Hi,

I have a new friend, actually an older one. I had seen the chipmunk scampering around the yard last year, but then he disappeared. I used to put the peanuts out for the squirrels on a shelf I put on the shed, but I guess the little guy couldn’t get all the way up there like the squirrels..   Now that I’m putting the peanuts on the compost boxes next to the shed, he’s able to get up there for peanuts.  He’s so cute, he’ll eat a peanut and then shove one in his mouth and scamper over and then under the deck out by the street.  I guess he’s delivering breakfast to his significant other.  Here he is:

Chipmunk

Getting ready for my next project.  I’m turning my space into a guest room and moving back to the space over the parking lot.  With these eight windows, it brings me up to almost 100 windows replaced:

Trim line windows

It’s so convenient having a ballroom.  With this project I will be ADA compliant with a wheel chair accessible guest room  It will also be nice, I have a fair amount of guests that have had knee or other surgeries that makes using stairs a challenge, even the main staircase.

The courtyard is now mulched, one of the nice things about winter, or at least when it’s over, the gardens get a make over.  This year I outsmarted da gerl.  Last year Mr. OCD placed my compost bins where I wanted to spread it last year and the mulch guy was late, I had my wheel barrel, shovel, etc station out in the parking lot and when I heard the truck arrive I spilled and spread the compost around.  When I went out to get my first load of mulch, da gerl discovered a “tasty treat’ in the compost.  So now she knew there was goodies spread under the mulch and spend the next several weeks scratching the mulch aside seeking more of that tasty treat.  🙂  So this year the compost was spread around when the wheel barrel with mulch was on the standby.  The elephant ears were more than ready when I planted them this week:

Elephant Ears

It’s so nice having the courtyard all cleaned up, mulched and the fountain up and running.  I love the sound of the water.

Also, I changed my bird feeder, it’s much easier for them to get at the seeds now.  I think I’m feeding most of the finches in North America and my morning doves and their kids are all residents now.  There’s a ton of them in my yard now.  I haven’t won with the pigeons, but it’s at a tolerable level now.  I still get the original one sometimes and I haven’t seen more than 3 – 4 on any one day.  By far most days there’s none.

There’s a new/old bar in Market Square.  It’s a pop up bar that’s being run by MW Hospitality, they keep changing the theme, the Clover Bar was all green and shamrock for St Patrick’s day, it is becoming the Dragon Bar in commemoration of the last season of the Game of Thrones.  See the link to see what else MW is doing.

Upcoming concerts at PPG Paints Arena include Cher April 18, Eric Church  May 3 – 4, The Who May 30 and John Mayer July 28.  Get your tickets now and book your room.  You insiders know how convenient The Parador Inn is for events at the area.    Park your car in my lot FREE, walk down to the “T” FREE, ride the “T” to Steel Plaza FREE and walk up to the arena FREE.  After the concert just reverse the above, did I mention FREE?  🙂 No traffic, parking, DUI, etc.

My last post, I said I would dedicate a post to my opinion of some current events and after writing several pages and getting thoroughly depressed I decided to just pass this one on.

OK, this game book isn’t unique.  But DJT stole a major tact used by the City of Pittsburgh for years.  I don’t know if he deliberately took this tact because of the short-term success with it in Pittsburgh.  For years Pittsburgh left enough money in the water and sewer authority’s account to cover the basic operating expenses.  Pittsburgh did the same with the parking authority’s account.  They did this to avoid raising taxes.  We all know you can’t own something without maintaining it.  What would happen to your car if you didn’t invest the money to change the oil on a regular basis?  Also, what would happen to your house if you didn’t squirrel some money aside for an eventual roof replacement.  That’s what the city did with both authorities.  They can’t raise the parking rates like they did with our water rates.  You can only use bottled water for so much, no washing machines, awfully awkward flushing toilets.  But commuters can easily find parking in garages not owned by the parking authority.  So the parking authority is looking into selling their assets (or actually in some instances they are “partnering” with other private entities to do joint projects.)  The city passed its obligations off to it’s children.  This is what DJT is doing with his National Emergency declaration and stealing money already ear marked for certain projects, again passing the federal government’s obligations to our children to build his wall, looks like he’s going to get somewhere north of $10 BILLION for his wall.  Between what he’s already gotten committed from the government shut down, this money grab and he anticipates getting more funding with the next budge. OMG.

OK kids, that’s it for today, enjoy this early spring,

ed