Ziggy

Just about this time last year I had a kitten which I had rescued living with our menagerie as I tried to find a home for the little cutie, unfortunately Dexter had to be put to sleep due to multiple health issues. Now I find myself once again with a fifth pet at chateau Etter.

As with Dexter this kitten was found abandoned on our property, two of his siblings were found dead and he was eventually saved literally from our burning rubbish by one of our workers, Rick.When Rick brought Ziggy into the office he was suffering from burns and very dehydrated, in addition he was only three or four weeks old and not weaned. My girlfriend Betty came to the rescue nursed the little bugger back to health and fed it as needed until it was weaned.

Even though Betty wanted to she was unable to keep the kitten, now it is back with me and I am seeking a good home for the little beast. This is definitely a cat lover's kitten as it is full of life and vigor, hopping, jumping and leaping are favorite activities. He gets along with both the dogs and has become the personal punching bag for our cat Baxter, who views him as a live action toy.

His only maladies from the fire are rather crisp and scarred ears, missing hair on his tail and a little bald spot on his head. His fur is not the most luxurious but his sparkling eyes are full of life. I would be willing to ship this little fellow most anywhere the law allows so if anyone out there can offer him a home please contact me, five pets is just too darn many.

A Lot of Hot Air

The Hot Air Balloon competition held at our little local airport over the week end was well received as several thousand people were in attendance to view the thirty spectacularly colorful expertly piloted floating baskets. It was the second year Tri- State Airport hosted the event which earns national points for the winner, the contest requires the pilots to drop a weighted ball with a clothe tail toward a pole adorned with a large hoop. The one whose ball falls closest to the hoop wins, in addition the contestants actually try to catch the hoop and earn extra points when successful. No one achieved that goal when we watched although I was surprised by how close the balls landed to each other.

It was exciting as the first balloons appeared from the southwest on the gentle breeze. The balloons ranged in style and size some as little as twenty foot tall and others over seven stories. The colors against the clear, blue, summer sky were vibrant and varied. With names like Green Hornet, Blaze and Tropical Breeze the balloons floated lazily overhead as their pilots maneuvered in air currents at various altitudes thrilling the crowds when they roared directly above firing their burners and gas. Whoosh came the gas and a big ball of flame shot up the center of the balloon good, cheap entertainment.

My personal favorite was the penguin. A homemade balloon taking hours of sewing, design and ingenuity it was a beauty to behold. Whether homemade or manufactured all rigs must pass federal safety standards before ever taking aloft.

We did not see 'fire-up' which takes place twice during the event at dusk. Fifteen balloons line up on the tarmac and inflate with their gas blowers open as darkness envelopes the multi colored spheres. The bright gas flames and the heat rises to fill the sky with brightness. Next year that will be one my calendar.

Welcome Home

When the dirt goes away the house becomes a home. Completing Jane and Craig's this week was priority and the crew came through with shining colors.

It was a busy week at Jane and Craig's irrigation, driveway poured, landscape completion and sod installation. Lots of dust, noise and fumes mixed with high humidity and clear skies the perfect storm allowing everything to finally come together. We were all right behind each other literally, Brian King poured on Tuesday, Terry got irrigation underway and by Wednesday we were on sight to finish landscaping odds and ends, mulch and prepare for sod

On Thursday when the first load of sod from Trelan Supply in Fremont arrived we were ready lakeside and grading our way out. We still had to install a bit of dirt around the driveway and were putting it in as fast as King's men were pulling forms. Meanwhile Terry (irrigation) had started lakeside and was blocking the south yard with equipment even as Tim from the sod farm was running sod down the north side. Outstanding timing but a bit hectic as Terry literally pulled his machine out just as we were ready to start positioning sod down the south side of the house

Working a crew of 12 on a job makes a huge difference and in no time at all we started to turn it green. It was necessary to chew up the dirt with the TR3 on our Dingo before we started sodding even though we had a fair grade with the exception of areas where Terry was plowing in lines. The reason we chew it up and grade it again is because of compaction, we have been running equipment over the ground for a month, before us the builder was running heavy equipment and in between all that don't forget the dredging of the channel and the large track hoe and dump trucks. So in order to give the sod a fighting chance we tilled twice.

Privacy was an issue for Jane and Craig since they live next door to the public access for the lake. There is an existing tree line between them and the parking lot with maples, pines, poison ivy, grape vine and assorted native plants. The brush is good and bad, the foliage mass does a good job of screening but some of the less desirable plants are not only unkempt but will give most people a bit of a rash. To combat that and help define the property we installed additional fence and seven large viburnum, 3 hemlocks over six foot, a couple of pyramidal arborvitae and four rotunda boxwood. The effect is a winning, multi-layered hedge with year round appeal and good wildlife food and cover. Much of this work was add on and difficult as we were planting in the shadows of mature tree roots.

Now with most of the work completed, the BBQ done and the sod down I can almost smell the grilling and hear the laughter as Jane, Craig, Kurt, Megan, the grand kids and Lola enjoy the 4th of July weekend.

Utopia 360

The legendary rock band U2 is finishing up it's 360 Tour and we secured last minute tickets for their East Lansing, Michigan show last Sunday night. This stop over on the MSU campus in Spartan football stadium was the first time I ever saw a major band in a stadium venue. Despite the large crowd traffic was good, bathrooms easily accessible, food and beverage lines moved fast and people were mellow in the 80 degree evening.

The opening band Florence and The Machine were already on stage when Bruce and I arrived, their powerful harpsichord driven music is punctuated by the strong and steady voice of their female lead singer. I did not know much about the band but enjoyed what I saw of their set.

The crowd responded with wild adulation when the four lads from Ireland took to the stage, the thunderous applause abated when Bono stepped up to the mic only to be ignited once again as the first notes escaped his throat. The voice nor the elaborate 360 stage/set did not disappoint.

In size and shape the behemoth set reminded me of one huge arachnid. Unlike Florence Bono and the boys never did laps around the lower stage instead they traversed the two bridges which were kept covered during the opening act. Those bridges had hydraulics which allowed them to join at center stage or retract to opposite sides of the circular stage. The cone shaped body of the spider monster was a huge led screen which could shrink and enlarge with the flick of a switch. The concert itself was projected on the screen as well as social commentary for which U2 is well known.

Hydrangea Heaven and Lizard Lust

I don't know what frogs like more lizards or hostas?

Blooms abound this time of year in Indiana hydrangeas, smoke trees and spirea are peaking. Kousa dogwoods, lilac trees and spring bulbs are waning while the grass is needing to be mowed twice a week. Annuals are beginning to hold their own but have not yet attained the full glory of height and color but perennials are bursting and flaunting strength and size.

While our work week was productive I was disappointed that we did not accomplish all our goals. Irrigation and driveway installation at Craig and Jane's has ground to a halt. The flat work is contracted to King Concrete and Brian King takes no chances when it comes to rain and pouring. Of course beyond the one 96 degree day when Brian formed the driveway we have had pop up showers every day. Bruce tried to back a load of soil to drop at Jane and Craig's only to become mired in mud and had to be pulled out with Brian's big Bobcat. Sloshing in the mud has become the norm for us this year.

Bill started the pond job in Angola. We have repaired a block wall, torn out pavers to establish new bed lines, removed and stacked the old fire pit so we can re-install it later. The old pond built by our customer Gregg is shown in the photo, we have removed it and will be installing an Aquascape designed pond. The pond will have two pumps and measure 24 x 7' with a depth of 30". A seating area in the water at one end will offer a contemplative relaxed atmosphere while the other end of the pond will feature the bio falls that will fill the pond with rushing water. We have not installed a full pond in a couple of years so we began this one by reviewing the Aquascape video. The pond is more of a meditative feature than one where the noise of the water is the star so this will be a challenge to achieve the proper balance.

This customer has some pets that have a keen interest in our every move, two collies and a fluffy black and white cat are making sure we get the job done right.

The irrigation finally was completed at Trish and Doug's so we began the installation of the yard last week. Even though the new fence is not installed we have installed the flower beds that run the length of the lot. Next week we will complete the landscaping and install the final pavers that will become the porch for the new garage. With the prominent location of this house we are getting lots of people stopping by asking questions and admiring our work.

Auburn Concrete

This week will mark the end of the first third of the landscape season and it has been hectic, of course spring always is our busiest time of year. We are actually still working two jobs that we started last year Trish and Doug's and technically Jane and Craig's, although all we did for them last year was transplant some of their shrubs and perennials. We just re-installed one of the boxwood's from last year and will be putting all the rest of their saved plants to good use this week.

Finally this week I was ready to order the custom concrete counter top for the grill surround at Jane and Craig's. Initially I was going to be ordering through Masolite but they turned me on directly to Auburn Concrete where I met second generation concrete fabricator Todd Stayer. Todd took me through the shop and explained their capabilities. His passion for the new technology evident as he tells me about the various combinations he is working on including incorporating everything from beer bottles to blue wine bottle glass.

We chose something a bit more traditional but darker than I had anticipated. Initially I thought to match the sandstone color of the full nose in the grill surround. In a quick couple of minutes Todd had convinced me that the sandstone color would appear washed out once it was polished and sealed. The darker brown really stood out but without dominating or becoming the focal point, I took a sample to Jane and Craig and they agreed to the darker color. Craig thought it was granite. In one week we should be installing the new custom counter top.

Out on Clear Lake Patty G planted another 3000 hardwood trees on her second five acre plot. The trees will be her legacy and one day a small woods for all to enjoy, complete with lovely wildflower and native grasses. Bruce Pardue spent a day leveling between the rows of saplings using our Big Deere and TR3 plow to smooth the soil and prepare a seed bed for no mow grass which will be planted this fall. Patty's other plot of trees is now 3 years old and are doing well.

We are finishing up the stone curbing, river wash top dress and rebuilding a small stone wall along the island at the log home in the country. Pop up storms dumped about an inch of rain during the week but it would rain cats and dogs for ten minutes every two or three hours, we managed to sit it out and keep working. Made for some slippery ground when we got out to work again.

In addition to the fence installation we planted a few shrubs at Jane and Craig's. Their driveway goes in next week along with the irrigation. I plan on wrapping things up on both these jobs before the 4Th of July.

"Grass come soon, I promise."

Ever since I got that virus in my computer it has not been right. It is down for the count this week end so I am using Bruce's notebook to blog, if I had known I was going to use it when I bought it for him I would have purchased a full size laptop. My big fingers stumble over the keys and have a hard time hitting their mark. People who know me will testify that I am not a patient person so the constant need to correct is not making me a happy camper this morning.

The grill surround at Jane and Craig's is nearly completed we are down to ordering the custom concrete counter top. It is being handled by Mark at Masolite our first venture with this product. They can use the grill as we have installed a temporary counter. Craig called yesterday and they are now thinking about getting a small hot tub and placing it outdoors, looks like we will need to make a couple design changes. The Ohio State logo in the paver patio looks great, we were going to paint it scarlet, gray and white but Craig and Jane like it just the way it is, me too it is subtle.

The patios, walks, porches and steps are now complete and we have begun some planting. Three 7' Canadian hemlocks went in along with three 5' Chicago lustre viburnums, the foundation of the property line privacy screening. We will install a few more shrubs next week then we are about as far as we can go until the irrigation is installed. I know everyone is anxious to see the dirt yard go away.

The fence has been removed from Trish and Doug's in preparation for irrigation and the new fence talk about instant privacy loss, it sure opens up their yard. We installed three 8' multi-stem Ivory silk lilac trees and three 8' multi-stem Serviceberry to provide a bit of privacy and make the baseballs, volleyballs and soccer balls easier to chase down. Trish has a young, active, athletic family and they need a lot of yard for sports and games.

Terry will work on Trish's irrigation next week then we will be able to seed the yard. We do not like having dirt any more than the customers as it is a constant erosion threat during heavy rain.

I would like to have the new fence installed before we complete the landscape beds but Trish wants to push forward with the plants since construction of the 300 plus foot, custom fence has not yet started. About half the fence is 8' tall and half 6' tall, it will be painted white and made from smooth cedar, let's get cracking on that thing Doug.

Since we were working on Lake Gage last week I stopped and took a photo of a job we did last year. There were existing concrete steps and plain concrete walls before we paved over the steps and another company put "lick em', stick em' ", (cultured stone) on the walls at this residence. The results are great but the walls need new plantings. There is an obvious need for retention at this property, the steep driveway is navigated by only the fearless. Check out The End.

Just Like HGTV

I hired a new guy, he started Monday, he is the son of a longtime girlfriend. He got a rough initiation as we set new record high temperatures last week, topping out at 98 degrees mid week. The 100% humidity had em' dropping like flies, two employees called in during the week as they were experiencing heavy cramping, one of the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Water, vitamins and my favorite bananas will keep you out of trouble when the hot weather hits.

Our accomplishments last week were pretty close to our goals so it was a good week. Looks like we will be able to get back to the log cabin, with a thoughts that we will finish that next week. In addition Bills next project will be a water feature that has paver work too.

The permeable paver driveway, walk and patio on Lake Gage was wrapped up Wednesday and on Thursday we hit it with a big crew completing the landscape installation and clean up in one day. I think the Belgard, Subterra paver was the perfect choice and the Grey Mist color ideal. The idea behind permeable pavers is to allow rapid water absorption through the gaps between the pavers and the holes in the bottom of the pavers reducing the need for retention ponds on large commercial applications. For residental applications the pavers help homeowners restricted by hardscape to greenscape ratios extend their square foot ratio as the pavers count only 50% as much as concrete poured surfaces.

Here in Steuben County, Indiana we have a building code which states your hardscape (this includes the footprint of your house, driveway, walks, retaining walls, pavers, etc.,) can only be 50% of your total lot square footage, we call it the 50/50 rule. With the square footage of our customers on Lake Gage they would not have even been allowed to pour a concrete driveway. The permeable pavers changed all that and they got the drive, a walk and the patio.

This lot was very small. The landscaping is simple yet elegant and compatible with the young homeowners desire not to spend their time at the lake taking care of the yard. We sodded the lakeside yard and seeded the rest. We used Futura Blanket (the green stuff in the picture) instead of straw to hold the seed fearing the frequently windy location would have straw in Lake Gage in no time. Futura is used mostly on slopes but can but substituted for straw and will pop a lawn quickly as it holds moisture and hear extremely well.