Vegetation station

This is the waiting area for newly planted vegetation awaiting a permanent home in the backyard as the renovation slowly moves forward.

All these cuttings are from local gardens so they are already acclimated to our inland heat and cold. This will give them a much better chance to survive my black thumb and occasional over zealous watering or benign neglect.

Vintage Sunkist citrus crate tops

The Historic Society Antique Faire was held last Saturday in the shade of  Corona Heritage Parks many trees. The Garden club was out on the lawn with plants and cuttings for sale along side Master Gardeners giving advice to keep the little plants alive when they arrived at their new homes!

All these plants are from that sale for quite a bargain end of day price of $10 for a wagon load!

local scouts help haul plants to car!

The big ones are in temporary pots until they can go in the ground and the little ones on the table will stay in their current pots and find new placement in a few weeks around the yard.

The Antique Faire is held the first Saturday in June every year, this was the 11th and by far the nicest day ever with blue skies and light breezes temps only reached the middle 80s.

Posting for ABC Wednesday : http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/

and Skywatch Friday: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

 

Summer: Stress or Serenity?

I may be popping in to ABC Wednesday at random this Summer. There are days I am too busy to be here blogging. I know now that I am not ready for a 365 challenge or daily city blog.

The deck is gone, now the old spa goes away.

My garage and garden lathe house are being used to their fullest extent while backyard renovation is ongoing.

Had to be cut in half to fit through the gate.

Someday it will be a Garden once more that provides Serenity.

Might be a good place for a fire ring?

Over the next few months I will just be controlling the level of Stress I allow it to provide.

This is a long term project but I expect to have the yard back to some sort of order this Autumn.

This weekend marks the unofficial Start of our Summer Season, I wish those of you reading here in the USA a Safe and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend And a pleasant week ahead to the world at large!

This post is going out to ABC Wednesday and Skywatch Friday!

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http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Full Moon May 14th 2014

Full moon hanging bright

Gift for surviving the day

In a hot clear sky.

 

See more Skywatch Friday here : http://skyley.blogspot.com/

 

Rust and Renovation

Rust is very popular among a certain group of people who love things in their natural state of aging, I am one of those people.

Now don’t get me wrong I like a shiny new thing now and again but I love the history of an item that has aged in place, doing the job it was made for through long years of heat, rain and all sorts of weather.

I went along as “the sidekick” to a tow yard/ Wrecking yard/private collection to check out some vintage gas pumps but there was a whole lot more to see!

The owner of the place went from “I don’t know that I am selling any gas pumps today” to “Wait a sec, let me get a key and show you the inside of these containers” as we walked the yard and he became more comfortable with us, found more common ground and generally were his kind of folks.

Rusty hood, flatbed stage, Westcoaster & Merry-go-round

My friend bought a couple of pump panels and a few signs and I had a great time wandering around the place taking pictures, talking Jeeps and sharing tall tales.

 

Plus he had a Quonset hut…I have always wanted one of my very own.

All photos this week are straight out of my phone, it is all either of us remembered to bring since we were too excited about the junking trip while trying to look all calm and cool!

See more of the letter “R” at: http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/

Quasi Chaos in the Garden

This is the state of Quasi chaos in my backyard at the moment.

All the 25 year old decking has been removed and the old spa will go away soon.

All had to be done the wood was rotting and unsafe. It is both a mess and an inviting blank canvas.

This Summer will be one of renovation…where is that guy from Yard Crashers on HGTV when I am at the hardware store?

Tons of work ahead.

Posting to: http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/  and  http://skyley.blogspot.com/

This is a very busy week!

 

Night in the Disney Parking Garage

Hop aboard the tram bound for the Disneyland Mickey Parking structure, it is the first and last ride of the day!

Night view from pedestrian crossing on Goofy level as vehicles exit garage.

This post will serve as ABC Wednesday: http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/

and

Skywatch Friday this week!

http://skyley.blogspot.com/

 

Hazy Los Angeles Sunset

Last week I went to dinner at an amazingly delicious establishment in Silverlake, Black Hogg. Thank you Ayleen for this wonderful dining experience!

We arrived a little too early so backtracked down Sunset a little to spend some time at Barnsdall Park and view the exterior of Hollyhock House.

Hollyhock House is a Frank Lloyd Wright creation atop a hill in East Hollywood and though it is lovely in it’s own right the views from the surrounding grounds are real showstoppers even on a hazy evening.

North: Griffith Park Observatory

Northwest: The Hollywood sign and comm towers

West: The city and her people

See more skywatch at: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

 

Old, Obsolete Or Overlooked

Many items reside quietly in garages and gardens, on shelves, in lofts, under hedgerows, hidden away in the forgotten nooks and corners where they were once tucked away to remain safe for a next use that never arrived.

Antique shops are full of these estate and barn finds, waiting to begin again in another garage or home. They can be put to their original use or more often to an entirely new purpose as an item aged into a form of art.

This post covers the rest of my recent Arizona trip and the road home to Southern California.

Empty and Obsolete just awaiting a new owner with another idea in Skull Valley AZ

 

The way home via the road less traveled on a still hazy Spring morning.

More of the letter “O” can be seen at : http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/

 

Necessary and Needed

Necessary and Needed are always part of having a Garage and/or Garden!

So far the chore list this week sounds like I live out on a ranch not a 100 X 55 city lot!

I did Spring weed abatement in the back yard and put in a cover of clover, poppies and sweet alyssum to keep the weeds at bay.

Yesterday I cleared the front weeds, reseeded for Spring and amended the soil with topper.

Sorted a few tool drawers, sharpened the push mower blades and honed the hoes and clippers.

The windmill needed bolts tightened after a big wind and one replaced so that was done as well, then I moved the wagon to the shed (it is a Radio Flyer and the shed is of the garden variety!).

Learn more about the letter “N” at:  http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/

 

The Long Way

I traveled to Arizona last week and was loathe to zip over there via the mind numbingly dull (though almost an hour quicker) Interstate 10.

Last Thursday morning broke sunny and Spring-like in Southern California, perfect driving weather. I traversed the Cajon Pass before turning East onto I-40 in Barstow.

The original Route 66 was covered by I-40 over much of it’s path although a few drivable sections remain. They are mostly on the Arizona side of the state line but portions can be seen resting in the California desert sun here and there along the way. This route took me first to Needles CA then through Kingman AZ and Ash Fork where I turned South toward Prescott.

Original 1970s 7up sign in Needles

 

Since I was without any time constraint this trip and the temperature was still cool and Springy I stopped in Needles to explore a bit farther from the highway for the first time in my life.  I have been here many times but it is either far too cold in the wee hours of a desert morning or blistering hot on a Summer afternoon to want to stay any longer than it takes to fill the gas tank and hurry away.

Nice little Studebaker Truck

Colorful tagged cattle cars rolling East

Vintage Motel still welcoming guests

Kingman has a modern thriving town accessible via the second and third exits from the Interstate, it is always a nice stop along the way but I didn’t go there this time. I took the first exit onto old RTE 66/business 40 taking me through old Kingman which is full of antique shops, tasty BBQ lunch and friendly locals. The requisite small town water tower looms over still busy railroad tracks while a western theme permeates  vintage motels and eateries for a couple miles until the old road hooks up to the interstate once more. I was so focused on the BBQ lunch that I didn’t take many pictures here but you can bet I will return to this road on a future trip.

 

Building being restored in Kingman

Late afternoon found me in Ash Fork which has been one of my favorite places in the entire state of Arizona for many years.

The reason? Oh, the little old Mobil Gas station!

Ash Fork station lot

I darted in this station one very cold afternoon about 15 years ago to find myself in a warm, cozy hang out for the local old guys to spend the day telling tales and drinking (ahem!) coffee. The walls were covered with old license plates, junk parts and taxidermy…I wanted to stay forever!

A beautiful Jeep @ Ash Fork Mobil

After I paid for the gas I was graciously allowed to join the conversation so while Bob filled the gas tank outside we talked about Jeeps, Javelina and the value of Gold Toe socks in the glow of a pellet stove. I make a point to stop here just to check in anytime I am nearby.

When I walked in the station last week the conversation was ongoing and the guys were all still in place. After topping off the tank I grabbed my camera and went back to ask if I could take a picture…of the Javelina…they seemed disappointed so I told them to crowd around the wall pig and smile…only the Javelina complied at that point.

I think she winked at us!

Special places that welcome you as a kindred soul are few and far between, when you find yours enjoy it for all it is worth!

I will post the road home to So Cal next week!

See more of the sky above at: http://skyley.blogspot.com/