First daffodils of the season

by Eric on March 3, 2010

A single Yellow daffodil, and multiple=Last night we got one of those strange Texas storms.  Heavy rains rolled in sometime after we went to sleep, and this morning when I woke up, the birds were chirping, and there was that great smell that happens in the mornings after it rains.

Of course, one of the the first things I do every morning is make a pot of Peet’s coffee, and then open the french doors to our red deck and take a look out back.  When it rains here in Austin, it’s usually a torrential downpour for a couple of hours. 1-2 inches a night isn’t uncommon  I’m guessing that’s what we got last night, as there is a bit of standing water left in some patches of the yard.  I’m gonna have to work on the drainage issues later this year, and try to get the patches of bermuda grass to grow back in.

What I was most interested in was over against my south fence.  Last fall I prepared a couple of beds of bulbs, and over the last few weeks we have been watching and anxiously waiting the spring blooms.  This is the third post in the series of four:

  1. the first was planting the beds
  2. the second was sprouting bulbs,
  3. this post is the third, with the first bloom,
  4. and the last one will be  when the daffodils are in full bloom.

Since it is so early (March 1), I’m hoping to get a great display throughout the end of winter, and most of spring.

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Oh, Hello Friend package exchange

blog package exchange

by Eric on March 1, 2010

Who doesn’t love to get something incredible in the mail.  I know I do.  And sometime next month I will.  Danni over at oh, hello friend has done it again.  Last year I was too late to sign up for the package give-away, but this year, I had it starred in my Google Reader, and as soon as I learned about it, I signed up.  And I was still #200+.

Let me just say that I’ve been thinking about what to give, and I’ve got something extra special in store for the person that gets my name.

Stay tuned, because all my regular readers will know what it is when I send it out.

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Installing ikea recessed lighting – Blixt recessed lights Part 2

February 26, 2010
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Who puts recessed lighting in a garage?
I do!
My regular readers know that my garage is the testing ground for all my modern home projects.  To me, the primary job of a garage is to hold your car(s), but so often it doubles as a workshop.  This is what happens to me, and about 150 million [...]

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Installing ikea recessed lighting – Blixt recessed lights Part 1

February 1, 2010
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Where can you find 3 recessed halogen lights for under $20?  Ikea of course.  These little lights (they are about 3″ across) come 3 to a pack and require a bit more assembly work than the usual Ikea project.
But I’ve put a lot of Ikea stuff together – bookcases, TV consoles, Dining room tables, and [...]

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How to fix a clogged kitchen sink

January 28, 2010
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I was planning on doing a post today about this really cool bank of drawers I’m making for my workbench. But instead of spending my spare time today cutting the pieces for the drawers, I had to fix a clogged drain under my kitchen sink.
I love to cook, but, it’s not often that I [...]

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Riley & His Friend

January 26, 2010
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OK, I know this has absolutely nothing to do with a garage, or house repair, or decorating. But my Westie loves his squirrel.

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Eiffel Tower #1

January 14, 2010
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Antique Glass pulls (reproduction)

January 11, 2010
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An antique touch to the modern glass door bookcases in my wife’s office.

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Agriturismo La Rocca

January 7, 2010
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I spent several wonderful days during the summer of 2008 at the Agriturismo La Rocca. It’s one of a number of incredible little Bed and Breakfasts in Italy, that we visited that idyllic summer.  Instead of spending time making photographs, I just relaxed.  And ate.

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Ceramic Lab Glassware

January 5, 2010

I collect old labware. It makes me still feel like a biochemist.

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