Don’t ever take sunsets for granted.

When we were chatting with Dick and Carol at our closing appointment, I mentioned how excited I was about having ponds. The water features in the backyard were a big draw when we first saw the listing in December.

“There are goldfish in there,” Carol said. “Assuming they survived the winter.”

Well, guess what? After a run of warm days, including two back-to-back 50º days this weekend, the ice on the ponds melted. And, lo and behold…

I counted at least 18 goldfish in there. There were two floaters, but I’m still amazed that any of these guys survived being trapped beneath ice for a couple of months, let alone a dozen and a half. I knew goldfish were hardy, but damn.

By the way, I ordered a book called Garden Ponds, Fountains, & Waterfalls for Your Home. I’m going to do my very best to ensure our water features are well maintained.

So, that’s exciting. As was this sunset on Friday evening.

You might think that’s no big deal, but I’m telling you, I have really missed seeing sunsets since moving here. We used to have the most fantastic ones in Rapid City; the sun sinking beneath the Black Hills painted the sky in stunning colors time and time again. It’s not that there aren’t brilliant sunsets in Wisconsin, apparently – though I was beginning to wonder – it’s just that, living in in a subterranean apartment, we never get to see them. Even if I were to gaze up and out our south-facing window, craning my neck to the west, all I’d see were parking garages and a stand of tall trees behind them. When I noticed the sky on Friday evening while painting, I dropped everything and dashed outside.

Don’t ever take sunsets for granted. I know I won’t.

After my last post about painting, I spent the next two and a half days doing nothing but painting. When I walked into Ace Hardware on Friday afternoon, the cashier greeted me and said, “Are you back for more paint?”

Apparently, after stopping in for paint three days in a row, they recognized me by sight. Plus, small town.

My next project was the master bedroom. We decided on a shade of grayish-blue that Clark+Kensington rather uninspiredly calls Waterline. I was hoping for Blueberry Pie or Dolphin Tail or Malibu Coast, but no such luck. Regardless, it’s a really nice color. Tara and I are thrilled with how the bedroom turned out.

All told, I spent about eight hours working on that room Friday and Saturday. Two coats of paint on the ceilings and two coats on the walls, I even painted the walls and ceiling of the three closets in that bedroom (two standard, one walk-in). We are definitely not lacking in closet space.

Next up was the basement. I was able to throw two coats of white paint on the ceiling Friday, but we have had a hell of a time trying to figure out a color down there. Here’s our wall of rejects.

I initially wanted some kind of brick red, but it just wasn’t working out, so we pivoted in the complete opposite direction and decided to go with a sage green. Tara found a shade that looked good online, so I bought three gallons’ worth from Ace – screw the samples this time, we were pretty sure it would work – but when I started putting it on the walls today, I quit after just a few strokes. It was way too bright; more like an electric lime green. I immediately called my wife, who was at Home Depot.

“Abort, abort!” I shouted (I tend to be overdramatic). “This green isn’t nearly as sage-y as we’d hoped!”

Tara ended up buying two gallons of what we prayed would be closer to the shade we were envisioning, and it is – though I don’t think she’s 100% satisfied. But at this point, screw it. We’ve already wasted over $100 on lime green paint (it’s called Play Ball) and have in general been buying more paint than we need, so love it or not, we’re all in. I only got one coat finished today, so pics will follow when it’s complete.

After painting nonstop for what feels like eons, we decided to give ourselves a break last night. A “break” meant Tavern on the Rock, a local pub we stumbled into our first night here, for cocktails and appetizers and even a couple of shots. It was a much-deserved and fun evening.

Lest you think I’m doing all the work, that’s not the case at all. Tara is painting the living room and dining room, but my work schedule is such that I have a lot more freedom and flexibility (ergo, time) to put in. Plus, she was out shopping for house supplies this morning.

Regardless, we are making such good progress, we decided to push up our move-in date by a week. We’ve got a(nother) U-Haul booked for next Saturday, along with two movers for three hours. Since our flooring won’t be installed until mid-April – two weeks after our apartment lease expires – the only thing keeping us from moving in full-time is the painting, and at this rate, that will be done by the end of the week. We’re both very anxious to ditch the apartment since we’ve been spending most of our time at the house anyway. I think stepping out onto our deck yesterday morning and gazing out over our kingdom sealed the deal.

We’re getting there, guys. Six more days!

49 thoughts on “Don’t ever take sunsets for granted.”

  2. Isn’t it odd how easily you can forget that the sky is gorgeous? It’s like every time you see a sunset, it’s brand new.

    I’m so excited you guys are moving early. Thanks for taking time away from painting for the update.

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    1. How true! We (humans) have an amazing capacity for forgetting or even ignoring the special moments like sunsets, raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens? 🎵 🎶

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  3. An amazing view. I would want to move in ASAP, too. And surely someone wants lime green paint on Craig’s list. I love sunsets, but I’ve seen some beautiful sunrises since Baby D rewired my body clock to get up before 5 (that’s what I tell myself, anyway).

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    1. I had that Craigslist thought. Even if we got half price for the cans, I think I’d still be happy. Also learned after the fact that the particular shade of green in question, Play Ball, is part of a collection for kids’ rooms. Which sort of explains a lot.

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  5. Love the bedroom color and the sunset is gorgeous. After you spruce up the back area and ponds have you considered calling the place a botanic garden and charging people to meander through the natural settings? Or weddings- small weddings could be a money maker for some extra cash! Also- since you conveniently posted while I was conversing with CO daughter- I have a question- they have a road trip into N & S Dakota planned for the fall- with specific stops at Wind Cave NP near Custer SD and Roosevelt NP- although that one is in ND Any insight/tips good or bad would be much appreciated 🙂

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    1. I don’t know that I want people traipsing through our yard, though I like the idea. And we have a concrete pad that I guess probably contained a shed or shop at one time. That would make a great spot for exchanging vows…

      Wind Cave is awesome and we always meant to check out Roosevelt NP – we only got to the first lookout the one time we were up that way (though it was plenty stunning). Really, your daughter needs to plan a stop at the Badlands and Wall Drug, for sure. And in the Black Hills, just a stone’s throw from Wind Cave, she should drive the Needles Highway and check out Sylvan Lake and the Cathedral Spires. Oh, and of course, the Custer Wildlife Loop!

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      1. Thanks so much Mark, I knew you’d have some thoughts and ideas! I will pass on the recommendations.

        As to the yard, I’m sure the wildlife will be pleased to roam around. They’re probably a bit less hassle in the long run anyway;)

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  6. When I visited the Canadian Rockies I missed sunsets (and stars) for nearly 2 weeks between the rain in Vancouver and the snow and cloud systems than hung over the mountain tops. I didn’t see the sky enough for a sunset until I reached Calgary. I watched every moment of it and the. Let the stars twinkle at me for a while after that.

    Indeed. Don’t take sunsets for granted.

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  8. Blue is a tricky colour as it can end up feeling cold, but you’ve hit the jackpot there. Sage green is tricky to find exactly the right tone, but you can always mix it to finesse the right shade.

    We get have sunsets here through our apartment’s patio doors. They’re only slightly spoiled by the view being over the car park. I’ll keep your advice in mind for when Himself and I make our final move.

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  9. First… I must know what the frosty blue shot glasses contain.
    Second… I envy you the rainbow hues of your new home. I’ve never been bold enough to do that. Glad you ditched the lime green though. I love margaritas but don’t want to live in one. On the walls that is.
    Lovely sunset, and no. I never take them for granted.
    Frozen goldfish? I didn’t even know that was possible..

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    1. Kamikaze shots. But the bartender was out of both triple sec and lime juice (what kind of joint are they running there?), so she asked if she could substitute a blue raspberry liqueur instead. It was a surprisingly good substitution! Certainly more photo-worthy.

      Too bad I didn’t have any popsicles on hand. Could’ve made my own fish stick!

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      1. I’m not sure you can still call it a Kamikazi without triple sec and lime… but it is more photogenic.
        Personal preference? Grand Marnier instead of triple sec.
        👍

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  10. I had no idea how tough goldfish were until we got one that lived for nearly 15 years. Yours are VERY hardy. 
    I absolutely love sunrises and sunsets. I, too, never take them for granted.
    I’m looking forward to seeing how your house progresses over time.
    I’m going to look up your paint color on Google. Green is my favorite color, but there are so many various shades of it.

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    1. Holy crap. 15 years?! Those suckers might outlive me! (They’d better not though.)

      We’re struggling with the green. Tara stopped by the house today on her lunch and muttered something about “the basement” while shaking her head. Not a good sign. I might try one more shade, but only if I can get away with a single coat. We’re slowly going broke buying all this paint.

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  11. Paint colors are tricky and as you’ve noted, the name of the color often doesn’t tell you much. My bedroom is Barren Plain. Talk about cheerful–not! Lime green wouldn’t be my choice either. 🙂

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  12. That is a fabulous backyard view. Painting ceilings is a bitch in so many ways. You will be so glad you took the extra step and painted the closets. Wish we had done that in the bedrooms we didn’t paint!

    Personally, I’d have kept the basement the white color someone had already painted the paneling, but you have to do you!

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    1. I grumbled over painting the closets, but Tara talked me into it. Now I’m glad I did. I skipped the closet in my office, but that’s an easy fix. I can probably knock it out in half an hour.

      White is practical, and would have saved us money, but I can’t help myself: I want something more visually interesting! I will say, the basement walls are hands down the filthiest. Just covering all that dirt and grime up with a fresh coat of any color looks much better!

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  16. I made a mistake of painting our outdoor grill island an unintended shade of green… it was way too light and bright. It took several coats but I finally got it the darker sage I wanted. Nothing worse than putting the time in painting, then having to start over.

    I NEVER take a sunset for granted. It’s a nightly ritual at our house.

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  17. Woo hoo!!! This is VERY exciting and your views are just magnificent!!!! I, too, will be VERY happy when I can see the sky, and therefore sunsets, again. I love the trees here in Arkansas, but we can only see a tiny patch of sky from the windows of this house. I miss the sky. LOL

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  20. Fifty degrees? Did you say fifty degrees?? Now, granted, it was 85 every single day we were in Jamaica last week, but once we got home – BAM! – 30s. And the extended forecast shows nothing warmer than low 40s. I know you’re south of us, but still…!

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