Thats great you and your neighbors get along so well. Thats the way it should be. Too bad other people just don't seem to get it. I'm happy for you.

Love this post! And your yard!

Nice positive post...
BTW... a salt water pool is a chlorine pool. The chlorine is just derived from splitting the salt (NaCl) into NA ions and Cl ions.
You are right in that it is easier to maintain.

What a great story! You are like the Zappos of residential life! I feel inspired.

I'm so envious. I thought we had it great when we had good friends who lived only a couple of miles away, but you guys really have it made.

I felt so inspired I brought my neighbors a loaf of banana bread today.

For those of you in the frozen north....
Here are some bananas that are growing in the front yard. I thought they were ornamental miniatures until this happened. Just cut them off today to ripen.

Our first pig roast on the new rotisserie. Tiki project just started with the shell floor.

The view over to our side, and our new pool. Note tiki framing is about 1/2 done. This was in August and we had already harvested the grapes (along the seawall) and made a case of grape jelly.

We no longer need to go anywhere - the resort is in our own backyard!

C9pilot, your first post was a day brightener even though it made me miss Florida. We used to have bananas growing in our backyard, in addition to oranges and lemons. But your post today really got my attention. That grill looks a lot like the one dh got for his birthday/anniversary gift. Is it a Weber Summit E-620? I never imagined that he could do a whole roast pig on it. He's been "hinting" for a set up I found online last year to use over the 5 ft. fire pit in the back yard, but I've been able to put him off since we both have an aversion to uni-taskers. A pig pickin' might be enough to lure our kids (and a dozen of their closest friends) home for a visit. Would you please share some details? How big was the pig and how long did it take? Thanks!

Actually it's an S-670 and I called Weber where they told me the rotisserie limit is 19#. I had to go to four meat markets until I found one that had a 24# suckling pig. It took 4-5 hours or so, but if I had to do it again, I'd cook it lower and slower so that it would be more tender (we did brine it).
We go to a big pig roast each year in January where they do a huge hog, 100# or so, and it's a 24 hour party. The pig is on an old shaft from a boat and they rig it up with steel bars and wires and stuff to keep it secure. There's a steering wheel on one end and someone "drives" the pig all night, usually the college kids or high schoolers. Hundreds of friends show up for this party and bring drinks and side dishes for dinner, breakfast, and dinner. So that's what inspired us.

NC RE guy: Of course, I know that it's still chlorine, but you're right, many don't understand how ithe salt systems work. It still feels much nicer on the skin and doesn't make my eyes red like a traditional chlorine pool, which few people around here put in any more. The salt systems are so much easier to maintain, and it's nicer to put a bag of salt in the back of my van rather than jugs of chlorine. No down time for shocking each week. My hubby has been amazed how easy it's been because our neighbor once spent $200 on chemicals trying to get all sorted out after weeks of rain and that would break our budget!

Thanks for sharing the additional pictures - everything looks great. I always wanted a boat dock in my back yard where I could just sit back and relax and enjoy it all. I love the water, I really wish I had a setup like that.

You're not going to believe this - I had a goofy dream because of you, and I rarely remember my dreams. I dreamed my wife was driving a Jeep through a field, and all these tortoises kept jumping out from behind bushes and tree stumps and my wife nearly ran them all over. I kept shouting "watch out for that tortoise!" over and over again. Haha what a goofy dream.

Cas66... Come on down to Lake Norman, Charlotte. We have a 35 mile long lake with 550 miles of shoreline. And gentle winters.

Sounds really nice, NC. I would actually prefer a nice big fresh-water lake. In 10-15 years when I retire, I may just look into that. Maybe by that time my current house will also be worth selling! Oh - all the WV jokes on the other thread were pretty funny. Yeah, probably good you quit before things got too nasty. Take care

Thanks for the info on the grill & suckling pig. Dh will be delighted. He's enjoying having cool weather again, as he hates grilling when it's 98+ and humid, and wants to grill every weekend. We also plan to have several big parties before we put our current house on the market next spring, and at least one will include a pig on the rotisserie.

Ew, I can't help it. That pig makes me feel bad.

LITH,
Are you sure you are a real Country gal?

If you have a turkey fryer, a 14 pound suckling pig will fit in it (34qt pot), and it's phenomenal. It's our favorite party main course.

NC, no, not really. My blog is GreenerPastures--ACityGirlGoesCountry.blogspot.com. I'll be changing it to add, "and goes city again." If I ever sell this place. Remember I'm going back to Jersey. And don't get me started on the deer meat. If it's so good, why don't they sell it in Walmart, that's what I want to know! Ha ha.

It was pretty rough seeing the little nose squashed up against the inside of the clear plastic brining container, but I'll admit that handling the cold, flabby, uncooked piglet was pretty close to my undoing. My hubby trussed it up and I was glad not to touch it again.
I don't know that we'll be doing it again soon.

CAS - your dream sequence was pretty funny! At least I'm not the only one who has completely crazy irrational dreams!

I think its sad too. Couldn't do that. I think pigs are cute! Poor little thing.

Can't deal with a whole lobster either (and they're not so cute). I don't want anything looking at me while I eat it.

Jane

Jane, they are cute! And I don't know if you guys have ever been around them in real life, but they are incredibly intelligent and lovable, like dogs. Oh, I don't want to make C9 feel bad... And bacon is one of my favorite foods. I'm trying to quit it.