Here’s hoping I can transfer gardening time to blogging time now that nighttime temperatures have been dropping below freezing and daytime highs are barely making 40 degrees F. No, this isn’t Alaska or the shores of Hudson Bay — it’s Milwaukee County, WI. After a cool and dry summer, we’re having an early snap of cold weather and lots of rain.
Sadly, the work being done to reset catch basins and sewer lines on Oakland Ave. is limping along after a brilliant start. This is part of a long-planned streetscaping project that’s supposed to slow the traffic down making it safer for pedestrians, dog-walkers and bicyclists to cross. Getting out of the driveway is quite a challenge and walking around the corner an impossibiliy — curbs and gutters, passable street, sidewalk portions and a good chunk of lawn are no more on the east and south sides of the house. There’s even a porta-potty set up now — this crew must be here for the duration because we’ve had road work going on since April and no porta-potties in view before.
Maybe we can get the construction crews to help us shovel the driveway apron and remaining sidewalk this winter (?). Maybe the village will exempt us from shoveling while everything is torn up (not likely and the fines for non-compliance within 24 hours of the last flake flying are steep.)
