Tired And Happy

This was without question the best day that we have spent outside this year.  Temperatures near or above 70 degrees just made everything seem right.  My first task was to carefully cut a wheelbarrow load of conservation roses and wild berry canes.  At the top of the lane we have a decent start on a border stone wall.  Transplanted Periwinkle is spreading nicely but briers make the area look nasty.  The briers are nearly gone and a drive up the hill will now make a great first impression on all who see it.

This is the first Pickwick Crocus blossom of the season.  Freshly open today, this may just be the best picture that we have ever taken.

This other first flower is either Glory of The Snow or Giant Glory of The Snow.  These two names are on either side of the same stone label.  With the ground ice finally disappearing, we began the huge task of cutting away Siberian Iris leaves.  The how to book for these plants recommends cutting the foliage in the Fall but the author lives in a southern state.  We believe that the crown of dead leaves insulates the plant parts from our severe Winters.  Our timing is perfect since no new growth is present.  We have far too many plants so some trimming will require working around new growth. 

We used the truck to make the trip to clean out bird nest boxes.  That required a 1.8 mile drive so the truck was a big help.  Interesting rocks were spotted and the truck provided the means to move them to the developing shade garden at the other end of the property.  The pictured rock is unusually heavy for its size.  It is obviously not native bedrock.  It gives every indication of having been in a marine environment.  The last glacier that passed by could have moved this rock from near Syracuse where salt mines and limestone are common. This interesting rock will look out of place edging one of the paths in our shade garden but we did find it on this land.

We took advantage of an end of season sale to purchase a new garden bench.  It surely displays the structure of business in the world today.  A company located in Texas is responsible for the design and delivery of this product.  The wood is similar to teak but grows in Vietnam.  Milling and partial assembly happened there.  Individual pieces are no larger  than they have to be.  The bench is solid but surprisingly light for its size.  The weathered teak chairs nearby are more than twenty-five years old and each is heavier than the new bench.  Working together, Becky and I moved the assembled bench from the basement to the patio using cooperation and a hand truck.  Both the bench and the people made the move injury free and no blue smoke ever filled the air.  They say that an old dog cannot learn new tricks but based on what transpired today anything is possible.

New Garden Bench

Our original garden bench can be seen over Becky's shoulder.  It must be more than thirty years old and needs to be rebuilt before it can safely support more than just some potted plants.  New oak slats were cut at a local mill several years ago.  Holes need to be precisely drilled near the ends for the bolts that fasten slats to cast iron frame.  That task is likely included in my operable skill set but so far it has been avoided.  As a result a new bench was needed.

Lowe's was the source of our last new bench.  A year end sale provided us with a great bench at a fine price. The shade garden near the road is the location of that bench. We looked again this year but benches are no longer stocked in their stores.  Benches can be ordered for shipment directly to our home but that seemed somewhat limited.  I like to see exactly what my money is to buy.  Finally, we surrendered to the way all business will soon be conducted and ordered our new bench online.

We expected the bench to be sent to us unassembled.  This is a photo of the entire directions.  The thorny issue is illustrated on the lower right corner of the instruction sheet.  A bolt is to be threaded into a nut that resembles a tiny soup can.  Both the bolt and the nut are to be inserted into their respective predrilled holes.  I found it impossible to find an alignment that would allow the bolt threads to mate with the nut.  I came dangerously close to torching the entire project. 

Following a good night's sleep, a plan hatched to solve this alignment problem.  A 20d common nail was long enough to be inserted into the bolt hole and thin enough to pass into the can shaped nut thereby placing the nut in its correct location.  Then the position of the allen wrench set into the end of the nut could be noted and held.  The nail was carefully removed and the bolt inserted in its place.  The bolt instantly found the threaded hole.  The bench was then easily assembled in less than fifteen minutes.

This tag identifies the American company that now manufactures its product in Vietnam.  The wood cut there is Balau hardwood, similar to teak with regard to its ability to survive life exposed to weather.  Our bench is well designed and carefully milled.  The parts fit tightly together and the bench looks and feels solid.  If only there was someone in either Texas or Vietnam that could write or draw instructions showing how to align the bolt and nut when both are out of sight deep in their respective holes.  Such instructions and a 20d common nail would make assembly a breeze.

Becky set the camera to take this picture on its own.  Clearly, we survived the ordeal of trying to mate bolt and nut when both were out of sight deep in their respective holes.