Lilac Bushes

By Uncle Hans

20 years ago, I spent $650 to buy about 50 baby lilac bushes.  I planted them along the fence between our place and the resort next door, thinking they would make a great barrier from the resort and look pretty to boot.  Little did I know that lilacs are on the list of top ten delicacies for deer.    Especially the new buds and flower buds.  I moved the surviving plants to my "tree farm" out by the road, hoping they would be harder to find mixed in amongst the trees.  The trees were a great success, but did not protect the little lilacs.  Amazingly, a few persisted, but never grew higher than 18 inches and never flowered.  A few years ago, I noticed that my apple trees were dying of old age and decided to replace them.  I know the babies would need a fence enclosure to protect them from the deer, and I started to move survivor lilacs inside the fence.  Last year I had flower buds on the tallest plant for the first time.  But the damned deer simply reached over the fence and ate the buds off!!  This year the same 5 foot bush had buds again and I strung some extra twine to discourage the deer.......

So here is the product of lots of money and 20 years of hard work planting, replanting, fencing.  Oh, and did I mention that the 4 baby apple trees planted over 3 years have all died? 

     So much for my green thumb..........

Uncle Hans

LEAK NUMBER THREE

SOMEHOW I GOT WATER RUNNING OUT OF MY ELECTRICAL CONDUIT? FROM THE LEAK IN THE WALL THE WATER WAS RUNNING INTO WHAT WE CALL THE BASEMENT. GOOD GRIEF……

IN A LONG AND FRUSTRATING SEARCH WE FOUND THE PROBLEM.

 

ODDLY ENOUGH THIS SEPERATION IN THE ELECTRICAL CONDUIT WAS JUST 6 MORE INCHES IN THE VERY SAME HOLE THAT WE DUG OUT WITH THE FIRST TWO LEAKS.

IT LOOKS LIKE AN EASY FIX, BUT TURNED INTO A REAL CAN OF WORMS, WHICH EVEN LEFT US WITHOUT ELECTRICITY ONE NIGHT. NOW THAT IT’S ALL REPAIRED THE NEXT STEP IS TO REPAIR THE WALL IN THE SHOP.

HOPEFULLY WE’RE ALL DONE WITH WATER LEAKS. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT NONE OF THE LEAKS WERE RELATED TO ME WINTERIZING THE CABIN MYSELF.

SPI

By Uncle Hans

If there were a contest about who could be lazier about posting blogs between Rex and Uncle Hans, I would win. (But Rex would come in second)  so I am going to try to catch up.....
     We took our usual late March trip to Padre, meeting Renee's brother Matt, girlfriend Hilda, and daughter Emily for a few days in the Sun. We caught the last few days of spring break and I found some volleyball to play.  Renee tried to walk up the beach to Clayton's to watch the games, but ran into so many people that wanted to take a picture with Charley that she almost didn't make it.

     We caught a break on the weather and it was warm enough to be on the beach.

By Uncle Hans

HEATHER

LOOK WHO WE FOUND “STANDING ON THE CORNER IN WINSLOW, ARIZONA” …….

IT’S MARY’S DAUGHTER FROM LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN.

ACTUALLY IT’S ONE OF THOSE WILD HAIR IDEAS YOU GET WHEN YOUR DRINKING. MARY FORGOT SOME PAPERS SHE NEEDS IN THE SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX AT THE BANK. AS LONG AS WE HAVE TO DRIVE TO LAUGHLIN ANYWAY, AND IT’S TOO HOT TO MAKE IT A SCOOTER ADVENTURE, LET’S CALL HEATHER AND SEE IF SHE CAN CATCH A DON LAUGHLIN CASINO JUNKET FROM MINNEAPOLIS AND WE’LL PICK HER UP AND BRING HER TO THE WHITE MOUNTAINS FOR THE WEEK-END. BY GOD IT WORKED, HEATHER HAD THE WEEK-END OFF AND WE’RE ENJOYING HER VISIT.

MARY WILL POST SOME PICTURES AND A REPORT NEXT WEEK.

BEEN BUSY

BETWEEN URBAN HIKES, SCOOTER RIDES, AND WALKING TO SUPER WALMART WE’VE BEEN BUSY. MARY LOVES HER SUMMERS “OFF” AND HAS A LIST OF PROJECTS.

HERE SHE’S PAINTED A COAT OF SEALANT ON HER NEW MOUNTAIN BEAR.

DECORATIONS FOR THE CABIN…..

THE FAMOUS “RECHSTEINER” CLOCK IS 35 YEARS OLD, AND AFTER HANGING PERMANTLY IN THE SUPPER CLUB, AND ON THE FIRE PLACE IN SPOONER, HAS ONCE AGAIN FOUND A SPOT TO LIVE, IN THE MOUNTAIN CABIN.

LOOK AT MY NEW NEIGHBORS OFF THE BACK DECK…

AND IRIS BLOOMING AT THE POND…..

WHILE MARY ENJOYS HER PROJECTS, REX HAS BEEN AGGRIVATED BY A 3RD WATER LEAK.

THIS LEAKING PIPE BEHIND THE WALL IS ACTUALLY THE ELECTRICAL SERVICE CONDUIT TO THE BREAKER BOX. THE JOYS OF CABIN OWNERSHIP.