I'm blind to you!

Recently, I was in a potential clients office and she spoke about being blind to the chipped paint and the worn look of a her building because she was there everyday and she knew the intrinsic value of the place and all the good things that came out of it.  She likened it to not being able to see the weeds amongst the flowers growing in her garden.  I realised I was the same way with my 2 garden hoses.

This  extra long monstrosity was in my driveway looking like a tangled python about to attack.  Bikes perched nervously around it.   The vicious coils threatened to smash my flower pots every time I dragged the hose around the garden.

I made a sad attempt to mount a plastic hose organiser to the soft stone wall  near the tap but needless to say, one pull and it was back in its favourite spot - right in my driveway, the first thing you saw when you visited,  never mind the debris that always gathered there uggh!  Not what I would call curb appeal :(

I had to make this work and I didn't want to lay out any beans because technically I had a hose organiser, I just needed to make it work and make it attractive.

I went into my basement to get some inspiration and there I saw it.  Four inch PVC pipe cutoffs and a cap that looked a bit like a hat.  Mind you the cap didn't fit exactly but looked official on top of the pipe, a kinda 'Gentleman Hose' vision floated through my head.  I had visions of a moustached pole gentleman holding my perfectly organised hose...    yaaaay, I figured I was on to something....

First I grabbed the black spray paint- think tux, then I assembled my saw so I could cut the PVC pipe, a drill to mount the hose organiser thingy, PVC cement glue, and a hoe and spade to dig the hole in which to sink the pipe.  I also grabbed a piece of reinforcement rod -just in case- all I needed now was some concrete mixture to set the pipe in the hole...  Hardware store trip ... Rockite... that's a quick setting concrete like mixture, easy to use - a bit like cake mix.  Just add water, stir, and Bob's your hose man!

Drying my pipe :)

Can't you see it as a hat?

 Those bejeweled, well coiffed, uniformed ladies at the hardware store always glance sideways at me.  Is it the glazed look in my eye or is it the mis-matched  clothing and hair covered with paint splatter  that's trying to masquerade as grey patches, who knows?  I'm just glad I can't read minds!

I measured the height of the pipe for the space.  Marked where I wanted the organiser bit to go and then drilled the holes.  Next I sprayed pipe and cap with the paint then left them to dry in the sun while I dug the hole. It had to be bigger than the pipe and deep enough to provide support for the contraption.  When that was dry I mounted the hose organiser to the pipe.

Next, I poured the rockite (batter) in the hole and put the pipe in and let that set (1 hour). I toyed with how I was going to make it look like a tuxedo man, or even a crazy nutcracker (!) but since I have the art ability of a drunken flea, I soon gave up -- consoling myself, I could and would eventually make this work.  I just need to consult someone with some artistic ability...  For now, my hose was up off the ground and the bikes given a few more feet to park... good enough!   Wait...  look at the picture...seems my caruck needs washing :(

Td