Finally Spring,2013 And Looking To The Future

Perhaps I am just impatient but I so wanted warmer weather and it has finally arrived. The month leading up to this has been teasing us with some warm weather and next day back to winter like temps with frost so heavy it looked like a light snow came overnight. We still have the possibility of frost but the days and nights are warmer and very comfortable. I have been busy planning my trip to Sara's graduation and the sight seeing I want to do on the way back home. I finalized my thoughts and turned them over to AAA to plan the route and I received the Trip Tik yesterday so I am more anxious than ever to get started. It looks like I may have planned for more than I will have time to see and do but we will just have to wait and see as we go along.

This past week Mike and Lisa have been on spring break and I recruited them for some help on yard work. I got all my new plants and bulbs planted and most seem to be taking hold. Can't wait to see the results. I also bought a Blaze Red Climbing roses ( actually two ) and I built a large trellis over one of the back yard gates for them to climb on. Now that sounds easy and it is until you start digging in my yard. There is a permanent rock convention just about 12 inches below the surface. This trellis had four 4 X 4 pressure treated post which need to be about 24 inches in the ground set in concrete using 12 diameter post forms. So Mike and Lisa started digging. Now you have to understand these guys are the smartest and best kids but they have never seen a post hold digger and therefore no idea how to use it. They were a little better with a shovel. Dirt started coming out of the holes ( 4 of them ) when suddenly clunk. Sure enough they hit the first rocks. The first few were small 2 to 6 inch size and just one after the other. They then got introduced to the heavy spud bar to loosen the clay soil and the rocks. Now this spud bar is about 6 feet long an inch in diameter with a tamper end and a blade on the other and heavy. This thing will work muscle you did not know you had. Needless to say the dirt was coming out in lesser quantity  and rest period a little longer. Finally we called a stop to digging for the day and went to get something to eat. The next day they are back with a greater determination which soon diminished because they hit a rock that we could not find out how big it actually was. So now the hole digging turns into a trench that would be long enough to get the poles in. The thought was that this would give us more space to get around the bigger rocks so we could get leverage to pry them out. This worked on some of the medium size rocks but the large ones were not to be budged. So we had to leave the holes a few inches with less depth then we wanted. We cut the post forms and got them in place and got the first 2 poles upright and braced. Now started a new experience for Mike and Lisa as neither has ever had the fun of mixing cement in a wheelbarrow. This was an easy training exercise since I have mixed literally hundreds of sacks of sac Crete or quick Crete over the years. At the end of the day 2 poles are in place. Time to cleanup and feed the kids. Day 3 Mike is the first to arrive. Following my routine of getting up to help the sun rise I had the final 2 post in the trench and braced and waiting for the kids. As I said these final two post are about 6 inches from the desired depth but they are resting on the big rock we could not remove. Mike arrived and started mixing concrete and in short order we had those final post in place and the dirt filled in around the forms. Some time later Lisa her Mom and Dad arrived. It seemed that Lisa thought she would recruit her Dad to help get that big rock out of our way and her Mom to offer encouragement. The thought counts and they got to see the post in place. Over the next few days I finished and stained all the wood parts of the trellis and affixed a wire to the frame work for the roses to climb on. Oh by the way the roses are planted. I really ought to charge for viewing a couple of the following photographs but since it is mostly family that will see it enjoy.

Mike Checking The Depth Of A Hole And Lisa Works To Remove A Rock

The Hole Is Getting Deeper But That Rock Will Not Budge

Mike Cutting Post Form To Proper Length And Lisa Takes A Rest

Mike Cutting Post Form. Post and Lumber Waiting To Be Used

This Is What You Call Getting Down With Your Work

I Think Lisa Is Saying If This Rock Won't Come Out I Will Just Sit On It

Finished Trellis. Note One Side Is Higher Than The Other Thanks To A Large Rock. Also, Note That A Large Limb Goes Through The Trellis.

Words of thanks are not enough for the help Mike & Lisa gave me on this project. Since their Dad came over and did not get to help I enlisted him to help move the plants out of the plant room out to their summer homes

Tom Getting Ready To Mop Plant Room Floor

Tom Mopping Plant Room Floor See The Ferns outside

Giant Elephant Ear Waiting For It's Move Outside. Notice The Heavy Limbs That Have Folded Under The Weight Of The Leaf.

Blossom On My Apple Tree. Bartlet Pears, Asian Apple Pears And Apricots Setting On Fruit

Oh Joy My Private Dining Place. Small Birds Can Get Inside But Squirrels Can't. They Still Hang Onto The Side And Eat Out Of The Tray

Just as a little tease like you get all the time on TV telling you what to watch for and be sure you view it. The same is true in the blog world. The following is what you may expect beside my normal travel and musings over the next several months.

This Was The Start Of It All When Samuel Buchanan Arrived From Ireland In 1702 In Virginia. The Diven Clan With All The Variations In Spelling Of The Name Started At This Time.

My Grand Pa Diven And His First Wife Ida Smith

My Dad As An Infant

Me Age Unknown

Sorry folks that's all you get to see for now. This is truly a labor of love, laughter and tears as I assemble all this information. I am reminded of a bible verse which is found in Psalms 40: 5, " Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of  them, they would be too many to declare. " That is certainly the truth in my life as I anxiously await the next thing God has planned for me. I love you all and God loves you also.

Grandpa Bill