plumbing, bookmarks, blooming

Last evening’s sky.

As mentioned last post Rocky came by Saturday to work on the industrial sink in the shop and the ancient faucet fixture that was leaking badly when the water was turned on. We only have the cold water connected since there’s no water heater. He had to take the guts out of the hot water handle and switch it to the cold water handle. It’s fixed for now, but only temporary because...ancient. Only a matter of time before it starts leaking again so I need to get a new wall mount faucet set. He also worked on the toilet and fixed it so that the float rises and shuts off the water instead of it running constantly. Filled it up, turned off the water to the toilet and checked it later. Damn, still leaking. That tank will not hold water. So I bought a new handle and float. Filled the tank, came back later, tank is empty. Don’t know where it’s leaking from, no water on the floor. That toilet has been a problem since it was installed when we finally got around to rebuilding the bathroom in the shop after the Harvey flood. It was a brand new expensive toilet that Rocky bought for a customer that she didn’t like so he gave it to us (she had paid for it and the replacement that went in her house).

It was sort of overcast Wednesday, raining very lightly off and on, just a tease because all combined it was still not enough to get even the surface of the ground thoroughly wet. I finally pulled out the slowly dying stalk of the last tomato plant that was giving up the ghost and planted a new one, different variety. I also replanted green bean seeds (again) because the first replanting only about half came up. I went ahead and poked all the rest of the seeds in the package into the ground wherever I found a space. 

I did a quick rainbow sort of bookmark and applied the self adhesive laminating sheet both sides. It goes on smooth enough but it looks and feels like plastic, which, of course, it is and I don’t really care for it. It makes it look manufactured instead of hand painted so I’ve decided to just use the flat crystal clear acrylic sealer, three light coast front and back, which should give the paper some protection. Of course, the can of spray I had was mostly used and I’ve run out. I’ve been to the three places in town that I might have bought it from and none of them has it so I’m going to have to make a trip into Rosenberg to the Lowe’s to get more. Here’s the one I laminated

and here are the last three finished. 

Currently working on another inspired by the evening primrose that blankets the space between the north and south lanes of the highway on the way to El Campo. I look forward to that every spring but when the expansion of Hwy 59, converting it to I 69, makes it to El Campo all that will be gone replaced by a solid expanse of concrete. Same thing happened between Wharton and Rosenberg which used to have muhly grass between the lanes which was so beautiful when it bloomed its pink plumes waving in the breeze. Now the north/south lanes are divided by a concrete barrier. Better road but not pretty.

More pictures of what’s blooming…in order: amaryllis, penstemon, poppies, mock orange/dogwood, and the pecan trees are finally coming out.