Townhome Gardening

Posted on June 30, 2013 by Clarke

Last summer I was working difficult hours and didn’t have the inclination to do any gardening at our house. With the big change a month ago came the desire to spruce up our concrete with a little color.

Yes, concrete. My wife and I live in a townhome with very little garden space. What little space is available gets planted and maintained by our homeowners association. We do have a fair amount of concrete between the home and the garden space, and that is what I use to add color to the otherwise drab gray.

With the exception of last year, each May I have my mom over and we plan what we’re going to plant. We make a trip out to Al’s Garden Center and then come home with a few treasures that are aching for quality soil. It’s a fun mother-son outing, and she enjoys it quite a bit. Mom is a green thumb and always has helpful advice.

The front porch gets morning sun and the back of the house gets hot afternoon sun. There’s little room to plant much in the back, but I do grow a tomato plant there with excellent results.

Mom and I got together on May 18 to plant this summer’s color bowls. Below are a few pictures of what we did followed by progress photos taken yesterday, June 29. Everything is looking good, but I caught a few of these plants between blooms:

We’ve had a fair amount of rain over the past six weeks. We’re currently experiencing some sun and heat, which will help growth. I’ll post more pictures mid-summer.

A New Normal

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Clarke

“Heart Attack Clarke.” That’s the nickname a friend at work gave me recently. Fortunately, it has nothing to do with my cardiovascular system or stress levels. Rather, it marks a change of attitude following a very difficult year.

During the spring of 2012 I abruptly transitioned onto the graveyard shift, and the major change in hours put a strain on both my marriage and health. My wife and I worked within the parameters as best as we could. Physically, though, I was exhausted most of the time, and weekends left me feeling jet-lagged. Melatonin quickly became my friend, as did the couch.

The collateral damage in all of this included household projects and spending time with friends. Other than playing on my soccer team, I wasn’t hanging out with people all that much. Being on an opposite schedule and fighting fatigue didn’t leave me a whole lot of energy for socializing.

Then, something remarkable happened. My schedule changed significantly for the better a month ago. I’m back on days with new duties and the opportunity to work closely with some folks I really respect. Couple that with being around people again on a daily basis, and I’m one happy employee!

Getting sleep, enjoying the long daylight hours of early summer, and rediscovering gratitude for being alive led to my new nickname. My friend was reminded of heart attack victims who almost die but come back from the brink with a new lease on life. While it certainly wasn’t a near-death experience, working graveyard did kill my joy. Although I never want to live through anything like it again, I’m grateful for the new outlook that has been produced.

These days I’m making up for lost time. Household projects I couldn’t be bothered with are completed. Plants are planted. Windows are washed. Home thermostats are installed. My wife and I attend events. My workouts are better. Everyone gets a smile and a hello in the halls at work as though I hadn’t seen them in a year, which of course is true! Yep, I’m back, and my family has also taken notice — glad their husband and son is living again and not just existing until his next nap.

All of this good news does mean I’m a little behind in updating this blog. I’ve still got multiple chapters to write in both the Newport Tales and Trials, Joys and Life Lessons With Fish Tacos series. They haven’t been forgotten, and I will get back to them in the near-term. But, you’ll have to excuse me for now as the patio garden, the summer sun, and my wife need my attention. Life is good…

An Anniversary at 700 Feet

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Clarke

Seven years ago, on a warm Saturday afternoon, Lisa and I were married. We’ve had a number of adventures together since then. Some of them have been fun. Others have been trying. Driving in heavy traffic at night through Waikiki side streets is one of the latter!

With my birthday and our anniversary falling around the same date, Lisa planned quite a surprise this year that added yet another fun adventure to our list. We spent the weekend at a lovely bed and breakfast in Oregon wine country. The DreamGiver’s Inn was a perfect base for our activities. It was so quiet and a great place to unwind. We also did some wine tasting at the famed Stoller Family Estate.

The highlight of the weekend, though, was our hot air balloon flight with Vista Balloon Adventures. Apparently, both of us had always wanted to try this but had never expressed it to one another. Big points to my wife for the creative idea!

We flew on the Thunder with pilot and co-owner Roger Anderson. It was a beautiful morning and just the right temperature. Weather prevented us from leaving from the air park in Newberg, so we drove a few miles down the road to the farming community of St. Paul. The flight lasted about an hour and was followed by brunch.

Soaring 700 to 800 feet above the earth afforded a fantastic view of all the fields and their color patterns. Everything was so peaceful and pretty from that altitude. The wind gently carried the balloon above the landscape with altitude determined by the hot air inside the canopy.

Rather than describing the flight in words, here’s the view from a few hundred feet: