Stocking Time!

These dogs absolutely love xmas stockings.  I guess that's not entirely surprising since they're filled with bones and toys!

Xmas Parade

Dressing up in silly xmas hats and riding on floats can't be beat!  It actually felt a little bit like Christmas at the annual parade downtown this year due to the cold weather.  Those of you that are reading from locations that are actually cold, our temps were in the 40s, but still, its south Florida, its supposed to be flip-flop weather all year long!  And the Naples Daily News put me in the paper again, this makes twice in one week!

Tonight is supposed to be the coldest night of the year- a low of 30!  As crazy as it sounds when they give a wind-chill warning on the morning news when its 55 degrees outside with gusts of up to 35mph, this is why we all live here!  Back to 77 as a high on Thursday :)

Redneck Renovations

Sometimes its just easier to move the furniture outside when you're working on the floors and walls inside.  The pups thought it was an ingenius idea- outside, sunshine, and couches, all of their favorites, all at the same time.

Adventure Race

Its been over 10 years since I've done a race, but this one was different!  This adventure race started with a 3k kayak followed by a 4k run.  It was a fundraiser for the Friends group at work and the first time for this annual event, so why not?  We all had a blast- what a beautiful day to see such brightly colored kayaks in Henderson Creek.  And to have a candid appearance in the Naples Daily News!

Dog Modeling

The tile is not quite finished yet, but my beautiful dogs can't help but pose on the new floor.  With handful of tiles left to set, then grouting them into place, and the floor will be complete.  I can't wait to have everything back in order- we're all anxious for that!

Fan Upgrade

I took down the fan in the spare room to have the ceiling refinished and realized just how out-dated it actually was once I had a good look at it.  Not to mention, only one of the four tulip lights even worked!  So I set it out at the curb, and went shopping at Home Depot, less than 1/2 mile away.  By the time I returned, the fan was gone!  Now just a fresh coat of wall paint and some closet doors, and the room is all ready for visitors :)

bye bye tile

My awful tile is gone!!! This is really exciting because 13 types of flooring in less than 1300-sq. ft. is entirely too much!  Doesn't Sheba looks as if she's protesting removing any more flooring? 

Mid-way through rennovations

These poor pups can't wait until the ceilings, walls, and tile is done... there is sheet rock dust everywhere!

I'm on schedule to have everything finished before xmas. Busy busy!

Training Day Report Card

I got the invisible dog fence put in yesterday (with lots of help from Joe and Sean!)  And yes, we all tried it out to see what it was like; how could I force my dogs to wear a shock collar without me trying it first?  It felt just like testing a 9-volt battery on your tongue.  But it doesn't really hurt, just feels uncomforable.

Today was the first of 30 training days before the doggies can run unsupervised in the yard.  Today's lesson was to walk each dog (one at a time) on a leash and hold the collar in the other hand so they could hear the warning beeps as we approached the white flags.  When their head went past the flag, I jerked on the leash to teach them not to cross.  They were then rewarded with a milkbone.  We continued around the property to familiarize them with their new boundaries.  The schedule is to repeat this 3x per day for 2 days, then move on to the next step.  Here's how they did:

Maverick: I took him first so he wouldn't be nervous about where Sheba went without him.  He seemed oblivious to the beeping sound because all he wanted to do was cross the boundary.  And, as predicted, he spit out every treat that I gave him.  C+

Sheba: She loves to go for walks so when she saw the leash, I had 100% of her attention.  After the second flag, she was already afraid of the beeping, and would not walk between the flag and me; she would go between my legs or squeeze around to the other side of me.  And, as predicted, she gobbled up every single treat.  A-

supersizing the kitchen

Before the craziness began...

Who doesn't want a bigger kitchen?  After seeing my neighbor's renovations, I was compelled to knock out the wall between the dining room and kitchen. 

Sheba seems to prefer to lay in sheet rock dust and turn herself into a white dog, while Mav walks through it and leaves white doggie prints on my bed!

Step One: Insert Sledgehammer

Step Two: Invite Friends Over to Demolish

Step Three: Prepare for Contractor to Refinish Ceiling and Walls

fancying up the mailbox

Thanks Mom, for making my mailbox the cutest one on the block!  And its very appropriate, since I'm on the corner of Cardinal Avenue :)

Witchy Woman

I've never dressed as a witch before, but when you wait until the very last minute to get a costume together, you take what you can find in the costume aisle at Wal-mart.  Good times were had by all!

front door facelift

I've been hard at work on my big list of home repairs!  I tried to spruce things up a bit with a fresh coat of paint on the ol' front door.  Much cozier!

Also, I finally got my programmable thermostat installed.  I recently signed up for the on-call program through the power company, too.  They can reallocate power from my a/c and hot water tank for up to 3 hours during times of high energy demand.  They add a nice little credit on my bill in return.

Lots more to come in the next few weeks... stay tuned!

a sea-bean weekend

Good times with Terri and Kent!

Florida is a hotspot for sea-beans, or seeds from tropical plants that float around in ocean currents and eventually reach the beach, sometimes from thousands of miles away.  I spent the weekend in Cocoa Beach with over 100 sea-beaners from all over the country- what a great group of people!

Japanese fishing float

Not only was I fortunate enough to find 12 species to add to my collection, but I was also lucky enough to be gifted a Japanese fishing float from one of the guest speakers, Dr. Beachcomb.  The floats have an interesting history: they are made of hand-blown glass and used in the early to mid-1900s in the fishing industry to keep nets afloat.  If the net broke in rough seas, the floats circumnavigated the currents and did one of two things: shattered and turned to sea glass, or washed up on beaches in the Pacific.  My float was found by Dr. Beachcomb on a beach in Waikiki, which is extremely rare.  She shared a touching story from her book, A Beachcombers Odyssey, about feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders after the death of her mother.  She went beachcombing to escape her persistent nightmares and in the pouring rain, she spotted the fishing float in the surf.  And before too long, her outlook on life improved and now, many years later, she's passing on the good luck to someone new.  As a new sea-beaner, I am honored to have such a treasure!




These cute ones are aptly named hamburger beans!

 

Best Birthday Surprise Ever!

Thank you to everyone who sent cards and gifts- wow, I feel loved!

As you already know, my birthday is pretty much a major holiday.  And turning the big 3-0, this bday was huge.  My mom asked me to be home at 4:00 to sign for a package, but she actually planned a surprise trip and rang my doorbell herself :)  It took some time to get over the shock and confusion of how in the world she got here and how she planned this whole trip on her own, but we had a great time!  She even organized a surprise birthday party at Amigos which was just perfect. 

We visited the beach (of course!) and went shopping, and spend TONS of time doing projects around the house.  Several trips to the Home Depot and a few Benjamin Franklins and I now have a very cozy, livable house.  Thanks Mom for such a great bday- I might even have to turn 30 again next year ;)

Moving Up!

Environmental education is always a dynamic career field with people constantly coming and going, but I just so happened to luck out and earned myself a promotion!  We will all miss Brooke (and she left me some huge shoes to fill let me tell ya!) so we took this great little picture as a momento! 

The funny thing is that Sarah M. and I said way back in 2005 that we wanted to become Education Coordinators someday... and now we are :)  We both started at the very bottom (grant funding, no benefits) and have moved our way up the ladder.  My new position is very similar to the job I had when I was here before, but much more secure, which is a great thing in this economy.  Who knew that 3 months after I left NC, that I'd be a homeowner?  And that 3 months after returning to Naples, I'd be promoted?  I guess I am just plain lucky :)

Freshly Mowed Grass

I've always loved the smell of freshly mowed grass, and now I get to experience that sensation every week by mowing my very own yard!  Its actually an invigorating experience with my little push mower. And by push mower I do not mean self-propelled... its Sarah-propelled, and its a workout!  My watch dogs keep their eye on things while enjoying the fresh cut grass.  Next steps: repair irrigation system and plant flowers.

Pressure Washin' Queen

One of the joys of homeownership that I just discovered is how much I enjoy pressure washing!  Its like a super-human power to be able to remove that much dirt: just look at my lanai!  I continued on with the front of the house, windows, soffits, sidewalk, and driveway. 

BEFORE: as purchased

AFTER: almost ready for Otis to move right in!

Then I mowed the grass... wow, that was a workout with my not-so-powerful, non-self-propelled, push mower.  But my neighbor (who is a landscaper) stopped by to tell me I did a great job... and gave me his card in case I ever want to hire him instead :)

Ding, Dong...

We're finally home!  I officially became a homeowner on Friday, August 27th and have been getting settled during this past week.  I took some quick before and after pictures of my first weekend of landscaping.  Many more pictures, projects, and updates to come!

BEFORE the trimming began

AFTER a few hours

DAY 2: BEFORE

DAY 2: AFTER

Brain Baking

Mav and Sheb's have taught Peyton and Moxie how to properly bake their brains in the sunshine.  They love to lay on the stones of the lanai- the girls are blissfully sunning themselves and the boys are on watch for any birds or lizards were to dare enter the yard!

Palmetto Patch

Mav is having a good time hunting in the big brambles of palmettos- I don't know for sure that there is anything in there but he can't walk past without pouncing inside to check things out.  Such a hunter, that Mav!  I can't wait until he finds an armadillo in the yard- he won't know what to do with himself, haha.

The Dog Beach

Since dogs are not allowed on the beaches in Naples, we go to the dog beach to play!  Sheba thinks this place is heaven- swimming and dogs, two of her favorite things!  Maverick sniffs and pees on everything and Sheba tries to play with every dog there.  These two black labs were really sweet to let Sheba steal their toy... you can hardly tell them apart.  All in all, a good day at the beach :)

One Kick Wonders

One of the first things that I did upon getting back to Naples is... join a kickball team!  We play every Friday night and have quite a blast.  My team is called One Kick Wonders and our team captain is none other than Andrea!  We sport 80's uniforms, complete with knee socks and side ponytails.  The team held true to our name during our first game, with a final score of 9-1, but its all in good fun.  It's great to be back :)

Strawberry Fields Forever

Its been seven years since I've worked at the strawberry patch!  But I'm back for a few weeks and thoroughly enjoying myself.  What could be better than working on my tan and filling my belly with berries?  I started picking in 1992 and then worked in the U-pick section until I graduated from college.  This summer I am managing the pickers and selling berries at the stand.  And working on my Russian, one phrase at a time.  So far the pickers have taught me to say good morning and I love you, haha!  What a great way to spend my summer vacation- in the field at sun-up and home with the pups by afternoon :)