We saw our first ruby-throated hummingbird today flitting from feeder to feeder. They are tardy! Most years they show up around my Mom's birthday, April 23. We put our feeders out on the 19th and waited. The hummingbird migration map, which you can see here, showed the early birds arriving … [Read more...]
Spruce Tree Massacre
Our yard is narrow, only 200 feet across, but it feels secluded and private because of the big spruce trees planted all around the front and sides. This is what casual passersby see from the street: Spruce trees. Lots and lots of big beautiful spruce trees that the original owners planted 20 … [Read more...]
Remember Woody Woodpecker? Pileated Woodpecker in My Yard
The other day a big black and white bird flew among the trees by the side of the road. At first I thought it was a magpie - not a Michigan native - before spotting the crested red head. It was a pileated woodpecker. If you're the right vintage you may remember Woody Woodpecker cartoons. … [Read more...]
Adding Warmth to Our Home with Color
Dave and I love our light-filled rooms. The living room and our bedroom floors are covered in light oatmeal colored carpets with cream walls, color choices that enhance the feeling of light and spaciousness. The colors are fine except combined with our furniture the rooms are bland. Our … [Read more...]
How to Save Money the Non-Glamorous Way
We've all read articles about how to save money by re-negotiating our cable rates, phone rates, internet rates. Dave does this for us. Every year or so he contacts whomever provides our internet, whether cable or phone and asks for their best deal. He saves us money every year with this … [Read more...]
Blue Jays, Cardinals, Chickadees Oh My – Suet Mixes to Attract Birds
We feed the birds sunflower seed and suet year around. The previous homeowners did not and it took some birds a couple years to get used to coming here for lunch. Cardinals, chickadees, woodpeckers, sparrows and finches showed up immediately (along with squirrels and chipmunks) but blue jays are … [Read more...]
Rainbow at Sunset – November 18, 2015
We had a spectacular sunset here. First rainbow appeared right at the eastern horizon, not a full arch but a huge, wide prismatic glow of colors. I could see where it touched the earth on the hill across the river. By the time I got outside with the camera the rainbow was arcing … [Read more...]
Grow Up Little Tadpole and Frog Away!
Our tadpoles are finally growing up and turning into frogs! I wrote about our tadpole guests last spring when we rescued several hundred from the pool winter cover. (You can read that post here.) In June through mid-August Dave fed them cooked up shredded lettuce, but they weren't getting … [Read more...]
Does Anyone Else Detest Computers?
I work with the darn thing all day; it is closer than the coffee pot or my pillow but I have a like/hate relationship with my laptop. When it works I like it just fine but when it doesn't... Well, let's just say it makes the week pretty awful. Last Tuesday afternoon my poor laptop stopped up. … [Read more...]
It’s Been A Rainy Summer – And A Buggy One!
We have had great summer weather this year, with only a few days of I'm-dying-it's-hot but it has been wet. That means bugs, mosquitoes and flies. I've had to wear bug repellent to garden and even to go for a walk. This week it's been very hot, high 80s and into the 90s, and I have walked early … [Read more...]