Little Miracle Tree

Ten years ago I wound a twig around the corner post of my deck, 

thinking the green would be nice when it grew.

It did provide me with the leaves I had hoped for,

but as it grew larger, it separated the boards of my deck.

 I can forgive the irregular look of the deck, 

because this year, the little tree bore fruit: plums. 

I have no idea where the source tree is. 

I consider this a small miracle.

I picked them all except this one, which wasn't ripe yet.

I smashed them, strained them,

and made Knox blocks gelatin squares - 

no sugar added, only Stevia.

Yum.

Neon Trees On Jay Leno Friday!

Niece, Elaine Bradley and Neon Trees will be on Jay Leno this Friday. Watch it!

Cake For A Friend Who Has Everything

...or what happens when your daughter tries to ice a cake before it's cooled, then gets all silly with a friend who has just been to a Health Fair...

Didn't Realize These Tests Were 'Do-It-Yourself'

Now which button do I push?

How To Rebuild A Deck When You're Alone ala Rube Goldberg

Tie the main post to a tree to keep it vertical,

Tie one end of the front support board to the corner post,

Drive a huge screw into the middle post and tie a rope to it,

then tie it around the other end of the board.

Go into the cabin and find a stool, a barrel, a paint can and bricks

to prop up the end of the board after you've pulled it up with the rope.

Go into the cabin again and get a garbage can, some bricks and some boards.
Lift the second board onto your piles of stuff and place-nail them to the posts.

Secure all your boards with screws after pre-drilling to avoid splitting the wood.
Measure and space your brackets, screw them in and place the support boards into brackets.
Measure and cut your deck boards and lay them on the cross supports (not shown). Be sure to leave a space between the boards so they don't heave when they absorb moisture.

(corny sign has since been taken down. I could only stand it for a few weeks)

Small Items All With A Story