The Photos

 

I finally found the cord to download photos.  This is my fireplace mantle this year.  I am so happy for a number of reasons.

Let There Be Light

 I got a new light for my dining room soon after I moved into my house.  My son, the ceramic engineer, installed it for me.  I loved it. I love it.  It sparkles like diamonds.  It reminds me that my life has been like a lump of coal that under pressure and time turned into a diamond.  And now I sparkle and shine.  It is one of my favorite things.

But sometime last spring it stopped working, this light fixture.  It didn't sparkle, it didn't shine, it didn't even light up. My son assumed that hi installation was faulty.  So, he didn't offer to come look at it.  I was reluctant to call someone because of the pandemic and I didn't know an electrician. I waited.  I thought about what to do. I prayed about what to do. 

Then the pandemic became this thing that wasn't ending.  And I decided that if I hired a licensed electrician, a named company, that I might pay a little more, but it could be fixed.  So, last week I did that. I got the light fixed.  It sparkles and shines.

I hadn't realized how much I missed having that light.  I thought that it wasn't that important.  But, daylight savings time has ended and it gets dark early.  Now I can do a puzzle on the table again.  Now I could even have people over for dinner.  Light.  It is better than darkness.

New Neighbors

 The sweet little family across the street sold their house.  I will miss them.  I hope that all is well and good things await them at their new digs. They were my best neighbors, but the pandemic stopped me from getting to know them better as I had hoped to do.  As I said, I hope for the best for them.

The new people moved in this past weekend.  I didn't see any kids.  I saw what looked like an extended family.  There was an older than me lady with a walker.  There were various women.  One was carrying a yoga mat.  One looked to be slightly younger than me.  But, these neighbors could potentially become friends.  There were more people who looked liked me in the bunch. Sometimes friends happen because you are in similar states of life in my experience.

In pre-pandemic times I would have brought a plate of cookies or a loaf of banana bread.  I wonder if that is still appropriate?  Are we post-pandemic enough to share cooking? I am not sure.  I could just bring it and they could throw it away or refuse it if they aren't comfortable with it. I am pondering.

Anyway, I have new neighbors.  It is exciting.  I hope for the best.

War Against the Squirrels

 As I may have mentioned, I had a pest person come out and look in my attic for signs of squirrels that I knew were up there.  The guy said that there wasn't really evidence of squirrels' nests or torn up insulation in the attic.  We walked around the house and saw a pushed up place in the soffit.   I am convinced there are squirrels there because I hear them from time to time.

As I may have also mentioned, I heard squirrels in the gutters and gutter shield that I got last spring.  I had thought it was birds at first, but evidence is clear, it is squirrels.  I have heard them run up and down the drainpipes. I have seen them leaning out of the gutters, looking at me.

I decided against paying $500 or so to have squirrels trapped and killed, since the pest people didn't think they were in the attic, they couldn't plug a hole. I am trying my own methods of squirrel abatement.  I got some repellant stuff which is non-toxic and supposedly acts as an irritant.  It seemed to dissuade the squirrels a bit and for a few days fended off the rabbits eating my tulips.  I cut back limbs close to the house.  The squirrels demonstrated to me that they still had easy access to my deck by jumping.  I would have to cut down the linden tree, which is the best tree in my backyard to achieve success.  I am not willing to do that. Since I am pretty sure that they climb up the gutters, I looked for a way to stop that.  There are other ways to get to the roof, but not as easily.  I stuffed a tennis ball up the downspouts.  There is still room for water to come out, but no room for squirrels to go up.  This will probably do something bad in the long run that I am not aware of, but for now it is working.  And don't read this next part if you are super sensitive, but I am planning to put a bird feeder in the middle of my front yard where there are no trees or shrubs to hide.  I will call it a hawk feeder. Hawks love squirrels, I love hawks.  It is a win win.

I continue to try to think of ways to foil the squirrels.  I have the name of another pest company that gets the beasts out of the soffits and I will call them if worse comes to worse.  In the meantime, it feels good to think that perhaps I can do a think or two to fight back from the squirrels who are trying to take over my house.

Brush Pile

 In an effort to do squirrel abatement I cut branches off the linden tree by my back deck. I work on keeping the trees trimmed back most of the time, but this year I did the trimming with greater enthusiasm.  I piled up the branches on the patio by the basement door. They made quite a brush pile. I like to keep them out of the way of my mowing people.  I also like to let the branches dry.

I really don't use the backyard much.  The only direct access is through the basement.  My back deck is a balcony. Usually to get to the backyard, I walk around the side yard.  I don't use my backyard much.  I don't even have a place to sit down back there. My grandson is digging a hole with enthusiasm in the backyard when he comes over, but it fills in between his visits.

But, a friend suggested meeting for lunch on my back patio in a couple of weeks.  She didn't know that my patio is now and is usually stacked with brush.  I could have said, "No, I can't have you on my patio."  But, then we would have had lunch on my deck, overlooking the patio and its brush pile.

It isn't like I planned to keep the brush pile.  I planned to snip snap that brush, bag it, and be rid of it.  I just hadn't gotten around to it yet.  So, this past weekend, I spent an afternoon cutting up sticks and bagging them.  They filled 4 yard waste bags.  But, the back patio looked a lot better.  I also put some chicken wire around the blackberry bush.  I hope to discourage the rabbits.

It looks so good, that I may try to do something to improve the backyard a bit. I really would like to fence it for the imaginary dog, or just because most of my neighbors have fenced their adjacent yards.  The mismatched fencing looks like a hodgepodge.  If I decorated the patio a bit, maybe it wouldn't be so tempting to make it a brush pile.

Forget Me Not

 Those little tiny blue flowers that bloom in bunches are called forget me nots.  I have always liked them.  They are old fashioned and sentimental.  In the first house we bought I planted forget me nots first in the flower garden.  I wonder if they still come up there?  It was a long long time ago.  Forget me nots are not perennials, but they re-seed and come up again the next year in my experience.

I planted forget me nots at that first house because I like them, and also because I was still recovering from the ectopic pregnancy.  I was sentimental because it was the first house we owned.  But, I realize looking back that I was also a little depressed and overcome by the fragility of life.

At the next house, which is now where my son lives, so I go there most days to take care of the grandchildren, I didn't plant forget me nots.  But, the fancy daffodils I planted are still going strong.  It was a different season in my life then. And at the house after that, no forget me nots.  Life was really complicated and a little scary at that last house of my marriage.

Then I rented a house for a year and finally bought my own house where I now live.  I love this house, even if I battle wildlife on a daily basis. So far I can reliably say that rabbits eat petunias, tulips, Asiatic lilies but not day lilies, gerber daisies, blackberry bushes and raspberry bushes, and many other things I planted.  They even eat hostas. I was given some hostas by the across the street neighbor a couple of years ago.  They struggle to survive the rabbits.

This year I noticed something coming up beside the hostas.  I didn't pull it because it looked like forget me nots.  I have had the hostas a couple of years and there were never forget me nots with them.  I didn't plant any forget me nots.  But, hope springs eternal.  The leaves looked like forget me nots.

And sure enough, 2 years after I transplanted them, these hostas have brought along some forget me not seeds.  They are lovely and sentimental.  So far, the rabbits have left them alone. I picked up some forget me not seeds at the store to plant some more.  I realize that I have missed forget me nots.  I am in a different place than I was those long years ago in my first house, but this is a new beginning, my actual first house. Forget me nots are just what I need in my flower garden.

Squirrels/ No Squirrels

So, Friday I had a pest control guy come out to check about my squirrel in the attic situation.  Turns out, there probably aren't squirrels in my attic.  That is tremendously good news.  He suggested that I just heard them running on the roof.  I felt a little foolish.  Happy not to have squirrels in the attic, but perplexed about what I heard.

The thing is, on several occasions, but most recently Saturday a week ago, I heard squirrel or squirrels gnawing wood above me as I sat in my bedroom.  I yelled, they stopped, later started again, and I yelled, they stopped.  My bedroom is 2 stories up (exposed basement ranch).  The squirrel was right there, not down somewhere.  It was gnawing wood. 

So, if not in the attic, where?  I did some additional research.  It seems that you can have squirrels in your soffits.  That under the eave covering can be entered in by squirrels who can then take up residence and ultimately try to chew their way into your house. I have a soffit right in the corner that I heard the squirrel that has been moved.  I think this is the answer to the question what I heard.

But, the long term solution?  I am not sure.  There was a hail storm last year and lots of people got new roofs.  I didn't choose to be one of them, but, if I did the roof thing, I could have the soffit replaced and see if that is the problem and tighten it down. I could hire a pest control company that specializes in soffits.  I could continue the abatement efforts that have had some impact so far. (I trimmed trees, emptied the bird feeder, used repellant.)

Anyway, I have decided that I won't be paying $500 for this company that came out Friday to handle the squirrels that they say I don't have and an annual fee of over $200. I am gullible, but not that gullible.  I hope.  So, the saga of the squirrels continues, if only in my imagination.

Nice Neighborhood

 The house across the street is for sale.  I am not sure where the people moved.  They were really nice neighbors and I will miss them.  I know all my immediate neighbors, but not well.  Several of them are newer than I am in the neighborhood and I am in my fourth year here.

Some people were looking at the for sale house tonight as I was coming back from walking the imaginary dog.  I am sure they didn't see my dog. They asked if it was a nice neighborhood.  I said it was.  But, afterwards I wondered, "What makes a nice neighborhood?"

There are a lot of kids in my neighborhood.  Kids can be annoying.  I have chased them out of my backyard to go play in their own.  I have done it nicely, but I figure that their parents should have first dibs on enjoying their childhood. I like living in a neighborhood with kids.  There is an energy brought by young families.  I really can't imagine wanting to live in a senior community. 

There are some neighbors who have had disagreements or feuds with each other.  I don't really know this first hand.  There is a neighborhood gossip who spreads these stories.  I take them with a grain of salt.  It is really none of my business.

In my neighborhood a lot of fences have gone up lately.  I am thinking of one myself.  I would like one for the imaginary dog.  Getting dogs seems to be the main reason for fencing.  My yard seems a lot darker from the fence my neighbors to the back put up. I was not a fan at first of their 6 foot privacy fence.  But, I am getting used to it.

The neighborhood is safe, quiet and convenient to the highways and shopping.  I walk all over the place and generally feel safe except for the occasional dog that has menaced me after escaping their yard. Despite squirrels in my attic and a few other problems, I really like my house.  I enjoy living in my neighborhood.  I think I stated it correctly.  This is a nice neighborhood.

Rats With Tail Feathers

 I had my gutters replaced a year ago.  It was the worst mistake I made during the pandemic for a number of reasons.  One, I found out later that the hail storm we had in the early spring was getting people to put on new roofs.  I didn't want to do that, have roofers mess up my lovely new gutters. Two, the workmen who did the gutters trampled the garden I had planted.  They stepped on the tomato plant, destroyed the beans and crushed the blackberry bush. Three, there were nails and metal pieces left around the yard that I had to pick up.

But, four, four is the worst thing.  I have discovered that the noise I thought might be birds pecking the gutters was in actuality squirrels making a home in my attic.  They are now having babies up there.  I don't remember authorizing this.  During a pandemic I understand that it hard to evict.  But, I am going to try. Frustrating.

I watched the YouTube videos.  I have some sticky traps which annoys the squirrels rather than catches them.  I would like very much to annoy them.  I have a vaulted ceiling that precludes going into the attic to catch them.  I have ordered some repellant. But, even if I get them to move out, I will need the hole that they have made in my eaves sealed.  So, I will be calling someone about this. Sigh.

The thing I like about squirrels is this--they make good hawk food.  I like hawks.  If I could find a way to attract hawks and entice the squirrels out it would be the perfect solution.  But, probably I will have to call pest control. Is it any wonder that I call squirrels rats with tail feathers? 

Springtime Yard

 For reasons that I do not fully understand, the rabbits decided not to eat my daffodils this year. Or, rather, they decided to bite only one of them.  I can't say the same for the tulips, but it does seem that some of them may be allowed to bloom.  They have been eating tulip parts, leaves and the very tips of the flowers.  The hyacinths and the grape hyacinths have been permitted to bloom. I wish I could say that the blackberry bush has fared as well. I have a battle going on with the rabbits.

But, this year my yard is my delight.  I am deciding on a tree for the front yard to replace the ash tree I had cut down last year.  The lawn is terrible though.  So, I decided to try to see if I could improve it on my own.  I got some fertilizer and a little bit of seed.  I spread it as evenly as I could.  I didn't feel like I totally knew what I was doing.  It wasn't supposed to rain for a couple of days and I was supposed to water it, but I didn't.

One thing I have discovered is, I enjoy learning new things. I enjoy trying things even if I don't totally know what I am doing.  I will learn something from the experience.  I enjoy the freedom to make mistakes.  I enjoy not having someone looking over my shoulder criticizing and telling me all the things that could go wrong.  I am learning to care for my lawn.  If I have somehow killed all the grass, I can pay someone to replant it.  But, I doubt that I have done that. 

This year I love my house and lawn in the spring.  There are hopeful sprouts coming up.  There are weeds already appearing.  But, this year I hope to keep ahead of the weeds.  And even if I don't, I had a beautiful springtime yard.

Blustery Day

 My house is exposed to the west.  Most of the time this just means that I get really nice views of the sunsets.  In summer the house heats up at the end of the day.  But, in winter when I winds blow, it gets cold.  

I try to figure out what it do about the cold winds that seem to blow through my house.  My windows are not old, I think they might be replacements or an upgrade from builder grade when the house was built. The windows tilt in for cleaning.  I am not sure that there are better ones.  I have tried to curtain most of the windows, but there are a few I still need to work on.  Curtains help.

The back door to the deck/ balcony needs to be replaced.  I end up taping it every winter.  I am not sure that it helps, but it makes me feel like I have done something.  There is too much glass and too little insulation in that door.

I have a fireplace that I don't use.  It is wood burning and I don't really want to mess with it.  The building inspector said that I needed to clean the flue when I bought the house, and I haven't done that yet.  I don't want to deal with logs and ashes.  I would like to have the fireplace changed to electric.  I know gas would be more desirable but I think for ecology and price and simplicity, an electric fireplace would serve me better.  I hesitate because I really don't want to do something to take away value from my house.  Most people prefer a real fire of some sort.

So, on a blustery winter day, I shiver a bit or layer up.  I consider my options and wait for spring.  So far waiting for spring has been the winner. 

Small Victories

 I love it when I figure out how to solve my own problems. It doesn't happen all that often that a problem that I have with my house is solved by me without paying someone or calling my son for advice or help. I don't mind paying a handyman on occasion and my son has helped with the things I either can't reach or am not strong enough to do. But, once in a while the magic moment occurs and I can figure out how to fix something or cure a problem on my own.

One ongoing issue I have is with the plumbing in my house.  There are several issues that will require a plumber. I plan to have these taken care of all at once, but not during the pandemic.  They are little problems that can wait.  I need shut offs for my outside faucets.  I have a drip under my master bedroom shower. I keep a tiny bowl under it in my basement. But, the biggest issue is the hot water in the kitchen.

In the kitchen I am lucky to get anything resembling even warm water in the winter.  This is even when I run and run the water.  After the dishwasher has run is the best time to get hot water.  I know that hot water can in fact reach the kitchen because it does after the dishwasher has run.  I hate to waste water.  But, I also hate washing dishes in barely warm water.  I needed a plumber to give me advice.

Then last week I was planning with my grandson in the basement.  It is cold down there, but my grandson loves to organize his "office" down there and check out the various junky things awaiting new homes.  So, I was looking up when I noticed that the foam that was wrapped around the hot water pipes headed out toward the kitchen was not on correctly.  I happened to have a step stool there.  I moved it to the correct alignment.  The next time I tried to get hot water in the kitchen--viola! Hot water.  I solved that problem without the plumber. 

Someday, I will still have a plumber in to take care of my plumbing issues.  I think I can wait until next fall,  I am happy not to be wasting water trying to make it hot.  I am very aware that although there is plenty of water here at the confluence of major rivers, this is a thirsty world. And I was able to solve this problem by myself. 

I Can't Grow Beans

Or onions....my garden has once again not panned out.  The tomato plant in the garden has bloomed without fruiting.  The beans I planted died. The onion sets which looked so promising just died in July.  I am not sure why.  The raspberry bush is faltering along and the expensive thornless blackberry bush is still alive, but do I think I will ever see fruit from it?  Not likely.

I do seem to be able to grow herbs.  I have some mint. People say, that will take over a garden.  Not mine, but it is holding onto a piece of the garden patch.  I have oregano and thyme.  If I used those herbs much it would be a bounty.  But, I don't use them much.  

The patio tomato on the deck gave me a handful of beautiful tasty tomatoes.  Well worth the $17 I paid for it.  The deck also had a begonia that went crazy.  It is an explosion of red.  I should move the gerber daisy back there. It hasn't done well in the front.  And my front garden?  It is flowers and apparently is rabbit food.  They have cleaned out the lilies and hostas and petunias.  The zinnias and marigolds didn't progress.  The yarrow is hanging in there.  And the weeds?  The weeds are growing like, well, weeds.

I dream of a flower laden path to the house. I dream of lush tasty vegetables. I dream of blackberries or raspberries or rhubarb.  But, at this house I seem to have a rather brown thumb.  But, I can dream and try again next year.