as my blogging accomplishment that WordPress reminded me of this week. 🏆✅
Before I leave this honey-I-did-it post, I confess I held back on showing you how the morning sky got even more impressive after I saw the Moon and Venus. The clouds were magnificent as the sun rose.
Do you see the Moon and Venus in the first one?
The fire-red sunrise blessed us the next day with a day and a half of rain, chilly temps and another day for a fire in the woodstove. It was so hygge. We were thankful that at least it wasn’t snow!
Post Inspiration – Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “last thing that broke/you had to fix.” Think about the word that best describes the last thing that stopped working for you and use that word any way you’d like. Enjoy! With a stretch of imagination in a few of the photos, I think I pulled it off for Terri Webster Schrandts’ Oct 16 Monthly Color Challenge: BLACK or METALLIC, or Black & White images; and Amy for Lens-Artists #271 Contrasts.
PS – If you have cats, do you use a stainless steel litter box? Do you think the new boots are keepers? Do you think the mouse repellant or the rock pile will work better? How many trees do you think will survive the winter? How about you, what’s on your to-do list?
You took many great photos recently, Shelley! I love the moon and star photos, very beautiful. The mice are in for a frozen winter by the look of the rock wall you guys built.
Congratulations on seven years! The fireplace looks so inviting. Maybe spraying some Pam on the new litter boxes will help the poo to not stick 😂
The new wall looks great, your Mr. Did a fine job! It’s so cold and dreary here in Lapeer, the sun made a two-hour appearance today but now it’s windy and gray again. Uhg! Have a great new week you two. 🤙🏻☺️😎
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. I hope you’re right about the mice!
LOL – I may need to try the Pam on the stainless steel. 😂
Yes, we’re pleased with the wall – it turned out great after all the hard work!
Aw…I bet your missing the sunshine in Vegas?
I hope you have a great week too! Take care – you’re in our thoughts!!
(PS – your comment label was “someone” so I’m glad you referenced Lapeer so I knew who you were!”)
Mr. did a great job on that wall! I love your photos, especially that fire red sunrise! I doubt the mouse repellent will help. We tried that and it didn’t help much. Sealing every hole, large and small, with industrial steel wool did work. Not regular steel wool (which mice can chew through). I like the boots. I hope the trees survive. I do see the swan!
I hope you have a great week.
Thank you, Dan! We’re both proud of Mr.’s hard work on the wall.
I’m glad you enjoyed the photos too!
Aw, dang, that’s a bummer about the repellent. Where does one buy the industrial steel from? We’re gonna need to get some of that!!
Thanks for the support on the boots, trees and the swan 😊
I hope you have a great week and that your wrist heals fast.
I’ll look to see if I kept the documents on the steel wool. We still have some of it, so I should be able to see where my wife bought it. I’ll let you know.
Thank you, I appreciate it very much!!
The retaining wall is impressive! And here’s hoping you have a mice-free winter. 🙂
Thank you, Laurel, it’s great to hear from you 😊
We appreciate your support!
You and Mr must feel so happy to get these projects DONE, Shelley! We are doing the same thing around here as we anticipate the first frost. I’ve got to protect my two potted hydrangeas and we just planted 3 western larches and 2 Colorado blue spruce. This time of year is great for planting certain trees as they go dormant over the winter and strengthen their root systems.
I love your black metallic patio furniture and how you styled the image to show off the green pastures! The black & white grass image looks really good! BTW, I’m glad to know I am not the only one who can barely take off my own Bogs! I have the tall ones, and I nearly break my back trying to get the last one off. Still difficult with the shorties? I won’t bother buying any then, LOL!
Big congrats on 7 years with WordPress! I started mine on Oct 31 2011 if you can believe it. I messed around for a few weeks with no followers, then abandoned it until 2014. Like your last two pics of the sunset, I will say goodbye for now. Have a great week!
Thank you, Terri, your encouragement means so much to me (us)! We’ve never done much research on tree planting. We’ll see if our technique works this year or not. I hope your trees survive and that you two get all your fall projects done too.
😂 Now I don’t feel so bad about the Bogs boots! They are so snug. They did come in handy once walking around a small hobby farm. They don’t come out in the cow poop/slush. I’m thinking the new ones I bought will be easier on/off for my garden strolls.
I’m glad to read about your blog efforts in the beginning. It was hard to get into the groove when I first started. I’m grateful we persevered and our paths crossed here in the blogosphere – it makes those first lonely days of blogging worth it.
Thank you – the sunset was pause-and-grab-the-camera-worthy! I hope you have a great week too!!
I forgot to mention how much I like your woodstove. We have a similar fan!
Thank you! We discussed that we put that in our first winter we moved here back in 1990. It’s been a wonderful stove and very effective. The fan works surprisingly well. Wish we would’ve bought one sooner!
I love the view of your first image, Shelley. Fun images of the stars.
Wow… beautiful, colorful sky captures! Absolutely stunning.
Thank you, Amy, I appreciate you stopping by to share your thoughts! Thank you so much for hosting this week’s challenge. 🥰😊
Beautiful photos. Your wood stove is delightful. I like how you’ve managed to make your gardening shoes come alive!
Thank you, Ally! Our wood stove has been a wonderful winter companion since 1990. It may just be a year older than my gardening shoes and holding up much better than they are! It was meant to last. 😉🥰
Now, a stainless steel litter box would have made great sense with our bunch, but they hadn’t been invented yet. We used the old plastic ones and threw them out when they got too gross. Ours lasted about 12-18 months.
We have people showing up tomorrow who will be tearing down our walls and helping us make an insurance claim for water damage…
I thought of you and your cats when I bought the new boxes! So far they are ‘working’, they’re a bit smaller in dimensions than the plastic ones which we’ve repurposed to sit out in the garage and hold chopped wood for the fireplace. It’s sad they get so gross in such a short period of time.
Oh, boy, that’s a HUGE project. I hope your insurance comes through and covers the damage and repairs!!
The wall has come up a treat. I need a new pair of gumboots. One has a split along the heel which will let water in. The heater will work ever so well. It’s getting hot here already. Spring has been stolen
Hi Brian! Yes, the wall has been a nice addition to the yard. Mr. carried and lifted multiple times 9 ton of materials. And he’s still standing. But not wanting to repeat a project that big again. 😆
I hope you get some new gumboots so you can enjoy walking in the dewy grass this season. I still smile knowing we’re living in exact opposite weather. You stay cool while I try to stay warm! 😎🥶
Excellent. Love those sunsets.
Thanks, John, I enjoyed your photos as well!
Amazing sunsets, Shelley.
I’d take your shoes being like that because you used them so much and that has to be a good thing! Good luck with the mice, blocking every possible entry point is the only way 🙁
Thank you! You’re right, the shoes did get lots of use. I’m hoping we find some industrial steel wool and block the holes we can see!
You live in such a beautiful and quiet place, I liked your post 😊
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the post!
First congrats on your blogiversary Shelley – time flies doesn’t it?
I think the new boots are keepers for sure. A few years ago I bought some red Totes vinyl boots thinking I would wear them when it was sloppy at the bigger parks in Spring when the grass is spongy. But that did not last long because they look like the yellow boots, but not real bendable when you walk. So not great for walking a long period of time and they only came in full sizes so I had to get a 9 and I wear an 8 1/2. So they are now gardening boots, great for watering. I have a pair of boots that are for rain/light snow which are black with designs on them … I bought them and hated for them to get wet. I finally christened them a few weeks ago, though I’ve had them here a couple of years already. (I know – strange.) I think the mouse repellent will work better than the rocks as they can squeeze in between the rocks. I hope the trees make it over the Winter and they just may due to El Niño. When I planted my Japanese Miniature Weeping Lace-Leaf Maple tree, the nursery said to wrap it until it was a certain diameter on the trunk. I can’t remember what that diameter was. So I had to put stakes around it and brown burlap on the sides and top every year – it made it, but it sure looked funny in the front yard – one year I got a red Christmas bow and tied it on top.
I like your photos – very nice for getting up in the cold and frosty weather in your garden shoes and robe. I would sit in front of that roaring fire instead!
Thank you, Linda!
I think I’ll keep the boots too. They are surprisingly comfortable, but I think you’re right they wouldn’t be for a longer walk.
We’re hoping at least one of the trees survive so that we can nurture it like I did the original one. They kind of prefer water sources, so we may have to just frame the picture of the original and be happy with that.
Thank you – I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. I saw Venus again this morning and just stayed inside – 32 degrees and frosty is a tad bit too cold for my robe attire. There will be a fire in that fireplace again today!
I liked my bright-red boots, but they didn’t seem to be bendable so I was walking kind of funny. Many years ago my mom saw a pair of green lightweight boots in a Miles Kimball or Lillian Vernon catalog. They were kind of flopsy-mopsy so you couldn’t wear just them – you had to have shoes on underneath. I had a pair of slippers that went over my ankles but had horrible treads on them … I almost wiped out in the kitchen, so I wore them under the boots – comfy! I left the slippers in them all the time. I kept them in a plastic shoebox when not using them, and I stored them near a register downstairs and they stuck together. When I pulled them apart they ripped. If I ever find another pair, I’m going to get them. The Wellies are nice, but they don’t look comfortable either.
You are lucky you have windows you can see out for moon and star gazing. I have to open the front door to look out and I don’t want to do that in the dark, even with the pole light out front and the streetlight across the street.
The Fireplace sounds good – it is cold in here – it was sunny and the heat didn’t come on too much.
Yeah, these boots aren’t bendable, but the are comfy to walk in. I think I’ll keep them.
I remember those kind of boots. Are they like these? https://www.amazon.com/McBiuti-Waterproof-Overshoes-Resistant-Protection/dp/B092SR3H5M/ref=asc_df_B092SR3H5M?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80333187498409&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583932715513770&th=1&psc=1
We are lucky to have the view we have. It has been one of the best perks since moving out here 30+ years ago. That and the fireplace for the winter. It was the first big project we did together so it still warms our heart every year!
No, those garden boots were made of a real soft material, so they couldn’t stand up on their own and would fold over when they weren’t on your feet. They had really sturdy soles so I could walk on cement or rocks and they didn’t get holes in the. I had these shoes when I was younger to wear over my school shoes so my feet wouldn’t get wet walking to school. I hated them as I thought they had a funny smell, but I’d tempted to buy a pair of these or some type of sneaker covers, which I’ve seen before, to carry with me in case of a sudden downpour to save my walking shoes.
Your view is great – I am envious of it. The fireplace is a big plus too. I have an electric one, but it does not throw off heat at all. Just for decoration.
I remember boots like you’re talking about. I wore something similar in early grade school. I was both happy and sad when we had separate boots to wear and had to carry either them or the shoes to/from school. I hope you find some that remind you of what you’re remembering!
Thank you – we do love our home. I had one of those electric fireplaces when growing up too. We were excited when we moved and our new house had a fireplace and Dad could build a real fire!
Right now I’m trying to remember where I put the outside tap covers. I put them in a different place in the garage and can’t find them. Of course if Amazon was not as convenient, I would have looked harder as they will turn up. I bought them from Amazon, two insulated covers and put one inside the other – perfect fit after years of wrestling with the stupid styrofoam cover. Couldn’t find it, hopped onto Amazon a week ago and is doesn’t arrive until the first week in November! We have our first hard freeze Sunday night – I have to shut off the water – it doesn’t need the covers yet.
The electric fireplaces are just for show … the gas fireplaces were nice, but I don’t think they are like the real deal. I can’t plug in the fireplace as the neighbor helped me push it back into place and he put the cord behind it and tucked it inside somewhere, so can’t even have the ambiance. 🙂
I hope you find/get what you need to protect the spouts. It’s not fun to have frozen ones.
Aw, that’s too bad you can’t even have the ambiance. My kids use their TVs to display a cozy fire when they’re not playing video games. 😉
Well I just went into my old order from a while ago, but just went to see if it’s still not coming for a while and saw other brands could be here Monday … hmm. We have a mild week after our hard freeze on Sunday night – in the 60s most of the week. Crazy! They work well and have Velcro and won’t blow away. Where I put the other two is anyone’s guess?
Interesting … I didn’t know you could do that to create a fire. I have noticed the tabletop fires which are kind of cool to see.
Yay – it’s funny, Linda, you and I should create a list of those where the other items have gone items and compare notes in a couple of years when we get around to organizing!
Yes, the weather is crazy!
Those videos are surprisingly convincing.
Yes, I need to compile a list of lost items or pray to St. Anthony, which my mother did – the patron saint for lost items. I am also missing a large capacity flash drive that I bought … I can’t remember how many GB, but I have saved all my blog posts that I write in Word and all the photos on a flash drive. I wanted to save a copy of all of my laptop and take a copy of that flash drive too, since I have a lot of stuff squirreled all over the place, just in case the laptop fails/crashes. I am thinking when I’m retired, I’ll go to the Windows 10 laptop, but first I want to clear everything out of here … plus all the photos I’ve taken and not used – a big project. I can’t find the flash drive and I think I paid about $29.00 for it at the time. The faucet socks are not arriving til the 26th to November 5th … so I looked for the tracking info. International – no wonder. I once ordered lens cap leashes as my 35mm you removed the cap and it dangled on a cord, right? I missed that and after dropping one lens cover in goose poop, I ordered the leashes … it took an entire month for them to get here, from China, and they were mailed directly.
I need major organization at my end!
Yes, the fire sounded and looked real!
Yay, you have a plan, and a back-up plan, and a retirement future! I’m jealous 😉
I’ve been there, done that on the items that took the slowest route here!
I spent the weekend admiring all the areas around us in our house that need that same O word!
I sat and admired the fire instead 😅
I just looked for that fire video – I found one with a three-hour loop. It even sounds realistic with the pops. I feel warmer already!
YAY!! So cozy, I hope you enjoyed it!
Yes I did Shelley – in fact I favorited it as the noises of the crackling wood was very peaceful!
YAY!!! 🥰😍
Hi Shelley. I looked up the steel wool fabric we purchased – https://buyxcluder.com/products/xcluder-kits/xcluder-rodent-control-fill-fabric-6-roll-box.html – That link is a fr 6 rolls, direct from MFG. It’s an expensive box, but it’s the cheapest way to buy it if you need a lot. If not, search for “XCluder 4″ Wide Fill Fabric” to see other options to buy fewer rolls.
Thank you, so much Dan! I’ve sent the links to Mr. and added it our THIS fall to-do-list! 😆😊
IT has worked very well for us, and the few bits that are exposed to the weather have not rusted.
We have ordered some and Mr. is excited to give it a try! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 Thank you again for the details so we can deter the mice!!
Please tell him to wear gloves. I had to cut it with metal snips. I found it works best if you cut it oversize and stuff it in with a stick.
Thank you for those tips, I’ll definitely tell him to do so!
Wow, Shelley…those skies! 💚 They are all fabulous!
Thank you, Cathy – I’m glad you enjoyed them!
The skies are glorious, Shelley! Loved the boots.
Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed them.
PS – I did keep the boots 🥰
It is a comfort to see that even you have photography snafus sometime. Wow–that purple sky is just gorgeous though! Sounds like you two are getting ready for the change of seasons. We haven’t had our wood stove going yet, but we got some wood delivered the other day. Nothing better than fire in the wood stove! Enjoy the hygge!
Hi Rebecca – oh, yes, many snafus happen here!
The sky was a run for the camera moment.
We are ready (sort of) for the change to colder weather. We just had one of our rental property’s furnace die, so we’re buying a new one. That was a wake-up call.
The wood stove is gonna come in very handy this year! Stay warm and cozy dear blogging buddy 🤗🥰
PS – your interview with Mitch was great! I’ve added his book to my TBR list!