Deck progress and porch pals

Mitch and Rob scrubbed mold and dirt off the wood and railings on the back deck Friday evening. They spent this morning painting and completed more than half the deck and should finish up by Monday eve.

On the porch outside the kitchen, Jeffrey took an afternoon sunshine break with Miles, a Border Collie/Newfoundland mix Jeffrey rescued nine years ago.

Front to back

I realized I hadn't taken a photo showing off the front of the house. I merged three photos into one thanks to the magic of Photoshop, taken yesterday in muted morning light. And here's the back view again from my first posting earlier this month.

New blooms follow rain

Two days of rain are over. No more acorns falling on the roof making funny plinking sounds. All the moisture brought out some new blossoms in the front yard.

I thought the pink blossoms might be azaleas, but Shannan says they are vinca. These dainty blue flowers appeared from the potted bush next to the front lamp post. Ms. Marley identified the blue flowers as a plumbago plant. It's one of her favorites, she writes, "because of its dependability, beauty and lack of need of care." That's my kind of plant.

Marley also says the flowers I thought looked like peonies are actually confederate rose, a hibiscus or rose mallow plant. If we're lucky the pink, red and white blossoms will keep on popping.

Roofing repairs

Handymen Mitch and Rob teamed up this past Saturday to put a facelift on the front of the house. A couple of the fascia boards had rotted and they discovered the underlying board in the corner needed additional protection from further water damage. They sealed it with metal flashing, nailed the new boards in place, painted them and then painted all the boards along the front. Mitch took a paint chip to Lowes and they match it perfectly.

Mitch practices a ballet move while stretching over the prickly plant in front of the carport.

Olive's adventures

I've been disconnected for more than a week while switching internet providers. Nice to be back online!

Olive was barking her little head off last week in the lower corner of the backyard. Much to her delight, she discovered a turtle. The barking didn't seem to faze the turtle, who was (fortunately) lumbering along on the other side of the fence.

For those of you who haven't met the mighty Min Pin, here she is exploring the rock wall that runs along the back deck outside the kitchen. Behind her is a big drop to the back yard below. Olive, get off the wall!

Change of view

Over the next couple days we are leaving this view looking out the kitchen door into the back yard in Pooler, GA:

And moving 43 miles west to Statesboro for this view:

We are feeling mighty grateful.

Backyard beauties

Three things stopped me this afternoon in the backyard. Marley, these are for you.

What was in there?

Marley's things have been boxed up in a couple different rooms in the house and also in two outside storage sheds. She is wondering what has been packed - and what the heck is where.

Below is the middle room and closet downstairs. Big boxes are full of books, says Tammy, and some are marked "Scott's clothes."  The suede wrap-around chair is also in there but hidden from view.

Below are snapshots of the storage sheds when we first opened the doors. Image on left is the shed beside the carport and right is the back shed that I snapped with my iPhone so the quality isn't great.

A vertical view of the back shed showing stuff stored above including an oriental rug, lamps, rocking chair and more goodies. I loaded in the office chair and white cart moved the box from one corner to atop of the printer/stand.

Kitchen items are in these boxes in the living room.

Here we go

Three images merged into one of the back of the house

Why Suna Yamma? It's the name of the house my husband and I have the privilege of leasing for the next 12 months in Statesboro, GA, tucked away on a wooded acre across the street from Georgia Southern University. 

Marley Dow, who owns the house, suggested the name means "sand ridge." This makes sense because the house is a split level built into a sloping lot of sandy soil. Her daughter, Shannan McNair, thought it could mean, "looking forward." I smiled when I read her definition because it applies to both the house and my life.