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Showing posts with the label 2026 projects

Emperor 1 Japanese Maple - Winter Rabbit Pressure - February 2025

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We have three Emperor 1 Japanese Maples in our backyard.  Acer palmatum Emperor 1.  The largest one is back by the firepit with a couple of smaller ones closer to the house.  They all were her during the Cicada swarm of 2024 and all suffered some damage from them.  The largest tree (by the firepit) suffered the most and has been set-back pretty sizeably.   The 3rd-to-be-planted is also the smallest one.  It is about half-way back on the north side.  It went in the ground in 2024 (Cicada year) and I protected it with some fabric .  That didn't completely protect the tree from the slits from cicadas and the top-part died-back.     But, that white tulle wasn't the only protection that I set up for this small Japanese Maple.  I also have left-up a ring of Chicken Wire around the tree, in an attempt to keep the (dang!) rabbits away from killing this tree in Winter.  That has...somewhat worked.  But, it hasn't stopped ...

Some New (To Me) Oven Enclosure Finishing Inspiration - February 2026

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The good folks at Forno Bravo sent out their monthly email newsletter this week and it included a look at customer's oven that they bill as being straight out of 'Fantasy land'.  And, I immediately glom'd-on to the images and video about the oven and have begun to pour over the details.  Here's a link to the newsletter (web link ) and below is a screenshot of one of the images in the newsletter that shows off the oven.  This is one of their off-the-shelf ovens that is wrapped in an enclosure.  That enclosure is faced with stone (veneer, I'm guessing) with a cedar (or cedar-inspired roof). This is not my photo.  Source via Forno Bravo's video .  Here below is  their YouTube video that accompanies the story about this oven that shows off even more details: A few things of note: 1.  The wood storage has a door.  Split in the middle and matching the roof trim.   Love that.   Here, below is a slightly better look at the oven w...