Why I Oughta...

I'm giving the whole bell-shaped bird seed thing a go.  Back in early January, I posted about a "Christmas Bell" that the kids gave me for Christmas that featured fruit and nuts and billed itself as 'no melt', so there was some suet involved, I'd think.  As quickly as I put that seed bell up on on post, it was gone.  Taken by some critter.  Maybe a squirrel, but more likely...a racoon.   At least, that's where my brain is right now having seen a couple of big fatty raccoons in our yard on a couple of occasions lately.  Having come across a seed bell from Kaytee (that you can see below) on sale at Menards, coupled with the fact that I had previously bought the 'seed bell hanger', so I was willing to get right back on the saddle with another one of these. This time, however, I am prepared.  The old one was put up on a pole that had a baffle on 'top' of the bell.  Meaning...I was attempting to keep critters from kind of 'jumping

Back at the end of January, I posted about this wall-hung workbench and - at the time - commented about how it was quite a 'looker'.  I still like it.  But, somehow, I came across this Instagram post from woodworking_lovers - which I think is a spammy account - that features a twist on the wall-hung workbench.  Spammy post (about starting a business) aside, the bracing that this bench shows off is interesting to me - and maybe just seems a bit stronger/easier to understand how it would work.  The 2x6's that are angled from the top to the wall are notched to rest on the wall cleat.  Visually, it makes sense to me why it would support the weight.  Maybe there's a way to marry the two ideas?  This one for the super-structure.  Then wrapped in the curves from the original to cover up the structure? 

If you head there now, you'll see that hanging in the staircase of the Downers Grove Recreation Center is this art project made of small mirrored pieces of glass.  It has squares around the edges and a molecule-looking object in the center.  There's a post here on Facebook that describes the project and the themes it is exploring (community + the universe).  Here's how the project is described in the document hanging next to the work that is titled "C-60" that was created by artist Linda Stucker. Here's the full post on Facebook from the Art Department embedded: If you read the description, you'll see that the artist - Linda Stucker - invited Downers Grove residents to design their own 1.5" tile squares that would be included in the final project. Welp...I totally forgot that we participated!  One Saturday, after basketball, we saw a table set up at the Rec Center.  So, The Babe and I decided to sit down and create a little glass tile.

I normally leave for work well before the sun rises most mornings.  But, one recent weekend morning, I was coming down the stairs and saw this (no filter) sunrise.  The photo doesn't really even do it justice.  This isn't as nice of a scene to wake up to as the many colorful sunrises over Lake Elizabeth in Twin Lakes, but I paused and took it in for a half a minute or so.  Red sky in morning....sailor's warning, right?

Continuing in the spirit of all of my Denver trips, here's the latest "I went to Denver..." post.  This time, it is this terrible shot of Coors Field from the backseat of our Lyft.  The first of these posts was this photo of a hotel brochure featuring the Rockies  back in 2015.  Then, I posted last year another photo that barely shows the mountains .    Now, Coors Field through a dirty windshield. 

26 days in and haven't looked back.  At least in terms of the vehicle upon which the caffeine is delivered.  And I've actually started to borderline *like* the whole thing.  This is the machine that I've been using at the office and there's a nice little ice machine right next to it, so I don't have to deal with scalding hot brews.  Kids temp for this guy.  How very cosmopolitan, right? 

Woot, woot.  Spring has sprung in our New Old Backyard/Garden .  Or at least...signs of Spring have sprung.  Last fall, I planted 30 bulbs near the fence line on the southside of our property .  15 Yellow Triumph Tulips.  And 15 Orange Darwin Hybrid Tulips.  And on a recent walk around the yard, we discovered these tips emerging from the soil.  Above, you can see a close up a two of them.  And down below, you can see many more of them.   I didn't count them, but it didn't seem like 30 bulbs had broken through.  What is interesting to me is that the tips are coming up red.  They almost appear like peony shoots , don't they?  I've documented tulips (and other bulbs) emerging from the ground for the past few Springs.  Here's a look at them from 2017 that I posted in late February .  These mature bulbs are way further past the new ones in this post.  And here's the photo from 2016 .  Both of those were at Equation Boy/Man's house.  And speaking of