Seeking Calm? Maybe It's Blowing In The Wind...

 We found the outdoor umbrella at a yard sale several weeks ago. We were seeking refuge from the sun. 

Turns out, it's provides refuge of another sort...

It's darn soothing.

At our last home, our neighbor planted quaking aspen trees. Those trees have their good points and not so good points. I do not like the way the trees invade all the ground they surround. We did not prevent the trees from spreading and we had shoots popping up in our lawn.

But, I will always love the sound of wind rustling through the leaves on a quaking aspen tree.

We've moved to a--for the most part--treeless environment. It makes for spectacular views of clouds and sky, but I miss the sound of wind in the trees. 

Enter, the umbrella.

At first, I thought the plastic tassels to be "kitschy," but in a good way. It was different from all the other umbrellas...we thought it cool. The past couple of weeks we've found ourselves spending some time on the back patio in the mornings. The air is crisp and the breeze, almost perfect. The sound of the wind blowing over the umbrella is a great way to calm whatever ails a person. Something about that sound...I can't really explain it, it takes the edge off quite nicely.

Yes, we bought it because it looked fun. Glad it's more than that.

We Didn't Know We Needed It...Until We Saw It At Home Depot

We saw it at the hardware store and we had to look twice to realize just what it was. We had one of those experiences you sometimes have in a store when you see something and you imagine all the possibilities you can do after seeing something you didn't know existed.

So we bought it.

And Saturday I used it.

The Ryobi 6 Amp 8" Electric Pole Saw (that extends up to 9 ft...) lived up to those expectation--yea, dare I say, it exceeded them.

We live in a desert. Because of managed water use, we have brought the desert to live. Well, as much as possible under the circumstances. I mean, it's no western Washington State, but in pockets, it's pretty green. I can't imagine living in an area where things just grow and you need to spend many hours each week just keeping the vegetation at bay. Sure, we have weeds, but that's nothing compared to what other people deal with.

I took a before and after shot. You can see the difference a little 8" chainsaw can do. I couldn't quite reach some of the branches--maybe I'll get to them. Next, I'll be tackling the pine trees encroaching on our house. Amazing what power tools can do!