Western Arab

Here are the pictures from the weekend project. It took a total of 100 pieces of 24″x16″ sod, 55 pieces of 12″ paver edgers, 35 pieces of 12″x12″ stepping stones, 5 bags of mulch, a kitchen knife and hours of labor.

An old before picture - dead grass

New Grass Phase 1 Saturday

New Grass Phase 2 Sunday

Edgers Sunday

Spent the weekend working hard with my Dad. We decided to put it new grass on the side where it had all died up and to look at some brick paver edgers to see if we pick them up and do that as well.

We started Saturday measuring in the morning calculated we needed 75 pieces of sod. We first stopped by at Home Depot and picked up 35 pieces of the brick paver edgers. Loaded them in the two carts we had and unloaded them in the mini van. Okay this wasn’t so bad so far. Then it was Lowes for the grass, we picked up 50 pieces of sod figured we can get more if we need. I loaded 50 pieces of sod on a flat bed cart. Not an easy task. Good thing we got 50 instead of 75, the cart was heavy and difficult to move but I pushed it to the cashier and to the mini van. Now I had to load the 50 pieces again from the cart to the back of car. At this point I realize I am going to have to unload these again when I get home.

At home we first placed out the edgers to see how they will look. Dad tied a rope to a spike in the dirt and ran it so we would line them up straight. We proceeded with setting up the dirt below each paver and adjusting it in position. Dad mostly did this as he likes to be precise with it while I helped carry over the pavers. After it was time to unload the sod. I suggested we back the mini van up from my neighbor’s driveway and into my lawn. My Dad liked that idea and he backed up the van and I unloaded the 50 pieces. I then proceeded to start laying out the grass. The edgers came in very handy as they created a border and the pieces of sod fit in perfectly after we found the best way to lay them out so we did not have to cut the sod up. Great!

We laid out the 50 pieces and measured what was left and we did need 25 more pieces. I headed back to Lowes. My hands were all black from the dirt I had been loading and unloading and placing. I stopped for gas at a BP on the way and a nice guy let me pay for my gas before him, maybe because he saw I was so dirty and looked tired. And then back to Lowes to do it all again but with 25 pieces this time. My back was aching from all that bending over loading and unloading. I got back to the house and backed up the mini van same way and unloaded the sod and proceeded to lay them out. This was around 5:30 now and I had spent the day on 5-8 bottles of water and without food. I used the hose to water the new sod and with my back aching, me filthy and hungry, I glanced over the end result and felt great about the work we did. It was worth it and felt rewarding. I showered, took a few pictures of the result and went back in and had food!

Later that evening I showed my Dad the pictures I took and he had an idea to pick up some 12×12 pavers for stepping stones to lay them out from the front of the house to the back leading to the screen door for the patio in the back. I was sold and suggested we lay them out as diamonds instead of squares and we agreed. We had a new plan. And that was today. Same as Saturday, stepped out and measured and looked around and Dad suggested to maybe get more sod to fill up some more in the back and all the grass we will cut out for the stepping stones combined we can fill up further to the back with the sod. And off we went.

First stop Home Depot. We picked up 30 pieces of the stepping stones and another 20 paver edgers to fill to the back of the house along the new sod. We headed back home to unload them. But this time we picked up some gloves at Home Depot to use both for the stepping stones and the sod. After 75 pieces of sod, I finally had gloves! I told my Dad I will go to Lowes and pick up the sod while he can work on the paver edgers. Alas I was prepared with gloves and loaded up mini van the sod. I looked like a pro next to some noob and his girlfriend who picked up 8 pieces of sod while I loaded my 25 pieces! When I returned I backed up the mini van on my lawn instead because my neighbor had sealed his driveway pavers.

When I got back, my Dad had finished up the edgers and I proceed to lay out the new sod and then we laid out the first stepping stone followed by a second and shuffled them around a few times until we found a good distance between them and using the same rope we made a line to keep them aligned in the middle. We ended up putting them closer than we first had in mind which meant we would be short a few steps. After all were lined up, we saw we need 3 more steps so we figured we will get 5 more. Again we had spent the day without food and bottles of water. I told my Dad I will get go the 5 stepping stones and pick up some Boston Market for us and he can start cutting the grass under the steps and dropping the steps in place of the grass. I entered the garden area of Home Depot for the 3rd time today and the cashiers all greeted me knowing I was back yet again, but this time it was quick.

I headed to Boston Market where the parking lot was full. For whatever reason that Boston Market is always packed on Sunday, with old people. While waiting on line, this time less dirty as the gloves kept my hands clean below the wrist. Above the wrist was another story. Someone behind me tapped me on my shoulder. A nice man offered me a coupon for $2 off $10 purchase after he asked me if I was buying two meals. Great! I ordered 2 quarter white chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy for each, and a side of corn for my dad and stuffing for mine. The guy working asked me if I wanted another side for another dollar, I already spent $4 on the 4 sides but I said sure I will try the spinach out. And to the mini van parked further away in BEALLS parking lot.

Got back and my dad had cut out and placed the first eight or so steps. We had our lunch and headed back to work. I began to vigorously and rapidly cut the grass with a kitchen knife like repo-men. I would stop after 2 or 3 stones to break and Dad would work on the next 2 and then I would get the next 2 or 3 and so on. With my sweat dropping all over my glasses and on the stones, blurring my vision as it rolled down the lenses of my glasses, I proceeded. I wanted to be done so I kept going. It wasn’t only cutting the grass and fitting in the step, but also carrying the cut out pieces of sod and working on a puzzle in the back fitting the new cut pieces as needed. The last piece of grass I cut was the hardest, the knife was so dull and I was exhausted. After that we finished up the remaining pieces of sod in the back. Got 5 bags of mulch and placed them in the back were there was still dead grass area. We have 2 fig trees in that spot. We emptied out all that mulch and spread it and it was dark, we have a 6th bag of mulch which we will fill in any thin areas with during the day when we can see. But we were done, it was too dark for pictures, I watered all the new grass along with the steps and the mulch. I showered and my legs are sore and my back and I am sure I will feel it in the morning like I felt my lower back this morning when I woke up.

It was a great weekend with hard work and quality time and a great result to show for it. Tomorrow it is raining which is great to soak up the new grass some more. And now I must sleep to rest and because I have to wake up early for a blood exam. I will post some pictures of the weekend project later. I didn’t do a before picture, but I may have an old picture from before showing that area. Looking forward to the next weekend project, just not next weekend or the one after or after or after but eventually! I need a massage, a brookstone visit is indeed needed!

Mom found a very strange butterfly as she called it and I went and saw it. What I saw looked like a moth, it had a very fat thick body and fat legs. It was orange and had an eye shaped pattern on its wing, which dad took a a piece of grass and expanded the other wing to reveal a second “eye” on the wings. After some investigating, it seems to be a silk moth. Very beautiful looking creature out in the world. Here are a few shots.

Thick body Orange Silk Moth

Orange Silk Moth I SEE You

Orange Silk Moth

I got a new cage for my birds. It is more than twice the size of the previous one so now the birds can enjoy the space and I don’t have to let them out in the screened patio much if any, since they insisted on tearing the screen multiple holes. Dad made a pole to hook the cage on so it is suspended and away from the screen as well. Now the cage has some free movement, but Dad added a metal hanger to the top so the cage doesn’t bounce around so much every time they jump in it. And I think their new home is perfect! They were excited once it was all setup and they were exploring and congratulating each other on their new home! Here are some shots.

New bird house

Celebrating the new house

happy birds

front view

Two days ago we spotted a red, black and yellow snake slithering slowly just below the screen door to the patio. I have heard of people finding snakes in their yards and homes in the community but this is the first time in four years living here that I have seen one in my yard. I wanted to kill it but my dad was worried it would jump back and bite me when I hit it and took away my weapon! The snake then slithered away fast and got away hiding below the air conditioner. We tried to get it out but could not find it. Two days later the snake is still on the loose! Turns out the day before we spotted it, my neighbor’s mother had spotted something moving in his yard as well that looked like a snake’s tail but lost sight of it.

Well after doing a little research online, there are two snakes in Florida that match those colors and not knowing ahead of time the way to identify them, I am not sure which one had visited me. These two snakes are the coral snake and the scarlet king snake. And worse one of these is poisonous and the other is not, and they are easily mistaken.

Scarlet King Snake

Coral Snake

Coral Snake - Black Nose

One of these little guys gets in the house every now and then when I open the front door. They like to hang out at the door step and when I open the door, they panic and run inside sometimes. The smart ones run away from the door. This guy has been hanging out in my office for a few days, I thought I had forced him out the front door after he got in, but I lost him for a second while chasing him out. Click the image to see it larger.

Lizard on my Cable Modem

So I remember seeing an exotic food show on discovery channel I believe where they would capture lizards for food. I think it was in Thailand. They had a stick with a string noose attached to it, and would lower the noose over the lizard’s head and snatch it up to capture it. I decided to make one. I took a clear plastic ruler and made the best noose I can with a piece of string. I really don’t know how to make a noose so it isn’t the best.

This lizard seems to like my cable modem. He comes out and sits on it watching me. When I try to get to him, he runs out to the back of the desk. He eventually returns, he came out on it atleast five times and got away each time. My first attempt with the noose scared him before I got near him. I had too much slack on the string. So second attempt I got the noose right next to him, and was trying to slip it on his neck, but the flimsy string doesn’t stay straight. So it rotated and brushed or tapped his face, and he got scared. I didn’t really try the noose more than that.

I also tried placing a sticky sheet of paper on the modem so he would walk on it and maybe stick, but he didn’t seem to come near it, at least I think he hasn’t. My dad brought over a small jar with some bird seed in it and a cracker, so if the lizard climbs in it, I would close the top on it. So far he hasn’t entered and I haven’t seen him much anymore. I gave up on the sticky paper, the noose is still ready and an option. Let’s see if I can capture him.

So we got two pet parakeets for my dad on his birthday. My mom doesn’t like that both are males, but I didn’t pick them out, my sister didn’t care when she got them. So we probably will change the blue one at the pet shop for a female later. We have dumb and dumber as of right now, maybe with a female, things can change. Two of my sisters are each claiming it was their idea to get these for my dad as his gift. I don’t know and I don’t care who’s idea it is, but if he didn’t want the birds, I am sure they would of blamed each other for the idea. Here are two pictures, as always click to view larger.

Parakeets

Here they are facing each other. I let them out of the cage in the screened patio. The blue one went out and explored, the green one did not. So we took the green one out and all he wanted to do was get back in, but let them hang out, outside the cage for a while. At least the green one kept climbing the cage and getting some exercise that way, blue one jumped around mostly.

Parakeets - Facing each other