With spring comes outdoor fun

I think?maybe?spring is finally showing itself, which means it?s time to go out and play.

Younger people might want to play in the park, enjoy a game of baseball, go swimming or even catch lightning bugs. It was a neat thing to do at night and only required a jar, holes cut in a lid and grass.

For the more grown-up crowd, planting a garden, taking a walk, riding a bike or sitting on a porch swing and reading a book could be entertaining. Thought-provoking conversations with neighbors is always fun.

Those who know me, know how much I like to talk and, in the spring and summer, some of my best chats with buddies in the neighborhood are the impromptu ones.

For husband Randy, anything outside is fun. He can be working on a car, figuring out a new drainage path or working in the garage?and it doesn?t matter how hot it gets.

I?m not sure if he considers it fun, but he also likes changing our front and back lawn so frequently that I have lost count on how many times he has done it.

Some of the changes were from fescue to bermuda to bluegrass and probably others. The reason? Not sure if I know the answer, but he has fun doing it.

One time he did say he was replanting the entire yard to get rid of crabgrass. Another time, we only had half a yard of grass, but eventually it was made whole.

An exciting moment for me was when the front and back yard were both green at the same time.

It didn?t last long, though.

In his quest for the hardiest grass, Randy chose to plant buffalo grass. Consequently, our front and back yard has a lot of ?bald? spots this spring?that is, except for buffalo grass plugs scattered a few inches apart.

My fingers are crossed that buffalo grass will be the permanent solution. After all, it is native to the Midwest. It?s has a thick turf and doesn?t require much mowing.

What I like best about this grass is that it only needs about one-quarter inch of water per week during the summer months, but can survive on less.

Speaking of water, Randy enjoys watering the yard and other vegetation around the house. In the spring and summer, it?s a daily ritual to see him outside watering something. In fact, one of our neighbors said she wouldn?t be surprised if a statue of Randy was erected with a watering hose in his hand.

All joking aside, my husband enjoys his backyard activities, and even though the buffalo grass is his umpteenth lawn project, it?s something he likes to do and it?s constructive.

It wouldn?t hurt me to consider adding a few hobbies. I don?t think watching television or playing with my cats should be at the top of my list.

Exercise might not be a hobby, but it?s a healthy activity and would give me more energy to do other things.

With the change from winter to spring, I also need to rearrange my closets and buy a few new clothes. Now that?s fun?and I wouldn?t mind considering that a hobby!

On the subject of new, I was reading about the new trendy color for home decorating earlier this week and was surprised to learn that emerald green is color of the year for 2013.

As with many things, though, I am a year behind the times because we are painting our living room in a tangerine shade. That was the 2012 color of the year. Not that I go with what is trendy, but sometimes a color could be a starting point when repainting.

It?s been a long time coming, but our house is finally taking shape. We aren?t finished with the upstairs, but it?s about half finished.

One of our bathrooms is out of commission. It does make for some great conversations when someone stops by. As they walk through the front door, it?s hard for them not to notice the sink in the living room or the toilet in the bathtub.

Recently, we purchased some vertical window blinds. I am excited about getting rid of our old horizontal ones. It was the right time after our cats decided it would be fun for them spend their spring hunting down flies behind the window blinds.

Regardless of how someone spends their warm spring and hot summer days, there?s one thing I know I couldn?t live without, and that?s air conditioning. If I go outside, and it feels like a sauna, that?s OK as long as I can escape into a cool room.

There?s a lot of fun things to do outside and I plan to start doing those things I put off. We live in a very good place filled with wonderful people. For those two reasons and more, it?s time to get out and smell the roses.

Happy spring!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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