landscape artwork

Home Addition

2010-12-31T11:38:00.000-06:00

Since last spring I have been working steadily on completion of the exterior of the building project started in 2006. The front addition room began in 2004 following the passing of my father with my mother offering to fund the project. She is doing fine I am glad to report.

My current worker has been a pleasure to work with and we worked at night this past fall using a halogen work light and flashlights when he was available in the evening. My health was not good toward the last several months with my knee replacements as well as right hand going numb. We worked through some intense heat in the summer when my worker was then available during the daytime as we installed fiber siding from the barn roof on the north area of the second story.

It is 60 degree F here in S. Illinois today on the last day of the year. Salty is outside in his pen and I will be walking him as I do everyday.

I could not be more pleased with the accomplishment we have achieved in getting the building exterior to the way it is.

Have a very good 2011 everyone.

mark/salty

Salty June 7

2010-06-07T08:40:00.001-05:00

Photo taken following his bath last week. I will be walking him soon today and the weather is going to be a wonderful day following some very hot and humid weather along with rain on and off. More rain perhaps starting tomorrow so it is a good thing that the concrete was poured yesterday to finish the porch area until I have the time to do more decorative and completion around the ground level to keep out cold air and any unwanted creatures. I had to chase out the parent raccoons from up in my attic early this spring. Later that day they retrieved the pups and have not come back. They had been (where I did not bother them) in an area of the barn, where they keep coming back every year to make a litter. Some day I will have to make the barn closed off to stop the invasion of raccoons, cats, and the large bee's that bore into the wood structure, that is not treated wood. I try to catch the bees while going into the bore holes and give them a shot of insect spray above.

Several days from now I will post a photo of what work I can complete on the porch this week getting it ready for the glass sliding door that I bought new for only $50 because of cosmetic damage caused by a forklift. I will then call my worker to help me. Right now I have much figuring out of structure and cutting and installing of boards to complete.

Front Yard

2010-02-10T12:52:00.003-06:00

This view shows my pear tree (in front) and wild cherry trees uprooted from last May 8. My area was without electricity for 9 days, with some area's even more. The rest of the yard had apple trees that were cut up last spring. The pear tree still grew pears and I may try to winch the tree back and prop it up after cutting it down to about 8 feet.
Yesterday I brought Salty back from the Veterinarian after having his tooth removed and cleaning of all his teeth. I have a tooth gel that I will apply every two weeks, and toothpaste for dog's and will start brushing his teeth. I was told I did not need to get to the inside of his teeth. That would have been too difficult to do from my thoughts about it beforehand. He had one small mid tooth removed which the Dr. said was abscessed. He noticcd a 'tubular pulsation' which could be upper heart problem. He then attached the E.C.G. (e.k.g.) machine and the problem did not show. Because of this detection he will use the E.C.G. machine every year from now on. Also after dog's are 8 yrs. old he like to do blood work testing. Salty is about 7 years old this year.
I myself have been doing some push-ups daily to try to improve my left shoulder and I think it is doing some good.

In addition to previous post

2009-10-27T11:56:00.005-05:00

(Click on photos' to view larger)

View of home addition

2009-10-27T07:59:00.008-05:00

Showing a view of the North Side of my home addition, and as you can see I still have much work to do to finish this side. Photo was taken near sunset and I will show more of the building in the next entries. The color is 'Silver Charm', a gray with some blue that blends with the dark Estate Gray shingles that cover my cabin/front addition. Figuring a way to place my 24 & 20 foot aluminum ladders in reaching the tall peaks was extremely important for safety. The corner wood is a treated wood with Thompson's Water Seal applied giving the wood it's appearance bringing out the grain and color. As weather looks good going into November, more work should be accomplished in at least installing more windows and some siding with painting while the temp. is above 50F. There has been an extremely rainy Oct. but Nov. is predicted to be above avg. temp. for several weeks. It was near 70F yesterday and Salty got a shampoo, now his coat is soft and he is indoors today during the rain. His coat feels nice as I brush my hand over it and he must feel good - a clean change from his usual dirty rolling in the ground, and digging that he enjoys outdoors. Mark/Salty

Installing windows

2009-10-01T12:16:00.002-05:00

Here is a letter I sent to Susan and am using as an update on my building.

Hi Susan
I went to facebook and read some of the messages, etc. I am so exhausted working on my home addition. Climbing on the ladders is taking its toll, but things get done little by little. Yesterday a window finally went in that I bought in 2006. I took it out of the barn along with some styrofoam sheets covered with brown recluse spiders. I then used cardboard and masking tape to attach to the back of the 36 by 36 inch window. I slide it up the ladder on the cardboard to the second floor window. Then pushed it into the frame and detached the tape and cardboard while holding onto the window. I got it held in the frame and put some nails in to keep it safely in place. Then I went upstairs and shimmed and leveled it. Then using adhesive flashing tape it was weatherproofed to the house wrap. Now I can continue with the paneling and hope to hurry and paint and caulk before it is below 50 degrees. Now I am going to the east side and doing some more window work with windows I finally got out of the barn yesterday (3 more, plus one smaller). So, I am tired and sore and just want to lay down and watch TV when I am done and eat my diner only. I have to hopefully satisfy my fire insurance person by Nov. 30, which is the date I gave her to have the outside completed since they said it has been 4 years of under construction. They do not like having it under construction and think it presents a hazard. It is fire insurance only so I don't know what the hazard is. I have paid in since 1985. It will not be completed on the outside so I may loose it. Then I would have to go through getting another Insurance Co. to take photos of my woodburner. That is all as it is time for me to start working again and get a little more done today. A little at a time makes a difference.

Best regards,
Mark and Salty

2009-08-18T09:29:00.002-05:00

Here it is Aug. 18 and I am making slow progress putting up siding. It is concrete/fiber and I am learning how to work with it. My right ear had an infection which I believe was worsened by cutting the concrete/fiber with the diamond circular saw blade which raises a cloud of dust. I ordered a tool that cuts the material without causing dust and am happy though it was expensive. Yesterday I spent 6 hours installing just one long panel and 5 small cut pieces around one window using caulking as I went. I also pre-drill each panel with a masonry bit which takes a long time as the bit must go slowly. I will hurry up at some point I am sure and drive the nail through which causes the back portion to create a break-out quarter size hole I found out when removing a piece I had installed. Eventually it will all get installed but it is a slow process. I will start painting the west side as soon as I finish it. This building is why I am not on the internet. So to my friends that I have missed visiting, I will hope to visit you again this winter. Wish me well... Mark and Salty P.S. Salty is doing fine.

Salty's injury from an attack

2009-03-23T06:44:00.014-05:00

April 25, 09 My total bill is $603 for Salty. He is healing up well now as the front left leg wound has scared together. His stomach wounds are not showing any sign of infection either. Photo of Salty taken in Feburary 2009 Update-I called on Monday because since Salty's emergency visit Saturday at 5pm, due to his front leg wound opening, again opened Monday morning after taking off his head cone about midnight Sunday. He had been licking at his wounds all night while I was asleep. They could not get him in till Tuesday and he had one staple left in the center of the wound. A small amount of infection was noticed. He was put on additional anti-biotic pills. Now the new staples were glued also. His stomach wounds are healing great, and now his front leg wound is healing. He will be seen again on Monday and I am keeping his head cone on till then.

Update Mar. 29 - Salty's new staples for his shoulder (see below with cost), now have him doing as well as possible. The Veterinarian removed his tube drains/stitches. His stomach had been swollen at the beginning. Now that fluid is gone and the anti-biotics, and my washing and applying a cloth for 10 min. with Epsom Salts that had been boiled and then made just warm for Salty. To see him healthy, though having to endure the head cone while the stomach and shoulder heal more, is beyond what I could hope for. To have my dog survive and look forward to many more years.
On Wednesday,March18, Salty and I were walking our usual walk up and down the lane in front of my house. Salty has a leash every time. My home is the only one on the lane that is connected to the Spillway Rd. blacktop. When we got to the end of the lane near the blacktop I saw a 160 lb. bull mastiff type dog approaching us. He came right up to Salty and attacked him. I could not get the damn dog off Salty and kicked him which did nothing. He was shaking Salty with my dog's back on the ground, nearly tearing out his guts. Finally the dog let go. I was yelling as loud as I could at it to make it leave. It came at Salty again and my hand got mixed in trying to break the dog away and I was severely cut on my right small finger and bleeding. After the second attack the large dog stepped back. I made a fist with my left hand and hit it in the side of the mussel as hard as I could. I kept screaming at the dog to leave. It just backed away a little as it kept starring at me and Salty. Finally it backed a little more, but did not want to leave. It left heading toward my home, up the lane, and out into the fields out of sight.
It was about 4:15 p.m. and I got Salty in the car to get to the Veterinarian. Right before the Veterinarian was a State Police car doing an arrest at the edge of a shopping mall. I just rolled my window down and showed my bleeding hand, but there was an arrest taking place and I was told to park away across the parking lot. Another State Trooper came and after 15 minutes he began to pull out and looked over at me and I held up my hand. He came over and took my information. I then headed to the Veterinarian before 5 p.m. closing. Salty needed to be kept overnight and have tubes in his bite wounds. Then I went to the emergency room in Carbondale, and was sewn up and was told they would notify the Williamson County Animal Control. Bi County Health Dept. phoned me Thursday morning as well as Animal Control and the State Trooper left me a message on my answering machine confirming that he notifying them also. He was concerned and wished me well on my injured hand and Salty before the machine cut off. I was instructed by Animal Control to look for the dog's home so they could issue a response to the owner. On Monday March 16, I had seen the same large dog being walked on a leash with it's owner right near my home on the Spillway blacktop (I was in my truck) and had smiled and nodded to him. Now the owner is claiming that it was not his dog that attacked me. His wife and her mother are also claiming the 160 lb. dog was in his pen at the time of the attack. The dog is quarantined at their home for 10 days. A lock is to be put on the gate, as instructed by animal control. The dog has it's rabies vaccination paper. The owners must take the dog to their Veterinarian on March 28, to be checked for sign's of rabies. That is it. They will not be fined, and I will get nothing to pay for Salty's $330.68 Veterinarian bill. (Update, on Mar.28 Salty has his front shoulder stitches and tube removed, the tube acts as a separator allowing fluid to pass around it, not through it. At 5pm his shoulder was wide open and he has been still wearing his head cone. The skin did not stay together. Saturday 5 pm-Emergency visit at another available on call clinic was $156. Otherwise, my Veterinarian would probably have been free of charge. The total is now $509) Nor will they have to pay for my medical bills. The owner said that if it was his dog, I would not have gotten him off my dog. The woman is saying to Animal Control that her dog has no bite mark's on it, so it could not have been in a fight. Salty was pinned down on his back the first time and could not bite back. If Salty did bite back, the huge dog could just apply more pressure with it jaws and shake Salty. Salty never had a chance to make a gash on the huge thick coated dog. The woman is a white person. The man is African American. He stated that I was blaming him because of race. I smiled and nodded to him and he sort of smiled and nodded to me on Monday as I was passing in my truck. I kept looking at the size of the dog, as I had never seen that big of a dog in my life. I have contacted the local TV news station about it, and they will check the information with the authorities and get back to me. Salty is doing well and I see the nurse again today as my hand has less redness, so any infection is going down.

Squirrel

2009-02-26T10:34:00.002-06:00

Through my window this resident of my yard that feeds on the bird feed scattered daily, was eating off the bark of a poplar tree. Last fall every morning the sound of falling pecans on the roof was being created by the many squirrels pulling them off as they ripened. There are hazel nuts, chestnuts, and other food sources they have stored and their population is growing every year. When I moved to my home, there were no squirrels, just many rabbits in my yard each year. Finally, several years ago a squirrel appeared, finding plenty of food for the population. Eagles now roam the sky and I have noticed the rabbit population has shrunk. I heard a loud screaching the other day and keep looking to find the source. It was a pair of Eagles with one of them making the noise, as part of male/female courtship would be my guess. Any rabbits that enter the field next to my property are in the open of the hay field that is mown for the cows' that have a large pasture next to the hay field. It is a perfect open area for Eagle hunting. One year a small bird of prey took one of my feeding Cardinals. Usually the Cardinals, Blue jays, Doves, and small brown birds are able to feed under a pine and other trees where they are feed by me. I figure they are safer from an attack from above. The squirrels are welcome to feed on the small amount they find, picking through the grass where I toss the bird mix. I used grey squirrel paint brushes for many years painting signs for a living. Now signs are made with vinyl lettering decals on truck doors as well as hanging signs, created with computer software. The days of hand lettering are something of the past. The sign paint created specifically for sign painters contained lead, which made lettering better because only lead containing paint had the opacity and durability, as well as how it worked to make lettering possible using brushes. Lead containing sign paint is no longer sold in quarts like it was years ago, and is only sold in small pint size containers, still containing lead because sign painters know it is superior to non-lead containing paint. Things are changing making the old way of sign creation no longer commercially practical. Most signage is made of vinyl in today's market. Years ago there was a shortage of grey squirrel hair brushes, because of world wide declining grey squirrel population, for hunters selling grey squirrel hair. New synthetic bristle brushes specifically for sign lettering are being sold.

Feb.1,2009

2009-02-01T15:40:00.003-06:00

Having been snowbound for a week, today after several hours of shoveling, my car is free, and backed down to where the plow stopped and the pavement is clear. It is solid ice packed under snow, that had started out a sleet storm. Over a million people in Kentucky are without power from downed electrical lines. The ice damage began just 50 miles south of me.
My photo was taken many years ago in Ferne Clyffe State Park, using an old inexpensive film camera. I used software to adjust the image.

Painted over photo of rocks

2008-12-13T14:50:00.017-06:00

Jan. 27, Sleet covering the ground in S. IL, but easy to walk on and no iceing on trees. Being in the mid to upper 20's, it is getting warmer, so I will try to get some more walking in. Have been using my moist heating pad as my mid back/neck was very stiff. Moist heat does a wonderful treatment for relief. Birds and squirrels are enjoying being feed on the sleet covering.
Jan.11,Sunday-Salty and I took a brisk walk in the 40F sunshine. 2ND walk of the day, getting up to 2 miles with a few more laps later. Staying off the weight's until stiffness in mid back subsides. My lamenectomy area (lumbar) is fine, it is the upper/mid spinal that is needing relief. Reading about the building of our nation's capitol in 'Smithsonian' magazine.

Today (Jan.5) I would like to add for those who remember this image from my AOL journals, I have done more work recently, on the image that is being viewed. Having worked in PaintShopPro doing some painting, I thought I would post the composite of a rock study from Giant City S.P. It is just something I did for fun, and not a serious attempt at making an artwork. I have successfully put off going out into the 43 F cold today, with strong wind predicted for Sunday, though today has not been as windy as predicted. Limiting my activity to indoors, I have been lifting 10 and 15 pound dumbbells to exercise my upper back and left shoulder. The left shoulder had a lypoma removed, leaving a large scar from the inside - away from the incision where the lump must have been cut away from. It had been moving in my shoulder for years, causing my left arm/hand to become numb. The exercise has had an effect in the one week since I really started feeling the weight in relationship to strengthening the muscles. Finally my left hand became 'jammed', and yesterday I stopped the dumbbells and have been moving my fingers to regain use of my hand. I can feel something has had an effect in my arm/shoulder. My other exercise is walking 2 miles a day with Salty for my back/health.

Sat. Oct.11_08

2008-10-11T09:27:00.004-05:00

Clicking on photo's will enlarge them.

Today more boards to fit and nail before my worker returns on Monday. This is all the time I have since the weather is perfect for working outside. Hopefully this post will make it to the page. mark