Who doesn’t smile when waking up to a cup of coffee in the morning — oh, I can smell it now. I know I do … and would be shocked if it actually smiled back! Really this is just adding to the archive in getting the yard ready for summer and the family this weekend. […]
For a day after Easter, the weather sure doesn’t look like spring! https://myarchive.us/mp4/April2022FlurriesBringMayFlowers.mp4 Also testing WordPress automated mp4 plugin with added gray vs black border than my normal hardcode video from iPhone7plus in slow-motion with poster image below the break)
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It has been a slow start to getting our yard in shape. By now we usually have the pool open and flowers planned, but for some reason (probably rain) we are not ready for summer. Thankfully though, Saturday was nice most of the day. I waited as long as possible to add a few brown […]
The bookshelves have been on-again, off-again as the laborious painting and improved spring weather dictates my indoor verses outdoor activities. I did get a chance to finish the “art display area” in the center bookshelf section … and so far, so good. My plan was to create a little depth perception by bring the art […]
(click for larger) I read an interesting article about music in Wired this past weekend and in particular a World Song Map image that instead of a "place name" there is a "song name." It may not be the best song selection for the place, but it did trigger an old song from 1967 by […]
Although we were hoping the tulips would be in bloom for Katelyn and Drew’s wedding (tulips for the “Dutch” Oostra … not that it mattered), they didn’t quite start blossoming until the other day. In fact everything is now blooming and the smells are fantastic. Even the less desirable “flowers!” (below)
I was out at dusk trying to get a little more of the grass cut again. The grass is green and growing fast … I don’t think I’m going to be able to keep up with it if it rains. Thankfully it was dry enough (barely) to get some of the longest and thickest cut, […]
After arriving home late last night Brenda wanted me to see the flowering White Star Magnolia flowers … so I indulged her and walked out to look at them with her … and snapped a weak LED flash photo with my Palm Pre smartphone. Little did she know, I had already been looking at them […]
Although I’d be hard pressed to convince anyone that spring is here based on the long winter and the cold temperatures we have been having, our Star Magnolia is telling us that winter is over and that spring weather is here or suppose to be here. Let’s hope the latest cold weather will be our […]
I enjoyed the day working in the yard and found myself appreciating Brenda’s gardening talents. As the landscaping around our yard continues to mature and the varieties of different flowers bloom one after another all spring, all the hard work to plan, plant and tend is beginning to pay off. Today’s overweight Peony blooms were […]
I was able to get some of the vegetable garden planted this past week and fenced in order to protect the tender plants from the ravenous bunnies we have around our house. One would think that Tootsie, our Australian Blue Heeler could defend the property, but the rabbits seem to populate despite her efforts to […]
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Make America Great Again, one parent at a time (not political). Here’s slightly different take on MAGA with an uplifting lesson and message for fathers; pay attention to your role in your family. When I asked my 11-year-old son to help me unload dirt from our small pickup into his mother’s new garden boxes, his reaction […]
It may not be pretty with the old mulch, leaves and dirty sidewalks … but spring has sprung in 2023. The old-ish bulbs are up and the buds are on the magnolias and lilacs. On another subject, I’ve contacted Wyze about one of my newer cams triggering a RED “Smoke Alarm” message which definitely caught […]
Although it was not unexpected, my long time friend Jeff‘s father passed away last week. It was the way we all would want to die … "peacefully in our sleep at home." My memories of Alton Pitts are few since he lived in Florida, but the few I have are of kindness. I first met […]
We are enjoying my late mother-in-law’s transplanted Buttercups (Ranunculus) that we brought home from the Jamestown, NY farmhouse (winter pics). Initially, Brenda’s sister Chris asked me to bring her some home for her since I was the one driving back and forth to western New York to clean out, take care of the property and […]
Although I appreciate the talent of artists in all mediums and have plenty of artwork in our home, I’m not sure where this Vincent van Gogh “virtual world” art fits in??? Maybe it is just fitting for the blog?
Depressing as it may be, our vacation in Delray Beach is over, but it was a perfect and needed rest and relaxation trip. Our old 2002 Honda Odyssey is still surviving … although I did pondering a new Florida vehicle after having to jumpstart and fidget with the flakey AC. Yet it still didn’t convince […]
Each year I think I take a photo of either our flowers or trees coming back to life in the spring. I know from a quick search that there are at least ten posts similar to this one over the years … here is one from February 2017. Since this particular lilac plant can’t be […]
Brenda and I flew to Florida with a “use it or lose it” expiring Southwest Airline ticket …and hopefully as a way to earn a future companion-pass ticket (we’ll see how that goes). We were there for a long weekend and to enjoy a couple days at the condo and the beach. Unfortunately I wasted […]
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day and was first observed on May 30th, 1868 to commemorate the sacrifice’s of Civil War soldiers. It was declared a General Order No. 11 by General John A. Logan on May 5, 1868. The General Order stated: “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose […]
After just finishing cutting the lawn on Tuesday night and working on our landscaping this past weekend in anticipation of a cold front with some “expected rain,” it ended up coming down as SNOW! I mean, come on, it is the time of year to be thinking sunshine, warmer weather and flowers .. not snow. […]
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Every once in a while an idea triggers me into thinking … “I’m going to try this!” Last week I stumbled across a Lifehacker post that was worth archiving. Using biodegradable eggshells to start seedlings … and after losing half the $60 in flower flats we purchased this year, I may give this one a […]
Instead of spending time this past Easter weekend dressing,going to church and getting together with family, I spent a few more hours sanding … and sanding … and sanding. My goal is to get this old exterior black walnut door (super thick veneer over oak – see above photo) ready to take a traditional oil […]
Although Brenda worked Easter Sunday this year, the weather could not have been more beautiful in Cincinnati for a few chores. I buffed out the oxidation on our 2002 Honda Odyssey, as the Florida sun is hard on paint. After buffing, I wax and buffed again in order to add a layer of protection … […]
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The other day I mentioned “selective focus” as a photography technique to my son … so I took advantage of the low light and ugly rainy weather to use the “longer x2 lens”on the iPhone7plus to hide the ugliness. The telephoto lens on any camera, especially in closer up photography), is that it is easy […]
Larry G. Hart, 81, former longtime resident of Cuyahoga Falls, passed away on Friday, September 8, 2017, at Copeland Oaks Crandall Medical Center, in Sebring, after a lengthy illness. Larry graduated from South High School, earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Akron, where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, and […]
Glen Campbell, one of my all time favorite musicians from my earliest memories has passed away. So thankful we still have his mountains of music. It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and legendary singer and guitarist, Glen Travis Campbell, at the age of […]
With the buds and flowers popping this Easter weekend around Cincinnati, a sunny morning was a great opportunity to put the lesser used prime lens on my new Four Thirds Lumix GX8 camera. The 14-140 stabilized zoom is usually on my camera for convenience, but today I suspect the slightly faster f1.7 prime lens might be sharper […]
It’s not exactly pristine landscaping this year at the Corbett abode, but seeing the rapidly growing grass and spring flowers popping out feels good. This is the first year that I recall actually missing winter.
I helped fund the Raspberry Pi based computer Kickstarter project known as the RaspberryShake networkingworking a large number of inexpensive earthquake monitoring station around the world (www.raspberryshake.org/quick-start-guide). The idea of connecting hundreds if not thousands of independent volunteer monitoring stations isn’t new, but it is a growing force in data collection. Hopefully I’ll be able […]
The death of an in-shape friend and someone who is my age, really hit me when I read Bill Gordon had died on Facebook Sunday afternoon. He was one of my Ohio Northern University roommates and according to closer friends, he was on a ride Saturday morning and collapsed. How can that be??? He was an avid […]
The origins of these idioms are interesting (even if untrue). I didn’t bother looking any of them up, just posted the saying from a forwarded email … although probably pulled from a magazine or an archived site? “In the old days,” a big kettle hung over the fire and was used to make a stew. […]
On Monday (August 17, 2015), we held the memorial service for my dad at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Sidney, Ohio. Dad died on August 12th after his “thankfully” short hospice care after suffering a stroke and brain bleed. The burial urn (above) was surrounded by flowers and a lifetime of memory photos (our families […]
It’s not Veterans Day. It’s not military appreciation day. Don’t thank me for my service. Please don’t thank me for my service. Here’s how it was outlined in General Orders No. 11, Washington, D.C., May 5, 1868: The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating […]
A long time friend and fellow EAA284 chapter member Ken Miracle passed away last week and his family will be holding a gathering and a memorial service this Friday evening (10/11) and Saturday morning (10/12). I regret being unable to attend. Ken was one of the first EAA guys to befriend me when I joined […]
Projects are getting done one at a time before winter arrives, but seems as soon as I can check one off the list, two more need to be done. I’ve been repairing the tiles on the pool before closing for the season and on Wednesday evening sealed the new front porch pavers since I’m in […]
Since each year I’ve either looked at, blogged about or taken a photo of the White Star Magnolia we planted for Brenda back on Mother’s Day in 2008, I’ll include a macro video test with the little waterproof Kodak Playsport Zx5 pocket camera. (hint: don’t use the macro setting for this) The flowers have been […]
Once again we are faced with the dreaded Saint Valentine’s Day … well “dreaded” for those of us men who fall short in the thoughtfulness category, or end up buying the cheesy and over-marketed box of chocolates, flowers or — gulp — jewelry. Thankfully I have a wife who isn’t all that difficult to please […]
Reposting the Romanian Handicapped Ministry information for a few in our family … Day #1 of camp was fabulous as usual with lots of excitement, flowers, and gifts for us, kisses, and lots of hugs! Anna was so excited for ‘camp’ to start that she woke up @ 6 am and would not leave her […]
Condolences to Vice President Biden and his family. January 8, 2010 Statement from Vice President Joe Biden “My mother, Catherine Eugenia “Jean” Finnegan Biden, passed away peacefully today at our home in Wilmington, Delaware, surrounded by her children, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren and many loved ones. At 92, she was the center of our family […]
While listening to my wife reminisce about Memorial Day days traditions when she was a child, I found myself looking down with a little embarrassment since I didn’t establish the same thoughtful traditions for our family. Disclosure: her father, WWII vet, was the only one in the family who actually prioritized the day. Nevertheless, the […]
This past weekend was enjoyable; I had an opportunity to be outside, take a few photos and contemplate the work ahead in the yard. The grass and trees were still brown of course, but signs of spring were all around — including the smell. In Cincinnati, we had a mild December and January for the […]
I’ve been planning to write down some thoughts and include some personal photos from our recent family vacation to Hawaii. We enjoyed near perfect weather on our entire trip, both on a cruise ship, NCL(A)’s “Pride of Hawaii,” and the time spent with my nephew David and his wife Gillian who live on Kauai — […]
It may seem that I’ve become a bit too interested in the events at the South Central Farmers in Los Angeles, California, considering I’m from Ohio, but once started, I have a desire for closure. 🙂 Yesterday the “Save the Farm” campaign came to a head as arrests were made and evictions began. I’m posting […]
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day and began to be observed on May 30th, 1868 to commemorate the sacrifies of Civil War soldiers. It was declared a General Order No. 11 by General John A. Logan May 5, 1868. The General Order stated: “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose […]
The Tri-State Clean Fuel Network along with Ohio farm groups will be displaying the ‘SoyToy’ at the Seventeenth Cincinnati Flower Show this year. The show runs from April 22nd to April 30th this year as will span two weekends and is nationally recognized as one of the finest shows of its kind. Better Home and […]
Yes, discovered –a red faced, wattled honeyeater — its a bird. 🙂 An area high in the rainforest of New Guinea is being described as the “lost world.” I read through an article published yesterday in “The Independent” that details the unknown and rare animals that have been discovered by a team of international scientists. […]