Pre-Thanksgiving calm

Not much happening around the ol' homestead these days. I still haven't cleaned out the gutters or finished raking leaves. That wet snow from last week broke some of the taller perennials, so I may cut those back now rather than later.

Artsy pic of milkweed fluff

The usual suspects have appeared at the bird feeders - sparrows, house finches, goldfinches, nuthatches, chickadees, downy woodpeckers, blue jays, bluebirds, but not starlings... YET. Nothing exotic.

I have been looking for a TV couch where Clio and I can lounge while streaming my favorite shows. The requirements were something clean and comfortable but not expensive. Habitat Restore to the rescue! If you see something you like there, you have to act quickly, and I did. The pets took to the new loveseat right away.

King of the couch

This piece is in such good shape I kind of hate to let the dog up there, but that is why I purchased it. An old mattress cover should provide enough protection.

Cue up "Better Call Saul"

Another reason I wanted a TV couch is the recliner is perfect for bird watching. So now that is across the room, facing the backyard with a good view of the main feeders and the birdbath. I look forward to spending most of the winter out there, watching birds by day, watching TV by night. After all, it is the dormant season.

Six more weeks of winter, such as it is

In my (faulty) memory, wherever I am, the sun shines on Ground Hog Day, if only for a short while. Today's absence of gray skies was a nice change of pace, BUT. I have been noticing signs of spring here and there: Canada geese migrating, starlings that never left, early morning bird song, and today a bee seeking the warmth of my daughter's car. It's just not right.

Construction signs are up in the neighborhood, with two at either end of the block where I live. This week we get to meet the contractor who is supposed to fix all our drainage issues. In fact, they have already started, moving gas lines at the innermost part of the addition. A variety of trucks, including some from Badger Daylighting, have come and gone.

Inside, I started the process (wrote a check) for new flooring to replace the remaining carpet. Every time I clean up pet puke (and they always puke on carpeting, not linoleum), I tell myself that soon I will be wiping it up from laminate. Much easier. A friend gave me her Roomba and I may invest in a Crosswave (my daughter loves hers). Then I will just need something that dusts and cleans bathrooms.

I got worms!

One of the many garden items I purchased for this year is a "worm composting system" from Gardens Alive. The name is a little misleading, as we are not composting worms here; the worms are doing the composting. All I have to do is keep them watered and fed, and they will give me black gold.



The composter components arrived last week, and I assembled them and waited for the worms, which arrived Wednesday. I wish they had sent me an email, warning me that the worms are coming, the worms are coming, because I was not ready. I would have taken pix of the building of the worm bed, but it was date night (my SO did not blink an eyelash when I greeted him with hands covered in something that looked like shit), and I was in a hurry and not a little flustered.



I don't even have many food scraps for them to eat yet, besides coffee grounds. I'll have to work on that because, once they are up to speed, they will eat three times their own weight in garbage each week. I started with 500 worms, but this composter will support 10,000 - 12,000. I may have to start a worm wholesale operation.

Under the subject of spring cleaning, you know how empty your house looks in preparation for carpet cleaning?...



Because everything that is movable has been crammed into the remaining rooms?...



Including the dog?