Finally, a blog about my trip to Peru and pictures!!  ;)

I went with a group of 15 older folks (75 years old was probably the average) in an outfit called Overseas Adventure Travel, OAT.  The folks were a lot of fun to get to
know, and the trip was relaxing enough that I realized after a while that I was having too much fun to care what time of day and what day of the week it was.

The stops on the tour, hotels and meals were spelled out for you so you don't have to think at all.  The shopping was cheap (though you should know NOT to purchase fossils there), and re-learning Spanish was actually fun.

There were plenty of poor farmers, horrible-looking half-built hovels, and ladies dressed up hoping to get money when you take a picture of them. Poverty was everywhere, grandmas begged on the streets with their grandchildren, social services are nonexistent, and Lima was dirty.

On the bright side, the rock walls and terraces were awesome, switchbacks and bus rides were relaxing and interesting, warm weather was nice (knowing it was near snowing in Minnesota), and the corn "beer" and pizza were delicious.

I got three geocaches while I was down there, picked up three TBs, dropped one, and I didn't die doing it (it was a little scary when trying to figure whether I should descend the 25' sheer cliff wall face or find another way up or down. I spent time that I could have spent in Machu Picchu finding a cache the hard way. You should have seen the smile on my face when I returned to the bus!  :)

Pictures are being printed at Target as we speak for the scrapbook, work has been slowing down considerably (I'm caught up and even a little "ahead"), and I feel like the house is finally "put together" (that lets both Dan and me relax).

Here are some pics...

dad, me, Lima

one of lima's Catholic churches and some locals who we pay for pics 

llamas and the urumbamba valley

pisac

floating down the urumbamba river and posing for a pic at olyantambo (sp?)

more rock walls and terraces...

the Incan cross (fountain at the pottery place) and the outside of the hotel

the "modern" wheelbarrow, and the guinea pig we ate

Machu Picchu

the mural on the wall at the place that we had dinner

the geocache at Machu Picchu and a wall at Sachsaywoman (sp?)

more walls and the medicine man with our tour guide

men working at the knitting machines and the government center in Cuzco

Monestary in Cuzco and the pizza place where we taught a guy some English

woman begging on the street with, presumably, her grandchild

a parade going through town; folks at the hotel didn't know which festival it was (they said there were too many to keep track of)

My father with a huge smile... ice cream always does that to him!!

Here's what I've been up to so far this Summer:

* retaining wall border between garden and grass (retaining wall stone)


* raised bed for Nathan’s vegetable garden (the third level of retaining wall stone)


* fire pit (retaining wall stone, concrete, “recycled” fieldstone)


* patio under fire pit - see under Dorothy's feet (retaining wall stone and 16” patio pavers)


* rainwater retention pit (currently holding fierwood) (built from retaining wall stone, ½ barrel and deck boards)



* community garden (“end piece” hollow blocks, concrete, sandy dirt, landscape rock, landscape fabric, rebar)


* worm bin (recycled Christmas tree bin, peat moss, leaves, spigot and hose)
(picture not yet taken)

* wood crib (recycled crib, recycled hose, spray paint)


* fire grill/dirt sifter (recycled halogen lamp post, recycled barrel ring, hardware cloth, bolts)
(picture not taken)

* lift-up fence panel (to assist in weeding/planting)

It's impossible to see from this picture... I'll try and take a better one with the panel open.

Here's what I still have yet to do this Summer:
* time capsules (to place in the hollow spaces of the community garden)
* re-cover chaise lounges
* custom-made bags for various sports and activities

A friend asked, "What's happening in your yard.  Looks exciting."

My response was a bit long-winded, so I thought I'd paste it here as well:
1) Early in the Spring (when the ground was still quite firm), I built a raised bed for the carrots (and nasturtium).  I also put in a retaining wall (at the level of the yard) to prevent the rogue grass from entering the garden.  That, and it's easier to mow when you can run the wheel on the edging rather than straddle the plastic edging and cut it to pieces.

2) After looking at the pile of fieldstone and enjoying a friend's fire pit, I got creative.  I put ten or so retaining wall stones around in a circle, poured concrete between them as a base for the pit and placed the fieldstone above the retaining wall stones.  I was going to cement the stones together, but they don't topple over and look more natural without it.

3) Finally, under one of the benches in the yard (by the new fire pit), there is a patio.  Under the patio is a 55-gallon barrel that has been cut in half.  On top of the half barrel there is a door.  Around the door, there are retaining wall stones two courses high, so 8" around it.  The whole system is for storing firewood for the pit.  The pit under the bench was originally going to be a water retention basin.  I purchased some irrigation tubing and was going to install a sump pump in the half barrel, but I can't put in the tubing this season without wrecking the plants.  Maybe it wouldn't even work... I need to check how the yard is graded.  Really, it's a project for the Fall or next Spring when the plants are done for the year and before the dirt is unworkable.  My fear is that if I dig the trench for the tubing, I might eradicate the milkweed.  Milkweed is sturdy stuff, but it all heads toward the retaining wall and fence because that's where it's moist.

4) Oh, and the dirt in a pile in the front yard... That's the new community garden.  I need to purchase a pallet or two of retaining wall stones.  It's not in the budget this month, but maybe in August or September, I'll be able to do it.  The compost/black dirt came from the recycling facility through www.gardeningmatters.org (because I signed up the property as a community garden (another long story)).  I ordered another shipment in July.  Hauling the dirt via wheelbarrow was pretty labor intensive; they couldn't just back the trailer into that space because it's on a hill.  The mound of dirt is plantable right now, but I'll have to move a little of the edge dirt when I build the wall.  That, and I need to take pictures of the sun passing overhead so I can "advertise" how many hours of sunlight it receives.  I'll be installing a bucket with some tools near the garden for whomever uses it and run a hose underground to the garden as well.  I may charge $25 for the water usage, but I'd rather have someone use it than be scared off because of the fee.  We'll see.

Big plans.  Little yard.  ;)
Karen