Who Says Summer Is Over?

Here's a bright addition to our back deck that I scored for less than $100.

Makes me smile every time I look at it.

2012 Giro & Backyard

Last weekend was a busy one for us.  We took part in the annual Giro which involves 20 friends riding bikes between 4 houses for food & drinks.  The weather was perfect and everyone outdid themselves with the menu choices this year. Because of our newly acquired citizenship we decided to do an American theme.  Our good friends, Andrea & Michael, prepared some fabulous sliders with all the fixings you can imagine while we made coleslaw, sweetcorn & Lynchburg lemonades.

picture courtesy of Tricia W.

This is Chris showing us how to make the perfect mile high slider.

And here are some pictures of the backyard (garden to us British).  It's always a work in progress and is looking a bit shabby around the edges, but it's lovely and peaceful.  We plan on replacing the deck boards and painting the railing some time soon.

The rose bush is gorgeous this time of the year.  Pity it wasn't in bloom for the Giro.

 
This is Ringo's favorite spot.  Oh what a life.

Backyard Bliss

Summer finally arrived last week in Utah!  I've never known such a wet and cold spring since moving here in '94.  Good news is, the climbing rose bush has finally bloomed and is looking better than ever.  Pity it only lasts about two weeks.

Here's some assorted piccys of our garden (yard).

 

I love how after midday the sun dapples through the grapevines.



nice place for a read

The garden, much like the rest of our house, is still a work in progress.  We practically gutted it a year after we bought our home.  We built the decks, the pergola, the paths, the beds ourselves.  We even laid sod twice (it's still lumpy and crappy, but oh well).  I even made made some ridiculously heavy patio furniture out of cedar which was really uncomfortable and quite frankly ugly (long gone, thank god).

I'll have to show you the before pictures, if I can ever find them.

Meanwhile, here's a picture (not staged, even though his music folder matches the decor perfectly) of Callum practising his songs for band camp.

Notice Little Lord Fauntleroy (Ringo) perched on his throne! Oh, Ringo!

Two Wheeled Dine o Round

This weekend we had the pleasure of being 1 of 4 houses to host the "tour de tapas", a semi-annual affair involving bicycles, bites & booze.  All with the safety of helmets, of course.

Sixteen styling bikes; some vintage & some new.

Couple of pictures of the deck sans people.