Finished product...Beepa's patio, Snake resistant!

So in the beginning we had this wooden deck . The previous owners added the cement all around. Which invited the snakes to have a safe haven at night and a warm hotel during the day.

Well the snakes couldn't stay and the hardscape junk that had accumulated from all around the property had to find a new home so we broke it up and threw in in the pit of despair.

So we riped out the wooden decking and filled it with the junk.

Then they pour out the cement and bring it up to the existing level of the old cement. Note the ditch insert at Beepa's door at right , because the slope of the cement was off. We had them install a ditch at the door for rain. Andrew you would be proud that was my landscape idea! Danny also added a plug that runs from the house to the little garden under the cement so Beepa can plug in her fountain.Next they allow the cement to harden for about an hour Then they throw down colorant and "release". This "release"powder is the main color and also acts like flour to keep the cement from sticking to the rubber stamp. They tamp the desired imprint from the stamp into the wet cement. They have about 5 rubber stamps and Beepa chose the flagstone texture. They added a touch of red to the top of the concrete to highlight the color of her house. Then the main color is thrown on top. She went with the gray colors.
Then they lets it sit overnight . The next day they pressure wash the colorant off the surface to get the desired colors. My walkways are colored more in the tan and red colors to match the brick on the house. And it has the cobble stone look we liked(reminds us of NE) Next the cement is allowed to dry for about an hour and the sealant is applied.


Then you have a new dancing patio for years to come.

The next phase of construction...

Abbie getting a free ride Our cat Olive

A work in progress.

We removed the Azalea's from the front porch and the walkway is poured.

The rock wall is going in next.

These are the rocks Beepa and I went shopping for.

She fell in love with a bigger rock and she calls it her butt rock.This rock will fit your butt perfectly. So come on down and sit a spell!Beepa was thinking long and hard about this rock. For one thing we never thought we'd be shopping for rocks like rich people on HGTV Hee Hee

Then we thought hey why not get some boulders for hard scape interest. Then she saw the butt rock and had to have it.

Tomorrow I'll have the finished concrete walkway photos.

Oh yea Dan and I moved up in technology and went digital. Our new camera is great!

New walkways

This is the form that the concrete will get poured into. Back walkwayThese are the new concrete stamps for our walkway (we picked cobble)

This is the colored tinting agent they spread on top of the concrete. Then they tamp down the impression from the rubber stamp.

This is day two unfinished walkway. Tomorrow it will look alot different.

Our house and back yard!

Don't forget Macy!

Man I can't get my blog updated fast enough!

Teresa beat us to the punch ...again. Our news is pretty much the same as hers.

Beepa and I have been burning up the roads between here and Greensboro. Last week was spent traveling down to find fun shops and interesting "go back too again " stores. We went on a mission to find pots for the side of her house to add more color and found this black cat (it has the same sour puss as Willie) Hee Hee

Then we went car browsing and found this Malibu and talked on Tuesday, brought it home for a overnight test drive Friday, and Danny test drove it Saturday. Michael got us some facts off the Internet to go back and negotiate with, and saved Beepa 1,500.00 off the price. Good job Michael.

Becky is growing like a weed. This square collapsible toy is probably her favorite.

Beepa and I are standing in the once wooden deck. We got all the garbage pavers, brick and other stuff from around the yard and started filling in the sub floor. Stamped cement is going in it's place. That should start on Tuesday.

Michael needed his barber to give him a buzz cut.

We were able to finally wear long pants on Saturday. I haven't had the A/C on all week.

Got another variety of snake today. How's this one?:

Black Rat Snake

Abby saw it first and almost got bit but it is NON venomous

Thank you Jesus!!!!

I don't know if a told you all about Abbie's vet stay . Ya! it seems she has been biting off more than her innards could pass and had several bone chips in her intestines that were not passing out (if you get my drift) several enema's later that day at the vets office and she was feeling much better, but her one eye was sore. Ha Ha

We are so proud of our NH family friends Jon and Lisa Chodakowski. Their oldest child had a baby boy over the weekend, Congrats Grumpy and Gigi!!

Other news ...Aunt Dot and Uncle Bob are going to try to squeeze in a visit in a couple of weeks, weather permitting. Gramma and Grampa are coming in a couple of weeks too. And guess who can't get enough of NC? That's right, Aunt Elaine is coming back before her bonus points expire.

Well Beepa and I are trying to get finishing touches done on the farm before these newest guest arrive. Next is the new walkway photos... stay tuned.

24 HOURS can make such a differance!

This is a good view of the towering oaks in our yard. Our house is the big one in the back and the house to the right is Beepa's screen porch. This our first day at the new house .

We are waiting at the front of Beepa's house for the POD to arrive.

Note the shrubs at Beepa's front screen porch.

With in a week of signing we dug them all out because they smelled like cat piss:)

The second photo is the new landscape.

Hosta and ferns which love the shade.

We are looking for some astilbe to install next.

This is the thing they called a carport.

The termites loved it more than we did.
The rusty metal roofing had to go.
This was the first construction job at the new homestead.

I love working with this guy!
He lets me run the power tools.
Now that is a real man!!

The roof is gone. Now we just need to chainsaw these telephone poles off.

The cable man came the next day to bury Beep's cable with a ditch witch and he was kind enough to use his ditch witch to help me remove the telephone poles buried in the ground in cement footings.

Who every said honey isn't the sweetest thing!!!:)
During....

The building went up so much faster thanks to Michael and Teresa on this HOT day of work.

Dan and I went to work on the rafters. Then installed a smoky roofing panel that lets in just the right amount of light.


Check out those sexy gams!!

Beepa's new carport! Hand made by Deb, Dan, Teresa, Michael and Beepa!!

After a fun shopping trip into Greensboro, Beepa and I found this hand painted dresser in a antique shop. The colors on the dresser are a perfect match to the wall color and it was so cute we couldn't pass it up (the price was to good to pass up either)

This is the finished product. The blue cottage room.

This quilt has a special history to it.

The backing for the quilt came from my Grandmother Belle.

On the farm in NY she and Grandpa had dairy cows. To filter the milk after each milking they used flannel squares to filter any debris from the milking parlor into the milk cans for town. She saved these squares and years later, after I got married, she found out I was learning to quilt from my mother-in-law. (Beepa)

She gave them to me. And that started me on my journey to complete

"Grandma's Flower Garden "

patch work quilt. I had enough square patches to size up a twin size quilt. So this quilt will rest in her honor at the foot of the full size rope bed Aunt Ceil handed down me and my Mom when I first set it up in LA. It has stayed with me since I was 13 years old waiting for just the right time and just the right place.

I am so proud of it.

Thanks Aunt Ceil I hope I did you proud.

Well tomorrow Beepa signs on the house in NH.

It will be official at 3:30 pm. Pray all goes well.

We plan on celebrating and Wish to thank all of you who helped us get to this very special moment in time .

***We love you and Thank you from the bottom of our hearts***

XXXOOO

Beepa, Debbie and Danny:)

Fall in NC

Much bigger than NH houseMore sight seeing in NC
Me looking at you!


I'll get photos of our fall and compare notes from NH!

Just us - inviting you!

Well with the hurricanes are coming fast and the guest are coming even faster. I have to get my butt off the tractor and start cleaning house. Beepa just had her cuz and family come over from Tenn. for the day and visit. Cuz Winnie and Fred and Janet. Janet lives about 3 hours from us and is about our age. We had a great time. And we reminded them that Memorial Day weekend we are hoping to host the Memorial Day Bash here in NC.

That's right it's long over due and our yard is perfect for camping, RV's and PARTYING. So mark you calendar for 2009.