Saturday, April 2, 2011

Spring Time

WE had rain for dayssss...finally its stopped and its windy but clear! Whew I was getting stir crazy--
One good thing about it is the flowers got a boost!  This wisteria grows wild all over the place its native--it can go crazy and cover acres of trees--it usually finds a tall pine to creep up and then this time of year the long grape like clumps of flowers hang all over the place!  These clumps are anywhere from 6 to 12 inches in length!  Very tropical looking to me-




Another creeping flowering vine that is native and the state flower of SC is the Yellow Jasmine--yes the Jasmine's in bloom~ summer breeze comes to mind~



In the yard one of our favorites is the Bleeding Heart-not native but a perennial that we enjoy year after year...









And the azaleas are blooming spring here wouldn't be the same without these....the Rhododendrons will come next...



The dogwoods are in bloom too....I tried for hours to get a photo of a RED Northern Cardinal sitting on this platform feeder with the dogwood blooms in the background---





                  the bird is always waiting for the squirrel to finish so he can get a turn at the feeder!




Spring is a time for renewal and sprucing up so ---never mind the dust bunnies under the bed I had a pressing job that had to be done....so I replaced
  the Heater Core in my car!  WOW what a PIA that was but by doing it myself I saved $700.00!! IT was not necessarily a hard job just time consuming and required some knowledge of tools-- and some contortion of the upper body-to get to those hard to get to places...down by the pedals--

I had to take the entire dashboard out of the car!! WIRES and screws everywhere--what a crazy place to put a part that could and does fail when a car gets a bit of age on it--mine is a 2001.  I found some good videos on You Tube that helped me figure out what I needed to do to get this part out and replace it--
Since I was in the Upholstery business for many years I kinda knew what to expect...Ive redone many car, boat, and plane seats, and headliners, and even a few carpets and many customized van interiors ....BUT its been almost 11 yrs since I did that kind of work--it was very physically hard due to the "confined space" but once I got it all loose the part was easy to replace--and it cost me only $70!
My bruises and cuts are healed up now..and all is well!!

Had to remove this WHOLE thing-- this is the second piece I removed--it all comes out one layer at a time. The instrument panel, the radio, the heater, the fuse box, the glove box the dashboard cover- I took photos along the way to help me remember where everything went--as well as NOTES and drawings!
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It took me 10 hrs to get it out over 2 days...4 hrs to get it back in and I had 4 screws left over!! (yikes) but I'm sure those are not Necessary--lol
THE hardest part was disconnecting the park brake release cable--omg I need to wash my mouth out with soap..*&^%$#@

 

PEACE

12 comments:

  1. Hi Sondra ...your post is great...
    I ooowed awwwed and laughed!!
    I believe there are more important things than dust kitties under the bed...in fact there is a real kitty under my bed most of the time lol
    Good for you girl...fix that car!!
    Sounds like something I would take on !!

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  2. Dang Sondra, I am very impressed by your ability to do a major car repair.
    Love your photos and super-duper humor.:-D)

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  3. Ha! I love it... I'm way impressed with your diy car repair! Don't worry about those screws.. I'm sure they were ornamental. Love all your flowers, especially the bleeding hearts. Used to always pick them and pull them apart when I was a kid.

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  4. Bleeding Heart IS native here in the Pacific NW. I'm glad you get to enjoy it too.

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  5. Love the blossoms, squirrel and the Cardinal.
    I have a cardinal sitting on my desk ;) Saw him in Bahrain at the airport and had to get him, since most likely I won't see a real one in many years to come ;)

    wow, I admire your ability to repair that yourself!
    700$ is a chunk of money & yes, if you can do it yourself, go for it.
    The 4 screws,... well, as long as they don't belong to the brakes ;)

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  6. Sondra, you never cease to amaze me, I really admire your gutsiness!!! I wouldn't have a clue and neither would a lot of men I know. Well done ! :)

    Lovely photos here again, I do like the Cardinal and always enjoy seeing it on my blogland friend's posts.

    The Wisteria is beautiful, a lot of stately homes and manor houses over here have it growing on them, I suppose they need to be pretty big buildings to do such a lovely plant justice.

    Lovely Squirrel photo too.

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  7. Oh my gosh girl, you are inrepid! I am absolutely in awe of your talents. Good for you.

    And now on to the part of your post I actually understand. I totally agree on the dust bunnies. Leave 'em...esp. this time of year. Wisteria, azaleas, and bleeding hearts grew in our Oregon yard (and still do in our daughter's)...maybe a little later in the Spring though. I don't recognize the yellow jasmine at all, but it is gorgeous.

    Thanks for a fun post that made me laugh, gasp and marvel ;>)

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  8. Your far ahead of us with regards to spring. I've had a wisteria for years and it's never bloomed. I'm going to move it when I can get a shovel in the ground. Love the cardinal and squirrel. And I have to say "What a Woman" to take on a car. Good for you!

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  9. Anybody who can replace a heater core can certainly doctor a picture to put the cardinal in front of the dogwood blooms! Seriously, you are da bomb!

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  10. LOL Barbara you're right I can do that--BUT its not as much fun!!

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  11. Beautiful shots! Spring is great. Well, actually it looks like summer here with temperatures in the high 20sºC and
    (already) crowded beaches!

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