One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

In my last post, I was talking about how

houses turn into money pits. Here's just a
few of our issues.

We wanted to change our walkway to our

house because the one the builder put in

was a hazard. Big cement blocks with strips

of space between where nothing would live,

but on which anyone could trip.

We paid to have the blocks jack-hammered

up and carted away. It wasn't cheap.

A new curvy walkway replaced the blocks.

And looking at this picture makes me realize

the solar screens we added to block the sun's

rays match the shutters too much, so we

will need to paint the shutters a different

color at some point.

The walkway made the planting beds around

the house look shabby. We pulled out the worst

plants and added new ones with drip irrigation

to conserve water.

Then we added small river rock instead

of mulch.

The new plants, rock and walkway made

the door look shabby, so Wild Bill

refinished the door.

The new walkway and refinished door

make the cement inside the entryway look

a little sad, so now we're looking at a

non-slippery tile to cover it.

Doesn't it always seem to take much more

product than you expect a project to take?

I thought this was overkill when they delivered

two tons of river rock for our little beds.

But we had to go back and get almost

another ton before we finished the project.

There's a chandelier hanging way up top

the entry that shines through the window

in front of it -- real pretty...EXCEPT...

The birds fly into the entry and sit on the
chandelier up there and poop all night.

Which ends up in a pile on the cement right
in front of our door each morning. Lovely.


We're looking for a replacement light that
offers no place for a bird to sit, unless you
have a better idea.


Anyone out there ever have this problem?