tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81921522024-03-07T15:27:33.250-06:00Linda's Backroad MusingsThoughts about life and family
Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.comBlogger2367125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-44350670277491443472024-01-14T08:19:00.000-06:002024-01-14T08:19:13.831-06:00Linda's Mailbox eBay Store<div><a href="https://www.ebay.com/str/lindasmailbox">Linda's Mailbox</a></div><div><br /></div>I want anyone who still has this lowly blog on their radar to know what my interest is and where they can find me. <div><br /></div><div>If you've clicked on the link above, you will see I'm now an eBay seller. Not a big one, but I'm trying. There is a learning curve and I'm still navigating it. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, I'm directing you over there, not to necessarily buy but to just know I'm kicking. However, just know anything in the store can be delivered locally to save postage. </div><div><br /></div><div>I could write on this blog about my foray into thrifting in Goodwill and even in the Goodwill Bins. We will see. It is so much fun to find a treasure out there on the shelf or rack of a thrift store. But Dan reminds me we could go backward on this situation--that is accumulating more stuff than we have now!</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, don't judge what is in my store or the prices I've set. Even though I've had a setback with a negative comment, I'm trudging forward. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-89107462957463604452023-04-04T19:27:00.000-05:002023-04-04T19:27:50.690-05:00Iris<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMCRHKmluU-g3Z3f9FU4M5n3_zEIAhvjmgHA411FbqWOlQxgFtUlgO0FVWQizeX5tDMoK_FkKpC-bq_K_vxFPsf67yjkqeZEQtUa4RI9RsIuVspqZzxR6nR-jCzdsLKy-AzdUwhpgHrTLdof682L84YrCMcfvVIQX4OegbY2-PvK47bT0jCE/s4096/photo-output.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="4096" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMCRHKmluU-g3Z3f9FU4M5n3_zEIAhvjmgHA411FbqWOlQxgFtUlgO0FVWQizeX5tDMoK_FkKpC-bq_K_vxFPsf67yjkqeZEQtUa4RI9RsIuVspqZzxR6nR-jCzdsLKy-AzdUwhpgHrTLdof682L84YrCMcfvVIQX4OegbY2-PvK47bT0jCE/s320/photo-output.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One of my favorite flowers to enjoy in a garden are Iris. They look a little like an Orchid to me. You might think I have a big Iris bed then, but I don't. Iris requires a lot of work keeping weeds out and digging and separating bulbs. I definitely have enough of that kind of work with my Cannas. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There is no shortage of places to visit to view beautiful Iris beds. Doran Rock Garden and Ted Ensley Garden at Lake Shawnee and the Botanical Garden at Ward Meade Historical Site all in Topeka Kansas. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Kansas State University Gardens have award-winning Iris beds maintained by the Flint Hills Iris Society. The Iris Society <a href="https://www.flinthillsirissociety.com/events"><span style="color: red;">has an event in July</span></a> where they offer these beautiful iris bulbs for sale. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">So, what are all these Iris bulbs doing on the seat of the Ranger if I do not want an Iris bed. Well, here's the deal. Kim and Marc cleaned out an outdated Iris bed for a neighbor. They did not want to replant any in their yard for the same reason as mine. So, this afternoon, Dan and I loaded up these bulbs you see on the seat plus a five-gallon bucket more. We started planting. First, by the pasture entrance (notice the crazy burl on the bottom of that tree), then in the fire pit area of the pond, up by the gate of our neighbor, and finally, we came home and planted the rest in our pet cemetery. Notice the rabbit in that picture in honor of Lucy, the Beagle, who ran rabbits in this area for years.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If everything goes well, we will have our own Iris trail next spring. Then again, real rabbits might find them very tasty. </span></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-2139225803135132282023-03-28T09:36:00.001-05:002023-03-28T09:39:25.255-05:00Pigeon Looking For Home?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZdKndlUGiPfsf7tS6P4AMeIx4AMUoZEWjbWQ9eNOQu2SJ5ZjoC5T51ayVM_XiOCLh-ghvbm6uuuq2xjZXKj-y3DKD3D9JsqOY_NuP9ZShi4eg6k0ldyYjmXN5Lngk8NW1a6Tue9xjUBU73mLPIBWu9K-JJdZqSmLQhEc5BRWu8tejD2A_HA/s2748/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2748" data-original-width="1832" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZdKndlUGiPfsf7tS6P4AMeIx4AMUoZEWjbWQ9eNOQu2SJ5ZjoC5T51ayVM_XiOCLh-ghvbm6uuuq2xjZXKj-y3DKD3D9JsqOY_NuP9ZShi4eg6k0ldyYjmXN5Lngk8NW1a6Tue9xjUBU73mLPIBWu9K-JJdZqSmLQhEc5BRWu8tejD2A_HA/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /> Several days ago, Dan called me to come outside and look at the pigeon on our roof. It's not like we don't see pigeons around here, but something about this was unique, unusually large. In the process of taking this picture, I walked out on the porch. This created noise and movement which didn't seem to faze this bird.<p></p><p>Later when I downloaded the picture and cropped it in, I saw something neither of us had noticed before. There is a blue band around its left leg. Do you suppose it is a homing pigeon? If it was used to being around humans, it might explain why it didn't seem too scared of my camera and the activity surrounding it.</p><p>After a little research, a blue band is often an indication of a homing or racing pigeon. Although clicking on the picture which enlarges it, there don't seem to be numbers on the band linking it to a club or even an owner. According to my search, a blue band could also mean it is a pet. She/He looks a little disheveled so maybe it was on a journey. When we checked later, it was gone. Hopefully, it made it home safely.</p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-91995939719863245252023-03-21T09:15:00.002-05:002023-03-22T08:07:54.643-05:00Authors, Books and other Ramblings<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Has anyone except me admired how an author is able to envision a topic, expand it to a story and eventually write an entire book? I suspect, like drawing or painting, one needs to possess a creative gift. And maybe a class or two on writing. And, probably most importantly, a vision. I can't say I know a real author personally. However, I feel like I know Kansas City's Paul Lamb only because I've followed <a href="https://paullamb.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: red;">his blog</span></a> for years. There he writes about his land in the Ozarks and eventually the cabin he built there. He recently published his first novel <a href="https://a.co/d/a9X04cZ" style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="color: red;">One-Match Fire</span></a> and writes about family and his place in the woods. It is my kind of book and others agree as it has received very positive reviews. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">On another note, this winter I made another pass through my bookshelves. Many books were removed and given to a friend who is an avid reader. I told her she could either read, donate or trade. It is time to pare down and I believe books should be shared.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I tried to sell books several years ago on eBay. I actually did sell two early 20th-century cookbooks that were purchased at my aunt's auction. She made notations and used recipe clippings from newspapers and magazines as bookmarks which seemed to intrigue eBay book shoppers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>I recently acquired a dictionary from another relative's estate that has a copyright of 1914 by the G. & C. Merriam Co. </span><span>As I leaf through this old dictionary, most word definitions are the same as now, although written more formally. I didn't look up the words tablet, cloud, swipe, or block. Here is a picture labeled "Tools" It appears in 1914 no one was plugging in batteries for their tools. (If you click on the picture, it will enlarge.)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Xjk-dJ_789Td5E15jPoIM93vjncyYSyetEp9UBbVNfwQdUrX0TTwESOSUXE2fCQ2t35n5b08QEepj_CqVgXWLJL9_4h01qgznwyCK6I6Kkb0WVqevXvonm6iJ_Wx33cyjapovS9PUW-q-8qSpuelHID_QOWS2nBOCoV16Wo8uTK9j8-i0_c/s3970/tools.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3970" data-original-width="2667" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Xjk-dJ_789Td5E15jPoIM93vjncyYSyetEp9UBbVNfwQdUrX0TTwESOSUXE2fCQ2t35n5b08QEepj_CqVgXWLJL9_4h01qgznwyCK6I6Kkb0WVqevXvonm6iJ_Wx33cyjapovS9PUW-q-8qSpuelHID_QOWS2nBOCoV16Wo8uTK9j8-i0_c/w134-h200/tools.jpg" width="134" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Speaking of old dictionaries, does anyone have "20,000 Words? I think it was a suggested purchase when we registered for college. I was a secretary during summers while in college and then four years after marriage and before kids. My duties often involved dictation and transcription. Never a stellar speller, I wore out at least one of these little green books. In my wildest dreams in the late 1960s would I have imagined auto-corrected spelling. Or that the dictation would be automatically typed. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I feel certain our modern technology would have saved me from <a href="https://lhanney.blogspot.com/2005/01/shorthand.html"><span style="color: red;">one of the most embarrassing mistakes in spelling during my secretarial career</span></a> though.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-10066991638389929462023-03-17T10:13:00.003-05:002023-03-18T08:02:45.073-05:00St Patrick's Surprise<iframe width="451" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NT2nC34DD3c" title="St Patricks Surprise" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-68694066771181086662023-03-14T19:22:00.015-05:002023-03-14T22:53:02.867-05:00Firewood vs Propane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Out with the old, in with the new part 2</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Several years ago,<a href="https://youtu.be/QvvouA69bF8"> <span style="color: #cc0000;">I made this video</span></a><a href="https://youtu.be/QvvouA69bF8"> </a>for our grandson Aaron when he was in Air Force Basic Training. You might have already seen it if you have followed me for a while. Don't judge, I'm certainly no expert on making YouTube videos but Aaron liked it. Some have commented I am a bit careless with the chainsaw and watching myself, I might agree!</div>
</div>
<br /> There is no better example of "out with the old and in with the new"
that the process of cutting, splitting, and stacking firewood.
<p></p>
<p>
Most of the trees we cut for firewood have died. And, as you see in the video, we also have a lot of
hedge trees, and they often have dead branches that need to be trimmed. Hedge trees die but are still good firewood for many years. Every year dead hedge ends as a new stack of firewood for our basement cast iron stove.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-7jObGiiYtM8nbGJXQDIbRYgYpT5ohtiT9c4uylllL-2M3VvjQbXks2jTaOzLSKlsFVj_u1hsV8TLLLDENn81Vri9KUduwOQdmcvcLOWa6TiowV12ZksiWTK1qtA_uR58TR_vsiORhvrWWEqanf55IWK-ODwDV6dFhAssFMdW4r04j-_wVM/s1139/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1139" data-original-width="1125" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-7jObGiiYtM8nbGJXQDIbRYgYpT5ohtiT9c4uylllL-2M3VvjQbXks2jTaOzLSKlsFVj_u1hsV8TLLLDENn81Vri9KUduwOQdmcvcLOWa6TiowV12ZksiWTK1qtA_uR58TR_vsiORhvrWWEqanf55IWK-ODwDV6dFhAssFMdW4r04j-_wVM/w219-h222/unnamed.jpg" width="219" /></a>
</div>
<p></p>
<p>
This stack and two others were cut, split and stacked by Dan and me with some help from
our kids and our neighbor Andy. Actually, some on this stack is<a href="https://youtu.be/_c3sBwWcEiU"> <span style="color: red;">from a pine tree we cut down in our windbreak</span></a>. We keep the wood-burning stove stoked most of the time during cold weather. The only time we need to
run our furnace is if it is extremely cold, like below zero,
</p>
<p>We have a thousand-gallon propane tank. The spring of 2020 we filled the tank to 80%. As of several days ago, after essentially three winters, we still have 20%. Definitely, the wood stove in the basement is helping with the heating bill. It also helps that all our living space is on the south side of the house and we have windows all along that side. On a sunny day in the winter when the sun is low on the south horizon, the living area of the house is quite toasty without any heat input. </p><p>In the end, the savings of burning wood over using propane is not hugely significant. But, the heat generated by the wood we cut is warming our bodies. And, the exercise we get in cutting it might be helping our heart, the biggest benefit of all. </p>
<p><br /></p>
Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-26124112413982373142023-03-06T07:08:00.031-06:002023-03-12T08:14:58.526-05:00Out with the Old - In with the New Part One:<br /> <br />
<font size="4"></font><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_A6CeIeX2JSjnxdVRm9fQ_2Pk5GuUnb3ZDpUTPtnT1kVD0OifvGmiB0VbxeL2z_HDc0IKK3X0n19CdO4oJQYaiYlaqzcfCWVqdT6xhaEwJLT79bVIce3HjdNwzdTg3WpNYq8wdpYWQjpkbzCGy33ysj34H-ZJhgtYzYGKNs7wOSBmUZp5BI/s1125/IMG-2124.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1086" data-original-width="1125" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_A6CeIeX2JSjnxdVRm9fQ_2Pk5GuUnb3ZDpUTPtnT1kVD0OifvGmiB0VbxeL2z_HDc0IKK3X0n19CdO4oJQYaiYlaqzcfCWVqdT6xhaEwJLT79bVIce3HjdNwzdTg3WpNYq8wdpYWQjpkbzCGy33ysj34H-ZJhgtYzYGKNs7wOSBmUZp5BI/w236-h228/IMG-2124.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4xyFjvPioauNiCV0SBjrTGEI1h-GHmhuWDcqi0BuSPZ3wJqa_V6Jf7HDNfIC_ExLCneWnRyWw5VgSQAWkelLrjjybQOeSJgL93diOdhcKIC5d2oVh5KCOFWfpkl7q3kgdZ8Gf8Atf4l69r0Q7BhhxPYmu-nwyN6E0pPTCjaiKBRRBoYzV8g/s6000/IMG_0544%20-1%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4xyFjvPioauNiCV0SBjrTGEI1h-GHmhuWDcqi0BuSPZ3wJqa_V6Jf7HDNfIC_ExLCneWnRyWw5VgSQAWkelLrjjybQOeSJgL93diOdhcKIC5d2oVh5KCOFWfpkl7q3kgdZ8Gf8Atf4l69r0Q7BhhxPYmu-nwyN6E0pPTCjaiKBRRBoYzV8g/w383-h255/IMG_0544%20-1%20Copy.JPG" width="383" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With the warm weather the past couple of days, I took a tour of my flower beds. It is recommended that residue from the previous summer be left for the birds during the cold months. I was trying to decide if now would be a good time to start working on clearing out dead stuff. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I saw this<span style="font-weight: normal;"> Hydrangea flower,</span> I had to get the camera. In some ways, this is just as pretty as the fresh blooms. How did all the little leaves stay on through wind, freezing rain and snow? These are hardy flowers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am looking forward to the summer blooms from this plant. And, to the return of our tree frogs that live around our house. They find interesting places to make their homes. In this case, the Hydrangea is perfect.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h1 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com0Berryton, KS 66409, USA38.9408353 -95.63164739999999110.630601463821158 -130.7878974 67.251069136178842 -60.475397399999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-53215924890159358522023-02-28T08:22:00.001-06:002023-03-05T15:42:57.409-06:00Pileated Woodpecker<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I was looking out the window several days ago and saw, what I thought, was a crow fly up in our front tree. After a second look, a red-capped head caught my eye. I ran for my camera and caught the following picture. In my haste, it is not a good picture. If I crop it in further, it is too fuzzy. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKftST9SUB8SbeMbotmPjwHbFf9_gRA0pPPAFCWztan82K8WnKmxlGH1sJxm5ct1ipN7hzc6K4Jvga1RfWXmMIL3P5xBuIHCA3O7C1XB7XgVCmmgxYf-LECtI_Tso9R_BFO_t7Fv_PPx7DHrIpk7xglQ01HF_RK0wwKdsmBXuDnjEyTsl1rPY/s1087/IMG_0494=1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1087" data-original-width="1087" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKftST9SUB8SbeMbotmPjwHbFf9_gRA0pPPAFCWztan82K8WnKmxlGH1sJxm5ct1ipN7hzc6K4Jvga1RfWXmMIL3P5xBuIHCA3O7C1XB7XgVCmmgxYf-LECtI_Tso9R_BFO_t7Fv_PPx7DHrIpk7xglQ01HF_RK0wwKdsmBXuDnjEyTsl1rPY/w261-h261/IMG_0494=1.JPG" width="261" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The picture below is not mine. But don't you think it is the same bird? Pileated is the Latin word for pileatus meaning capped. Definitely, the red cap and Nike-like woosh side stripe make it identifiable. Well, that and the size of this woodpecker is so much bigger than those usually hanging out around our place. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhS1fpgaVrvwlMmHB8S26OWIYNYOePpGUGs2sd3E-T68_93fApDuJYFWvVNpJ6YpRO4i4fSalczy1499JAveGHPohQIrB0XPBV1z0OBIqNl-y-v-X-SHbSw-9laYSPB7aRKCMqvkPI072j8xlDCDtc8bQt6sR2UL_aWElAWAmOl3iZpJ-tTQo/s170/th.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="153" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhS1fpgaVrvwlMmHB8S26OWIYNYOePpGUGs2sd3E-T68_93fApDuJYFWvVNpJ6YpRO4i4fSalczy1499JAveGHPohQIrB0XPBV1z0OBIqNl-y-v-X-SHbSw-9laYSPB7aRKCMqvkPI072j8xlDCDtc8bQt6sR2UL_aWElAWAmOl3iZpJ-tTQo/s1600/th.jpg" width="153" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: medium;">After some research, this species of woodpecker is not extinct. Actually, quite common in parts of the country. Dan spotted one when we were camping in Georgia last year. The reason we might not see many here is according to this map, we are a little out of their range. Or, at least right on the edge.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJxBDM-kabP81zvUskqzK2ojP_iJR82af32dKT29mBbfgZ3ChzUsVGBpX0arrq79vLhrxkbs8KhYPdGIMgkW-9H3bAeZelT-QMqmqGQ5XPsEOtRe5EK4nTW3R2F8TpyWBKIJR91LuJNc22Bb-1qzUycH2ZUlwH1mvcQ8DoVvaa9PnCyBxPwo/s310/Pileated-Woodpecker-range-map_Cornell.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="310" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJxBDM-kabP81zvUskqzK2ojP_iJR82af32dKT29mBbfgZ3ChzUsVGBpX0arrq79vLhrxkbs8KhYPdGIMgkW-9H3bAeZelT-QMqmqGQ5XPsEOtRe5EK4nTW3R2F8TpyWBKIJR91LuJNc22Bb-1qzUycH2ZUlwH1mvcQ8DoVvaa9PnCyBxPwo/s1600/Pileated-Woodpecker-range-map_Cornell.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I was visiting with a friend about seeing this bird, and she said pileated woodpeckers are notoriously bad for pecking holes in siding. It is said Walter Lantz and his wife were on their honeymoon and a pileated woodpecker kept pecking at their cabin. Lantz was a cartoonist which is probably why his wife suggested he make a cartoon character out of their insistent visitor. It was Mel Blanc who famously voiced the woodpecker. </span><br /> <br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7SWvm5VdSF0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>Compare that to this. Maybe I can see where he got the inspiration.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="30" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://archive.org/embed/xc-569931-pileated-woodpecker-dryocopus-pileatus-pileatus" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="500"></iframe>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-196322249014597512023-02-21T22:06:00.006-06:002023-02-21T22:14:02.280-06:002023 Kansas State Swim Championships <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MMJmY0FjctI" title="YouTube video player" width="660"></iframe>
<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL38MoLqL081D-vrIoPEVyS_w8E3EpAPr-CoJJc3fKSp0rug66ghxJJQVq3uLKXjIrP3vBY6eVHLrJji4SfSbmxpLPoQnSjz4mxy0yWBPEDTpjTJxdDwDLRB8Dy5shEuDVDoVHbQF2T8a6iejh83J3InqxX_yP7I-OaRgGeziOqwVHADKtWus/s1079/SnapShot(0)-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="770" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL38MoLqL081D-vrIoPEVyS_w8E3EpAPr-CoJJc3fKSp0rug66ghxJJQVq3uLKXjIrP3vBY6eVHLrJji4SfSbmxpLPoQnSjz4mxy0yWBPEDTpjTJxdDwDLRB8Dy5shEuDVDoVHbQF2T8a6iejh83J3InqxX_yP7I-OaRgGeziOqwVHADKtWus/s320/SnapShot(0)-1.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0kjVwJL8PnwGmXY95OLIUNPSREZKhcWVrbAkdRWCHNmDQrkl4eEwKpAC7c9QQB8qW-1T2y0nqtn9CIqu6oGcnisEpimO6Dij3im-P-ggp1djmY87fZ16q-AsbRs6W52wzwwrHKM47WY4nRXMJ1S15zAK6BjuzsJ-0A_v3YdRHmka08IVbhw/s4032/IMG-2113.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0kjVwJL8PnwGmXY95OLIUNPSREZKhcWVrbAkdRWCHNmDQrkl4eEwKpAC7c9QQB8qW-1T2y0nqtn9CIqu6oGcnisEpimO6Dij3im-P-ggp1djmY87fZ16q-AsbRs6W52wzwwrHKM47WY4nRXMJ1S15zAK6BjuzsJ-0A_v3YdRHmka08IVbhw/s320/IMG-2113.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Grandson Evan, third from the left, is a member of the Shawnee Heights High School swim team. This year is a special one for the team because there are three seniors who have excelled not only this year but years past. With their help, Evan has been a part of relays that have placed in the top three in most meets. They placed first at their league meet this year.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">In order to swim at the State Championships, the swimmers have to post a entry level time. Along with the two relays, Evan qualified in the 500 Yard Free and the 100 Yard Breast. He works hard at his sport and we are proud of him.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We spent last Friday and Saturday at the Lenexa Aquatics Center. It was a fun time because the swimmers were excited and the crowd was rowdy. I tried to capture the meet in the little video above. I included the National Anthem because it was such a unique presentation. The boys participated in the 200-yard Medley which I included from start to the medal presentation. They also qualified for the 200 Yard Free Relay where they placed 6th. I didn't include that relay because I did not get a good video. The winning teams were pretty much the same as the 200 Medley.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Luke Perkins, first on the left, is a premier swimmer and many thought he could win State in the 100 yard fly, In the end, the two Andover Schools and especially Wichita Collegiate had very good swimmers. Collegiate traditionally wins most of the events they are entered and often their times are better than the winners of the big 6 A schools. Shawnee Hts along with Collegiate competes in the 1 - 5A division. Andover's two schools are always powerhouses. I think swimming is a popular sport in those schools. I wish there would be more interest among the students at Shawnee Hts. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Riccardo Corazza, in the picture on the left, is a senior exchange student from Italy. Not only has he been a large contributor to the Shawnee Hts success, but he is also well liked. He swam at his school in Milan before coming to the US.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It's been a fun swim season to watch. We will be seeing Evan swim with the Topeka Swim Association this summer. Those meets are fun in the sun! </span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-59975350301697786452023-02-14T20:13:00.001-06:002023-02-14T20:13:26.067-06:00How We Went Solo for Christmas<br /><br /> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P-VFief-CRg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> <br /> <br /><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-27c807ff-7fff-1c9e-bf52-c63ed9103449"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The video is of a small Solo tabletop fire pit. And, just so you know, Solo has not sent me a product nor paid me for this story.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, a little history. Dan and I have traveled with a small firepit in our Pleasureway (PW) for several years. Sometimes when we reach a camp spot, more often than not after dark, we want just a little outdoor ambiance. We purchased this little wood pellet burner at ACE Hardware for around $30 and it works fine and it sort of fits in our storage.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuLm4r1HJP-lM4D7MhODS95S0DcQQPGCgtVxrrcnyn_Gia2jyZzbXJE5e8MlmlFHQdYsXjjmyx9Fb8mwO7s6taqdKhGnLvXYhA0syQCn0O3XlIXSJtTR65iyAaBqm90U5kEx--Vg7X6ycA4Fmzh_LZsgT2GAZcqCi11jTA4oCG2RN9N91LMU/s1272/Firepit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="1272" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuLm4r1HJP-lM4D7MhODS95S0DcQQPGCgtVxrrcnyn_Gia2jyZzbXJE5e8MlmlFHQdYsXjjmyx9Fb8mwO7s6taqdKhGnLvXYhA0syQCn0O3XlIXSJtTR65iyAaBqm90U5kEx--Vg7X6ycA4Fmzh_LZsgT2GAZcqCi11jTA4oCG2RN9N91LMU/s320/Firepit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p>However, a year or so ago, Kim & Marc got this giant Solo firepit for their patio. It is fantastic, all of us will fit around it. When it gets to burning just right, it has the most interesting and mesmerizing flames. Solo is definitely a higher-quality product than our little cheapie. </span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVRUFB56GL84mLNQr36bKYjZPEL48sBhvv9IlnH_uEDXiVHWuOM_hc7oo2RUYVblIgtnRHTlrVNWdPqBshQyHby6jROuugdPgZ2dztZ-2I1gX8gtgPdeXjZcKz4R3CMbUJbjTVcnXRjjZWXnvcG8C9ZnvvvfSE6D9zaaNNlGsD2XZJKnkmBU/s650/SSBON-ON-WHITE-SHADOW.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVRUFB56GL84mLNQr36bKYjZPEL48sBhvv9IlnH_uEDXiVHWuOM_hc7oo2RUYVblIgtnRHTlrVNWdPqBshQyHby6jROuugdPgZ2dztZ-2I1gX8gtgPdeXjZcKz4R3CMbUJbjTVcnXRjjZWXnvcG8C9ZnvvvfSE6D9zaaNNlGsD2XZJKnkmBU/w200-h200/SSBON-ON-WHITE-SHADOW.webp" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then two things happened. First, Solo started advertising their little affordable tabletop fire pit and second, our Christmas celebration was just a few weeks away. I was thinking about perfect gifts for our kids who enjoy being outside all times of the year. So, I purchased tabletop Solo firepits for both kids. Well, I thought why not get one for our Georgia grandkids who love to camp out. Then, hey, why don’t I just get one for Dan and me because it would fit so much better in our PW. </span><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The thing is, Doug & Drue were thinking the ideal present for Kim & Marc and us would be a little tabletop Solo stove. Drue made up a gift bag of the stove and everything we needed to make smores. And, they thought, this is such a good idea, why don't we get one for ourselves.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In case this is all just too confusing, let me summarize. Doug & Drue and Dan and I all got tabletop Solo firepits for ourselves, each other, and Kim & Marc. There were Solo tabletop stoves all over the place.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Did, I send any of them back? No, I gave one to Christi, our special neighbor who cuts my hair and looks after our place when we leave. Kim & Marc bought one of our extras for Adam and Madisyn. There is still one more floating around here whose fate has yet to be determined.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There you go. That’s how Solo hijacked our Christmas!</span></p><br /></span></div>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-64263835217621507062023-02-07T00:02:00.001-06:002023-02-07T00:03:35.879-06:00Walnut Countertop - Why Not?If you ask those who know me the color of my kitchen countertop, I'm guessing they
will know it is orange. Probably because, like our own kids, wonder why I still have this 1970's color. I picked out the orange Formica 46 years ago when we
built this house. Honestly, we had an orange countertop in the previous home. Several years ago, I decided to replace the orange,
but the colors I liked at that time were so close to my current top, I decided
not to change it. <br />
<br />
One morning, out of the blue, we came up with the idea to replace the bar part
of the countertop with walnut. We speculated that wood floors would probably
receive much harder use than this bar. It would match the tabletop he recently
made as well. By evening, Dan had the wood picked out and had begun placing the
pieces.<br />
<br />
Some years back, Dan bought a large quantity of walnut wood from a custom woodworker who
was wanting to downsize. So far, we have used it to make a walnut floor in our
living room, the tabletop, several pieces of furniture, and now, a countertop.
And, we still have a lot left. <br />
<br />
Anyway, back to the project. Dan pieced it in his shop and then gently carried
it into the kitchen. Here is what it looked like on the back. (Obviously, I
needed to clean the clutter in the kitchen so try to ignore that) He put a coat of finish on the back first.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXm0npm2lRq7G6Qu87OQx5bZb1xaDhs47NYeypQg14pRJKDthj-dtOYUXHzz3kBtor2R_vzCrbNuHzr1L9p1UxrBOZXa3ycFGQraE-O1TLCselEGhNS4WlXB5mRvkBJ8zfqo9Mq6w6BfBm9cz7kU7vbThX8T33wBDPsnYQN0WM0TZIYK9GWCs/s4135/IMG_0009-1.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="4135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXm0npm2lRq7G6Qu87OQx5bZb1xaDhs47NYeypQg14pRJKDthj-dtOYUXHzz3kBtor2R_vzCrbNuHzr1L9p1UxrBOZXa3ycFGQraE-O1TLCselEGhNS4WlXB5mRvkBJ8zfqo9Mq6w6BfBm9cz7kU7vbThX8T33wBDPsnYQN0WM0TZIYK9GWCs/s320/IMG_0009-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
After turning it over and adding the edge trim, he began the top finishing. This is a
critical step, and the finish Dan has found that has given him the best
result is this Minwax brand. We used it on the living room floor and our kitchen table. Moisture marking is not a problem, and it is scratch resistant. It is a little hard to find but, interestingly
enough, Walmart carries it. Four coats with light sanding between. It is amazingly smooth.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRT6Qd9wiIisVoTleMwLeJ5M5D58StKwaVkW_GCRsRVqaibvQinX8mCVfexE1oYSj29Hhx7JsRPY6mPGup_Fq45ZxC8MRz2BauUGix2njI1WDowW8T8LRlzck4C7UuPJLUiectjjEqo9tt3uyAksZmV2yriMVbK2Lk3Z5bh1KfoU0BclKj2zo/s400/00309716.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRT6Qd9wiIisVoTleMwLeJ5M5D58StKwaVkW_GCRsRVqaibvQinX8mCVfexE1oYSj29Hhx7JsRPY6mPGup_Fq45ZxC8MRz2BauUGix2njI1WDowW8T8LRlzck4C7UuPJLUiectjjEqo9tt3uyAksZmV2yriMVbK2Lk3Z5bh1KfoU0BclKj2zo/s200/00309716.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Here is the final result. I just love to stand and look at it. He has several
bookmarked pieces as well as very interesting grain choices. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMW8YJUvzgtO1FaDALChtwugmdD7Q7Yk39IUK31bp2cNhZw8deCUOPFfyUol6fq5wMq6Fsdm4xkysrSNXVGYxwmVuL311gQ-XAiCLuVBP5hu18NU9sNXjPT1d4sK5bjsPUGQMCIZ5_koJfq-evVgfcmb7A8B3-mfsZ8OTNQF2-UuBImPLUxvU/s3301/IMG_2073-1.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="3020" data-original-width="3301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMW8YJUvzgtO1FaDALChtwugmdD7Q7Yk39IUK31bp2cNhZw8deCUOPFfyUol6fq5wMq6Fsdm4xkysrSNXVGYxwmVuL311gQ-XAiCLuVBP5hu18NU9sNXjPT1d4sK5bjsPUGQMCIZ5_koJfq-evVgfcmb7A8B3-mfsZ8OTNQF2-UuBImPLUxvU/s400/IMG_2073-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-38848432372445687542023-01-31T23:22:00.002-06:002023-01-31T23:22:35.187-06:00<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aH6HIEioV7o" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> <br /> <br />
I was looking out the window around 9:00am the other morning and this coyote came trotting across the pasture behind our house. I always keep my little Panasonic ZS50 nearby. It has a fantastic telephoto lens. The trouble is it is very hard to keep it steady. Even though this little video moves around a lot, I thought it was worth sharing because of the beautiful coat on this male. I'm not too happy with how relaxed he was about coming right up to the house. There is no perspective to know, but he was jogging along the back mowing line of our yard. <br /> <br />
Dan says it is getting close to their mating season so maybe he is feeling bold. We lit our little Solo tabletop fire pit to roast marshmallows at halftime tonight and they serenaded us the whole time.Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-4851858537720869812023-01-24T00:10:00.002-06:002023-01-25T08:31:27.635-06:00Speaking of Jacksonville<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">We watched the Chief’s play the Jacksonville Jaguars a couple of days ago. It was good to see a win for the local team. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Br0-bI6rGoqretkdy7E9tteN4KiHrz5xaKfsrSWBE0mUCvMQTw2-a9GB0EnKhw0AFkTDSdyLUwvTQTW46HMUleC-IZwe96HhUdWcjUajyfyvWFLvdyNosQr4waLoQDjVw8B7BrPM0aRyqIGDcNHiFPT3XuebV3nX7xxDlc61Vz7-vx3zca8/s2306/IMG_2003.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2306" data-original-width="1115" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Br0-bI6rGoqretkdy7E9tteN4KiHrz5xaKfsrSWBE0mUCvMQTw2-a9GB0EnKhw0AFkTDSdyLUwvTQTW46HMUleC-IZwe96HhUdWcjUajyfyvWFLvdyNosQr4waLoQDjVw8B7BrPM0aRyqIGDcNHiFPT3XuebV3nX7xxDlc61Vz7-vx3zca8/s320/IMG_2003.jpg" width="155" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Jaguar's hometown of Jacksonville got me thinking of our visit there last spring. We were visiting our grandson Aaron and Harlee. Aaron is stationed at Moody Air Force Base near Valdosta, Georgia. We mostly camped at Reed Bingham State Park in Georgia. However, we wanted to see the ocean, so we booked a site at Little Talbot Island State Park near Jacksonville, Florida about two hours away.</span><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-31381e2e-7fff-121e-3036-2278ee501a6b"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This awesome state park is located very near the ocean. It has been put aside by the State of Florida to maintain pristine beaches with no development. It’s hard to believe it is located so close to a large city without the usual high-rise buildings and businesses cluttering the beaches. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our campsite was located between the ocean and the inlet and had easy access to both. It was set in the trees with ferns draping down over us just as we would expect in Florida. We fit in a visit to St Augustine, just down the road. Looking back, I wish we would have kicked back and enjoyed the beach.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yTCHZkPRazI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> </span><p></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87MtoU8x_i5IKIrS2wj5r4-nOkRSlCfEnDZkcHpZaid52uUyekSQVv1WQ-XT2sn6-E-i6365AadjQ_GVtMTYJKN3cg_ernhE0GQCNXcmHQ4_yKbw9pDkoLKSbV-VHsK4gXpjvK8UJGhuFYL-SLTc-xmZwkZ7XchjGpXjjqRtMu2Aor0P4-CM/s320/2022-04-11_07-05-50_056.jpeg" width="320" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqtkPtkmaKDSihZDPrrJySv0BwN09X21LcnXEzQcEFth4ENMxKL_aVxRzO3uqdHya4vmSn8D8zhJlLLUxGxbaDQ8AZ1K_bSUSzHpd1Br_jLHt34RN9naLdmXzAHdBfzh-VsmOnEHzHUaWVa7ubVQVAjnilgEoZSFFuKBaVdYeUcT5hyEkld4M/s4032/2022-04-10_18-50-18_024.jpeg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqtkPtkmaKDSihZDPrrJySv0BwN09X21LcnXEzQcEFth4ENMxKL_aVxRzO3uqdHya4vmSn8D8zhJlLLUxGxbaDQ8AZ1K_bSUSzHpd1Br_jLHt34RN9naLdmXzAHdBfzh-VsmOnEHzHUaWVa7ubVQVAjnilgEoZSFFuKBaVdYeUcT5hyEkld4M/s320/2022-04-10_18-50-18_024.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNyb7dAc4pUSiE_daPXrbd9ebB61if6m4OBOThRyr8OEpK9m6vH6JXtUb5kvBcJ13y9cKG2hL_hNjrbJeF1IyRT3Os4jy4qNMUFlungAJXS0fY40Csdo2ufqzGTVs8FRfOOhPQk-0wy72Qz62PTXQSS72_PxuffLxWUU70WylUYQIT15VW8o/s4032/2022-04-10_18-49-42_759.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNyb7dAc4pUSiE_daPXrbd9ebB61if6m4OBOThRyr8OEpK9m6vH6JXtUb5kvBcJ13y9cKG2hL_hNjrbJeF1IyRT3Os4jy4qNMUFlungAJXS0fY40Csdo2ufqzGTVs8FRfOOhPQk-0wy72Qz62PTXQSS72_PxuffLxWUU70WylUYQIT15VW8o/s320/2022-04-10_18-49-42_759.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-61636337231485880872023-01-18T17:14:00.001-06:002023-01-18T17:14:34.972-06:00Top Ten Topics While Driving 100 Round Trips to Colorado<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Over the years since Doug and Drue have lived in Colorado, we figure we have made around 100 trips. We arrived at that figure by estimating we make about three trips a year. When the grandkids were little, it might have been more. Now that it is easier for all of them to return here, maybe less. Still, 100 is a nice round number. And, there were three years when both our kids and their families lived in Colorado. Also, it is important to remember we also travel to other places and this list pretty much holds true. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-67dfa63e-7fff-67a9-e48a-8365e688cc1e"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Over the years, we usually do not read, look at electronics or listen to books. So, what are the top 10 things we do while on these 16-hour round trips? This list is in no particular order, it’s just what came to mind as I write.</span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Food. Where we are going to eat along the way (no surprise there)</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Weather. Wind direction, temperature, road condition. In all those trips, we have encountered road closures twice due to snow, once we had to find a motel and another time we bluffed our way through by saying we had relatives in the closure area. Once we were on the scene of a bad accident in slick conditions</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crops. Our rural background influences our interest in the crops in the fields, including their apparent health. Many who complain about the boredom of western Kansas maybe aren’t noticing how many beautiful productive acres are out there. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The sky. Sunrises, Sunsets, clouds. Over the years we’ve traveled at times when we’ve seen them all.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Plans. What we might do during our visit. This is especially true if we are driving the Pleasure Way RV. On the return trip, usually, a lot of time is spent talking about what we need to do when we get home. Plans for future projects for cutting wood, filling ditches, the garden. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fellow travelers. The kinds of cars, trucks and RVs have changed over the years. Twice we have actually counted RVs by category (a subject for another post) Speculating on where people are going and why they are in such a hurry.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Roadkill. I know–what can I say? We have to comment about all the roadkill we see as we go. There was a time after a very bad winter storm when we actually saw cattle that had not made it through the cold weather along the road.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Landmarks. Flint Hills, Wind Generators, Barns, Post Rocks, large churches, Quinter (halfway spot), state line and the five little towns on Hwy 24 between Lyman and Colorado Spgs–Matheson, Simla, Ramah, Calhan and Peyton, always commenting on their order. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Driving–when we trade-off (a bigger topic than it should be)</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sleep–the only time I listen to my audiobook is while Dan is sleeping.</span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe this topic is more than anyone would want to know, but since we just returned from a visit two days ago, it was fresh on my mind. As to our visit, it was great. We didn’t see the Colorado family at Christmas, so it was just a quick two-day visit with a day on each end for driving and talking. Finally, something I didn’t list is just being quiet with our own thoughts. Nothing wrong with that and a nice highlight of travel.</span></p><br /><br /></span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-10728479427546275382023-01-10T00:54:00.004-06:002023-01-10T22:16:08.442-06:00Stull Community of Faith Church Fire<iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/vz04g8uD3IE" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vz04g8uD3IE/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fortunately, we have never had a fire occur in our home. There have been near misses of danger with the burning of our pastures each spring. There were two occasions when we called fire trucks. But, our home has never been in danger. So, the first time we watched flames shooting out of a building that was important to us was when our Stull church was struck by lightning.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4bcf8583-7fff-ac3d-5cc6-96fb73d5c1f2"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monday, July 25, 2022. We had just finished lunch when we heard that the church was on fire! Of course, we immediately jumped in the car and headed up there. The video was shared from a person who stopped on the road.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The fire was contained to the bell tower. This photo shows how close we came to catching the entire church on fire but thanks to the quick response of the fire departments that did not happen. Once the flames were extinguished it continued to smother and they continued to pour water into the area where it started.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lI6eQ3ujUTeSrqi7Oqx_yqU-Fj1_MLzGZQwoYkt_Y-rmPadPEphmbfbM4lb71D-Yhn8BM9tJp-_wbDO7PQEYuuuhww8i942fWgW48rCiYNpVf7aO7DnJ3Pos3Cwt4p2i7vWi8enj1UrQPeYI4ZNeEOZNWZpzEGDbvozdzsPkPujjBpDQAic/s2000/312484784_541770227951823_1146720525728926637_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lI6eQ3ujUTeSrqi7Oqx_yqU-Fj1_MLzGZQwoYkt_Y-rmPadPEphmbfbM4lb71D-Yhn8BM9tJp-_wbDO7PQEYuuuhww8i942fWgW48rCiYNpVf7aO7DnJ3Pos3Cwt4p2i7vWi8enj1UrQPeYI4ZNeEOZNWZpzEGDbvozdzsPkPujjBpDQAic/s320/312484784_541770227951823_1146720525728926637_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the fire was extinguished and the experts came in to assess, it was quickly determined that the damage was extensive, mainly from the extreme amount of water it took to put out the smolder. We peeked into the building and water was running from the ceiling in various places and the ceiling was sagging. It was obvious there was water above. . In fact, the moisture permeated the entire church. <a href="https://youtu.be/zoYn9UnDFac">Click here to see the removal of the bell </a>from the tower. It is a big bell and it was a process.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Immediately, experts were brought in to start the drying-out process. I haven’t been a part of the group that has overseen the recovery. But, I am certain the huge fans and many dehumidifiers ran around the clock, seven days a week for at least a month probably longer. It was an education to see how the professionals do their work. They cut holes in the walls and ceiling. Then big tubes that funneled the air from the fans were put into the holes. So, air was circulated not only in the open areas but between the walls and above the ceiling.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After it was dried out, the dumpsters were brought in and all damaged sheetrock and other smoke-damaged items were removed. It’s been a slow process. Materials are in short supply and these kinds of construction projects always seem to have delays.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The last “tour” of the church was this past Sunday, January 8, 2023. The remodeling contractor has refinished all the trim, all the pews and the floors. With the removal of ceilings, it was determined it was a good time to run to wiring and add lights and sound. The basement wasn’t as damaged, but there was enough. So, it has been remodeled as well.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With all the work to fix the damage, the integrity of the architecture of when the church was built has not changed. Currently, the thought is we might be able to have services by Easter. Here are a couple of current pictures. The area behind the cross at the front will be beautiful but it is still a work in progress.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgaEprNN4tSgub7FbORaCuBKn32V0Y0rl4w1opIPvq-yqhtqFPWL0MAUTgS2qPYuoimTRPOshRPptlj2Zz1Gj-avCuyB-x_JqyYF5UH_yq8WKUA7UHsKvFEDFcF4Uj7evYoDbh1jEodZzejVneeiv5FRNyJeqFO43p-6FkARTTmvmOyWN5NM/s2000/319866336_647853147126869_98556567052039660_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgaEprNN4tSgub7FbORaCuBKn32V0Y0rl4w1opIPvq-yqhtqFPWL0MAUTgS2qPYuoimTRPOshRPptlj2Zz1Gj-avCuyB-x_JqyYF5UH_yq8WKUA7UHsKvFEDFcF4Uj7evYoDbh1jEodZzejVneeiv5FRNyJeqFO43p-6FkARTTmvmOyWN5NM/s320/319866336_647853147126869_98556567052039660_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYQYrOdR1dWNMo_w4ugbDBImmqazSfA2Uc4Obni105vp8fSZ_v0irfbzpiQ1wC96UTN5m62xroJ7O2ECTm9Pe7IUDGk3gbmAqaiTPH03G2HVmhki11FfIR6xrvp0D1ipuw5ZMSRFsIIVVxNGKjJ4TkR08JKEWGBqlroTYOxjr7iGNY3SaZCs/s2000/319920450_510593614372622_4521562437060739239_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYQYrOdR1dWNMo_w4ugbDBImmqazSfA2Uc4Obni105vp8fSZ_v0irfbzpiQ1wC96UTN5m62xroJ7O2ECTm9Pe7IUDGk3gbmAqaiTPH03G2HVmhki11FfIR6xrvp0D1ipuw5ZMSRFsIIVVxNGKjJ4TkR08JKEWGBqlroTYOxjr7iGNY3SaZCs/s320/319920450_510593614372622_4521562437060739239_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p></span></div>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-79032893584324291062023-01-04T22:43:00.002-06:002023-01-04T23:00:12.593-06:00New Year, New Post.<p> <span style="font-family: georgia;">Well, it's been a while. We are fine and as far as we know never had COVID. We've never passed on the chance to get a preventative vaccine. "They" say that the shots don't prevent anyone from getting it, but we wonder if we had light cases because of them. Honestly, we hardly know anyone who hasn't tested positive.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Since my last post we've traveled a bit, enjoyed family and friends, and worked on our yard and land. Of course, I too made a list of New Year's resolutions. One was to start posting again. When I started this blog, I posted five to six days a week. That's when I carried mail and had a lot of material. Our lives are more mundane anymore. And there's Facebook and Instagram to post pictures. However, I've never felt comfortable putting too much on those very public forums. But I can put things on this little blog and people can come here and look if they want. So, we'll see how it goes. This time I'm not making any promises as to how often, so if you are reading this, just check in once in a while.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Since the setup of Blog posts is the most recent is on top, I thought I would start with some things from this past year and work my way to the present. Since I mentioned garden, I will start with my garden this past summer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Several years ago, we hauled composed dirt from under the feed bunks at our neighbor Mark & Brenna's feedlot. Dan has spread loader full piles over the entire area of the garden the past two years. The plants absolutely thrived. Notice I said "plants." I had beautiful big tomato and green bean plants. The tomatoes set on fairly well but would not ripen. The green beans grew all over the place because I mistakenly planted pole beans. Since this variety was new to me, I didn't realize they don't all get ripe at once. I needed to check them each day which, of course, I didn't. The beans were either monster or too small. Even the winter squash didn't produce like usual, mostly because of the evil squash bugs. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Honestly, I heard from many that this wasn't a good garden year. Too much rain early and then too dry. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The picture below is from clearing those pole beans. They were like an invasive weed. Come to think about it, maybe they are why the tomatoes didn't produce because the pole beans grew up the tomato stands. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm feeling optimistic about this year's garden. I'm looking at seed catalogs already. We plowed this fall and along with the extreme cold, we are hopeful the bug larva hidden in the soil will freeze--the only good thing that came from the recent weather. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIIte6YYcEToGB-Z1L5juMQXy1k5W6Y0GBuE7p_fj-YyiCQWTNZ0HSV8LsoXFQZQol4yLHEGteP_rG2tNHlG51UIAjWC3SAf-nBH4PqMK2gVqlVY8Y0ySxIIOVpGLHhSgwgw93lLfJRP673Gfa_BFmTASS5NoQ8A7RfVSF3-rVGajs3P_m7A/s1881/IMG_1384.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1881" data-original-width="1254" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIIte6YYcEToGB-Z1L5juMQXy1k5W6Y0GBuE7p_fj-YyiCQWTNZ0HSV8LsoXFQZQol4yLHEGteP_rG2tNHlG51UIAjWC3SAf-nBH4PqMK2gVqlVY8Y0ySxIIOVpGLHhSgwgw93lLfJRP673Gfa_BFmTASS5NoQ8A7RfVSF3-rVGajs3P_m7A/s320/IMG_1384.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-61031506569384021642022-04-20T08:49:00.004-05:002022-04-20T08:49:23.299-05:00Walk Off The Earth - Best Music Group Ever<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/LlDdkLfyxxc" frameborder="0"></iframe>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-61929303627427694942022-03-31T23:02:00.007-05:002022-03-31T23:09:10.353-05:00Watching deer never gets old<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Just for perspective, the area where the grass is higher is
only about 40 feet from the back of our house.<o:p></o:p></p>
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</o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></v:shapetype></o:wrapblock></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoJ7MhJAuvX55bV3NPEyw4Sj42E0wxy9kOD7nTeVN9_6VpXygqWZvPyx0HnWjrWuby-mkuxaXTxkvSSvL3fS7rhRgKc5z3dfRjLIoyJpZLFUxyVTFP2fdMEaAK1zKjuGz4qAFGI0dYxOtAcRfbvGSzxn4BzZpJMA-fRaa5yOjhl3OyJZvSNA/s5184/IMG_4829-1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoJ7MhJAuvX55bV3NPEyw4Sj42E0wxy9kOD7nTeVN9_6VpXygqWZvPyx0HnWjrWuby-mkuxaXTxkvSSvL3fS7rhRgKc5z3dfRjLIoyJpZLFUxyVTFP2fdMEaAK1zKjuGz4qAFGI0dYxOtAcRfbvGSzxn4BzZpJMA-fRaa5yOjhl3OyJZvSNA/s320/IMG_4829-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br clear="ALL" style="mso-ignore: vglayout;" /><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>There’s a reason why these three deer are looking toward the
house. They have enjoyed some nice meals
of corn this winter. But, with the warm
weather, their gravy train has ended. Obviously, the yearling in front is losing her winter coat.
Still, they look good coming out of the winter. </p><p class="MsoNormal">There are plenty of coyotes around which might be why Brutus and Jojo don't seem to bother them when they are here.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On a moonlit night we might even see some hanging around the windbreak. Then there is this!<o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JdV3-X67NXE" width="320" youtube-src-id="JdV3-X67NXE"></iframe></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-362607976164604932022-03-28T22:24:00.001-05:002022-03-28T22:24:54.408-05:00Scarlett O'Hara Pieris<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6bovRAE1u-IoS9NgPkpflC9NP7_Zpmo8KI-JKvus4iWMNHYUjUhM3u-OP0egdZtov0XXlrtzd3zG4zhnzWDs4NFhYHc-x9oez0xh9MDKL4HkjWwZ1XR1aexYzqZ60HHt1bGbNhxeizsBhIxQXQEK_NGHSEfOFawN-eR1fFKIjo4wsi8qqAQ/s3620/unnamed%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3620" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6bovRAE1u-IoS9NgPkpflC9NP7_Zpmo8KI-JKvus4iWMNHYUjUhM3u-OP0egdZtov0XXlrtzd3zG4zhnzWDs4NFhYHc-x9oez0xh9MDKL4HkjWwZ1XR1aexYzqZ60HHt1bGbNhxeizsBhIxQXQEK_NGHSEfOFawN-eR1fFKIjo4wsi8qqAQ/s320/unnamed%20(1).jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">In 2015 we completely removed the front landscaping. <a href="https://youtu.be/v6PCoEd5ptg">Here is a link</a> to the process of removing the original overgrown plants. </span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kim spent a lot of time planning the replacement scrubs. We didn't actually plant everything until the fall of 2016. The timing and varieties were well-done on her part because we only lost one plant. It was an almost a perfect fall with a late freeze and good moisture. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There were once two Scarlett O’Hara Pieris plants tucked in a corner where the front juts out for the garage. This is the one that prevailed. Perhaps it was the location or the soil. Pieris plants like acid soil. According to my research, I should add some of our neighbor's corral compost we have in a pile for the best natural acidity. (More on that wonderous stuff another time) </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Even though it has never been a fast grower, it continues to plug along with determination. I think it came back from the roots at least once. Kim said we should move it. However, it's become a favorite where it is located. I admire people and plants with spunk and determination</span></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-87130327389964230452022-03-26T09:21:00.004-05:002022-03-26T09:25:01.785-05:00Do you really want to know what I cook for dinner?<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In the past
few years, I have not felt like writing on this humble blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were months when we mostly stayed
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not think anyone would want
to read what I cooked for dinner each day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The videos I
make are fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mostly try my hand
at making shorts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both Instagram and
YouTube have that available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end,
writing is most enjoyable for me. And, more importantly, it takes hours to
produce a short five-minute video that is only marginally creative. I'm definitely a faster typist.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I do occasionally
post on social media, but I prefer a place where family and friends can check
in if they want to rather than have my activities randomly pop up.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Even though
I did not write here, I kept a journal for the past year and a half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
a printer (Canon and Kodak both make one) which enables me to include little
pictures in my journal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely old
school—I will show you sometime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
end, journaling is a lot like posting here.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I have had
several ask me about my blog recently and my most loyal reader still checks in
(thank you Paul).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I thought I would
give it another roll.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Summer is upon us,
the garden is ready to plant, Dan has his projects and we are venturing out
in our little RV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of these
activities provide fodder for pictures and words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I am going
to try to put something on here twice a week—Tuesday and Saturday
mornings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will see how that goes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I find I’m once again not fulfilling my
promise, I’ll let you know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-4732934151576244102022-03-25T08:17:00.002-05:002022-03-25T08:47:55.085-05:00Long Overdue<p class="mobile-photo"> Wayne & Ruth with Dan at Johnny's in Topeka. We visited for 2 1/2 hours. I think it was overdue. </p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcK3TU__mon-exfr3QrOV5-l5iCXYslF5dS7kw7id4kSnWdbb7Qgz0AxZh2JVKrVtDFJlj3PnJxTv--0AX3oKYsc1lyd_a1A-UECoy19sNYBGQYYRtuahjX-iHsERqBrMjr6ayDy2blNRYswA3T1BE8X1ovZywrb7cfSuUlb9rBEIzBpY67to"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7079026372797746210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcK3TU__mon-exfr3QrOV5-l5iCXYslF5dS7kw7id4kSnWdbb7Qgz0AxZh2JVKrVtDFJlj3PnJxTv--0AX3oKYsc1lyd_a1A-UECoy19sNYBGQYYRtuahjX-iHsERqBrMjr6ayDy2blNRYswA3T1BE8X1ovZywrb7cfSuUlb9rBEIzBpY67to=s320" /></a></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-23374374519911568212021-08-09T23:51:00.001-05:002021-08-09T23:51:48.111-05:00Santa Fe Rail to Trail Colorado<iframe style="background-image:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AHo4FSRxZtI/hqdefault.jpg)" width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/AHo4FSRxZtI" frameborder="0"></iframe>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-56767390604661937322021-03-03T21:38:00.001-06:002021-03-03T22:13:05.537-06:00Trimming Hedge Row<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/QvvouA69bF8" frameborder="0"></iframe>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-362572799081608532021-02-19T07:43:00.001-06:002021-02-19T07:43:53.839-06:00Sun Goes Down, Deer Show Up<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/dn-RumgfBwo" frameborder="0"></iframe>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192152.post-24510416199602627172020-12-27T22:01:00.005-06:002020-12-27T22:33:04.756-06:00Christmas 2020<p class="MsoNormal">I found it especially important this year to remind myself
of all the wonderful things that have happened this year. Around Thanksgiving, it became clear we weren’t
anywhere near back to normal. Lockdowns
were not going away. That meant that
some things that have been tradition were not going to happen. Still there were a bunch of happy memories made this year.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Topping the list were graduation celebrations with family and friends. Then road
trips with Dan, road trips with friends, and road trips to visit family and friends. Remodeling the PW, which I don’t think I’ve ever
shown the completed project because, as usual for us it’s not quite complete. The garden was wonderful so we were able to preserve
and share with neighbors and friends.
Dan has been busy all year with his backhoe doing one project or
another. We have enjoyed others pets and
our own kitty. We have enjoyed conversations on porches, around fires and by phone.</p><p class="MsoNormal">There has been aspect of luck for Dan and I this year. Many times we could have been exposed to the virus. We have worn masks when out and
about since the very beginning, but who knows. As I said, it just might boil down to luck.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Over Christmas, we were able to spend time with Kim, Marc,
Adam and Evan. Aaron was not there because
he is in Air Force Basic Training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio but he was able to be in touch. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">About a month ago, I had this thought that it might be fun
to have an outdoor bonfire on Christmas Eve.
Several days later, I talked to a friend who lives in Wilson Kansas and
she said she was thinking a big bonfire would be fun on Christmas Eve. I told her I had the same thought. She said if two people are thinking the same
thought, it is a good one and if three people are thinking the same thought, it’s
from an Angel. When I mentioned it to
Kim, she said they were in. So, the plan
was made for what I like to call a “Pop up Christmas Eve Party” mainly because
it wasn’t finalized until the day of because of the weather. We just had a few neighbors and family down
and it was really fun. All outdoors on a
17 degree night.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am thinking there will still be more celebrating. I’ll let you know. In fact, I am thinking I will make a New Year
Resolution. That would be to post on
this blog once a week. I think each Friday
would be a good day. Let’s see how long
I can go with this resolution in 2021 because I’ve made them before and
failed. I’m feeling good about at least
50 posts on this blog next year. Until then,
Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year.
I appreciate you loyal readers who hang in there with my musings. I truly appreciate your support. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p> </p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432986283071362131noreply@blogger.com0