Porch Progress 🍃
A Very Special Virginia Snapshot
Happy Saturday readers!
Sorry I was so down in the dumps yesterday. I know *all this* is weighing on all of us.
So I decided to work on turning our woebegone balcony into a little urban oasis.
I’ve been reading recently about the pollinator and bird population collapse, and learned that little oases of flowers are very important to support their numbers — especially in more urban areas.
Apparently, if you plant wildflowers and milkweed, they will come.
So that’s my summer project: helping pollinators and enjoying birdsong in our little outdoor space.
I mentioned how pathetic our patio was. I took this video on March 28:
Granted, this is after a winter of neglect, but it’s just sad.
I’m embarrassed that our Christmas tree stand is still out there.
Part of the problem is that the balcony is a little bit snug. I wish it was about 2 feet deeper. Alas.
I also don’t really have a place to pot and repot plants — and we have some dickhead carpenter bees that love to dive bomb us.1
Plus, who can eat outside without a table?
I took this video during a soft rain shower on Friday afternoon.
I think we’ve made progress.
Isn’t our balcony amazing? The trees make it feel so private and the nature is so present. There was a cardinal singing in a tree not 10 feet from us the other night.
And the new table is going to make a great place to eat — and pot plants!
We decided to forego the sun sail for now because we’re not sure we’d be able to install it — but we are super stoked for the wildflowers to come in.
Next stop — hummingbird feeder!
I’ll give y’all updates on our little improvements throughout the summer.
It’s always good to remember where you were so you can appreciate where you are.
We’re also planning on taking care of our earth and our spirits this weekend.
The Man took Sunday off, so we actually have two days off together, which we are excited about.
Saturday morning we are going to a community clean up of Chimborazo Park. What better way to get involved in our neighborhood?
On Saturday afternoon we are driving about an hour to this little sandwich shop we always drive past on our way to the beach.2 We’ve never stopped there — anxious to get to our favorite place — but we’ve decided to take a little road trip and finally get a sandwich at the place The Man has been dreaming about since he saw the sign.
On Sunday evening we’re headed to an oyster roast with friends.
We’ll probably hit the grocery store somewhere in there.
Can’t wait.
And since we’re all about relaxing this Saturday, why not take a stroll through beautiful Venice?
When I bought the table for our patio, I also got this el cheapo bubble maker:
I’ve already gotten my 5 bucks of childlike happiness out of this thing.
Plus, it confuses the hell out of those damn bees.
How are you giving yourself the gift of joy this weekend?
Any non-spray suggestions you have for dealing with the bees are welcome in the comments!
We only take the highway if we can’t avoid it or it would add hours upon hours to the trip. When we go to the beach, it’s back roads only, baby.
If you can see where the bees are boring their holes, take peppermint spray to the holes and the rest of the wood that attracts them. ✌🏻