Spring Spruce Up - 2026

 7 bags of mulch factoring in Barbara and tree in back.  Got at Hy-Vee "Red".

Spring 2025 Outdoor Refresh

 NOTE FOR FUTURE - We like "Sierra Red" mulch not just "red mulch".  Put out new mulch as a refresh of our front yard.

BEFORE

AFTER

I also planted a 6" mini-rose bush that Jane Ferguson brought for Cindy.  We'll see if it takes hold like Barbara did.  Just in time for a 25-degree night.

Owl Be Back!

 Ky was barking at something enough I had to come up from work to see what the fuss was about.

And here was this Barred Owl sitting in our yard.  Cindy thought maybe it was hurt.  I went outside in an effort to shoo it away.  

Left me an owl pellet

Well, Owl Be!

 I was looking out the back window with Kyanne for a minute and saw a shape of something flying into our tree by the back fence.  From the size, I knew it was a hawk, owl or vulture.

I went out to take a look, and here is a Barred Owl hanging out...

New Mulch ~ May 2023

 Posting for reference...

10 Years in our Home (a visual measuring stick)

June 1 marked 10 years in our home.  Looking back at posts from that first year, many didn't include photos.  I was just excited to see things.  The blog has changed.  The way our house looks has changed a little with painting garage doors and our porch.  But the best marker of time is something growing...in this case the silver maple tree in our front yard.

We had friends visiting over the weekend and we were looking at that tree.  I mentioned we had been here 10 years and the comment was made "I bet that tree looked a lot different then".

Remembering back, I looked around our street and saw some trees dying.  Our home was four years old and it appeared some trees made it and some didn't.  I made the decision to prune the dead limbs to at least improve the look of the tree.

See for yourself the change in 10 years...the little tree that could! (I think I see an American Goldfinch in the before picture)

Happy Flag Day!

Phase 1 of freshening up the outside of our house

The eventual plan is to paint the wood on our front porch gray and do something different with our front door. And possibly paint the garage doors  But for now, it's new mulch for the first time since 2015 and Cindy's touch on the front porch.  Amy and Steve got Cindy a new bench for Mother's Day and Cindy has added a cushion, some pillows and a new table/chair.

We added three calibrochoas...two hanging.

(These posts are partly for us to refer back to so pardon the detail.)

 

Here is the mulch....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tidied up St. Francis and my brick and rocks from childhood home

 

 

Here is the porch...

 

 

Pre-middle pillows

 

 

Amy potted two of our planters as well...

 

 

 

A few long views...