Beef 2024

I picked up our latest split half of beef this morning, along with some other meat candies.  The 1/4 cow was $906.54 for 136.8 pounds, about $6.63 per pound.  That's about a dollar more than last year, but not unexpected as the price of everything has risen and last year's went down to $5.60 from $5.98 the prior year.  We pay for the hanging weight, these numbers are for the amount of meat we actually received.

I forgot to get a picture until after I had everything sorted and ready to put in the freezer.  Not pictured is the 48 pounds of ground beef.

While I was there I also spent $132 on various things from their store, some we've had before and much we hadn't.  Overall we spent over a grand on meat today but it will last us for over a year.

I wanted to finish with a joke about meat, but I was afraid I'd butcher it.  ;-)

Working Hard?

Or hardly working?

Really, though, I think they have been working hard.  Everyone gets a break now and again.  Oh, and they were parked, not driving along like that.

Street Reconstruction Part 6

Since my last post they had continued up the middle of the street then started replacing sewer lines to the houses.  they seemed to do a few randomly on the street first, though there must have been some reason, including our new neighbor's to the right.  Now, they seem to be moving up the street in order.  We got a knock on the door early this morning, they were about to start on ours and yes, we both needed to get our vehicles out first.

By the time I got home, ours and neighbor Jane's were done and they were starting on the next neighbor up the street on this side.  So, today is the third day without driveway access.  Like the first day, I got kind of lucky with a parking spot not far away down the bike path.  My wife, meanwhile, had to park way up the street and around the corner when she got home this afternoon.

And below is our view out front after I got home.  The last couple days before today have been extremely hot so the workers knocked off early, but otherwise there hasn't been time lost due to weather.  Maybe one rain day, I can't remember for sure.  We've had no interruption of services, including sewer today, except for losing water for a short time when they broke that pipe accidentally, same day but after I posted last.

Other than the construction, life goes on.  There's been nothing really notable happen that I wish to discuss here.  I got the call about the beef yesterday but they're okay with me picking it up this weekend, as expected.  Coming up is a three day weekend for Labor Day on Monday, then after the short work week I'm finally on vacation for a week.  One of the first things to do is take a trip to see my Mom, then I have a list of things to keep me busy with my time, including cleaning out the garage and cleaning up my basement workbench.  I badly need the time off, and they both badly need the attention.

Street Reconstruction Part 5*

We got a knock on the door early this morning.  They were going to start digging on our street and weren't sure if we'd have driveway access this afternoon, but surely not tomorrow.  More notice would have been nice, but we could manage this.  My wife doesn't need her van out until Wednesday, and told them so, and I ended up parked a street over this afternoon.  I got lucky with a spot pretty much around the corner, but it could be much further next time.

Neighbor Cindy, the one I call "Princess," apparently didn't answer her door this morning, then early this afternoon came out and told the workers she had to get her car out.  She always acts so uppity and entitled, thus my nickname for her.  Anyway, the workers accommodated her by moving a few pieces of equipment but she still had to drive over her front lawn to get out.  I was at work, this was relayed by my wife.  We'll be texting again tomorrow afternoon to see if I can get to the driveway then.

When the beef is ready I think we should have driveway access as even if they called tomorrow they understand their customers have jobs and other things to do so I'll pick it up on the weekend, and construction crews normally wrap things up pretty good for the weekends.  We were planning to get a grocery order for tomorrow afternoon but now will wait until later in the week.

I just went out for a look before posting this, and this (below) would appear to be the last section of pipe they'll be installing today.  

I'm not sure how late they'll work tonight or how they'll wrap things up for the day, but there may be another update very soon.

*Update after the break.

For The Birds

I think it was spring last year we got a bird feeder for the cats to watch.  We kept it over the winter but earlier this year replaced it with a suet feeder as it is much less mess, and should be better now that I moved it over the grass more so less of a grease stain on the edge of the driveway.

But now we have a local flock of sparrows that have been quite used to it.  Not just sparrows, we've also seen chickadees, wrens and young woodpeckers, at least, and I'm sure other species have visited.  And no more issues with squirrels trying to get into the seed feeder or hanging out underneath for what's dropped anymore.

I'm not sure if neighbor Jane knows or not, but they like to hang out in her front bush and on her roof en masse at certain times of the day, taking turns at the feeder.  Below is some of them, but they extend all along the peak of her roof and chimney, as well.  Probably a good amount on our roof, too.

Still, it gives the cats a lot of entertainment, especially when the windows are open.

Street Reconstruction Part 4 & Sunflower Update

Yesterday we noticed that they were clearing our street somewhat, and today they had removed the top layer of asphalt.  This is our view out the front door:

Most of the real work has been on the next street over.  They started by removing that street surface and I've seen then digging in the middle of the street when going to work in the mornings.  They've usually been done with the digging by the time I get home, to leave no holes overnight for safety reasons, I imagine.  So with them starting to remove the surface of our road today I would guess they'll be starting on the sewer work under the middle of the street here soon.

We don't know when we won't have driveway access so have been stocking up on groceries and paper goods recently.  We also ordered another split half of beef and I really hope we have driveway access when that's ready.  I imagine we'll mostly not have driveway access when they are working on the terraces, curbs and driveway aprons toward the end but before putting down the last layer of the new street surface, but that's just me surmising.  I do hope we get some kind of notice, though.

Here's a look up the street, below.  I didn't venture far for pictures today but this gives you an idea of what I see.

I'll try to get better about updates, but much of the work for the day is getting done by the time I get home, and most of the actual changes so far are underground. 

Sunflower drama after the break:

Street Reconstruction Part 3 1/2

A look up the roads of our horseshoe where the work is to be done.  The street by the creek isn't getting done, but links the two that are and provides storage.  It's also part of the bike path that has been detoured though is still used.

Street Reconstruction Part 3 And More

Work has begun on the next street over while our street has become the storage for that work, with piles of dirt, sand and gravel with storage trailers and equipment along the whole block.  Not a whole lot to report yet, but for the sound of machines every day and one rough lane to get in and out of the neighborhood.  And it's a long time until November.

Meanwhile in the gardens, the garlic was ready so was pulled a few days ago and my wife is cleaning them up now.  The two jalapeno plants have more peppers than we know what to do with.  The raspberry bushes are done and we got about a pint again this year.  Next spring we will try removing the fence to let them spill out.  The basil and sage in with the mostly gone strawberry plants are doing better now that they're not drowning with all the rain we had.  And the sunflowers are still growing, looking like wet dishrags per usual due to our very high heat and humidity currently.

And the wildflowers growing out of the old stump are coming into their own quite well, well enough we discussed doing it again next year.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.  We'll be hiding mostly indoors in the air conditioning.