2014

This spring the brothers turn 9; Chloe & Annie, 6; Maukie & Flynn, 3

Mom died November 19th.

Flynn down 1/20 (29), 2/10 (21), 3/22 (40), 5/10 (49)

January 2-3
January 2-3: First relevant snowfall; 7 inches in my backyard. Lowest temp last night was -11°. The basement got down to 28° and the pipes were freezing. I had to open the trapdoor and blow air down which warmed it up to 50° down there. Surprisingly, it did not affect the temps in the house. By 7:30 am outside temp was up to zero.
Jan 4: Frozen pond
Jan 4: Frozen pond. Pond heater under a piece of plywood keeps it from completely freezing over and suffocating the fish.
Jan 5
Jan 5: No heat loss through the roof!!
It warmed up to 40° today—washed the car.
February 9th February 9th 22 february
Flynn, 22 Feb
24 Jan: New car from Kelly Volkswagen in Danvers, MA, 2011 Golf.
Reminder to myself: Don't buy a car in winter.
0305bx
Maukie, March 5th
Tapping Sap
11 March: Helping Ed with the tapping. I drilled and tapped my three maples in the back.

15 March: Today I discovered that Teddy died on March 24, 2011. He was homeless and no one claimed his ashes. His container of ashes and those of 153 other indigents were buried in a mass grave on June 13, 2012 at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Renton, WA. There is a commemorative tombstone that reads, "Gone but not forgotten these people of Seattle June 2012." I took it pretty hard. I made a page for him.

The burn barrel possum 22 March: I found this poor possum in my burn barrel. It might have been there for days. When I picked it up it didn't react at all, as endangered possums are wont to do. I put it on the floor of the outhouse and covered it with a folded towel and left a bowl of water and another with rice and cat kibbles in it. It continued to play dead in my presence, although, it may well have actually been close to dead. It stayed in the outhouse for a day, then went on its way.

Flynn went down tonight—his longest run so far—40 days. Recovery time is quicker too and each episode less severe. Maybe some day he will be free of his affliction but he will probably always have a head tilt.
26marchx
March 26: My new job
Annie26 May: Chloe & Annie Pond in May
May: This spring the pond was a breeding ground for frogs, toads and at least 1 pair of newts. The frog tadpoles were aleady developed when the toads laid their eggs and the tadpoles ate all the toad eggs. The fish didn't make it.
0715x
15 July: FD burned down the neighbor's old house. New one coming.
0711rosyx
11 July: Rosy molted, miraculously. She must be about 20. This molt went to David.
black swallowtail
Found this black swallowtail on the porch
0719x
10 July: Steve, Sammy and I on the Kill
0727x
27 July: Finished staining the north side
August 3rd
3 August: Rockwork in progress

July-August: Tearing down the old shed

Tearing down the old shed
7/11: Taking off the metal roof--this is a view I will never see again. I finished putting on that roof on my birthday, 3 Oct 2001.
Tearing down the old shed
I removed the metal and Sammy is going to do the decking.
Tearing down the old shed
At the end of the day, this was how far we got.
Tearing down the old shed
7/27: Taking down the south wall
Tearing down the old shed
Tearing down the old shed
waiting to be burned
Tearing down the old shed
08/02: After cutting through the top plate and removing all trim boards, pulling 1/2 of the wall out with my car.
Tearing down the old shed
Tearing down the old shed
Tearing down the old shed
08/02: The other half
Tearing down the old shed
Tearing down the old shed
08/02: Off to the burn pile. I burned the whole south and north wall today
Marbled Orb Weaver
Beautiful Marbled Orb Weaver on porch door
Bridge Work
09/12: Nate moved all my boulders to the back side for the bridge work
Bridge Work
09/12: And the excavator made a big mess as usual--the price of progress.
Bridge Work
09/12: Removing the utility pole stringers. I had removed the decking the day before.
Bridge Work
09/12: West bank is done, working on east side. Nate couldn't see below him, so I had to direct.
Bridge Work
09/12: Nate and Sammy pared off one side of the stringers so the decking would have a flat surface.

09/12: Nate finished the demolition of the old shed, breaking up the floor and pulling the cement piers.

Bridge Work
09/14: Something new from my baby--the sleeping headstand.
Bridge Work
09/28: Painted the gas tank
Painting the Bridge09/29: First coat of paint on bridge

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