Hard work is hard to see

This weeks adventures started off BAD - The HOA sent two notices. Fix the raised panel of sidewalk and fix the outrageous weed problem....in 14 days or you will incur fines. We were not amused.

Matthew spent the week calling people to fix the sidewalk and we spent the weekend weeding.

UGH!

(break from the grumpy...)

If you were to rotate this image you would see that the Rose of Sharon that we DRAMATICALLY cut back and transplanted from Peter and Laurie's house SURVIVED - check out the growth!!

We planted Bulbs -Gladiolas and Ball Dahlia along the back of the house behind the blueberry bushes and also in the flower portion of our vegetable garden.

Now we wait....

Also check out our additional soaker hose - hopefully this helps the blueberries and bulbs survive

Back to weeding - this hill was covered now it is a little better and we can use the pile of pine needles as pseudo bark dust for a little bit

We also weeded the front lawn AND bought a cute hand-spreader and distributed fertilizer

While weeding, a neighbor introduced them-self and offered us some little plants that his wife didn't like because they were prickly and gave them to us.

We said thank you.

Aren't they cute and evergreenie - not sure how they will do, grow, etc.

Matthew climbed along the roof and removed GUNK from the gutters and got rid off moss from the roof

Then after all that we helped Peter and Laurie clear up their garden by taking some unwanted Japanese Maple Saplings off their hands

With all that done - it is 10:00 maybe we should get some weekend rest before the next long week.

Lauren's Wedding Shower

We went to Lauren's wedding shower today! Christine specializes in brunch and everything was yummy. Laurie wasn't feeling great so Matthew took some pictures for her.

Guests (including us!)

Ah! Now we are looking at the camera!

Lauren in her Red Dress and "the spread"

Claude - Matthew says this is the best picture.

We are working on the front garden - new pictures coming - we have pictures of some things we like in other people's gardens.

Does ANYONE know what this flowering well shaped bush is?

What are the purple things - we seem to have a lot of them

(but this is someone else's yard)

and what are these - we want them!

Birthday Vacation

We took a Birthday Vacation last month to celebrate our shared March birthdays and traveled down to Medford/Ashland Oregon for a 3 day weekend. This happened right before we restarted journaling but in our attempt at keeping regular posts, enjoy.

Day 1 - the drive

We started with wine tastings along the way - the first one was closed

Great view at the next vineyard - Agate Ridge -Yummy

Matthew at a wine Cellar - they had snackies with the wine

View from the hotel room

Real view.....

Day 2 -Hiking, more wine....

We started the day with an early morning hike up Table Rock

A picture on the drive to table rock (see it all flat straight ahead)

- note the most recent rock chip - this one courtesy of Matthew

Starting the hike - we thought it would be chilly

It was a nice and shady STEEP hike - we ran down

It was so flat after being SO steep

(in the spring these lakes will fill with flowers)

Looking over the edge

Don't fall Leah! (I am holding on)

The self timed camera did not fall either

After that we went to the annual CHEESE FESTIVAL

at the Rogue Creamery where we sampled, cheese, wine and chocolate

- AWESOME

Dinner in Ashland at a British Pub

- Matthew got fish and Chips - Leah got tofu (yeah Oregon)

Day 3 - Play!

The next day we went on a run/mostly walk and then booked it to Ashland for Sushi lunch and watched Pride and Prejudice by the OR Shakespeare Festival and then booked it home