Shoot!

Actually, it is chute, although sometimes I see people spell it the above way.

My homemade chute (also called a collapsed tunnel) is complete. I purchased the fabric. The guys at work cut the barrel for me. I made the stand. Not only will it keep the barrel from rolling, it also helps the barrel retain its round shape. Some red "bonds to plastic" spray paint got rid of the ugly white color of the barrel. I added non-skid material on the inside, a foam pad around the entrance side, attached the fabric material, and we are ready! Good thing too, because Blossom needs some work.


Pie found the chute easy to master. She doesn't hesitate to run into a solid object, so a bit of material wasn't going to stop her. Blossom, however, frequently turns around and heads back out the entrance of a regular tunnel (although that is getting better) so I knew the chute would give him some trouble. He'll get it eventually.

Isn't it pretty how the tire and chute match? My contact equipment should also be red and yellow.

I also made these wings for the jumps, but they aren't as exciting to behold.

Pie was wandering around, so I had her sit by the wings.

For those who may not know how a wing is used, I present a visual. Blossom is so cute, he gets two pictures.

I have to stop taking pictures while the sun is setting. They get blurry.

And to be fair, I can't leave the other two out.

As you can see, the grass is doing better. I think it helped that I didn't let the gardeners cut it for two weeks.

Of course, the spot I spilled the fertilizer is still doing rather poorly.

I just read in the online paper that the City is implementing watering restrictions. I think it should be an overall restriction. As a single person living alone, I use less water than a family through less showers, loads of laundry and dish washing. Why can't I use the extra water to water my lawn? The new rule is also if you wash your car there can't be any runoff. Which as I see it, is impossible. Now I have an excuse not to wash my car. But I am angry the city has just about made it illegal to wash your own car, with out a vote or consulting the people at all. The good news for me is I MIGHT be just outside the city limit. I've seen a map, but it doesn't have property boundaries on it, so I can't quite tell if I am in and my next door neighbor is out, or we might be out also. If so, it is close... Long live my green grass! If I am in, and my grass dies, will the City reimburse me the $300 I spent to install it when I moved in?

PS- Big Bear update still on the way!