July 23, 2010

Dear John and Joyce, Mark and Dixie........

This is a belated but heart-felt "Thank You" for the money you furnished for me to have an automatic sprinkling system installed.

And Dear Chris.......... Also a belated but heart-felt "Thank You".

Chris really worked his buns off doing the physical labor and I felt guilty but grateful anyway in spite of the fact that he was so busy with his own yard work, his job work, his church work, and his involvement with all the activities with Lori and their kids. He really had to make the time to do that for me.

To begin with I didn't think it could even be done so told Lori that I didn't want it. Then she assured me it could be done............asked me if I trusted Chris.........and of course I did, but still couldn't see how it was possible. Lisa needed to be able to water the garden at her own convenience and I needed to be able to spot water and etc and etc. And Casey has said so many times what a pain it is to keep things running, to program the settings and such, that I was sure I could never learn how to use it. Then with a "wham-bam" effort Chris tackled it and I was amazed at how fast it went together. There have been some problems such as the individual sprinklers not working properly and Doug not knowing how to work with the new kind of sprinkler, and a leak which had water running down the foundation and I was afraid it would run into Lori's old bedroom like it had in the north bedroom, before Merlin had a rain gutter installed along the west side of the house, and Chris had to come, dig up the lawn again and fix the leak and etc. Then when Chris had programed each setting and they came on when it was dark or after I had gone walking, so I never could check to see if they were working right, and Lisa let me know when something was not doing what it should, but I didn't know how to fix it so had to bother Chris again. Oh, woe is me , I felt so inadequate. However, I did finally learn to program the settings !!! Doug is doing better with the sprinklers after Chris gave him some instructions, and as of today everything is running as it should .

Oh, yes, the standpipe in front of the porch steps had rusted out and needed to be replaced and Chris couldn't tell how involved that was going to be, but I couldn't use it at all, so I had only one outside tap for all the spot watering I needed to do, so had to hook the two hoses together and move stuff all over the front and back yards to keep up with that. Then Chris broke his wrist and I figured I was stuck with that problem for the rest of the summer. However, he came over with Hunter and Randy and he told them what to do and they pitched in and did it. They had to remove the cinder blocks around the standpipe, dig out the dirt until they found the connection to the water main. They put the dirt on our tarp. Chris went to the store and bought another standpipe, came back and with his instructions and the help he could give the boys got it put together. He turned the water back on, checked it out and all was OK so the boys shoveled the dirt back in and Chris stamped it down and they replaced the cinder blocks and it looks wonderful and works great, and is such a time and energy saver for me!!

Chris still plans to install more sprinkler settings for me later. There needs to be more for the front lawn, and down the middle of the back lawn, and along the north area where the lilacs and my flowers are and when that is done it will be even more wonderful, but for now I am just thrilled at how those settings come on and water and I don't have to do a thing but smile at them, and say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, to you four and Chris & sons.........and for Lori being willing for him to be gone yet another place when they have so much going on at home. I am a very lucky and blessed mother and grandmother.

Much love to you all.........Mom (aka Robi)