Geocaching

I've wanted to try this out for a while now.  I didn't know enough about it and never got around to really digging deep into it until a few days ago.

We were at my in-laws' house, visiting, while a friend of my father-in-law's saw the girls' prom pictures.  He said, "this looks like that place out at such and such".  I told him that's exactly where it was.  He said he has done a lot of geocaching out there.  Of course, I was surprised about this, so asked him more details about it.  He said there were loads of them in the area and told me to go to geocaching.com.  I did.  Now, I understand it a little better. 

Our gps is out of date with maps, so nothing will display.  Ok, let me bring out my handy dandy ipod touch and see what I can do with it.  Well, after downloading a few apps on the subject, I found only about a trillion treasures to hunt down.  There's quite a few only a mile from our house! 

I told the girls about it.  Allison wasn't thrilled.  I tried to convince her it would be fun, but she just didn't seem to understand, saying that it was for people without lives.  Teenagers.  Morgan and Emily, however, are all for it.  Allison just wants to search for treasure if it's something of value she can keep.  She still didn't quite get it. 

I looked closely at one of the places on my map and realized exactly where it was.  I didn't need coordinates for this one.  Super easy.  Our Wal-Mart here is built behind McDonalds.  There is a big deep ditch with a few culverts separating the two parking lots.  I told Allison about it.  Still, no sign of light in her eyes.  Not until we went to Wal-Mart today.  As I drove right beside that big ditch, I was reminded.

"Look, Allison, there's a cache somewhere down in that ditch, probably hidden in one of those culverts."

Allison's head pops up as she looks down toward the ditch...with a grin on her face.

"See, it's exciting to know that, right?" 

A bigger grin spreads across her face as she continues to look at the ditch while we drive on.

Uh, huh.  For those without lives, huh?

Lookin' Good!

Not finished, but here's what's been done today.  I still have to plant a few more, add mulch, and so forth.  Mulch doesn't go a long way, and it's been so long since I've planted anything, I had forgotten that.  I love the black mulch though, especially with my black shutters.

I'm going to get some more boxwood shrubs.  I love these shrubs since you can shape them into any form.  I just don't know how long it will take them to grow.  This is a slower growing version.  (didn't see that until after I purchased them)

Should have done this before planting anything, but I now have to add edging and a sidewalk.  I'd love to have an actual front porch/patio, but that's not happening right now.  The front of the house is just too straight for my liking.  I want one with a roof, but for now, I'm just going to have pavers or something to form a patio.  About a decade or longer ago, we bought one of those walkway molds that you fill with concrete.  I bought another one today just to save money and get a sidewalk faster than if we'd buy concrete pads or pavers.  May just use that for the entire patio too. 

Can't wait for this to really start filling in!

Curb Appeal

Our home has zip landscaping.  It's bittersweet, though.  Glad I don't have to work around someone else's previous plantings but having none at all has left me with an eyesore the past year.  That's changing as we speak, though.

Clayton tilled some more for me today.  Just a small patch in front of the house from edge of carport to front door.  That's enough for this week.

I didn't have much of a choice of plants and shrubs to choose from at our Walmart.  I'd go to a nursery, but I did it as a spontaneous thing tonight.  I think I purchased the only plants they had left that were actually alive.  Such a shame.

So, here's what I got, for now.  Getting more later.  I love the colors I chose to contrast with each other.

New windows are in order...in time.

Allison loosening the root ball.  Another bath and change of pjs now.  Glad she wanted to help, though.

More tomorrow as we finish planting.  The shrubs are in but it got too dark to do anything else. 

I thoroughly enjoyed all Clayton's hard work!

Pioneer Days

Ok, so Pioneers had a mule and plow, not tillers, but as lazy as these days and times are, tillers are still hard work.  Or so it looked to be anyway ;) 

Clayton tilled a garden this morning.  It's small, but it's all we need to get started with.  He didn't buy plants, so we are starting with seeds.  We will see how that goes.

He bought organic seeds.  I was glad for that, until I saw the Miracle Grow being sprinkled on the entire garden.  Purpose defeated. ;)

Back to the Basics Family Time

After yesterday being so dreadfully dull, we all decided we were going to get out and go do something today.  There were mixed ideas about where to go.  I wanted to go as far as Houston, Clayton was settling for the movies, the kids wanted to go to a family entertainment center.  After a while of pondering what to do, mine and Clayton's energy was drained and we just wanted to take a nap.  Instead of the nap, I suggested we do something at home like we used to do in the earlier days.  No money spent and memories made.  That's the best anyway.

We are under a major burn ban here.  Our little area is still fighting a wildfire that took off a few days ago.  Everything is entirely too dry to have even a tiny little weiner roast.  Now, we can have them if we had a little firepit outside, but we've never broke down and bought one.  As I said out loud how I wish there wasn't a burn ban in effect, that we could have a weiner roast, Clayton and Allison both suggested we just use the fireplace.  Of course!

We took off to get a couple new movies and some more weiners (I've been on a daily hotdog binge lately).

Clayton chopped some firewood for us and we started our little night.

This was perhaps the best hotdog I've ever had.  Seriously.

Time for movies.....

They made me stop taking pictures after this.  Something about trying to watch a movie???

We watched "127 hours".  Great movie.  Too much gore for me though at one point..and some choice words I don't choose.  It wasn't at all what I was expecting.  It's worth a watch.

Oh, I almost forgot this picture.  Allison was roasting a marshmallow when the log fell and made a really loud noise along with A LOT of sparks.  It even made me jump.  She just jumped halfway across the room.

Haha.  Good times.



My New Workspace

I have been completely worthless today. Totally bored out of my mind. I almost cried due to being so bored. I have plenty to do. PLENTY. Energy, nada. Now that it's time for bed, I'm getting much better. Figures.

There was one thing that was accomplished today. Totally out of a "Just Do It" thing.
About a year ago we took a door down that lead from our laundry room to our kitchen. It was an exterior door so it had to go. I've tried burning it a few times before, but Clayton has always stopped me, saying he'll use it for something one day. Well, today was the day. It's a solid core door, so I knew it could be used for something. It just saw it's last "in the way" day today.

I know, it's not an original idea, but I used it anyway. We cut about 6 inches off the length and now it fits perfectly in my craft room as a desktop. Where the knob and deadbolt holes are, that's where the wires and such will go for my computer and other electrical items in there. I'm loving the workspace it provides for me.

I was going to paint it, but decided not to right now.  I may decoupage it with my lomography, I don't know.  I will paint the edge that shows though.  I also wanted to just lay it on top of Clayton's aluminum saw horses, but he wouldn't give them to me. :( Oh well, would have probably limited my storage space that way anyway.

I have it piled high with everything that was on the floor around the perimeter of the room, but it's holding up. I'll get around to cleaning it off once I get out of this slump I'm in. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

This room is still not painted, obviously still not organized, etc. One day, one day. This is just a little room off of my laundry room opposite the kitchen side. It was first used for Cameron's room when he'd come to stay but after the water heater went out and flooded that room, it ruined his bed. Since then, it's just been my craft room, catch all junk room. I'm about to make that all go away. Anyway, the tin on the wall was an effect I was doing while it was Cameron's room. I was going to take it down, but decided to keep it. I think I'm going to like it once it's finished. I do have a vision.

Notice the floor.  That's what was under the carpet that was ruined when it flooded.  It's not pretty, but right now, it's not a priority.

Dirty much?  Nope, stained.  I scrubbed.  It'll be ok though.  Trust me.

Here's all the stuff that is now off the floor.  All my other stuff is in my laundry room at the moment.  This picture makes me laugh though...notice the Container Store bag? 

 

I'm beginning to get enough energy flowing to go in that room and start on clearing off my new desk.  I'd better go to bed now before that happens.



Lomography...my new interest

I know.  Another interest/hobby to add to my collection.  I can't help it. 

Honestly, I've never even heard of it until a few months ago.  Well, not even then, actually.  I just have an app on my ipod for camera effects and one was called "lomo-fi".  So, with me loving that little app, I decided to look up lomography and found myself sinking into the very depths of the art form.

I can't tell you why I love it.  I just do.  I remember when my mother would get film developed and if any of them were "ruined" it would be heartbreaking.  Double exposed, over or under exposed, etc.  Anything that would get in the way of what you were trying to capture would just ruin the photo.  With digital being unheard of other than in watches and clock radios, it was always a guessing game.  I was always told to load film in the darkest area possible, never open the door to the camera before the film was all used up, and of course, don't put your camera or film in the heat.  That would just be tragic.

So, what is lomography and how did it get started? Well, I say Google it.

The app I have on my ipod is nothing in comparison to what lomography is all about.  Not in my eyes anyway.  It completely steals the joy of not knowing what was shot until the film is developed.  I remember film.  I remember after getting my photos developed, I would stand right there at the counter of the place I'd get them developed and have either oohs and ahhs or uh ohs.

Either way, those are emotions that are missed.

I will still shoot digital, of course.  Lomography is just something that I'd like to really take a crack at and see what pictures will be "ruined". 

So, next item on my wishlist:

These are just cheap plastic cameras that shoot 120 film and I want one. 

Until I decide exactly which lomo camera I want to start off with, I've got some 35mm film left over from YEARS ago that has been left out in the heat, beat and banged around and a 35mm camera that's been collecting dust.  I think I'll give it a "shot".  Pun not intended.  Of course, I know it won't be what I'm looking for, but may as well do something with it.