Random 5 for May 8, 2022 – Turtles, smells, ideas, floods, deck

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Courtesy of the Maryland Zoo

Something new! – This week while walking along the stream in my happy place, I saw a turtle. First one I’ve seen here. He was sunning on a branch that was hanging over the stream. Not my idea of relaxing but I’m not a turtle.

One of my favorite things – This past week I had a whiff of hyacinth. It was in a store gearing up for Mother’s Day. My childhood home had a lot of good smells. My mother had a wisteria vine just outside the kitchen door and there were fruit trees with sweet smelling blossoms. I’ll have to work on getting some scented plants here. My nose is lonesome.

Neighbors – We met a new neighbor. They live in the other end of our triplex. All three homes have similar layouts but over the years previous owners made changes making them all slightly different. I enjoy going into other homes in the neighborhood. It gives me ideas. I like to see something before I commit to it. This home feels comfortable. It’s beautiful. There isn’t too much furniture and tchotchkes to make it cluttered or claustrophobic. Yep, I could live there. Better still, I met a neighbor who has similar taste. I can use her as a sounding board when I get one of my crazy ideas. (Just ask the beloved husband who says I spawn them weekly!)

I’ll never understand nature – I live near a creek that floods the main road into our development. We’ve been here 15 months and it’s flooded three times. Usually the road is closed for two days until the water level goes down and the township clears the debris off the road. We had two solid days of constant (and sometimes heavy) rain this week. It didn’t flood. Each day as I went out for my Starbucks I would wait until I could clear the bridge before I put the order in just in case I couldn’t get there. The best harbinger is the neighbor who lives along the bridge road. Their entire yard gets flood and in bad rain, their house too. If their cars are parked on the hill (they are downhill from us – we don’t get flooded) there is a good chance that the bridge is flooded or will be shortly.

Deck update – Deck is in progress. It’s four weeks behind promised delivery date but I’m getting accustomed to contractor-speak and I didn’t flinch. This week promises to be sunny. They are looking at another two weeks of work barring a visit from Murphy and his law. (Still trying not to flinch!)

So how was your week?

49 thoughts on “Random 5 for May 8, 2022 – Turtles, smells, ideas, floods, deck”

  1. I have a couple of places where I walk near water and I love to watch the turtles sunning. Their lack of activity, just sitting there, relaxes me. If you watch them long enough you’ll probably get in on some of the activity with their babies, which is usually really delightful. Fingers crossed on that deck! Eventually! 🙂

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  2. I love seeing the turtles line up on a log at Council Point Park. I’m sure they sun themselves in the afternoon and have been long before now, but it is finally warm enough for them to sunbathe in the morning. Hints of Summer!

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    • I have 3 lilac bushes. One is blooming but it’s along the side border so you can’t smell it from anywhere I’d be (front or back porch or driveway). The two surrounding the deck aren’t blooming. Not sure if it’s just late or suffering from PSTD. I cut down the tree that has been shading it for years. I should be happier to get more sun as it was skimpy but it will take a few years to fill out. Yes, I’d love a whiff! Maybe I should get a candle!

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  5. Some fragrances we all know–roses and lilacs and carnations. Others, not so much. For one, I’m not sure what hyacinths smell like. The other day I washed my hands at my sister’s house, and came out of the bathroom raving about her hand soap. It smelled like a bubble bath I loved when I was a kid. So for my birthday, she bought me the same kind of soap. On the packaging, they called the fragrance butterfly bush. I guess the butterflies like it too.

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  6. Laughed so hard at “contractor-speak.” I know just what you mean!
    You definitely need to plant some sweet-smelling stuff. We have so much of that out here. The air often smells perfumed, especially spring, summer, and fall, but even in the winter it can.

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  7. “The repairman will never have seen a model quite like yours before.” AIN’T IT THE TRUTH? Laughing here. I like how you’ve learned to rise above the creek flooding and any timeline expectations. You’ll get a deck when you get it!

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  8. Sounds like you’re getting to know your new neighborhood. Aside from the flooding, sounds nice.
    I just cleared out some furniture from my house to open it up a bit. I can’t stand clutter. I’m thinking of getting rid of a couple more things, too.

    Have a great week.

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  9. How cool that you got to meet a neighbor you share decor principals with-here’s hoping you’ll be able to collaborate with someone who’s escetic you share. 🤞🏼
    Turtles are fascinating creatures and can be entertaining as they try to keep their reptilian bodies warmed. Happy turtle watching!

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  10. We have a lot of turtles here, and I’m always laughing at the positions in which they will sit in the sun. I think you put it best: I’m not a turtle. I think patience with the contractor is the best way to go. Otherwise you’ll only work up the blood pressure! – Marty

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    • I’ve never been around turtles. It was fascinating how it balanced on a branch over the creek. It stuck it’s head out to check me out but I wasn’t close enough to concern it.

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  12. How nice to meet a neighbor you click with! I can’t imagine living in that house that always gets flooded… I wonder if they were aware of that before they bought their house. I’m not sure I’ve ever smelled hyacinth but we are getting a lot of citrus flowers right now and they smell heavenly.

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    • The neighbors that get flooded out have lived there for 35 years. It’s an old farmhouse with a very big lot. They have a huge garden and a big smoker. They have learned to live with it. They remodeled a lot of the house and part of it got flooded a few years back. It would make me nuts to live there but they seem to cope. Mostly it’s the yard that gets flooded rather than the house but they do move their cars up the street.

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    • Our contractor had offered the driver of the lumber delivery truck $50 if his job (our job) was the first delivery. Somehow the trucks got switched and we had a different driver. Our delivery was the second last in the day. When he talked to the driver he was told to be sure to ask for him and he’ll make sure he’s first. So yes, I guess you can bribe these guys.

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  14. Usually, I have spring flowers on my balcony but not this year. With the work being done on the building, I would have to move them in and out which would be a bother. Hopefully, the spraying to clean and then seal the brick will be done soon, and I will have summer flowers.
    Nice that you have met a friendly neighbor that is like you. Always good to have someone you are in sync with.
    Looking forward to pictures of the finished deck…someday soon.

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  16. I used to see so many turtles sunning themselves on branches and logs over the water when I lived in Ontario. As soon I would try to get closer in order to photograph them – Whoosh! They all left the branch and disappeared under the water…rascals!!!! It may not look comfortable for us, but turtles like to make a quick getaway from humans. And diving under water is the quickest getaway ever! Even for a turtle.

    Deb

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  17. Murphy knew his/her stuff!! We are up on a hill here with a stream behind us in our part of the woods and it floods but we’re well above it fortunately. There is a lot of flooding around here though AND I always worry about water-logged tree roots bringing down one of our VERY tall oaks. It’s always something isn’t it. Good to meet neighbors and get ideas (and have someone you like to talk to!). LOVE the fragrance of hyacinth….I planted lots of them when we first moved here – then the squirrels found them and dug/ate every single one of them. Now I get a few of them at Easter time and grow them in my kitchen window – I get the scent without the horror of losing the bulbs to those pesky squirrels.

    Hugs, Pam

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  21. Our entire neighborhood used to be an isolated subdivision with 4 different floor plans for houses–in the 1950s. It’s fascinating to see all the variations that have been tried. I think our little house is one of the few that has no additions.

    Have the neighbors told you if this kind of spring flooding is common?

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    • No and I haven’t asked. Our former neighbors live up the street and they never said anything about the bridge flooding. There are other ways to get in but very long roundabout ways. We back up to a development of very large single homes and most of the roads end up in cul-de-sacs by design. Weaving around takes you pretty far out and then you have to cross the same creek at different spots. It’s always a game of which bridges are flooded. I wish there was an updated website that you could check.

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