Chasing Summer

 

It seems it wouldn't be summer if I didn't chase a butterfly around the garden at least once.  With all the construction going on out there this year,  I haven't wanted to run around with my camera for fear of looking a bit... well you know, don't you?

 

Sadly one of our butterfly bushes had to be removed to make way for the new landscaping.  However, the one right outside the kitchen window remains.  Often when I am sitting here I see them gently gliding amongst the purple blossoms. 

Flying Flowers

Beautiful, Graceful Works of Nature

 

They oftentimes fly off just when I'm about to snap the picture.

So I usually just snap~snap~snap away hoping for a good shot.

 While waiting for my next opportunity to snap I couldn't help but notice this.  One lone leaf already sporting it's fall finery.  Uh Oh, can the rest be far behind?

Guess we better keep chasing summer while we still can.

 

Patio Before & Afters

 You may remember this from an earlier post.

Our patio had developed large cracks along the foundation and along the top surface, seemingly due to poor workmanship when it was originally built.  It seems the patio was constructed right on top of all of the trash and debris left at the work site.  Over time water was seeping into the cracks making them larger and putting the patio at risk for eventually caving in.

After receiving several estimates, it was decided that the best solution was to demolish the existing patio and start from scratch.

As long as we were going to start over, it was also decided to enlarge and reconfigure the shape.  The previous patio was ample, but our yard space provided for a more spacious patio, so that is the way we chose to go.

It was very satisfying to watch the work being done step by step.

In the photo above you can see the patio was in the process of being filled in.  Once it was completely filled, they used a small (noisey:) machine to "tamp" down the surface.  Best of all, no trash or building materials buried under there.  

When the decision was made to have the patio re-built, we also decided to go forward with something we have been dreaming and talking about for years.

It involved a large pile of rocks.

Some of them were very pretty inside.

The beginnings of this project were a bit on the muddy side.

Soon enough the mud was a distant memory.

As was the crumbling patio.