The Yard Today

 Monday, March 2, 2026

Cigar today and then photographed the yard for the beginning of the month. 

We're losing a lot of snow. 

We'll probably loose more tomorrow. It's supposed to get to 51 degrees. 

Lot's of the ice has melted off the streets which are seeming so much wider with the snow disappearing. 

The sidewalks are mostly dry since most of the ice and snow has melted off. 

The ground is soft and wet so much so that if I put a chair out and sat in it I'd sink into the soil.

Planning on smoking another cigar tomorrow so I might try a chair anyway. 

Still need to get the wreath off the front door. 

Snow!

Meant to post this yesterday, on Thanksgiving (November 27). 

Thanksgiving is here and were getting a little sun to go with it. Snowed yesterday overnight. The above picture is the view from our front stoop.

This is the view from the back stoop. 

Falling Leaves

 Tuesday, November 11, 2025

The leaves started falling around the middle of October. 

They fell very slowly and steadily. 

They seemed to start accumulateing a bit more by Halloween. 

Dale raked the day after the above photo was taken. 

We had a hard freeze early morning of the next day. It brought a lot more leaves down. Dale's gonna mulch what's still on the ground. 

Raking

Sunday, October 18, 2020

Dale and I raked and bagged leaves today. It was loud outside. The guy behind Dale on the right was using was using a particularly shrill sounding leaf blower. The guys behind Dale on the left were using a chainsaw. 

Long Week - Cigar Time

Friday, October 9, 2020

Exhausting but by no means bad work week. So appreciative that it is Friday. 

No, that is not gin or vodka in the bottle. It’s water. I’m taking a break from drinking. It’s something of a practice run for another dry January in a few months. I was successful this past January so I have confidence I can do it again. However, a warm up can’t hurt, right? Truth be told my goal for October is only three weeks alcohol free. Twenty-one days sounds manageable compared to the 31 day I did this past January. Hard liquor really goes well with cigars though...

Front Yard Raking

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Not feeling so well today but managed to rake for about a half hour and get all the leaves over to the retaining wall on the south side of the yard. Windy from the south today so this helped shield them from blowing back to where they started. Dale was a gem and bagged them all up later. 

Cigar In the Yard

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Gorgeous afternoon. Hard to believe last weekend was a blizzard.

Perfect day for a cigar in the backyard. Nice to have a couple hours to think and read.

Wreath

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Have a wreath on the front door for the first time in a number of years.

Thanksgiving Day 2015

First snow of the season that accumulated.

Mowing the Lawn and Other Things

Spent a couple hours in the yard today. Got the lawn mowed, the front garden weeded, and the front planters planted with impatiens and sweet potato vines. 

January - Front Yard Tree

Today, in my continued inspiration from Vivian Swift, I drew another tree. This one was drawn free hand from a photograph of our front yard tree. I think it turned out pretty well. In her book When Wanderers Cease to Roam, she says, "What it takes to get through January is what it takes to get through LIFE." I have to agree. 

Sadly, this beautiful silver maple is probably on its last leg. Dale said it's good I captured it before it goes down soon.

Front Yard Planter

January 23

Missed the anniversary of the blog yesterday. School was cancelled due to extreme cold. Warmed up quite a bit today (up to 34!). 

Fall Leaf Raking Part 4

It is finished and looks pretty good.

Anne the Magnolia - Summer 2013

Anne the Magnolia has been doing well in 2013. Deb recently did a little decorating to brighten her up.

Last Night's Snow

The snow began late yesterday afternoon and it snowed overnight. We were supposed to get 6-8 inches by morning but I'd say we only got 2 or 3.

The Front Yard

The Silver Maple.

A Winter Nap

Silver Maple

Our silver maple tree as seen from the backyard. Dale and I both noticed that its leaves, now showing a slight change in color for fall, were not as full this year. 

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