and I'm nearly done. As in, like 90% done. Which feels fantastic, and I might add, looks pretty good as well. Although I've painted both entry ways beside the french doors, and one set on the living room side, the other set remains as does the sun room side of both, so there's that to finish.
But first, when last we met, we were taking the day off to go to the beach, and so we did. Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach to be exact. It is a pretty popular place, as it turns out, with loads of folks enjoying the surf, sun, and sand. The ocean water is warming up, 84 degrees last Friday, although still cooler than our pool which I noticed was 92 degrees the other day!!
Could this little boy have any more buckets???
Then there were these little guys, trying to act all cool carrying their surfboards on their heads.
It took them a few tries to hoist them up, which is no surprise, as they are longer than the boys are tall! For a little bit, some clouds rolled in, covering the sun, which at this time of the year is a blessing!
Aside from swimming, or make that, playing in the waves, we both stayed under our umbrellas. I mentioned to Bruce that it did not seem as if people used them so much when we were younger and he reminded me that beach equipment used to be expensive before everything was made in China. I had not thought about that. Makes sense to me. Plus, people are paranoid about the sun these days. I heard a piece on NPR which said the end result of the sun screen bonanza is many folks are experiencing vitamin D deficiencies. Moderation in everything!
We made it home before a major rainstorm, however, there were the gorgeous cobalt blue skies which precede one. As we were driving on the Beachline, close to the power plant, I told Bruce I'd always wanted to photograph the stacks. Well, we found a way, or make that Bruce gave me the courage!
You can't really get very close, but, you get the idea.
Before I go further, on a contest note, I was not selected for the City calendar this year. Better luck next time! As well, I heard back from my Winter Park Autumn Art Festival application and the news was slightly better than last years. I'm on the wait list, and not holding my breath. :)
Around this household we are big fans of the Lowe's tagline--Never Stop Improving. I told you it was six years ago that I painted the living room, however after some sleuthing I discovered it was
February 2010 when the brick wall became blue. I told Bruce how difficult it was to paint, and after painting a bit of it, he agreed. So, he bought a paint sprayer. My goodness me! The first pass we covered the floor and the furniture like this:
Not even close to enough! We found the fine spray all over everything, which fortunately wiped right up. Filling the sprayer for round two, you can see the hanging plastic which made a huge difference.
What took me nearly three days in 2010 was accomplished in about twenty minutes!!! So, if you think about using a brush,
compared to a roller, multiply that by about twenty times and you'll get an idea on how fast it is to spray! It was nothing short of fantastic. He'll be using the sprayer on jobs, both here, and for other folks. Woo hoo!
The above cup is paint for the hall ceiling. Yup, that's fresh and new too. What began as a project because I was looking for a change, became one of necessity after closer inspection of the walls. The french doors mentioned above--never, in 18 years have I painted them. The baseboards--mostly the same. The crown mold was a flat beigey color, and now it is extra white semi-gloss. And in some really exciting news, Bruce put new crown mold in the foyer! Probably 18 years ago, give or take a year, he changed all of the living room crown mold, and either we ran out of money,( most likely), or he ran out of steam. Well, he finally found the steam, and as it turns out, it did not cost all that much. He gave himself an A for the job, not an A+ which he would have preferred, however, you and I both know he is a hard man to please. To me it looks better than an A+!
Remember how I mentioned the birds were plentiful? Well, my friends, I was not kidding, and I'm here to let you see for yourself. Perhaps, I'll get a little carried away as I am often apt to do!
I'm thinking that is youngster blue jay on the left side of the fence with the open wide beak. On the perches, from left to right, female red winged blackbird, male cardinal, and I'm not entirely sure about the one on the right. They were just going crazy yesterday morning! Flying in and out...
Never, in all my years of obsessive picture taking have I EVER gotten four birds in flight at once! I'm still in shock over it. I don't know what it is with the blue jays because generally they are pretty solitary, but not yesterday--five in one shot.
There's that one on the fence again--cawing like crazy. One reason they were all in the back yard is because my super-duper fancy Yankee Flipper is, or so I hope, temporarily out of commission. It was the strangest thing seeing the battery part on the ground below the feeder. It didn't appear to be broken; we've no clue how it happened. Perhaps a gigantic squirrel? Anyway, after charging it overnight, after re-installing, it refused to spin. Because the feeders have a life time warranty, I called the company. In doing so I learned that our charge was inadequate, 24 hours is more like it. Well then....back to the plug! This morning we shall see if that did the trick.
Just finished my breakfast, seated at the little table in the sunroom, facing the feeders. Another wild morning with doves, tufted tit mouse, finches, blue jays, crows, three female cardinals, who are beginning to get those new feathers, and of course, multiple squirrels on the ground eating the leftovers.
It's a good life...
Gail
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