While Mark was at work today, I was carrying on with the remodel, but I also took time to enjoy nature for a while.

This morning I laid plastic down outside the tub on the plywood to try to protect it while Mark and I took our showers.  As soon as I stepped out of the tub, I discovered a fresh water stain under the plastic.

First clue!

Mark and I got a flashlight and looked behind the shower wall to try to trace where the water was coming from.

Second clue

Mark felt the pipes, but they were dry.  However, right behind the top of the tub, there was moisture.  You can kind of see the drips coming down from the grouting.

Mystery solved!

Aha!  So the leaking has been coming from the grouting between the tiles and the tub.  Realizing that the tiles on that wall aren’t really protecting anything, I took most of the rest of them off.  We will put plastic up on that wall and see if that helps until we can get the new tub in.

Before starting on the next project, I decided to go outside with my camera and look for signs of life.  I have begun to spot a few flowers from the road so I figured there must be some around my house.

I started at the driveway that separates our house from the rental house next door.

Trilliums

Some sort of flowering bush in our back yard

Grape hyacinth and violets

Our forsythia bush which I severely pruned last fall. I hope it recovers next year.

An old bat box on the edge of our property.  I would like to attract bats to help get rid of the mosquitoes in the summer.

Daffodils

Not entirely a sign of life, but a whirly-gig and the pet cemetery in our little forest out back

The other whirly-gig, full of color and light!

Our back door welcome mat

Our front door welcome mat… A housewarming gift from Jamey and Sage when we first moved in.

After coming back inside, I sat down and started doing some polishing.  Our new faucets in the bathroom are going to be polished brass, so I was hoping to turn the vanity hardware shiny.

This is how black they were originally.

After polishing them twice, this was all the shinier I could get them.  I haven’t finished trying for something better though.

Jamey and Sage are coming for a visit in a week.  I had hoped to have the bathroom remodel farther along by the time they get here.  So much depends on getting the timing of the various details right.