New Additions

May 1, 2015:   We just had some additions built onto my Dad's house....

(1) New stairs: the old concrete ones collapsed due to the extreme variations of cold and thawing that occurred during the past winter,  plus...

(2) an extended walkway from ramp to driveway: this will make it much easier for my Dad, who has struggled through grass and then snow with his walker,  plus ...

(3) a railing around the upstairs back porch: this is so Bob and I can enjoy upcoming summer evenings/sunsets! 

I also just found out that it was always one of my [late] Mom's dreams to have a railing installed, so here I am...inadvertently fulfilling one of her dreams, just in time for Mother's 

Day!

Upstairs

Dad has already test-driven the new walkway and likes it.  He can now go straight from the back door to a waiting car (and vice versa) much more easily.

The new stairs are awesome as well.  The old ones fell apart in February, so everyone has been using the ramp since then.  Every time I came out of the house, I automatically turned left to go down the [no longer accessible] stairs!  We have missed them so these past couple months!

Best of all is this wonderful new patio we have upstairs. I'm sure we will get much enjoyable use of it!

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Spring at last!

April 15- May 1, 2015:   It seemed spring would never get here, but after a couple of false starts, it finally did!  

Here is a photo journal of spring as it appeared over the past couple of weeks:

Mid-April on the trail

 First Daffodils (mid-April)

Layers of Early Spring Color (and flooding)

 Siberian Squill in side yard

Mid April (4/18) Foggy Trail

 Watching to see what will bloom here (Trail, mid-April)

Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa) in my garden

Trail, April 21

 More Snow!  April 22-23)

Trail, late April

Hairy Woodpecker, late April (4/26) on the trail

 My first experience with the lovely little Trout Lilies 
(Erythronium americanum)

  Blood Root (Sanguinaria canadensi)

 Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica)

Trout Lilies again (May 1)

 May Apple

 Trail on May 1st

Things are greening up; leaves on trees and bushes are starting to burst open.

Spring is busting out all over!  YAY!

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