As Our Life Goes On

My sister and I went to Bedford Heights yesterday to turn in the keys to my brother's apartment. We checked his mailbox first to make sure that the mail had been stopped. The people who worked in the office at his apartment complex have been very nice throughout this process. My brother had been in his apartment for 41 years. He was the tenant with the longest tenure. I doubt that they will have another tenant as reliable and responsible as he was. We made this trip into a multipurpose trip. There are a number of thrift stores in the area near where he had lived. It seems that most of the good items are now sorted out in the back rooms of these charitable stores and sent elsewhere. I found one useful item and my sister found a couple of items to sell on Ebay. We used to come home from these stores with a trunk load of stuff. It is not very interesting to visit these stores anymore and I am looking forward to garage sales and flea markets. The weather is not exactly cooperating

As darkness approaches heavy snow continues to come down in lovely Northeast Ohio. It is a wet heavy snow and it clings to every surface. It is a Winter wonderland. At this point in the year it is a very unwelcome sight. The cold weather is not predicted to leave us for a while. There is not much more to say about this scenic weather. I am even more ready for Spring!

The woods near the side of our property holds some old odd sized limbs that will be used to keep our home warm. It should be getting to the point that we will not be using the wood stove any longer but the lower than average colder temperatures have made Russ scavenge around to find some more firewood. These old wood piles need to be cleaned up anyway so this is a good time to do that. You might notice that insulated coveralls and a heavy vest are being used by the handy woodcutter. Our neighbor counted 7 buzzards living in the old granary next door. They can often be seen soaring over our heads and roosting in the highest trees. That sky was really blue and clear today. Now all we need is some warmth to go along with the sunshine and clear skies.

Blossoms from another year. I long to see the leaves and flowers and the blossoms that attract the bees. This year however I see only buds and cold days that cause things to freeze. God: Please send me some sunshine to warm the earth and bring a Spring day that feels like a Spring day. This is my prayer and that is all I can say.

We have had this antique iron fence for years. It was originally part of a fence for a Pennsylvania  schoolyard. We carried back here in our Suburban. It is lucky that the springs in the vehicle did not break because we were riding very low with that heavy load in the back. We have had the greatest of intentions of erecting it each year and it just has not happened. It is a very heavy fence so we will have to dig holes, pour cement and erect supports which will hold the large square ends securely. Some welding will have to be done to reassemble the parts that had to be cut in order to transport it. There is a gate with a latch so we will be able to go through this short fence or just walk around the ends. This fence will most likely go near the small flower bed that is behind my work room. I will be able to gaze out my window from where I sit to work on my computer and see it.  Erecting this fence is a larger job than it seems when talked about but I really do think that this is d

 It will be a while before we have to get the mower out from under wraps. The ground temperature will have a hard time getting to where it needs to be for the grass to grow. The temperatures have been in the thirties and forties this week and there does not seem to be too much hope in breaking that trend in the next 10 days. It feels colder to me because the sun is shining and it just seems like it should be warmer. I have done little to no yard work in the last few days because of this cold. I need some 60 degree and higher temperatures. The sooner this happens the better for me.

 They say that a rolling stone gathers no moss. The rock above could not have rolled much. This was a day that I also gathered no moss as there was little time to sit at all. I rolled all day long.

You would think that the people who walk and ride bikes along the Metroparks trail would be mindful of the beautiful natural surroundings along the way. This does not appear to be true. I walked back to the wetlands area along the trail and was dismayed to see that it is littered all along the edge of the area just behind our property. I did not go much further than that area but I imagine that it is littered along the whole length. A long pole with a hook on the end will be required to get the items above removed. I wonder if people just walk or ride there to be seen with their fancy bikes, fancy clothes and expensive dogs or if they are really enjoying the natural surroundings. It is easy to put a bag over your shoulder and put your trash into it until you get done with your walk or ride so that the trash can be disposed of in a proper manner. It was an upsetting thing for me to see this so I will most likely go out on the next nice day and pick up some of these items that the unc

These daffodils that are growing through the leaves that are near the back of our property have a lot of buds. The yellow can be seen though the green buds. It will be neither warm nor sunny for quite a few days but possibly some of these will open. We need something to make us cheerful in wonderful dark and dreary Northeast Ohio.

Last night as I retired I heard a wonderful chorus of Spring Peepers. If it only would have been warm enough I would have opened the windows and let this lulling sound into our home. It is a welcome sound of Spring. The wetland areas behind our house are a perfect habitat for these small noisy frogs. I had not heard them before last night so I assume that they just knew that it was the first full day of Spring. Click on the SPRING PEEPERS text below to read about them on Wikipedia. SPRING PEEPERS

This is the first full day of Spring here in wonderful Northeast Ohio. We did have a warm day today and there were quite a few people on the hike and bike trail. The weather forecast for the next 10 days gives me nothing to cheer about though. It is supposed to snow on Thursday and Friday and the temperatures will be cooler than normal.  I will muddle through by finding more inside projects. This is the end of the blog for today as the projects that I did attack today have tired me out.

It is so exciting to see the new growth of moss lifting the oak leaf from last year off the ground. The day is cool but we have had a few sunny semi-warm days. Those days cheer us and we will have more of them after we endure some more cold and possibly snowy days this month. These cool days will be good for working inside and cleaning out my cupboards and closets. It has been a while since that chore has been done.

Imagine my surprise when I found out that 6 of the 8 FM radio preset buttons on this radio were set to some of my favorite stations and were presets that I had on my own radio.  When we cleaned out my brother's apartment I spoke up for this table radio. My brother and I had never discussed the stations or music that we liked the best. There were 2 NPR station settings, a classical station and a variety of other stations that I like. I guess genetics a being raised listening to the same types of music mean a lot. I will think of him as I press those buttons and listen to my favorite stations which were his also.

We took the bird feeders down yesterday but the shed door was so swollen that it could not be opened to put them away. A bank of snow had been against the door and it absorbed the moisture. It was even bowed out at the bottom. The ground is finally open and the birds can find their own natural food. A walk around the yard revealed many projects that will have to wait for more warm weather. The snow plow deposited many stones from the driveway into the yard. The ice and snow brought down branches aplenty. I did get the debris raked away from my flower beds. Tiny green plants were there to be seen. Still waiting for some more of these nice Spring days.

We did not feel in a hurry to get up early to go to the Hartville flea market. The morning was still cold and the wind was blowing. The temperature was forecast to be in the low 60s but it was still in the mid forties when we arrived in Hartville. There were a number of dealers set up with their wares but the market seemed small in size compared to how big it is during prime flea market season. I bought a peck of Gala apples from the apple farmer. Four dollars is a very fair price for that many apples. My husband bought something from a friend who was not set up. Parking lot trunk deals happen often at outdoor markets of this type. The temperature did top 60 degrees and that feels warm after this long Winter. We are looking forward to many more trips to local flea markets.

The temperatures have been cool and cloudy and overcast here in Northeast Ohio today but the tiny plants are bursting through the ground under the hemlock in my back yard. It is good to see these signs of Spring after this long and very snowy Winter. All that I need is some warmer weather with sunshine to brighten my mood. Tomorrow could be that day!

The water seemed to make burping sounds at times as it swirled around Standing Rock in Kent Ohio on Monday. Recent heavy rains and the snow melt increased the runoff into the river and the turbid water has swollen to cover the bottoms of the trunks of trees along the edges. Every once in a while a small whirlpool appeared in the rushing stream as we watched. A train disrupted the quiet sounds of the Cuyahoga River.

The sounds of the geese, redwing blackbirds and crows can be heard over the sound the the airplane. It was a good day for many things that fly. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. I was happy to hear these sounds. Spring is almost here.

My brother had a lot of belongings that were just stuff as he did not throw out things that should have been tossed right away. Lots of trash bags were filled today as we worked in his apartment. We packed up usable items and gave them to Goodwill.  There were a few things that we divided up by asking for them. The three of us were able to agree with no trouble. It is nice to have such great sisters. With 6 people working the day went fast and we made a huge dent in the work that needed done. The time change seemed to upset my internal clock today so a lot of rest will be needed tonight. We're not done yet.

This evening was spent in the company of good friends at a covered dish and music party. The sympathy from our friends gave us great comfort. We enjoyed excellent food and music. It is great to have friends when you feel sad.

Larry Graff 1938-2011

The heavy late Winter snowfall is not what we wanted. It is very beautiful though. It is only snow and not a Tsunami. The snow will go away and some flooding may occur but this is minor compared to the earthquake and flooding in Japan. We give thanks for the beauty of the snow today.

My brother liked to hike 5 miles every day in the Metroparks rain or shine as the people above may be doing. As we got off the elevator on the 7th floor I tried to strengthen my resolve not to get too emotional as we approached my brother's apartment. An odor lingers in the hallway outside of his door. That is nothing compared to being inside. Unfortunately not all people are found immediately after they pass away. The smell is probably unmistakable to those who deal with it in their jobs. It is a foreign and unwanted odor to me. We are the ones who survive and must do the cleanup. We thought it might have dispersed after the first day of cleaning but it seemed even stronger. I girded myself for the task at hand and tried to think positive thoughts. It is not easy to do. My sister and husband and I sorted through many items and threw out a lot of trash. A few hours of work at a time are enough as the air conditioner and open windows do not offer too much relief from the pungent od

Not in the mood to blog today. The untimely death of my brother has left many stressful cleanup chores at his residence. It was not a good place to be.  

It was a pleasant sunny day yesterday until late afternoon. It was nearing our supper time when the phone rang. It was a supervisor at my brother's apartment complex. My brother had lived there for over 40 years.  The supervisor had tried calling him and knocked on his door. His rent had not been paid, his car was in the lot and he had not been seen for a number of days. Permission for a well check was given although at that time I realized that my responsible and reliable brother was not at all well. The call from the police came a few hours later giving me "the news". All who have received "the news" know what that is. My dear brother had passed away. We will miss him deeply.

What can I say? I used to look up at the clouds and imagine forms of faces, people, continents and other random patterns. Was I bored or inspired? I'm not sure. This face in the snow was a happy face. I wore a happy face today too because the sun was shining, the snow was melting and Spring is on the way.

The tire tracks are evidence of our one trip out today. Rain, ice and more snow fell last night. The gray day did not inspire us but we decided to take a trip to an antique store that we had not visited in quite a while. When I found the nice tall Arts and Crafts style copper lamp for only $10.00 the trip became a very worthwhile trip. We also stopped at a Goodwill store on the way home. We did not find anything to buy there but we ran into a good friend who was shopping there also so it was even more of a worthwhile trip. Sometimes spur of the moment decisions to go out on days that are not nice can be good ones.

This was a good day to catch up on some paperwork and stay in and stay warm. The temperature is a bit warmer than it has been but the wind and cold drizzle make it seem colder. The yard is mushy from the overnight rain. We did not see anyone on the bike and hike trail. After reading that turkey vultures will projectile vomit if you approach them or their lair we have decided not to get too close to the granary where they will raise their young. The young birds use the same defense to protect themselves. Since these birds eat carrion it would be very wise not to get too close.

Hinkley Ohio celebrates the return of the buzzards in March with a Buzzard Day. The day can vary as it is usually on a Sunday. The traditional day is supposed to be March 15th but the buzzards can be seen circling overhead already. Our neighbor called yesterday to say that our neighborhood buzzards were back and he saw them sitting on top of his barn. They raise their young in the old granary, seen in the above picture, that rests next to our property. They often rest in the tall trees next to our house. You can read more about these large birds by clicking the Turkey Vulture link below. Turkey Vulture

 A number of the old trees in our yard have declined and died of old age or disease. They are only cleaned up completely if they are near the house. This stump was over the hill in the back so it was just left it there to decompose. It has harbored all kinds of insects. Some type of bees were in it one year and chipmunks and other animals may have lived in the holes underneath near where the roots would be. Those insects and other wildlife are needed to keep a balance in nature. We don't spray for weeds or kill the bees with toxic sprays. A park-like yard suits us well.

There is a single row of firewood left in the front and some smaller wood pieces against the tree behind the wood that is on the pallets. That is all that is left. We were hoping for warmer weather so that we would not need any more but that does not seem probable.

I had just drifted off to sleep last night when I was rudely awakened by the sound of coyotes howling and yapping.  The sound seems to carry well on clear cold nights so they were probably further away from the house than it seemed. We are more likely to hear them in the Summer when the windows are open. There is a small population of these canines at the golf course a mile away and at the old Christmas tree farm across the street from the golf course. There are also some in the wooded areas on the other side of the bike trail behind our home. They are occasionally seen sunning themselves on a pile of dirt at the golf course or darting between the tall pine trees at the old tree farm. They do help keep the mouse population down but I hope not to see one coming toward me when I am in the yard. They seem to be a bit secretive and shy so that probably won't happen.  The recent rains have caused a lot of the snow to melt. Our yard has some very wet spots and puddles. The ground is