Why I Oughta...

While it isn't going to be a bountiful harvest, it is looking like we're going to indeed get some blueberries this year off of our bush.  I netted the plant this year to try to fend off the birds and it looks like it is working. Here's the first post when I put this particular bush in the backyard .

One of our three Clematis vines is doing well this year as it both creeps up the trellis and really began to flower out big time.  The other two aren't getting as much sun behind the Arborvitae, so they're not performing quite as well.

This is the 2nd year that my purple painted fern has come back.  I planted it back in 2012 ( post here ) and I was careful to watch it poke through the ground this year.  It isn't easy to spot, so when the mulch goes in soon, I'll be sure to mark it so it doesn't get buried.

We're back in business!  Just a few weeks after our beloved (and much used) double jogger stroller from Valco Baby lost one of it's front forks to a freak break , the fine folks at Valco Baby came through with a part. I'm going to get it on the stroller this weekend and see how it performs.

Saw three of them flying south from my office window on Monday.  One peeled off to circle around the lake.  The other two landed in the parking lot just south of Soldier Field right north of the black McCormick Place building. Has to be related to the First Family, right?  There wasn't anything on the news about the President or First Lady being in town, but what else could it have been?  

Nat and I are proud to be a part of the Host Committee for a Tom Cross for Illinois Treasurer fundraiser that is taking place on Wednesday June 11th in Frankfort. For those of you who don't know Tom Cross, he's running for Illinois State Treasurer.   I've worked for Tom earlier in my career and know him to be a honorable, trustworthy man.  He's exactly the type of elected official we need to clean up Springfield and Illinois. You can find out more about Tom Cross here on his Treasurer site . We'd love for you to join us for this event.  If you're interested in attended, drop me a line!  Alternatively, if you want to donate to the event, click here to visit this link which will track your donation coming in from me .

We now have three hops vines in our side yard.  The one pictured here is - by far - the biggest and was planted back in 2012 .  It is a Golden variety.  Over on the far right of this photo, you can see another trellis'd vine - that's a Cascade variety, one of the other two we have growing. Last year, I was pretty bummed out that we didn't get any fruit off the Golden, but I've committed to staying on top of the plant with water and care, so I'm hopeful I'll be able to turn over to my brother-in-laws a bucket full of green hops come this fall.