Oh so pretty and witty and bright! *quack*

Look at my pretty radishes.. French Breakfast Radishes to be more exact. I just yanked them out of the ground in the garden at Jerry's house. I had to set them down to chase the dogs down the road but they cleaned up nice and I will add them to the dinner tonight... can't you just feel them shuddering with that samurai sword of a knife sitting there waiting for them? Mean.

French Breakfast Radishes are super mild. I have always liked radishes but I don't like it when they are strong flavored. These are not. With these suckers popping up leaves a day or two (it seems) after you plant them ya might want to find something else to do with them. They are great sauteed, drop them into soups (like turnips) shred them whatever. Ya know.. I remember as a kid planting radishes in our neighbor Sally's garden. I was so jazzed when I pulled one up... I took a big old bite (the radish had gotten pretty large) and it was hot.. I tried to like it since I grew it but .. I didn't... it kinda spoiled the fun of one of my first gardening experiences. But I digress.

David is finishing up the pex plumbing and the sheetrock with Jim. Jerry and Woody completed my front deck/steps/porch whatever you want to call it, and are measuring out the steps off of the back deck. You will see pictures below, be patient dangit!

I am so pleased because the front deck is exactly what I wanted! Steps can go down all the way around and I can put pots or some kinda crazy decor wherever I want.

What I also noticed when I went out to the site today was that they have cleared a bunch of construction stuff out and have started hardscaping! A retaining wall is being built with rocks we uncovered while moving stuff around. There are a zillion things going on at once out there.

So... after tending the lake garden, I wandered around with my camera, photographing what was left of the job site garbage, feeling a bit like an arteest and finding interesting vistas everywhere I turned. I should throw a tantrum, die my hair purple... or maybe interject quacks out of the blue into my conversations or something. If you are lucky maybe I will show you what these original pics looked like later. ;)

I am enjoying playing with Picasa and my photos. You really oughta try it.. its free! The link is on the right side over there somewhere
Ok finally, here is the front minus job junk plus a front deck.

Just LOOK at all that planting space!!!

I need to come up with a design where people do not just drive right up to the front door... and I am thinking a skinny tree or trellis or something with a couple big rocks there on the pantry side to break up that wall and disguise the path we made down the side of the house. We are also trying to decide if we should paint that cement block that is showing at the very bottom the same color as the house or darker.

Here is a close up of the front deck below.

(It has cardboard on top to protect it from all the guys and their nasty boots.)

Isn't it great!?

Can't you just picture some pink flamingos staked along each side! HAH.. just kidding.. more like some pots with geraniums, sweet potato vines, or coleus collections or something very Sunset magazine.

and lastly.. here are my compadres, my sidekicks, mi amigos.
I think they are a welcome sight sitting like that on the porch.
Geez... they have such serious looks on their faces...
so once again I said...

SMILE!

No folks.. that is not a Picasa induced smile... that is all them.