After fixing the siding by the back door, I got the “brilliant” (sarcasm quotes) idea to do the west side of the garage. At first, I thought I could get away with just the bottom four courses of siding, but I looked at the rest, and it had a few small areas of loose paint, and then I thought about sun fading because I’d had the colour matched to paint that doesn’t bake in the sun, so I thought, “Go big or stay home!” Oh, foolish me. 

It took 4.5 hours to scrape and wash down that side. It would’ve been faster if I could have used the pressure washer, but so much of the hardboard was exposed by the time I removed the loose paint that I thought it would be unwise. Plus, I don’t have many days suitable for painting left this year, and it would take longer to dry. So, I wiped it down with bleach, PineSol, and hot water. For the record, I don’t know what coreids  use to stick their eggs to surfaces, but if we could synthesize it, the super glue industry would be in trouble. 

Scraped and partially washed. Saturday morning. 

Primed. Saturday afternoon. Had to move the gutter downspouts. 

Better view without so much sun. 

This morning, I started as soon as it hit 50 degrees, migraine or no migraine! I used Old Kitteh’s “Love Story” for the first coat. It’s close enough, and paint isn’t cheap,so I’m using it whenever I can. 

I did the trim, and by then, the paint was dry enough to caulk the bottom board (I’ll replace the rest when I can) and that stupid dog door. Who the hell chops a big,open hole in the side of a garage for a dog…ON THE SIDE THAT GETS ALL OF THE WIND AND RAIN? Anyway, I thought about fixing it better, but I don’t have time this year, so I just caulked it with paintable latex and called it good for now. I should have caulked it first, but didn’t realize how bad it looked until I had nice, new paint instead of sun-faded, scabrous, peeling paint. I got good paint, so I think one coat will be fine over it. 

I’ll (hopefully) do the last coat after work tomorrow, then put the downspouts back in place. Another Parview project completed (lots left to go)! 

​I spent the weekend scraping and repainting the west side of the garage this weekend, so I didn’t get much Bistro time. Just a few miscellaneous pictures.

I hope Radio Red salvia makes it through another winter. Blooms from spring until frost.

Morning glories appreciate the cooler weather.

Little ‘pider, big family.

No MLB sightings today, but there was one yesterday.

​Mostly ‘piders, and my one chrysalis. 

Tigrosa that C brought me. Big girl…now residing happily amongst the rocks around the pond. She’s in a plastic bag, hence the blur. 

Big barn spider was busy constructing a web before my paint dried. 

Huuuuuge Hogna carolinensis that P spotted on the patio. Magnificent creature! 

Non-arachnid. Hopefully I’m going to get one Monarch out of this year. He’s on the patio. 

EDIT: 07 October. I took this yesterday, and want to post it, but it’d be lonely all by itself, so I’m adding it here. Scarlet Pumpernickel shows up in some odd places. This one is down by Gary’s burrow near the creek. I guess one seed didn’t compost! 

Okay, still technically two, but one main colour. I went to Buchheit at lunch, but their computer matching system was down, so I had to go to ACE after work because I wanted it finished. Anyway, it’s done, and looks fine. 

Not much difference between Love Story and “Parview Peach”. 

Not at all a bad match for the original. 

If the weather holds, I’ll do the west side of the gradge on the weekend. 

My house is no longer two colours. Well, it’s still two colours, but it’s the main colour, plus the trim colour…and OK’s “Love Story” peachy pinky beige-y that’s almost right. I put one coat of paint on after work today; hopefully, the weather will allow me to finish this week with the computer-matched final colour. For now, though, I’ll settle for 1.5 colours.

When I got home from work, I should have mowed the lawn, but it’s getting so late in the season that siding took precedence. The bottom course really needs to be replaced, but that’s not going to happen this year, so my goal is to minimize damage to the rest. Since there are gutters on that side of the house due to the fact that I am less concerned with solid maple furniture than I am about keeping water from destroying  our house (!) that corner is now dry, and for the time being, I just scraped off loose paint. I primed it, and if the paint from OK’s hoce is still good, I’ll use that for the first coat because it’s close,  then have the paint for the second coat computer matched to the original paint. 

Scraped and some primer applied. 

I’m doing just the last three courses for now; the rest is still in good shape. 

Oh, and last Friday, I also fixed the display on the dishwarsher. 😉 

I tried to install Device Manager on my 7” tablet, but Play Store said it was not compatible with my device. It works fine on my 10” tablet, and I think it’s on the 11″ as well, so there was no logical reason it wouldn’t work on the 7”, especially since it has the same version of Android as the others. I downloaded APK Extractor onto the 10”, extracted the APK, transferred to the 7″,  allowed unknown sources (temporarily), and it installed just fine. Runs just fine, too. Liars.

Just some stuff because there are still living things in the Bistro.

I will never tire of hardy hibiscus

Spicebush Swallowtail, still a poop-a-pillar, and on the move.

My Mexican sunflowers stayed the right size this year because June was so dry. They still don’t look great, but this is why I will probably always grow them. Monarchs!

Blue mistflowers are blooming. Even the ones I didn’t water still bloomed. Tough little weeds.

The southwest end  of the Bistro is a little overgrown, and I can’t mow the path at present, but it’s lovely with all the red blooms from the Scarlet Pumpernickel and both types of cardinal climber.

Eastern Tiger ‘pillar.

This is why I don’t mind that the common milkweed has volunteered in with the gaillardia. Bebe Monarch!

Pink asters are floriferous!

I don’t remember planting this…

Not technically in the Bistro, but he does help me rest after working there!

From a NZ Herald article on a revolting Australian pedo in the Philippines:

“Capital punishment was outlawed in 1986 at the end of the brutal Marcos regimen…”

Well, I have to think that by the end of a brutal regimen, they’d at least be in excellent physical condition.

Jesus, journalists…REGIME! I think (?) regimen was okay to use that way in the 18th century, but it’s 2016, even in NZ.

Hm. In the style of just beginning to show potential…again, with bonus Fallen Angel. Ooookay. OR,  if you’re going to use the words, you should probably check and make sure you are correctly spelling “Renaissance” (which means “rebirth” and has nothing to do with potential) and “satin” (which is a sort of luxurious fabric, but not at all devilish). Even if I liked grey, I wouldn’t buy this because that would reward an idiot.