Bring it On!

…”It” being the summer heat!

We’re ready! After our new windows were installed, we knew we didn’t want to mar the sills by installing framework for window air conditioners. I was also concerned about the expense and mess of having either a unit installed in the attic or mounted in an outside wall. Since we have electric baseboard heat, we don’t have any ductwork, and we don’t have a basement – whole house air conditioning is NOT an option. The solution?

A portable air conditioner!
Now we just need some sweltering heat to give it a good test. Late last summer, after our energy-efficient windows were installed, we already noticed our house didn’t heat up as much as past summers. I’m hoping this works out well for us. ~~K

Thursday’s Tasks

…but they were enjoyable “labors of love” outside

Finally, a decent day to spend working outside! It was only 25 degrees at 7:30 am, but the sun looked promising. I did around in the house, then I went outside at 9:30 since the temperature had reached 44 degrees.
I washed and hung sheets outside – notice my clothespins are in an old bleach bottle I cut so it can also hang on the clothesline and slide along as I need a pin.More geocaches are needed along the nature trail out back. As I was scouting the area and recording coordinates I came across a skull, jaw bones, and neck vertebrae. I looked around but couldn’t find any other bones from the carcass. After D looked at it later we think there must have been an illegal hunter who killed a deer and field dressed it right there and left the head.

After the creek was cleaned last fall, most of the mud and dirt was piled along the top of the creek bank. Unexpectedly I heard a bulldozer working out back even before I went outside – As I was burning yard debris I proceeded to talk to “Mr. Bulldozer” when I saw he was even seeding the area by hand while walking – what a pleasant bonus!

Tree trimmers for Edison started “working” out front (I noticed their breaks are twice as long as their work time) – I talked to them a bit – hopefully they’ll leave me some wood chips next week – I won’t count on it though – the last time Edison trimmed they had told a friend of mine they would drop some wood chips off, but they never did.

The asparagus patch got its spring cleaning.

beforeafter

I gathered about 5 trailer loads of clippings, branches, and other burnable yard waste throughout the day and burned it all, plus I was able to burn much of what was already out in the burn area – right now there’s mostly log size debris.

When I came inside at 4:30 it was 61 degrees, the sun was still shining, but the wind was picking up.

After we ate supper, D got the tiller going for the first time this year. I was able to get the west side garden turned under – I never got around to it last fall. I’ll have to do it a couple more times before planting.

After coming in a little after 7, I had a tired, dirty body, and needed to call it a day. ~~K

Looking for the Lamb

...Wasn’t the March lion supposed to turn into a lamb?

It’s been snowing some the last few days and it’s April! Am I over anxious for spring to arrive? Surely these are signs that it’s getting closer--

I purchased new garden gloves and some seeds.
Tell me there is truly some green showing out in the yard. See the sprouts of day lilies and the ducks swimming?
Almost daffodil blooms, even though it’s snowing?!

There was a heron at the edge of the pond last evening, but just as I was ready to snap a shot (it took a few moments to go get my camera) it took off like a pterodactyl. As I type this, I can hear birds outside - do they know the lamb is close at hand?

Let’s skip the April showers and go right to May flowers! Oh, and less wind and more warmth!~~K

Kentucky Ancestors

While visiting cousins in KY, two of my sisters (R & B) and I also went to some of our ancestors’ burial plots.

Grandma O’s parents are in Rock Springs Cemetery.

Grandpa O’s father is in Orange Cemetery (thanks S). It is located in Butler County, KY - near & East of Davis Crossroads on Highway 629 - also known as "New Orange Cemetery" & "Newt Orange Cemetery".

Grandpa O’s brother is in the Quality Missionary Baptist Church Cementery (Forgytown, Butler County, KY).

Grandpa O’s sister and her husband are in Smith Cemetery in Logan County. It was interesting to learn than Rube's real name was William Ruby Anderson - even his tombstone is not accurate. Some of their "neighbors" are from the Revolutionary War period, including one of George Washington's guides.


Despite the rain and tornado warnings we made our “visits”. ~K

Seven, Eight, Lay Them Straight

Since the ground is still spongy, this is the best way to move the yard debris – place it (straight) on a tarp and drag it. I was afraid the tractor and cart would do more damage than help.

It ended up this load was too heavy for D and I to take in only one trip to the burn pile. We halved it and it worked fine. Next time we did smaller loads to begin with. BD&Z were out Saturday and even Z helped “lay them straight” and transport.

Nine, Ten, Let the Burn Begin
…attempt #1
Of course, not everything is cut and hauled yet, but I was anxious to start the burning process. Even though most of the debris is dead wood, it was too damp to catch the small flame – some smoke, then nothing. To be continued…

Nine, Ten, Let the Burn Begin
…attempt #2
Success! Tiki torch fuel does wonders! Most of you know “playing with fire” is one of my favorite activities and there’s plenty of wood for more fires. I’m very glad we accomplished so much outside work on Saturday, because look what has arrived …

Lake Bradley
It’s been raining non-stop for about the last 15 hours and Lake Bradley has reappeared. (excuse the photo quality – shot through the window screens)

As well as a few new bodies of water. I don’t recall seeing standing water on the east side of the pine tree like this before.

Rain, Rain, go Away! ~~K

Five, Six, Pick up Sticks

...and twigs, branches, limbs, etc.
Even though it’s colder than I expect in March, the bright sunshine keeps drawing me outside. There is so much outdoor yard work to do, but dealing with “sticks” seemed the first order of business.
Windy days have broken many limbs that will require D and a chainsaw rather than me and my small clippers. I didn’t actually pick up sticks, I starting cutting sticks and making piles. I stayed outside until my face was frozen – that only took about 45 minutes – so there is still much to do around all the trees. In some ways, it looks like a bigger mess than when I started.
Some calm day we’ll enjoy a nice bonfire with all this yard debris. ~~K

Gently Down the Stream

Thankfully the rain has stopped; the wind has had a drying effect; and this high water is flowing well.

You can see the watermark on the abutment from early Thursday was about 9 inches higher. Do you believe we still have a few spots of snow around the yard?

Spring is getting closer and I know the trees are healthier because of all this wetness. ~~K

Does anybody really know what time it is?

After a frightfully gusting, windy night, it was one of those mornings when the clocks were all flashing, and an old favorite Chicago song came to mind. I couldn’t resist taking a few shots of blinking clocks and merging them into this short clip.

I was very appreciative that the electricity had not remained off all night and into this morning.

This tune certainly causes one to date oneself. Ouch! ~~K

Snow in Morocco and It’s Cold Here

I guess it was time for me to get a geography lesson - I didn’t realize Ifrane (where M K&Z are) was known as Little Switzerland. They recently received 14 inches of snow – quite a plus for the local ski resorts. I was also surprised to learn the coldest recorded temperature in all of Africa was a negative 23 C (around –9 F) in Ifrane in 1935! Al Akawayn University’s web site home page has a beautiful winter slide show now – check it out at http://www.aui.ma/
Ok, out of Africa and back to the Midwest USA – it’s COLD! It’s windier today so I went online to see what the temperature felt like if you factor in windchill:

Our weather hub was showing –12 at the same time; perhaps the online probe is out in the open while our probe is under the deck railing. I checked Ifrane's weather - it's 45 F there now.

Pics are really computer screen shots rather than digital photos – apologies in advance if they’re hard to view. ~~K

That’s a Negative

Hope you’ve arrived safely wherever you need to be this morning!School is closed today so I’m snug at home (68 degrees in here); but look at that outside temperature –6. ~~K