Sunday, August 9, 2009

Pictures from today


Good evening. Hope you all had a lovely day today.

I wanted to get out early this morning, like between 7-7:30, and got out around 7:15. I wanted to work on the front hedgerow as I had not done anything with it in quite sometime. I didn't think to take a before picture, but you'll see an after picture taken a little while ago.

I am pooped, have stiff and sore muscles too. I worked out there for 4 hours. I did drink several glasses of water and took two or three breaks. If you don't do that you are asking for trouble. A couple of weeks ago we were working on something in the heat and all of a sudden I felt weird, light headed and told DH I have to sit down, and did, in the swing in the shade until I felt better. Sure don't need to have heat-stroke. Today when I came in from working, I saw online where our temp was 91, but with the humidty it felt like it was 105. My clothes were wet and sticking to me when I came in. But, I felt good at what I had accomplished.

Before I took this picture below, we had a little rain, which was nice. This morning I filled up 5 bags of trimmings, which will be picked up and made into compost by the county, which we then can go get for free. This is the 4 lane road that we live on. The speed limit sign in the hedge says 45 mph, but people do more than that trying to beat the light up at the intersection about 4 blocks away. Our private space is behind the hedgerow. When they first did this road, it was awful for us, as they had taken a depth of 15 feet into our property, imminent domain, on top of the 10' easement they already had. We had had a tree border out front and they mowed it all down and we were totally exposed to the world. This is now 20 years later. The front hedgerow helps with the traffic noise somewhat, and it creates a more oxygen filled, cooler environment on the inside. Our front property corner is at the telephone/light post. I am standing in our driveway.



This next picture is of clouds that I thought looked nice,

especially with the tree silhouette.


The next three pictures are of our supper tonight, homemade pizza. I used my bread machine to make the dough, which I added dried garlic and Italian herbs to. The first picture shows the dough covered in homemade sauce, Italian sausage and sliced olives.



The next shows the cheeses sprinkled on top, plus a dried hot pepper blend.

Fontinella, mozarella and Parmesan cheeses.



Next, it is fresh out of the oven and ready to be cut and served,

with a nice chilled bottle of Chianti wine,

that we've had in our stash, bought on sale quite awhile back. :-)

We always eat half, then have the rest another meal. Mmmm, mmmmm.



That's it for now, I'm ready to get horizontal and relax with a book.

Have a good nights sleep and a great week.


12 comments:

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Wow, you must feel good that you got some great work accomplished today! I was looking for you in the driveway, but then realized you were the one who took the photo. LOL I didn't realize you had that much property taken by a road. I should feel relieved I just have to dig 18 inches of plants out, but hopefully, I'll get to plant most of it back. I don't think they will come much if any further in.

Your supper looks yummy!

LeSan said...

That's enough for me. I'm comin' for dinner! Looks pretty tasty my friend.
I understand about the road you have to deal with. Phoenix has the same thing and your right no one goes the speed limit, it's just a suggestion. Glad to hear you took care out there in the heat and that you got some nice cleansing rain.

L. D. said...

Ok, it is your fault that I have to have peanut butter and crackers before I go to bed. That is a wonderful looking work of art. Eminent domain is sometimes so frustrating. The land of the free isn't speaking to those who they think should pay for roads or take land to make roads. I understand it but rarely do they want to make it a pleasant thing for the land owner.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

That sounds like a full day! There's nothing better than that feeling of accomplishment though. Glad you took care of yourself while you were out in the heat.
The pizza looks so yummy!

gld said...

Don't you just love it when you get a big job like that accomplished. It makes the tiredness worth it!

The pizza looks delicious.

When they take property by eminent domain do they have to pay you for it? I would hate to loose any more front yard since we are pretty close to the road now.

Hope you have a great week.

Anonymous said...

Wow! Sounds like a lot of hard work. Bet you slept well that night!

Dirt Princess said...

Pizza looka yummy

sweetbay said...

That must have been very disappointing when they cut down the trees and widened the highway (?). It looks like you've done the best you can buffering yourself from the road. This week we're getting a taste of the heat that you endure, with heat indeces above 100. (It's only temporary though, thank Goodness.) And you do have to be careful about heat exhaustion.

The pizza looks yummy! A couple of nights ago hubby make a pizza with sauted Portabella mushrooms -- it was very good. He used the Chef BoyRDee box mix. I know, I know, a box mix? lol I tell you, the company hasn't changed the sauce recipe in all these years and I am so happy about that because I could simply drink the sauce. It's one of the few things out of a box that I really like.

Kudzu said...

Take care doing the yard work...and with you on relaxing with a good book. That pizza looks delicious!
kudzu

Gayle said...

I find it very interesting that the county does the composting for you. Sure would be a lot less work for me! :) Love the hedge...it sure does offer a lot of privacy. We considering doing a hedge for the same reasons, but then decided that I like to show off my flowers to those who pass by.

Jean Campbell said...

Be careful when you are out in the heat. We spent several days edging the driveway, a short section at the time. We always come in dripping wet with perspiration.

If you're dry, you know you are in trouble (lost too much fluids to sweat). I need to abandon further projects until fall, but grass is crawling quickly into every bed.

The pizza looked too good. We eat crust from a tube, like canned biscuits, but pizza dough. Yours looks much better. We eat pizza for two days, too, lol.

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Good afternoon everyone. Hope you are enjoying your week.

Sue ~ I did feel good getting all that done. Yesterday morning and this morning also I got more done in two different areas of the property.

LeSan ~ Pizza was yummy. The speed limit is a suggestion like you said. The road is quieter during the summer months. School is out and the tourists are not down here. Once school starts and the tourists start flocking here, the roads become quite congested and busy.

L.D. ~ LOL, the pizza pictures made you feel like having a before bed snack. ~ Now imminent domain can take your property for businesses who might want it, not just for road widening. All for tax revenue, not for the greater good, or the working class either like 'they' sometimes claim.

Catherine ~ It was a lot of work in 4 hours, and did feel good having that done. Pizza was great! I love making it.

Gld ~ Yes, they did have to pay us for the property, but we did not take what they offered, which was ridiculously low. We got a lawyer and he got us more. I did make a list of all the plants with their botanical names that they took out front and that helped also, in raising the amount. Hope they don't widen your road. Two-lane country roads are dear.

ThriftyCountryWoman ~I do sleep well after working hard, unless I'm too stiff and sore from my efforts. Sometimes I do take a Valerian herbal capsule to relax and sleep. That works great, and no side effects.

DP ~ Pizza was yummy. It is something I really enjoy making.

SweetBay ~ It was terribly disappointing when we found out the road widening news. We just had to make the best of it. They told us there wouldn't be an increase of road noise. HA! Who were they trying to kid? ~ Your hubby's pizza sounds delicious. If one like box mixes, then enjoy. I don't know if I've ever made a pizza from a box mix, maybe years and years ago. I love making dishes from scratch. The pizza sauce is easy. Some olive oil that you've cooked some chopped onion and green pepper and garlic in, a 16 oz. can of tomato sauce, some Italian seasoning and let it simmer. I usually cook that all in the pan that I've browned the Italian sausage in, draining most of the grease from sausages, but not all, for some extra flavor. I'm getting hungry talking about this. We're having meatloaf tonight.

Kudzu ~ I do try to drink LOTS of water every time I work outside, because I sweat so much. Plus take a little sit-down break. That helps, and I can do a little more. :-)

Gayle ~ You live on a wonderful little two lane road and your gardens are just lovely and I'm sure are a real treat for those who pass by. ~ We are somewhat reclusive and now that there is so much traffic on the road and the sidewalks, it feels so much better with fencing and hedges. This is also a policing corridor, and we've had people come into our property at nights before we put up gates. One thing we've learned is that gangs will not spray paint a hedge like they will fencing out on the street.

Nell ~ Yes, we in the heat and humidity have to watch out when working outside. It is so easy to get drained rather quickly, and you need to keep the fluids flowing. We drink lots of water all day anyway, but when working outside try to drink more. I love your huge piece of property and your lovely garden beds spread around. We have 1/4 acre and garden rooms. :-) ~ Pizza crust dough is easy made in the bread machine. When it's done, you just dump it out onto your oiled pan and pat it out to shape. We had the second half last night. Mmmm, Mmmm, good.

That's it for now.

FlowerLady