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Category Archives: The house

Rocking chair rehab

Thursday, January 16, 2014

I apologize for going so long without posting. I’ll blame it on the weather — first freezing cold, with some water problems, followed by heavy rain. January has been dreary so far. But today was fairly nice, and Ken got started on a project that I’m happy to see come up in the queue: the […]

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What did the cat see?

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Lily was in stalking position with her nose to the glass, staring down at something just on the other side of the door. I couldn’t see what it was, but I approached quietly with the camera. Lily moved away, and the bird hopped away from the door when it saw me. I think they must […]

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Pfotenhauer's new web site

Monday, July 30, 2012

This house, from a photo on Pfotenhauer’s new web site, clearly is a customized version of the same plan that Acorn Abbey was build from. I had an email from architect Rodney Pfotenhauer today saying that he has a new web site: here. I know there are a lot of Pfotenhauer fans who come to […]

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Normal weather at last??

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

My whole-house fan, as seen from the attic I am starting to feel optimistic that the frighteningly hot, dry, droughty weather of the past few years was abnormal, in spite of climate change. I am hoping that we are returning to more normal temperatures and levels of rainfall. When I say this, I am ignoring […]

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If there are day lilies, it must be May

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

[Click on image for high-res version] Each year, there are more blooming things at the abbey. I’ve decided that it’s impossible to have too many wildflowers, even if some of the blackberry patches have to be cleared. Next year: More wildflower patches. I also saw the first finch yesterday. They were attracted last year for […]

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Dry summer = colorless fall

Thursday, November 3, 2011

It has not been a particularly pretty or colorful fall. The changing leaves are fairly drab. The grass should be lush and green in the fall, but there was not enough rain to produce the lushness. This was not the case everywhere. On a recent trip to Asheville via the Blue Ridge Parkway, there were […]

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The abbey organ has been upgraded

Monday, July 4, 2011

Rodgers Cambridge 730, made in 1992 For a long time, I’ve known just what sort of organ I really want. It needed to be a Rodgers, because Rodgers has such a sterling reputation. I’m talking about electronic organs, of course. There’s no way I could afford a wind instrument. I wanted a Rodgers made after […]

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What's happening outdoors, June 3

Friday, June 3, 2011

One of the first cosmos blooms in one of my wildflower patches. Can you espy the beetle? May was cool and rainy, but we’ve been in a hot, dry spell now for about a week. So far, the garden and landscape are tolerating the weather well. I’ve watered the celery, but that’s just the nature […]

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2011's first day lilies

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

The first three day lilies opened this morning on the day lily bank. The lilies are thick, and the bank is covered with bloom stalks. Soon there will be a jillion more.

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Digital Kinkade?

Monday, May 30, 2011

A friend sent me this altered photograph today. He took a copy of a photo on this blog, then applied digital effects to the photo using tools at BeFunky.com. I guess I’m getting ever closer to making Acorn Abbey look like a Thomas Kinkade painting, as long as some digital effects are applied. The wildflower […]

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