7114- garden helpers

Occasionally, the yard work gets overwhelming. Too much to do in a short time. When this happens, and it happens more and more these days, I get extra help.  Here are some before and after pictures of some of my helpers and their work.

 The border of vinca around the drive way.

 The new blueberry bed.

 

 One of the daylily beds.

 I get tired watching all that work. I think that I'll go take a nap. :)

7114-Spring

At 7114, the spring time is a most enjoyable time of the year. The plants are beginning to show growth, with flowers showing their colors. Here is a sampling of what we see at 7114.

 

Pussy willow.

Daffodils

 

Purple leaf beech

Apple

Pear

Quince

These are the leaves on a small tree, a purple smoke tree.

  

Not all things in the garden bloom.

  

Last year, we had some gnomes take up resident in the gardens. They are very friendly, but you'll never know when you'll see one. 

Not all is simple and pleasurable in the spring. There is a lot of work to do, however, that is for another post.

7114 - Beginnings

Beginnings

To fully appreciate 7114, we have to go back to the beginning – even before the beginning. Way back in 1973, I met this girl (Gloria), a southern girl, at work, and asked her out for lunch. She agreed, and we began dating. Now, there are a number of stories related to this courtship, but I'll leave that for another time. Just suffice it to say sometime later, that one afternoon after work we were at my place studying for a chemistry test, and I suggested that we take a break and get some pizza. I sat Gloria on my lap and asked her what size pizza we should get. She said that she didn't know and asked me, in return, what size that I thought that we should get. I told her that I thought that we should get a family size pizza. Her response was that we weren't a family; at which time I told her that we could become one, if she would marry me. To my relief, she said, “YES.” (Of course, this wasn't a spur of the moment decision on my part. I had been thinking about it for a while.)

Now getting married was a lot more complicated that I ever thought. You know, a couple of weeks or maybe a month. Gloria was thinking a year. However, I told her that I didn't think that I could wait that long. It wasn't matter of getting cold feet ( I know that I had made the right choice.). I just didn't want to make the process so long. (Little did I know about the process/choices involved in getting married.) We compromised by deciding to have an August wedding, which caused her mother to make a mad dash to Indianapolis to meet this kid who was taking her daughter away (and to start looking for dresses, flowers, etc.). I think I passed.

On August 3, 1974, a little over three months latter, we were married at Woodland Baptist Church in Indianapolis. We vowed before God and men to love, provide, protect etc. each other. 
 

Life, after a honeymoon to New Orleans, began in my (our) trailer (mobile home) on Titan Dr. on the West side of Indianapolis. In the spring of  '75, we began to discuss where we might want to live after the trailer. My dream was to have some land on which we could build a house outside of the city a little ways. It sounded good to Gloria too.

Our search took us to a number of places. The first was to a piece of property that had a house on it. The real estate agent pressured us into looking at it, and even to make an offer. This did not make me happy. I got over it, but did not go back to that agent again. We looked at a 23 acre plot – too far out and wet. Another 13 acre – too far out. One was on the side of a very steep hill and had a falling down house on it. Still, another had a house and a pool on it. The house was in need of some serious repair. The agents just didn't understand – NO house.

We saw a 10 acre lot with a pond which we liked. However, there was an easement issue with it that killed any deal that we would make.

I had a friend and co-worker that had purchased a lot in a development outside of Mooresville in a development that had large lots in it 3-10 acres. He talked it up quite a bit. Gloria and I went with an agent out to look at one of the lots. It was about 5.6 acres. I had long ago given up the idea of a 10-25 acres lot, as it was obvious to me that it would be too much for us to take care of. The lot, No. 16, had about half woods and half field. Which pleased Gloria and me. Gloria wanted woods and I wanted open field. It was a good compromise.

The property that was being divided up into lots was called the Morgan Glen subdivision and known as the Smitherman farm by the long time locals, because that family had farmed it before it was turned into a housing development.

We decided that we would put a bid on the lot. However, there was one glitch. Another couple had put in a bid previously, and it had been accepted with a contingency. This contingency was that they had to sell their home to get the money to buy the lot. Now, if someone (us) else put in a bid on the lot, the other couple had 24 hours to get their money together. It was a tense 24 hours for Gloria and me, but they gave it up.

On closing, lot 16 in the Morgan Glen subdivision became ours (and the banks).

We wanted to pay for the lot before building a house, and it became a priority to pay it off.

By 1978, we were ready to build. We started going to home shows and visiting builders to look at their show homes. At the 1978 home show a builder by the name of Steven Moulder had the “show home”. We were impressed with it, and began discussions with him about building our home.

By this time, the streets had been named and our lot became 14 Glen Ct East, but everybody called it East Glen Court.

March Madness

Many people think of March and the NCAA basketball tournament. But here on Glen Court, we have another kind of March Madness. Yes, for all of you followers, we have the song! And here it is!

Performed March 11, 2012

This year, the classic was performed by the Morgan Glen duo, "The Paschals" with back-up by many of our bird friends. (Stay tuned for our first album.)

I know a little pussy

Whose fur is soft and gray

She lives down in the meadow

Not very far away

She'll always be a pussy

SHE'LL NEVER BE A CAT

Cause she's a pussy willow

Now what do you think of that!

It can never get old, can it?

Since last year, the pussy willow has been cut back. Actually, I cut it down. But, it grew back. With a vengeance. I'm going to have to thin out some of the growth. Also, last year, after cutting it down, I purchased a replacement.  It hasn't shown any growth. But, I have hope.

Enjoy the spring.