Another day in paradise

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Here is the pond with clean pavers!

During this lock-down my access to normal social interactions and stupid people has been severely limited. Strange as it seems, I get energy and inspiration from these interactions.

Today we are having the last step of our paver renovation done. Our patio is almost 20 years old and the crop of weeds that grew between them rivals a farmer’s field. The cracks have been cleaned out and new sand put in. Hopefully that will last as long as we are here. The process hasn’t been all that interesting except for me being a crazy person about the pond. It was covered for the major clean-out. The frogs and fish were not happy. They thought it was an eclipse.

Many of the stores have ditched the one-way aisles which didn’t work anyway. Stores do not have mega aisles that are allow for 6 foot distancing. You do your best and if everyone is masked, theoretically the exposure is low.

Demonstrations have been peaceful. I live on the edge of a city with 120K people. Many are immigrants but there are strong community organizations that coordinate with the local government and it seems to work. Or maybe the professional looters haven’t noticed us.

Here’s hoping I come across some crazies for my next post!

70 thoughts on “Another day in paradise”

  2. You’ve created your own view with that pond and garden. No wonder you have creature visitors (Got such a chuckle over the frogs and fish fretting over the “eclipse”. We all live in the realm of our perceptions.)
    While things are pretty much open here, we’re staying close to home. Most places have removed the stand here red x’s and one way aisle. That lock in had affected people in ways they will be analyzing for years…one thing we notice was how wild, fast and crazy the drivers are. Seriously worse and aggressive.
    Your crazies must have migrated to more exciting spots (and places to steal things to sell on eBay which is doing a landslide business) – a few in the big city north of us, but the locals are doing their best to keep things steady. So far so good. Not far from here a group of little girls and neighbor kids decided what was needed was a “Kindness” march – people smiling and spreading kindness to each other – the only archon tv that made you smile: signs with rainbows, unicorns, and sayings like”be kind to each other”…then on the edge was one tall guy who looked totally out of place with a loud bullhorn shouting “BLM” and “Say his name” when cars or cameras came by. The kids had the right idea – party crasher no doubt. Follow the kids!

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  6. Your backyard is a paradise with that pool and flowers – no wonder you could never give up gardening Kate. I thought it was interesting about the paver bricks, because when I was working in the front yard the weekend before last, my neighbor came over and told me she was having some yard construction done after the 15th. She had paver bricks on her front walk and her entire back patio done 15 years ago. A friend of hers owned a landscaping business and he did the work. She does not like to weed and there is an industrialized-sized plastic bottle with the tube sprayer of Round-up perpetually part of her front porch decor. I said “well I used to be neurotic about getting rid of every weed in the sidewalk cracks and now use vinegar and they grow back so I give them more vinegar, but I’m done digging with a paring knife or weed tool to get them.” My neighbor is quite overweight … maybe that’s the reason, but she is having every paver removed and plain cement put down instead. She wanted stamped cement and the person who gave her the estimate suggested it is very slippery to walk on and recommended plain cement. I would just learn to live with the weeds as the paver bricks are a lot nicer than plain cement which is what I have. I told her my back patio was poured then scored into four segments … granted it was done in the 70s, so Rita is not going to be around in 50 years’ time, but the places where the scoring is, has big gaps between sections and has for about 20 years. At one time the handyman suggested filling them wit concrete to avoid catching a heel in them. I said I only wear flats or old walking shoes in the yard and no one goes back there now since the gas meters are smart meters. I just thought it was interesting. You at least have the same look, just weed free. My friend Carol had the slate stones removed for the same reason and replaced with something flat with no cracks where weeds could grow. The elm seeds are the worst – they drop and sprout in a few days’ time!

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    • Your friend could have had a paver renovation. It’s a lot less costly than cementing everything and it keeps out the weeds for many years. A neighbor has stamped concrete and he’s never complained about it being slippery.

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      • She said she priced it and the contractor said she could do it using her bricks in the “re-do” or removing her small pavers and putting in new, larger pavers and that would have been $6,000.00, so she opted for this. She didn’t say how much the regular cement was going to be. I have never seen stamped concrete so just Googled it – I like that look and I sure would not give up the pavers to get plain cement. I’m leaving mine as I never sit out on my patio anymore, although I could as I have an awning that covers it, so there’s a good amount of shade back there for hot days. But I don’t have anything nice like a grill or fire pit, etc.

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  7. Your pond is so beautiful!!!

    I like the way you find the humor in the crazies rather than letting them make you angry. In fact, you seem to appreciate them for giving you something fun to write about. I need to pay more attention to the crazies.

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  13. Your pond is beautiful, Kate. I’m starting to agree that the one-way aisles aren’t working either, though that might be that too many of us are so conditioned to not have to shop that way. Regardless, my main thing is just to distance anyway. So I don’t care which direction you’re coming from, I’m moving away from you. – Marty

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    • The only grocery store that had them was not one I use often. I was looking for something specific and had no idea where it was so I was up and down each aisle. Then I remember something else I needed but it would require walking around the perimeter to get to the correct aisle. I left without it. People are getting a little more relaxed and I don’t know if that’s good or not.

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  14. You do have a lovely home. It conveys welcome whenever I have been there. However, your porch and backyard gardens and pond…just really take my breath away. I know it’s hard work (which is why I just have some sad grass) but It is beautiful.

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  15. I know what you mean. As much as I think people are crazy in general, I find that talking with a few of them gives me inspiration for blog posts. And also inspires me to live a better life by not being like the crazy people. Your pond looks stunning, btw.

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  18. Pond looks lovely.

    I don’t think there are professional looters? I think it’s all crimes of opportunity, except for the agents provocateur. Both realize the police are occupied beating up protestors a few blocks away and then break windows.

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  19. We had a good natured peaceful protest here in Bristol where Edward Colston’s statue was thrown in the harbour. He made his money as a slave trader and people have been campaigning to get the statue removed for years. I would not want to be part of the committee that has to decide what takes its place. We are waiting for non essential shops to open on Monday so will have to see if they have one way systems. Most of the shops which are open have long queues outside. I miss being able to go into a shop just to browse and then go home and think about it.

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    • Me too! I received a questionnaire from LL Bean. They have a store near us and I frequently buy there. It seemed from the questionnaire that they may open it for curbside pick up or limited customers inside but the dressing rooms would be closed. The best thing about a real store is being able to try it on before you buy.

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    • That was a delightful video, for sure. Way to go, Bristol. Europe and the UK have done better than the U.S. about pulling down those statues. In the state of Georgia, there’s actually a law protecting all Confederate monuments.

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  21. Looks really beautiful ! Cool and inviting. Crazies? There seems to be plenty of them here on Facebook (!) but I haven’t run into any while out and about. The one way aisles are working in our grocery and now that i have the pattern down according to what I have on my grocery list I’m zipping around unimpeded by slow people in the aisles or blockades of multiple carts, etc. Hope your day can be as serene as your refurbished pavers and pond!!!

    Hugs, Pam

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    • I am having a serene day. The problem is that serene is not inspiring. It is getting very hot here today both temperature and humidity. We still enjoy the porch with the ceiling fans going.

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  24. Hi Kate, You first paragraph made me smile. Lack of stupid people? We still have the one-way aisles. Our community has overall been one of the lucky ones. Yet, there is a feeling in the air, how we are bracing ourselves for when the 2nd waves comes when travel opens up. The travel limitations along with other measures have made a significant difference.

    I am not concerned about lack of some crazies, Kate. I know they are still out there.

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