Our white lilac has attracted a variety of flying critters to its blossoms. While this is expected, this year the numbers and variety of flying critters is above average.
Increased insect activity may be due to the wetter-than-normal spring we are having — almost 50% more rain than usual for the year so far. Lawns are nice and green and more flowers (including iris, blue flax, and peony) are blooming a bit earlier.
Here are a few photos of some of the critters visiting our lilac:
Butterfly on white lilac
Bee visiting the lilac
Grey moth, one of many
It’s safe to say that dozens of these critters visited the lilac bushes this spring, far more than I’m used to seeing. One critter that I didn’t get a photo of is a “hummingbird moth” which is smaller than a true hummingbird but is similarly shaped and with similar flight movements.
Pam spent a few hours Saturday weeding flowerbeds while I weed-wacked and mowed our yard and the neighbor’s yard. Pretty typical for a spring weekend. I also began a project to improve our back deck, which is not in the best of shape. I removed some pickets (that Pam never really liked) and rebuilt a weak section. Needs paint and other work yet so this is a work-in-progress. At least a start has been made.
The weather report for The Lot looks promising; for the upcoming week night time temperatures are above freezing. I would like to get up there before Memorial Day weekend if possible and start this year’s clean-up. I have quite a bit of brush to chip from last year, plus a small corner of the aspen grove area still needs attention. It will take a few trips to get everything in place and I’m eager to get started. If my healing elbow will cooperate!
Thats it for now. Thanks for looking in!
Pam’s Two Cents Worth
While cleaning closets late last year, I happened upon a box of my old craft projects. One such project I had started 34 years ago — a 12 Days of Christmas embroidery project — and it was about a third completed. I almost threw the whole thing out. But, in homage to my previous self, I decided to complete the embroidery and make the ornaments. I began [again] in March. It’s been awhile since I’ve done this type of handwork, but I kept at it and recently completed all the panels. Now to put them into the ornament format and finish the project.
Well. There’s not a lot of “new news” to report on this week so I thought I would mention a few miscellaneous items.
My Commute
This time of year is generally good for commuting. The weather has improved and western Colorado is as green as it ever gets. However, occasional snow flurries remind us that full spring is still a few weeks away.
Here are a couple photos taken this last Friday on my way home from work. Note the bare trees and snow – that white stuff on the peaks – has high country trails still closed.
Farm below the Mamm Range
Snow and bare trees at higher elevations
The later sunsets give rise to “purple mountain” effects on the way home as well.
Hazy afternoon over the Flattops
Lilacs
Closer to home, our white and dark purple lilacs are having a banner year. Most years a spring frost nips the buds but this year we made it through without any freezes. The scent from these on the cool and still evening air is great.
White lilac in full bloom
Deep purple lilacs doing well this year
It is also time to start thinking about getting The Lot set up for the year. I try to have everything in place by Memorial Day weekend but late high country snows may delay me this season. (Breckenridge ski area, for example, is staying open through Memorial Day weekend. I drive right through Breckenridge on the way to The Lot.) We’ll have to wait and see what the weather holds in store.
That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!
Pam’s Penny
Nothing new here. A little yard work, a lotta elder cat care — the usual.
This past weekend was the first of the year that was a “normal” at-home spring weekend. Chores included weed-wacking, lawn mowing, flower bed maintenance, and enjoying the blooming flowers. The city turned on our irrigation water and Pam dragged the hose out to water part of the lawn.
The purple lilacs bloomed; you can smell their fragrance on the air. The cherry tree blossoms are almost done, but the white lilac is just beginning to flower. Late tulips are blooming but the early variety, which we enjoyed upon our return from the Midwest, are done for the year in the Mary Lynn Garden.
All pretty routine — so nice to be outdoors without a jacket and enjoy the 70 degree weather and partly sunny skies. Just to note, though, that areas higher and to the east of us, including Aspen and Denver, are going to get snow early this week. Winter still rules the high country.
Purple lilacs – 2019
White lilacs starting to “pop”
Garden hose out – Irrigation water is on
Repairs
In my last post I noted the John Deere lawn tractor had died. I ordered repair parts which fixed the problem; the LX176 is now functioning. However, truth-in-advertising appears to have taken a shot as the part I ordered was not a direct replacement for the part that failed, a component of the electronic ignition system.
Ignition control modules
The original unit, left, has a wider terminal on it than the replacement, right. I had to build an adapter wire to go between the replacement unit and the tractor’s wiring harness. This worked and the tractor is running. I sent the vendor a note about this modification but suspect I won’t hear back from them or if I do it will be something like “Well, it is a universal fit and some modifications are to be expected.”
I can’t complain much; the replacement was about $19.00 with shipping where the John Deere part is around $70.00. At least the tractor is running again!
Medical update
My left arm is improving after the fall in Georgia – around 80 percent good. Still can’t pick up a tea mug with my left hand and lift it to my mouth to drink, but am getting back a bit more range of motion each day.
Pam continues to have problems with her right wrist and arm after a fall a few months back. Both of us are occasionally frustrated by not being able to do simple things that we should be quite capable of doing, such as unscrewing a bottle cap with our affected arm. Things are improving, though a bit slower than we would like.
Conclusion
It was my first week back at work after a three-week vacation; I had a lot of work to catch up on. I was looking forward to the weekend and was pleased when the John Deere came back to life. The yard looks good and I’m enjoying the lilac blossoms and decent weather. The animals also enjoy the outdoor time. A good weekend!
Pam’s Two Cents Worth
It’s great to let the dogs outside without any concern about the temperature (not to mention no winter doggie coats to put on and take off). The indoor/outdoor cats are enjoying better temps too, while strictly indoor cats are finding pools of sunlight for their ever-lengthening naps.
My cat population is now into the “double digit ages” and at times I feel I’m running the Aging Cats Rest Home. A vet visit this past week involved two of my elder cats, one on maintenance for gingivitis plus a swelling sweat gland that needs to be lanced frequently, the other just diagnosed with diabetes and cataracts. A third cat (not visiting the vet this week) was diagnosed in December with a heart condition.
While at the vet I was delighted to cross paths with another vet patron who was bringing in purebred coal black Lab puppies for their first shots. Eight pups, six weeks of age, and my request to hold one was granted. Enjoyed the puppy smell and looking into those bright Lab eyes. An excellent antidote to aging cats.
It is full spring here in western Colorado. Grass has been cut, tulips are blooming, the cherry tree is in blossom, and trees are budding plus turning green.
In the last post Pam mentioned the Mary Lynn’s Memorial Garden was looking good. Here are a couple photos of it:
Mary Lynn’s Memorial Garden
Marry Lynn plaque surrounded by tulips
Pam counted over 80 open blossoms with another 40 or so still to bloom. The original planting was 100 bulbs so in one year the flowers are multiplying well.
Money laundering
During our recent trip Pam and Becky celebrated Becky’s birthday. Pam had wanted to give Becky a $1.00 bill for every birthday year (60!) but we could not find crisp, new $1.00 bills to use. Instead, Pam took the money, washed each bill, then ironed each individually. A clear case of money laundering!
Money washed – both sides of sink – laid out to dry
Becky’s birthday cake 2019
Cherry tree blooming
Our cherry tree is just about fully bloomed out. Last year was the first time there was any real crop of cherries; perhaps this year will give a similar yield.
Cherry blossoms – 2019
Murphy’s Law
The potential retirement house we looked at last week in New Albin, Iowa already has a pending offer. The kitchen sink drain developed a leak, and my John Deere riding lawnmower (which I had just converted back to summer use) died and will not start. This was my “vacation week” at home. Life goes on…
Pam’s Penny
There was a vintage home listed in Davenport, Iowa recently that intrigued me. I was almost tempted to make an offer on it, sight unseen. Time for me to slowly back away from the retirement house hunt and take a breather.
This will be a long post, covering several topics including the house hunt, trip to the midwest, my Georgia motorcycle rally, weather, and a few health issues. I chose to post by topic rather than by chronological order as some topics covered different days and Pam was house-hunting while I was in Georgia, making timelines difficult to keep straight.
House Hunt
The main goal of the trip was to check out houses Pam had been monitoring online over the winter. Once we had arrived at Becky’s place (Pam’s sister’s house) Pam used Becky’s car to drive down to Northeastern Iowa to start checking out houses. Suffice to say most were a disappointment, but one was worth a second look.
New Albin house
The best features of this house are that it sits very close to the Mississippi River (overlooking the Mississippi River Wildlife Refuge), is bordered by farmland on one side and by a riverside park only a few yards away on the other side of the access road. The house itself is on the small side, on a small lot, but does have a first floor bed and bath along with a laundry room, all features we have been looking for. In addition, many of the systems have been upgraded, including central air.
Mississippi River view just down from house. Park is at left.
Drawbacks include a very tight stairs (with a 90 degree bend) to access the upstairs bedrooms, no 2nd floor bath, and part of the attic had recently been cleared of a bat infestation. Most of the rooms were very small and lacking storage space. There is a full dry basement that could be used for storage and work areas, though, and the basement also has a rudimentary bath and shower.
Unfinished attic could be made into finished living area
Upper level of stairs
The place includes a single car garage and a couple of buildings that could be used for storage or work shops, with the addition of larger doors to allow for getting equipment in and out.
One other house deserves mention; it was a Queen Ann/Victorian place in Elkader, Iowa. Nice house, but very small yard, no garage, very close neighbors, and covenants galore. Pam liked the house for its interior woodwork and charm, but the negatives of the lot and location pretty much removed the place from serious consideration.
So, while the New Albin place is under consideration, Pam will keep searching the on-line listings and we may be back for another house-hunt visit this fall. Watch this space.
Georgia motorcycle rally
While Pam was house-hunting in Iowa, I took the truck, trailer, and bike to Georgia to attend a motorcycle rally being held in Kingsland. I met up with a friend in Atlanta, where I parked the truck and trailer and joined with a couple other Atlanta area riders and we proceeded to ride our bikes to Kingsland, a distance of about 372 miles.
Bike on trailer at start of trip
Unfortunately, in Atlanta I had tripped and hurt my left elbow and forearm, making riding somewhat painful. More on this later on the medical news topic.
Riding in southern Georgia was pleasant. I saw white egrets, cotton fields, pecan orchards, cypress trees, huge logging operations, old towns, and learned something of the geology of the area. Almost all homes had wide porches and many had no chimneys. Quite a few had ponds, as the water level is quite close to the surface. Palm trees further south mixed with a type of yucca plant; I knew I was in the south!
A couple of stops worth noting were Jekyll Island and the Okefenokee National Wildlife area.
Jekyll Island has a long history including some big money spent on vacation houses. I enjoyed getting out on the Atlantic ocean beach and viewing some of the historic homes.
Jekyll Island beach – Atlantic Ocean
Jekyll Island home
The other stop was at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Area, part of the larger Okefenokee Swamp. The highlight of this stop was seeing a couple of gators.
Jerry at the Okefenokee Swamp
Close-up of a gator in the Okefenokee Swamp
All told I put just over 1,000 miles on the bike this trip. Then it was time to head back to Wisconsin and reconnect with Pam to hear her house-hunting news.
Weather and Medical
Both of us had some medical issues this trip. As I mentioned earlier, I had fallen and injured my left elbow and forearm, making riding somewhat painful. While better at this writing, I still have some pain and lack a normal range of motion – but – the arm is improving.
Pam had what appears to be a gall stone episode where a stone may have blocked the outlet port causing her intense abdominal pain. She had trouble sleeping and eating for a couple of days. Luckily this happened when she was at Becky’s place and could lie low for a few days.
I arrived back from Georgia just as winter storm Wesley was really gathering steam, dropping 5 – 7 inches of heavy, wet snow in central Wisconsin. So it was that we hunkered down and recuperated at Becky’s place for a few days until it was time to begin our trip home. By then both of us were feeling better (although neither one of us was at 100 %.)
The Trip
In general, we are really really tired of driving across Nebraska, although we did see a large flock of Sandhill Cranes on the return leg, something new for us. The truck logged over 5,000 miles and another 1,017 was put on the bike. Pam added a few hundred miles to Becky’s car, so both of us were on the move most of the time. The weather for the outbound and return legs was pretty good but that winter storm in the middle of the trip was nasty. Gasoline prices ranged for about $2.48 per gallon to a high of $2.95 (in Wisconsin) per gallon. I added 1 quart of oil to the truck for the trip.
The dogs – we had all 3 – took the trip in stride and settled into Becky’s place very well. Two of the dogs, Blondie and Bru, stayed with Becky while Pam was out and about with JoJo. One advantage of older dogs is they have a lower activity level and they slept a lot of the time. Of course, having their own mattress to sleep on made for pretty deluxe accommodations!
Home again
Once home we had a range of chores to be done, including picking up the accumulated mail, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, and the cats had to get used to having people in the house again. A grocery run was in order as we had “eaten down” much before we left so we needed milk, fruit, cat supplies, and a whole bunch of other food stuffs. Knowing this would be the situation at the end of the trip, I had taken extra days off to recuperate.
Grass, cut before we left, was a chore to cut after 2 weeks
Conclusion
Some good and some bad came from this trip. We made contacts with another realtor and viewed a home with potential. I saw and rode in part of the country I had never visited. We had an excellent visit with Becky and I visited my mother. We saw the sandhill cranes for the first time. On the down side, there was endless Nebraska (It’s Not For Everyone). We both had some medical problems that reduced the comfort of the trip. All in all, it’s good to be home to enjoy the spring plants and weather.
Pam’s Two Cents Worth
The retirement house hunt will be re-evaluated. The houses I visited in our current price point are full of other people’s deferred maintenance. Questions I had about properties listed through the winter were answered, generally in the negative.
Ill health is never pleasant, during a trip less so. One of the inconveniences of aging, I suspect, and something that will need to be factored into the future travel dynamic.
My sister really put on a show of hospitality for both of us and the dogs. If only the Midwest weather had followed suit! In addition to spending time with my sister, I also was able to schedule lunch with a previous teacher from my high school days, and a classmate I’ve been monitoring for over a year on Facebook.
Back in the high desert of Colorado, spring has arrived and I was delighted to see the Mary Lynn Memorial tulip bed is producing extremely well. I sure could have used Mary on the house hunting expedition, though. Still miss her.
Spring is here. We have our first flower blooming:
It isn’t much but enough to give our spirits a lift! With rising temperatures the lawn is starting to green up as well. I may have to mow soon to level out some of the tufts that seem to appear every spring.
First flower of 2019
There is little new news this week. These transition periods between seasons are pretty quiet. Once outside chores start to pick up and the gardening season begins I will have a bit more to talk about. It will soon be time to open Sanderling too.
I will be traveling to a cycle rally the next few weeks, so there will not be another post until near the end of April.
After doing maintenance on the Kawasaki Concours, I went for my first motorcycle ride of 2019.
The maintenance had consisted of getting a new front tire, battery, and brake pads. In addition, oil and filter were changed to get the bike ready for the riding season. After checking tire pressure, and bringing the rear tire up to standard, I started the bike, put on my leather jacket, helmet, and gloves, and headed north out of De Beque for a short 25 mile cruise.
The day was a perfect spring day. Blue skies, very few clouds, temperature in the low 50 degree range. I kept the speeds low, 45 – 50 mph, to let the bike warm up and make sure all systems were working OK after the winter of non-use.
It felt good to be back on the road again. The only thing to watch out for is gravel on the road, particularly on corners, left over from winter sanding or spring washes. Thankfully the road had very little debris on it.
Ready to install new tire
New tire in place
After I returned home I started on another project, re-painting the bed of the utility trailer. I had to scrape off the old paint and put down a new layer. I also plan to repaint one wheel which has developed a few rust spots.
The trailer had not seen a lot of maintenance for the last two years, other than new tail lights. The wear and tear of hauling firewood, and the fact that the plywood bed is old, had left the trailer looking a little sad. Now is a good time to freshen it up a bit.
Trailer bed ready for paint
Trailer after some painting
Today’s chores include changing the oil and filter on the Honda. It promises to be another good day and maybe I’ll take the ATV out for a spin later on.
That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!
flood map as of 3-17-2019
Pam’s Penny:
I’ve been checking on the National Weather Service’s map that monitors water levels – above is the Midwest area. Nebraska – Iowa – Wisconsin all experiencing flooding from minor to major. We’re due for a return trip in April, guess we’ll see what potential retirement properties are in flood zones.
It’s essentially early spring here in western Colorado. Tulips are starting to poke greenery above ground, some grass is starting to grow, and tree buds are beginning to expand. Daytime temperatures, still below normal due to recent storms, are reaching upwards of 50 degrees and nights are beginning to stay above freezing. Not every day, of course, but more and more of them are fitting this pattern.
We had quite a bit of rain last week. This has erased all the local snow, except for a few small and stubborn spots of ice that lay in deep north-facing shadows. Even they’ve shrunk significantly. The dogs are going outside a bit more, especially Jo. Jo doesn’t mind a bit of mist in the air, unlike the divas Blondie and Bru.
The High Country, generally above 8,000 foot elevation, received snow while we saw rain. Several avalanches, mostly unplanned, closed I-70 through the mountains several times. A couple of slides made national news when they buried the interstate under more than 15 feet of snow.
The only direct effect this has on us is delays for mail and goods heading east or coming from the east. When the interstate shuts down, there are no good alternative routes for heavy traffic to use. Semi-trucks just park until the road is open again. This includes food and fuel trucks as well as delivery services such as UPS and FedEx. Luckily road crews are used to this and generally manage to get the road open in a few hours, although one larger slide closed the road for more than 7 hours.
JoJo under Pam’s umbrella on a recent rainy day
I’m gearing up the Kawasaki motorcycle for another year of riding. This year the bike needs a new front tire, battery, and rear-wheel brake pads. These items have been ordered and should arrive next week. I hope to attend a motorcycle rally being held in Kingsland, Georgia, near the Florida state line line, in early April. Plans are to trailer the bike to Atlanta, stay with a friend there, and ride the rest of the way to Kingsland. This will be my “big trip” for the year.
The new dishwasher is working well. We just need to get used to new loading patterns and figure out where the larger pots and pans fit without blocking water flow to the upper rack. Amusing how quickly we get set in our ways, even with dishwasher loading.
Our daily routine is work, internet house hunt, some packing. I did get out to rake the lawn yesterday and Pam is removing layers of mulch in the flower beds. Dogs are outside looking for sunny patches grass. Heavy winter jackets have been replaced by lighter gear. I open the garage door from time to time to get some fresh air circulating through. Vernal Equinox is this month!
That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!
Pam’s Two Cents Worth:
I’ve recently been enjoying from afar the house hunting activities of my high school friend Julie “Nick” Nickles as she retires from the State Department and settles in Sarasota, Florida. Florida is a different housing market compared to the Midwest, but the process is the same. For the first time in decades, Nick will have all her “stuff” in one place. She traveled the world with State representing the USA, working numerous hardship postings – India, countries in Africa, Romania, Bangladesh. I’ll miss all those exotic postcards from across the globe. Welcome home, Nick.
Although we have never had it tested, we have hard water. The residue builds up, particularly on dishes and cookware.
Over the last few months it seemed to be getting worse. Dishes were not getting as clean as in the past. Looking over the dishwasher it became apparent that the washer was limed up. Time for a new one.
This project spiraled into a major PITA. I had originally purchased a scratch-and-dent unit that, when I got it home and began to unpack it, had internal damage not visible on first inspection. Back to the store. (70 mile round trip each time,)
The shop gave me a discount on a new Bosch unit but did not have the color (black) that Pam wanted in stock. Ordered one in.
Back to the store to pick up the Bosch a few days later, after calling to confirm it had arrived. Store personnel had trouble finding it but eventually did locate it. Handed me a receipt. Got home, wrong receipt. Called next day. “We will e-mail you a copy of the receipt.” Two days later, still no receipt. Called again, received a receipt in a matter of minutes.
OK. Saturday morning, begin the install. Remove the old unit after turning off the power and disconnecting the water inlet and drain hoses. Hmm…water inlet does not look to be long enough to connect to the new machine, which has the water inlet further to the front of the machine. Broke the old plastic shut-off valve trying to remove the old water line.
Off to Grand Junction, which has the nearest hardware store. Bought some new fittings and hose. Returned home, fought to get the remains of the old valve removed. During this time water to the entire house is shut off. Dug out the Dremel tool with cut-off wheel and finally removed the valve.
The rest of the job proceeded OK. Installed the new (all metal) valve, water line, drain hose, and reconnected the electric. Pam is reading the operating manual. Machine does not take liquid soap, only “detergent tabs.” I had not bought any. Machine came with a couple samples which will get us through the next couple days.
It turned out I used the tool I purchased when I was working on the “shower from hell” last year, a SharkBytes crimping tool and crimping rings. Although the new water line uses threaded connections, the new valve had to be attached to the existing plumbing using the SharkBytes compression fittings.
So, now more than a week after I started this project, we have an operating dishwasher again.
Here are a few photos taken during the replacement process:
Old washer
New Bosch in packing
Jerry making connections.
Bosch installed
Pretty much the “excitement” for the past week.
That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!
Pam’s Penny:
Note to self — when ordering replacement appliances at the “new” retirement house (whenever/where ever that might be), pay for delivery, install and testing.
Yesterday (Saturday) we finally received some snow, enough to cover the lawns, driveways, and sidewalks. At that, it was only about 2 inches or so but enough for me to get out the John Deere garden tractor and blade and do some plowing.
The snow was light but, due to the past warm weather, there was a layer of slush on top of paved surfaces. The snow, instead of coming off the blade in a steady flow, came of in chunks.
Snow was in the air most of the day but stopped accumulating by mid-morning as the temperatures hovered in the low 30 degree range. Not a bad day, but one where inside activities seemed to be a better choice. Here I am reading a book with a couple cats keeping me company:
Jerry and cats.
That is London by my leg and Cirrus on my lap. My cup of tea is on the side table and Bru is napping on the couch in the background. It was just a good day to relax.
Today will be “chore day” as I will make a small shopping run and get fuel for the cars. So far the day is bright and sunny but more storms are coming later today (Sunday) and lasting through Tuesday.
This past week I had to change a headlight in the Honda; the low beam bulb on the driver’s side had burned out. To make the repair I had to remove part of the inner fender liner. These newer cars don’t make maintenance easy! I am still using the headlights on the commute in and sometimes on the way home, depending on the weather, so I need to have the lights working. This was not a difficult job but still a pain. I broke a couple of the plastic rivets that hold the liner in place; one of my stops today will be at an auto parts store to see if I can find replacements.
You may notice a change in how these posts are made, starting with this one and going forward. Photos will be closer to full-size but you can still click on them to bring up a larger image. This is due to a new editing program I am using. (The new editor is called “Gutenberg”.) It should be easier to insert photos, photo galleries, and videos using Gutenberg but a few changes from past practices will be involved.
That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!
Pam’s Penny:
When one’s big excitement for the week is the half hour to the grocery store and the half hour back, nothing for the blog there.
All photos were taken by Jerry or Pam unless noted. Click on photos to bring up a larger version in a new window. Close that window to return to the post.
Clicking on the enlarged photos will zoom in on the cursor location. (Most browsers.) This gives you the opportunity to see additional detail that might not be apparent in the smaller photo.
I hope you enjoy reading this blog and looking at these momentos!
~ Jerry
