End of January

Quercus

Salix

Cercis

There were robins in the backyard today.

It was 74 degrees on Monday.  Tonight's predicted low is 10 degrees.

Zenaida

The End of October

giant post oak in the backyard

redbud

forsythia at the back door stoop

plumbago at the sidewalk steps

spruce in the front yard loaded with cones

Plan B

When last we visited with the contractor, his estimate was $50,000 over our budget. Ouch!  Something had to go, so back to the drawing board (actually the computer and TurboCad). 

I ended up reducing the size of the house by 20%.   The Springfield house is 2,400 square feet plus attic and cellar.  The first plan for the house above Heck Creek was 1,680 square feet plus basement.   The new plan is 1,344 square feet.  We had wanted to downsize, but that’s a lot of downsizing!

I took two feet off the east end of the house, making the bedroom and office each two feet shorter.  The rest of the reduction came off the west end.  Goodbye sun room and most of the living room.  That left a great room about the same size as the Springfield living room.   The great room will include the kitchen, dining table and a small sitting area around the wood stove.  We’ll finish part of the basement, making a den for the tv and the big couch, and the fiction collection.  We’ll also have bunk beds downstairs for extra sleeping.

I’ll most miss the sun room.  With all its windows and tile floor, it would have done triple duty as a greenhouse and worry-free Happa territory, along with providing some solar heat gain in the winter.  We can add a small lean-to greenhouse in the future for around $3,500 for a kit.  Happa will live downstairs --that means all electrical cords will need to be wrapped and the bookcases will need doors. (Happa says, “Books, yum, yum.”)

My Poor Little Blog

It's off to such a slow start.

I didn't post about the owl on Heck Creek...

Barred owl, first spotted by Robyn, photo by Ralph.

I didn't post about the early summer flowers in MO...

 Oenotheras and daisies take over the bank.

I didn't post about our June trip to NC...

Ralph at Craggy Gardens

I mostly started this blog to keep family and friends updated.  My new goal will be to post at least once a week.  Surely I can do that and then maybe I’ll work up to twice a week.

WIP Wednesday

House Plans

Spring

Happy vernal equinox to everyone.

MO house

Forsythia

yellow daffodils

white daffodils

more daffodils

and another daffodil

pussy willow glowing in the afternoon sun

pussy willow stamens

ribbon snake sunning in the quince

A Cyclist Sets Out to Renew His Driver's License

Ralph was rather peeved that he had to renew his MO driver's license this year.  We hope to need NC driver's licenses by the end of the year.

Ralph and his commuter bike

In the Front Yard