Garden Update

Grüß Dich!

Roof Woes

I am not sure why the previous owner(s) did this, but the gutters are integrated into the roof. Look down the valley to where two black lines converge. That's a hole in my roof at the convergence. Water collects against 2x4s buried under paper and shingles slanted toward this hole. The hole goes into a downspout and on this side runs through the foyer in my son's room. It also leaks. I found out recently that it's because it clogs easily with the sees from local trees. When that happens, the water does not drain and backs up underneath the shingles. Ironically, I think the design was done to prevent ice dams from forming and causing water to back up under the shingles. Until I can afford to fix the entire roof, I gotta patch this and live with it.


Here's a different problem. I think that, instead of lapping the shingles properly in this valley, they cut them at the vertex and expected the flashing to take care of everything. It don't, and now I have a small leak when the wind blows rain in here. What's funny is that it runs in, then under the rafter, down to the wall, and in at exactly one point where there happens to be a sheet rock screw near said rafter's covergence with the top sill of my bed room wall.



And this is what a squirrel does to your roof. I had to beat on this area with a stick every time I heard the squirrel because I don't have a ladder and I could not get up here to fix the hole. Still, he opened it up enough to put a nest inside. I got him out (yes, I killed him) but then some birds made a nest. I think they left after I poked around here too many times.

I will probably do the roof myself. While I like the hard work, I do NOT like the heights. Time to call Ken.

Removing More Fence

Jennifer at work with the reciprocating saw again.


All gone. Because it was up against my neighbor Barb's stockade fence (a good neighbor, unlike the cretins directly behind my house who caused me to put up my stockade fence), weeds and trees grew between the two fences, intertwining with or climbing up them.
Here's what happens when an Asian Mulberry grows unchecked in your fence. We had at least three of these, plus a maple or two. They are nasty, filthy, weedy trees that grow like carp in Onondaga lake.

Various Subjects

Chimnea: A cheap way to get rid of lumber scraps and brush. Note the new border around the herb garden, behind.


A posthole. I don't know why we took this shot.


Dinner: lamb chops!

Garden Report

White and red onions.Beans


Tomatoes.

Cukes.

We were going to use newspaper for weed block, but it blew around too much. Instead, whenever I mow, I bag the clippings and dump them. Even in the places where we did not lay paper, they are blocking the weeds just fine... and feeding the plants.

Barbarians At the Gate

We got up bright and early, went to Lowes, and got four panels of stockade fence and some posts.
We just had to put up a fence in the backyard. The neighbor's kids yell, scream, and throw stuff over the existing 4' chain link fence all the time. I come home and find some of the kids running around my yard or just sitting in my backyard like it's some kind of vacation. Additionally, when the whole family of inbred product of different fathers gets together, it's like Lord Of the Flies over there. We wanted some privacy, at long last.

First I had to get rid of an old stump in the corner (see pictures from last year in April or so where I take the tree down).

Using a reciprocating saw and a circular saw, I reduced the stump to grade. Brutal and primitive, but I just did not see the need to buy or rent a chainsaw.

Now we are tearing out the old fence.

Jennifer is using the reciprocating saw where an Asian Mulberry grew through the chain link.
One panel,
two,
three then four:

Sanity achieved.