| What's the buzz? |
[May. 25th, 2012|09:23 pm] |
Bees, that's what's the buzz.
Almost exactly four years ago to the day, we found out that bees had built a hive in the wall of our shed. I called a bee wrangler, who found them a nice home in the country. She warned us that we needed to plug up any knotholes in the siding to discourage other bees from moving in. Which of course I did not do.
So guess what Husband found last weekend? Yup...bees have moved into our shed again. Thankfully he noticed, because we were just about to have some major repairs done on it, and having the carpenters swarmed by bees would have been a bit awkward.
In other yard news, we had a crew come take down the elm on Monday. I wasn't planning on being here, what with the Dutch Elm Disease looming, but ended up being sick and having to stay home. I got them to leave me a piece of it, although it's a rather large piece, and I'm not sure we'll ever be able to haul it to the back yard.
( Click to see some pictures )
In news not related in any way at all to the yard, The Spotted Hound project is in full swing. Stop by, leave a comment or caption of your own, tell your friends and neighbors, and follow us! New pics go up every Monday (usually late Sunday night) and sometimes a bonus pic in the middle of the week. Yes, this is a shameless plug. |
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| While I'm thinking about it |
[May. 10th, 2012|11:58 pm] |
Would it be totally lame of me to make the exact same brunch menu for Mother's Day that I made last year? Minus the polenta chicken tartletts, which where extraordinarily ho-hum? I feel like I should do something new and exciting, but since Mother's Day is two days away and I haven't made any solid plans, I'm at a bit of a loss.
I know I'll do some fruit and some sort of sandwich (like ham with rolls or cold cuts with croissants) and will have something pastryish and something dessertish. But I need something breakfasty to make it a brunch. Maybe a strada? French toast casserole? Egg cups? Should I just cook up a couple of pounds of beenie weenies and call it day? |
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| If I lose enough trees, will I be able to see the forest? |
[May. 10th, 2012|11:37 pm] |
The tree news was not good. Apparently my Chinese Elm (which is another name for Hackberry, which has now been reclassifed as a hemp instead of an elm - yeah, I did some reading) isn't going to get any better, and is not the kind of tree which can grow back lost limbs. So in another week or two, when the tree people have an opening, it will be gone.
Even though it isn't technically an elm any more, it still managed to get Dutch Elm Disease, which is why it's lost so many branches and the ball moss was able to get a foothold. Several years ago, I told a friend of mine that I always figured I would die of something stupid, like Dutch Elm Disease, which makes me a little nervous. If you know anything about me at all, you know I am a huge jinx, and my life is pretty gosh dang ironic. Do not be surprised to hear my Dutch Elm blighted tree fell on my head.
In any case, I am trying to decide what sort of tree to plant in its place. Any suggestions? What's your favorite tree? |
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| Into the woods |
[Apr. 30th, 2012|08:13 pm] |
About two and a half years ago, we had to cut back my favorite tree. I posted about it here. At the time, it broke my heart, even though I knew it would come back.
For the first year, I wasn't so sure I was right. The tree, being an ash, started sprouting almost immediately, but all through that first year, as soon as the new branches got about as big around as a garden hose, they would break off. But the tree, being an ash, didn't give up, and last year started hanging on to itself in a most determined way.
Today, my tree looks like this:
It makes me happy.
Sadly, we are now facing a similar issue with the Chinese Elm in the front yard. Around the time the ash started sprouting, the elm was attacked by ball moss. To be fair to the ball moss, it wouldn't have attacked if the elm was healthy. But I don't want to be fair to the ball moss, because it's just a ball of bully picking on a weak tree.
Last year, we cut back the branches we could reach, but the ones we couldn't got progressively worse. I really thought the tree was a goner, but then this spring it leafed out more heavily than it had in years, although with so many branches gone or dying, it has a somewhat Suessian aspect. But at least it was trying. Then last week, about fifteen minutes after the window installers drove off, a storm blew through and broke off another branch.
So, it's time to bite the bullet, and call some tree people to have at it. I'm not quite ready to let it go completely, so I'm going to have them cut it back the way we did the ash and see if it can bounce back. Hopefully the tree will appreciate it.
This is what it looks like now. I'll have to post "after" pics when the tree guys leave.
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| Pane is beauty |
[Apr. 28th, 2012|09:49 pm] |
I received many requests for pictures of the new windows. So, here you go:
What's that you say? You don't see a window? Well, yes...because they are new and clean and not broken. |
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| I can see clearly now |
[Apr. 24th, 2012|12:01 am] |
When we bought our house, we knew it needed some work. And by "some", I mean "tons". The original list I made of things we need to do to the house as soon as possible included "replace windows". At the time I made that list, the windows in question were the two in Middle Daughter's room. By the time we got around to that particular item on the list - last week - the windows in question were "all of them".
For those who haven't been following along from the beginning, we bought this house eleven years ago. As you may have guessed, my interpretation of as soon as possible is somewhat flexible. Mostly because the house kept coming up with things that weren't on my list. Things like roofs, and water heaters, and level foundations, and total copper repipes.
( Read more... )
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| There's always bumps along the way |
[Apr. 18th, 2012|10:32 pm] |
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Life is a mixed bag. Sometimes you run into old friends, and it's really nice. And sometimes you run into the edge of a desk, and it isn't so nice. My most recent encounter with the edge of a desk has left a really interesting bruise on my leg. I look like I've gotten a hickey from a muppet. It's been there almost two weeks, and doesn't show any signs of fading. I may have just given myself an organic muppet hickey tattoo. |
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| It's been a long time |
[Apr. 15th, 2012|06:52 pm] |
Yes, I know I haven't posted in ages. I just ran out of words. I had some replacement ones coming, but I guess they were on backorder.
You haven't missed much. Work is still busy. The kids haven't changed (although Middle Daughter did turn nineteen on Friday). The weather is hot.
However...(drum roll please)...the Spotted Hound has officially launched! I plan to have a new pic up every Monday (which means I'll probably post it sometime Sunday). Since we're just starting out, I may post bonus pics during the week every now and then.
Of course, I have no idea how to promote it. Any ideas? I'm not looking for a zillion followers, but I think it would be fun to have enough that I can have caption contests and maybe take submissions. I was thinking of maybe setting up a Facebook fan page, since to follow the blogspot site you have to have a google account. But it doesn't seem like something a nice girl would do. |
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| Move your body (because I can't move mine) |
[Mar. 29th, 2012|11:43 pm] |
We went to the gym tonight. For the first time in...who knows? Long enough that Husband wasn't sure he remembered his code to get in. I think we went once last year. I need to go like eleventy zillion times this year to make up for all the unused gym dues.
I am in such bad shape, y'all. I can't even articulate what a mess I am. I haven't been to the chiropractor since November, and I'm all stiff and twisty. I think my shoulders are up past my ears now. I could be Dr. Frankenstein's assistant, only not as attractive.
I also climbed about a gazilliondy twelve stairs today. It all started when I overslept. Only I didn't know I overslept, because after I turned off the alarm and fell back asleep, I dreamed I was awake. So when I really did wake up, I thought I woke up early, but instead I had slept an extra 45 minutes. I hate it when that happens. It's like falling asleep in the middle of the day and then waking up and thinking you've slept all night and that it's really tomorrow. Or is that just me?
In any case, because I was running late, I had to park a floor higher than I usually do. Normally, I take the stairs down to the crosswalk level, but since there was an extra flight involved I toyed with the idea of taking the elevator. I bit the bullet and took the stairs, which for some reason made me think it would be a good idea to take the stairs all day. Sometimes, I think too much.
The point is that I need to exercise more. I'm thinking this will work. Only the appropriate workout clothes might be hard to find.
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