Sump project

It's done! Finally with enough time. Most of which was spent digging clay under the foundation of the house. It took a long time because of the little hole I was toiling to clear. But the rest was great. Drill a bigger hole in the concrete (use a "Sawzall" to circle out the sublayer of wood) in the side of the house, dig the hole deeper, fit 1 1/2" pipe to discharge the sump pump replacing the previous 3/4" pipe. And tomorrow evening I'll have time to test it :)

 

 

Strawberry box

We'd prefer not to grow our strawberries in the ground because then we'll have to bend over to pick them. So we fashioned a strawberry box to pick them at waist level :) Thank you Miyazaki-san and the lessons you taught me in Japan some seven years ago... I finally can put to use what you shared with me! Here are some pictures of the raised strawberries at dusk. We have been having some gorgeous sunsets here lately too. Wow!

Raspberry Trellis

Winthrop, WA Weekend!

Thanks to a good friend we were able to go camping in Winthrop. Makes a big difference when you have a roof, indoor plumbing, and a bed ;) A highlight of the trip that doesn't have a picture is waking up at 5am to squirrel and bird alarms and seeing a bobcat sleuth around the property!

Rough itinerary
1) West-side (Diablo Lake overlook & my old home for a year during my graduate residency)
2) Hart's Pass/ Slate Peak lookout/ Grasshopper Pass/ PCT/ Thunder and rain
3) Goat Peak Lookout

Freedom to Jackhammer

What a way to celebrate Independence. With a jackhammer. To prep our new bump-out and entry nook we were asked to remove the concrete pad in front of the house. So, we did!