The Ducks of Cottage Lane…

The pond across the street has produced not only Wood Duck babies but also a family of Hooded Mergansers. We have had the rare privilege of watching as these new additions thrive in the middle of the city.

Wood Ducks…

Anna and I have built and erected two wood duck houses on the shoreline of the pond across the street. The ducks have enthusiastically adopted the houses and we have the second brood of the year exploring the pond.

One of the houses along the North shore…

Carpentry…The front porch

The very first item on our list of things to include in our new home was a “Big Front Porch”. The photo below shows the view across the front porch from the top of the stairs late yesterday afternoon. With the bead board ceiling, stairs, railings, screen porch framing, and screen door in place the porch is really coming together. I spent a few minutes sitting on the little ladder by the front door watching the birds feasting on the serviceberry bushes and pagoda dogwood trees.

The front porch is everything I hoped it would be…and more!

Wildlife…Mosquito control

Here is a welcome sight on Cottage Lane…The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District truck parked right out front and one of their workers wading around in the pond across the street taking samples. Our many trips to North Dakota have taught us how frightening a summer evening without these good around folks can be!