Beware of the Ides of March!

And other things as well.......

March is here - if I were home, Anchorage, Alaska, the snow would be looking like a black/white and gray photograph everywhere you go.  Cabin fever, trips to Hawaii for those who can't stand another day with no other color at "break-up time" than slush gray.  Others are getting ready for semester breaks soon.  And here I am - sigh - no where near home - YET.

I have a nice little house here - in Port Huron, Michigan:

 

A work room in the basement that is over 800 sq feet.  With lots of installed bookshelves on 3 walls

 

This was pretty a fall that ended a very strange summer.  Hardly any flowers bloomed anywhere!

 

This is the crowning glory of the outside of this small house.  My other half spent the last 3 summers making it a haven for our guests.  What we lack in inside space, is more than made up for the 2 1/2 seasons of outdoor cooking, summer dining when it is just too nice to stay indoors (which has, by the way, central air conditioning).  Unfortunately the large tree on the right, which was over 70 feet tall - an Ash tree - was hit by the blight that killed so many trees all up and down the tree lined streets leading to our house.    We were very sad when the arborist told us there was nothing else we could do to save the tree, so we had 3 ash trees taken out last winter.  It was quite a site with a 110 foot crane to come in an diminish it, 10 feet at a time.  There are 3 more ash trees in the back that you can not see - they were removed as well.  When we moved in we planted 7 fruit trees across the back of the property:  3 apple trees - one red, one small red and a green  apple tree; there is a beautiful peach tree that was so full the fourth year (they say to water deep for 3 years if you want to have a sturdy, steady supply of fruit - the peaches were distributed to neighbors, put up with brandy and enjoyed rinsed, right off the tree!  On one side of it is a pear tree; and then there is the plum tree - the first thing to bloom in the spring and the first thing you see when you walk out the back door.  It is magnificent.  I try to persuade the squirrels not to eat too many - some years I win, some years they prevail.  Then we have a cherry tree - alas, the cherry tree attracted a Japanese beetle of some kind which went after all the heirloom tea roses.  We do not use any pesticides on our tomatoes, on the roses or on the trees.  All in all - the back yard is a charming place to read a book from early spring, to fall with a nice blanket over my legs and feet up on the love seat, dogs at our feet. 

 

This picture does not show the brilliant black tulips that have quadrupled in size.  Last year there were over 21 tulips on the one plant.  Hmmm.... looks like we will be doing some dividing. What you can not see very well behind the tulips are bleeding hearts.  The Victorian pink takes up the whole corner by early spring and is as tall as the post at the top of the stairs!  On the other side of the porch garden are white bleeding hearts in spring, crocus and tear drops/snow drops in the very earliest of spring, followed by Sarah Bernhardt peonies in front and white double peonies on the side of the porch.  (Sorry, no pictures - yet).  Along the side of the house to the back yard gate are 6 very large, very well settled hydrangea - from pinks to purple and an incredible white plant that gets to be nearly 4 feet tall.!

 

The circle out front, sadly, got away from me last year as I was unable to get out there and work on it.  My knees and back are not what they used to be - but this year we are going to re-visit it.

 

 

This is a beautiful, small house.  When we moved here from Alaska that was what we wanted - something small, with character - solidly built and in a quiet neighborhood.  We have re-done the bathroom with board and bead panelling and wainscoting ; a white wood mount with hooks for robes, extra storage built in and re-tiled the tub and shower in ceramic tile - we can't imagine it any other way.  I told you about the outside upgrades, the inside air conditioning and nearly every room has ceiling fans with lights - I guess that coming from a place where it is dark 8 months out of the year - bright lights are paramount to me!  The house was built in the 1950's, when we tore the bathroom apart we were impressed with the studs - they had to be 8 x 4's at least!  Not a bit of mold anywhere!  It had been 'flipped' with that horrible pressed wood plastic coated fake tile. Yuk!  The funniest thing about this place is that someone obviously wanted a soaking tub very badly - because the master bath is in the basement - beautifully laid ceramic tiles on the floors, a window to the outside with blinds (of course) and a whirlpool soaking tub that is at least 7 feet long.  Can't ask for better (water pressure is primo too).......Okay - sounds like I've just listed this house for sale, and in a way, maybe this is my way of beginning the task of letting go of one place and preparing to move on to the next.

 

Port Huron is a beautiful city - lots of parks and the parks are on the lakes with a philanthropist who donated, to the people of this city, a bit of class and glamor - including a Marine Viewing building with full glass front and someone on duty who announces the ships coming through from Lake Huron to the St. Claire river way.  You can hear about where the ship comes from, where it is going, the cargo weight, the flag that it is flown under and other interesting things while you are sipping coffee and eating pastries, sandwiches, light fare that is sold there.  In the summer, when it is grueling hot - you can sit in the air conditioned building and watch people on floating rafts, tubes, floating bicycles and all kinds of flotilla as they float from the Port Huron beach to Marysville which is a short drive down river.  In Marysville there are antique shops, pubs, eateries and such.  It really is a nice little town - -  - but Alaska, Alaska calls me home again.

 

Thank you for listening in - or reading up - or whatever bloggers do. 

 

Till the next time!  Have a wonderful, snowy, cold day.