Drop Ceiling and Clean Glass

I caved and started up the furnace yesterday afternoon.  It was pretty chilly in the house and I do like to be comfortable, and just a few degrees made a world of difference.  The heat was turned off again first thing this morning, hopefully for at least 5 or 6 months this time.

So today being a much nicer day and windows open again, it was time to get back to work on the drop ceiling in the porch.  They had been there for a long time and, especially the full-size tiles, had quite a sag in the middle, not to mention cracks and old water stains.  I removed all the old full size tiles last weekend so I could get them in the garbage, but the old tiles around the edges that will need to be cut to size remained.  As the 128-second video starts you'll see me remove them before going to the garage to cut the new piece.  To do the room would take 15 tiles so I bought 17, just in case since they were pretty cheap.  Toward the end you'll see me doubling up a couple so they're stashed up there in case anything happens and one is needed in the future.  

All in all, it went pretty smooth and quicker than I thought it would.  And too bad the camera was just a little too high to catch Hamish, who watched me do most of it from the top of the cat tree.

After the tiles I had to try to get that glass door clearer.  Thanks for the suggestions, we always have a good supply of vinegar here.  One other thing I forgot is that over winter we had one of those humidifiers that creates a fine mist but also creates a fine film on everything.  I cleaned all the other windows in the house as soon as the weather allowed, but did not do the sliding glass door at that time.  

The first picture is the 'before,' with two panes of glass on the left, one in the middle and none on the right.

This second picture is the 'after,' cleaned twice with vinegar and newspaper.  Much more clear than they were, yet still a bit cloudy.

Up close in the third pic you can see the spots still on the cleaned windows, one kind or side of the glass spots is visible more along the top and the other kind/side below, but throughout the picture and all over the glass.  It was like this when we bought the house and I still can't clean it off, but it's better than it was so I probably won't think about it again until fall when it is time to clean them again.

Plant Day and Vacation

Slightly cooler weather has made us have the windows shut for several days now and maybe until the weekend, but that didn't stop us from the spring ritual of getting some decorative plants to put around the house yesterday.  We put two hanging plants out front to go along with the big pot, just a few for the stump area since the stump is rotting away, and a couple more plants for the garden.

We always used to put a hanging plant on a shepherd's hook by the back stairs, but that area is full sun all day and was pretty harsh on most things we put there.  We talked about putting it by the garage door, but at the bottom of the front steps seemed like a better idea and nice to add more color there.

Only 3 pots on the stump this year.  My wife also floated the idea of just sprinkling seeds on the decaying stump, and that might still happen.  I'm okay with less pots here this year, was less plants to have to pick out and hopefully less issues with squirrels digging them up.  I checked for that first thing this morning.

And my wife added basil and parsley to the garden, where she's already planted a tomato, pepper and a couple other plants and rows of seeds.  Only two garlic survived the winter, and we're pretty sure that's due to the the constant freezing and thawing last fall and early winter, so the rest just rot in the ground.  Meanwhile, we got a fence around the strawberry plants a bit late to keep many from getting eaten, and the raspberries are starting out well.

Saturday began a stretch of 10 days off work for me, and sorely needed.  I don't talk here about work much, and for a reason, but I can say that I've really not been happy for some time now.  Change may happen soon, by my choice or maybe even theirs the way things have been going.  But this is my vacation now, so I wish I could get it out of my head.

A week or so ago I was discussing painting the porch with my wife, and that project got lowered to the bottom of the list.  We decided to just replace the ceiling tiles for now, and I picked those up this morning.  Later in the week I'll do more with those as most will require cutting to size.  

So on Saturday morning we got started on the computer room.  We had a television that wasn't being used, so I got a wall mount and put it up above the computer desk.  This will be used for watching sports, concerts and other programs while I work or otherwise use the computer.  We then proceeded to move most everything out of the room, turned the rug, then cleaned and rearranged a bit as we put it all back.  The result is a bit more space in the room, and a computer desk that even more resembles a cockpit or some sort of command center with now three 32-inch screens.  I also have some decorative baskets ordered that will arrive today to make some areas look more organized.

So aside from ceiling tiles I have a few more small projects and chores to get done this week.  Should be just enough to keep me busy when I want to be with plenty of time to rest, relax and pursue whatever else I may fancy that day.

I do have one question to pose.  Our sliding glass door is very old and cleaning it with regular glass cleaner just doesn't get it very clear.  Does anyone have any hints on how to get old glass clear again?

Spring Yard Work

Since the last post, trees are filling out nicely and the flowerbed plants are getting fuller.  We had a stretch of very high temperatures so we went from having the heat on to the air conditioning in just a day or two, but now things appear they will remain seasonable.  Comfortable temperatures and open windows, I hope it lasts for as long as it can.

On a recent walk I noticed one lone tulip sticking up out of an empty lot.  A year or two ago I posted a picture of a sign on a house that was about to be torn down, this is that lot now.

Been a productive weekend but productivity is almost done at this early hour on Sunday.  I got a lot done yesterday - no mow May is now one mow May so far for me now - and went to bed late and very tired.  Woke up at 10:00 (!) and had to run and get a grocery pickup order, then cleaned up and got to work on half the front yard.  Thatching is hard work, so only half as I want to see how this grass seed and fertilizer works to improve that lawn.  It looks okay from the street, but when I see it out the window the thatch and bare spots were very noticeable.

After writing this I may get out the chainsaw and cut up some wood from neighbor Dave, a black walnut branch that fell and a dead lilac bush he cut down, as he was kind enough to save them for my fire pit.  Then at 2:30 the Bucks have a game 7 playoff game to watch and that will be the end of my productivity for the weekend.

As I was writing this a local restaurant showed up with a food order that I hadn't ordered.  We did order from them last night and got it last night, but the exact same order came today.  I discussed with the driver, verified I didn't get charged again, he said 'enjoy!' and handed it off.  So I guess I'll have something to eat during the game now, but I will continue to monitor that I don't get charged twice or else I'll have to make a phone call.

Last night I had a fire for just the second time so far this Spring.  I didn't really plan on it ahead of time, but the conditions were good so I went ahead.  I don't have the same compulsion to have a fire as I used to.  In 2020 I had nothing else, we were newly holed up at home day and night and not going out at all so I turned to the firepit.  I went through a whole lot of wood that year.  In 2021 it was better in that there were times we did go out and about, so I still had fires but not as often.  This year it's back to normal, I guess, so lifestyle and just being able to go out more freely again has lessened my need for this escape.

The game starts in an hour so I'm going to get some wood cut before settling in for the game and relaxing the rest of the day.  Cheers, everyone.

Lucky 13 and Spring Plans

My blog is now a teenager, this being my 13th year as of today.  In some ways it seems much shorter, in other ways much longer, and it has changed a bit over the years.  I used to have smaller, more frivolous posts, then I began writing less often but (hopefully) more thought-out posts.  I've had my moments of wondering what I'm doing still writing here, but the occasional feedback has been nice and I still appreciate this as a good record of major events and milestones in my life.  But, while inspiration comes and goes at times, I have no plans of stopping anytime soon.

We've not had as nice of a spring day since I last posted, which was on the first day of spring.  Since then, it's snowed more often than it had all winter (including today) and the number of days with snow in the last 3 weeks is probably only outnumbered by the amount of days with rain.  The sun has shown up a few times, but we've not come close to temperatures we had that first spring day.  By this time last year I'd already had a few fires and grilled dinners while neither has happened yet this year.  But, there I go talking about the weather again.

There hasn't been much other than the weather to talk about that's been happening recently, but I do have plans for when the weather finally does turn and my attention turns to projects around the house.  

First, I want to paint the dark paneling on the porch and possibly replace the ceiling tiles.  And if I replace the ceiling tiles I'll take a hard look at insulating the rafters to hopefully retain more heat in the early spring and late fall so we can have it open longer.  Not sure the color just yet, but perhaps use up some paint we already have.  With all the windows there's not much wall space so shouldn't take much paint to do it, but lots of taping on the trim.

Second, I want to somehow rearrange our computer room, the room I spend most of my time in - by far now that I work from home.  I'm thinking of moving the dresser and the file cabinet to at least give the illusion of more space, and I want to flip the rug around the other direction due to a small stain on it and so I'm not vacuuming against the grain, so to speak.  To do this I'll need to move those and more to the porch so it should be warmer out so we can leave the door open.

Another thing we've been waiting on for some time now already.  We've had a sofa and ottoman on order now since last August but due to the pandemic furniture just hasn't been in stock.  Currently it is expected to be delivered in late May, and I really hope this will finally happen.  We could look for something else, but availability is an issue everywhere.  The plan is to move the living room rug a bit to better fit the space with the new sofa and the new buffet table we bought a couple months ago that replaced our larger TV stand in the living room.  The old sofa will then be moved to the porch.

I have another vacation coming up in May so hopefully I can get at least some of this done then, but as long as they get done I'll be happy.  I took a half day off today so I think I'll go out to lunch and relax a bit.  Happy blogday to me and have a nice weekend, everyone.

Health Update and Lactose Intolerance

My wife discovered her lactose intolerance about 7 years ago and has been taking lactaid when she eats dairy ever since.  There had been times when I would complain about something and she would tell me it's possible that I'm becoming lactose intolerant, too.  I'd always just brush it off and never had any real bad problems.  After all, we live Wisconsin, known as the Dairy State, and I really love cheese and ice cream lots and just can't imagine a diet restricted or without dairy.

Yesterday morning I still felt poorly, I had a bit more strength and stamina but not much.  I had arranged to borrow my neighbor Jane's handyman to help me clean out my gutters and rake and mulch my leaves before it gets too cold and/or snowy out, probably doing a little too much myself but it's hard to stand by and watch someone else do your work.  Once done, about 1:00 in the afternoon, I sat down and had some leftover cheese and sausage crackers.  Three of them, to be exact.  That's only 3/4 of a sandwich slice of swiss cheese.  It didn't take long and I was bloated again, feeling as inflated as a Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon.  I was so uncomfortable a cough made my sides hurt.  I had been bloated quite often recently and it was happening again.

Once my wife got home I was discussing it with her and she looked it up, and sure enough the antibiotics can make you temporarily lactose intolerant.  A fact the doctor or anyone else failed to mention when putting me back on a regular diet on Wednesday, still with an IV pumping antibiotics into me.  Hell, I even had pie and small cup of ice cream that day and later complained about being bloated before finally being discharged.  Here at home and as my appetite increased I just ate as normal, bloating on and off and wondering why my movements weren't normalizing.  She convinced me easily and now I'm swearing off dairy at least until I'm off the antibiotics, but this could turn out to be permanent and I'll have to take lactaid when I want dairy forever.

It took 16 hours since that bit of cheese, but this morning I've had so much more 'relief' than I had all week and I'm starting to feel more like myself.  I'm still rather perturbed that I wasn't warned, and I'll be sure to bring it up at my follow-up appointment in a couple days.  I'm sure it tells you this can be a side effect on that full page of small print that comes with the prescription I got after I was discharged, but who reads all that stuff?  I still feel the doctor should have mentioned it when he put me on a regular diet while I was still in the hospital.

So, while that part should be getting better for me now I again woke up with a headache.  I failed to mention this in my last post, but I've had the same migraine on and off since I was in the emergency room last Sunday.  I'd be given different medicines for it in the hospital every day but it would always come back, and it's been a similar pattern since I've been home.  Maybe it's related, not sure, but I really hope it ends soon.  I've also had pretty wacky dreams all week, sometimes waking up panting with my heart beating fast several times a night.  Last night was better so perhaps this is related, too.  But again, I'm not sure.  

I guess all I can hope for is to avoid dairy for the time being and I should continue to improve and these things will work themselves out.  I just want to feel normal again.

Back Shot II, Birthday and Vacation

Last Wednesday I had my second back shot in the last two months, so by now I should know fully how much it helped and what I'm left with.  The first back shot was maybe 50% effective, which still left considerable room for improvement.  This second back shot was at least 50% effective again, maybe more, and what I'm left with is some tingling in my left leg/foot and sometimes pain in my left seat and groin.  Not painful enough to keep taking opioids, but enough to notice, so this is just what I'm left to deal with until I can't anymore, hopefully several years in the future.  In another week I check in with the neurosurgeons office again so we'll see what they say, but I don't expect any new course of action.  I will live, thank you for your thoughts, everyone.

On Saturday we had some friends over to celebrate my and Terry's birthdays with food, fun and fire.

We only invited a handful of people - it seems I've lost some friends since the pandemic, so be it.  Polite declines would be fine with me but ghosting pretty much says everything you need to know, so the invitations just won't be made anymore.  Oh well, I guess they weren't very good friends to begin with, then.  I've had only a small group of friends for a long time now and it seems to get smaller as I get older, and less 'good friends' as much as 'good acquaintances' now.  I seem to have even lost one of my oldest friends since high school (over 35 years ago) just because we view Covid differently.  I even reached out since, said we can just agree to disagree on this topic, but no response since that last conversation when I hung up on him because he wouldn't stop arguing about it.  C'est la vie.

This week I'm on vacation, and I didn't plan on any project to keep me busy but my to-do list will be enough.  After Saturday night with friends by the fire I was pretty lazy on Sunday, drank too much and stayed up way too late.  But on Monday I went down to Dubuque to visit my Mom.  We had a nice visit, got a couple things done for her, and mostly just hung out and talked.  I spent the night and came back early on Tuesday since I had a dentist appointment and a few errands I needed to run.  I also got a good walk in that day.

Today I spent several hours in the basement, mostly just cleaning, dusting, sweeping and vacuuming.  I had high hopes of going through a lot of stuff to sort, donate and trash, but my wife needs to be around for much of that so by the time I finished cleaning I was happy to be done.  Also had lots of heavy things to test my back with putting away downstairs.  A couple hundred pounds of water softener salt, 80 pounds of cat litter, and tables and chairs that were brought up for having company the last couple weekends.  The back held up well, thankfully, so next was yardwork.  I did some cleaning up in the gardens and trimmed some bushes, among other things.  I might get out there for a fire tonight, but we'll see how tired I feel as dusk nears.

Tomorrow is power washer day.  I'll get the power washer out and wash the house, garage, steps, driveway, and whatever else needs a power washing.  Likely not as long a day as today, but I'm on vacation, after all.  I might get to cleaning windows, but currently I have that penciled in for Friday along with cleaning the garage, which won't be too much in there as the garage is about as organized as can be so just a little cleaning.  Then the weekend has its normal chores, plus we've ordered a new sofa and ottoman (both on backorder) so will do some measuring and moving the living room rug in anticipation of the new furniture.  I think we'll be moving the old couch out to the porch, which will actually help us use the porch more often, too.

So it sounds busy, but the chores get easier as the week goes so I will have plenty of time for doing other things or doing nothing, as I see fit.  Weather-wise has been pretty good but getting more seasonable.  This weekend will be very hot again, maybe for the last time as next week I will have to consider getting out my long pants for the first time since spring.  It's been nice, living in shorts and bare feet all summer, but all good things must come to an end.  Like this, if this was a good thing.  Autumn officially starts one week from today, folks.

May This-And-Thats

I have a few things on my mind, and it's too small to hold them for long, so it must be time to get them out.  Nothing very major, just some updates, thoughts, and an announcement to my email readers, so it's time once again to just start typing and see what happens.

• Blog emails are going away in July, they will no longer be supported.  I've been looking for another widget or service to do this, but I'm not going to pay for it so it may not happen.  I have over a dozen friends and family currently signed up and I'm afraid I will lose those readers when this convenience goes away.  If you are one, click the link to the site at the bottom of your email and save it as a favorite now!  I'll provide more updates when I have them.
• 
  Remember when I wrote about my site being probed?  Well, it's happened each month since.  739 hits on March 24 and 760 hits on April 26.  I have no idea why, who or what it is, but it doesn't appear to be doing any real harm, either.  We'll see how many hits I get for May in a couple weeks, I guess.
• The extra dirt and old grill are gone.  My wife put the dirt on the neighborhood farcebook page and in a day one neighbor picked up a couple big buckets and a day or two later another took almost all the rest.  The little that remained I found places for in the yard and gardens.  Also, the rotting wood that was the old gardens I cut up and took to the dump last weekend, so now I have my garage back.  And that old grill I put out to the curb a day early and it didn't take long for it to disappear, no sticker required.  Maybe someone will try to clean it up and get another year or two out of it, but more likely it will be sold as scrap metal.  But now I have a 35 dollar sticker that I don't need.  Maybe I'll pay it forward and have my wife put it on farcebook and give it away to someone with an appliance they need to get rid of.
• I mowed the lawn for the first time this year on Wednesday.  The front needed it more and the back just in places, typical for the first mow.  Thus begins a (mostly) weekly ritual that will last until late fall.  Thankfully, it's a small lawn.  It's also showing wear in areas that I'll need to get grass to grow again.  This is likely due to me spraying the weeds instead of getting down and digging them out.  Trouble is, my back is no longer built for all that low work.  The good news is last summer I got a tool that I can get the weeds out while standing up, but it does leave a divot.  I'll just call that aerating the lawn.
• 
  Remember the drawer that I built downstairs for the cat's litter box?  I still look at it and think of how nifty it is.  After using it now for quite some time, I really like how it contains the mess a whole lot better than when the litter box was on the floor.  Oh, litter still gets dragged out, but mostly only onto the walkway and a bit on the stairs, and I just sweep it into the drawer.  If anyone figures out how to get a cat to wipe their paws, please let me know.
• BW left a comment over at Nic's recently that got me thinking.  It's about getting used to music that's not on CDs or records.  To a certain extent, I have the same issue.  I do have many releases on digital only by now, but I also have YouTube Music as a premium member, so have been trying to use that more.  The issue I'm finding is it's geared more towards individual songs, not whole albums, and I am very album-oriented.  Are all music streaming services like that?
• I have my spring vacation in a couple weeks, and I expect it will be better than last year's.  I don't have any big projects in mind, but I'm sure I'll think of something.  Or maybe I'll just sleep until noon every day and have a fire every night.  It will be different because my wife will be here working from home all week, but I'll hit two weeks after being fully vaccinated so I do plan on going out and about.  We also want to start inviting friends over for firepits and outside socializing soon.  I know vaccination is no guarantee, but I feel the benefits will outweigh the risk, at this point.

Well, that was fun.  The weather has been seasonable and we're still getting overnight frost now and again, at least for this next week, it appears.  Might be a good night for a fire, tonight.  Have a great weekend, everyone.

Gardens, Grills and Dirt

My wife and I finished the other half of the gardens yesterday, and it was much easier with her help than the first two that I did on my own.  The front left garden is at a bit of an angle compared to the others, but I'm satisfied for now.  I put in an order last night for mulch and a few other things that I picked up this morning.  That's one thing that's come of this pandemic - much more ordering online for pickup.  Never have to get out of your car, just show up and they put your stuff in the back.  We'll likely keep this up even after these pandemic times.

So I picked up 4 bags of mulch, and it took two in the garden paths.  I knew 4 would be more than enough but it was dirt cheap and I know we'll have other uses and places for it this year.  I also spread grass seed around the outside of the gardens and the mulched area.  I have a few other places in the yard to get grass to fill in, too, but that's for another time.  After mulch and seed I gave it a good watering, trying not to wash away the seed.  I hate to do it, but I may have to put straw down in the seeded areas this year to get grass to grow, but we'll see.  

The unused dirt pile in the garage is bigger now.  I had my wife post about it on the neighborhood farcebook page, but no one has inquired yet.  If there are no takers then I'll be hauling buckets to the dump next weekend.  I'll have to go there anyway as I'll need to get rid of the remaining wood from the old gardens.  I've been putting a little in the bin each week for trash pickup, but these bigger boards will be cut up and hauled off.  I do want my garage back sometime soon, after all.  And my wife's not keen on the idea of enclosing the whole area with a fence again, so we'll see how it goes and I'll likely have to get some chicken wire for one or two of the gardens soon.

We had snow flurries on a couple days this past week.  Nothing stuck, but one day it did look like a blizzard for a short time.  April has been below normal in temperatures for us, but also below normal in snowfall.  We still have a few days left, but I don't see any low temperatures below freezing and the highs get much better, very nice and warm the next couple days, then mid-60's (ºF, or upper teens ºC) for the rest of the week.  

The new grill is put together and ready to go, so can't wait to try that out one of these nice evenings.  The old one is starting to rust out inside and very dirty so it was time to replace it.  We got it shortly after we got the house so has served us well for over a decade.  Both grills are made by Kenmore, but I like the new one because there is no side burner (that we never used anyway) and the side shelves fold down, thus taking up less garage space.  Getting rid of the old one now will cost us $35.00 for an appliance sticker to have the city pick it up.  I could put it out on the terrace and hope some metal scavenger picks it up, but 35 bucks to guarantee it goes away is fine with me.

This year's big spring project is now pretty much done, so I'll have to figure out something to keep me busy on my spring vacation coming up in a few weeks.  My vacation will just about be two weeks after my second shot, so I may go gallivanting about to stores, bars and restaurants that I've been avoiding for over a year now.  It will probably seem a little weird, but in a good way.  And people, friends, so many that I've barely seen, if at all, in over a year.  I want to socialize again!  Do I remember how?

Two Down, Two To Go

Two weeks after putting together the gardens and removing the railings we finally got good enough weather this weekend to continue.  It'd been rainy and cool, but it is still April and our last average freeze is April 30, so we'll take the good weather days when they come.  We've had all the windows open one day, and some open another day, I think that's about it so far.  But the grass is turning green, spring flowers are blooming and tree buds are opening.  And I get my first shot this week, so things are looking up!

I had to go into the office for a few hours on Saturday morning, but when I got home I did a few chores and then started in on the west garden, the strawberry bed.  This one was falling apart, the wood so rotten much of it fell to pieces when moved.  In contrast, the east garden seems to have held together much better, but we'll see how much when we get to that side, likely next weekend.

I dug up all the strawberry plants and two oregano plants and put them loosely in the lower part of the other garden before removing the rest of the wood and moving some dirt around.  Between the gardens and the garage I have a 12 foot 2x6 to stop weeds from growing there.  It's also rotting, but whole, so I left it as is but I plan on putting one of the 8 foot and 4 foot pieces from the east garden on top of it for extra protection, as long as they're in better shape than the west garden, and they look to be.

Left with just a large pile of soil, I removed as many weeds and roots as I could and measured out where I had to get back to ground level.  I wound up moving a few wheelbarrows full of dirt onto a tarp in the garage though I would bring some back once the gardens were in place.  There's maybe a wheelbarrow and a half left over and I expect about as much from the other side.  When we're done I'll have my wife post something on the neighborhood farcebook page and I'm sure someone will want it.  This is why I put it on a tarp in the garage, because it may be there a week or more so don't want a pile of mud.

I kept at it for a while and got both new gardens in place and about half full of dirt, then decided to take a break for a bit.  My heartrate hadn't even gone back to resting when my wife got home from her Dad's, so it was a short break, then that was when we moved some dirt back to gardens to the depth my wife wanted, and she took over and replanted all the strawberry plants.  The oregano plants are just sitting there, not replanted as they will go on the other side when we get that done.

Also, the dang rabbits have been chewing on the plants, so we'll likely need to put a fence up sooner than later, so I've been forming that plan in my head.  I don't want to do them individually so there will again be something that goes around all of them, with a gate to get in.  And we'll put straw or mulch down on the paths between the gardens to keep weeds from growing there.

After all this, I was able to sit by the fire for the second night in a row.  I had a fire the night before, too, but spent an hour on a video call with my mom, followed by another hour long video call with my sister, which was very nice, but this night was just me relaxing and enjoying the fire, the moon, the stars, some music and my thoughts.  It is very good relaxation therapy.

Today is a rest day, the weather is similar to yesterday but more overcast.  My out of shape muscles are pretty sore again today, but I'll live.  It crossed my mind to dive into the other side today but my back does need a rest.  It held up well yesterday, but I don't want to push it today when it's already tired and sore.  We grilled out sausages for lunch and will probably be pretty lazy the rest of the day.  That's okay, we earned it.

Spring flowers after the break!

Spring Chores and Garden Progress

Today has been the nicest day of the year so far, sunny and warm, all the things we've been lacking lately.  This afternoon I opened up all the windows for the first time this year, and it was so nice to let fresh air into the house.  But also being Saturday, I had a spring to-do list and a need to check things from that list, and one by one I cut that list down.  Mostly a lot of little things to get done outside now that spring is here, but then there's this years big spring project of rebuilding the gardens.  So after checking off a lot of little things, it was time to start on the big ones.

It took about as long to put all the gardens together as it did to get that protective film off.  A couple hours, is all, and I did use a sealant between the pieces before screwing them together.  Despite putting them together on a makeshift platform atop the bins, they seemed to be self-leveling because of the corrugation as I tightened the screws.  I was planning on putting them together on the floor of the garage, sliding my chair along, but the state of my back recently made me try to get a big enough platform off the ground, and it seemed to work pretty good.

After the gardens were put together I started in on the deconstruction of the old gardens.  I had only planned on removing the fence and railings today, but two boards on the west garden just basically fell off.  For some reason the East garden has seemed to age better, but we'll see when it finally all comes off.  I put many of the smaller pieces of wood in the garbage bin, but a pile has started in the garage next to the stored new metal gardens.  Once I get all the wood removed I'll be cutting it all to a size I can transfer to dispose of it properly.

This was all done carefully today as my back has been acting up again, but I don't think I injured myself any further.  It's manageable as long as I take my time and minimize the stress I put on my lower back, and I will definitely be taking a muscle relaxer tonight.  I'm more sore than I care to admit since I've not had as much exercise this past winter as I normally would, but I'm hoping with spring and vaccination this will change and we can more confidently get out and about much more.  

But anyway, at this point we'll see what we can get done tomorrow, but it may not be as much as today.

New Garden Plan

It's been a beautiful day and I was out of work to do so I logged off early and decided to get a few things done outside.  The last week and a half have been mostly overcast, rain and cold and when we did happen to see the sun it was just plain cold.  While we've had some good days so far this spring we still get overnight temperatures below freezing and the next two days will be chilly with highs around 40ºF, about 4ºC.  We have yet to have a day with the windows open, but possibly this weekend, and I sure look forward to it!

I started by moving some dirt around to fill the gap in some areas under the new back fence.  I wanted it straight across the back yard so there were lower areas in the middle.  I think it looks a lot better not seeing sunlight come underneath the fence.  The hostas will start growing soon and cover it all up, then in fall I can look again and maybe add more before the next season.

I also cleared out the right side of the compost bin and shoveled some of the more recent additions from the left to the right.  Last fall we knew we were going to redo the gardens so didn't add the compost to them.  Well, in the east garden I had removed a lot of dirt to fill in some flowerbeds last fall, and that's where I put the compost dirt.  It was just time to get the compost bin sorted so the left side can do its thing while we add to the right, then do the opposite next year.  My goal was to move as little dirt as possible when rebuilding the gardens, but everything will likely need to be moved and replanted.

After that, I turned my attention to the new gardens we bought, galvanized metal raised bed gardens.  I had been thinking of building them out of treated lumber again, until I saw these in the Ama-zone.  They appealed to me because they may last longer than the wood. I didn't think my wife would like them, but she was very good with it.  I had a two pack on my list, but suddenly that was unavailable.  I found them individually for a bit more and, as quantities were low, we bought 4 of them that night at about 80 bucks each.

The gardens we have now I built 5 feet wide by 8 feet tall, outside measurements, with a 2 foot path in the middle.  The plan was always to put a 2 foot path in the middle crosswise, too, so there would be four smaller gardens measuring 5 feet wide and 3 feet tall.  These metal gardens are exactly that, 5' x 3'.  As for fencing, we kicked that can down the road and will deal with it as needed.

So, anyway, when I turned my attention to the gardens the first step was to get the blue protective film off them, which for 4 gardens was a lengthy task.  I spent two hours just on this, but was enjoying myself while listening to music in the garage.  When I was done I mocked one up on the floor with the rest of the pieces in the middle.  We lose a bit of space with the rounded corners but that isn't a worry.  

We'll have to see what the weather wants to do, but soon it will be time to roll up our sleeves and start in earnest.  First, all the old wood will need to be removed, cut, and hauled to the dump.  Followed by dirt moving and plant replanting.  This weekend is supposed to be our nicest weather yet this spring, so I'll likely be out assembling the new gardens in the garage, and probably starting the deconstruction of the old gardens.  I'm considering using a silicone sealant between the pieces of the new metal gardens when I screw them together, what do you think?

Thawing Out

By no means do I think we're finished getting snow this season, but we've enjoyed several days now of about 40ºF allowing for much of our snow to start melting.  Currently we've had more than 43 inches of snow, but March is usually good for a few good, wet snowstorms before allowing spring to fully take over.  Our snowpack must be less than 10 inches by now as I've been able to see the firepit for a few days, but I can still see it's full of snow, too.  It's a nice change shortly after getting below 0ºF for 12 days straight.  The forecast calls for even higher temperatures in the mid 40's all this week so the snow piles should melt further, though it gets looking very dirty as it reveals all the dirt in it as it melts.

We got out for a walk today for the first time this year, I'm ashamed to say.  It wasn't too chilly, but the wind could get to you a bit.   Starkweather Creek is thawed and flowing, and not showing signs of getting too high.  I didn't take my grabber and bag to pick up trash, but there was lots to see on our short walk so I will be picking it up next time.  There's some things about people I just will never understand.

I got a picture from the top of the street, similar to one of my favorite pictures from last year that I still have as my desktop background.  A stark difference with the bare trees, overcast skies and dirty, melting snow, but I like the difference.  I wish I would have gotten a picture like this when everything was covered in pretty, white snow.  March may still provide that opportunity.

Another difference in this picture is that a couple weeks ago the city removed 3 large trees on the street.  You can see the sawdust on the right side of the street, and just a bit further down on the left.  The third is further down on the right, out of sight here.  I hate to lose big trees on the street, they're one of my favorite things about living in an older neighborhood.  They might have been Ash trees, not sure, but the city has been eliminating those due to the Emerald Ash Borer, a beetle that kills Ash trees that has been spreading across the country.  And the red house on the left used to be yellow.

It was nice getting out of the house and getting some exercise.  Hopefully we keep it up and get out for more walks, and soon my attention will need to turn to rebuilding the raised garden beds.  I've been looking at materials, and I'll likely end up using treated lumber again and hope to get 10 years out of it.  It will be a lot of work and, while I'm sure I'll enjoy the process, I'll be very happy once it's done.

Firewood, Fall Chores

Late afternoon yesterday the firewood delivery arrived.  I'd been done with work for hours and was pretty much in relaxation mode, but with my wife's help we got it all neatly stacked.  The small pile on the far left is the leftovers, the other small pile is new wood that wouldn't fit on the rack.  I don't expect either of these small piles to last very long.  Now I know I'll have enough to get through spring, or at least to spring.

Today has been overcast and blustery, with an expected high of 67ºF, and again the news is saying this will be the last 'nice' day as high temperatures will be going back down to about the 50º mark in the extended forecast.  I managed to get some yardwork done yesterday while waiting for the wood, including mowing/mulching the leaves in the back yard, but there is more to be done yet.

I contacted the fencing company yesterday to verify we're still on for replacing our fence about a month from now, and they confirmed.  The exact day may change due to the weather, but it should only take one day to complete.  I wanted to keep the old one as long as possible but it's just gotten so rotten it's starting to fall apart.  I probably should have done it last year and next year it will only be worse, so best to just get it done.  It should look pretty similar, 6' dog-eared, but brand new cedar.  At least it will be one thing crossed off the list, and it will look a lot better, too.

Is cedar the best wood for raised bed gardens?  I'm going to have to figure that out.  I'll not use treated lumber again as I may as well use regular lumber because it obviously won't last more than 9 years or so anyway, and my hope is to not have to rebuild these again, however wishful thinking that may be.

Most fall chores now are just hurry up and wait.  As the plants wilt I'll mulch them up with the string trimmer.  As the black walnut leaves fall I will mow to mulch.  After the maple tree leaves fall I'll rake and mulch them for flowerbeds.  And when all the leaves are done I'll need to clean out the gutters.   All the potted plants will need to be cleaned up and the compost turned.  And before it starts to freeze regularly (still haven't had first frost, but maybe tomorrow morning) I'll have to get the hose put away and the power washer stored in the basement, along with a couple crates of paint, lawn care and other products out of the garage.

So, while it seems like a lot of work it will be spread out for several weeks up to a couple months yet.  I hope for plenty of opportunities to relax by the fire along the way.  

Actually, I hope to be able to go out to eat, hang out at the bar, go see a show or just socialize with friends and family, but I'll take what I can get this year.  Stay safe, all.  And wash your mask.

Friday Night Fire & More

 It was a dreary and overcast evening yesterday, but at least it was dry.  I went out to sit by the fire and decided to film a little and wound up taping the whole night.  Don't worry, this is only the first half hour.  After that I was on a video call with my mom for some time, then it just got dark.  Pull up a chair and relax by the fire with me.

I've gone through a lot of wood this year.  My previous face cord lasted me two whole years while this one, delivered in July,  has lasted about 3 months so far.  I'll have to get another delivery in the next couple weeks as last year I managed to have one more fire after the winter solstice but before the new year.  It's these pandemic times, I have nothing better to do and no other place to go, may as well do something enjoyable.

It only took the cats a few days to start using the walkway.  I had a brown stripe-y rug in front (see last post) and I had the thought would they rather jump down onto concrete or the rug?  So I moved the rug to the right a little bit two days in a row until I noticed there was very little litter on it anymore but there was more litter going down the walkway to the step.  The were using it!  So that rug has now been removed as it is not needed.  Now when I clean the box every afternoon I was sweeping up the walkway first and I had an idea.  I had bought two new mats for this, a big one and a small one.  The big one is in the drawer, the small one wasn't being used.  So I cut the small one in half, mostly, it's still connected in the middle, which was the open side, and I used two sided tape to hold it in place.  Hopefully this will catch most of the rest of the litter the cats track out of the box.  The mats are two layers connected on three sides, so to clean them you separate the layers and dump.  For the half mats on the walkway it looks like I can just put the walkway in the down position, maybe give it a little jostle, and sweep up the litter.  I'm not sure if I'll be putting the walkway down every day now or just pulling the box toward me in the drawer to clean.  Or if this will even work at all, really, but I'll know soon enough.

So the orange one finally got sick.  No, I'm not celebrating.  I don't like that anyone is getting sick and that some are dying.  What it comes down to is that it was preventable.  They were extremely careless, and they got the Covid.  It was just a matter of time, really.  The timing of his illness and the extent of how ill he'll actually get is very interesting, however.  Stay tuned on this one, folks.

Fall weather has definitely arrived here, and that brings outside chores that will need to be done soon.  I also have to get used to wearing long pants and socks again after several months of barefoot and shorts.  And non slip-on shoes seem like an atrocity now so I have been holding out still, even if that means wearing short socks with sandals, sorry.  But I don't hardly go anywhere or see anyone else but my wife these days anyway, so who cares?

Cat Box Area is Finished!

This afternoon I fastened the walkway to the drawer to finish the cat box area under the stairs.  Pretty much what I envisioned, but it took longer than it should have.  After considering it for years I got a start on it during my spring vacation last year.  It was a lot of trial and error as I cut and recut, screwed and unscrewed, and leveled the unlevel, but I did get to the point of getting the base installed - the base being the sides to attach the 32 inch, 400 pound capacity drawer slides I had already bought for the project.  And then when I thought I had finished, it still wasn't square.

So on my fall vacation last year I got a board cut and painted that would make it square, but as my back was giving me trouble then that's as far as I got and it sat for the winter.   Fast forward to my spring vacation this year, which was canceled as a couple weeks earlier I missed a whole lot of time from work trying to get over this nasty virus that's going around.  Yes, that one.  So the project sat and we and the cats just continued on as normal.  There was nothing wrong with how things were, I just wanted something better.

Pulled out for cleaning.

Recently on my fall vacation this year it was time to get this done.  I replaced the piece I needed to, built, fitted, caulked and painted the drawer, but due to the weather making for long drying times the project did drag on for a week and a half since my vacation now.  Not a big deal as it was mostly done and I was happy to enjoy the last of the work.  I didn't make any more trips to the hardware store for the last part and just used what I had, which is plenty, but the walkway is two pieces fastened together and I used screws that were a bit too long so had to grind down the points on the other side.  One thing I did order from Amazon is the folding brackets so the walkway will fold down.  I was searching Amazon for folding brackets and trying to figure out what I could use when I saw folding table leg brackets.  Odd, I thought, but they looked like they'd work and sure enough, they did.

So now the cats have a new area, including a brand new litter box, scooper and a mat that is supposed to catch the litter that gets dragged out.  There will still be some litter escaping on their paws as it's impossible to teach a cat to wipe its feet, but hopefully most of it will stay contained so I just have to clean the drawer once a week instead of sweeping the whole area every day.  I don't know if they will know to use the walkway or how long it will take them, but if they get tired of jumping up or we get water on the floor I think they'll figure it out.  So, regular readers have heard me mention this project at times for a long time now, what do you think?

A couple more views after the break!

Friday Firepit and Cat Box Update

Last night was the first time I had a chance to have a firepit for two weeks now, and it was very nice to once again sit by the fire and ponder life's meaning.  After the last fire I was on vacation for a week so, of course, every day was wet.  Off work all week and I couldn't even do what I look forward to the most, this year anyway.  Then this past week I was back at work, so I couldn't wait for Friday night.  Oh, I could have a fire during the week but it does put a damper on it knowing I have to get up early the next day.  Tonight, Terry and Becky are coming over to celebrate my and Terry's birthday - postponed from last Saturday.  It will be nice to visit again and catch up around the fire.

The bright dot is the ISS flying left to right across the sky last night.  Below and a bit to the right is the North Star, and on the right side is Cassiopeia with the top left dot of the W obscured by light pollution.  I could still see the Big Dipper over the garage, getting lower in the sky, and later I even saw Orion and his belt hiding behind one of the trees.  The ISS will be flying by again tonight at 8:02, 63 minutes after sunset.

The cat box project is coming along.  I was thinking I started it years ago but it was actually June of 2019, I'd just been thinking of doing this for years now to help contain the mess.  The biggest problem was that nothing under the stairs was square.  I had gotten everything pretty square last year except for one piece that had to be replaced, but I had that piece cut and painted already, just not installed.  With that installed I was able to build the drawer but then it's been pretty much waiting for paint to dry between coats.  The drawer is now installed as of yesterday, and the cat box is moved into it, so it's about 90% done.  All that's left is a walkway so the cats can go from the bottom stair over to the drawer without stepping paw on the floor.  This way I don't have to do anything for them on the occasions a few times a year when water comes in.  I built and started to paint that walkway today, so it shouldn't be long now and I can finally share with you my latest DIY creation.

September This-And-Thats

Barring small mammals and firepits there's not been a lot to write about over here the last several weeks.  One day blurs into the next as we work and rest while barely ever leaving the house.  But life moves ever forward and I needed a vacation from, well, work.  Not working for a few days will be the only difference as I still will barely leave the house.  Good times, eh?  Well, here I go typing again, so onward we go.

• We set a record yesterday with a high temperature of only 57ºF and expect to set another record today with the same high temperature.  Both days have been cold, gloomy and wet, most especially for the date.  I've now worn socks, long pants and long sleeves again for the first time in several months.  Not the best week to take a vacation and try to get things done, but at least I'm not working.
• It doesn't always happen that my birthday falls the same week as Labor Day.  Usually it's the week after so I benefit from a short week in addition to a week off.  This year it is the same week, this week, so while I am using up less time I will miss the extra day off.  And my Mom's birthday is a week and a half later.
• For the holiday weekend I drove down to Dubuque on Sunday to spend some time with my Mom.  We enjoyed talking and relaxing, spending much of the evening sitting by her (gas) firepit.  Yes, we tried to social distance.  I know she's been careful and so have I, but it was nice to talk in person and not on a video call.  I left for home late the next morning, very thankful there was not the usual holiday traffic.  Thanks for having me over, Mom, it was a lot of fun.

• The above is one of my favorite pictures from spring, I used it as my background all year.  On another of our walks recently I got an updated view, below, and now I use that as my background.  If you look all the way down to the end of the street you can just make out the yellow left turn sign, which is right next to the canoe/kayak slide on the creek.

• The rest of Monday was spent being lazy, and looking back I wish I would have done more but the driving is tiring.  Yesterday, being so gloomy, the laziness continued.  And while today is much like yesterday there is no water in the basement so I got to work on the cat box area.  I have the structure of it as square as I can, installed the drawer slides and took all my measurements needed for building the drawer.  Hopefully with a little nicer weather I'll be working in the garage tomorrow.  Cutting and assembling should go quick but the paint may take longer to dry.
• I've been watching the Bucks again since they restarted the season, but I stopped when they were down 3 games to nothing in the playoffs.  Why put myself through the anguish?  I told myself that if they come back and win 4 straight then maybe I'll watch the next series, but, of course, that didn't happen.  And after a short training camp and no preseason games the Packers will play this Sunday.  It will be interesting to see them play in an empty stadium, but I don't think the home viewing part will change much, especially if you've already been watching other sporting events without in-person fans.
• We had another couple over for a fire last Friday, the sixth and seventh people we've had over for essentially all year.  The most we'll have is a couple at a time so social distancing is easy, and masks are required if they need to go into the house.  I do miss seeing other people, socializing and catching up.  This Saturday, Terry and her sister Becky are coming over to celebrate my and Terry's birthdays, just days apart.  Eight and nine, and there are others I still wish to have over this fall at some point.

That's all I can think of at the moment.  I think I'm in a little bit of a pandemic funk, despite being on vacation.  The weather is supposed to get better, so hopefully my mood will, too.  Be smart, stay well and stay safe, everyone.

Now, Mr Squirrel. The End?

Yesterday evening I noticed that something had been digging in the area of that chipmunk den, but did not dig around the brick I had covering the old hole, and I don't think it got in.  I knew I wouldn't be able to drive a chipmunk to another location until after work, so I waited to set the live trap.  After work I cleaned up the area again and set it with the usual peanut butter.

Maybe an hour later I heard it go off.  Nice to meet you, Mr. Squirrel!  Definitely not who I was after, so after a few pictures I let him go right there.  He scampered straight away to the back of the yard and under the firewood, I believe.

This live trap is just big enough, but not meant for a squirrel.  The damage to the trap that you see in closeups is mostly from last June when a squirrel would not leave the inside eaves of the garage.  I wasn't going to leave my garage open overnight, so I set the trap and closed it up.  The next morning there was a pretty ticked off squirrel.  I'm not sure how long he was in the trap, but a few more hours and he may have broken out.

So, that tells me that's enough of the live trapping of small animals until and unless there becomes another nuisance.  Let's hope that's not anytime soon.

Mr Mouse? And Mr Chipmunk II

 Yesterday I noticed there had been activity at the old chipmunk den, a day after I evicted the occupant.  Was this Mr. Chipmunk back to claim his homestead?  Or another wanting to take over some prime real estate?  Can never know for sure, all the damn critters look too much the same.

I set out the trap again but after several hours got nothing.  I was outside late by the fire so decided it wouldn't be cruel to leave it overnight as long as I check it first think in the morning, which I did.

Well, hello, Mr. Mouse.  I didn't expect to see you.  Just an ordinary mouse got trapped for a time, but he had a feast of peanut butter for his trouble.  It wasn't inside so I really paid it no mind and took it to the compost bin area to let it go.  I had the trap sitting on the bin and when I opened it the little squeaker ran straight forward down the lid of the compost bin and off the edge, his momentum bouncing his little body off the fence.  I'm sure he'll be okay.

After this there was still a little peanut butter in the trap so I set it and put it back.  When I came out later the ants had found it, so I hosed off the whole thing to get it all cleaned up and set it in the sun to dry.  A couple hours later I re-baited it with peanut butter and set it up again.  The second time I went to check on it I saw from inside it had been tripped, but could not see what was in it.  When I went outside it was Mr. Chipmunk.  Probably the same one, but can't be sure. Hello again, Mr. Chipmunk, shall we go for another walk?

This time I took him down to the bike path to the right, crossed the bigger road and kept along the bike path, veered off to the left and across a footbridge that goes across another arm of Starkweather Creek, and then about 50 feet further down a path.  There, I let him go.  This is about twice as far as I took him last time, which I should have went farther.  Starting my walk back, I took a picture from there and you can see it is a very clear area with shelter and water so he could do just fine there.

If you come back, Mr. Chipmunk, you will get a ride in the car.

Mr Chipmunk and Neighbor Dave

 We are entering the dog days of summer here.  We've had 7 days at 90ºF this summer, topping out at 92º about two weeks ago, though recently we've been a few degrees lower so just the afternoons and evenings get a bit uncomfortable without the air conditioning on.  Plants are still flowering but are past their peak and are starting to look a bit ragged.  And the lawn has brown patches, including all of the front lawn.   All in all, August in Wisconsin.

A year ago I'd have been writing about bicycle rides, Atwoodfest, live bands and other summer adventures.  This year, 2020, the year of the pandemic, there just has not been much going on.  We wake up, work at home all day then lay around home all evening.  Oh, we take a walk now and again (and picking up trash as we go has made that a bit more rewarding), run errands only as needed, and my wife still has all her 'dad' work to do all week.

I'd like to say I've gotten more accomplished than I have, but that doesn't seem to have happened.  I have a week vacation in a few week's time so my plan is to knock things off my list then, including the cat box area which has turned into a very long-term project.  I think the last I worked on it was my fall vacation last year.  It will be different as my wife will be working at home all day so I'll have to mind her schedule, too.

But today I have something else I can write about - a chipmunk.   I know I've written about their dens on the side of the house before, I even trapped and relocated one a couple years ago.  Well, that time came again.  I knew I had a little guy living in the corner since Spring.  In the first and second pictures the entrance to his den is on the top right, under the hosta.  My early attempts to capture it did not work, so I let it be for the time being and just kept an eye on the situation.  Today that situation changed.

What I saw today was one heck of a mess in that corner, like Mr. Chipmunk had cleaned house.  There was dirt all over and an abundance of black walnut shells strewn about.  Okay, Mr. Chipmunk, I got no time for your messes so it's time for you to leave.  I started with the hose, since it's right there on that side of the house.  Water kept pouring in, but no chipmunk came out.  Finally I turned off the water.  I know neighbor Dave, 79 tomorrow (see below), has air gaps under his concrete walkway right there so I didn't want to fill that up and possibly give him water in his basement.  Besides, the chipmunk seemed not to be home at the moment.

Next, I got some peanut butter and set my live trap.  I figured I'd check it now and again the rest of the night, and hopefully I could evict Mr. Chipmunk, the squatter.  In actuality, I was in the second bedroom about ten minutes later and heard a noise outside the open window.  Sure enough, Mr. Chipmunk was caught!  Well, that was certainly easier than it was in Spring.  After humiliating the little guy by making him pose for a few pictures, I walked down to the bike path to let him go.  Not only did I walk to the bike path, but followed it for a time to get more distance between home and where I released him so hopefully he will not be back.  Then I cleaned up that mess.

*          *          *

A couple weeks ago, Neighbor Dave told me he was planning on moving.  He was facing an expensive repair to the house and did not want to spend the money.  He told me all about how old all the appliances were, the furnace, and the myriad other things that were wrong with the place.  I didn't like to hear it, but supported his decision and offered my help with anything he needed.

About a week later, he told me he couldn't find a place to move.  He doesn't drive, so wanted to be close to the bus and a library, and rents were expensive and more so because he has a cat.  But mostly there wasn't much of anything available, and that's what I've heard recently that Madison currently has a housing shortage.  He discussed with his kids and they're going to do the necessary repair themselves, so he decided he's going to stay probably for the rest of his days in his house of over 50 years.

Before all this I figured I'd get him a birthday present this year, but now I really wanted to.  I noticed that I had it on a spreadsheet with other people we know, and then I remembered him telling me it a year or two ago and so I put it on there.  I just got him a card and a couple funny fishing t-shirts that I think he'll like.  Hopefully I run into him later tonight or tomorrow, now.


Now, to end, I only have one thing to say.  I really hate Blogger's new dashboard and template.  It's especially hard to strategically place photos within the text.  Much harder that it used to be or should be.  Happy summer everyone.  Maybe a firepit later tonight...