It looks like we’ll be able to fashion a canopy we got from my friend Barbara over this swing we got from friends Stacey & Jeff. Good thing I binge watch Youtube DIY and upcycling videos! I’m inspired about getting this swing at no cost out of pieces in their yards. The seating I bought online, but I will have to buy something else for it, because it’s not puffy enough to make sitting there comfortable, although I have been able to take naps on it. Nap areas are important in the backyard. One of the things I miss about my real home is that there is sun in different parts of the backyard throughout the day, so naps are possible at almost any point if I put garden furniture in the right places. Of course, the dogs do a lot more napping than I do, but it is nice to join them once in a while.
Peaches and Snoopy were reunited today. I so appreciate the opportunity to see Peaches with Barbara’s daughter visiting. It’s been several weeks beyond the two-year mark of the fire. For those who are unaware, Peaches and Snoopy are the two dogs that survived my house fire. Peaches was in the process of going back to the Laconsay family. Natalie was already driving up from San Diego to get Peaches, and I was afraid that I was going to have to tell her that Peaches died with the others. I begged the firemen to check the lookout area of my backyard because they refused to let me check myself, of course. Fortunately, Snoopy and Peaches were safely in the lookout awaiting their rescue. The memories of that day are still hazy in my mind, but the outcome could have been even worse.
Shea and I brought Saffron (fka Edna) with us too.
Much colder than usual row this morning, despite some sun. We saw a seal pop up its head and stare us many times, but of course, that’s when we were rowing for our lives against the wind and extreme current today. It was still fun and a good workout, but no one was taking our extra layers of clothes, which usually happens after we start an intense row. We still got in about 770 strokes for the hour, and Tori got us back in despite the very low tide and other conditions. One of these pictures is courtesy of Chris! I also stuck around the Skills row for the second hour, but didn’t take any pictures of that, and we stayed in the marina.
I’m very pleased that Shea tolerates so many foster dogs coming through because he does help me with them. Jacques has turned out to be another one of those dogs that are just magnetized to him, which is nice to see. Foster Jacques has a really wonderful personality and has been fitting in very well. I know he’ll make a family so happy. It’s a great thing that he’s handsome, healthy, and a relatively young adult, neutered male. I can tell he’s smart and minds very well, getting along with other dogs and adjusting so quickly to a home life, despite the chaos of our living in boxes for another ten days or so.
We did a quick stop in Benicia on our way back from Martinez. Shea has worked in Benicia for years, but never went down to the area where the art studios are. There was a thrift store of sorts within it, which we saw on the map, so we bought some clothes and a few odds and ends.
I always love the gardens here, but in a month or two, they will be even more brilliant when everything is in full bloom. We were tripping over this repurposed planter, which obviously came from the shipping area nearby.
I couldn’t believe that this was still at Vicki Gray’s estate sale, so I had to jump on it when it was more than 50% off. I can’t find any proof that this is Amish, as I was told, but I was just in love with the metal with holes and the cabinetry, including the lowest drawer. I consider armoires to be very European, since a lot of their bedrooms lack actual closets, and in the USA, a room is not considered a bona fide bedroom without a closet space.
I’m not sure where I’m going to fit his curiosity, but I could not resist. It was one of the first things I saw when I went to look at Vicki’s bedroom set, from which we took two nightstands and a dresser, but this was not part of the bedroom set.
I did find a very similar model that sold for more than ten times what I paid for this.
This cement pagoda from Vicki Gray’s estate sale is much nicer than the one I had made out of resin before the fire. It is super heavy, so I might even put it in my front yard when I move back home. When we first brought it to the rental house, we couldn’t figure out how it went together. I even used A.I. to look at others, but then I remembered I had a picture of it from Vicki’s house, so now we know what it’s supposed to look like.
Some of us were commenting on how beautiful it is with the moss.
Pagoda jigsaw.
This one was destroyed in the fire in January 2024.
