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<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>In weather related news, we had a flood watch a few days ago due to getting nearly 6 inches of rain overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a>Thankfully we did not experience any problems, other than some moisture in the lower basement, but a large branch fell out of dead oak tree a few days prior. (We have contracted a tree service to remove our huge dead oak, at a cost of nearly $4,200. Sadly, the tree is too rotten to save the squirrel branches into surrounding canopy.)<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a>Removing the oak will be a project, as the dog run fencing must come out to allow equipment access to the tree. Pam plans a revamping of the run to make it a bit smaller when reinstalled; given that only Grayce uses it much any more we don’t need to have it as large as it currently sits. The removal will happen in about a month and will be the topic of another post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The house across Main Street from us appears to be finished except for on-going yard work. Recent finishing touches include the installation of gutters and front steps. Best news for us: The Porta-potty has been removed! Actually, it has been kind of nice not having the workmen around; they have left, taking their early morning\/blaring radios with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heart House projects will pick up again now that the weather is entering a cooler phase. This last week I repaired a front porch handrail and a section of rail on the east porch. Rot in the rails, particularly the bottom rails, is an ongoing issue.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/a>Fall is approaching and acorns are beginning to fall. We hear them hitting the roof and garage and see them on the lawn and sidewalks. As we have done in recent years, we are harvesting some of the acorns to feed the squirrels during the winter. Eventually we will have saved a couple bushels of acorns.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a>Finally, a few miscellaneous photos from my Colorado trip. <\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/a>Wood bridges are unusual; I know of only one other still in service, located in the upper peninsula of Michigan. (Photo below.) Given Colorado’s traditionally low humidity I expect this bridge will have a long service life.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a>I know this has been a somewhat eclectic post, but I wanted to cover several topics this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pam’s Penny<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It is property tax and homeowners insurance payment time again. Yippee. Property tax has somewhat leveled out this year, at a rate we consider high for a dinky town with limited-to-no services. (The local municipal sewage rate has doubled to address updates to the aging facility, but that is of course in addition to the property tax.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our homeowners insurance company’s five year audit [last year] significantly increased our homeowners insurance, and this year several hundred more dollars were added to the total due. The informational chart below was added to our billing to illustrate the impacts of climate change on the insurance industry. Government legislators, at both the local and national levels, can deny climate change all they want — the proof is in the billings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sidebar: We can only laugh at the “replacement cost” valuation on our homeowners insurance. How can you replace a historic house? The value is in the age, not something you can (or could afford to) recreate.<\/p>\n\n\n