Skip to main content

Mid-Michigan Lawn Style for April 2020. . .

 The back just post-mow.  Not too bad for the first cutting of the season.  Still greening up, but more rain, increasing warmth, and some organic fertilizer should help that along.


Went to work on curing some of that cabin fever midday today by changing the oil in the ol' Toro Timemaster, firing her up, and clipping the lawn for the first time since last November.  Funny how something as simple as mowing will suddenly make the areas around the house look so much better.  

Not that the grass was high by any stretch, but we're now at a nice, clean starting point.  Much like you look after trip to the barbershop or hair stylist.  A good trim and clean-up gets rid of the shag.  

I find myself looking forward to more time in the yard during the next six months or so.  Our local weather here is supposed to be sunny and almost warm for Monday, so putting down some organic fertilizer at some point tomorrow looks like a distinct possibility.

-- Heinz-Ulrich


Part of the front.  A bit cool here today, but awfully nice to be outside again.


If you'll excuse the reference to Sly and the Family Stone, we made today's session outside a family affair.  The Grand Duchess and Young Master took care of a few things in the back, including cleaning out last year's muck from the birdhouses to make way for new bird families this year.  Birds are one of Young Paul's favorite creatures.

Comments

Post a Comment

All opinions are welcome here. Even those that differ from mine. But let's keep it clean and civil, please.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

Popular Posts

Avoid Careless Chatter. . .

    E specially about the personal details of our lives.  There is a lot that OUGHT to be kept more private in 2022 than has become the accepted norm for many.  With the conscious and intentional cultivation of classic style in mind, however, we want to avoid oversharing and keep a bit more of ourselves to ourselves.  Exactly what personal information and how much of it to keep private seems to be a slippery concept though.  Here’s my take based on what I was told and observed as a child and young person at home.  Basically, one should keep oneself to oneself in all respects (finances, personal worth, accomplishments, politics, sex, dirty laundry, etc.).  As my late father used to advise when we were very small, and I am talking preschool and kindergarten, there were particular subjects that were not discussed outside the immediate family.  There is a time and place for sharing certain details of one’s life, but most of the time, those should be played very close to the chest,

Chilly Late April Wednesday Attire. . .

    Y ou know, if it is going to remain this cold and blustery, I need about eight inches of snow for some more cross-country skiing.  But since the white stuff is long gone, it was time to fish through the cedar closet down in Zum Stollenkeller and pull out some cold weather attire for a seasonal reboot.   But I decided to forgo the usual gray herringbone jacket from J.  Press (my go-to tweed  sports jacket) and instead opted for this number from Hart, Schaffner, and Marx plus the tan cords that hang on the same hanger, so strenuous mental effort was not required.  Pressed the shirt after tucking in the Young Master last night at 8:30, grabbed these shoes, and socks, and Bob is your mother's brother as they say.   Occasionally gazing through the large library window to my immediate left this morning, and I keep hearing that old Jobim tune drift through my mind this morning (aided by the windmills), as sung by Astrud Gilberto ( together with Leonard Cohen and Paolo Conte, the musi

The Pleasaures of a Well-trained Dog. . .

  A few final photographs from my visit to my sister in Washington, D.C. last week.  These include  one of 'Mr. Beau,' my sister's meticulously trained and truly wonderful Doberman, another of my sister, second cousin, step-father, and yours truly on the steps of the church outside Lexington, North Carolina just after our late mother's interment service, two of me solo at the National Cathedral, and a final one of my sister and me hamming it up during a long evening walk the day before I returned to Michigan. My sister routinely walks to the cathedral, about three blocks from her place, to enjoy the grounds and gardens.  The Bishop's Garden, in particular, is a place she likes to sit for quiet contemplation and internal dialogues with our late maternal grandparents and mother, very much in keeping with the Episcopal side of things.  Our grandfather, who was raised Methodist, became an Episcopalian when he married our grandmother.   Before you ask, I am not sure tha