More Cement, Blossoms and Trees...

After working on the wall we had left over materials to do random projects with. Jeff made a form for a bench top and we found some extra carport tiles to jazz it up a bit. We aren't sure whether laying the tiles down and pouring cement over them OR putting the tiles face up afterwards is the best method so this time we did both. I think you cannot put them on the bottom if you want smooth cement around it. I think there will be rocks that will make the bench bumpy...when we unveil it in a couple days we will know which way is best! It could be that you adhere tiles later with special tile goo or something. We didn't add rebar either - didn't think we'd need it. If I made it myself I probably would have poured it in a location close to where it would end up since it will be pretty heavy. Jeff poured it near the carport. Hope it isn't too heavy.

With leftover stuff already mixed he poured some into the center column of the two cinder blocks and I will finish them later so we have the bench legs. If this works well we can tint the cement next time so we don't have to paint afterwards. Could be hard painting around the tiles on top (if that works). This could be a fun and cheap way to make lots of benches so we can rest our weary bones in between work spurts. The top took a bag of cement ($3.60) and some gravel. We had wood laying around. Cinder blocks are 65 cents each.


Touring around the yard several times a day is always a treat. This time I spotted some big avocado in one of our 7 trees. There are at least two varieties, several trees are too young to bear fruit, and they seem to be blooming at different times (which is good). Anyone got any recipes for something other than cold avocado soup or guacamole?

I had to move the bird bath since birds weren't going in it. I put it outside our bedroom window because we hear doves and all kinds of birds in the orchid tree, corazones, achiote and guava. Little Boy (our fat Washington cat - aka Dakota) is sitting under the Guava which has a zillion blossoms that I didn't see until I started waking up to the sounds of really big peanut-m&m size bees! I looked up and saw buds and flowers and little fruits! That's how it is here - one day there is nothing, the next day fruit! or flowers! or leaves!

These are the guava blossoms that have the bees so excited.

This tree is a "must have." I didn't appreciate it at first until I noticed that at night the leaves looked like butterflies' wings - they fold up. Then it started to bloom and the flowers look like orchids! Sorry I don't know the real name of this tree yet but I really like it. I have collected seeds and am growing starts to put up on the hill.

Here is one of the blooms that dropped off. There are hardly any leaves on the tree right now so the flowers are very showy. We bought this house mainly because of the property and all the full grown trees and shrubs. The house is a wonderful design as well, but I really want to be outside all the time. Just touring the yard makes me happy. Every day brings a different smell as something somewhere starts to bloom and sets me off to go find it! Can't wait until the plumeria and llang llang start to bloom. I also planted mirto outside the bedroom window (below the plumeria). The plumeria has buds already so it should bloom soon - ah well, maybe tomorrow!