Winterpast is finally ready for a little bit of a facelift! We are in the process of agreeing on trim paint for our home. Finding a shared vision for Winterpast has been an exciting adventure. Thank goodness we have similar plans for the future.
Winterpast is the name of our home. At the front door, there is a plaque with her name, which I found in a Jan Karon book shortly after I’d moved in. The story involved star-crossed lovers and the attic of a mansion that was built for a woman the builder would never marry. The name “Winterpast” was carved on one rafter, a secret testament to the love that could never be.
The word was made from from Song of Solomon Chapter 2.
My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
    and come away,
 for behold, the winter is past;
    the rain is over and gone.
 The flowers appear on the earth,
    the time of singing[a] has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
    is heard in our land.
 The fig tree ripens its figs,
    and the vines are in blossom;
    they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
    and come away.
I chose the name in 2020 with faith and the belief that someday the winter of grief I was experiencing would pass. Later in life, I would find blooming flowers and cooing doves. In deed, that has come to pass. The doves flock to our yard in search of the food HHH provides.
Right now, Winterpast is all one color. Built in 2004, I’m not sure that she was painted that way, but today, she is all one color. Funny things happen to paint in the desert. With a brown roof and a pinkish base coat, what she needs is painted trim. Luckily, that happens to be in HHH’s skill set.
A few weeks ago, we picked up paint samples and started discussing our options. There are so many colors from which to choose. But, as it usually happens with us, the decision came easily. With a soft brown for the trim and rusty henna for the railing and front door, we’re ready to roll. The date for completion is Memorial Day, but HHH assures me it’ll be done far before then.
After the new trim paint, the next step will be repairing the sprinklers in the front yard. Followed by new ground cover, the plan will come together.
We are still budgeting for artificial lawn. Long ago, there was a real lawn in the front yard. Now covered with white rock, there needs to be the appearance of grass without an additional cost to our already crazy water bill.
Finally, HHH will get the chance to finish his dream of flowers in the front yard. Without any more threat from wild horses that have obviously been rounded up and removed, there are no other animals to ruin our dreams of a beautiful front yard. It will all be a huge improvement.
Today at Lowe’s, standing in front of Elastomeric paint by Valspar, it became real. There are so many things to do first. The house and windows need to be washed down, frog tape applied, and it will be time to get to work.
The new hive of bees are working their hardest. Coming and going, they seem stronger every day. They are being fed a 1:1 simple syrup as well as patties made of pollen. We’ve done all we can and it will be up to them to survive or fail.
As for the squirrel, there is also an update. The little beast ate 12 Zebrina flowers, 10 Cosmos, and 12 Yarrow plants. It’s nibbling on the Black Eyed Susans. My BABIES.
My Mysterious Marine I know has plans for this little monster. For now, the seedlings have met a horrible death. It’s so very sad, but things will be better when MMM is victorious. Stay tuned.
Whatever you do, have a wonderful Thursday. You might want to think about a Thursday long ago, when a very young man was nearing the end of his time on earth. What a heavy burden he carried for the salvation of us all.
More tomorrow.