It has been a busy couple weeks of yard work, nothing exciting, but satisfying. A new archive video featuring a late ’70s trip to the Albuquerque Balloon Festival was created and posted to YouTube. Daughter Felicity’s dream of a home in upstate New York moves a step closer. More on all below.
Yard work moved to the top of the task list. Grass seed was put down in some bare spots which are now ‘greening up’ a bit. The lawn has been mowed a couple times. Pam has been maintaining the flowerbeds and tells me the Grandpa Otts (morning glories) are just beginning to poke up out of the ground.
The daffodils have completed their run, also pretty much the tulips, but the lilacs have just begun to bloom; their scent is quite amazing. The hostas are really beginning to leaf out and add their spring green color to the yard. The honey locust tree is budding very well. The light green, almost yellow, of the honey locust buds add a nice contrast between the lilacs and the dark green of the lawn. It is a fresh time of the year.
The second topic of this post is one of my archive videos. This one consists of Super-8 film shot at the Albuquerque Balloon Festival. (The event was officially known as the “8th Annual International Balloon Festival.”) The year was 1979. Here is my edited video of that event. Run time is 4:36. Enjoy!
Daughter Felicity called last night to update us on the progress of her and partner Peter’s attempt to buy a house in upstate New York. Since the house does not have a certificate of occupancy (no working bathroom and questionable wiring) they have to obtain a construction loan to finance repairs before the house can be occupied. This has complicated the purchase. A general contractor has been contacted and a quote for the repairs created. The pertinent paperwork has been submitted to the bank.
The next steps: 1) a bank appraisal of the property, 2) approval of the loan + reno amount, and 3) determination of the worth of the house after the work is complete. If all goes well, the closing is tentatively set for the last week of June. Crossed fingers that all goes well!
There are always a few smaller bits of news as well. Pam scheduled an eye appointment — prescription the same, new frames only, several new supersized “floaters.” I suffered through a bout of stomach flu which curtailed my activites for a few days.
An older couple, in Elma for a funeral and walking through town, saw Pam working in the yard and stopped to comment on how nice Heart House looks. (The man of the couple, Tom, had grown up in Elma and the funeral was for one of his relatives.) I was ‘under the weather’ at that point but Pam felt comfortable giving the couple a tour of the grounds and of the first floor inside. Pam, Tom, and wife Lori had a pleasant conversation, with some reminiscing of life in Elma several decades ago. Tom and Lori now live in Florida. Lori appreciated the blooming tulips and lilacs, which don’t do well in the South. It was an unexpected but interesting visit!
That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!
Pam’s Penny
Impromptu house tours are kinda interesting, as Blondie is cooped up in the laundry room and there are cats everywhere. I had to think quickly — did I have the house somewhat picked up, so as not to be embarrassing? Sure didn’t want us to appear to be “low-life/filthy folks.” As I generally clean messes when made, put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, leave no clothes thrown around — all went well. (If one ignores imbedded pet hair…)
Happy Trails.