Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Garden spot

I mentioned in the previous post that on the to do list was a garden spot. I used the 4 - 1x6's from the pallets and the cross pieces are 2x6 also from the pallets. 

And there you have it. 

Still deciding what to plant, but on the list are carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, watermelon, cucumbers, and green beans. Strawberries will go in rain gutter that I'm going to mount on the fence. Now we're just waiting for the average last frost day, so the planting can begin. Going to add a bunch of horse manure to the garden spot, and maybe even plant a couple of blueberries in pots. Getting excited for a bit of gardening!  Also on the to do list is a pergola for some outdoor living space. 

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Scanning Project Rule #2, and a new project

Scanning project rule #2 is only make two piles titled "Scan" and "Chuck."  There is no need for a pile called "I'll look at this again later, or "maybe I'll need this someday." After an item goes through the scanner I also have piles called "Mike," Brian," "Ellen" and "Jeff". No, not random names from stories I loved as a child...names of family members who might like to walk down memory lane when they get a surprise little box in the mail one of these days. 

A new project...a Nellie fence. I started a full-time job a week and a half ago and I sure don't like leaving Nellie home all day.  I started on a Wednesday and had to call on my friend Robyn and her family to let Nellie out in the middle of the day because I didn't have a way to keep her from running free, although I'm sure she would have come home when she got hungry. So last weekend we built a little fence. Now Nellie has her very own yard. So here we go. 

I acquired some very large pallets from a friend who does custom countertops. Two 11 ft pallets were enough to complete the entire support system of the fence...well, minus three 2x4s. Lots of wood in those pallets. 
Here's 1 1/2 pallets. I cut the slats in half because I didn't want or need a 6 foot fence. 

Robyn, Pip, and Keith with the first run of fence. 

Another view. 

Turned the corner. 

Complete!

Put a self-closing hinge on the gate. 

So now Nellie can hang out in her yard or inside the house while I'm at work. Yay!
Humongous THANK YOU to Robyn, Keith, Bailee, Andy, and Gwen for your help with the fence and dinner!

I still have a bit of wood leftover from the pallets so planter boxes are the next outside project. We WILL have strawberries this year. 

Nellie sure loved that squeaker pig! Thanks Jason and Wendy!

More fence details if you are interested. The bottom support rail of the fence is 11ft 2x6 from the pallets. The top rail is 3 1/2 ft 2x4 from the pallets with a chunk of 2x4 screwed to the seams for support. 

I used metal fence posts for a couple of reasons, first because they are easy to put in the ground and second because we get strong winds here and the metal posts allow a little give so no snapping off at the ground in 70 mph wind. I did end up purchasing a couple of long 2x4s to finish the top rail of one side mostly because it was easy, and I knew I wouldn't have enough from the pallets to finish.