Memorial Day

I'm going to copy what my nephew Reed said on Facebook today:

Thank you veterans..past and present, for the sacrifices you have made to let us enjoy a beautiful Memorial Day.

Memorial Day Weekend

The past few days have been quite interesting. Thurs. evening I went to Lacey's preschool graduation (Bill went to a visitation at the funeral home - our neighbor's mother). It was a really cute program, and Lacey did a great job. They had lots of words to songs and motions to remember! She's under the first "O" in this picture with a white nurse's coat on. They sang and did motions to some of the ones we all know like Ants Go Marching, It's a Small World and If You're Happy and You Know It. Lacey lost her first tooth while chewing gum the day before this! I'm sad - I think baby teeth are so cute. She was wanting the tooth fairy to bring her $100 but she got $1. She's funny - she doesn't want to put her money in the bank - she's afraid they'll keep it!

Thurs. I went to Ft. Dodge for semi parts. Stopped at Menard's to price some landscaping things and get a new dehumidifier for the basement.

Last evening we helped put up the flags in the cemetery - there are about 50. Several people came to help so it took less than 30 min.! They just leave them up for this weekend. There is a ceremony Mon. morning that the school band plays for, there's a speaker and lunch afterward.

I've been to the hospital with Diane a couple of times this week. She's having some early contractions and not sure when to go in. The hospital is 26 miles away from their house so she's worried about waiting too long especially since her dr. said she may have it pretty quick. It's been neat for me to be with her to hear the heartbeat and what a kick sounds like when she's being monitored! I'd like to post a picture of her pregnant but she would not be happy!

Seems like it took a while to be flower planting weather, but I finally got my flower pots going. I'm trying some new sunpatiens (impatiens that like lots of sun instead of the usual shade), a trailing pink geranium, the one hanging over has small white flowers and there's a spike in the middle. The garage faces west so they will be getting lots of heat and sun.

Looking forward to watching the pre-race activities and at least the beginning of the Indy 500 tomorrow. Being from the Indianapolis area, we went to the race several times. It's always blocked out in that area so it's a treat to be able to watch it on TV here. Jim Nabors has sung "Back Home Again in Indiana" for years - one of the traditions. My dad used to try to sing it like he does - every year. I found out a couple years ago that my cousin, Paul, has told some of the George family that when they need him, he's ready to take over for Jim! He's a dentist and takes care of some of their teeth so maybe he has a chance at the job!

Snake in the window!

This snake was in the window well of my stamp room for several days. I kept mentioning it to Bill but to no avail. I finally decided today that I'd have to take matters into my own hands! I didn't want to have to look at it any longer or have it maybe find a way into the house! This was the first snake I'd seen around our house and I've never seen one when mowing anywhere. I've seen them on the road a few times and Glenn had some in his yard.

I got Grandpa R.'s old sidewalk edger out and thought I'd chop it in half. Either the edger was really dull or snakeskin is tough (probably both) 'cause it wasn't as easy as I thought - ick. I ended up getting a rake and bringing it up out of the window well that way. I carried it over to the lane with it's tongue going in and out the whole time (after it had been stabbed many times!). Thought chopping it on the hard gravel of the lane would do the trick. Still not easy but think he'll surely die eventually!

Last Tree Down

The ground last week was still too wet for spraying so finally late Fri. afternoon Bill decided if that's the case, it's a good time to take down a tree. We had picked up the rough draft landscaping plans from Del's that morning. This tree was in the way of being able to make our driveways connect. People have a hard time backing out of our new driveway since it's angled (so we could keep a tree) so we thought we'd do a circle type thing. This tree was also leaning toward the old garage and drops dead limbs too often.

When these guys decide to drop a tree, they do it fast! Here Tim is up in the bucket to put a cable around the tree.

Bill making the cuts.

It fell right where they wanted it to!









We asked a couple of people if they wanted the wood but it's elm so they didn't. Bill hauled it all back to our burn hole and had it all cleaned up by Sun. afternoon.

Bill's brother was here for the weekend - to get some fresh asparagus while we have it. His sister & family came down Sat. evening. His mom fixed supper for all of us. The kids had fun learning about finding and picking asparagus. They about blew away though - it was so windy.

Yesterday Diane was having some contractions while doing her mail route. She got the mail delivered and she and I went to the hospital in E'Burg so she could get checked out. They monitored her for a few hours and sent her home. Her due date is June 25th.

The wind had finally quit today and Bill was spraying - until it rained about 3:00 . . .

Baby Chicks

Todd and his dad have been experimenting with having chickens for the past year. They recently put some fresh chicken eggs in a warmer type thing. It took a few days for these babies to crack their way out of the eggs. These are just a week old! There are 19 of them. Watch the video at the bottom to see them running around and best of all HEAR them!




They got chicks in the mail last year about this time and have had 13 chickens for a year. (mail carriers don't deliver boxes of chicks - the people have to pick them up at the post office! )

They get big enough to lay eggs pretty quick really. They lay from 9-12 eggs a day in these 6 boxes.


In Bill's Iowa Farmer Today that we got today, the cooking article is all about eggs! It says that eggs contain 13 vitamins and minerals, fiber and high-quality protein at only 70 calories each.





















I had been hearing for years from mom & my uncles that roosters are mean. I hadn't experienced that until yesterday. This one came running into the chicken house when I was getting eggs and flew up at me for no reason! Diane says they try to "spur" you with their feet. I kicked it when it flew up a couple of times but it didn't seem to help - as I backed up to the door! Then when I was taking this picture outside the fence, he was still wanting to get me! I guess when kicking didn't work, mom and her brothers resorted to a baseball bat. They talk of one time knocking a rooster out and they thought it was dead! They were happy! But not sure if they'd be in trouble.

A Public Service

I've been taking pictures to blog about the past few days but haven't taken the time to post them. Have various subjects coming up: making sugar cream pie (the Indiana state pie - a Hoosier thing), baby chicks including video and corn coming up. Check back if interested. :)

You'll have to click on this first picture to see it bigger, but it was a successful burn of the house where there was a fire last July 4th (there was a blog post with pictures when it burned the first time). Tuesday the firemen went and finished the job. This house is right across from the golf course so I'm sure many will be glad it's down. Picture was taken from our house.

We had Glenn & family including Diane & Lacey over last night for a cookout. Diane also did haircuts for all of us. This was the sunset as they were leaving.

This morning I went to Diane & Todd's house. They were having some carpet installed in the baby's room and kind of needed someone to be there. That's when I took pictures of their new baby chicks and had my first encounter with a rooster! I had heard so much about how bad roosters are from my mom, uncles and now Lacey! Anybody have an extra baseball bat I can borrow?

Bill and Tim finished planting yesterday and replanted a few spots here and there today. I got to "help" this afternoon which was just driving the pickup from field to field as Bill replanted. The truck had some bags of seed in case he needed it. I read a magazine while waiting. Tough job. :) Tonight we're getting some light rain - perfect timing!