Anything Goes - April 15, 2014

Greetings...

It's tax day in the good 'ole U.S.A. The day that causes most people to stress over, even if they are getting a refund. We know this day is coming, the date this day is on, and what we need to file, but like people who are chronic procrastinators, a panic hits that cause the taxpayer to search for papers, receipts, and forms that they have no idea as to where their location is...

Usually, the people getting a refund are a little more organized and file as soon as they are able to, not that there aren't procrastinators in this category also. The ones having to write a check to the I.R.S. try to hold off giving the government their money to the last possible moment, and you can't blame them given the amount of waste the government spends with the taxes we have to fork over every paycheck...

People may or may not be afraid of the police, the military, or the boogeyman, but say I.R.S. or the equally frightening word A.U.D.I.T and a chill goes up and down one's spine...

Why is this? Maybe because Al Capone murdered loads of people, made money selling drugs and booze during prohibition and the only one who could get him was the I.R.S. for tax evasion...

Oh well, probably why there has never been a much-needed tax revolt, this branch of the government is wayyyy too powerful!!!

By the way, if I disappear or reappear under the new name of "Hilda Hideaway", you'll know why!!!

Hmmmmm...

For the past month or so, my backyard has been getting a partial renovation. Many of you may remember the problem I have had for years trying to maintain a lush, green grassy area in my back yard. Between the rabbits and a bad Grub worm infestation, sodding and re-sodding the area a total of five times in six years was unsuccessful and we finally gave up and came up with an alternative...

The large grassy area is now a paver patio with a four-columned water fountain and waterfall which was built at the edge of the patio. Because I still wanted some "green", a section of fake grass was put in, which Moosie and Winston love to sprawl out on...

There are four stone pots on the pillars that will have flowers in them. While the design of this was being worked on with me and the guy that does this sort of thing, I came up with an idea after he told me the fountain would be an auto-fill fountain and the flower pots would have an auto-watering system. I asked him if it was possible for him to build a giant-sized auto-fill water bowl for the dogs! Without hesitation he said, "no problem" and like the whole waterfall/column thingy, he also built this thing from scratch. The cool thing is he got an extra flower urn and matched it to the pots on the columns!

The poochies love it and it is always full. We clean it about twice a week because everyone with a dog knows that dog drool is the same consistency of Elmer's Glue!

Moosie likes it, but what she REALLY loves is drinking from the waterfall when it turns on three times a day. She stands there and slurps the water as it comes out, which of course, means the fountain has to be cleaned as often as the "auto-bowl"...

The flowers and plants are supposed to be in within a week or two, or...when Omar gets around to it. He did thank me for having this project done before Summer arrived. He told me that people, such as myself, that came from the Midwest always seem to wait until Summer to have projects done rather than during the cooler times. I admit, it took me a long time to re-think the habits I grew up with in Illinois. I no longer have to wait until the threat of frost is over in May and now get started in January here in Arizona...

So, now I know you clean your house thoroughly in the Summer when you're locked in from the heat and get whatever you need done outside before Hell arrives! Who knows, maybe when it is all done, I'll take some pictures to share with all of you!

:-)

Questions? Comments? Email Jamie

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