A new toy!!

I have taken I dont know how many trips back and forth from the yard to the back corner where I dump waste.  Trip after trip, gripping piles of dirt and grass, my back aching from picking it up and carrying it, sometimes my arms are so tired by the time I get to that last load that its all I can do to hang on to it, and by the time I get to the dump site I am in my last second of available strength.  This, paired with the three trips it takes me to get all my garden supplies from the back garage to the front yard (and three to put it all away), I have decided enough is enough.  I got a wagon :)
Of course, Fred Meyer and Wal Mart had nothing good to offer me, and what they did have was way overpriced for what you are getting.  So I decided to hit Home Depot on my way over to Portland this last Tuesday.  It meant getting up and out of the house by 6 a.m., but its worth it go to a garden paradise (compared to what we have here) like Home Depot. 

I also found something else there that I have been wanting for a while, its called a shepard's hook. Its basically a long piece of metal you stick in the ground and then hang a bird feeder off of.  The birds here have been enjoying the one feeder we have, and I have really been wanting another one.  I saw these hooks at a patient's house a few months ago, and have wanted one ever since.  Of course they are not available in Newport. I just happened to stumble on them in Home Depot.  They were about 10 feet from the carts :)

And, because someone thinks its fun to tease me, there were many many plants outside ON SALE!!!! Now thats just not fair.  And here I am with a brand new bed to fill. hmmmm...... fine. I'll get some.

I didnt think to take a picture until after I had already installed the rear axle, but here is what came out of the box. A tray, lock assembly, front frame, rear axle assembly, rear axle support bar, front axle assembly, 10 inch wheels and the handle.  and  75 pieces of hardware. 75! Ok. I can do this, I have a drill and more tools than I even have names for.

First step is putting the rear axle on.  Well, just as I got myself all set up and ready to go, mom calls, and I wanted to talk to her anyway.  So, I figure, how hard can it be, a screw here a screw there, I can talk and do this at the same time, right? Well, sure, but not correctly!! 40 min later, I was getting off the phone with mom, and yet still had not correctly put on the 6 screws, 6 nuts and 12 washers it takes to attach the rear axle!! Seriously Jessica. 

Problem 1 - Chatting away, I had put the first screw through, washer on the other side, then the nut, and I am happily turning the screw, and turning the screw. And turning the screw. And turning.  turning. still turning.  ITS NOT GOING ANYWHERE!! Not tightening at all.  What on earth is wrong with this screw. 
Oh.  Wait.  Nothing is wrong with the screw.  Something is wrong with me.  The other side needs to be held still, the nut, so that it doesnt just happily turn away as I turn the screw.  Geez!!! So, I go get my handy dandy tool kit and find a cylindrical piece to put over the nut to hold it still (yes, I have no idea what its called.  I know there are two systems to measure by, some of them are 3/16, some of them are 10mm, for example, but I dont know what any of them are called) and I put it on the wratchety thing that makes noise when turning in the opposite direction, and I hold the nut still while I use my fabulous drill (pictured above in front of the tray) to twist the screw into place. Success!!

Problem 2 - All screws on, all nuts on, but it didnt fit quite right.  I looked at the picture, and lo and behold, there was one strip of metal that was supposed to be between the axle and the tray.  2 screws, 2 nuts and 2 washers undone.  Then back on. 

Problem 3 - Something is still not right.  It is not lining up right, and there are 6 washers left over from the "Step 1" kit of hardware (each step has an associated set of hardware so you dont have to root around and collect what you need for each step.  Pretty convenient, unless you are me and end up with extra pieces!).  Well, I am pretty sure they would not provide you with extra washers, so what did I do wrong? I only put washers on the side of the screw with the nuts.  Not the side with the screw heads.  So, one by one, screws undone, washers on, and re-tightened.  By now, one of my screw heads is pretty stripped (because I had the drill on high at first and it got over excited) so I save that one for last, and it has to be tightened by hand.

Then I get off the phone and things go a little smoother.

1 hour after starting, and I have done step one, which is 6 screws!! Seriously.  The funny thing is, I actually really enjoy putting things together like this.  And I am usually not so bad at it.  Oh well.  Zach is the Engineer, not me :)

I am going to go ahead and blame mom (though I know its not her fault)  She called Me.   And I obviously cant walk and chew gum at the same time.  Shouldnt have tried to start this and talk at the same time.

After that things went pretty smoothly.  The only other snaffou I had was that I couldnt get my drill into a space to screw down two of the final screws.  I did get this solved by linking together several of the tubey pieces and drill bit looking pieces and used that leverage to hold the screw while I twisted the nut.  While  I do not know what any of those bits and pieces are called, I am very proud of how I fashioned them together to solve my problem :)

So, its about time to see a finished product, right???
Here it is:

 

and filled with its first dump load:

 

I am very happy with this wagon.  Its pretty tough.  Full of stuff, it went very smoothly over the driveway, down the slope in the other yard, one tire fell into a hole when I was backing it up to dump and it just powered through. Its like it has 4 wheel drive!!  :) I love it.  And the trey tips back for easy dumping!!
Here are the two hooks I got, one in front of the living room window, and the other is along the fenceline, but we can see it from the living room window :)

 I am excited about the flowers I got, three of them I have never had before, and the other two are pretty variations of ones I already have.

I got something called a Moss Rose.  I didnt even look at what it was called until I got it home! I just thought it was really pretty and it said it does well in full sun.  So its perfect for me :)

 I also got two Hibiscus, one Luna Pink Swirl, one Luna Red.  The Pink Swirl has a flower out.  It looked like this earlier this morning:

And then this evening it looked like this!

Very pretty!!

I got three Zinnia, all of the same orange/red color:

 I wanted to include a picture of the upcoming Zinnia bud.   It is such a cute little bud!! all wrapped up so tight!

And I got a beautiful petunia:

Its a very deep, velvety purple, and some of them have yellow stripes

and finally, I got another Day Lily, which I know will not be blossoming this year, but next year it will be nice :)

Whew!!! While I didnt actually get any planting done yesterday, I did get to spend a lot of time outside, putting the wagon together, then watering and figuring out where to put my new beauties.  I put them in today, but I am too tired now to go on.  So that will have to wait for next time.

And I still need to get pictures up of the roses!! Oh my gosh they are SO GORGEOUS!!! I just cant stand it.  I have to keep looking at them, I cant get enough. Just ask Taylor.  Each time he comes home I want to take him out and show him the yard.  He follows me around as I go on "this is new, and look at that, and can you believe how gorgeous this is, and oh my, just look at that rose, isnt it amazing!! and look, buds coming here and ohoh..." the poor guy just follows along and utters agreeable sounds and appropriate ''oooohhh'''s and "aaaaahhhh"s and the occasional "yes dear". 
I'm so lucky :)

But seriously.  I need to get some pictures of the roses up, because they are so beautiful :)