INDEPENDENCE DAY

Old Yard Ornamental Concrete Monument
I have rescued and re-painted, changing
only the background color.

HAPPY 235TH BIRTHDAY, USA
Today is the day 235 years ag0 our ancestors, forefathers, and others organized in 13 colonies and governed by a Congress:
(1) appealed to the "Supreme Judge of the World and
(2) resolved to declare their independence, and
(3) be recognized as a nation, the "United States of America" with
(4) rights to levy War, Contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and do "all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do."

Our area newspaper, The Baxter Bulletin, printed the Declaration of Independence, in its entirety today, so I read it in its entirety for the first time in many years.

The document has elicited popular phrases , such as "when in the Course of human events," but none more popularly quoted and included in many legal documents than the following:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

I wish to point out different transcribing and rewriting in revisions of the final document use the word INALIENABLE, instead of UNALIENABLE. Please follow this link for discussion of the topic. Apparently, Jefferson seemed to prefer inalienable. Either word has the same meaning. I suppose the official copy on parchment at the Department of State is the final word-unalienable. There are many intermediate copies, as you will see from this link.

Upon reading this document in its entirety today the third paragraph, following the most popular aforementioned paragraph,  was an important point I had forgotten. "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." [emphasis mine]

The writers recognized the need for government, whose power is derived, or limited, or removed, from, or by, the governed, which are duly born persons in the United States, or persons duly naturalized by a prescribed process, set by federal law. Somehow, I feel this aspect has been ignored by our elected officials for a long time past to present. Also, I believe as citizens we do not take our "powers" seriously. Of course this power is primarily to VOTE, but there are ways to stay involved, such as petition our representatives, senators, and YES, even the President.

How about on local levels attend governmental meetings to see how elected officials perform?  Volunteer of local committees which are established to advise or participation in solving some project. Yes, some officials should never had been elected, nor do they behave in a manner to have deserved their election. Yes, committees and commissions become raucous and disorganized.

Democracy is sometimes a messy process, but I'll take it. No alternative I've read seems a better choice. If so I'd move there.

This document has religious references referring to a Supreme Being: "Nature's God, Creator, Supreme Judge. After all many had fled their countries for the privilege of religious freedom, which includes no religion. Religious FREEDOM includes, without prejudice, all forms of spirituality or NONE AT ALL.

I have included one of my favorite songs, performed by Lee Greenwood originally. This version is the Texas A&M chorus, not a very clear video, but nice chorus. If embed does not work follow link here:

Impressions

On the Road Again!

If you think 'yours truly' has much rank in this family of three (husband (H), myself-NitWit1, Luckie-4 legged prima donna) then these two photos should be able to prove I am #3 back seat driver. However, in one photo it looks like Luckie may be checking H's driving skills, too.

She best remember who is in charge of filling the food and water bowls! Further she doesn't follow back seat instructions any better than H. I might as well same my limited oxygen capacity for my own survival.

This was a Saturday morning road trip to the big box stores to survey stepping stones for a path. We left AC on for Luckie while we quickly perused the selection. I found it profound that 4 different stores, 3 of which I consider box stores and 1, a farm store, had identical merchandise priced with 1 cent, yes, a penny, of each other for the same pattern and size. We skipped nursery and landscape centers as we knew it was out of our price range.

In the process I saw some Burford Holly that struck my fancy as a relatively maintenance free shrub to consider. I have to look up its hardiness, as I have discovered the dirt on my lot and at least one adjoining lot has a soil fungus deterimental to dogwoods, japonicas, lilacs and a list of about 20 other plants. There is no treatment for the ground, or the plant. That was after I lost a very high priced red dogwood I planted 2 years ago.

Landscape Crew

This post is a mixture of photos I've had little time to editor touch on a Duke's mixture of subjects, too.

The landscape renovation continues with the local crew of next-door neighbor, neighbor-behind-us son, and husband. The purpose, as previously stated, is to make the front yard as viewable from the street, maintenance free as possible. We are barely able to do the amount of yard work we both once did. Bad backs and knees are major culprits, but other deteriorating, aging factors such as COPD, heart, etc. are beginning to rear their uninvited heads.

Once a benign neglected bed overflowing with coneflowers,
 black-eyed susans plus roses, overgrown English ivy and
tall weeds, it is simple now. A few additions may be added.

One area of our front yard now total renovated once was a benign neglected flower bed of beautiful cone flowers, roses, english ivy, and black-eyed susans. This then faded patriot yard cement plaque was hidden among the ever heaven-reaching weeds. The plaque was renovated and repainted by moi. Since this photo, a solar light is placed by each side of the plaque. A small hedge plant was moved from another location by the plaque.

My paint job up close

Behind the plaque bed is two whiskey barrels with Knock out pink and yellow roses which  make small trees and known for their hardiness and little need for attention. A path is being built along an handicap ramp to a gate and spigot.

I expect to plant some kind of slow growing foundation plant like burford holly or similar plant--no maintenance will be the key on every decision and purpose.

Luckie surveying H's driving skills

I have several other areas to review photographs, and of course we are not finished. I also plan a few monuments in certain areas, but no fountains or bird baths which require some attention. My neighbor has a bird bath; I can watch and probably photograph them from my shady covered deck, especially if Christmas brings a newer lense and/or camera, so I can really get up close from that distance.

My new eyes are getting better and better. It is a weird feeling to look through the viewfinder of a camera without squinting through eyeglasses! I'm sure it will become
normal but I have to stop and think NO! I did not forget my glasses. Whether I end up with reading or computer glasses is still in the mix.

Even driving (or riding) is weird. Since the third grade I have never left the house without a pair of glasses.

This week I have another visit to opthamologist, a dreaded visit to the gynocologist, and I am going to have to see the Advanced Nurse Practitioner. My barefoot encounter with a melting ice cube, resulting in a hard fall backward is now 4 weeks old and I am still in considerable pain. Thank goodness, no broken bones or stress factors. PLUS I AM BREAKING IN A NEW HOUSEKEEPER, A story for another time, maybe.

[Tonight blogger speller has decided I am in no need of typing/spelling corrections. It is not working. Apologies. I know there are plenty.]

FATHER AND THE YARD

Old Miniature Roses Climbing
Through the Rails of Our
Handicap Ramp -This Bed
Has Been Renovated

Since I slightly missed Father's Day,  I decided to tie a tribute to him in with our current yard projects.  Dad or Daddy as I called him, was in charge of the yard, whatever that was at any given time. I once remember we took creeping sprigs of carpet grass from a neighbor's yard to nearly cover our own yard in Texas. There are several varieties, all coarse, dense and weed deterrent growth; I loved it, especially since grass burrs did not creep in, so barefooted days were a delight. It required lots of water, but its weed deterrent properties and bug/fungus repellent properties made the watering worth while.

We lived on a corner lot with a lot of hedges, trimming of which was my Dad's duties on weekends. Occasionally, he still found time to take us fishing, pony rides, fishing, etc. As my brother became a teenager he became adept at some of the yard work for which he received more allowance.
We rarely missed church unless we visited relatives, most of which were 60 mi. away. During WWII years I remember many flat tires on those trips. With 3 grumpy siblings trapped in the back seat, we, the flats, and Texas heat certainly tried his patience. There were no spare tires, just inner tubes and patches. I was fascinated by the patches which reminded me of patchwork quilts, as the patches proliferated on the inner tubes.

He was my confidante, because discussion of difficult matters did not become emotional. I am not a teary, emotional person as my Mother was. I liked to get to the heart of the matter, no matter how hard, and move on. Almost all consults with Mother ended in her crying; whether happy or sad; she could not help it. It just translated as all sad to me. Other members of my family are the same way.

Disregard Blue Flats:
This Wide Angle Somewhat
Shows Our Simplifications;
Left and Right Front Beds.
We have added solar lights.

Both were the best parents they knew how to be. Dad was from a family of 8; Mother was an only child raised by a grandmother and two old maid aunts. They believed in the hierarchy of the traditional family and strict discipline. Did they make mistakes? they both admitted they did. There is no handbook of parenthood that is approved, as far as I know.

Changing subjects, I have previously alluded to our on-going attempts to make our yard less maintenance intensive.  I'll have some pictures, too. The purpose of the expense of renovating our landscape was self-maintenance.

Again disregard blue flats. View to to
Left facing house. Hope to Have Better
Photos Later.

We first hired a lawn specialist who advised we "start from scratch" with several variable sized beds already in place. After swallowing my pride in losing long self-seeding and low maintenance flowers, I agreed. I had no choice. My prosthetic knees are no longer conducive to kneeling and crawling on ground, nor is my osteoarthritic, osteoporosic spine.
The beds were dug and dirt clods broken up and raked near level; the weeds, flowers and debris were haul to a refuse area to be burned. I stayed inside so as not to witness the destruction. Then a black landscape material which allows drainage and weed deterent for about 5 years was laid followed by 3" of enhanced soil and 3" of mulch were layered on top of the cloth. We bought a weed deterrent mulch for most of the work. All the mulch will have to be renewed in a year.
We kept several shrubs including forsynthia,  miniature roses, some climbing roses we inherited with the property purchase, and small foundation shrubbery.  In addition we saved 5 nandinas in whiskey barrels for future plantings. They will recover in the barrels for a season. I have two Japanese red maples maturing in whiskey barrels, too.

The Right Bed near Street has 5 Whiskey
Barrels with Transplanted Nandinas in them.
The Windmill and Barrels have Solar lights in
or around Them.

After three beds my husband and neighbor felt confident they had the methodology learned so we hired a neighbor's 16 yr. old son. He has turned out be an excellent worker. He is saving his money to buy a bicycle and open a bank account. I personally am impressed he is aiming for a bicycle, not a car....at his age!!!

The street view is virtually completed as soon as I decide we have enough landscape lights. Some would think I am a little overdone on the lights.

Now we are working around areas not necessarily in street view, but still messy like around the Hidey Hole storm shelter.

I  would like to pave driveway, but am waiting for a concrete or asphalt war...no gypsy deals. Besides drainage have to be determined and done expertly, or the surface will soon deteriorate.

A Different View of Coffee Can Begonias
We dec9ded to try to Keep Hanging Baskets,
Whiskey Barrel Plantings, etc. for Color;
I can still Prepare Most of these Items
Each Spring.