Arrg, ye need a Jolly Roger flyin frum that roof!

Now get back to Capn'in so ye can enjoy the nice place when we hijack stardock.

Nice house Starkers!

Get rid of that massive bush in front, trim back that foliage on the right...and your house will spaaaarkle.

Sorry too much CURB APPEAL on tv.

Gah, I love that roof. It is beautiful.

I tried reading all the way through but, sadly, there's some sort of code on page 11 that crashes IE7. I suppose I could try using a real web browser, but...

Anyway. Some great laughs along the way.

'Ad one flyin' e'er so proudly frum tha TV aerial thingy... then a crow thunk he needed it more than I n' flied orf wiv it.



Us'll 'ave ter git us some new crew members ta sail tha 'Sister' proper, like! Well it's not fer tha likes o' you n' I ter be 'oistin' sails n' swabbin' decks, now be it?

Aarrgghh, ye be right thar, Tovah... it be a bit overgrowed n' in need o' trimmin' . Done sum uv it yes'erday... n' leastways it be all mowed. Trouble be, it'll take I a month o' Sund'ys ta git o'er it... oh me poor achin' back.

Any'ow, fanks fer droppin in n' please do call back agin.

I be glad ye liked it... now consider yeself press-ganged. N' if ye 'aves any navigashunal skills, ye'll wurk yer way up real quick like frum sail 'oistin' n' tha like.

Well I got ter doin' some more o' that thar landlubbers wurk n' trimmed back all they bushes t' mere twigs of 'em former selves.... aarrghhh! Thing wos, tho, it wur near dark when I wur done, so us'll 'ave ter git some piccies in tha morn ta show 'e tha damage done.

It 'ave bin a bedevil of a job ter git all me booty stowed away, but it all be done now so we'll be 'appy snappin' tommorah t' show orf tha joint fer ' all t' see.

Can't wait ta see it.  

Better?







There's still a bit more work to do...the palm in front of the study window needs trimming back some more, but having used certain muscles I hadn't used in a while, me finks that'll be another decade..er, day.

Tha Cap'ns Quarters....aka, my study.

Yeah, it looks soooo much better.

I love to do this kind of thing so here's some other ideas (I read lots of landscaping/home design books and magazines so I'm gonna throw some ideas your way..take them or leave'm..heh. Your house is cute already...this things just might make it sparkle.

Get a power washer (you can get one at Lowes for @$100 or rent one cheaper) and clean your drive way and entry walk. Doesn't sound like much I know, but I did this last year and WOW...its really makes a difference. (Wouldn't hurt to use the low setting to clean your brick and siding as well as the wood fence.)  

You see the beautiful tile on the roof? Well most home improvement stores have garden surrounds which mimic that type of tile. If you could find some that matches or comes close to matching your roof color and texture, and line your flower beds and around your mailbox with it...it will make everything more cohesive.

You may want to consider a new mail box or at least paint that one black so it doesn't stand out and scream HERE I AM LOOK AT ME NOT THE HOUSE!

Consider some red annuals or perennials (don't know where you are located) to give your yard some warmth and pizazz this summer and some med sized flowering plants that the palms won't dwarf.

Also, the white lattice work thing on your window and screen door. What is that exactly? Can it be removed? If not, you may want to consider painting it a neutral color because it detracts from the clean lines of your house. Unless of course you love it, then keep it.

Ever consider outside lights? Perhaps an up light on that big palm out by the mailbox? If you extend that little area, get a new mailbox, or paint that one...the light at night would be exceptional (especially if you had a cute water fountain that matches the style of your home)...But you don't want to light it up a bright white mail box..haha

Those are the most inexpensive ways I know to really give a yard pep.

As for your palm plants. They're great, cut them back a bit though...they should be an accent to your house, not the focal point. A good rule of thumb is....what do I see first when I look at that area of the house? The house or the foliage? If its the latter, cut it back.

Hi Tova... you've got some good ideas there, but being that we're only renting, we'll not be spending a lot of money on the place. Of course some of your cosmetic ideas can be done for next to nothing, and we'd already thought of some of those, so we'll be implementing them as time goes by.

It's great that we have a network of family and friends who pass things on as they no longer need them, so some materials will come that way... and plant cuttings are something we're always exchanging.



Those are security grills that cannot be removed... well I don't think the landlord would appreciate it, and I feel happier going out knowing would-be thieves would find it more difficult getting in...then out with our stuff cos of all the deadlocks, security system n' stuff.

Anyhow, thanks for your input and interest, it's much appreciated and will be found useful.

Hrmmmmmmmmm.......Harry Crab.....was that a "CRAB" joke?     

Well it coulda bin... us'll ne'er know now, bein' tha author be long gawn.

I'm guessin' tho... 'is real name be Harry... n' he's "wife balked" cos 'e 'ad crabs.

Aye, and she be a good cook to. So shanghai her to gussy up the old tubn, and provide some fittin vittles to boot!

Wit da clean desk.

Ye may be a great scaliwag, but ye be a lousy geek me earty.

Me finks mrs starkers 'd 'ave summat t' say 'bout shanghain' Tova... her'd 'ave a pink fit if'n I wos ter start likin' of sumbody else's cookin'... bein' she cooks up sum pretty fine grub.



Aye, I be a scalliwag o' tha 'ighest order... but that thar geekdom baint be summat I could e'er git a proper 'andle on.

Mind ye, tho... while me desktop be all ship-shape n' Bristol fashun, ye oughter see tha mess wots hidd'n in tha drawers.

DOY! I didn't know you were renting...sorry. I thought you bought it. My bad.

Oh well, ENJOY!

I'd rather do something more interesting anyway, like sew really cool multi colored sails.....or maybe I could paint a huge skeleton head (black one) on the white sails...then we wouldn't need a flag! I'd put glow in the dark fabric behind the eyes nose and mouth so at night all our victims would see is a huge skeleton head comin at them.

Muwhahahahaha

Arrgh, Tova, 'tis a foin idear ya got thar....but what true "Pirate" be sailin' these seas withou' a Jolly Roger on tha mast?

Arrrhh,

That doesn't mean we can't improve on the place for our own benefit... doesn't have to cost us a lot, and some of your ideas will be implemented. For instance, the garden area around the letterbox is getting enlarged... and we have a stack of matching bricks to make a great border... a lick of paint for the letterbox.



Aarrgghh, ye 'aves a few good idears thar too, me lass... ye shure ye not be of pirate stock?


BTW... not your bad...shoulda said we be rentin'.

I seees yer point thar, killajosh, but if'n tha sails be all Jolly Rogered, us'd be doin' more rogerin' than any pirate scow on tha 'igh seas.

'Ere, missus, thars no need ta be puttin' up competishun banners... ye 've got tha galley job, orright!