blue hair day

Good morning.
A quick post this morning before I run off to work.
Yesterday was my usual busy 'blue hair' Friday . What I mean by that is Fridays seem to be the day the 'older' women like to get their hair done. They come in once a week for a 'shampoo and set'. We wash their hair, roll up the hair on rollers, dry them under a dryer, and comb them into a lovely style that will last them a week. Years ago, we had to use bluing rinses on their hair to eliminate the yellowish tone their white hair got from cigarette smoke. White hair absorbed the tar from the cigarettes. But if you used the bluing rinse too often, the hair started taking on a bluish tone, hence, the blue hairs.  :-)  But much fewer people smoke now days, so we don't use the rinses much anymore.
It was a dreary wet day yesterday. A good day to work. And after work, I went shopping for the weekend groceries. Vegi burgers Friday, pizza Saturday, and pork roast with cranberry sauce in the slow cooker Sunday. And after our vegi burgers, I whipped up a snack of baked zucchini sticks.

I had mine with marinara sauce, and Craig had his with lite Creamy Caesar. We both decided the marinara sauce sucked, and the creamy Caesar was a hit!

The marinara was too mild for the mild zucchini.
 I'm really trying to be good this month as I 'study' for my upcoming physical. I plan on 'acing' the blood tests this year.  :-) To do that, I've cut out my sherry, (way to many calories) and I'm increasing the vegi portions on  my plate, and decreasing the meat portions, and going meatless twice a week. We'll see how it goes.  :-)
And now, I'm off to my final day of work...

brrrr

Good morning.
It's currently 31 out going for a high of only 46.  :-(
But this weekend is suppose to reach 70 before falling back into the 50's, so I hope it does.
The Salon has been steady this week.
Got a certified letter at the Salon yesterday. It was from the circuit court. It was for  garnishment of wages of one of our staff. Fortunately, we have no employees. Our staff are all independent contractors. Unfortunately, it creates more paperwork for Craig, filling out required forms and mailing them back. Wish people could take care of their own bills.  :-\
Got an e-mail from Mowpart.com saying my mower blades had been shipped and should arrive today. Should be able to mow on Sunday. The grass has stopped dead in it's tracks with the return of cold weather. So has the trees and bushes.
And with that, time to go...
And yes, I to bought a Mega Millions lotto ticket. Hey, I've got just as good a chance as the other  500 million people to win, right?  :-)

back to work

Good morning.
Well, yesterday didn't turn out as nice as expected, cloudy and windy, so Craig 'talked' me out of mowing until the new blades arrive. Sooo, I played on the puter most of the day, catching up on blog reading and also booking another camping trip.It did warm up enough that I went out late in the afternoon and did some weeding. Craig happened to take a pic...

And for dinner, Craig made a tasty apple chicken sausage pasta dish with peppers and onions in a garlicky white sauce with fat free mozzarella  sprinkled on top.

And now it's back to work for what looks to be a  fairly busy week.

an update

Good morning.

To update my last post and answer a question. The mower blades are soo bad, I don't think I could get them sharp enough. I've sharpened them for several years now and last year it didn't seem to help much. But I found them on e-bay with shipping for $32.00. Didn't think that was bad at all.  :-)
And since it'll be the end of the week before they arrive, and the grass is really long, I'm going to have to use the push mower and actually get some exercise.  :-) At least today is suppose to be in the upper 50's and sunny.
And now I'm off to get the weeks groceries.

update

Good afternoon.
I spent most of Monday with my Mom. Had a nice visit. Cut her hair, did some chores, took her to lunch at Applebee's, and then the club (VFW) for drinks and pull-tabs. We actually won this time.  :-)
On the way home, got into a traffic jam on the highway. Took 40 minutes to go 3 miles. And I was less than 10 miles from home.  :-\
There was apparently an accident, but by the time I passed the spot where it occurred, there was just one small car in the grass with the front crushed right to the windshield. Can't image what could have happened to cause that. But I got home safe.
Today, was back to cold. A high of only 45. brrrr. I did manage to get out and take the old blades off the riding mower. They are sooo dull. Need new one's. Checked around town and can't find them so went online and ordered them. Hope they get here before the grass is too tall.  :-)
I spent the rest of the day on the puter. Played games, read blogs, and even booked another RV weekend. 
And after our wonderful 2 weeks of summer, our normal spring has returned with forecast highs only around 50 for the next couple of weeks. I sure miss those 80's.  :-(
And now Craig is calling me for dinner, so later...

summer's over

Good morning.
Another very busy week in the Salon is done, and I've just returned from a partial cleaning of the Salon. I'm off to Muskegon to see my mom in a bit, so I'll finish cleaning tomorrow morning.
Our summer like weather is coming to an end as we get back to our normal highs in the 50's. But it was great while it lasted.  :-)
And here's a few pics I took yesterday after work....

I'm thinking the top pic is some variety of Spirea, but not sure.

Of course, the rest of the pics are Hyacinths.

The rain this week has really greened up the grass, and with the warmer weather we had, it looks like I need to mow this weekend. About 4 weeks earlier than usual.
And with that, I'm off to Muskegon. I'm leaving Craig to sleep in. Wonder when he'll eventually get up with out me around.  :-)

yes, we're open

Good morning.
It's a busy week in the Salon. I went in early yesterday to put away an order, and to install the new open sign, so it ended up being a 10 1/2 hr day.

As you can see, the old sign is missing the bottom of the P, and the upper middle of the N.

I had to install the new one in the opposite window, in the upper corner, because of a freakishly short electrical cord. But being a little larger than the old one, we decided it looked just fine there.
The rest of the week is pretty much booked. May have to work a little later on Friday and Saturday if the phones keep ringing. Don't want to turn away business.  :-)
And here's a weeping cherry next to the building I walk by going to my car after work.

And speaking of work....time to go....

spring maintenence

Good morning.
Our wonderful summer like weather continues.  :-) It hit 84 yesterday, and forecast for 88 today. Should only be 48. Unfortunately, I won't be able to enjoy it. There's this thing called work. And I've got a full day today, so will have to enjoy it from afar.
Tuesday while we were doing are usual running, we stopped at Hammond Farms. A landscape center, where I picked up some pond clarifier to keep the water clear, and algicide, to keep away algae. Back home, treated the pond. I also sprayed the paths for quickly sprouting weeds. Repaired a walkway where some pavers were being pushed up. Discovered a big root which I chopped out and re-set the pavers.Did some more trimming, and a little weeding.
Craig finished doing our taxes and making copies. He'll mail them on the way to work this morning.
We also got a quote for removing a large dead tree in the back corner of the yard. $850.00.  I thought it was a bit on the expensive side so I'll get a couple more estimates before we decide.
And to finish, here's some pics I took....

A clump of Hellebore's.

The Hyacinth's are just beginning to bloom,

more daffodils.

And a Forsythia bush.
And with that time to get ready for what looks to be a very busy week.

to answer a question

Good morning.
Our fabulous weather continues.  :-)
The daffodils are in full bloom.

A full 4 weeks early! This weather has been remarkable! 79 yesterday. The 2 week forecast is for above normal to near normal. I'm loving it! This must be how spring is like in the south.
I spent the day in the yard, cleaning and filling bird baths, some weeding, and washing the car. I wanted to stay out of Craig's way as he did our tax returns. And I'm happy to say we're getting a nice refund.  :-)
And to answer a question......
"So do you have to clean the pond out every spring? Do you have a well to refill it, or do you have to pay for "city" water? Am I being too nosey?"

I don't drain the pond every year. Just about every 3-4 years.  In between, I just scoop out as much leaves and debris as I can.
 No well, I use city water. Craig estimated it holds 5500 gallons. Fortunately, Lansing owns the water facility, and the water rates are very reasonable.  :-) It'll probably run me $5 worth of water for the pond. Our water bill is usually around $12 a month, but if I water a lot during a dry summer, it's gone as high as $60.
And don't worry. If you're  too nosey, I'll tell you.    :-)
By the way, would my readers prefer me to answer a question left in my comments, with a comment, a personal e-mail, or in a post like this?

And with the great weather, I fired up the grill for dinner and cooked pork cutlets with baked potato and marinated zucchini.
Now time for my shower, and wake up Craig.

the cleaning of the pond

Good morning.
It was an overcast but warm day. Temps in the upper 70's. A good day to drain and clean the pond.

A before pic shows the pond, and the overgrown mass of Pickerel Rush.

After pumping out enough water to get it down to about 6-8 inches, I divided the Pickerel Rush, and scooped out nearly 3 wagons full of leaves and such.

The pond is about 15x30, and averages about 18 inches deep.

With the pond cleaned out, plants divided, time to fill it back up. Took about 7 hrs with the hose.

While it was draining and filling, I managed to clean up a couple of flower beds.
I got done in time to watch our Spartans get past St Louis and on tom the Sweet 16. Craig's tasty corned beef dinner was a nice finish to the day.
It's suppose to be gorgeous today also, so I expect to be busy outside.

another gorgeous March day

Good morning.
Our unbelievable summer like weather continues.  :-)
83 yesterday, near 80 today, and forecast upper 70's for most of next week. Our normal high should be upper 40's. But I'm not complaining.  :-)
The work week ended the way it started, fairly slow, but that meant I got out early enough to come home and put out our portable deck.

I suppose some are wondering why we just don't leave it out. Well, 2 reasons. During the year, a lot of debris collects under the sections and I like to clean that out, and 2nd, I think the decking will last longer stored inside during the long winter.
 I also went online to e-Bay and ordered a new open sign for the Salon.

Our old one has been missing the bottom of the P for a while now, and occasionally, the top of the E and the left side of the N goes missing. e-Bay had by far the best prices. Hope when it's delivered, it looks as good as the pic.
Today, I've already cleaned the Salon, and if the rain holds off, I plan on emptying the pond, cleaning it out, and refilling. I'll try to remember to take some pics.
And Craig is cooking a corned beef brisket for dinner. He found this recipe a few years back that is really good. It makes for a very tender, tasty dish.
And with that, time for my shower....

crazy continues

Crazy weather that is.  :-)
Good morning.
Our very unusual warm weather continues. It's been in the upper 70's for several days now and it's hard to believe it's only March. My daffodils are beginning to open. Nearly 3 weeks ahead of usual. 70's is  forecast to continue at least late into next week. Trees and bushes are budding up. That's at least 4 weeks early. Tornadoes in Michigan, in March? This weather is crazy! We've jumped from a mild winter right into summer like weather. It's weird.
The slow week at the salon continues, but next week is already pretty much booked. I took advantage of an early day yesterday, and work out in the yard. Cleaned a couple of beds, pruned and weeded. Got the leaves out of the fountain, scooped some out of the pond, and plugged in the pumps. They both are still working. I even managed to get a little sunburn. In March!
For dinner, Craig fried up a pan of potatoes, peppers, onions and apple sausages. Served it with shredded mozzarella cheese on top. It was yummy. Watched a little basketball with dinner. Our Spartans got through their first game.  :-)
And with that, time to finish the work week.

It's crazy!

Good morning.
Yes, it's crazy. The weather that is. Yesterday, we reached a record high of 79. As you can see from the calendar, our 'normal' high is suppose to be 43.

And you can also see, it's forecast to stay way above normal for the rest of the month. We've jumped right into June like weather. Not that I'm complaining.  :-) I'm lovin it! I'm  just waiting for the ball to drop and we head in the opposite direction. It seems the weather always averages out. Maybe it won't. Maybe we'll have a long beautiful summer. Time will tell.
And work is picking up this week. The phone has been ringing.
And with that, time to get going.

the weekend recap

Good morning.
After a very milder than normal weekend, It looks like mid summer for the next few days. Our normal high should be 50. We were in the low 60's all weekend, and the next few days are forecast mid 70's. Very warm for spring.
And speaking of spring.....

The Pussy Willows are out. Picked them yesterday. Our first 'flowers of spring. And if the weather indeed stays as warm as forecast, Daffodils will be out by this weekend.
Monday's rain ended by the time we finished our usual Monday running, so I went out and trimmed shrubs. Spring is the time to trim any summer flowering shrubs. They bloom on new wood, so trimming them now can control the size. Any early blooming shrubs such as Forsythia, and Lilacs, should be trimmed right after flowering to control shape.
I also cleaned leaves out of a few beds to let the daffodils and hyacinths come through.
Tuesday, another sunny warm day, I spent the better part removing old lap sealant from the mo-ho roof and putting down new. I want to stay on top of it before I have  a problem like I did last year.
And again, time for another work week. It's looking slow so far, but we'll see how it goes.  :-)

What a good day

Good morning.
It's currently raining this morning, but that's a lot better than snow.  :-)
Yesterday was beautiful. The nicest day so far. Sunny, calm, and mid 60's.
I took full advantage of it.
First off, cleaned and sealed the mo-ho rubber roof.

Looks pretty good for a 10 year old roof.  :-)

The roof wasn't real dirty. I don't know if the mild winter had anything to do with that.

My next job was removing fencing I put up in the fall along the creek around the arborvitaes to protect them from then deer. Then raked up all the debris 

This walkway goes along the top ridge by the creek, between the creek and arborvitaes screening the yard.

And speaking of the creek,  here it is. I'm looking toward the road, with my property on the right of the creek and the walkway just behind the arborvitae.

And here's looking down the creek past the back of my property.
It felt so good to be back outside.  :-) We even got the deck furniture out. Spring appears to be coming early this year. At least, so far.  :-)
Then Craig and I watched our Spartans beat Ohio State to win the Big Ten Tournament.

So, it turned out to be a great day!
And of course, Craig's turkey was delish, along with his home made scalloped potatoes and steamed cauliflower.
And with that, time to get going.

another Sunday

Good morning.
I've just finished my usual Sunday morning routine. You know what it is.  :-)
The week ended very busy, and I must say it was one of my busiest weeks in a very long time.
It looks to be a beautiful day today, sunny and low 60's. Hope it gets me outside for some yard work. We'll see.  :-)
We're also cooking our last turkey today. Looking forward to it.
Also, our Sparty's are in the Big Ten Championship game today against Ohio State. Hope this game goes better than the last game with them.
So it looking to be a very nice Sunday.
And with that, I'm outta here.  :-)

a Friday quickie

Good morning.
Just a quickie before I run off to work.
It's been crazy busy this week as the phones have been ringing almost non stop.
To answer a question.....
"how do you golf ball fish?"
 Well,It's not really fishing like with a pole and hook, I actually just walk along the creek looking along the edges for balls that get caught in nooks and crannies. So I guess, it's really not 'fishing' at all.  :-)
And with that, I'm off for another day, completely booked with appointments.

golf ball fishin

Good morning.
To pick up where I left off yesterday, while I was out in the yard, I went Golf ball fishing.
There's a creek that runs through the golf course across the street from our house. It is buried under the parking lot and road, and comes out of a culvert down our property line. It's not large, the main channel is about 3 ft wide and a couple feet deep. The over all channel is about 4 ft deep and 6-8 ft wide. In the 28 years we've been here, it's overflowed the top just once, and briefly flooded the back end of the yard. The property slopes from front to back about 5 ft. so the creek runs fairly fast by my house.
Anyway, golf balls get washed down the creek and I find them in crevices along the bank.
Here's my find yesterday....

They're quite dirty when I find them, but most clean up pretty good.

We even find them occasionally in the front yard. Which is strange because the fairway runs parallel to the road, and the tee off is way over there....on the other side of the parking lot....

We've got bags of them from over the years. They come in many brands, and even colors....

And many with imprints on them.

Why we keep them, I have no idea. We're not collectors. Maybe someday I'll set up a stand over in their parking lot and sell them.  :-)
Anyway, I've got a very busy day today at the Salon. I'm starting at 8am and going straight through until around 7pm. So I better get going....

my little project

Good afternoon.
I know, an unusual afternoon post.  :-)
It was a beautiful day today, partly cloudy, and low 50's.
I got the lighting project finished.
Some time ago, we updated the track lighting in the kitchen. Got new lights for the track. We then got the same lights for the dining area. After we put up the new track, I realized the old track looked nasty and needed to replace it.  So here's the before and after...

Since I don't look at the ceiling much, I didn't realize how bad the old track looked, but now it's nice and new and clean looking, and matches the lights. And I really like these lights. They not only light up the counters, but also the entire room.

It was such a nice day, I went outside and checked the water levels in the mo-ho house batteries, and decided to pick up branches. I pick up 687 of them. Well, it seemed like that many.  :-)
I then decided with all the branches, I could get some nice kindling from them. Here's what I got...

I also went golf ball fishing, but I'll save that for another post, and to keep you wondering what the hell that means.  :-)

Just another post

Good morning.
Sunday turned into a busier day than I expected. I actually did dusting, vacuuming, and some cleaning. Craig made a tasty scalloped potatoes with ham and asparagus, and we watched our Spartans get beat by Ohio State.  :-(
Monday, we did our usual shopping, banking, and post office, and also stopped at Home Depot to pick up more lighting. We liked the new track light we put up over the dining area so much, we're extending the look down the hall, I'll post pics when I complete the job.
I also ordered new checks for the business. Craig liked the personal checks he got from Walmartchecks.com so he had me order some for the business. And the price was good also.  :-)
I also booked another RV trip. That makes 8 booked now with 3 more to go.  :-)
And, I calculated the mileage for this seasons trips, and even if gas hits $5 a gallon, we have enough in our gas fund to cover it. That made Craig very happy.  ;-)
And for dinner, Craig tried a new dish, Sweet and Sour Pork Cutlets.

 They were very good.  :-)

And that's it for now...

my usual Sunday post

Good morning.
I've just returned from cleaning the Salon. It was a cautious drive there and back. After morning rain on Saturday, followed by afternoon sleet, we had a night time snow of less than 1/2 an inch with this morning temps at 30. I drive 3 different main roads to the Salon. The one in front of the house is an interstate business  route so the state keeps it nice and clean and salted. Then I turn on Waverly Rd. which  divides 2 counties. It is never cleaned good, or early. It was like a sheet of ice. I drove about 25 instead of the usual 45. Fortunately, there was almost no traffic the time I go in to clean. On the way home, it looked like salt trucks had at least salted the intersections. I got back home okay.  :-)
The week ended very busy, with me doing about as much income Saturday, as the rest of the week combined. I was exhausted. But now I have 3 days to recover.  :-)
Craig made a tasty pizza for dinner, and I'm having a piece for breakfast as I write this.
Today, I think I'll take it easy. Our Spartans play at 4pm for the outright Big Ten Championship, and it should be a good game.
And with that, I'm off to take my shower.

Happy Friday

Good morning.
After a so-so Wed. and Thur. Today and tomorrow are completely booked. I've had to defer some customers into next week, which looks to be a very good week right now.
Our mild weather continues with a forecast into the upper 40's today before going back to normal temps of low 30's early next week.
 I also booked another campsite weekend. That makes 8 booked so far.  :-)
Our next one will be Cedar point, once it opens for the season.
And now, time to get ready for work.