Monday 29 April 2013

The Tulips Have Company

The rhubarb is peeking out.

Can you tell my delight at spring's arrival; I am documenting every little thing.

Sunday 21 April 2013

You May be a Grown-up When...

...your newest toy to delight you is a vacuum cleaner.

The old shop vac we have been using since I moved in (the one that sounds like a very angry cat when you turn it off) has been replaced.

We didn't realize how poorly it really worked.

Dust bunnies -be afraid, be very afraid.

Monday 15 April 2013

Harumph!

  I suspect there are others with even more snow, but I'm still not impressed.
Poor tulips!

Sunday 14 April 2013

Still Talking About the Weather

 There have been small changes in the back and front yards and the snow is almost all melted from the front roof (it's been gone from the back for a bout a week now). Which is good; The Geek had a small waterfall in her bedroom yesterday.


   And since the garage floor has been leveled, there is only a bit of water near the door, nothing like it was in the back corner before.

Sunday 7 April 2013

Repercussions of a Hot, Dry Summer

 The southwest corner of the house is sinking. That corner of the house has an amazing amount of concrete around it, so I doubt as much water gets down to the foundation there as around the rest of the house.
We couldn't close any of the inside doors in the house this summer. Then in December something shifted, we were able to close the inside doors (while being now unable to close the back door), and cracks start to appear in the kitchen ceiling.
The cracks spread and widened as winter progressed

Kitchen ceiling above the sink.
until they followed the sheets of gyprock across the entire ceiling and down the wall above the refridgerator.

Kitchen ceiling.

Above the 'fridge.




We would hear the occasional, ominous CRACK, and then notice more signs of separating.
The ledge on the west wall.

The ledge.
The ledge beside the back door.


Above the back door.

We will be renting a jackhammer again to remove more concrete. 

Tearing up the sidealk.

Spring 2006



















More than just the top layer this time. I suspect all two (or is it three or four) other layers will have to come out this time. And an experiment in foundation jacking will occur.
And the hot water tank 'died' just before Easter, and the roof is leaking in places. The Geek can install a new tank, but unfortunately, we don't do roofing.

Saturday 6 April 2013

There is Hope

 The yard doesn't look much different than it did a couple of weeks ago. In fact, we had some fresh snow over night with the threat of more to come.

However the tulips have decided they are tired of waiting. Hooray!