What a SCARE Early Morning

 On January 16, at 5:45 AM we rudely got woken up...

Somebody was ringing our front–door bell with such aggression and banging on the door as well!

It scares you!

Pieter opened the door and I heard a woman's voice...

Quickly done my morning robe and did greet her and invited her inside, out of the cold.

She was in such panic!

Wearing plaid pajama pants and a red wool winter coat over it...

I let her take a seat on our oak chest below the coat rack and she then tried to call 911.

But her cellphone was DEAD so she asked me to call for her, which I did.

She also asked me to call a friend, which I did and she talked briefly to her.

Then the Sheriff arrived and assessed the situation. He went into our front lawn, where she'd driven her car, to get info off her license plate.

Later he called for the EMS (Emergency Medical Services) and a backup Sheriff deputy.

That elderly lady was from our neighborhood but we never met her.

By 6:41 AM I took this short video with my iPhone as the backup Sheriff drove her car carefully out of our front yard—avoiding the mail box and not again getting inside the tiled ditch next to our brick walkway.

He got escorted by another sheriff as the woman's car had NO lights!

Pieter had placed two big tiles alongside his neatly dug out trench for water control.

You can see more here: {Pipe under Brick Walkway & Trench for Water Control} ←click link to see how our Felines supervised Pieter ten years ago...

She had broken one of the big tiles as she obviously, with one wheel drove through it...

One tile is completely gone (maybe scooped up by her car?) and the other broken...

We had early breakfast as it was impossible to go back to sleep!

One More Patio Added

In the spring of 2014, I've written the post: Our Patio Tiles Are DONE! (see link below post...) and that was it we thought. All part of our Water Control program. We did leave out ONE corner without tiles because we still had our healthy Hibiscus syriacus Jeanne D'Arc living there. See a post from a healthy shrub in 2011. 

BUT... our Hibiscus started looking bad and husband Pieter took starters last year, in order to rescue at least some 'Offspring'...

Meanwhile, with the photos of the tile boxes and all info, in front of me from the post about: Our Patio Tiles & Freeze Warning, I found them on the Internet! Home Depot had long discontinued them...

Yep, at a STOVER'S LIQUIDATION warehouse in Knoxville, Tennessee at some 7 hours driving distance from our home. They even were open on Sunday! So I drove there on June 11 of 2017, to pick up our order of 10 boxes with the Marazzi Orizzonti Sunset 12" x 12" tiles. 

We'd spent a night at a Hyatt hotel in Atlanta and from the warehouse I did drive straight home.

Photo is from April 26 after our pot plants had been moved back from the greenhouse and after all patios had been scrubbed clean to match this NEW one!

This is on March 10, a day that it was not 'wet'... We have had our share of rain this spring! 

Materials are inside front porch for protection.

Concrete is being poured by hand...

Our workers did a neat job!

See how green the wood work in our front porch was from all the rain and pollen...

That has been scrubbed clean too.

The old wheelbarrow functioned for mixing the concrete.

April 26 from the bay window area to the front with all our pot plants already out.

There are dwarf Mondo grasses growing along the edging.

New Patio Corner where the Hibiscus syriacus Jeanne D'Arc once stood...

Left and right are now both tiled and looking a lot better!

May 20 and you can see that husband Pieter took this photo in-between showers.

We have had such enormous rain for weeks on end and more to come!

Our Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold is therefore not looking its GOLDEN BEST...

Sunshine makes all the difference!

We also missed good photo options for the blooming Yucca lilies... They're all gone due to so much rain.

Hope you enjoyed this update!

Will visit you within a couple of days, have been rather sick but am on the mend.

Thanks for your visit and comment.

{Our Patio Tiles Are DONE!} | previous post by me
{Our Patio Tiles & Freeze Warning} | previous post by me where you see the tile boxes and name info
{Our Hibiscus syriacus Jeanne D'Arc & Our Life in Italy} | previous post by me

{Our Vinyl Picket Fence Extended}

When we did have heavy rains on Christmas Day, husband Pieter had a very close look at our extended Picket Fence from the previous year's Water Control job: {Our New Retainer Wall & Vinyl Picket Fence} ←click it.

He than decided it needed still TWO more extensions...

This is on December 30, 2014 after I'd ordered two more at the nearest Lowe's Home Improvement store and Pieter picked them up, together with some posts. He already had bought the concrete blocks and cement for the foundation.

As you can see, two of our cat-boys are helping him! 

Perfect day for completing this project, even a bit sunny.

You can see our huge oak tree being trimmed up quite a lot.

That will give the Japanese magnolia to the left more light and space for growing.

Of course, our neighbors agreed with this extension!

The foundation is done, concrete blocks laid and now connecting the panels to the posts...

Our Spicy girl is acting as supervisor...

She planted herself on a strategic point where she can overlook the entire back yard.

Our white pansies are blooming so happily in the Fiberglass Window Boxes from Flower Framers of Cincinnati.

Our Wood Trail is visible here as it goes past the big oak tree.

December 30, 2014 at 5:29 PM I made this photo after it got all done!

Our neighbors for sure will enjoy the view of this Vinyl Picket Fence as well.

Talking about neighbors, we have 10 neighbors surrounding our property. Here to the left you can see in fact three homes, that gives you an idea about the distances.

{Black Gum Nyssa Sylvatica Cut Down}

On November 5, I thought why not make some photos of our Black Gum Nyssa Sylvatica before it will be cut down... Later in the day, indeed Rodney from Soles Tree Service, did call to let us know they would start first thing in the morning at our property! 

We can call that JIT = Just In Time; I captured this large tree!

The reason we had to cut it down was obvious; it did clog up the entire gutter from our tiled patio.
Also leaving lots of leaves between our pot plants.

No more leaves that clog up the gutter or fall on the patio and even getting blown into our garage...

You can see where the gutter is, to the left of the tiled patio...
That was part of our extensive Water Control project.

Bye bye Black Gum Tree; you stayed with us since 1990!

Rodney Soles is a certified Arborist and his crew of five did an excellent job!

Removing the tree's limbs on the one side, on which they would let it fall down...

SOLES TREE SERVICE has the equipment needed. Here the rope gets tied to the machine...

The man climbs into his seat for starting to pull it down...

He is backing up the machine, while his colleague starts to cut the tree on the other side...

Our Black Gum Tree is being toppled...

There it goes...

Almost down...

Totally down!

Grinding up the stump...

Photo taken six days later, on November 12, and you cannot even tell we once had a large Black Gum Tree or Nyssa Sylvatica in that spot!

Did you notice that the front patio is nearly empty?
Our pot plants reside inside the greenhouse till spring comes.
We have to climb the ladder for getting some leaves out of the gutter as you can see between the two windows. No more leaves that can cause problems in that area.

Related link:

{65 Year Old Pine Tree Cut Down} | previous post by me from December 2013
{Our Patio Tiles in the Front} | previous post by me about the completion of our Water Control project

{Picket Fence & White Hibiscus}

One would never tell that only this past December husband Pieter redid our Vinyl Picket Fence by digging out a trench, pouring concrete and putting concrete blocks on top. He had to remove the Picket Fence entirely and even extend it with two more sections. Now there is no tell tale sign that we ever had a huge pine tree that got cut down and having so much digging done. The grass grew very well with almost a daily shower this entire summer. Only the last week or so has been without rain, except for Tuesday. So it looks quite lovely together with the White Hibiscus at the end.

We can't recall any summer as lush as this year's...

Photos taken by husband Pieter, except for the top one. One can tell that he too enjoys our new camera...
There is a lot of pollen for the hummingbirds and the bees to feast on.

Such a lovely green-white setting!

We love these great Gothic Picket Vinyl Fence Panels!
And we are blessed for having this part of the water control project completed before the spring.
With that much rain we have had, we were safe now.

With a view of our new tiled patio in the front of the house... Plants are very happy this summer!

The huge Southern Magnolia is so spread out.
Clouds are visible again on this mid June day; preparing for a late afternoon shower...

Related link:

{Our New Retainer Wall & Vinyl Picket Fence} | previous post by me
{65 Year Old Pine Tree Cut Down} | previous post by me

{Our Hibiscus syriacus 'Diana' - Rose-of-Sharon 'Diana'} | previous post by me

{Vinca Extreme White from Home Depot}

For the summer our Fiberglass Window Boxes got filled with Vinca Extreme White from The Home Depot.
The pansies from the spring had given up...

Are they not lovely?
Even our shortened Post Lantern looks nice with it.
We used to have it stand to the left but the Magnolia tree and Indian Hawtorn grew big; hiding it!

That is the newly added wall as part of the water control project. Looks great in the Benjamin Moore Golden Mist exterior paint color.

The Vinca Extreme White in a closeup...

What a precious find at Home Depot!

Related links:

{Our White Pansies & Indian Hawthorn} | previous post showing you the April view

Flower Framers of Cincinnati | source for our Fiberglass Window Boxes
{Retainer Wall Extension for Water Control} | previous post where you can see the Post Lantern away from the wall...

{Our Patio Tiles in the Front}

When I did post about our Bay Window area's Patio Tiles, I did not show you the Front of our Home. So today I show you that part as well.
Our Pot Plants on the Patio are small in number; but growing!

Again the Benjamin Moore paint in Golden Mist against the Sunset tiles that we used for the Patio.

You also get to see part of the Vintage Woodworks spindles, gingerbread and Fleur de Lys trim on the gable of the house.

Photos are from April 10, still no leaves on our Hibiscus syriacus Jeanne D'Arc. You find link below post...

The tile men also put CERDOMUS ceramiche Italian tiles that were left over from our balcony, on the stairs since some of the bricks got chipped.

Our Black Gum Nyssa Sylvatica  - a Wildlife Friendly Shade Tree with flowers and berries is still bare as the leaves come very late.

You can see the Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' tot the right changing into its BEST color for the entire year.

Also the Red Japanese Maple (Acer Rubrum) next to it.

This photo also shows off the Interlock Metal Roofing in Aluminum Slate in Aged Copper color!

Guess by now we've completed our home!

Related links:
{Our Patio Tiles Are DONE!} | previous post by me
{Our Patio Tiles & Freeze Warning} | previous post by me
{Water Control Project Finished} | previous post showing you the tile sample on the concrete
{Our Hibiscus syriacus Jeanne D'Arc & Our Life in Italy} | previous post by me
{Our Home with Aluminum Interlock Roofing and Benjamin Moore Golden Mist Exterior} | previous post by me

Related links where this stunning Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold, can be seen:
Wow...I think this deserves a thread! Golden live oak! | GardenWeb discussion...
{Lush Green Garden} |previous post by me
{# 1111 - Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' changing color} | previous post by me
{Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' in Sunshine at its BEST} | previous post by me
{Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' with Catkins} | Previous post by me
{Our Mrs. G. G. GERBING Azaleas} | previous post by me
{RARE Icicles in Our Garden} | previous post by me
{Energy Efficient GREEN Roofing Arrived} | previous post by me
{My Powder Blue Escada Jeans Suit} | previous post by me showing me in front of Grand View Gold
{Our Lovely Lilac Clematis 'Silver Moon'} | previous post by me showing young Grand View Gold

{Cloudy Day versus Sunny Day}| Previous post by me
{Blooms on our Windmill Palm - Trachycarpus fortunei} | previoius post by me 

{Our Golden Live Oak has LOTS of Acorns!} | previous post by me

{Our Different Oaks} | previous post by me

{My Silk Quilted Vest Creation and YOUR Opinion Requested...} | previous post by me showing golden oak

{Our Live Oak got a Haircut}| previous post by me

{Our Vinyl Picket Fence in the Spring}

Just to have a look at how our new section of the Vinyl Picket Fence is looking NOW in the Spring. Remember, on December 17, we did cut that huge 65 Year Old Pine Tree down. Two sections of new Vinyl Picket Fence were added, after husband Pieter did build that Retainer Wall as step 1 of our Water Control Project. 

That Retainer Wall underneath the Vinyl Picket Fence DOES keep the rain water from the higher street section away from our home.

Therefore I would love to link up to Theresa's: The Run *A*Round Ranch Report with Good Fences #3 - Just click above hyperlink and visit her incredible blog!

To the left is our Japanese Magnolia unfolding its new leaves. To the right you see the golden new leaves from the tall oak tree.

This is on December 13, only 4 days before that huge Pine Tree to the left got cut down...

The tall oak tree is to the right.

You can tell that the road is quite up high, looking over that picket fence. That's why the water came streaming down the hill towards our home.

Our cat-girl Tiggy-Tiger next to the 65 year old pine tree on December 13, is dreaming about spring I guess...

The magnolia tree was budding out here.

Just cleaned out our Bird Bath as it was filled with catkins and got slimy. Now it can be filled up again for our feathered friends.

Don't you like the new Spring Look in the first and last picture?

Related links:
{Our New Retainer Wall & Vinyl Picket Fence} | previous post by me
{65 Year Old Pine Tree Cut Down} | previous post by me