We've gone up to RW two weekends in a row and will be up again this weekend.
Last year when they visited, Ron and Linda gave us this hummingbird feeder. It's on our back porch, being used by both hummingbirds and yellowjackets! When I first filled it last weekend, first one hummingbird came, then two, then three. It's like the first one went and found the others. We also have a little mobile on the backporch, metal triangles, and one lighted on it. So I guess we have both a perch and good food here! Meanwhile, Russ was fixing the wheelbarrow.
And I starting digging a big flower bed where we had Richmond Woods Beach (kiddie pool) during Russ's party. We rooted some gardenia cuttings over the summer for it. I think they will like this sunny spot and we will like the way they smell in the spring! Generally speaking, we will have all native species of flowers in this place but this will be one of few exceptions. Irises to be another exception. All I need is enough soil to build this up and some manure.
Left below: You can't tell much about this spot but it's a flattish area right along the road and I'm thinking it will be a good spot if and when I get an artist cottage/guest cottage. To the right: there's been a lot of wind up here lately (and rain it looks like); this tree was in the road when we came up last week. Lots of big branches down.
On Sunday, here's Russ just staking out where his new shop will be. He plans it to be about 24 x 32.
So here's what we have so far, after three years of lots of weekends. It's one room, with a screened in front porch (white door) and a rocking chair back porch where the hummingbird feeder is. We eat on the screened porch; here's a delectable feast of BBQed chicken and fruit. After Russ's shop is up, we plan to add a bedroom and bathroom to the right end of the house (visible in this picture) and a kitchen on the opposite end, big enough for a big table. We also would like to do a summer kitchen for BBQ, outdoor eating, breadmaking, canning, beer making and other messy/steamy or smelly activities. Of course the hot things, like breadmaking, will be nice to do inside when it gets cold. I am hoping the summer kitchen and artist/guest cottage are less finished than this place, more rustic, so we can move a little faster! We may need professional help. We'll just have to see how it goes.
A cute little place inside, with an oak floor, wired for electricity and plumbed (water and elec coming next year; we were thinking off the grid but didn't know if that would be best for us as we get older. It would be nice to have all modern conveniences!). Bed at one end, wood burning stove in the middle. And at the other end, kitchen in one corner and sofa, Debbie's glass coffee table in the other. Just about all built from salvage, donated and local materials. As for home furnishings, we already own enough to furnish anything added to this place!
The rest of the day Saturday was spent working on kitchen sink drain plumbing. Finally, I got all the parts I needed to correctly attach the sink basins to the drain line. Someday, I hope to have a source of running water to attach to a spigot ;)
Saturday afternoon, I moved some of the firewood pile and dug the trench for the drain line from under the back porch out to the azalea bed. Then made a flying run to Summerville for a length of drain pipe and a few fittings (stopping at Lucky's on the way back for grill meat).
I still need to dig a collecting basin at the edge of the flower bed and fill it with rocks. Then I can extend the drain the rest of the way and cover everything over.
Saturday night (Saturnight?) I had grilled chicken and whitebread for supper - how southern :-P 