Category: Recreation

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In need of outdoor furniture repair

Because of someone, meaning my sons and husband, seem to have had a small party over the weekend, they or their friends went a bit overboard and now I am in need of someone who specializes in outdoor furniture repair. Around here, this is no easy task. I really like the furniture I have and want to keep it, but I know that it might be hard to repair or heaven’s forbid cost more than it would take to replace it. But I’m bound and determined to have my old furniture repair. It matches my deck and all of the other finishing touches I added that also mate the furniture.

To refinish patio furniture, I want someone who knows exactly what they are doing and I believe I have found such people to do this. I’m glad, since my furniture is not antique, but it is vintage and I’m really partial to all of it.

I have one patio chair that is going to need a whole lot of work. It is my favorite and happens to be the chair I always sit in. It looks like it went though a hurricane and was spit back out by the wind and ocean, after being dragged to yonder and back. I indeed will be needing a patio chair repair person who knows exactly what they are  doing. I know for a fact that the next time I go away, there will be no parties or disrespectful people here, but at least I found people who can fix my furniture, at a good price, so I don’t have to go out an buy new things that can’t compare with the good items I have.

 

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Possibilities of a small pond

Kicking around the possibility of a small pond has been on my mind lately. We have enough room on our lot out in the back yard, and I would really love to see what I could do when it comes to landscaping around a pond.

I don’t want a really big pond. A small one, stocked with some fish and water critters would work just fine for me. My dog could swim in it, and I wouldn’t have to worry like I do if he goes into the pool. I am afraid one of these days he is going to rip the liner, and in a pond there isn’t that worry. He loves the water and since the temperature hasn’t budged below 85 degrees in the last few weeks, it would be a great respite from the heat for my little guy.

Of course, I’ve not mentioned my idea to my husband yet. I have to come up with some very good pros, to counter his cons. We’ll see what happens, but I would indeed love to have a small pond.

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Weekend mini vacation

The kids and I are planning on going to Devils lake this weekend. Contrary to the name, the lake doesn’t have grass around much of the lake, and it’s probably the only lake I will actually go swimming in. I have an aversion to seaweed and mucky bottoms, so since this lake has (as far as I’ve noticed) a hard packed sandy bottom.

I think my kids are looking forward to this little mini vacation. It’s going to be nice to get away for a little while, go swimming and just kick back. Usually we rent a small speed boat or a pontoon boat for a day, to go out and meander around the lake, then visit a favorite restaurant that is on the point, which we actually have to dock up to.

So far there has been a unanimous vote that we are leaving early on Friday morning, but I’m thinking that the kids won’t be ready until early afternoon. This generally is always the case. I don’t care, I just want to park myself on the beach and enjoy my time relaxing.

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Keeping cool and dirty pool water

We’ve been having record breaking high temperatures the last week and this coming week it’s supposed to be even hotter. Of course most of the US is like this, so it’s no big surprise. We all have been trying to find ways to keep cool.

For me, it was a matter of keeping the pool clean. The pool and pool accessory place that I go t to has been running out of chemicals I need. One would think that being in that kind of business, these people would be up on the weather situation and the need for stocking more supplies.

Because4 of the heat, covering the pool at night, just is making algae form very fast on the walls and bottom of the pool. Tonight, I’m not going to cover it and just run the filter and pump all night. I’ll see how that works. A good skimming a few times a day will help also. So stay cool, my friends.

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Pool and Spa service

This time of year, everyone either has their pool ready to fill or may need repairs done, and my daughter was telling me that her husband had been looking into True-Blue-Pool-And-Spa.com to do the repair work on their built in swimming pool. When they bought their new home, of course they knew that the pool would need some minor repair to get it ready to be filled for summer fun. He owns his own concrete company and was able to get the walkways around the pool finished, but after realizing that he would not be able to repair the pool and then put in the liner himself, he decided to look into the professionals to do this.

The kids have been really patient for the pool to get finished, an it has to be kind of hard on them seeing the pool every day and not being able to swim in it, but they know it will be great once it’s repaired and since there is a heating system for the pool, they also know that this will extend their swimming season a lot longer. True Blue Pool and Spa has a wide array of services available for the pool owner and I personally would want someone to maintain my pool, as no matter how hard I have tried, I have never been able to keep my water clean for extended periods of time. I think it is less expensive for someone who is a professional to do this, and it would save money in the long run.

Summer is my family’s favorite time of year, so we are all swimmers and love the water. I enjoy the fact that we don’t have to pack up all kinds of swimming gear and things to have a cook out at the lakes, unpack it and then pack it all up again. I have a feeling that my daughter is going to really enjoy her pool once it is repaired and filled. Judging from what my son in law told me, it won’t take too long for this to be done. They will all be swimming in no time!

 

 

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Grills, open fire and camping

A lot of people are really into grilling. I find it a pain in the butt to do, despite of the grill outfits now a days, look like one brought their whole kitchen out into the yard. Maybe toting along part of the dining room too. I guess ya’ll can tell that I’m not one of the kind of people who like to grill. I am much more comfortable using a oven rack over an open fire. I think this stems from the years as kids and then young adults, camping trips. Now, I prefer to camp  in comfort.  I’ll come to semi real tent like camping, is a pop up camper that is decked out.

I do however, know how to cook on the open fire. I lug my cast iron pots, pans and skillets along with me, and also an old antique coffee pot, along with food that feeds an army in a few pots. I love cooking outside. I just don’t like to grill.

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Hot tub pumps and maintenance

For years we have had a hot tub that we’ve never had to actually put much maintenance into, but we just found out we are going to have to look at new hot tub pumps. This is fine by us though, since all of these years we have found great relaxation and enjoyment out of our hot tub, so it’s well worth the new pump.

I remember years ago, battling my husband about getting a hot tub. I wanted one right outside the patio doors in the back yard. Three steps down and we’d be in it. He refused to even look at them. At that time, I was constantly on horse back, getting older and my sore muscles totally made me feel so tensed up, it hurt. Plus at the time, my job was really very stressful. As HE himself got older, the hot tub of course, became something that was, his idea. Yep, right. At least it was one way to get my hot tub…make it seem like his idea.

For awhile, I bought the hot tub chemicals and maintained both the hot tub and the pool also. Now though, it’s up to him to maintain both. I have done it for years and it’s his turn. Kids are nearly all grown and if they want to use either the hot tub or the pool, they too will have to take turns at buying the chemicals and taking care of levels and such, because it’s my turn to relax when I want to and not worry about such things!

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New bedding decor for RV

Am thinking about doing some home improvement in the RV. I use it as an escape to write, listen to my kind of music and just enjoy the fact that I own nice, comfortable and inviting things around me and to be honest, everyone knows that I need a break from it all now and then, and all I have to do is tell the family I’m going on a road cruise. They know that I’ll be in the RV but not going anywhere.

I am in the the RV right now, and sitting here, I notice the family has more respect for this and keep it nice too. Unlike how they act in the house, unfortunately. Since I bought this myself, my husband respects that it’s my escape. When we go on family trips or what ever, it is “ours.”  When it pulls into this drive way, my RV has turned back into my peace of mind and spirit.

I sleep in the master bedroom, and I have thought out what I want to do, and I’m sticking with the satin bedding in all of the sleeping places. In the summer the family insist that the satin bedding keeps them cool. I don’t sleep on satin sheets, but I do know my thread count in bedding. 😉 I’m going to have my own choice of sheets and stuff. Along with getting more homey stuff for the living room space. I’m looking for sites. I guess thinking turned into wanting to shop, which will turn into a new look for the RV and cooler family.

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Add pool liners, pool covers to list.

Since having a serious case of spring fever, I got the brilliant idea when the temperature turned 72 degrees, that it was time to take off the pool cover. I have learned a lot of lessons by just removing the cover all by myself. Usually my daughter helps me, since I am so short that,  I can’t fold the cover back the way I like to do it, when I had shorter pools. I knew I should have waited, but the fore-mentioned fever that struck, made me wanting to do things, yesterday!

While trying to remove the pool cover, I noticed there were a few rips in the pool liner. It made me sad, since  swimming pool liners can be really expensive to replace. I don’t like that patch it, concept. To me, it may help in a quick fix. But I’d never half fix something, only to have it turn out to cost more money, that to get something that will last. I learned that 35 years go. Nothing is a for sure thing with a swimming pool, even if you have a pool person to do the work.

I was talking to my buddy Pattie, who also has had pools all her kids lives, as I have. I have always been in the water it seems, from diving Jr. Olympics, to swim events and just relaxing, or playing with the kids. Pattie told me to check out sites online and I know where I am going to get my pool needs now. Unbeatable prices, the people there know what they are talking about, and are there to help,  so it seems, and did I mention great prices? (smiling…) It’s good to have a place to get my pool supplies. All because the spring fever got the better of me, and I needed a pool cover and swimming pool liner! ( Have to give Pattie some snaps for recommending this supply place,  too! )

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Summer fix ups and recreation

Opening the pool is a big deal when May comes. Along with uncovering the flowers and plants around it, adding more flowers and bringing out the pool floaties, as we call them. I have to fix a part of the deck rail that a storm damaged in the winter, and then the cleaning of the pool begins. After the liner is clean and the water we keep in it during the winter is crystal clear, we of course add more water which is going to cost a mint…as well as ordering everything we need to maintain the pool will, as I ran out of a lot of items last fall since it was still warm enough the first part of October to swim. I’m so looking forward to doing these improvements and having pool parties for the kids and of course my husband and I relaxing in the evenings on the pool deck. I love the Summer.

So here I am, waiting impatiently for May to come. Not only to open the pool, but to start gardening and doing all the Summer recreations we do. It’s a tradition that the whole family does every year, even the kids that have moved away and have husbands and my grand kids come. After we are finished with the repair work, cleaning and getting the gardens ready, we have a big cook out. Everyone jumps in the pool at the same time before we eat, and all in all…it’s a wonderful time for me to sit and watch my whole family together enjoying our first get together of the Summer!

I let my youngest son cheat a little and jump in first when no one is looking. 😉