Monthly Archives: September 2021

The Driveway

super boring post warning!
The definition: Asphalt is the black, tarry material that’s often used to pave roads or fill in potholes.

The problem: Our asphalt was in terrible shape.

The solution: We paid a company money to tear out our asphalt.

The next step in the solution: The company we paid also dumped a new layer of asphalt on our driveway.

The result: Happy homeowners and much improved curb appeal.

Why we waited 7 years to fix this: Asphalt is not cheap. Make sure you get estimates before paying a company to fix your asphalt.

Thank you for reading!

Emerald Ash Borer

In the spring of 2021, we made the difficult decision to have three of our trees cut down. The trees were all infested with Emerald Ash Borer.

Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive species of beetle, According to the Arbor Day Foundation: “Adults usually emerge in mid- to late-May from infestations to the trees during the previous year (earlier if the weather is warm), with females laying their eggs shortly after. The larvae bore into the ash tree and feed under the bark, leaving tracks visible underneath. The feeding disrupts the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients, resulting in dieback and bark splitting.”

I tried using chemicals to treat the trees for several years, but the damage was too extensive. All of our ash trees were showing damage and struggling to grow leaves. We hired a local tree trimming company to take them down.

Stella watches the crew get to work from the living room window.
Stella later moved down to the bedroom to watch the crew use the massive woodchipper.
This photo is a good example of how the trees were struggling to grow leaves. In past years, they would have just as many leaves as the trees in the distance by this point.
Not the best photo through the screen, but it shows the machine they used to grind down the stump in the front yard.
Winnie and Stella running around after the tree crew had left. The front yard looks so different without those beautiful trees!
We kept one of the tree trunks around the side of our house to hang bird feeders.

Thanks for reading!