First Top Coat on the Front Door

The temperature outside today finally hit a balmy 57 degrees with no wind.  This allowed me to get the first of two top coats on the front door and about half of the door trim before it starting getting too cold.

Later tonight I am going to paint the One Buck Duck.  That's our new name for the dollar garage sale metal swan, duck, goose thing that R bought the other day.  He'll look spiffy with a new coat of paint.

As I tripped over the rubber door mat with my good foot, I remembered that I have a large decorative cast iron door mat stored away somewhere.  Where it is stored.....I do not know.  Kind of like the vintage lock set and door handle for the kitchen side door.  I know it is inside of a yellow cigar box but for the life of me I cannot find it.

R fired up one of the push mowers and mowed the side yard.  I love the smell of fresh mowed grass. But come July, I'll tell you that I hate the smell.  I worked with an engineer from Japan who was over here for a joint project.  He told me once that he really wanted to mow a lawn.  I told him that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be and after doing it once, you will be cured.

When my son was young he begged me to let him mow to back yard with the riding lawn mower.  I finally relented after I mowed the edges and got the rows all straight.  He mowed for about 10 minutes when all of a sudden he veers off 90 degree and starts going this way and that way.  I rushed out because he was messing up all my straight lines (OCD when it comes to my lawn) and asked him "what are you doing?"  He said he didn't like going in circles and that was the last time he mowed. Ironically, as I am writing this, he is driving in circles at a dirt track in his race car.  Maybe I had him turning right and that was what was wrong.  #racecardriverproblems

Finally here is a photo of a magnolia bud.  We will hav to see whether the cold weather or a frost will destroy these buds before they get a chance to bloom.  These usually bloom during the week of Mother's Day so I would say these are a little early.  How this happened....I do not know since it is soooooooooo cold.