I hope you are in good health and spirits during these challenging times. Apart from the lack of concerts, theatre and meeting/dining with friends, and the cancellation of a planned trip to Portugal and France, life here on the mountain hasn’t changed much. We have put away all the winter stuff and gotten out the shorts and garden/golf/biking equipment. Irrigation running again, lawn mown, aerated and fertilized, and gardens prepped for planting. Got some tempered glass for table tops for the wine barrels and made some brackets for the gate posts. Tried to get out for a game of golf but we were rained out – the first real rain of the season. Finished grading my course – the last 3 classes were cancelled. Enjoyed preparing for the lectures and the interaction with students but the next few terms are apparently going to be done on-line so I think I will give it a pass.

Used a lot of firewood last winter so needed to replace with split wood that has been aging a year and to set aside more to age for a year before splitting it next year. Most of the wood (fir, pine and walnut) for next year was obtained free of charge – just needed to go pick it up.

Mizuho wants a rose garden so we have started to construct one behind the garage. Beside it will be another patio. Have started to dig out the garden and level the area with the Bobcat but lots more to do. Will construct the rose bed and then build the forms and place the rebar for the concrete patio before getting someone to place and finish the concrete. Watch this space!

Spent much of the month working on a bench for the front entry and a door for the pantry/laundry room. The bench is a slab of cedar I bought from a place that was moving, along with some other slabs, and then trimmed, edged, sanded and oiled. The door is from the Kelowna Mountain Equipment Co-op – they replaced their front doors with glass and I bought them – see February Blog. It has a scalloped 1/4″ veneer on one side (no idea how it was done) and straight grain fir on the other side. A friend helped me move it into the house and install it. Also completed the baseboards so the entry is finally done! Mizuho refilled planters with new dirt/mulch, weeded and planted many lavender plants that she had raised from seed.

This is our neighbor’s creek that we walk Taisho along most days. It is running well with the snow melt from the mountains.

And this is one of the neighbor’s many friendly llamas who live at the bottom of Booth Road. First time for Taisho and he was mesmorized and wanted to play.