New siding

We spent $20,000+ about five years ago to completely reside the house with some classy-looking vinyl siding. The house is a Victorian but not a classic Victorian with the ornate touches usually associated with that style, so we didn’t believe that keeping the hard-to-maintain wood siding was important. We think we chose wisely. The company who did the work did a fantastic job. Click the photos for closeups.

Wildlife

Our yard has the usual assortment of southern Minnesota city-oriented wildlife: birds (robins, cardinals, sparrows, etc.) which we encourage with a feeder. We have crafty squirrels, of course, and the occasional amorous Mallard ducks in the spring who’ve taken a dip in the pool at times.

Fireplaces

Three fireplaces on the first floor: living room, family room, and yes, the bathroom. We’ve never had a fire in any of them, as we were told that the chimney needs a fireproof sleeve before they could be safely used.