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The Green House Project: Week 1

November 18 – 27, 2022

We closed on the house that will henceforth be known as the Green House on Monday, November 14, in Cedar Rapids. After all the documents were signed, Brandy and I made the 2 hour drive down to walk into the house for the first time as the owners.

We had some paint samples with us that we’d picked up at Menard’s over the weekend prior, as well as a handful of tools and supplies that we dropped in the house. We took down the curtains that had been left on just about every window in the house, threw them in a trash bag and painted some swatches of the sample paints on the wall, then headed over to her parents’ to drop a key before heading home.

Then, the real work began in earnest.

(more…) “The Green House Project: Week 1”

Palisades-Kepler State Park, Mount Vernon – The Trip That Wasn’t

Sunday, Brandy, Ash and I went to Palisades-Kepler State Park in Mount Vernon, just outside of Cedar Rapids. We went in with hopes that we’d be able to capture the magic of the previous weekend at Backbone State Park.

We soon discovered that a week can make a big difference.

(more…) “Palisades-Kepler State Park, Mount Vernon – The Trip That Wasn’t”

Backbone State Park, Dundee, IA

June 5, 2022

Brandy has been very ambitious with wanting to get out and hike these last few weeks. She asked me to find a trail for us for this weekend and when I asked how far she was willing to drive, she asked, “Why, where do you want to go?”

I suggested Backbone State Park, about an hour and a half drive from home. She was willing, so we made that trip last Saturday.

(more…) “Backbone State Park, Dundee, IA”

Memorial Day Weekend Trip to Ottumwa

And a hike!

May 28 – 30, 2022

I’m going to preface this with the fact that several weeks ago, we were delivered a John Deere E110 riding lawnmower sold to us on the cheap by Brandy’s parents. Our lawn is HUGE so mowing it with a push mower would take forever.

The first few times I ran it, the grass I was cutting was left in clumps on the lawn, turning brown and killing the grass beneath it. Again, with the lawn being as big as it is, raking all that mown grass would take even longer.

Our story begins here…

(more…) “Memorial Day Weekend Trip to Ottumwa”