August 2017

It was a long hot summer here in my part of the Pacific Northwest, but I still managed to get some yard work done.  Everything was flourishing!  It was hard to keep up.

One of my projects this year was to divide up the last two bamboo and get them into 4 new pots.  I should have taken before and during photos, but forgot, as I was in the (literally) heat of the moment. 

Once you tip them out of their pots, you saw them in half (takes forever) and then they can be placed in new pots and add dirt.

They line the fence beautifully!  

In this last photo you can see how well the scarlet runner beans did on the old arbor and the lilies and ornamental grasses did very well also.

With yet another long dry season I had an idea to redo the landscaping in front so that next year I can lay in soaker hoses in the beds.  Also by leveling out the beds they will hold the water better too.

I also began moving some of the plants to a new bed along the driveway. 

The patio area became very scary as the season wore on, plants were tall and wide and it looked much like a jungle in there!

This is me with my big lily.  I'm 5'2", so you do the math.

 And the biggest cherry tomato I have ever grown!

Two of my brothers helped me purchase a large BBQ this summer, I confess, it's my first!  Primarily a simple cook and consuming few meats I was hesitant, but I am having so much fun with this!  I'm actually looking forward to my first "cookout" during a power outage.  My main dishes are BBQ stir-fry veggies and portabello burgers.

This is my local squirrel sitting on the wood shed looking in my window, waiting for a chance to intercept a small offering of seeds to the chipmunks - which she's figured out happens when they come to the door.  Is that the stink eye or what?

Another big project that had to happen this year was the removal of the back awning and porch.  It's been falling apart for years and now has dry rot and is dangerous.  Here are two "before" pictures.

My friend and handyman, Harry, helped me take it apart from the roof down.  Not too difficult and was all done in about three hours.

My next chore was to repair the siding underneath and repaint.  So here it is dismantled, at least.

And now repaired and painted.

So it's the doorway to nowhere right now.  I have two options.  I can put in a window or another door with steps.  This part of the mobile doesn't really need another door, there is one on the other side, for a fire exit on this end.  What this room doesn't have is an opening window, so that would be my preferred plan of action.  Now to find the person who can do it.

So that wraps up summer!  Thanks for following along.

Windows and Doors

One of the best things you can do when you adopt your new retro trailer or mobile home is to upgrade those windows!  These old homes are about as warm as a bread box come winter, so this is a priority.

The easiest way is to retro-fit them;  replacing the existing windows with windows of the exact same size.  In this case the previous owner found windows that were a bit smaller but did some creative compensation on trim design for the final look.  I highlighted the design with accent paint.

Ultimately you want double pane vinyl windows, and some that open.

On the inside you can trim them out any way you like.

Doors are important as well.  These can easily be obtained from recycle building supply stores by the way, as can the windows.  Great discounts there, while still getting a quality item.

This is my front entrance door, beautifully simple with a lovely glass design.

It's creative to integrate the old and unique in to your retro style home.  You can stick with the traditional things that fit the time era of your place, or you can just go whimsical and fun, adding whatever you like.

This round window in my front porch / mudroom really adds creativity to my place.  It's not really a window either!  It was a single pane of glass attached to the inside wall.  The porch is not insulated so this concept works fine for a creative look.

My outside door is an old wooden door with the glass still in tact.  I plan to add an antique glass door knob there.

While it is fun to integrate the old and unique, remember to use energy efficient doors and windows where most needed.

I welcome all comments and questions, so feel free to post here!  As always, thanks for stopping by!