Knock - Knock

 

Hello Friends,

Thursday of last week there was a knock at the front door. It was our local police. Hmmm, I wondered what was going on. I opened the door and he asked if I called in a complaint about our backyard neighbor. 

No, I did not. 

He went on to share that someone called in a complaint about all the garbage, vehicles and stuff that is piled everywhere, but did not leave their name. 

 Hmmm, I shared with him, our backyard is fenced in, but I can see through the fence and yes I do see the "collection of items".  But we did not call. 

He shared that they were asked to clean up the yard last summer by the leadership of the village. 

Hmmm, the memo must of gotten lost in the mail, because instead of cleaning up they added to the collection.  

He asked me who might have called in? 

I said most of us have put fence up so we do not need to see the disaster that has taken several years to make.  And that most of our neighbors that do have a relationship with each other have decided it no longer pays to call to complain because nothing gets done about it anyway. And we do not want to get on the bad side of this neighbor, because he already had some words with a different neighbor across the street. 

I think this surprised him, because he said, we are here to help.

I know you are I said. 

He was a young police officer, reminded me of our military son, eager to help.

He told me he hopes the village will enforce the ordinance.  

And he left. 

Hmmm,  I closed the door. Will the village enforce the ordinance?   

To Be Continued...

 

Note: I usually do not share the ugly stuff around my neck of the woods. Our neighborhood is fairly nice, we do have neighbors who help us without even asking.

I usually am an optimistic person, but with this matter I am rather discouraged.  How do you get someone to move piles of trash? Two campers, six cars, washing machines, freezers and refrigerators. This collection has been on going for several years. And earlier complaints go on deaf ears.

Does your community have a way to deal with such things, or do they pretend not to see and hear? 

 

 

 

Where We Left Off

 

Where we left off was episode 11 of the 52ish Day Datn' ... 

so here we go with episode 12.

Episode 12

We attended a choral concert at a local church. It was a beautiful evening enjoying local musical talent.

We captured a photo of one of the beautiful stained glass windows as we left the concert.

Episode 13 

Episode 13 started with a walk along the Red Cedar River. It was a beautiful spring afternoon. 

 

 

We returned home from our walk along the river and started in on the kitchen dance.

We worked together making dinner.

We made a Dubliner

&

Fresh Roasted Pepper Tomato Soup 

Not Wisconsin Cheese ... but oh so good!

 

We finished this day date with our favorite ice cream.

His & Hers

I am the Mint Chocolate Chip and he is the Really Reese's.  

 

 Episode #14

On the road we went for this Day Datn' trip.

We headed to Colfax, Wisconsin to explore another section of the Red Cedar River.

Red Cedar Preserve and Recreation Area

 

We enjoyed a two mile hike along the banks of the Red Cedar River. We saw several ducks, geese and swans. We enjoyed the area and we know we will be coming back to do this hike again in all the seasons.

 

 We decided to drive into the community of Colfax before heading for home. We are glad we did. We found more places we want to explore. I have a feeling Colfax will be another episode of 52ish Day Datn'.

To be continued.... 

April Showers Bring May Flowers and it is the Hodgepodge

 

 

It won't be long now, spring is here.

 

It is time for the Hodgepodge. 

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

 1. Big week in the US of A...do you do your own taxes? What's something you've found 'taxing' lately? 

We take our taxes in to be done.

Having patience with our USPS, we are not receiving our mail daily. I think our post office might be short staffed.  I have chatted with neighbors who are experiencing the same difficulty. 

Rumor has it that stamps are going up to $1.00 at a post office near you, very soon! 

 2. When it comes to travel are you a last minute packer or a lay it all out a week in advance type? Do you struggle to pack light? Share a packing tip that has worked for you. 

I am a little of both. I will set aside some clothing items I know I will want to wear on the trip early. It is our Wisconsin weather that keeps me from packing light. We can have all four seasons in a day. I need to pack it all, especially if we are going to be doing a lot of outdoor activities. 

I purchased a fantastic bag for all our toiletries. Everything has a home, just as long as we put it back in that same spot. Ha Ha.

 3. April is National Grilled Cheese Month. Hmmm...who knew it got its own month? Do you like a grilled cheese sandwich? What ingredient do you add to take yours to the next level? 

Oh yes, I love grilled cheese. One of my favorite ways to make a grilled cheese the next level is using sourdough bread and a fresh slice of tomato.

 

4. There's a well known quote that says-

'A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for." John A. Shedd  

Is constant growth necessary or do you think it's more important to prioritize stability and peace in your life? 

  Long time readers here at The River will remember my garden mentor and dear friend Marv. Marv was a Korean War Veteran, lost two wives to cancer and dealt with many memories from the war. 

He was still driving to Texas each winter up to the young age of 90.

His advice to me during our long visits was... "always be learning Carla. Never stop learning, exploring new places and trying new things." 

He begged me to promise I would travel to Newfoundland and Labrador someday, it was his favorite. 

The below photo is from 2019, when our military son was home after training. 

 

 

5. Let's wrap this up with a fun spring this or that-

• daffodils or tulips  ...  daffodils
• lemonade or iced tea ... ice tea
• gardening or hiking ... gardening 
• ladybugs or butterflies ... butterflies
• umbrella or raincoat ... raincoat
• floral patterns or polka dots ... polka dots 
•  
•  6. Insert your own random thought here. 
• I have no idea why my #5 is showing up like it is today on the blog. I best say good bye before this entire post vanishes, yes that has happened to me.  Ha!