Peonies And Rain

Peonies are a beautiful spring flower, yet, inevitably, it seems to rain hard every year right after they start blooming - or at least when ours at the corner of the house blooms.  And if you've had peonies, you know how discouraging this can be.  The flower heads collect the water and droop, never to fully rise again.  Hopefully it's early enough to not matter so much as there are many yet to open.  My bigger concern was seeing that my gutter was partially blocked.  Also areas of overflowing on the porch gutters, but less of a concern.  The helicopters from the maple trees have been flying, I hadn't thought so much this year but something is clogging the gutters.

It's a holiday weekend and I have a ladder.  This will be fixed.

New Bushes

We planted some new bushes today along the new fence in the tree stump area.  I had to remove several plants when we regraded the lot line to get the yards on the same level for the new fence, so we have a strip of dirt that we want occupied by plants of our choosing and not weeds.  We transplanted some vinca back there, but it needed much more.  We considered other perennials that would take up that space, but we did want something that grew a bit taller so started looking at different kinds of bushes.

Enlarge, if curious.

We went to a local nursery today and chose (the last) two of this spirea, which are to grow to 2-3 feet tall and as wide, and one tuxedo weigela, which will grow 4-5 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide.  We planted them five feet apart on center, and with a foot of dirt between the hole and the fence.  This seemed reasonable and we hope they fill the space well in a few years.  I had the trail cam out there keeping an eye on the tree stump and I happened to notice it, so I set it to make a short time lapse video of us planting the bushes, just for the hell of it.  I added these before and after pictures to the video and it turned out okay, so you can see that short video below.  No background music and nothing fancy, it just is what it is.

I'm reminded of when the workers next door were working on the roof.  One called out to us one day to point out how they could see many of the back yards in the area and ours was the nicest.  That was a very nice thing to say, and maybe justifies my pride in our back yard.  We inherited a good yard 15 years ago and have made great improvements ever since, in my opinion.  All contributing to my pleasure in spending evenings back there by the fire, which I was able to do again on Friday evening.

Friday, Saturday and today are the third, fourth, and fifth days we've been able to have windows open this year, though they almost got shut yesterday for the air conditioner with temperatures approaching 90ºF.  And I mowed for the second time on Friday as the grass was almost as long as when I first mowed it exactly a week before.  We still have a full month until summer officially begins, but I feel confident that the cloud of winter and threat of snow are finally behind us for a few months and I'm feeling so much more comfortable in bare feet and shorts.  (Plus a shirt - no one wants to see me go topless!)  Cheers, everyone.

Sunflowers Are Planted

After seeing family yesterday I got home early in the afternoon, plenty of time to tackle some more spring chores.  I got the back steps power-washed so ready to seal when we get a nice day after a couple dry days in a row, and I also planted sunflower seeds.  I planted more strategically than last year and all are caged so hopefully we get more than one successful sunflower plant this year.  Not long after planting we had a storm come through before the sun came out again.  Mother Nature watered my seeds for me, so I hope that's a good sign.

The corner of the house and porch seemed to be the best place, and where the lone sunflower grew last year, so I fenced off the area and planted several seeds among the day lilies.

I planted a couple at the corner of the garage nearest the fire pit last year, and they started off well before being destroyed by a critter.  I planted a couple there again yesterday but caged the area.

Then I looked around for another good spot.  We have the bare area along the fence in the tree stump area, but hard to cage them in there and we're thinking of putting some kind of bushes or shrubs there.  So I decided to try the back corner behind the lilac.  If you look close at the left, you may see new lilac growth coming from where I had to cut down the old growth due to the new fence.  I'll let it grow as long as it's not directly under the fence.

Now, we wait and see. 

First Mow & Mother's Day

Today was a beautiful and sunny 69ºF and the lawn has had it's time to awaken and grow tall so after work today I mowed for the first time this year.  Unfortunately a bit too breezy and a chance of a passing shower later so no fire again tonight.

Madison is again promoting Low Mow May for the pollinators, but I still believe it's mostly the weeds in the lawns that are used for pollinating and not the grass, so really no matter for my lawn.  Although, I have been seeing a new weed in various areas of the lawn this year, and a ton of it everywhere else this year, too, actually.  I'm not sure what it is yet, but I've been fighting it as best I can in our yard.  It seems to crowd out the grass where it grows so it appears it will be an issue for some time with having to patch/reseed in areas eventually.

This weekend is Mother's Day for us, so I will again be going down to see her Sunday morning.  I'd not mentioned this here yet, but she has been recovering from a procedure so my sister stayed with her for a few weeks and I've been going down there on weekends since then.  But the good news is she's recovering well and will surely be fully independent again soon.  I've been taking her baguette and a sample of parmesan cheese pennies once and will again be baking in the morning to take her more baguette and cheddar cheese pennies for Mother's Day.  And my sister and her kids will be there so will be good to see them.

Other than that, I have lots on my list to get done this weekend but we'll just have to see.  I'd like to get the back steps power washed on Sunday afternoon and start on a fenced area where I will plant sunflowers soon, plus all the usual weekend chores will still need to be done.

So a busy weekend here, but welcomed after a long winter and a spring that has dragged on before really springing just recently.  Have a happy Mother's Day or otherwise have a great weekend!

Why We Hate Cable Companies

So, I called the cable company this afternoon to cancel our cable television, but keep our cable internet.  I was firm but pleasant in my approach, but it did not go as planned, of course.

The customer service worker I spoke to first and told what I wished to do referred me to their retention department, as I expected.  I deflected all offers of discounts and remained steadfast in canceling our cable tv while keeping the cable internet and eventually he stopped trying the various offers to have me keep cable tv.  He then turned off the cable tv and the internet also went out.  I kept him on the line until he got the cable internet to came back, but I was far from finished and also had a few questions about my bill.

This current billing period is for May 2 until June 1.  Only after turning off the cable tv and my questions did he let me know that they do not pro-rate for their monthly services and I would be liable for the entire bill.  That would be over 3 weeks of cable tv services I would have to pay for but not receive.  Unacceptable, and I told him so.  After that exchange it took some time but he said he got my cable tv reinstated through June 1 but the cable tv boxes would not work, we would have to have the app downloaded to our phones and cast to the smart televisions.  Again, I found this unacceptable and I asked to speak to a supervisor.  He responded that may take up to an hour, I said I would wait.

In about ten minutes he checked in with me to make sure I was still there - yes, I'm not going anywhere. After about another ten minutes he "found" a ten dollar discount he could give me.  I said I would rather continue to wait for a supervisor.

Eventually  - and I never did speak to a supervisor - he was suddenly able to turn on our cable tv again through the cable boxes, so now our services were the same as if I hadn't called at all.  But he did say he end-dated our cable tv service for June 1 but I should call on May 29 to be sure, for some reason.  And you can bet your bottom dollar I will call that day, if not the day before, and for their sake I hope I'm in a good mood that day.

What a run-around.  

I entered the call in a good mood and was very pleasant yet I was misled, lied to, and delayed over and over.  I likely may have been able to end it today and get it pro-rated if I stayed on the line for another hour, but I had been on the phone for almost 90 minutes already so we will have the same services through June 1.  That is their tactic.  Delay, delay, delay and hope we give up and hang up.

I found the whole experience sickening and now instead of possibly returning to cable tv in the fall we will be relying on internet streaming services and over the air tv, but will also now immediately be looking into alternate internet providers, as well.

Fuck Spectrum.  I think I may try to call again tomorrow to cancel and try again have my bill pro-rated, but how much is my time worth?

Friday's Fire and Today's Plantings

The weather was dry and the winds were low for the first time on a weekend night in some time, so Friday evening I had my first official fire of the year.  It had been a busy day and evening, so after grilling out brats for dinner and having a few drinks I was able to spend a few hours by the fire.  It was a relaxing time, including a call with my Mom, so I hung out there until about 10 p.m. before coming in for the night.  I look forward to more relaxing evenings like this coming up.

Today we went to the garden center early and got a few seeds and seedlings along with a nice hanging pot for by the front door.  That might be it for this year but for we still have to get something to put in the pot at the bottom of the steps out front.  I can post a pic of the front later when that happens, but as for the back yard the purple puffballs along the porch are now in bloom and what is left of the lilac bush is in peak form right now.  I am seeing some new growth from the old lilac that I had to cut due to the new fence, so hopefully that back side of the bush will be able to fill out well in the next few years.

For the tree stump area I had moved part of a hosta from the north corner (out of picture, left) yesterday where it was right by the fence to the south corner by the firewood where that hosta had been dug out for the yard leveling and fence installation, plus a small piece that fell off I transplanted in front of the stump.  The only other work done is adding some good dirt, wildflower seeds, then more dirt on top of the old stump and the area in front of it.  It's too rotten now to put potted plants on it so we'll try to grow plants in it, but, we'll see what the critters have to say about that, too.

In the gardens we have much more planted today, but it's always an adventure with all the critters so we'll have see what happens as the summer goes on.  Starting at the top left we have garlic, planted last fall, and today Kate planted a row of radishes in front with chives on either side.  Top right is four jalapeno plants, caged, with leaf lettuce on the left and dill and cilantro on the right.  Bottom right is the raspberries, while bottom left now has sage and basil, caged, among the few remaining strawberry plants.

Soon it will be time to plant sunflower seeds.  I'm thinking of fencing in the corner with the day lilies where I grew the one last year and trying to grow several in that area this year.  I may try to plant some in other areas, too, but they will have to be protected, probably caged, for quite some time until they get big enough.  All we can do is try, and as long as we look at whatever we get as a bonus then we'll come out ahead.

I've still not mowed, though I did use the strimmer in many areas again today, but probably within the week I'll have to give in and begin the ritual.  We've also begun spraying, pulling and digging out all the weeds, another summer ritual.

Our temperatures for the foreseeable forecast appear to be right around where windows open will be questionable, day to day.  We have the heat turned off right now so conserving house warmth will be the priority.  Still, this is a good time of year and things are looking good.  Cheers, everyone.

Springing

Yesterday was a beautiful day; sunny, breezy, warm and the second day of the year with windows wide open.  Clouds started moving in about the time I took these pictures, and it's overcast and rainy today.  The grass is now green almost everywhere, but while I've used the strimmer around the edges I have yet to mow.  Many trees have leaves opening, others still just buds.  Flower beds are filling in nicely but, as usual, the tree stump area needs some work - especially since the new fence.

The stairs look pretty bad due to the "transparent" stain (as opposed to "clear," which is very different) coming off.  Hopefully a good power wash and another coat will penetrate the wood more and stay better.

In the gardens we have garlic coming up in one and raspberries in another.  There's still some strawberry plants in one but like growing tomatoes we've given up due to the critters.  And there is one empty that we'll just have to see what happens when we get plants and seeds.

I'm still waiting to have the first real fire pit of the year.  Rain, wind and cold have kept me inside so far.

And the cats liked the warmth and open windows of the porch, as Basil demonstrates here.

Things are looking up, I think.  At least weather-wise.

Street Reconstruction

I believe I mentioned that our street is due to be reconstructed this year, and that I had some issues with their plans.  For the first time, I spoke to the City Council during their meeting tonight on this agenda item.  The meeting started at 6:30 pm, and I just got to speak about 9:30 pm.  I had 3 minutes to get my point across.  I was told my 3 minutes were up right before I said thank you at the end.  Pretty good timing, I'd say.

*               *               *

Good evening.

My wife and I are residents of Xxxxxx Street since 2009 and I wanted to speak tonight because while we agree this part of the street needs reconstruction, some of the data used for planning appears inaccurate and other factors not considered at all.

The data that notes this block of Xxxxxx Street averages 6 vehicles parked overnight and 5 during the day is highly inaccurate.  Since we saw that, my wife and I have been counting at various times of day and found that on weekdays we average 13 vehicles parked on the street overnight and 8 during the day.  These numbers increase significantly on the weekends to 12-15 vehicles parked on the street at any given time.

Per the Parking Exhibit PDF on the city website, Xxxxxx Street is due to have parking on only the north side with just 17 parking spots available.  This is also inaccurate as 3 vehicles will not reasonably fit between any two driveways, and keep in mind that city ordinance requires no parking within 4 feet of a driveway and 2 feet between cars.  This means only 15 parking spots, which is pretty close to 1 spot for every 2 houses on the block.

It’s a pretty long block, so this is problematic for several reasons:

    1. In 2019 you built a canoe slide at the end of our street and it gets used, mostly on weekends, and they arrive in vehicles that need to park somewhere.

    2. For years now on Saturdays a house near the creek is a pickup site for CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes.  So there are many people coming and going, all needing somewhere to park.

    3. Work vehicles for necessary house repairs and maintenance also need to be able to park near the residence where the work is to be done.

    4. But lastly, and I think most importantly, we don’t have reasonable nearby options for parking.

        A. Xxxxxx Street residents already sometimes use our street for overnight overflow parking.

        B. There is no parking on Xxxxxx Avenue.

        C. Xxxxxx Street will likely have the same issues we will because they are due to get even less parking than Xxxxxx Street with this project.

        D. And Xxxxxx Street is hundreds of feet away for most of the houses on this block, and they have their own residents who park there.

Please listen to these concerns and reconsider these plans for a more reasonable and flexible parking solution for our neighborhood.  We love living here and would like to continue to be able to host friends and family now and again - and be able to park close to our home when it’s necessary to park on the street.

Thank you.

                                                                  *               *               *

Good night.

More New Fence

The fence installers left me two pickets from the back fence that they removed in the corner and replaced with new, plus 8 new pickets.  This gave me an idea to build a small section of fence behind the compost bin.  I discussed with neighbor Jane first and asked if I could zip-tie the section to her fence and she was real nice about it.  So, this morning I went and got 2 more fence pickets and 3 cedar 1x3's and this afternoon I put it together and installed it with my wife's help.

If you look close in the picture below you can see a hammock a couple yards over, and it's by a fire pit.  They often have fires when I do and is within sight, so a small section of fence will block that view from our firepit.

And every other direction is our house and the sides of 3 garages with just one open space that by chance had that neighbor standing there when I took the picture below.

I'm satisfied.  This is about as private as we want right now.  In an hour or so I'm going to go out and have the first fire of the year.  Then about an hour after that I'm going to watch a live Megadeth concert from Buenos Aires, Argentina, as I sit by the fire.  It's been a beautiful day out and should be a nice evening.  Cheers, everyone.

New Fence II

Our new cedar fence was installed yesterday with few issues.  In fact, they were done by noon, a couple hours before the daylight very noticeably dimmed due to the partial eclipse we had here. We like the new fence a lot, it looks real good and the back yard feels so much more private now.

I set up three cameras to capture the installation.  Trailcam One just captures pink pictures and video now so was unused.  Trailcam Two was on the side steps pointing down the lot line and was set to take one picture when triggered.  Trailcam Three was strapped to the back steps and was set to take a time lapse with pictures 15 seconds apart.  (Side note: Trailcam Three was bought just a few days ago, the same camera as Trailcam One since I couldn't find another with a forward facing screen and time lapse.  Let's hope Three lasts longer than One did.)  I also put an old Galaxy phone of mine on the back fence to take video of the whole morning.  The crew leader also set up his phone by the back steps to take his own time lapse, and I took pictures with my phone, so that makes 5 cameras covering the action that morning.

When we had the back fence installed late in 2020 I learned that it was good to be there when it happens.  They had plenty of questions and I was there to answer them to get the fence put in the way I wanted.  Again, it was very good that I was here.  One big issue - they weren't told to have the good side facing in (Madison is one of the few cities that lets you do that, otherwise you are required to install the good side facing the neighbors).  So if I had not been here our fence would have been installed backwards.  Tree roots and the back corner were also a bit of an issue, but easily overcome.

Below are the time lapse video from Trailcam Three and a sped up video from the Galaxy.  I couldn't figure out a way to make a video of reasonable length with the over 600 pictures Trailcam Two took, except manually which would take far too long to be worth it.

We got the wood stacked again after work today, so now I just have to have a fire for the first time this year!  Hard to believe, but having a fire will be easier, more comfortable and private now, I think.

If that's not enough, I'll put some pictures of the process that I took with my phone after the break.