It was time to drain and replace the water and filters in my outdoor Jacuzzi tub so that was the chore this past weekend. I keep the hot tub running year-round, even during the winter, so it is important to keep it in top shape at all times. Nothing like sitting in there and having frosty, icy hair.
Driveway Refurbish
I had a tar-and-chip driveway that was installed over 9 years ago. It was showing its age, and I’ve lost my constant battle with weeds that seem to find a way to grow back in sections every year. So today, I had a new one installed.
It started with the crew from Keystone Tar & Chip Paving first removing all visible vegetation, re-defining the edges along the lawn, leveling and grading the entire length of the driveway, then compacting the graded surface using a 5-ton vibratory combo set of rollers. They then applied a vegetation preventative on the compacted surface, and proceeded with the main job: two individual layers of chip seal consisting of first, hot liquid asphalt (or tar) at the rate of 1/2 gallon per square yard, followed by crushed limestone gravel (or chips) at the rate of 1 ton per 500 square feet. After each coating, the 5-ton vibratory combo rollers went over the newly applied layer for further compaction while workers manually fine-raked and brushed for an even surface. All these in about 5 hours.
They also gave me tips on what herbicides to use to prevent weed growth, and further enjoy the new driveway for at least the next decade.
Family Visitors
[16-19 July, 2026]
My niece and her family who relocated to Maryland came back to visit with us over a long weekend for some now-rarer-than-usual family time. Of course, what is a Filipino reunion without lots of food and eating? We had great weather, great eats, and overall, a great time together back in Ohio just like the good old days!
"Expanding" an Area Rug
I did some furniture re-arranging in the living room, largely repositioning the sofa and the Eames lounge chair/ottoman. That threw off the overall symmetry and placement of the pieces relative to the “area rug” under them, and the overall space in general.
The solution was to “expand” the rug by placing five additional FLOR tiles to one end of it. That’s the beauty of FLOR tiles arranged as area rugs — flexible enough in terms of size and placement, and compatible enough in terms of style and color even if you didn’t plan for a larger one (with different-style tiles) in the beginning. I’m pretty happy with the result.
Blue Hour at the Homestead
… and a freshly mowed lawn. Favorite time of the day.
Fall at the Homestead
Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, and for me, provides the best light and colors to take photos of the house and its surroundings. Here are some from a cloudy day in late October.
Buff, Polish, Shine
It’s that time of year: a total clean up treatment of my concrete floor. First, a buff with the Oreck orbiter. followed by a thorough vacuum, and finally, 2 coats of Zep’s High Traffic Floor Polish. For that shiny, glass-like finish!
New Scanner
Replaced the old ( > 10 years?) ScanSnap 300M scanner with its latest, more modern equivalent, the ScanSnap ix1300. Much faster, more versatile, and now, also wireless and wi-fi capable!
