Spring Is Arriving

According to the recent forecast, NE Iowa should not experience below-freezing nights for the next week. More flower shoots are greening up and we are spending a bit more time outdoors. The past week went quickly.

Pam continues to work in the snug, painting stripes on the walls, adding ivy stencils to follow cracks in the plaster, and decorating with the bird house collection. The entire project will take more time — several weeks yet — but progress is being made. Pam wants to get the basics done indoors on the two downstairs rooms before it’s time to start painting outside.

Speaking of outside renovations, Bob the Builder arrived this past week to measure and preview a project we are contracting him to do. The southern exposure of the house, extending up both levels, needs siding removal and replacement. Where the kitchen window now sits on that wall, there was once a door — which is plainly obvious as it was poorly integrated into the siding after the door was closed up. On that same wall are the electric and water/sewer meters, the old telephone box, and the cable TV house entry. It’s a mess of patched and rotten siding. We were going to attempt this project ourselves, but opted to have a professional do it. We’ll use cement board siding for the entire surface, which should take care of future issues on this exposure.

Pam picked up a new cat-themed throw for the bench in the library and Elmo took advantage of it as a napping platform (of course).

I did more yard work and was able to take the first load of yard debris to the dump. I had driven the ATV, pulling the trailer, to the dump but once unloaded the ATV would not start due to a dead battery. Pam had to come to the rescue with the car and a set of jumper cables. (As she noted, at least she now knows where the dump is.) I have to go to the nearest Walmart today to pick up a prescription refill and will pick up a new battery as well. The existing battery was new with the ATV almost 10 years ago so it has lasted a long time.

Another minor project, which I mentioned in my last post, was to begin a reorganization of my tool box. So far I have most of my sockets organized with the help of some organizers I found on Amazon.

The warm weather has encouraged more plants to pop through the soil, as these day lilies show:

The house cats enjoy the sun coming in through the east bay window.

In avian news, a pair of yellow finches briefly stopped at the bird feeder. We know some frequent this area, having seen flashes of them last year. Time to get some finch food. (A grey squirrel has taken to looking for seeds on the ground beneath the feeder, as the birds do flick out whole sunflower and saffron seeds; this grey boy seems to like picking these up.) Recently Pam was thrilled to spot an owl that flew low through our yard and perched briefly in one of the oak trees above the catio. We think there is an owl’s nest a couple blocks west of us, as they call in the evening from time to time. It was awesome to see an owl ‘in person.’ We spotted a nuthatch out the kitchen window, headed downhill on an oak tree. Flocks of robins are gathering frequently.

This is Easter weekend so Pam and I wish everyone reading this a Happy Easter!

Photo Archive

These first couple photos are of Pam and Felicity during a trip we took to the Clark County Fair in the state of Washington. Late ’80’s. (We were living in Oregon at the time.)

These next few shots are miscellaneous critters that came before my camera.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

I hauled the overwintered plants out of the basement and onto the east porch this morning. Mixed reviews for this overwintering process. The geraniums look scraggly and leggy. Some late-arriving bulbs [planted in pots instead of the ground] are trying to thrive but look somewhat anemic. The wisteria looked dead but I see a tiny bit of green emerging on the very tippy-top. (Yay! That wisteria was an expensive purchase.) Let’s see what a little sunshine and fresh air will do for the lot. I would not be at all surprised if I have to cover them with a blanket somewhere along the line due to potential freezing temps overnight. It is, after all, early April.

The Mary Lynn Memorial plaque is out in the tulip bed. Quite a good show of tulips coming up; I planted another couple dozen in mid-November to fill in the sparse spots. Just breaking ground are several dozen daffodils making their first appearance. I take a few moments now to commune with my friend silently when checking on the bulbs’ progress, and hope she somehow/somewhere appreciates the floral display in her honor.

Be well. Happy Trails.