All posts by Rivergirl

Sarcastic comment loading.... one moment please.
Uncategorized

Snap, crackle… rock.

19 Comments

.

The stone veneer installation is coming along nicely…

.

.

Rising up the wall and around the windows.

.

.

But at this point I need to take a moment and complain about the namby pamby fortitude of this product.

.

.

It cracks easily.

.

.

It chips even easier.

.

.

For something that weighs a ton and costs a fortune?

.

.

I expected better resiliency.

Cutting the “easy to install” stone is a nightmare all its own and everything is covered in dust.

.

.

So much so it has to be brushed off every piece before and after installation.

.

.

Thankfully you can’t see the cracks and chips unless you’re right on top of them.

.

.

And I think it’s going to make a huge difference to our home’s curbside appeal when (if!) it’s completed.

😊

.

Uncategorized

Rockin’ and rollin’.

32 Comments

.

Remember the large, oh so heavy batch of stone my husband piled on the barn porch?

.

.

The one I told him was too heavy to put in one place and might damage the frame?

.

.

Yeah.

Serious sagging that had to be propped up.

Why do men never listen? Why…

.

.

Work continues… and the more stone that’s affixed to the house, the less weight and possibility of caving in the barn porch.

I call that a win.

Progress is slow but steady.

.

.

Question… what do we think of the color combination of stone and composite decking?

When this remodel started, I chose decking that would blend with the vinyl siding. It looks very grey in photos but is actually striated with beige-y clay.

.

.

It had already been delivered by the time the husband decided to replace the siding with stone. Special order, no return…. so I’m talking myself into it blending.

What say you?

.

.

Color coordinated or not, it’s what we’ve got.

.

.

And standing on the lawn I’m beginning to get an idea of what it will look like when complete.

.

.

While choking on masonry dust that is.

😉

.

Uncategorized

Well, hello there…

29 Comments

.

I spied someone on the deck railing recently, and as you can see… the royal feline was clueless.

.

.

The someone was a juvenile Coopers Hawk.

.

.

There’s good hunting under our bird feeders and this beauty was seriously interested.

.

.

After ten minutes of me taking pictures and saying hey, there’s a big bird outside…

.

.

His Lordship caught on.

.

.

Hullo gawgeous!

.

.

Raptors are fascinating creatures.

.

.

And seeing one this close is a special experience.

❤️

.

Uncategorized

Stone cold

19 Comments

.

The stone work continues and it’s been …

Challenging.

Yes. Let’s go with that.

.

.

Cutting around the dryer vent was extremely unpleasant since rounded cuts had to be made.

.

.

A new tool was purchased.

.

.

And my husband now owns a grinder with a masonry blade.

.

.

I doubt it will surprise you to learn an entire day was spent making adjustments.

.

.

I snuck a few pictures but played it safe and stayed in the house during the majority of the cursing work.

.

.

Aggravating? Yes.

But it turned out well in the end and we’re beginning to get an idea what the finished product will look like.

😊

.

Uncategorized

News you can’t use.

32 Comments

.

Because the news you can use is too depressing.

.

.

Proof positive it’s always the last place you look.

.

.

Yet another reason I won’t be hiking Everest.

.

.

Admit it, you’re more than a little envious.

.

.

I’m guessing that’s not what’s supposed to happen.. but with Tesla it’s hard to know.

.

.

I didn’t read the article, but something tells me it won’t be good.

.

Uncategorized

So I bought a ring on Etsy.

34 Comments

.

It’s a nice ring.

.

.

Sterling silver with aquamarine.

.

.

It seems well made and wasn’t expensive.

Problem?

It doesn’t fit.

.

.

I wanted it for a large finger on my right hand and ordered the size 10 1/2 I always wear on that finger.

Clearly this wasn’t a 10 1/2.

I contacted the seller, who turned out to be Prateek from India.

.

.

Uh, no you didn’t.

.

.

You sent me a 9 1/2 to 10.

And when I sent Prateek this picture (of the ring sizer I bought to avoid problems exactly like this) to prove it?

He never replied.

Grrr.

😡

.

Uncategorized

Let’s play.

37 Comments

.

You know you want to.

.

.

I can do one better,..

I’ll show you.

.

.

There she is, a 1963 Ford Falcon station wagon… complete with wood on the sides.

I don’t have to tell you this was more than slightly mortifying to a teenager. The Falcon was a lot of things, but cool wasn’t one of them.

That picture was taken in the late eighties… judging from the head to toe acid washed denim… and yes, my mother was still driving her. She grew up in NYC where no one in her era drove or even bothered to learn. The woman got her first license when she moved to the suburbs at age 40 right before I was born and didn’t enjoy it. She was a nervous and overly cautious motorist and never felt comfortable behind the wheel. She learned to drive in that Falcon and it was literally the only car she ever drove her entire life.

It had vacuum wipers, no seatbelts, an am radio, a manual choke and by the time I drove her? A top speed of 51 before she started to rattle so badly you had to slow down. It was a good thing we lived on the Island because the old girl would never have tolerated a highway.

How about you?

Name the car…

.