Summer is here...

Well, it took 8 months, but the 1st floor bathroom is fully functional. We have a shower (even the plumber said installing a "neo-angle" one-piece shower was tough). We have a toilet (the "superflush 3000"), sink, and yes, a heated tile floor. The color is called, no kidding, "funky fruit". Acknowledgements are in order...thanks Kev for the rough wiring, thanks dad for the source water plumbing... the plumber ran the drains, we did the rest--in spite of the plumber's misguided advice about how to run the fixture vents (yes, if in doubt, take them up to the attic, don't tie them into the main stack under the 2nd floor bathroom--good to know, now).

Of course, there's all of the outside stuff too. Stacey has some great flowers, and Henry has a new swingset. For those of you who ponder such things, putting one of those things together is much easier than it sounds.

A few new flower gardens and yes, tomatoes in pots adorn the back patio.

This time of year, the backyard is almost a green jungle tunnel. Note: the Oak-leaved hydrangea (foreground, right side) has to be ~35 years old...

Henry's new home away from home.

When we moved in, this monster grape-vine was eating the 50ft tall tree behind it. Now, it hasn't been "tamed", but it's growing at least a little less voraciously. Maybe next year we'll get grapes!

The new tree on the right is a crab-apple. This part of the yard was a funky smelling goldfish pond last summer.

The rasberry patch. If you like rasberry's, you'd better beat Henry to this corner otherwise you won't see any berries, let alone be able to pick any to eat.