<a href="http://bucktowngarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/IMG_8463.jpeg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-979" alt="IMG_8463" src="http://bucktowngarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/IMG_8463-200x300.jpeg" width="200" height="300" /></a>Luckily I had a new sump pump laying around  to pump water off the veranda.  The extremely cold winter froze the drain so water from melting ice is pooling and finding its way inside.  So far the pump works although it must be operated manually.  This wouldn't have been necessary had I kept vigilant about keeping snow cleared on the veranda level.

It's raining today and the pump has kept a lot of water from draining into the downstairs bedroom.  I suspect there is a small breach on a corner seam that pretty much stays dry being under an eave so the leak never became a problem.

Pretty soon I'll start feeding the birds and there are quite a few new garden related construction project this year.  I am eliminating all alley planters this year to maybe be rebuilt in 2015.  The wood from the alley planters will be reused into replacement planters for the main roof and front corner parkway.  The front parkway will be a completely new planting this spring.  More on this later.