Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Rain and more rain...

It rained ALL weekend long. We need the moisture but ... why does it happen EVERY WEEKEND?


I know I was completely geeked to plant my grass seed but the directions say it likes warm nights of close to 60 degrees and this week we were to have some 40 degree nights so we held off for a week. I'd hate to waste $100 worth of grass seed because I am too impatient.... sigh. I will plant it this weekend.

I took Kylee ( my little sister from the big sister/little sister program ) to this Lyric Cafe Saturday morning. They show old cartoons on Saturdays for free with a $5 cereal bar. The sad thing is that the "old" cartoons were the Warner Bros. cartoons I watched all through my childhood.

Not only did I come out of that experience feeling like I am a frigging relic, it was sorta lame. It's a cafe... cafes have coffee. Not this one. Their espresso machine broke so I was without my caffeine and not very happy about it either. Kylee wanted something called "bubble tea". They were cooking it and it would be ready in 30 minutes. When we came out to see if it was ready, they said not yet and it'd be another HOUR.

Well, it sounded disgusting anyway - the cafe guy told me it just wouldn't congeal. Last time I drank something congealed it was called a cement mixer - Baileys and some other liquor poured in to make it curdle. Oh, those were the days.

Kylee and I left, walked to The Bean Cycle where I got my coffee and she had a strawberry/kiwi Italian soda which put us both in a much better mood. Her on her sugar rush and me with my caffiene buzz.

We window-shopped in Old Town for a while and drove to the pond store for pond liner. The guy there was great because he noticed Kylee really liked the fish. He took us in the back where the REALLY big koi fish are kept. And since I don't have children, and I only have Kylee for a few hours each week, I always wonder if the guys who like her just plain like kids or if they are pedophiles. And I feel really bad for those poor guys cuz I know I'm looking at them like they just might be pervs when they are probably really nice, normal guys.

Anyway, the koi were HUGE and Kylee liked them so even if the guy was a perv, he was a nice one.




The store also has this big tortise named Fred. He took us over to where Fred was hanging out and we said hello to him too. He was big - mebbe the size of a decorative throw pillow and probably weighed 50 lbs? Kylee thought those things were pretty cool.


After I took Kylee home, Furry Husband helped me line the pond. It is 4' by 3' and about 1.5' deep. Small but pretty. We found a tiger salamander that we think was hiding in the pond liner from the pond store. They are also called water dogs... we named him Randy. Yes, American Idol Randy, since he likes to say, "dawg" all the time and this was a water dog.



We put him in our pond and I made a hidey house for him. He could get out of the pond on his own and I was going to get him some guppies for dinner (the internet recommended pinky mice but I just can NOT do that - you know what pinky mice are don't you? Teensy little newborn mice with their eyes closed and no fur and they are usually alive.) I don't mind feeding guppies but a brand new pink newborn - even if it is a mouse.. nope. Can't do it. Even with the promise of guppies, I don't think Randy stuck around.

I ran around calling him... Raaaaaanndyyyyyyy c'mere boy! C'mon Randy - whose a good little water dog? You are! That's right - c'mon Randy - Raaaaaannnnddddyyy!

He never did show up.

Our pond is muddy with brown water from the deluge of rain we received yesterday. sigh. The water will clear once the mud settles and the mud won't be a problem once I get stuff planted... so much for my instant gratification! It was pretty for a day and now I have a brown water feature that may or may not have a water dog named Randy swimming around in there.

7 comments:

Heather said...

You are so motivated with this whole oasis thing! My ideal yard is a whole hill of wild flowers. No watering, no planting. I think plants come to my house to die. Make sure you don't plant too many butterfly (and subsequently, bee) attracting plants! You know I want to see finished product pictures, but in progress pictures wouldn't hurt either!!!

Heather said...

Oh! Oh! I have an idea for you! The only plant I have kept alive for any amount of time (going on 3 years!!!) is a venus fly trap! You just have to give it lots of sun and keep it in water 100% of the time. It is a swamp plant. You know it gets enough sun if the 'mouths' turn red. Plus, it eats flies!

Shanster said...

Motivated only cuz I'm tired of staring at red clay and bind weed! I'm not getting any water plants that are difficult and that is my ideal too... hardy native grasses and flowers so that once it comes up I don't have to do a damn thing 'cept sit back and drink my beer. :)

Just a lot o' prep work in the beginning.... makes me sound all motivated.

I'll have to get one of those for my small pond... Venus Fly Trap... but if Randy comes back, maybe HE'LL want the flies? heh.

As for finished product pictures... I wonder if I'll ever get there??

Foxxy said...

This is a good post. I'm feeling you on the lack of coffee making for a not so good start to the morning. I am just like you when it comes to men being very nice to young kids. I watch them like a hawk. Better safe than sorry!!!

Shanster said...

Definately... better safe than sorry. Funny tho' I had no idea that protectiveness in me goes all on high alert when I'm around Kylee!

Cheryl said...

Randy doesn't know what he's missed!

And no coffee at a cafe? That is lame.

Shanster said...

Cheryl - I know! No coffee? Seriously lame. Maybe if I put a few guppies in the water he'll come back...