This Could Be You!

There seem to be two types of full timers. Those who roam almost constantly and those, like us who stay put in different places for long periods of time.  We come back to the same area each summer to spend time with family and friends and chose a different winter destination each year taking our time meandering our way to and from. 

One thing that people tell me frequently is they miss their gardens and flowerbeds. The thought of giving up mine was a huge hurdle and almost a deal breaker. One of the things I like the best about our brand of full timing is I still have fresh veggies in arms reach and lots of flowers, especially in the summer. 

Years ago we used to camp at a big reservoir south of our home town and there was a camp host with a site planted within an inch of its life. I always thought it was the coolest thing. I wondered what the yard at her home looked like because her site looked fabulous.  I have never forgotten her site and have strived to achieve that since we became full time.  Thanks to the ability to return to our home base here at Saylorville in the same site each year and the Rangers willingness to let us plant in the ground and make our sites beautiful I have become that woman I admired years ago. There are many sites here that have been improved and planted. Some of the volunteers who created these luscious, homey areas have moved on but their legacy remains. 

Five weeks into the growing season, things are looking pretty fabulous at site # 7.  Champ was sitting on the patio the other day an informed me I had 24 pots with stuff growing in them. How did that happen? In addition I have 4 sections of plantings directly in the Iowa earth. In all, I have two tomato plants, Butternut Squash, Zucchini, Cucumber all spaced far apart so they don't cross pollinate, Snow Peas, Carrots, two varieties of bell pepper and banana peppers, 6 types of herbs, three varieties of lettuce and spinach. My friend gave me some Hostas that surround my tree and grow in the shade along my patio. Pots with flower arrangements are scattered throughout my site.  Squash is starting to grow, tomatoes are blooming, I am on my second cutting of greens and the herbs are over flowing in their planter.  Flowers are in full bloom and my butterfly habitats are attracting a nice variety of butterflies, bumblebees and of course honey bees. Hummingbirds are starting to flit around sipping on the plants provided for their dining pleasure. Life is good. Here a few pictures of my little slice of heaven.

Flowers and Food abound

Herbs aplenty

Cucumber loaded with blooms and babies

One of two butterfly habitats with Zucchini in the background

The grandkids garden is really growing! 




This too, could be you! 

Until Next Time...

Make Your Own Mirror and Wiper Covers

The sun is  hard on wiper blades when they sit and bake against the windshield for several weeks while one is on a job or visiting an area for an extended period of time. Sun and birds can be equally as hard on the side mirrors and their chrome finish. Most people buy covers to place over them for protection. They can be purchased for anywhere from $25.00 to $60.00 for a set, online or at the RV store. I decided to make my own. It turned out to be a simple sewing project that I completed for $11.00 in fabric and supplies I had on hand.

Here are some simple instructions with a few pictures to guide you along if you want to make your own.

I went to JoAnn Fabrics and bought a yard of Outdoor Fabric. This type of fabric is designed to hold up to the elements and dries quickly so as not to mold or draw moisture to the surface it is protecting. It is the same fabric that outdoor furniture cushions are covered in. The patterns and colors are nearly endless. That’s one of the best things about making your own. Typically JoAnn’s has either 50% 0ff or a coupon to grant 40% off a regular priced item.  I hit the store on a   50% off week and got the yard of fabric for $10.99.  I used Dual Duty thread that I had in my vast collection of threads. It is a little heavier than normal thread that you use for normal projects.

To make my covers I used:

o   1 yard of outdoor fabric

o   8” Velcro Strips

o   Dual Duty Thread matching the fabric I chose

Wiper Cover Instructions:

1.      Measure the length of your wipers and cut your fabric 1” longer than the total length and 5” wide.  You will need 2 panels

2.      Press and stitch a finished edge ¼” wide the length of both sides of each panel.

3.      Measure your wiper from the top to where it attaches to the arm. Mine was 12”

4.      Fold panel in half the long way with right sides together. Mark the distance from the top to where the wiper blade meets the arm. Sew to that mark and turn the panel inside out.

5.      You will have a pocket on the top half and an open bottom half with finished edges.

6.      Sew strips of Velcro near the middle and toward to bottom of the open sides.

7.      The cover will slip over the top of the blade and you will use the Velcro to secure it together below the wiper arm.

 

Mirror Cover Instructions:

1.       Measure the Width and Length of your mirrors. Measure the depth of the mirrors. 

a.      The measurement of the depth will be divided by 2 and added to the width of the panels + ½”  seam allowance on each side.

b.      My mirrors measured 20” long – 11 “ wide and 7” deep.

c.      I cut my panels  20” x 15” to allow for the depth of the mirror and seam allowance.

2.      Cut 4 panels with the measurements you calculate based on the size of your mirrors.

a.      Note:  You made need more or less  than a yard of fabric depending on the size of your mirrors and wiper blades and width of the fabric. Take your measurements and determine how much fabric you need before you head to the fabric store. You may also need to account for pattern and repeat of the pattern depending on what you choose.

 

3.      Sew a ¼” finished edge along the bottom side of each panel

4.      Place right sides together and start on at the bottom edge of one side. Sew up one side to the top, I made a curved turn instead of a square corner since my mirrors are rounded at the top. Sew across the top and down the other side ending at the bottom on the other side. Turn inside out and drop it over the mirror.

I haven’t yet, but may end up adding a small strap at the bottom to hold it on the mirror. I’ll wait to see if they stay in place in the wind. I have a little fabric left over to make the straps if I decide I need them.

 

In all it was a fun project that took about 2 hours this morning. I saved around $40.00 and got to pick a fun pattern instead of setteling for  plain brown or tan.

Until Next Time...

I Found My Dream Job in Retirement

Of all the part time jobs I have held over the years, working in the Garden Center is by far my favorite. It checks all the boxes. I move back and forth between being inside and outside with large overhead doors letting the breeze blow in, it is physical in nature and  helps me stay in shape and I have contact with the public in a fun way. When people come to the garden center they are generally in a good mood, nurturing a hobby or passion just as I am doing by working there.

This morning when I was watering the outdoor area, easily an acre of trees, shrubs and sun loving perennials, and annuals in various sized pots it occurred to me that garden center plants are a lot like shelter animals. They can survive okay in the pots just as animals do in kennels and cages at the shelter, but they will never thrive until someone comes and picks them to take home to nurture and love. In my decades of perusing garden centers and greenhouse for my annual plantings I have been oblivious to the work it takes to keep them looking attractive and healthy enough for someone to want to take home.

It is a daunting task to maintain any plant in a garden center for more than a couple of weeks. It amazes me how quickly some of them sell. It is not unusual to get a pallet of 50 of something and have it be gone in a weekend or a mere few days. The name of the game is move the merchandise. Any plant in the garden center for more than a couple of weeks really starts to show the stress of their life from seedling, or transplant. Quickly outgrowing their pots and some in less than ideal light. The outdoor plants have it the hardest. Not only are they in black pots, they are displayed on pallets or open tables on a blacktop lot.

As Champ has settled into his routine with his duties mowing taking care of playgrounds as they begin to open areas of the park, I have settled into a nice schedule of early morning hours. My day starts at 7a.m. The first 2-3 hours is spent watering, deadheading, and condensing displays of live freight, otherwise known as plants. The rest of the morning I stock indoor freight, and face shelves in the indoor part of the garden center. All the while I help people shopping in the department and often help them pick plants and talk to them about how to care for them. One of the perks is work smells incredibly good!  Especially when I am watering the Flowering Tropicals!

I think it is safe to say I found a nice niche for myself a few days a week this summer. I had to retire to find my dream job.