Katy Dickinson

Creating a Cactus Garden, Part 2 (Forklift)

I wrote last week about how we have started to create the cactus garden next to WP668, our backyard caboose. Here is the second installment about that ongoing project. Of course, any new job requires at least one new tool, so John started by renting a small fork lift to move the two new boulders into the garden. (The boulders are from the California Sierra range, one weighs 1,668 pounds and the other 1,242 pounds, according to the tags from South Bay Materials where we bought them.) Hertz Equipment Rental (San Jose) delivered the forklift last Friday right into our driveway. Hertz does a great job.

Next day, John and Felix Quintero took down a section of the fence, emptied the hot tub, and moved the emptied hot tub (with help from Paul and me). Because a hot tub's water is treated with chemicals to keep it clean, it has to be emptied into the sewer instead of the storm drain. The rocks at one end of my garden also had to be moved to get the fork lift through. We sacrificed some plants in that bed but they are bulbs so they will grow back. One of the boulders got dropped (no damage to it or us, thankfully) and the lawn and brick walk got dinged some but otherwise, all went well.

After the boulders were placed, we started spreading out the gravel we moved in last week. We also planted the Agave parryi John bought me last September. It arrived with a baby poking out the bottom drainage hole of its pot. We managed to save the baby and plant it next to its spiky mother. On Sunday, I planted some more of the cactus I have been saving up for the new garden. There is a 3 spire "Silver Torch" Cleistocactus Strausii (green skin, white spines, magenta blooms), and a pair of Argentine Giant Cordon (Trichocereus candicans, Echinopsis) each of which has many babies riding along.

Did I mention that I hate, dispise, and will always revile the company that we hired to take out our pool? We asked for and paid for good clean top soil fill and they (unknown to us) snuck in some nasty tarry stuff full of concrete, trash, and plastic wrap. We made them spend several days picking out all of the big pieces of concrete and plastic but I will spend many years cleaning after their cheap tricks. Did I say I hate them forever? (OK, I don't hate them but every time I pick a bit of wire or string or plastic or asphalt or concrete out of my cactus dirt, I don't bless them either.)

Folk lift delivery

Before the forklift

Before forklift

1st rock through the fence

John vs. tight edges

Rock up high

1st rock placed

2nd rock through backward

Paul marking sprinklers

Felix places 2nd boulder

Paul watching

New Agave parryi

New rocks, gravel

Cleistocactus Strausii

Cactus blooms

Trichocereus

New cactus bed

Boulders and cactus

Work in progress

Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson

Posted at 11:17PM Apr 07, 2008 by katysblog in Caboose Project and Other Trains  | 

SAMA Auction: Old Wine, a Caboose, and a Bicycle

I am one of the committee managing this Sunday's Middle Eastern Feast and Auction to benefit SAMA, St. Andrew's Medical Assistance. More about SAMA.

Save Sunday, 13 April for the SAMA Dinner and Auction!
Your chance to feast amidst delightful company, enjoy surprises, while helping to provide hope and healing to a hurting world. To be held at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church (13601 Saratoga Ave. Saratoga, CA), starting with a silent auction at 5:30 pm, followed by dinner and a live auction.

Tickets are $30/adult or $15/child
For Sale After Every Service at St. Andrew's or at the event

Here are some of the fun items to be auctioned off:

Item # 2021

16-inch colorful ceramic fish platter by artist Carol Worthington Levy, Worthington Fine Art Studio, San Jose (Donated by Carol Worthington Levy), Value $175-

Item # 2035

Art - Fish and Scuba Divers signed, matted, framed and glazed painting 2'x3' size, artist: Mark Newman, 1997 (Donated by Roger Barney), $400- Value

Item # 1005

Brunch for six on a private 1916 historic railroad caboose (Western Pacific Feather River Railway WP668) in Willow Glen, San Jose (Donated by John Plocher and Katy Dickinson), $200- value

Item # 2011

Calligraphy hanging (small banner) of a tree with a quote: "Tongues in trees, Books in running brooks, Sermons in stones, And good in everything" Shakespeare As You Like It - Hand painted and signed by local artist Cari Ferraro (Prose and Letters) of fabric, wood, and ribbons, 1999, size: 20"x10" (Donated by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher), Value $100-

Item # 2024

High tea for four served in the conservatory of a Saratoga home. Gift basked includes china tea set and tea. Meal will include sandwiches, scones, shortbread, and cake. (Donated by Jill Ebenhahn), $100 Value

Item # 1007

Jewelry - Lady's pink enamel watch in Elegant Deco-style on a matching pink enamel 26" long chain, c 1920, watch recently cleaned (Donated by Liz Mulford), $300- value

Item # 2031

Peugeot road bicycle, 1982, orange color ten speed, rim brake, in good mechanical condition and age-appropriate wear (Donated by John Watson-Williams), $200- value

Item # 2043

Private flight plus lunch. Experienced Palo Alto pilot Charles Jackson of the Shoreline Flying Club will be your host for 2 hours in a 4 seat Cessna 182 Skylane II. Want to tour the San Francisco Bay and see the Golden Gate Bridge from the air? Here's your chance! (Donated by Charles Jackson), $400- value

Item # 1013

Wine - Old treasures from the Louis M. Martini family wine collection. 1968 Mountain Barbera Private Reserve. The Barbera is from the Monte Rosso Ranch. The Martini family blends it with petit sirah to give a drinkable yet well aging wine. The Barberas age the best of all wines. 1968 was an extremely good year for red wines, so this should be good now or have the ability to age a few more years. (Donated by Patricia Martini) $150 Value

Item # 1014

Wine - Old treasures from the Louis M. Martini family wine collection. 1969 Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon. 1969 was a little bit of a lighter year than 1968, more delicate. This wine is very drinkable now. Further aging is not recommended. Special Selection means it has the top grapes, in this case cabernet, from the harvest. These grapes usually came from either Monte Rosso in Sonoma or cabernet from the valley floor in Napa Valley. (Donated by Patricia Martini) $150 Value

Posted at 06:14PM Apr 07, 2008 by katysblog in Church  |