We've got an IG

This is Harriet. She is our sweet little 7 month old Italian Greyhound rescue dog. She is quite a silly dog and James and she get along well. He enjoyed being THE dog, but it got a little boring. Now he has somebody to hang out with and play with. They make a good pair. She's dark blue/grey and full of personality. We'll post more once we have a few more photos...

DIY Built in bookcase

When we moved in we had two shelves in this space. Being guys without a tv it left this open area we've filled with different stuff, but we were waiting for the right moment to break into destruction once again and take on another wood working project...

Enter the moment...



Add a little texture to hide the imperfections...


We build a little base at the bottom for a removable shelf. Now we can hide electrical cords or even a computer tower...


Next came the angle shelves...


The installation...


And finally, the end result.

My Burd has flown the coop

Unfortunately, while our guests were visiting us we had a late night emergency, Ananda became ill and we rushed to the vet. Not being one to do things halfway she was too critically ill for us to do anything...sadly my bird-dog or burd-en bid adew. Our consolation is that it came on rapidly and she passed quickly with us both there.

Saying goodbye is never easy. My girl was the most beautiful dog in the world and meant more to me than words can express. Karen put it best when she wrote "It's funny how the peskiest pets ... are the ones that are missed the most."

Here are some of my favorite moments captured:

































Goodbye my bird-dog.

"Debri" & "Avril" try on the desert

We had more Rapid City friends visit us this summer. Debbie and April came to see where we live and see what Tucson is all about.

What is there to do in the desert in July? Why camping, of course!!



It looks as though everyone is having a great time, but it was still 100+ degrees even in the mountains. We went for a brief hike, and as with most visitors as of late, we managed to have an injury (merely a flesh wound) and called our adventure successful (2 hours of summer camping is enough with guests on a short timeframe).

Next we were off to Biosphere 2 www.b2science.org . Since most of us (in theory) live in Biosphere 1 we thought we'd see where the others live.










Having taken in all the habitats from the ocean to desert to rainforest and more were ready to hit the trail back to the real desert.



As has become a tradition, when guests visit a transformational new do is often in order.



It is always important to hold still when someone is operating scissors near by.

Before we knew it our guests were off and flying back to "Rabbit City" - see ya next time.

Our Joey Project

Patrick is an uncle again with baby Joey reaching his first year in the world. We decided to try our hand at making a sock monkey or two in his honor. I have made the traditional one in the past and our friends had a sock monkey making party which inspired us to put our twist on the toy.

We started with some inspirational supplies:
















Then we began our fastidious work...












































































And the results were:

Where have we been?

Like everyone else we've been really busy. It's hard to do a catch-up entry after so much time. But most of our time has been spent working - at the job, in school, or on the house. So here's a visual tour of the changes in our home and life. We'll try to be more on it - time will tell... =+)

We began working on the backyard. We went from a straggling lawn to gravel and pavers.















We are slowly adding grasses, cacti, and other low care plants. We didn't want the sprinkler system and lawn in the desert. But we have opted to put in a drip system to keep what we have alive and as we add plants make it easier.

We wanted more outdoor space to capitalize on what Arizona has to offer most of the year - wonderful weather. So we extended the paved patio, moved the washer and dryer (hidden by a wooden fence and vines growing over a metal fence arch). Now we can lounge and enjoy the sunsets.



























































Patrick's parents visited us just after finishing up this project :















The next break we had was Rodeo Break (better known as President's Day to most) and we tackled putting in oak laminate flooring throughout the house. It's taken until this summer to finish up the baseboards and extraneous details. But we're pretty pleased with change.

Here's the original 50's tile:














Here's the finished living room and furniture we've built and or reinvented:

















































So once you've redone the floors and built the furniture in you home, what's next? You guessed it, the kitchen...

BEFORE:







































& AFTER:




























































































Once we were this far into the project we decided to just keep going. Why not?

So we took on the spare bedroom/office/art space and added some organization and color. How do you hide dog kennels? Use them as the foundation for the organization.






























At this point we were on summer break. That means that Patrick is still working part-time and Hugh is finishing up the projects that aren't quite wrapped up.

We took a break to show off the place and catch up with Sarah from Rapid City. We had a blast showing the sights, taking in some night life, and only having a few minor injuries...




















Since gas prices are climbing we decided to get a scooter. It is the new commuter vehicle of the future...
















To maximize our trips to the Mesa Airport we decided to have a night in Phoenix and then Hugh flew home. It had been 3 1/2 years since he'd been back. Here are a few shots of life on the farm:











































































































































Then we were back to another room - the bedroom...both bedrooms began off-white and boring. We've added a punch of color to keep things interesting.

Here's how it began after the guy at home depot told us how to get a true deep red color:
















































































In the end it turned out well and the color we were aiming for after all. It's fun to look back on the past year since we purchased the house. We've done a lot. Having an artist in the house helps, as he did 99% of the art on the walls. Patrick build most of the new cabinets in the kitchen with a little of my help. We've learned to tile counters, build love seats, make cushions and covers, and on and on.....

And then...as we take a deep breath and think about the future...in comes Monsoon...


















Have a safe and merry 4th of July!!

Up next - Debbie visits and camping in the White Mountains...