Day 1182's random story

Wes and I have a modern relationship. What I mean is, we do a lot of communicating via e-mail and text messages. It's kind of lame, but necessary. He always sends me links to things he thinks I will like, and this morning, it was two stories about unusual animal pairings (here and here). I was highly entertained, but also nostalgic because they reminded me of a childhood pet: Our cow named Rooster who thought he was a dog.

Yes, you read that correctly. You may know that I consider my childhood home to be a small farm in southern Tennessee, but did you know that my dad was a country veternarian (think James Harriot)? One day a local farmer appeared at his clinic with an hours-old calf that had broken his leg during or shortly after birth. His mother and twin calf joined the herd but he, of course, couldn't keep up. His leg needed to be fixed and he would have to be bottle-fed, and this farmer didn't have the time or means to do either. My mother -- who has a soft spot for all things small or helpless -- happened to be there that afternoon and volunteered to take him. So, my dad did orthepedic surgery on his leg and we brought him home.

Have I mentioned that we didn't have any other cows? Rooster (who is named after John Wayne's character in True Grit, Rooster Cogburn, and not a bird) spent the beginning of his life in our horse barn, where his constant companions were our dogs, particularly an Australian Shepherd named Nick and a little terrier mutt we called Little Orphan Annie (another of mom's rescues). The dogs licked him clean after his bottles and spent the nights with him, and to this day, we're all pretty sure that Rooster thought he was a dog.

After he was healed and big enough to go out into the pastures, he could always be called to the fence for some affection (he liked to be scratched behind his ears) and would follow us back and forth if we walked through the pasture to get to the pond or the cabin my dad built on the property. He eventually became somewhat of an escape artist, preferring to spend his days lounging with the dogs under the pecan trees next to the house than with our horses, none of whom ever gave him the time of day. Well-meaning passers-by often stopped to let us know that our cow was out, but he was stubborn, and not even bribes of feed and treats could get him back through the gate unless he wanted to go.

The picture above is not Rooster (it's from domino, actually), but I do have a similar mental picture of Rooster standing in our front doorway as my younger sister -- curious about whether he would come in -- called him from inside. Ever the sensible first-born, I closed the door before he could make his move. We both already knew that he definitely would have come in if given the chance!

Rooster died of complications due to old age a couple of years ago (a fate not many Angus cows see), which was for the best since we no longer have the farm. I'm sure Rooster would have been quite happy to move to Birmingham with my mom and live in her suburban backyard with the dogs, but I doubt her new neighbors would have been so amused!

Happy Weekend!

May Backyard Progress

In addition to our deck, we've been sprucing up a little spot of the backyard. Our house only opens to the yard from the kitchen into the carport, so we moved the fence and gate into the carport (from the edge of the concrete you see here). It seemed a little strange at first, but there is still plenty of room to maneuver around a car, and it's nice to be able to leave the back door open when we are in and out without fear that Maddie will escape.

We also planted a little sod, moved three hydrangea to the inside of the fence (and added a fourth) and planted a few hosta. This part of the yard gets basically no sun, which is nice when sitting on the deck, but makes flower-planting challenging.

Still left to do here: add some stepping stones to the deck and the stairs that lead down into the yard, plant a few more shade-friendly plants (impatiens and ferns), and replace the top of the cinder-block wall with more attractive brick (which we dug out of various places in the yard). Oh, and finish the deck railing, but I'm still in no hurry for that.


I had lofty dreams of a small garden, but we really don't get enough sun for that (boo!). But my little herb garden -- planted in a galvanized tub we drilled holes in and placed in the sun in the middle of the deck -- is doing beautifully! I think it's about time to eat some basil.



They hydrangeas seem to like their new spot, as the fence shades them from the hot afternoon sun. They don't have quite as many buds as I'd hoped -- perhaps they need a good feeding?


The new set-up with the fence makes outdoor-dog washing a breeze! My bathroom drain and I are very thankful, as this girl is one hairy beast. I think I might have to get over my vanity and shave her this summer! Eeek.


For a dog who loves to swim, she sure does hate getting a bath. Here she is expressing her displeasure at being photographed instead of toweled off, brought inside, and given a treat for decent bathtime behavior.

The Week in Pictures (So Far)

I kind of fell off the week-in-pictures wagon this month. Now that the weather is clearing up, I'm feeling inspired to pick up my camera again, and just in time for the blooming of the cherry trees! I look forward to this all year, they are just so beautiful.


This forsythia is completely covered in blooms. It must like the full sun it gets, because there are flowers on top of flowers on it. I walked past it the other day on an evening walk and with the sinking sun behind it, it looked like the burning bush! So naturally, I came back with my camera the next evening. Our neighbors probably think I'm a loon.


There is a faint dusting of light green over the trees as they begin to leaf. I'm sure a pollen burst is soon to follow, but, for now, it's exciting. The spring fever in the air is palpable.


Wes made some great progress on our deck over the weekend. It needs stairs on one side and a railing, but we've already been using it. I actually kind of like it sans a railing, as it is easier to toss Maddie's ball into the yard for her to chase.


Which she really likes, as you can see.


Oh, and that cherry tree? What can I say? This little branch wanted to come home with me! Whoops!

Day 962's week in pictures

An early and very unexpected birthday present from Wes.


Afternoon walk in the snow.


A very dirty but very happy pup after a romp in the very muddy dog park. It's a good thing I keep a "dog blanket" in my car.


Fun little painting project!

Day 947: week in pictures

Four weeks below 35 degrees (rare for central Alabama) followed by one week above 60 and a few days of rain and the early spring flowers are already starting to come out. This Forsythia is just getting started in the parking deck at work. I really enjoy checking its progress each morning.


The weekend started out cold and dreary, so what's a girl to do but stay inside and bake something? I've been craving bread pudding (I don't know what's with my obsession with lowcountry fare these days) and had a stack of recipes to try. I went with this one because I thought I could improvise it a tad and use the Challah bread with raisins that I already had. Totally hit the spot. At Wes' request I'll try a chocolate version next.


Based on my pictures you probably think that Maddie is calm and serene. While she can be, she definitely has a wild streak, too. Like this morning when she nipped at my ankles all the way to the back door to let her out. It's just that she's so much easier to photograph when she's calm and serene! Or sleeping.


The purple tulips opened up nicely. And of course grew about two inches in the process. Tulips are crazy like that.


I was just messing around one morning and rather liked the way this bowl looked on top of our entertainment center. Have I mentioned how much I enjoy a simple still life?

Day 934: week in pictures

My pictures are a little weak this week. It was a busy one, I suppose. My sister had knee surgery, so I bought miniature daffodils to cheer up her hospital room. The five bulbs came potted from the grocery store, of all places. She loves all things miniature, so I knew she'd love them, but I enjoyed them so much for the two days I had them that I had to go get a pot for myself, too!


I love covered cake stands, and recently discovered that this cheese dome fits perfectly on my Jadeite stand. It takes up less space on my counter than my larger white ones, and holds just as many chocolate chip muffins.


I made two pound cakes for a birthday celebration, and was looking forward to having a slice (or two) with my morning coffee since there was a loaf leftover. Apparently Maddie wanted to enjoy some, too. That stinker! She hasn't eaten off the counter since she ate our wedding cake on our one-year anniversary.


Peeps the Cat doesn't get nearly enough time on this blog (probably because he doesn't eat pound cake off the counter). He loves to curl up in the sun on top of the chairs in the living room, and makes one cute little ball of cat.

Day 884

I used to think of myself as such a "city girl," and while I appreciate the convenience and opportunity of an urban way of life, I am so thankful that we have quiet little piece of land to visit, and that my Dad would sooner be buried on this hillside than leave it.


So we spent Thanksgiving on the farm, which isn't much more of a farm than our own backyard, but it is bigger (and prettier).


We took a walk down to the river.



We took a sunset Ranger ride (Hi, Beth Anne and Aunt Cynthia!).


And every morning, we were up and at'em before the frost melted. It did this girl's heart some good.


And it did this girl some good too -- she went days without seeing a leash or a fence, and had so much fun she didn't want to get in the car to come home.


Being a farm dog sure is exhausting.

Day 872: porch post process

We'll try to be brief about the new porch posts, but we also want to be thorough for those who are interested. Bear with us!


Oh, and don't forget your herding dog -- this is very important! -- she'll make sure you're doing everything properly and to let you know when the power tools are too loud.


Wes's dad kindly did a lot of the prep work before heading down to help us. He used his company's woodworking shop to miter the edges of four 2"x8"s for each of the five posts. He then glued and finish nailed three sides together. These will be going around a 4"x4" support post.


The first construction step of the project is to jack up the beam supporting your porch roof so it doesn't fall on your father-in-law and husband.


With the porch supported you can then take great pleasure in removing your swirly, rusty iron columns. This was surprisingly easy, and was completed using a hammer and chisel to break off the head of the rivet. We had a grinder ready but never used it.


This little guy, we'll call him a steroidal laser pointer, was one of the most important tools we used. It shot a laser at the beam supporting the roof. After we centered the laser on the support beam we marked the location of the laser level so we could mark the location of the center of the 4"x4".


We then used a hammer drill at the previously marked location and installed the Tapcon screw. You'll see why in the next step. After you've done this measure from floor to beam so you can cut your 4"x4" to size.


This little guy is a Quick Mount Porch Post Fastener. This is used to keep your post from making contact with the concrete and water. Just center it up on the bottom of your 4"x4" and use the provided screws to attach. You'll notice it's slotted at the bottom so you can slide it into the Tapcon from the previous step and lock it into place. Take it into account when cutting your 4"x4" or you'll have to cut twice.

After locking the post in place on the bottom we centered up the top on the beam and used a level to make sure it was straight and plumb on all sides. We needed a persuader, aka sledgehammer, on some of the posts.


At some point your wife/photographer might get bored and start taking pictures of bumble bees. It's okay, she'll finish raking the leaves tomorrow.


It can never be too level, especially during No-Shave November.


Oohh, almost forgot. Before you install you post you'll want to slide this top piece around it. I believe we used a 12"x12" square and just cut a 4"x4" hole in the middle. After installing the 4"x4" and the 12" piece we measured again and cut the 2"x8" "surround". Be sure to cut it about 1/2" short so it does not rest on the concrete. Then we just slid it into place around the 4"x4". We used shims in the gaps to make sure the final piece would fit perfectly into place.


After shimming and then leveling again we screwed the surround into the 4"x4", making sure that no wood was touching the concrete.


And then screwed the fourth piece into the other three to close up the column.

The next steps that I didn't get pictures of are listed below:
Install trim pieces at top and bottom
Prime everything
Caulk all joints
Wood putty all nail and screw holes
Sand wood putty and any sharp corners
Wipe down and paint

A few miscellaneous notes that didn't get mentioned: The edges of the trim pieces at the top and bottom were also pre-mitered. The top trim is regular pine 1"x6". The bottom is 1"x8" Hardie board which is a cementitious material that will not warp, mold, or mildew. The white plastic post support and the bottom trim are the only parts of the post that are touching the porch.

Day 808's lovely afternoon

It has been raining a lot. Like, every day. I'm not complaining though, because it has made for a mild summer, and should mean a spectacular showing of fall foliage in a couple of weeks. I got home from work on Friday to a perfect, still early fall afternoon. The rain had stopped (for the moment) so Maddie and I (and my camera) decided to hang out in the front yard. At first she was a little drowsy, as I came home in the middle of her afternoon nap (lucky dog).


But it wasn't long before silliness ensued.





Rolling around in the wet grass isn't my idea of a great time, so I headed over to check out the dogwood tree, which is showing signs of turning leaves.


The rain seemed to have saturated all of the colors. Aren't they lovely?