A realization, a slab, and a fence.

So I just realized that if you fall behind with this Blog stuff then you end up forgetting to make a post and then you post them out of order. Anyway, this is what 170 bags of concrete (60 lbs each) look like upon delivery in your front yard...








...and this is what the same 10,000 lbs of concrete bags looks like once you shuttle them all into the backyard.










Here is Sarah with the mixer that we rented...the process was pretty much: empty bags into mixer, add water, spin, pour, screed, and repeat.







Well, it is far from perfect but it is done! We were both incredibly sore and irritable by the end of this, but we were able to clean up and enjoy a beer afterward. And besides, it is just the base for the stone that we plan to lay down next spring.





Next step...close the gap between our yard and the neighbor's yard with a rebuilt section of fence. That's better. We put longer fence posts in to accomodate a trellace/arbor type of thing at the top. Maybe we'll plant some grape vines or something up there to fill in the gap and provide a little bit more privacy.

Who wants to stain?

We began the long a tedious process of staining our shed. Little did we know that each crack between each individual shake would need to be painted with a thin artists paintbrush. :(

You'll notice Boulder in the foreground, pretending like he helped. Ok, ok...he did help a little bit as evidenced below. Yes, that is stain on his face. But don't worry mom and dad...it is latex based and wiped right off...kind of. But yeah, the dogs pretty much slept until the work was done and then rubbed on the wet paint. Madison got jealous and had to get a little bit too...but was a bit more ginger with how it was applied to her coat and wasn't worth a photo.

We are thinking about leaving the shed painted as shown in the photo above and calling it the Modified Ying-Yang Shed....do you see it? Ok, maybe not.

Day-2-Day in Fat Camp

So Boulder is holding up well...in fact, he even seems to be enjoying the fat camp training "punishment". Two walks a day and a trip to the dog park or a run just about every day. And when we do go to the dog park, they have to run the stairs to get home...think "Rocky I". We took both of the troublemakers out for a run on Sunday...we planned for two 3 mile loops in case one of them pooped out after the first loop...well here they both are in their holding pen after the first loop (note the large tongues and the out of breath look...they were dragging by the end). Misty was wiped too...a long day in the widow sunning herself. She was not too happy about the dogs coming home and disturbing her nap, this is her mimiking the dogs with their tongues. A good time was had by all.

In From Oslo

Jenny and Tom visited last weekend from Oslo, Norway. Jenny went to grad school with Sarah for a bit at the UW and also for a bit in Sweden. We had a nice stay with them and despite Jenny's reluctance with dogs, Madison gently nuzzled her way into Jenny's heart. Tom is a big fan of dogs so he was loving it too. We toured around Ballard and Seattle and did some kayaking out on Lake Union. It was a great weekend to eat, drink, have some fun, and relax with some good friends. We look forward to their next visit and hope to get the chance to visit them in Norway sometime in the near future :)

WELCOME TO FAT CAMP!!!!!!!

Everybody, this is Boulder. He has an honorary membership to Team Upsall, currently on loan from the Chan Clan, while his parents have deserted him for the warmer climates of Estes Park Colorado this week. You will notice that he is wearing Madison's backpack (size medium) even though he weighs nearly twice what Madison weighs (note the smaller dog hiding in his shadow...that is Madison). Anyway, he looks a bit like the Chris Farley skit "Fat guy in a little coat". So he is in for a week of dog parking, running, playing, and all around exercising. He seems excited right now...but isn't everyone who starts a new diet and exercise plan? We'll see how he fares. I am not saying that he is a chunk...he is really (and I say this with a straight face) big boned and large framed...really it is genetic...I mean it. Anyway, Madison is happy to have the company and Misty and Jasmine can't wait for him to leave. They'll warm up after a few days once Boulder stops trying to chase them around the house. More updates to come...but now live video feed will be available - his parents didn't pay for the "deluxe" package, only for the "we'll take what we can get for free" package. Lots of love ;)