made in the shade

we do a lot of time poolside. more than ever now with our investment in a new shade.



we purchased it back in may - but alas, i was being cheap frugal and didn't invest in the stand that was recommended. i thought we could make do with what we already had, but our ikea stand couldn't handle the cantilever + weight of the new "umbrella". of course d came up with a brilliant and beautiful solution after i showed him this inspiration.



he prepared a bendy board mold and used the old stand as a base, retrofitting the tube to stand higher. after the cement cured, he created a slat top out of redwood scrap.



now to build up the pool & area redo fund ;) in the meantime, this is the perfect spot for a morning cup of coffee. and just enough shade for the afternoon lifeguard.

rain rain

california is experiencing the worst drought in recent history. with rain in the forecast we are celebrating - but also cautiously aware of the dangers that can come with it. we are lucky to live in a very safe spot - with no fear of flooding or mudslides. our ground is thirsty - and the rain is quickly absorbed. we need it so very badly - and know that even a full few days of rain will not be enough. water conservation is at the forefront. we have worked with our local school to reduce the asphalt substantially to have the little rain we get enhance groundwater levels. at home, we have removed our lawn and replaced it with drought tolerant native plants.

and in anticipation of the rain, we have installed a rain barrel on one corner of the house. (the first of a series we hope to install.) it is convenient to our bedroom patio, where i have my collection of potted succulents. the goal is to use this convenient captured rain to water them. it will also help offset pooling in the chicken run, adjacent to this area. (we wouldn't use this water on edibles. i'm not confident about what other particulates might be captured, along with the water, off our tar and rock roof.)



we purchased this kit, and were gifted a food grade barrel from our friend john, an expert in water-wise systems.

installation was easy. d completed the project in about 20 minutes. (installation instructions can be found on the la stormwater site.)

in theory, we could capture 3,738 gallons of water with this storm! (roof footprint sqft x rainfall inches x 0.623) in our dreams, we install these.

now bring on the rain...






how to capture rainwater

rainwater harvesting

all decked out

i'd been looking for a large teak doormat for the backdoor for a while. everything seemed a little more than i wanted to pay - and a little smaller than i wanted to buy.

when d was repairing the deck outside the modern shed over the weekend (we planted a new tree in it and had to cut a section away) we had an "aha!" moment and used the scrap to fashion two doormat / transitions.

i love how it is big enough to keep a pair of shoes dry on (its the length of our extra-wide slider) - and not so precious that i'll be shoo-ing the chooks away.

(i also love the contrast between the weathered redwood and the new on the deck... looking for a natural sealant to try and keep it this way.)

meet the ladies

you'll remember Chick-a-Dee perhaps.

here she is with her two newest roomates "Miss Cavendish" aka "Candy" and "Miss Rafferty" aka "Taffy". (thank you mr. nash.)

they were two scrubby rescues we took in at the end of the summer. the transition was a little bumpy at the beginning, but quickly smoothed out and now they all get along swimmingly. (and looking quite lovely if I do way so myself.)

and we are back in business!