Author: traversemikeblog

Oaky… this little guy just won the stare down, I’ll go get the bird seed… geez

unknown photographer

When I was just a young’n my aunt from the hometown in the upper peninsula taught me know to knit. I enjoyed doing it but other important activities in the suburbs of Detroit like lying  in the grass pointing out clouds in the shapes of animals and hiding to avoid being suckered into a street baseball game took up any extra time.  Now being older (I do mean waaaay older) I would like to learn how to do it again and hopefully I will get someone like him to teach me.

and maybe a little embroidery as well

The lot on the water that gives the residents access to the East Bay had stairs that were getting worn and the paint was so thick it was chipping off in chunks.  The deck off to the side about half way down was a nice feature but the current high water levels had eroded the shore so far up that the property could no longer support the deck.

The old structure was removed completely and a new stairway was constructed giving access to the dock that was not yet installed at the time of the photo.  Talk is that a new dock and waterside storage for kayaks is being considered.

I was hoping that the new stairway would be wider but sticking to a “like” replacement apparently did not require additional permitting.

Original dining room, very traditional just not my taste.

Table, chairs and buffet from the condo, the hutch was just added.

social distancing

Guess what I found snooping on the internet… and to think that I was impressed that my elderly (and I mean that in a nice way) neighbor was peddling around our street.

It comes fully assembled and only costs $4,000.00 – where did I put my credit card?

When I purchase the house Kathy noticed that someone had planted a rose bush in a most peculiar spot, underneath the Japanese maple, where it received very little sunlight and therefor despite a couple of blooms was looking somewhat scraggly.

So in an effort to allow it to thrive it was dug up by Kathy and Cheryl last August and replanted on top of the rock retaining wall by the driveway.  Unsure if it would survive the winter I checked on it and success… we have growth on the stems!

Some movement catches my eye on the street and being the Gladys Kravitz of my neighborhood I must investigate (with camera in hand – we may need evidence later) and it appears that one of my neighbors is getting his exercise on this way too cool trike.

I must now take my findings to the internet to locate such a fun looking machine to see where one might purchase one and see if my neighbor might be up for a race.

I’m the first to admit that I do not have a green thumb, but I’m getting better.  There is a hedge of the north side of the house that was getting way too tall and needed to be trimmed… no, not trimmed, cut down like a foot and a half cut off.  Fortunately I had purchased a trimmer awhile back so I found it and charged the battery.  Safety glasses, check, gloves, check, trimmer check… I head out to make this beautiful… I reach up and really! I need a ladder… oh this is going to take forever.  Well two hours later…

No, the neighbors are not requesting that I create Disney topiaries of Goofy or Micky in their yards but considering that Ch Ch Ch Chia Pets were difficult for me I think I did a decent job overall.

Laundry room… not horrible but not, not, not oh what is the word I’m look for “clean” that’s it.  Not only does it have apartment size washer and dryer (which by the way takes two loads to launder a king size bed) in a home with FIVE bedrooms and FOUR full baths, that’s efficient and why? they have more than enough room.

One of the few things that I liked in the room was the pig on the cabinet, but alas it was gone when I move in, apparently it was a fond item for them as well.

Again, not a lot of changes but definitely cleaner (still needs a better window treatment) but full size washer and dryer and better storage with more drawers.  Overall I’m much happier with this that what was.