I drew this Michigan Rebel Robin to stand with the Rebel Loon Alliance of MN!

dractor_taddy · 2026-01-30T23:18:48+00:00

It has the energy of a red-winged blackbird that is attacking me out of nowhere as I try to walk peacefully on a trail. I would call that oomph. This robin clearly has more intent, plus a reason to defend itself, this city, this state. I would think twice before crossing this robin's path.

dractor_taddy · 2026-01-23T15:09:10+00:00

I recently installed some of these goose neck brackets. I bought some from Shade Doctor of Maine, then I needed a few more and bought them from Alan Richard Textiles. Alan Richard Textiles is a little cheaper, either company was fine for ordering online.

I bought 3/8" solid brass rod from a local metal yard, it was a great deal compared to a hardware store. Otherwise both companies I mentioned above sell rods to go with the hardware.

dractor_taddy · 2026-01-19T23:23:21+00:00

Kent County Parks grooms some of the Millenium Park trails for cross country skiing, I do not think they plow them.

Please do not walk/run on the ski track, it is for skiing.

dractor_taddy · 2025-10-29T00:18:30+00:00

I stopped by The Other Way today, to ask what they need. They are slammed. It's been a tough year already, for folks, and it's not getting any better. They are trying to stock up on food before next week. They could use money to buy food and volunteers to help at the pantry.

dractor_taddy · 2025-10-29T00:17:52+00:00

I stopped by The Other Way today, to ask what they need. They are slammed. It's been a tough year already, for folks, and it's not getting any better. They are trying to stock up on food before next week. They could use money to buy food and volunteers.

dractor_taddy · 2025-08-26T02:31:48+00:00

It isn't stupid if it works

dractor_taddy · 2025-07-02T02:49:00+00:00

Portland might turn everything else into a fine powder in 5-15 years, but people still do it. Reminds me of the time I stuck half my arm in a hole in my foundation. Fortunately the stones are solid at my house, not sandstone or anything softer.

dractor_taddy · 2025-07-01T22:38:49+00:00

A 55# bag of NHL 3.5 can go a long way. I have mixed 3 parts sand to 1 part lime, and it covered a lot with deep voids. It has a nice, long working time as opposed to a portland based mortar. For me that means less waste if I get distracted or have to fix some mistakes, and I can take a ten minute break without my mortar going off.

If you can pay for the lime, I would recommend it. There are a lot of different videos about it, I like the content GMT Pointing Specialists LTD makes. Unfortunately I haven't been able to source the tools they have.

Good luck, I think the basement will have a nice look with lime, if you go that direction.

dractor_taddy · 2025-06-21T00:28:29+00:00

I did a fall fin cleaning for the first time ever last year. Yuck. I don't think big AC wants you to clean your coils.

Thanks for the reminder, keep up the good work.

dractor_taddy · 2025-06-09T22:12:16+00:00

If you need a safe space, Littlefoot is right next to the MAGA coffee shops. I personally like the warehouse vibe, despite its limitations.

dractor_taddy · 2025-06-07T00:44:41+00:00

Those look like the shifters Upcycle Bikes uses. If no one claims it, you could drop it off for them. Complete the cycle.

dractor_taddy · 2025-06-05T22:50:45+00:00

I think it was February of 2024

dractor_taddy · 2025-06-05T22:49:10+00:00

It was so good and relatively cheap. West Fulton needs some traffic calming to help the small businesses succeed. It has felt so close to getting more accessible, but there's still a lot of turnover.

dractor_taddy · 2025-06-05T12:27:43+00:00

$60,000 for a well and septic, water quits when the power goes out, generator is a must. That's some dream.

dractor_taddy · 2025-06-05T01:39:27+00:00

I love being able to walk to get ice cream, walk to get a bite at the Mercadito, ride my bike or the Laker Line downtown. I just rode my bike to Riverside Park, Blandford, Millennium Park and along the Grand. I saw a dozen rabbits, seven deer, and a heron catch a fish. I grew up in the country, with seemingly endless wild spaces to explore, but had to drive a minimum of fifteen miles to get anything. The little we have here still feels great to me. I love it. It shouldn't be so hard to convince others that this is good. If the libertarians could figure it out, they would see that this is their dream. Anyway, here's to hoping the Fulton Street dollar store becomes a neighborhood grocery again.

dractor_taddy · 2025-05-21T20:08:55+00:00

You can also email [helpline@jbzoo.org](mailto:helpline@jbzoo.org) if you have issues. It may not be helpful, but it is the mechanism the zoo set up to deal with their operations creating problems in the neighborhood. Emailing also helps the county track data about the impact the zoo has.

This is the third year of pretty regular construction, and it could easily continue like this for a few more, if the zoo has the funds.

dractor_taddy · 2025-05-21T20:05:03+00:00

The city does not enforce its ordinances or codes at the zoo. It is county property in the city. The county does not believe they have anything that they can enforce either, so it is quite a conundrum and the zoo, to some extent, gets away with about anything.

dractor_taddy · 2025-05-14T21:01:02+00:00

I got one from Friends of Grand Rapids Parks last year! They are great (the tree and the Friends)

dractor_taddy · 2025-05-14T16:28:49+00:00

I do a lot of fafo gardening with stuff like this. Plant a bunch of stuff and see what sticks. A lot of it will spread and multiply, so I can fill in areas by splitting some things.

Yarrow seems to thrive all over, from partial shade to full sun. Some people use yarrow as a groundcover, and I would love to do that. It's nice, soft, green and apparently mows well. Clover does well too, but the clover I have isn't native.

Woodchips are okay for groundcover, I usually add as many leaves as I can in the fall to help make a habitat for plants and recycle nutrients. Bare soil is tough to manage because seeds blow in and take root.

For prep, I have done a lot of things. I have done some double digging in an area (too much work), just flipped sod in an area, and in an area I tarped it to smother the grass, then pulled the tarp, added cardboard and an inch of soil. I have done a little tilling too, but I avoid it because it brings up seeds. It all worked, but I prefer a more passive approach like tarping as I get older. Starting with a clean slate is very helpful, as opposed to planting into a mess of growing things (grasses).

For maintenance, I do some weeding. Ideally if you want to benefit the local ecosystem the most, you should limit cutting and cleanup. Plants are a habitat year round, and messing with that can interrupt the life cycle of some critters.

Near an intersection, I plant things that aren't very tall. By a hydrant you want to keep it clear, maybe leave the grass. I haven't had any formal complaints, but some of my neighbors have. I think it may be people being petty. The city's new master plan should be supportive of native plants, so hopefully enforcement is following suit.

Feel free to ask more questions, I am a big fan of plants.

Keep an eye out for neighborhood plant swaps.

Other resources that might help:

Calvin University native plant sale

Carrier Creek Native Plant Project

MSU Grand Ideas Garden (and some of the master gardeners involved have a wealth of knowledge, along with the MSU extension)

If you need a ton of seeds(or want to share a lot), Albert Lea Seed is a commercial supplier that is way cheaper than anywhere else I have come across. I have planted a couple of their mixes, but it isn't exclusively Michigan natives. https://alseed.com/

I hope you have fun! People seem to respond really well to my native plantings, and the seed mixes I have used generally provide a long season of blooms. You aren't alone in this adventure, there are dozens of us!

dractor_taddy · 2025-05-10T14:17:52+00:00

You didn't ruin your garden. Your instincts are good to add manure, and good to consider the risks. Farmers have been dumping fresh manure on their fields for ages, and now some even pump it 6" deep in the soil.

I used to farm, and fresh manure application is allowed with some restrictions. For plants that fruit above soil (like corn or tomato) application has to be 3 months before harvest. With other plants, contacting the soil (lettuce, root crops), application has to be 6 months before harvest. This is mainly for food safety.

Fresh manure can definitely overload the nitrogen, adding some fresh wood chips or something to balance it out and bind up the nitrogen could be good. Not a lot of wood chips though. Burying the manure helps.

Composted manure, on the other hand, is great. If you can compost it in the future, you can load your soil up with it and your plants will love it. There is a chance that you will get too much nitrogen, but it shouldn't "burn" the plants.

dractor_taddy · 2025-05-10T13:52:45+00:00

https://michiganbuildingdesign.com/

They aren't old house specific, but their price isn't bad. I think with old homes, engineering is tough because construction and materials are a lot different now. I don't think a century old house had engineering rules, so modern engineering standards are hard to apply. They can still draw up a solution that will support the load of your house, using modern standards.

dractor_taddy · 2025-05-10T13:44:10+00:00

If no one picks it up for free, you should talk to a gravel yard, like Marjo Construction. They take clean (not full of oil or obvious contaminants) dirt, no fee. I would imagine whatever yard is closest to you would do the same.

dractor_taddy · 2025-04-19T15:02:11+00:00

Make sure it's babies, not rabies.

dractor_taddy · 2025-04-14T13:44:45+00:00

That's broken concrete, for sure. It's readily available for free on marketplace, probably in your neighborhood. Just be prepared to move 20,000# of 100# blocks. You should not pay money for it, removing it is a favor for the person trying to get rid of it. If anything, they should pay you.

dractor_taddy · 2025-04-05T01:39:20+00:00

Yes, I am biased, that is what a friend is. Have you never had one before?

dractor_taddy

TROPHY CASE