The cement pours look in good shape, as does the cement ground line they’re pour on. So the plan is to reuse those somehow and ditch the plastic shit. But I’m hoping this light plastic wasn’t needed for a reason. 12x12cm isn’t impressive.

What I hope I can do is bore center holes on tops of the cement pours for post bracket rods. Or maybe use brackets having a bottom plate that’s screw down onto the cement, but that seems much less reliable. I fear cracking the cement under wind stress.

There are 25 posts total. At bottoms are 12x12cm cement pours of varying height, coming up to bottom rails every time. The variation seems due to ground slope and getting relatively straight rails with a near equal distance off ground at one spot or more.

It looks like pours were made right into the hollow plastic posts. The fit looks tight. The hollow rails slide into holes above the pours. If you leaned on this fence, the plastic would break. Garbage.

The fence is a low ranch-style design. Not meant to hide anything. I would love to hide big-bellied pool man when he walks about in his speedo. He doesn’t stay by the pool; he trapes around the property in that thing, all sweaty. The wifman is apalled. 😂 Frankly I’d like blocking the pool, too, but they have a grass line on other side of driveway they could easily (and should) put up a privacy fence on there side.

Anyway, we won’t do a blockout fence. Maybe just a wood version of what’s there.

Anyway, that white fence you see in recent posts runs the property line between us and pool people. Mr. Pool made it clear one day the fence and cement line under it is ours. He wants nothing to do with it. Their driveway edge is literally on the back side of the posts. Fine. At least we know where it stands. I can do what I want, when.

I’ve been thinking about it, too. I hate this ugly plastic fence. It’s deteriorating. And they hit it with car once back where they park to recharge.

Incidentally, the retired pool neighbors are decent enough. I have friendly exchanges with them. They give me bricks, flower pots, plum picking rights. I gave them butternuts and keep the apple trees pruned so the branches don’t interfere with their car’s automated parking system. A clean property line.

Their son, who comes to use the pool now and then, has an attitude, though. Seems to have little man’s complex. We ignore each other. He’ll probably get the house. Hopefully not soon.

It was a terrible deal that even Mr. S’ daughter admitted to us. He not only gave property away making our lot look stupid, but he did it so the neighbor could chop the beautiful tree down.

There might have been some root problems where they put in the driveway between us, but still, unfortunate!

The real estate agent suggested we try negotiating the corner back if they ever sell. I doubt that would be successful, and certainly not anytime soon.

One problem we have that I won’t see resolution to is a lack of shade on the hot side of house.

Once upon a time, when pool guy’s big lot was still a part of our property, before the late owner (Mr. S) subdivided, there used to be a majestic pine directly on the south (hottest) corner of our yard, just like this one. When pool man moved in he didn’t like the pine cones messing up the drive, so Mr S. *gave* him that since-fenced off corner of our yard in exchange for pool man felling the tree 😭

The recent heat dome scorched trees, bushes, and plants on our lot. Tops of apple trees took a hit. Raspberries look mostly gone. Ornamental conifers did not do well; scorched on the most intense side. Many flower/plant size things were fried.

Some species held up without much effect, though. The yews and junipers weren’t bothered. The fucking laurels (hate those things) thrived in it.

I really want major landscape changes. Will have to settle with doing little by little.

Never saw Susan Dell before last night. 😱 There are clearly not enough regulatory laws in the cosmetic surgery industry.

Probably should have used ‘it’ or ‘they’, not knowing how this ‘piller identifies.

Also found a young praying mantis under the yard debris I was cleaning up. It didn’t have its green color yet. Unless I found an actual white one. He was small, though.

I put him in the cherry tree. He seemed happy to be off the hot cement. Took off running on the branch.

Found a rectangular clay plant box at the dump. The kind you put on a wall, in front of a window, or whatever. No chips or cracks, so I grabbed it.

Inside the hot planter was a caterpillar. Biggest one I’ve seen in a long time. Hairy. I brought him home and put him in a shady pot I had watered earlier. He seemed immediately happier. Made his way under a cool leaf. Hope he doesn’t eat my plant. But might be worth it if he does his chrysalis there.

I don’t have a storage problem, or at least not one I can evaluate yet. I have an _impediment to the stowing_ problem. I’m always so busy with yard and home repair work that I can’t get to the making of benches, boxes, shelves… And that’s holding up the real making.

I’m still operating by desk light in the shop, too. (I’m researching options and negotiating quantity.) Might as well be using a candle. 😆

Good thing it’s yard season.

I can’t lean the ladder safely on the narrow trunks of the tree that high, so I’ll try nailing stretchers between them, with middle braces to prevent ladder sliding left or right.

That should get me high enough to delimb the parasol and top off. No power saw here.

I hate cutting this tree down because ‘parasol’ is no joke. That scraggly half-dead top blocks a *lot* of hot midday sun where I sit outside the kitchen. The yew underneath won’t grow tall enough in my remaining years, unfortunately.

I like roses okay, but they’re not a thing I would buy to have in the yard. Not least of which I don’t like dealing with thorns. And this one is a bright pink, a color I don’t particularly like. But, it was there and I’ll try to save it if I can.

There’s another pink-rose bush just left of where the other was, and it needs moved too because once the tree is down, some barrier screens are going up to block pool man’s house and driveway looking into our kitchen.

And there we are. I had to throttle the roots because it was so close to the patio slab. It probably won’t survive. But I’ve done what I can to give it a fighting chance. That would be a nice place for a rose bush. At edge of the southwest flower bed.

I’ve mentioned before this dying tree needs to come down. Well, the time is getting close.

The plan is to get up there and de-limb the rest, or as high as I can, then top them off down to about where those bottom limbs are now. Then fall the rest. I want to keep lengths for carving, but I also don’t want to crush all the bushes and plants sloped underneath.

First step was to move this rose bush on left to make ladder room. Not the season for it, but I have no choice.

My childhood hero. A large factor in my pursuing marine science later. I lived in Bandon, Oregon when the Undersea World series started and I never missed an episode its entire run. I dreamed of being a member of the Calypso crew, living at sea and exploring the ocean realms.

A different world and lifetime away 🌅

I found another one of the medallions at a flea market last summer but didn’t buy it. I wish I had now. Having two for front/back display in a frame might be nice.

Notching is less a notch per se and more a cut. You’re not cutting a notch out.

Do it in max growth season. Use a sharp, clean blade (e.g. box knife). Make notch at slight downward angle. The notch should be about ⅓ the circumference and ¼ deep. Sap leakage is desired (means you went deep enough), but no deeper or you risk that branch falling over. Wipe up sap to discourage attracting pests. Don’t make too many notches at once.

Wait time for new bud varies; can be up to a month.

This is apparently a condition of apical dominance, where auxin (a plant hormone) flowing to the terminal bud represses growth of lateral buds. In this case a lateral bud turned into the new terminal bud.

Suggestions seem to be: stronger light, notching, and plant growth regulators.

Light could be a problem for sure. Might as well put these outside when warm.

Notching a woody stem 1/4 deep between nodes interrupts the ‘reach for sky’ signal of auxin, promoting lateral buds at notch.