Going back to the beginning ...

 Waste not one second of your day pondering if help is needed  ....

 The most full fulling part of any day, are during the times when I'm helping another person.  A small deed or a grand project, the feeling and emotions are always the same.  One of the best movies I have ever seen  is "Pay it Forward".  A very inspirational movie, just wonderful.  If you have never seen it, I strongly suggest you take the time to watch it. 

"How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world."

~ William Shakespeare 

 

 

  There hasn't been a time when faced with a day off, that isn't planned with something to do.  Lately, we have poured ourselves into Operation Property Clean Up.  As you have seen in my past blog; there is plenty of work to do on the property.  When I arrived in Florida, and pulled into my mothers yard, I took mental note of what projects would be tackled first.  It wasn't long, maybe a day, that we dove head first into taking care of a small portion of the list.

The front yard ~ entrance way

 The house ~ parking area

 

 

 The back yard ~ property line

 

With the list forming in my head, we slept that night and began working the next day in the front yard.  Low lying tree branches needed to be cut and placed at the curb for pick up {each limb/branch had to be cut no longer the 3 feet for pick up} , the flower bead needed to be weeded and cleaned out, and the back yard property line needed serious attention.  The vines forming on the property line and into the tree, is pulling the fence down; plus if you look closely... it looks like a blanket of green is draped over the fence.  Oh yeah, that vine has to go.

 

 

 And so the work begins...

 

 A chain saw, a pole saw, gloves, my sweety and me ... 

 

First cut of the day ..

 

 On to the trees at the front entrance ..

 

  Cutting the limbs to size ..

 

 perfect piles for pick up ...

 

Tree limbs cut down ~ Check... Now on to the next item {project} on the list

 

July 2011 ~  The front flower beds ..

A few years back, the flower beds around the house held green vibrant shrubs.  They grew tall, half way up the screen porches, and made the house complete.

Before ~  My grandson Garrett was about 8 in this picture.. He is 11 now.

 The only surviving shrub in the front flower beds ...

The front flower beds today ....

An improvement  ..Wouldn't you agree?

What a sense of accomplishment my sweety and I felt when we stood back and looked at my mothers property.   The shrubs were missing, but it felt as it did years ago.  Clean lines and refreshed.  Now there is still items on the list to do..  The vine along the property line still needs to be pulled up {I think pulling it up is best, but my brother Mark purchased Round Up stating he feels the spray will more then do the trick, we'll see who's right}, the grassy area along the entrance way needs to be dug up {again my brother sprayed this area with Round Up}, the light bulbs along the front fence line needs to be replaced, and new plants or shrubs need to go in the flower beds.  I am working on getting this organized, trust me.. it will all get done.  

While checking out my mothers property, I took a few personal {treasured memories} photos ...

My brothers and sisters {and myself} built the barn on the left.

The original name of the company my brother works for ..

Tractor my step father purchased for the grand children ...

Back then the eldest grand child {Patricia}was a baby ~ 29 years ago

Goodness, how the children loved riding around on this tractor.  Like little farmers.  Oh, the memories. 

I have the need to make this old spot light, into a hanging light for the property .. Hmmmm

*** If anyone can give me some information on the tractor pictures, it would be a wonderful big help.  I am not sure what year it is, or the worth of such a tractor.  If you can point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.  ***