Saved a copy of an Estate Planning Summary Analysis application my dad completed back in September of 1997. The Personal Assessment is filled out only as my dad would!
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Monday, September 28, 2020
Um, PHEW!
Well, it's that time of the year again, stink bug and boxelder bug invasion time, UGH!
Every Fall for years now these insects descend on our house, apparently looking for places to hold up over the winter. As I look now and count, there are 15 on four different window screens.
This dude pictured above is a Chinavia hilaris nymph - Green Stink Bug. Not too many of the green variety around now, all brown. This one will not become an adult and therefore will not try to get inside.
Now, where's the fly swatter?!
On Guard!
This little guy was keeping a watchful eye on our hugs goodbye outside Adams Hall. If you take a close look you can see a full mouth! I don't think you could fit another morsel in there if you tried, HA.
I Couldn't Be Prouder!
All moved into Adams Hall!
A huge milestone for Emilie! All her hard work has paid off! Onto the next chapter and can't wait to see what's in store. Of course, an emotional day for all too!
The house is empty and just not the same but that's what makes you coming home that much more special!
Hibiscus Year Two!
With the beginning of Fall Emilie's hibiscus, that we held over from last summer, is finally flowering. It was touch and go early spring with most of the plant dying off. This one stem, with some extra TLC, survived and is now in full bloom!
Unfortunately, the flowers don't last long but man-o-man are they beautiful!
And They're Off...
Our first egg, HOORAY!
A little on the small side but to be expected for new, first timers. They'll get bigger as the chicken ages. We have 4-different breeds, this was laid by an Amberlink!
The yolks are deep yellow, firm white and SO frick'n tasty!
You Get What You Pay For!
This is what you get when you buy cheap, knockoffs versus the manufacture recommend replacement parts. Then again the knockoff's were SO much cheaper and seem to adequately do the job...
Inspire and Electrify
Going though some of my dad's paperwork I came across this saying -
"Inspire and Electrify. This Above All: To Thine Own Self - Be True"
I miss my dad!
Literally A Hand Full
Even though I only planted (4) pepper plants this year, they did really well and they were delicious!
JoAnne made my mother's Greek stuffing and stuffed a bunch, and some were sautéed with onions for use on shaved steak sandwiches, YUM!
I Pray For You
The one and only Praying Mantis I saw this summer.
She was gone as quickly as she appeared.
Hoping she lays her eggs here so we'll have more next year.
Water Plants
At a recent visit to see my farmer friend in Marshfield, he gave me some water hyacinth and water lettuce\Pistia for my 55-gallon water barrel. They need no care, which is perfect, but the two remaining gold fish that call the barrel home welcomed them and seem to approve. I suspect the plants, which now have super long dangling roots, offer some sort of aeration for them. Hoping we get a flower or two before the cold weather sets in.
A Sticky Task Complete
I took down (4) White Pine trees a couple weeks ago. I dug these from my friends place in Marshfield, some 15-years or so ago, when they were no bigger than Charlie Brown Christmas tree size. We planted them to provide some privacy from the neighbors shed and storage area and they did just that. However, a covered trailer was parked right next to them, which blocked the sun from getting to the lower halves, so many of the lower limbs have since died - it was time.
They just got too big, too fast. In hindsight it would have been SO much easier had I cut them down BEFORE moving and installing the new chicken coop. I would have been able to drop each with a single cut each. Instead I limbed each using a hand saw, then dragged to the driveway where I loaded into a trailer and brought to the town recycle center for disposal.
Once all limbed I carefully cut the rest in sections to control the landing spot. Once down, I cut into ~3' lengths, that fit nicely into the wheelbarrow, carted and staked beside driveway. A "Free Firewood" sign was posted to the local Franklin FB site and within a couple hours ALL the wood was gone!!
Before -
After -
Over loaded trailer -
Pile of fire pit wood, gone -
Mr. Hummingbird
Stop in to visit with a family friend from the old Westwood neighborhood. It was very nice spending over an hour sitting on her back deck reminiscing and catching up. Time is going by far too fast!
She had a lone hummingbird feeder hanging and it was a flurry of activity, with several of the males fighting and running each other off. This was one of the lucky ones who was able to grab a drink and a bit of rest.
русский орлов (Google convert)
Emilie's Russian Orloff chicken at about 17 weeks.
The Orloff is a breed of chicken named after Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov (1737-1808), a Russian Count, so seems we have a bit of royalty in our backyard coop!
She's unusual with tufts and a beard that sways when she moves, and a tad nervous in general, but adds some nice color and variation to our flock. We'll see how well she does when it comes to laying and her consistency.
Something Just Kept Gnawing At Me...
I was super happy when I found a White Birch tree, just down the street at the ball field, that was taken down by one of last years winter storms.
I cut each at 27", the perfect size for our fireplace, and used a radial arm-like saw so the cuts were straight and perfect. The looks SO good stacked neatly in their new home.
However, it wasn't long after that I began to question my hearing. You see, my work-at-home office space is in the family room, immediately next to the fireplace, and I began hearing things, chewing\gnawing things. Years ago we had yellow jackets nest on the wall behind the fireplace, so at first I thought perhaps it happened again. Ear flat against the wall and nothing, no noises. It persisted, nothing loud and not all the time but it was still happening. Ironically, I started noticing unusual beetles, flying beetles, that would be attracted to the lamp in the evenings. I killed several before finally making the connection, AHA!
Turns out the beetles were Rustic Borers! Cool looking I guess, unusual. These insects are pests of Hickory, other hardwood and pine and supposedly, from my research, won't infest your home. Apparently, it's typical for them to be brought indoor with firewood, where the heat draws them out.
All that being said, I still didn't want to risk it, so the nice looking Birch logs were given to someone for use in their firepit...
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