As Our Life Goes On

We have only the basement auxiliary wood stove keeping us warm right now. Odd sized wood that will not fit nicely in the upstairs airtight is being burned. It stays plenty warm as long as the outside temperature does not dip below about 20 degrees. The other chimney for the upstairs fireplace and wood stove has been cleaned from the top but the wood stove has to be pulled out and the debris from the cleaning will have to be removed and new metal pipes installed above the stove. We will have fuel oil delivered soon. The smoke seemed to be going downward when I walked around the front of the house. My clothes now have that nice wood smoke odor. The sky varied between light and dark today but it was mostly a dark Fall sky. A single marigold still blooms in my little garden. Marigolds never seem to do well in the heavy clay soil in our yard. I don't think that we will plant any next year. 

The last few days I have been cleaning out my closets and drawers. I am not done yet as many garments have to be tried on and looked at carefully to decide whether or not they should be kept. So far three bags like the one shown below have been filled. There are many donation bins at shopping centers so those can be used. I like to pull up to the back of the Goodwill Store as they will either give you a tax receipt or a 20% off coupon to use in the store. I personally like the discount coupon. Very useful household items and clothing can be found in the store at bargain prices. Goodwill and other thrifts generally do offer 10% off everyday to people with Golden Buckeye cards, military service cards and some others. You have to ask for the discount. The 20% off coupons are particularly nice if you are making a larger purchase. I used one of these 20% off coupons last week when I got the nice mountain bike shown above. The bike was marked $20.00 so it was only $16.00 plus tax. Russ r

I realize that a temperature of 50 degrees will feel warm next Spring but today it feels very cold. The wind makes it seem much colder. There were only a few people on the bike and hike trail behind the house. A small portion of the trail is now visible from my back window. This was all well hidden when the leaves were present. A walk once around the yard was all that I needed to convince me that catching up on some work inside the house was a good idea.  It is a good day for checking the Winter outer clothing and making sure it is easily accessible. We have made it through October without having snow on the ground. That is something to be thankful for.

You can see by the cracked earth around this little blue spruce just how dry the ground is. We have had to water this small tree a lot this year. During the holiday season small potted trees with tiny bulbs and decorations are sold at nurseries, big box stores and many other places. We received this little tree from our son and his wife a couple of years ago. It was even more tiny and spindly and all green. We put it outside after Christmas was over and it actually lived until we could plant it in the Spring. We were a bit surprised find that it was a blue spruce. It is still less than 2 feet high and odd shaped. We expect it to grow into a beautiful tree. It is in view of my room where computer work is done and it is a nice reminder of gifts and giving. The time of the year is coming when more people give gifts but how about giving all year long. Gifts don't have to be material. Giving your time to another can be a gift to both the giver and recipient.

The same person in Richfield,  Ohio that sold us my favorite shed sold us this one. The $450.00 price was much higher than the $125.00 price that he charged for my favorite shed but we had to look. New storage sheds are pricey and not as sturdy. This old chicken coop has been used for other things besides birds. It started as a home for chickens. There was a small drop down door on the side with all the windows. The flap is nailed shut. There was also a large flap on the end opposite the door that could be propped up. That flap is also nailed shut and the hinges were removed. There are large bolts on all the sides of the building that hold the sides together. This coop was also used as a portable construction field office and it could be dismantled for moving from one site to another. It was later used for parts storage. When we acquired it the floor was littered with greasy oozing oily automobile engines and car parts. The oil had impregnated the wood floor. The painting of the

It has been very dry here for the last few months and at last today one of the promised rain storms panned out and gave us some precipitation.  Severe weather was predicted. We did get some high winds but our area did not seem to be in the path of the worse of the storm. The rain may replenish some of the ground water.  The leaves were flying when the wind came through this area. There is something about that leafless state of the trees that we really don't like. When developers built the large allotment across the street they cut down nearly every tree in the woods except some that are right along the road. All Summer the leaves on those trees hide the back sides of the huge houses from our view. Now that the leaves are gone the lights from cars coming down the cul-de-sac across from our living room window are now able shine directly on us unless we close the curtains. The residents of that allotment probably don't like to look at our older and smaller home either. They m

We had great fun at our Halloween parties on Wolcott Avenue in Kent Ohio. This one was in 1946.  Local children donned homemade innovative costumes. That is me at the second from the right in the first row. I had a hand made gypsy costume. Flattened bottle caps were sewn around the bottom of the long feedbag cloth skirt. The caps jingled when I walked. I was actually misidentified in the picture when it was published in the Back Then section of the Kent newspaper a few years ago. My older brother is in the second row, second from the left. There was apple bobbing and other games to keep us busy and out of trouble. We did go from door to door in the traditional way but I always looked forward to these special parties. If you lived on Wolcott Avenue or nearby you may recognize yourself and remember the great times that we had.

I had planned to work on my ebay pictures and listings this afternoon but when Russ came home from his morning trip he wanted to go for a ride and look at the last of the leaves and visit a friend. That sounded like much more fun that working around here so I took him up on that great idea. We went to an antique shop  in Parkman, Ohio where we found nothing to buy. We only went there because we like to choose a destination rather than to ride without a plan. We then surprised our friend Jim in Mantua, Ohio with an unannounced visit and sat for a while. It made for quite a relaxing afternoon. I'm really glad that I started a crockpot of chili earlier so that I don't have to cook after the nice ride in the country.

We have been known to stop along the road and pick up discarded items on clean up days in Kent. Above is the corner of an odd sized latticed door that may have been used as a garden gate. When we stopped and loaded it we were absolutely sure we would be using it. Many years have gone by and it is only being used to cover another piece of junk that we don't wish others to see as they walk around the yard. This Spring a couple of men came through the neighborhood collecting junk metal. We did let them carry away a lot of the metal that had accumulated. Our neighbor did this also so the whole area is cleaner. There was one thing that they could not lift so it remains hidden from sight under the old door. We did use the door!

  I watched a morning show on local TV this morning. There was a report on blind and sight impaired children. It showed their trip to the circus in Cleveland. They were petting, hearing, feeling and smelling the animals that would perform later in the day. One small boy stated that he was so happy to "see" all these animals today. He may have seen more than I would have.

The red Japanese Maple outside of our back door has a red-orange glow and the leaves are falling like rain. All the leaves will fall off this tree within a few days. Granddaughter's tree displays a beautiful orange-red color.   Today was spent on catch up work. The floors needed swept and scrubbed. Leaves had to be cleared from around the doorways so that fewer would be tracked in. The leaves that drifted into the open garage door were swept out. The sun seemed to intensify the dust that has accumulated on the table tops. This afternoon it clouded over so I can't see that dust. It will have to stay there until it is really visible again. The setting sun seemed to set these trees ablaze.

This large old half of a metal wagon wheel was not a needed item. In fact I have never used it. It was purchased at a garage sale in Pennsylvania many years ago. The plan was to buy flower pots that would fit into the welded on circles and have a gorgeous display of some type of flowers. That plan never materialized so the heavy iron piece just leans against a tree. Maybe I could reclassify the area as a sculpture garden. There is some other junk around the yard that could be added to lend credence to the new designation.   A carpet of colorful maple leaves covers the ground behind one of the small sheds.

I took a short walk in the woods between the back yard and the bike trail. There are still a few colorful trees in some places but other areas seem devoid of color or leaves. The late Fall drabness is a reminder of what is to come. This large fungus that was in the wooded area out back seemed to have a neon light glow as the setting sun hit the colorful ruffled pieces. The swamp that is on the other side of the bike trail has few colorful leaves remaining. This is a maple tree root in the back yard. It seems to have a ghoulish face just in time for Halloween. Maybe I am seeing to much in this gnarled root. I'll have to check my meds!

Shown above is a friend Ken Friend Ken pictured above can show up at our home any time of any day. He is one of the true friends that does not seem to notice that our home is not always "company ready" as he makes his unannounced visits.    In the past it has not been unusual for us to arrive home from a trip and find Jim, a friend who now lives in Idaho,  sleeping on the couch or making up the spare bed for an overnight stay. He had a key. As you get older you realize even more how important your friends are in your life. If you see a friend today tell them how much you appreciate their friendship. National Friendship Day is in August but maybe you could make every day friendship day. National Friendship Day is on the first Sunday in August. Women's Friendship Day is on the third Sunday in August International Friendship Month is February Old Friends, New Friends Week is the third week of May

Shown above is non-stop worker Russ.  We are back from a couple of days in rural Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh. There were plenty of colorful hillsides to look at on the way over and back. The colors are fading fast so that will most likely be the last Autumn leaf tour for us this year.  When we got home it was back to the reality of the fallen leaves that need to be blown to keep them manageable. A strong wind from a direction other than the West would be welcomed so that the leaves from the large sugar maples on one side of the property would go into the neighbors yard instead of ours. 

 The sun reappeared just before sunset last evening. There were bands of small showers coming across Lake Erie that darkened the sky from time to time throughout the day. Sunrise and sunset are valued times of the day. At sunrise I look forward to the day and at sunset I am tired and glad that the day is over. 

Bare branches are a stark contrast to the colors in the maple next to them. I just love seeing the Fall colors and soon this beautiful display will be over. The ground is getting littered with layers of leaves that Russ blows away each day with the Atwater Strong gas powered leaf blower that we acquired in the bed of a 1949 Chevy pickup truck that we bought many years ago. What a great bonus that turned out to be. The blower has had to have work done from time to time but it is very powerful. The leaves are also clogging the gutters so that makes another job necessary. Fortunately gutters on  our 1 1/2 story 1950s home are low to the ground. As soon as the leaves on the Japanese Red Maple that is outside of our breezeway door turn the lovely red-orange color they fall off the tree. The whole tree will turn a brilliant color in just a few days and then it will rain the  leaves onto the pad in front of the breezeway forming a thick carpet of red. The leaf blower will have to g

The bulbs for these Spring flowers are taking a rest. So am I! It has been a really busy day.

Jordan's Tree Jordan and Russ planted the beautiful tulip poplar shown above 6 years ago in the Spring. It was a small tree that was found in the woods. Transplanting it seemed like a good idea. Jordan borrowed a pair of my boots as the ground in front of the barn was a bit muddy at the time. The bottom of the tree trunk was slightly crooked with some additional sprouts coming out around the bottom. The tree did well that first year and sent out some nice growth. The second year was not a good year. A buck decided to use it as a rub and the bark on the tree was rubbed off clear around the tree by his antlers. This girdling of the trunk killed the top of the tree. Russ cut the tree back as there was a healthy sprout near the crooked bottom. That sprout took off and and grew.  In spite of the big setback the tree has thrived and it is now tall, straight and beautiful. Kelsey's Tree I don't have a picture of Russ and Kelsey planting the maple tree shown below. It has done v

This little shed will go through the Winter with no repairs or painting required until next year. The chicken coop shed needed a lot of work around the windows but painting is almost completed. NON STOP WORK! The tall green shed needed a little waterproofing goop to hold it through until Spring when it will get new shingles. The day was beautiful with sunshine and warm temperatures. You can only squeeze so much work into a day but Mr. Fixit was trying to do it all.

Just enjoying the Fall leaves today and catching up on lots of work that needs to be finished. These scenes are all from the back yard. We went to Hartville this morning and the leaves around Mogadore Reservoir provided a glorious view. The water was calm and the beautiful colors were reflected in the lake. I like Fall!

Shown above is friend Ken who is a multi-instrumentalist. He may have been playing an Irish tune. Last night was our first pot luck music party of the season. It was held at our home. It always amazes me that so many different styles of food show up for this feast. We all caught up on family news and discussed the problems of the day. The next party will be held elsewhere. I like having the party here because it prompts me to clean the house really well at least once a year. We enjoyed seeing our friends and look forward to the next get together.

Picture was taken toward the sun Our vintage Yazoo mower does a great job of leaf mulching also. The leaves are starting to fall at a faster rate. The large pine and spruce trees on the right were planted by Russ and our 2 boys. It has probably been over 35 years since they carried the small packet of of a dozen or more trees around in their little red wagon to help dad plant the trees. The trees were about one foot tall when planted and now they tower over the buildings and yard. They lend lots of shade and animal habitat to the yard. Five or six years ago when the large allotment across the street started construction we planted at least a sixteen 8 to 12 foot tall spruces in the front yard as a privacy barrier. A tree spade was used to plant these larger trees. Those trees are now almost to the point that they block the sound and  view. This was the desired effect.

This wren house housed a wren family this year. I always like to hear the small birds singing in the Spring and throughout their stay. Maybe we will hang additional houses to attract even more birds next year. The little house above is one of two wren houses in our yard. The other is right next to our house in front of the breezeway. The little bird sits and sings throughout the day to attract a mate. The melodious song can be heard in our kitchen. What a great way to start the day. We are missing those songs now as the wrens left the yard when the raising of their families was completed. The recent rains have helped to improve the Fall colors.

There's fungus among us. Remember that old saying that indicated that someone you did not care for was in the room or nearby. I think it is a fairly cruel saying but certainly that saying has been replaced by more direct and vulgar ones. Russ found this large size mushroom or toadstool growing by the side of our barn yesterday. It is 9" by 7" across on the cap and about 6" high. Not sure what it is but there is lots of room underneath that big cap for fairies and elves. We have lived here about 40 years and have never seen a toadstool quite this big in our yard. It has been very wet for the last few days so this may have encouraged the growth. We like to walk around the yard for exercise and finding something unusual is always a treat. This morning I checked and found another of these large toadstools coming up in the same area beside the barn. I wonder if the cap will open to be as large as the other mushroom shown above. Don't worry! We have no thoughts