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Winding Pathways encourages you to create a wonderous yard, whether that yard is an expansive acreage, a suburban lot or a condominium balcony. Go outside and play!
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Dollar a Gallon Gas
Want to buy gas for a buck a gallon? Well, you can but you won't find it at a service station. It’s available at the electrical outlet in the garage or shop. Battery-Operated Tools Nearly ten years ago we switched from plug-in carpentry tools to battery (cordless)...
Why Did Mother Goose Nest in a Parking Lot?
One of nature’s most alluring sounds is the song of flying Canada geese. Years ago, one had to travel to remote marshes to enjoy it. Not anymore, and a mother goose in Cedar Rapids shows she enjoys urban life. Giant Canada geese were once nearly exterminated, but a...
Iowa: A Producer of Fine Hardwoods?
When we tell people that Iowa is a major producer of some of the world’s most beautiful hardwood, they think we’re nuts. After all, we live in the corn state, where it’s possible to drive a hundred miles viewing only crops. “Iowa is the sweet spot for the highest...
Pandemic Year 2.0 Busier than Busy!
Coming up to a year from the last post on the features we wrote for the Cedar Rapids Gazette, here is an updated list for the second half of 2021 and the first half (almost) of 2022. These features are in addition to our regular work with Hoover's Hatchery blogs and...
Why Plant Potatoes?
Good Friday Tradition On a cold April morning, we planted a row of potatoes at Winding Pathways. This plant has made an amazing long journey to reach our yard. Potatoes are native to South and Central America and were cultivated by native people long before Columbus....
Can You Sell Dandelions?
Yes! The blossoms and leaves have vital nutrients and were cultivated by our European ancestors. In the modern world, every year homeowners spend money and elbow grease to poison their lawns all to try to rid their lawn of dandelions. They could sell the dandelions...
Hot August Days in May
The distant view and the feel are "Hot August Days." The near view and sounds are mid-May. With this hot weather, the trees have popped, the fruit trees are in full bloom, and the early garden plants emerging after the cooler and damp weather. We may break a...
What Can You See When You Look Up?
When recently walking for exercise at a cemetery our ears and then eyes alerted us to an amazing urban sound and sight. Like most people, while walking we mostly watch the ground in front of us with occasional glances to the side and way forward. We don’t LOOK UP...
How Can You Trim Your Food Bill?
We are shocked by the rise of many prices, especially food. Fortunately, we mute the cost by finding or growing groceries here at Winding Pathways. We’re lucky to own two acres, but folks living on tiny lots can produce an amazing amount of food, even if they aren’t...
How to Rescue Chicks in the Cold!
Frigid April weather threatened the lives of 90 baby chicks. We had agreed to brood 75 rooster chicks for the Rodale Institute. In past years we have brooded a dozen to 25 chicks for our own flock. That was easy. We could brood them in a big cardboard box, and if it...
Why give Blood?
Both Marion and Rich at Winding Pathways are regular blood donors. Rich will reach a milestone in early April. He’ll give his 100th unit of blood to Impact Life in Cedar Rapids. Marion’s not far behind. Giving blood is easy, costs nothing, and is a way we can help...
How Do You Get Free Coffee? Ask Our Travelling Nails
Every spring we enjoy a cup of free coffee. In good years it’s coffee plus free lunch. Nope, the coffee shop doesn’t skip our bill. It’s free because we’d just left the Marion Iron Company with cold cash after selling a year’s accumulation of scrounged metal....
How Can Parents Influence Your Childhood Passions?
Keep the Photos! An old photo or letter can bring back memories. That happened to Rich recently and helped him recognize both good parenting and a lifelong passion. Rich was sorting through a stack of family documents when he discovered a paper his mother wrote in his...
What Can Solar Panels Tell You About Local Weather?
Many people dread the arrival of the monthly electric bill. We look forward to receiving it. A few years ago, we hired Site Gen Solar to install an Enphase solar electric, or photovoltaic (PV), system on our barn roof. Although it’s a small system, when combined...
Can You Grow Sweet Potatoes in Iowa?
As we watched squirrels gleaning sunflower seeds from feeders in our backyard, we dined on 2021s sunshine! Thanks to last season’s sun our crop of sweet potatoes produced a bountiful crop, and we ate them until our last one became part of our February 8th dinner....
What is Lithium?
Only a few years ago few people had heard of lithium. Now almost everyone relies on this odd metal in their phone, laptop, and tools. It’s a world-changing element. Metal????? Lithium is a truly odd metal. Iron, lead, and other common metals are heavy. Not lithium....