The calm befor the storm

This weekend, we had quite a hails storm. It was late at night, but earlier in the evening, I snapped the following photos. Below those photos is a sample of the two inch hail. Boy howdy it was loud.

Adding a personal touch to our house

Before going inside the house, the gas line sticks up a foot in the flower bed out back. I decided to add this postcard sized plaque able the line. Yes, it's unnecessary, but its a neat way to personalize the house.

Back patio progress

The hole is dug (too deep, I had to buy more mortar and concrete sand than expected.

First border bricks laid in. I am using used bricks but wanted the larger (more stable?) bricks around the edge. Had to buy those.

The outside is 2/3 complete. I am leaving the last side open until I have all the sand screeded.

This first design looks very nice. but with the cutting of so many bricks it would take too long to made 28 of them. Will make one in each outer corner and call it macaroni.

Another shot of the square.

The Great Trans-continental Christensen Family Summer Vacation

Last summer we loaded up the van and transversely the continental United States from home to Virginia and the D.C. Area, back home and then the the left coast, Disneyland and the annual SigGraph annual conference. We collected water from both oceans, but it has sat in two plastic water bottles until recently. Below is a photo of the water now, transferred into labelled glass jars where it will sit in a shadowbox in the living room. (As soon as I build the boxes)

Stuart Mouse moves back in

A few years back... quite a few years, almost a decade, in the evenings, after the children were tucked in bed, I would sit in the hall between their rooms and read a chapter or two from one of our favorite children's books. We read through: the Wind in the Willows, various Winnie the Pooh books, The Trumpet of the Swan, Dr. Suess, Aesops Fables, Tolstoy's War and Peace (maybe not), Flo the Lying Fly, the Cricket in Times Square, Charlottes Web, Tucker's Countryside, various Shel Silverstein books, and Stuart Little. After reading the later, we painted a little mouse, sitting next to his hole in the living room and another in the hall, down at the baseboard, carrying an alarm clock and dragging his blanket. Eventually, we also painted him in light blue pajamas with lime green polka dots, leaning against a human sized tooth brush at the bathroom the sink. The kids took to saying "hello" and "goodnight" to Stuart as they walked past. I regret not having taken pictures.

After we moved, we heard that the new owners kept the mice and that the young kids who moved in would talk to Stuart.

We have been in the new place for three years this fall, and just this morning Stuart showed up outside his new hole in the front hall. We were surprised that it took three years to make it across town, but then, his legs are rather shorter than ours. To show his excitement to be home, this afternoon, after having just arrived, he donned his chefs hat and apron and showed up in the kitchen ready to help with the Easter dinner preparations! Unfortunately, Stuarts tastes lean towards dairy products and we are having spaghetti. But, it's the thought that counts. For now we are just glad to have him back. You'll have to stop by sometime and give a good ol' New Mexico welcome to Stuart Mouse.

After church this morning, Stuart got busy settling in. His socks tend to get lost in the dryer, so he set up a small clothes line next to the washer. That light blue tee shirt looks like one of mine from Disneyland! It must have really shrunk.

First bench is complete

Like father, like daughter

Roo decided to join in the fun and this morning, we pulled out another few 2x4s and constructed the first of two benches for the back yard. I assisted in the plans, but she did all of the measuring and worked the Miter saw, making all of the cuts. She even learned to use the square, measuring tape and drill. The drill is still a bit heavy, but she stuck to it and so far, we have almost completed two whole benches. Still more wood to be gone through. Maybe a 2x4 adirondack is in the pipeline... That actually sounds kind of redneck doesn't it? An adirondack from reused pallet wood? A palletrondack?