New Year’s Day
After several days of bitter, damp cold (even light snow flurries!), the year 2020 opens with plenty of sunshine on our home in southeastern Arizona. And, importantly for those of us in the desert Southwest, no wind!
The birds sing happily around the feeders and bird bath.
This morning I put on my winter coat because the temperature is around 46 degrees F. Reggie and Roger run out the front door and down the porch steps. They’re going pecan hunting!
Reggie is the first to find his!
Although the crop is late this year, the pecan tree is loaded.
The hulls are open and the nuts are beginning to drop.
Nuts aren’t quite as big as last year. I’d better fertilize the tree this spring.
I need to rake the leaves under the tree so the nuts will be seen more easily. A shake of the branches and manna will fall from heaven!
Ooh, I think Rog has found his prize!
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I promised I would tell you about recent projects at the house.
All four corners of the house have a water faucet. They all work except the one at the front, northeast corner. I noticed, back when examining the house for possible purchase that the spigot was capped off. Not a deal breaker . . . .
Dennis and another fellow check it out for me.
They dig down to the line. It is buried very deep and traverses through the flower bed with its mature rosebushes all along that side of the house. It would be a heckuva job to find out where the problem lies or to put in a new line through the roots.
Dennis comes up with a suggestion.
A trench going around the sidewalk and the other flower bed is not problematic!
All goes well until a sudden downpour. The three of us run for cover in the back patio.
PVC pipe laid out alongside the trench.
Even with the interruption (and the mud and an ant attack) the job is finished before day is done.
I’m very pleased because now I easily can water the flower beds and also the landscaping I want to put in next spring. No dragging a long hose!
The pipe ready to be wrapped with foam insulation and insulating tape before being buried.
Job done!
Spigot at back, northwest corner of house.
Except one thing bothers me.
I don’t like how the spigot sticks up out by the front of the house.. I ask Dennis if he could make a hole in the bottom of the plastic storage seat I bought several months ago at the thrift store. He makes the cut, slips the bench over the spigot, and voila!
Remember how pretty the flower beds were last spring, summer and fall?
Look how handy this is!
The hose is tucked away and the spigot is concealed.
I love it when an idea turns into a plan turns into success!
Well, there’s only room for this one project in this post. More to come in the future.
Young succulents and cuttings are brought into the house on cold nights (into the 20s!).
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2019 is gone.
Like all years, 2019 was a mixture of gains and losses. I hope your year was more of the former, but, if not, I hope you can look forward to a brighter new year.
Our “gains,” as well as a few losses, are well documented on this blog. I’m thankful for every blessing, especially for my sweet companions, Reggie and Roger, who remain healthy and happy.
I’m not forgetting how much you continue to mean to me.
Happy New Year everyone!
rvsue
NOTE: Please open the comments section for news of special interest to our blogorino family. — Sue
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