not much going on

Not a lot going on around here except the usual mowing and weeding.

Our spring weather deserted us and we had a few days of scorching hot weather so that meant afternoons inside in the air conditioning.

It was even cooler in the basement so I took advantage of that to replace my dryer vent duct.

I wanted to replace the flexible one with solid smooth ductwork.  It comes in sections that you snap closed and connect together end to end.

I was lucky that I got everything I needed with only one trip to Lowes. I did have to crimp and smush the end of one section so it would fit.

Yes, my basement looks like something from the "Silence of the Lambs" movie set.

I'm pretty sure there was a solid duct for the dryer when we moved here.  I guess somewhere through the years someone did me a favor and sold me this flexible one along with a new dryer.

I'd say it was time to replace it!

Also, I mopped floors and decided since we were past  the rainy, muddy spring weather, I could put down my new door mat.  I bought it for cheap at Costco after Christmas but I don't think it looks too Christmassy to use year round. ( I am sort of seeing a quilt design in the pattern.)

Puss was certain that I had put it there especially for her and plopped down on it immediately to show her appreciation.

A raccoon (I think) had pulled apart my rain guage and tried to eat the spongy part out of the tube. It was torn and crumbly.

The sponge allows the blue tube to float in the copper tube to show the rain measurement.

I hated to see it ruined, because Chopper had given me this rain guage as a present a few years ago.

Fortunately the company sells replacement tubes, so I ordered one and it works as good as new.

Maybe I'll see if I can brighten that copper part back up too.

So that about wraps up all the excitement for May around here. 

That's fine with me.

My mother, the doll

Somehow, I got the idea that it would be fun to make a rag doll for my mother, using her photo as a face for the doll.
I looked around online for help, but couldn't really find where anyone else had posted anything about doing this, but I did find some helpful info about making rag dolls in general.

First, I found a photo of my mother that I liked, and uploaded it to this website.  In about a week I received my photo printed on fabric in the mail.

The color was a bit washed out. I wished I had used photo editing tools to add more color saturation  before sending the photo.  But what I did was use crayons to lightly add some color and iron over it to melt it in to the fabric.

Here is the face cut out and sewn on to the body .  I'm not sure how she ended up with shoulders like an NFL linebacker.

Next, I spent an afternoon out on the screen porch adding stuffing...

...and hand sewing on the yarn hair.

Hmmm...bangs too short.

Next, I made clothes.  Jeans from an old denim shirt and a top the same color as one of her favorite ones.

I had sewed some beads on for buttons but I had them too close together, so I took them off and moved them on the ride over to give the doll to my Mom for Mothers Day.

 (that's a basket handle - not the steering wheel)

I couldn't figure out what to use for white tennis shoes. Tried some fleece but no luck with that. She has to go barefoot.

I did add some extra yarn to her bangs for more length.  That wrinkle on the chin is not so visible on the actual doll. I didn't really see it until I looked at the photos. Maybe she needs her stuffing squeezed back into place.

Of course if I had a do-over I think I could make some improvements.

Anyway, it was the unexpected for Mothers Day and we had some good laughs about it.

It's May - so snakes

Just like I said recently...I usually see snakes in May.
And it didn't take very long.

I always sit on this milk crate to weed the outer edges of my flower beds...trying to avoid that stereotypical image of an old woman bent over with her behind up in the air.

So there I was, weeding away peacefully and I glanced up to my left and noticed something didn't look right.

Yep, it was a snake, hanging in my contorted filbert. Here's a closer look.

And from the other side.  See how close I was getting on my milk crate back there?

I'm just glad I saw him before I came face to face with him!

Looking closer in the tree, I noticed he had just shed his skin.

I went back later and pulled the skin out of the tree.  Looks like he's about 5 feet long.

 The discarded skins are really sort of amazing. You can even see the eyes, or eye lids I guess.

Okay to get your mind off slithering creatures, here is my Iris bed blooming.  I have about 5 kinds now. There are some smaller ones that bloom later.

I dug up these apricot colored ones from Chopper's house last spring.

And my Weigela bloomed better this year. 

It's benefiting from more sunlight since a tree fell down nearby.  

don't be a "stick in the mud"

One side of our back field stays mushy wet in the spring. I usually can't mow it until it dries out in the summer.
Well, I got too close to the wet area with the mower and couldn't make the turn up the small incline to dry ground.    I was stuck in the mud!

I tried rocking it out by just throwing my body weight back and forth...and thought I might be making some progress, but I was too close to a small tree planted there (between the stakes).

I was the only one home so I had two choices...

One: Wait

Two: Try Something

I decided to try something.  I drove the Jeep back there and tied a rope to it and to the mower, using my special  double overhanded, all purpose, klepenfluffer noose knot.

I didn't want to back too far down in there and get the Jeep stuck too!

A slow steady tug and out she came!  Yeah baby!

I thought my husband would really be impressed when he got home and I told him the story.

He just acted like it was normal.   "Yes but...I'm a girl!"

I have had the mower stuck in that wet area before.  There is really no reason to keep that area mowed anyway.  Maybe I'll just let the grass grow there and mow it once in the fall.

such shining beauty

A shiny new watering can!   My younger brother remembered that I had been looking for a new metal watering can last summer...and he bought this one for me.

It is perfect. Just the right size!   I am going to be sure to hang this one up in the screen porch after each use so the bottom won't rust out like my old one.  Thank you, John!

Unrelated, but we had a short hail storm last week.

You can see it there on the ground in front of the lilac bush.

It didn't last long. No damage done.