As Our Life Goes On

There may be no snow for Christmas this year.  That's OK with me.  I no longer sled down to the bottom of that hill in the picture. Santa will certainly find his way just as he always has to those who never have snow.  The warmer weather is refreshing after the last two rough Winter seasons.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Hope your day was full of good friends, good food and many blessings. 

As I approached home after shopping today I noticed white smoke billowing into the air and across the road. I hoped it was leaves burning even though that is prohibited by law. The pungent smell entered my nostrils and pleasant memories flooded my mind. I really like that smell.  I grew up in Kent, Ohio which is also is known as the tree city. Wolcott Avenue did not have curbs or storm sewers at that time. It still does not have these amenities. The falling leaves were abundant on the Norway Maple lined street. We would rake the leaves into large piles on the devil's strip or into the ditch. After playing in the piles for a while we would wait until it was dark. I don't remember why it had to be dark before we set the large piles on fire. Most people in Kent burned their leaves in much the same manner. We would stand by with rakes to rake the burning leaves into smaller piles as they burned. Kent had a layer of the sweet smelling smoke hanging over it each evening

Leaves of red and gold Litter the ground falling fast Beautiful a while ~Caroline

We're not in the habit of staying up late. We like to get up early to enjoy as much of the daylight as possible.  Our legs seemed leaden as we arose this morning after a late night party at our house. We decided that going for a ride in the country would be a good idea. The colors in the trees and foliage are not yet at peak and it seemed that the colors right around our own house were much more developed than those in Northern Portage County.  When we were getting ready to leave our destination we were amazed to see a mature American Bald Eagle fly very closely over us. It had been a while since we had seen one of these beautiful birds. It soared through the clear blue skies over and around us for a short while and then disappeared. It was a special sighting. 

Red leaves among green Fall has arrived just on time We can't hold it back -Caroline

Nice purple asters Gift from our son and his wife Wild blooming flowers -Caroline

The end of Summer is near. The heat and lack of rain has greatly affected the yard, garden and me. The Penstemon are in full bloom along with the hydrangea shrub and Helen's flowers. The Helen's flowers have faded to a light orange brown. They were much prettier at their peak orange-red color. The balance of the daisies in the small garden have dropped their petals and only seed heads remain. The bees love the purple Penstemon blooms and the smaller bees climb into the flowers. The large bee above is much to big to fit inside. Very few honeybees have visited the yard and garden this year.  The ground is cracked and I wonder how deep the wide chasms in the ground are. Our yard has had less than one inch of rain in the last two months. It has been disheartening to watch the radar and see the rain break up or rain out before it got to our yard. It has been so close many times.  The trees are dropping their leaves prematurely. This is especially true of our tulip trees

This little shed was very ragged at the bottom of some of the boards on both sides. It is just an old shed from Pennsylvania but it was the first one that we transported to our yard and the functionality is so important that keeping it in good condition makes sense. The ragged boards were cut evenly across the bottom and a lengthwise board was attached to fill the space.  Auto body putty was used on some small gaps in other places and to fill the space between the new boards and bottoms of the cut off areas. This shed holds garden tools and it is waterproof even though the roof is old and original. That will probably be the next fix. 

It has only been a couple of weeks since the swamp milkweed plants were in full bloom. Monarch butterflies and many types of plant pollinators visited the very pretty blooms. Now the thin upright seed pods are forming. I tried to plant some of the seeds from last year but this did not seem to produce any results. I am thinking that the soil, sun exposure and moisture has to be just perfect for these plants. I am seeing a lot of the common milkweed along the roadsides.  The monarch butterflies need milkweed to survive. We shall continue to have a wild area in the yard to encourage wildlife of all types to prosper. The pesky rabbits that were born behind the garage have figured out that we won't hurt them and they are almost underfoot when we are outside.  I did see a large healthy looking red fox trot through the back yard last week. That could be why there are only two of the five rabbits that were here remaining. The deer are still finding a few apples under our apple

The twins in our neighborhood turned 90 last week. This is Harold helping Russ get ready to go get a lawn tractor. Russ helps Harold with heavy work at his house. There are still some old fashioned neighbors on our road. Notice that his T-shirt says Volunteer on the back. Harold as well as his twin brother Harry have long been a volunteers for many organizations in our area. We are indeed lucky to have them as our neighbors. 

Do you suspect that a bird would really rather nest in the nose of this spirit face birdhouse or the traditional birdhouse shown below. It seems that the wrens usually choose a well worn used birdhouse for their temporary homes. I just could not resist buying the face house at a local Goodwill store this morning though. We will find a place in the yard where we can see this funny looking house from the house and keep watching for any kind of bird to take up residence. The holes in the nose seem a bit large for a wren but perhaps another type of bird will like it. We'll see. 

This small moth was resting on one of the old sheds in the yard. It was a good place to hide from hungry birds. It was very difficult to see it until it moved a bit. Some wildlife is better able to hide than others. The young rabbit below has not bothered to hide from me and only runs if a neighbor's cat can be seen in the yard. It can be within 5 or 6 feet of me and not be alarmed. There are more than one of these young rabbits living in and around the yard. I am glad to see that the rabbits seem to be making a comeback in the neighborhood. 

Wrens are quite social and will live close to occupied homes. A recent trip to a flea market yielded an older used house and a newly constructed house. Many people build wren houses and make the holes too large. This did cause a problem with one of my older bird houses last week. A couple of wrens built a nest in the house and the house was raided when the babies were small. A sparrow and a chickadee took turns killing the babies and soon only a few spots of fluff and feathers remained on the ground under the house. The wrens just kept on singing and have moved to one of our other wren houses. Hopefully these two new homes will also attract some of the little birds. We just love hearing the songs they sing. 

Tiny busy little bees. They are way too busy for you and way too busy for me. They will ignore us if we stay at a distance but  don't get near them or dare to disturb them. They will sting you and the pain you feel could be very long lasting.  Busy tiny little bees.  -Caroline

The Solomon's Seal plants on the shady edge the garden and under the hemlock tree next to the garden have finally spread a bit. It will be safe to divide them and plant some in other locations around the yard as soon as the weather permits. The plants are tall and look beautiful in shaded areas. They may have medicinal properties that are useful for healing. I think they are very attractive plants. 

This gray tree frog tried very hard to blend into the side edge of the shed. We have been hearing the little frogs calling and singing to each other all day long. Sometime they are very difficult to spot. They can cling to a tree or branch and change the color so that that they are almost invisible. This little frog was tucked in as tight as it could get and had its eyes half shut hoping I would go away. It was very quiet and still as I got myself close enough for a photo. Frogs and toads are welcome in my yard. They are great for mosquito control. 

Our trip to camp this weekend started on a sour note. As soon as we took off in the van a clinking metallic noise made us turn back before we got down the road. It took another half hour of listening and deciding to add some transmission fluid before we thought the problem was low fluid. We took off again and before we got 3 miles from home the noise stopped completely so we were on our way.  It has been a long time since we have had such a perfect weather weekend such as this one. Blue skies and temperatures in the low seventies during the day were just what we would have ordered if we could.  The inside of the trailer was just as it was left last time it was used. That was good news. The outhouse had heaved up during the freezing weather last year and had to be leveled. We pushed the old rotting wood privy over. The trailer will need a coat of paint this year. I'll bring some soap and water to scrub the picnic table and bench next time that we travel to cam

These nests were picked up off the ground last Fall after strong winds went through our area. I kept them on the breezeway all Winter as decorative items. It was time to clean the breezeway so they are now being returned to nature. The mud holding the robin nest will soften in the rain and wind and animals may carry them off or tear them apart for recycling. The large nest is a robin's nest. Not sure what bird made the small nest. It could have been a mourning dove but it seems almost too well made.  It is time for newly made nests to appear. It was surprising to find the shells from a robin egg on the ground under the pine trees last week. I suppose the robin nest got raided and the bird or animal that ate the egg dropped the shell where I found it.

Russ had no idea that he would get to sit on this monster of a bulldozer when he left the house this morning. Lakeside Sand and Gravel in Mantua was having a free show of large construction equipment. It was somewhat of a thrill for him when the operator of this machine told him to climb on. Russ's dad  was in the Navy Seabees  during WWII and he used a similar bulldozer to construct airstrips on Taipan and Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands.  Russ looks happy sitting on there as he talks to the operator about his dad's service. The day started with rain but the sun did show through for a while while he visited this show. Russ found the equipment much more interesting than he thought it would be and stayed most of the afternoon along with some friends. There was free admission and free food with donations accepted for the Hattie Larlham Foundation.

May Apples are popping out of their sheath like bases. They unfold in a circular pattern to form little umbrella-like plants on the hill over the bike trail. A profusion of dandelions and spring beauties dot the front yard near the road. I like these colorful flowers in my yard. Plants are only weeds if you consider them to be out of place from where you wish them to be. Grass can be a weed if it grows in your flower garden. The cool weather has extended the blooms on the daffodils. Buds and leaves have popped out on the trees and shrubs overnight and it seems that many have arrived just since dawn. Geese and ducks fill the air with squawks and the little frogs and toads seem to have energy to sing their songs non-stop. It is a season of new life and renewal.

It has been a little over 3 months since some major renovations have taken place in our home. We are loving all these changes. The rooms seem brighter and more pleasant to use. The main floor bath is now done. The floors are actually black and white ceramic tiles but that does not show well in the pictures. The subway tiles on the walls are white and the walls are a medium dark gray. The glass tile trim has black an white ribbons through the slightly bluish tint clear glass. The trim is all shiny chrome.  There are a lot of reflections in the pictures which were taken late in the day under less than ideal lighting circumstances. There are a lot of reflections on the walls.   I think it shows the style that might have been original in our 1952 home. We are glad to have this work finished.  See bathroom before picture below. Glad to get rid of the old vinyl floor for sure.

Many of the daffodil plants are blooming on the hill over the bike trail. Tiny Spring beauties and vinca blooms give extra violet and purple colors to the yard. Dandelion-like yellow coltsfoot plants are in bloom.  The Spring peepers sing every night  and the sounds of geese and ducks in the wetlands behind the house are like a sweet song. The air is warm and this all contributes to a great Spring day. 

It is just amazing to me to find out how far airborne dust will travel. It seems to flow under the bedroom doors that were kept closed just to stop this problem. There is a light layer dust everywhere in the house. More dust will be made this week when the bathroom floor tiles are laid and as the walls are sanded and prepared for wall tile and painting. I just could not help myself though as I attacked this dust this weekend. It made me feel better even though the process will begin again on Monday.  The work in the bathroom is going fast. It really won't be long before we are using it again. The old sink and toilet are sitting in the front yard. It is just to slippery and wet for a truck to come in and get them and we don't want the contractor to slip and fall trying to carry it across the slimy mud in the yard. 

Snow is still scattered in mounds around the property. The white stuff has the texture of the ice in a snow cone but dirt is the topping. Two months of snow cover has reduced the frequency of the outside exercise that we like to do.  The ground is now visible in many spots. There are sprouts on the chives in the little garden behind the house and daffodil leaves are peeking up along the bank above the hike and bike trail. The hiking trail remains partially snow covered but warmer weather should melt most of this snow soon. 

Updated bathroom above Old bathroom below We are really pleased with the look of the basement bathroom. It reminds me of some of the bathrooms that a person would find if they worked in a place where a fancy utilitarian bathroom would not be needed. We don't need a fancy room in our old basement. The contractor and his helper constructed the fancy door, shelf behind the toilet and even the mirror so that they would match. Old style hardware finishes the doors and a toilet roll holder and towel rack are made from pipe fittings. This is just the style that I like. 

It's no secret to those who know us. We have one of the ugliest basement bathrooms around. The toilet water tank broke years ago and it became a bucket flusher. The fixtures were from the 20s or 30s even though the house was built in 1952. The porcelain on the sink was worn through but the sink worked well. The exposed shower pipes leaked from time to time but we were able to fix them. Epoxy did not work to fix the long crack on the toilet tank. Bucket flushing is a real chore. The several people that we had asked about fixing it ran away from this job without giving an estimate.  It will finally be fixed.  Our basement is utilitarian only. It is not a beautiful place but it will be nice to have a functional bathroom again. Jayz Construction just finished our kitchen they agreed to tackle this awful job. Keep posted for updates. 

There is a stream of blood leading from the top of the angel to the angel. A squirrel was attacked in the tulip poplar tree that is to the East of our garage. It bled as it scampered down the tree to the ground but the hawk was so much quicker than the wounded squirrel. The wide wing span made a feathered angel pattern in the snow as it attacked the bleeding squirrel. The snow is very deep so it is probably tough hunting for the larger birds. We did not see this drama unfold but the story seems to be told by the image in the snow. 

This weekend we were able to start returning pots, pans and food to the newly renovated kitchen cupboards. The vintage self lowering toaster was an old thrift store or flea market find. It works just great. The yellow sunflower pattern tile is by emutile and it is a retired color and clay. It sure brightens the work space. The little fridge magnets are very early unmarked emutile made by my daughter in law. Many pots and pans have been put in boxes and marked for donation to cut down on the clutter.  It is a good feeling to have everything clean and more open. 

The kitchen is nearly finished and we are quite pleased with the changes. Extra lighting under the counters, over the stove and in the ceiling make it a cheery pleasant place to do the cooking. The plumbing to the dishwasher and sink will have to be hooked up. The dishes will go back into the cupboards this weekend. Careful sorting may help to eliminate the overcrowding of the cupboards. Some dishes have been given away already but there will certainly be more.  It will be nice to get rid of the temporary, almost 6 week, kitchen set up in the dining room. Cupboard drawers are scattered around the living room and food supplies are under the card tables set up all around the dining room. Dishes are still being done in the bathroom. Water supply to the sink will be hooked up early next week. It was a good feeling to cook on the stove in the kitchen again.  The old basement bathroom is next on the schedule. It has been a bucket flusher for a few years. It has block walls

The blue sky and bright sunshine were very deceiving. It was my intention to take a long walk around the yard but I really did not get that far. There is a thick crunchy crust on top of the snow. In places one can step on top of this and not go through that crust but in most places each step broke through the crust and let my foot sink into the deep snow below. Extracting each foot with almost each step and  then lifting the other foot for the next step seemed like quite an effort. I cut the walk short and decided any energy that I had left should be put into another project. Though it was pleasant to see sunshine most of the day Spring seems far away. 

Two weeks or 10 work days have gone by quickly. Great progress has been made in kitchen. The existing cabinets have been smoothed and painted, A microwave shelf and some cupboards over the range have been added. Electrical and plumbing has been added to, upgraded and replaced with new parts and pieces. Next week the counter tops will be added. Some more modifications on the cupboards has to be made and the new doors will be added soon. The dust from this project seems unending. We are still cooking in the dining room and washing dishes in plastic dishpans in the bathroom.  It is starting to look very light and bright. Looking forward to the finish.

It has been about 35 years since any updates have been done in our 1950s kitchen other than painting. At that time the original flooring was replaced with linoleum. That floor has darkened and suffered through the wear that that happens during life.  The counter tops were replaced at that same time along with the back splash. It was a minimal update. I think the picture makes the kitchen look nicer than it actually is. We will be cooking in the dining room for the next month or so. A hot plate, microwave and crock pot should serve that purpose well.  Dishes will be done in plastic dishpans. I don't like using a lot of disposable items but in this case the fewer dishes the better. Water will have to be drawn from the bathroom. The kitchen will be out of order for at least 4 weeks and maybe longer. New cupboard fronts and drawers, new flooring, counter tops, back splash and sink will replace the things that are still usable but somewhat compromised by age. Other things to make

On and on it goes Old year leaves new year arrives New hopes new wishes -Caroline