To Everyone's Grandma

Snakes on a Porch

So, I was sitting on the front porch waiting for Bill to pick me up to go to dinner (Our favorite Mexican restaurant), when I heard something rustling. Much to my surprise, this is what I saw. The snake is not that easy to see, but it's the black streak with the rings. I think it was a king snake.






The horizontal black stripe is a soaker hose, the vertical black strip is the snake.

Ted and Elsie

I saw dad and Elsie this weekend. Spent last night there. Dad got Elsie a laptop for her birthday. Dad and I spent a couple of hours trying to get his wireless router to work. We couldn't. Although, we could get a wireless signal from somewhere just not his.

Dad looks good. Elsie is having knee surgery Wednesday.

It's nice and toasty here. 90 in the shade.

There you have it.

Oh, How I Miss The Left Coast

Enjoy!

Planning and Zoning

Ok, here's the deal. The City has agreed to move the boundary of the Central Business District back to 750 E Main. That gives us about a block more residential zoning than the original line would have allowed. A good thing. It's not a done deal because it has to be approved by the City Council in a legal fashion. Surprise. Surprise. You have to do these things legally. However, in order to show that they are serious about it, planning and zoning removed two related items from their agenda tonight. It's not the best solution, but it's a good compromise. It has taken a year and we are almost there.

In addition, we got rain tonight. A very good thing.

First Pearl Essence

Here's the first bloom from the Pearl Essence Rose. I am trying my luck with roses. They seem like temperamental weeds. Mom always had a lot of rose bushes and they were always loaded with blooms.

Let's Make A Deal

I think we have a deal regarding the zoning issue. We have a meeting tonight where we going to decide on the deal the city is offering. The ultimate solution is to kick the bums out.

More later.

Backyard retreat in Fremont, WA

Backyard patio - Pre landscaping

Paperbark Maple & Clematis "Etoile Violet"

Herb Garden (Thyme, oregano, chives, lavendar, & lemon thyme)

Couldn't help but join in the sharing of garden photos. Here are a few pictures of our backyard, we have been working on for the past 2 summers. The patio, fence and stone walkways are complete. We spent the weekend visiting nursery's and planting. More pictures to come once we are all finished.

Damn, I Guess I Have Been Served

The current state of the garden with approprate horticultural names and links. Step it up kids!


The Holly Hock (Alcea rosea) It usually doesn't do this well. I think it is the drought.



Leucothoe fontanesiana This shrub is great. It seems to weather anything.




Chipmunk proof pot with a weeping Japanese Maple (Acer p. dissectum Viridis). The chipmunks have been digging everywhere including in potted plants.



Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus libani atlantica glauca) This tree is so marvelous I keep thinking we should name it.




Last, oh, but not least. Gayfeather (Liatris scariosa) It's just getting started.

So, there you have it. Back to bulldozers tomorrow!

Beauty on the Blog

Thought we could use some pictures of something besides bulldozers and fallen trees. These were taken last Sunday when it was 80 out. What a difference a week makes. 50 and rainy today. I actually think the plants prefer the cooler weather. I know the grass does.
Clematis, Poppy, Rose-Scent from Above, (Hopefully by the end of summer will be climbing up my arbor) Misc perennials.

Meanwhile

While I was visiting city hall, this was happening. This is all being done under a permit for a new driveway and garage. Methinks they are a little shady - and not from the trees. See next post for what I was doing.

Fighting City Hall

My task today was to get the "Notice of Public Hearing" application from the planning and zoning department based on the public notice published Sunday, June 3rd for the June 18th meeting. Here is what happened.

Visit #1 - Around 11 am
1. I asked Mary Porter in Planning and Zoning for an official copy of the item “re-affirming the zoning map” that was going to be discussed at the June 18th meeting. I also requested a disclosure form. Mary Porter told me that she didn’t have anything on that item. She said I should check with the city clerks office as the item came from the city attorney.

2. I then went to the City Clerks office to ask for a copy of it. The woman at the front desk said that Mary Porter would have the information. I, of course, told her that Mary Porter sent me to the city clerk’s office. I was then told that I would need to complete an open records act for the information and that Diana Threewit would be back after noon and that I could call her then.

Visit #2
I went back over to City Hall about 12:05. I spoke with Stephanie Harmon in Planning and Zoning. I asked her to sign the statement below, but she wouldn’t. She told me that she would get her supervisor. A few minutes later she said her supervisor would be right out. A few minutes later Stephanie told me that Mary Porter is the one who places the announcements in the paper and that she is handling this. She told me that Mary would be back at 12:30 and I could wait or come back. I told her that I would be back.

Visit #3
I went over to Planning and Zoning around 1pm. Mary Porter said there was no application because they weren’t changing anything, they were just renumbering the ordinances and making the map official. She said the City Clerks office placed the ad. Consequently she had nothing. She wouldn’t sign anything to that affect. However, she did say that I could buy a copy of the map that was going to be adopted. So, $25 later, I have another copy of the map. Mary did initial the map.

Here's what I tried to get signed.

I__________ am the _________in the City of Canton Planning and Zoning Department.On June 7, 2007 Mr. Jim Wilson asked to see the application to revise the zoning ordinance and readopt the official zoning map which is to be heard at a public hearing on June 18, 2007. No such application is on file this date in the Planning and Zoning Department.

By:____________________ Date: June 7, 2007



Who has read The Trial by Franz Kafka? The city does him proud!

June Birthdays

Brandon Maddy - June 17

Please add!

Work

Some of you know about NeoCon, the world's largest trade fair for commercial furnishings. We usually have several clients that exhibit at the show or have permanent showrooms in Chicago. This year we only have three clients at the show. In fact, we are only sending five people to Chicago. I am not going. It will be the first time in 10 years that I don't attend.

Anyway, we always do some sort of marketing promotion during the show. Most of the time it is some sort of item, book, notepad, etc. One year we delivered, to our clients hotel rooms, huge cookies with our logo on them. This year we are doing some printed materials that direct people to a blog (oh, like that's really surprising from you guys). We are trying to embrace the technology and experiment a little. So, here's the link. Check it out. NeoCon starts next Monday so we are still finalizing it. Feel free to comment.

PRODUCT2MARKET

Awesome Website

I just discovered goodreads.com. It allows you to keep track of books you've read along with those you want to read. You also connect with friends to see what they have read. If you are already on it, search me as a friend and add me. If not, check it out!

Late Night Lip Synch