Henry & Walter Like Their Neighbor

We started the day with some steady rain, windows open and a cool breeze through the house. I had some plans for the garage this morning and needed a trip to town a few miles away for gas and some screws that were missing for my new shopvac. The hounds and the dog had a good day hanging out with me while I worked in the garage and then late this afternoon in the backyard after I pulled out my Nikon D3500 for the first time.

The sales ad photos showed a garage with a workbench and shelving. As you can see from the mark on the walls the seller took the workbenches and shelving with him. I knew that before I moved since the photos from the house inspector showed me a different garage than what the sales ad showed. Interesting eh? Luckily I brought the two sets of shelving I used in my SV house. After vacuuming the area with the shopvac, it was an easy assembly.

I got a good idea what the hounds and the dog do in the garage when I am gone. The more I pick up and hide or put away stuff to puppy proof the garage, Henry finds something new to get into. Today he was trying to lick or get a small piece of cardboard under the corner of Stella's crate.

I finally lifted the corner up, picked up the piece and threw it away.

Stella spent most of the morning sleeping while I worked putting that corner together. It was good to see the new truck was inside while it rained outside. I love that truck and it is exactly what I wanted. It will be here a long time and will be used.

They went in and out of the crate on their own. I think Walter prefers the crate when I am gone like he did in Arizona but I have not set his crate up yet.

No, Henry was not locked in the crate, the front door was not closed, he was just looking up at a rag that he tried to pull through the crate roof right after I took this photo. He never slows down.

Those shelves were full in Arizona but most of that stuff is either hung on the wall or in the built on shed just inside the door you see. I found a stud to attach a long screw to hold the step stool, high enough where Henry cannot get to it. The larger folding ladder was to big to slide straight into the corner but it worked out better this way. I could put all the brooms in the corner and the ladder protects them from Henry. As you see, Stella approved of my work.

This afternoon the hounds and the dog roamed the backyard with sounds of mowers from different neighbors yards. If I didn't know better I would think they don't like to see any kind of grass growth or the flowers like mine in their yards. I will wait a couple of more days before I mow mine. I am tempted to cut it a little higher this week since I have figured out my yard is not full of Bermuda grass, which has to be cut short. It is a mixture of everything.

See that mess of rock above the grass. I had a landscaper come out on Monday and give me an estimate to clear all of that rock out and move it to the back of the neighbors yard for soil drainage and erosion. (she wanted the rock) Then they could decide what to do with that space between the greatroom and my master bath / walk-in closet. I also want them to put in the topsoil in front and plant grass out by the road. The flowerbed on the side of the house is overgrown so I added that job to my request. I received their estimate last night ... but they have a good reputation and are busy ... 8 weeks before they can get to me.

Henry does not mind that cord attached to his collar. He has not tried to chew through it nor has he tried to pull out the anchor in the ground that holds that cable. He can run as fast as he wants on that cord and get all the way to the property line in back and to the left so he can visit his new friend.

Walter kept looking for Suzanne but she had not been out yet ... he and Henry were willing to wait for her though.

Once she was in the backyard, Walter trotted all the way over to her in the middle of her backyard and sat down next to her feet as she leaned over to pet him. Henry was racing from left to right, back and forth, held back by his cord until she walked over to pet him and talk to them both. Once I said "lets go" they turned and followed me back to the house as she went inside her house. No fences yet of any kind. My cable attached to the cord and the dog running free might work. It has before years ago in the house up north next to the field.

Here is my overgrown flowerbed. The roses stay, the two large bushes go. All the weeds go, with new barrier paper and new trap rock that matches the front flowerbeds. That oak seedling has been spoken for. My friend Ralph is into trees and will take both of them to plant in his woods behind his house.

I will have to look at the forecast for tomorrow again, since Indiana weather is always changing. If it is going to be dry I will load up the VW truck with that rusted out fire pit sitting in the weeds on the berm along with the long sheets of aluminum they left in back of the built-on shed and go to recycling. That will be a fun trip. 

Another good day in retirement. It has been 7 years as of last month that I walked out a free man. It was a great career decision as I went from a workaholic to a professional slacker with my own schedule. There are times I wonder how this neighborhood can be so perfect. You would not believe it unless you were here to witness it. I have never met so many friendly people.

Life is good in "the tropics" of southern Indiana.