Over 2 miles of Urban Trails

The husband had to work last night. Boo…..

This leaves very limited quality time for us. How did we spend it?

We decided that it was time for us to try out a new-ish trail we had never been on. This trail is an addition to the 4 mile trail of Day’s Dam that stretches from Elyria, Ohio to Lorain, Ohio. The new addition is on the Lorain side and takes you all the way to Route 611.

Since we are suckers for the urban landscape we were eager to see a side of the steel mill we had never seen. Armed with one camera and two dogs – we were off.

We knew that the this trail would be beautiful, I expect nothing less from our Metro Parks here. We will go back in the winter and take more photo’s. This will be an area to watch for as time goes on this trail is going to mature.

A Different Approach

How did you spend your Friday?

Here in the Rust Belt we started off our day with a trip to my in-laws. They needed some help with stopping the leaks from their 30 year old windows in their sun room. I told the husband that we were going to spend at least 5 hours putting plastic up to only have it come off over the next couple months because of the way their windows are. Did I mention also that they are not going to be real happy when the paint on the moulding peels off when they take the plastic down. How do I know this? Been there and much cursing has been done in the past by me.

So we assessed the windows, I tightened up some screws on a window they couldn’t get closed and explained to my father-in-law what we have experienced in the past with stopping leaky windows. When the husband and I told him that we just built all these interior window storm he told us to do it before we finished what all this entails. Our list of things to do had just increased.

It was a rainy day and we were off. A stop to the vets – dogs nails trimmed. A stop to the lumber yard to check on baseboard mouldings. Went to lunch to fuel up. Off to Lowes for materials. Picked up tools at our house and off to build interior window frames for the in-laws.

This time we tried a different approach – MDF. Well lets just stay it was interesting to work with and we found out rather quickly we had a design flaw.

Can I tell you that MDF is weak, just weak. These windows are big, 55″ x 61″, the size was causing the center to bow. So it was time to put on our thinking caps and figure out how to beef up the weak-ass material. We tossed around some ideas and I’m the kinda person that like to take the path of least trouble. I suggested that we buddy up the scrap on the bottom and top to give it some support. I wasn’t sure if this would fix it but it was a hell of a lot better than adding a shit load of cross sections.

We used the scrap that was left over and centered the extra support pieces. It fixed the bow and we were off again and on track. We have 2 more left to build and my in-laws sun room will no longer be freezing cold.

In embracing using a different approach last night the ghetto neighbors across the street had a little party. I don’t care if people throw parties, it’s Friday night, it was around 10:00 p.m., have a party. I do have major issues when the bass is turned up so loud that it is vibrating my basement door of our home. Our whole entire house felt like one huge vibrator – it was humming.

So I put on my coat, my boots and I walk across the street because I really don’t feel like calling the cops – I just want them to turn the bass down. A simple request, No?

There are two people on the sidewalk and I really don’t care who they are. I ask very nicely, “can you please turn down the bass”? I explain the whole vibrating thing.

The guy starts to give me a little attitude at first, the girl interjects and tells me no problem and told the guy no she right and the girl says to me “I’ll turn it down, mommie”.

“Mommie”, this is an interesting word in the urban world, it means many different things. It has not been the first time I have been called this. I had to pull up the urban dictionary on the PC to make sure that she didn’t just disrespect me.

This word means respect, the person who is saying it is being submissive. That part bothers me, “submissive”.

The booming bass stopped, they actually turned it off. The party’s noise level came way down and by 11:00 p.m. it was silent.

A different approach indeed!

Feeling the Pressure.

I’ve been away because I have been hiking again at places like this every chance I get. I love this time of the year in Ohio.

We have been working hard to put some balance back in our life because all work and no play make the people in this house and their pets grumpy.

The husband and I have been working very hard with Stella and her behavioral issues. These issues would be people, other dogs, well you name it. So Stella has been in doggy boot camp so to speak.

When I get home from work I’ve been going to a couple special places I know that are safe for walking dogs and we do at least a good 2 mile walk. When the husband and I are off together we do 3-4 mile hikes with the dogs. This routine has taken the edge off Stella’s behavior and actually for the most part she is doing very well with the occasional slip up. The best tool we use is a dog backpack along with some other knowledge that we used with our other dogs in the past.

I don’t know about you but we have been feeling the pressure to “Getter Done” of late.

Mother Nature has not been on board with us for the last month. All it has done is rain and when it’s not raining its been cold. As I checked the week forecast – part of my morning routine – I saw a temperature of 65 – 70 degrees. Shoot, its been a good month since I’ve seen temps like this. Since I’m on vacation this week – this is a busting ass, gotta a list of shit to get done in the next 7 days – vacation – If one wants to call it that.

When the weather turned to shit we worked on these, interior storm windows.

It was a victory over the English Ivy that had taken over 25′ x 10′ of area in the back forty. We also chipped and shredded an area of the yard we have not seen in 3 years.

Before:

After:

The English Ivy ran from the Burning Bush all the way over to the other side and to the fence. We took care of that last week during one of our light rainy days.

A nice cleaned out canvas for next year. The husband and I will be redoing this whole space. It will no longer be the plant holding pen. Bye the way does anyone want any fountain grass?

We sealed the side door entry on Wednesday, photo’s to come yet.

I did these Thursday. Thank You, Mother Nature!

I forgot to mention that after 4 long years we finally found a cabinet maker who is not going to rip us off. With fingers crossed we will actually have functioning kitchen by Christmas. It has been meetings and phone calls. I have a strange feeling that it will actually take time for us to adjust to having – lets say – a counter top by the sink – a place to actually store kitchen goods. Is it possible for one to forget how a kitchen actually functions?

However, and you knew there would be a however – there are two things that must happen. Here’s a clue, our kitchen is textured, B is loaning us a shop vac and a special sander. Need I say more?

The other one is a kitchen floor that is going to look very familiar to some of you out there. All I have to say about the floor is what the hell were these people thinking.

So now its back in the 50’s as I write this and its starting to rain again, I’m glad I need a rest.

Friday running around list of places to go:
Vets- both dogs need nail trimmed
Lumber Store – find new base moulding
Fabric Store – fabric for couches
Hardware Store – quality latches for new cabinets and knobs for drawers
Take dogs to the park

I am forgetting something I know I am.