Easter and Spring Planting

Erin loves to go outside these days. We kicked off the spring planting season with a huge leaf mulch delivery. She kept Dad company and overall was not unhelpful.

Our final house project was to restore the fireplace to working condition. Of all the furnishings from our old house the fireplace and living room woodwork are the things that we miss most. In our new house this fireplace was covered over in ceramic tile and filled with an electric insert that blew hot air. It blew all right. We tore that all out and replaced it with...

rebuilt brickwork, a bluestone hearth, new gumwood mantel, and a matching electronics cabinet (wires buried in the wall). Much better.

We went to New York for Easter to see grandparents and Claire & Peter's family

Erin loved to fish for leaves off the dock

The girls completed a small treasure hunt to find their chocolate bunnies

Daddy's girls

Another happy baby in Grampa Ed's lap. Rowan is a cutie.

Finally we had good weather for the Easter Egg hunt.

Some kind of animal (we suspect it was the crows) got into the Easter Eggs that the Easter Bunny laid out.

The glassy-eyed look from the TV, Madeleine in this case

Here's a photo puzzler. Can you count the total number of plant removals and additions from before...

to after. Answer below.

The post-maple area is complete. Four new viburnums and a patch for summer vegetables.

Heather also received her long-awaited pink dogwood.

 Answer to puzzler:The five evergreens against the house were removed. In the new plantings a holly was added next to the steps. The andromeda against the chimney was moved from the front row to the back row (tricky!) and next to that a mountain laurel was added. Net minus 5 and plus 2.

We walked into the Arlington Heights for brunch one Saturday and on our way back made a rare nature sighting

Baby mallard ducks! Make way!

Caroline wrote a book that she calls "Caring for Your Life" 

Erin has learned all about trashy birds

The girls work on their comedy routine