Month: July 2026

This week’s activities consisted of routine maintenance (painting) and new flowers blooming. Unusual, though: I obtained a log splitter. Many photos this time!

The hydrangea, located at the NW corner of Heart House, has begun blooming. These unusual flowers bloom white then turn red as they age.

Hostas are also blooming around the yard:

The phlox are looking good as well:

Keeping with the “around the house” theme, here is how the house looked during Elma Trail Days, held the week after the 4th of July:

The “Info Table” we had set up on the front porch looked like this:

For me, the big news since my last post is a new toy: A used log splitter. While I had thought of building one, as mentioned in a previous post, a unit came up on Facebook Marketplace at a price lower than the cost of obtaining individual used parts.

It runs (the electric start option is nice!) and operates but leaks oil at the front of the cylinder. The control valve is a bit funky as well, but I did get our stash of red oak split and re-stacked.

I will see what it would take to get new seals installed in the cylinder and replace the control valve. No hurry, though, as it works well enough for my purposes at this time.

The tentative plan is to take this wood to Felicity’s place later this fall, along with whatever other wood I can scrounge. Felicity and Peter burn wood for supplemental heat and this pile should keep them warm for at while.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

What Himself failed to mention is the previous “freebie” log splitter frame went out on the yard, then found a new home in an Elma neighborhood somewhere. Easy come, easy go.

I try to fit in exterior porch painting here and there, as weather and inclination permits.

Rock on.

Today’s Comment:

I am back, and there is much to cover this time. There was my trip to Colorado, Elma Trail Days, and some around-the-yard happenings. Lots of photos, so let’s get started!

I will begin with my recent trip to Colorado. I spend a few days with friends in Westcliff as they rode motorcycles during the day and I rode ATV trails. We would re-group in the evening, eat, and tell stories. It was a good time for me.

Here are a few photos from my trail rides in the Locke Park area NE of Westcliff.

I enjoyed my time in Wescliff. The sight of blue Columbine in bloom always lifts my spirits as does time spend with my friends.

Back at The Lot, a mix of good and bad awaited me. The good: My roof repairs from last fall were successful and there were no leaks in The Box. I was able to run the chipper and chip several piles of brush, some from last year and a few new ones from this year.

The bad news: Pine beetles have killed a couple of the lodgepole pine. While there are several approaches to controlling pine beetles, once a tree is dead the only recourse is to cut it down and wrap it in black plastic so the heat will kill the beetles and their larvae.

This may cause us to list The Lot for sale. I am not close enough to manage a pine beetle infestation and dead trees will decrease the value of The Lot. A final decision has not been made, but we are leaning strongly to selling the place.

If we did sell, I would miss sunsets like this:

Returning to Elma, two weeks worth of tall grass waited for me. Just as I was getting started, however, the fuel pump on my John Deere quit. I have a replacement on order, but in the short term I was reduced to using the Torro mower. It works fine but the catch bag needed frequent emptying and was prone to clog due to the tall grass and clover mix that makes up our lawn.

Elma is celebrating its annual Trail Days celebration, and today was parade day. Nothing special in the parade, but I did take these two photos to show what a typical small-town parade looks like in 2026.

Finally, the hollyhocks and day lilies are doing very well in the yard. The hollyhock featured below is a self-seeded plant from one of our original plantings.

Day lilies in this area are akin to weeds, but they do add color to the yard!

For now there is nothing major upcoming on our calendar. The 10-day forecast shows air temps at or near 90 degrees and the “feels like” temperature getting over 100. We plan to spend time indoors with chores and other tasks relegated to early mornings or late afternoons when the temperatures are a bit more bearable.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

Other than helping the pets suffer through Heat Alert days while Himself was in Colorado, I totally enjoyed my time on my own at home.

Today’s Humor: