Here's Deke's first flight this year.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Only in Indiana
Saturday Deke and I tooled up to North Judson to see a train steam engine that was making a run for the train fans in the area. While in town, we strolled through their main street's annual event, the "Mint Festival," with the usual fare of elephant ears, lemonade shake-ups, and tenderloin sandwiches. Never could figure out where the mint was. But that fare is normal for any festival in Indiana. However, in all my wildest Hoosier dreams, I wasn't prepared for the exhibit at the wood carver's display. All I could do was shake my head in wonder and give thanks for my little digital camera I keep in my purse most times.
This picture is for all Hoosiers and Wolverines and Buckeyes. Only you could know what you're looking at; no one else would have a clue. In fact, some would be grossed out at such an exhibit. But we Hoosiers salivate when we see something of this nature, and we celebrate our heritage and stick out our chests a little farther and dream of those May days tramping through the woods. So why not sit down on your favorite bench, surrounded by the constant reminder of those glorious expeditions. As we say in Hoosiereze: "The morel, the better."
The masterpiece
The master at work
This picture is for all Hoosiers and Wolverines and Buckeyes. Only you could know what you're looking at; no one else would have a clue. In fact, some would be grossed out at such an exhibit. But we Hoosiers salivate when we see something of this nature, and we celebrate our heritage and stick out our chests a little farther and dream of those May days tramping through the woods. So why not sit down on your favorite bench, surrounded by the constant reminder of those glorious expeditions. As we say in Hoosiereze: "The morel, the better."
The masterpiece
The master at work
The reason for the trip in the first place
Friday, June 17, 2011
Random Ramblings
I know this is a terrible picture, but it was taken through a window and screen in the early morning light with a camera that is not made for action shots. But it's so rare for hummingbirds to share a meal together and there were so many of them buzzing around the feeder, I just had to try to capture the scene for posterity.
Hummingbirds are horribly territorial and the dominant bird will not normally allow another to drink while "he" is drinking at the feeder. The other morning, I observed at least 7 of them feeding or hovering around the feeder. Of course my digital was never quick enough to capture the event but this gives you an idea of what a feeding frenzy among hummingbirds is like.
Hummingbirds are horribly territorial and the dominant bird will not normally allow another to drink while "he" is drinking at the feeder. The other morning, I observed at least 7 of them feeding or hovering around the feeder. Of course my digital was never quick enough to capture the event but this gives you an idea of what a feeding frenzy among hummingbirds is like.
Now you see a hay field...
Now you don't.
Aaaah, the smell of new-mown hay. Back home again in Indiana...
Mama Jo and Carole at the hair salon just before Mama Jo's perm
And the new and improved Mama Jo!
Monday, June 6, 2011
PPG Whee!
Today was a milestone in Deke's life. He soloed in the Powered Paraglider! Photos tell the whole story.
Getting last minute instructions from his pro instructor
It's a thumbs-up!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Fruit 'n' Flowers
The strawberries are producing full-force right now and to tell you the truth, we are just about sick of the little things. BUT not quite. We eat them on our cereal in the morning, with our sandwiches at lunch and for our dessert at night. What bliss.
Another gorgeous spring attraction is the peony. It's the Hoosier state flower and my personal favorite. I have 3 varieties around the hacienda and all are beautiful. Tonight I picked this variety and the only way I can describe it is "pink chiffon."
The daylilies are just beginning to bloom with the Black-eyed Susans catching up quickly. Because of the rains, it's lush and very green around here, making this spring one of the prettiest in years.
PS Pictures are blurry because I shot them in low light to avoid the glare of the flash. Erin, I need your camera!
Another gorgeous spring attraction is the peony. It's the Hoosier state flower and my personal favorite. I have 3 varieties around the hacienda and all are beautiful. Tonight I picked this variety and the only way I can describe it is "pink chiffon."
The daylilies are just beginning to bloom with the Black-eyed Susans catching up quickly. Because of the rains, it's lush and very green around here, making this spring one of the prettiest in years.
PS Pictures are blurry because I shot them in low light to avoid the glare of the flash. Erin, I need your camera!
Monday, May 30, 2011
A Memorable Day
Today Deke, Pam and I started out at 9:00 AM and headed to Flora, Deer Creek, Logansport and Kokomo to visit/decorate family graves. After placing a saddle on Dave's grave in Flora we visited the Segraves' cemetery near Deer Creek. This is the place where the infamous Harry Butz is buried. Just to show you how small our world is, we ran into a relative in the graveyard and caught up on even more family history. We arrived at the Logansport cemetery just in time to participate in the Memorial Day services. It was a regular small-town ceremony with a 21 gun salute, parade, band, American Legion veterans, wreath on the soldiers' monument, horse with the backward boot in the stirrups and taps played by 2 high school boys. Very stirring and so welcomed in this day of patriotic apathy. We proceeded to Kokomo where we stuffed ourselves with decadent tenderloin sandwiches, then drove out of town to find the Dimmitt homestead and nearby cemeteries in which our families are buried. When we stopped at the Dimmitt homestead, the owner was working in the front yard. We chatted with him for a few minutes and exchanged names in case he ever wanted to expand his knowledge of the history of the farm. Actually, he already knew a lot of what we know, as the former owner had passed on her knowledge of the farm when she sold the place to him 8 years ago.
It was a beautiful day with perfect weather and we all had a great time reconnecting with our ancestors via headstone information. At the oldest plots, we were unable to glean much information as the markers were carved from marble, making much of the names and dates unreadable. If there was any intrigue from the day's adventure, it was found on a stone adjacent to my great grandparents' monument. We encountered a name none of us recognized even though the last name was Dimmitt. I called Carole Siler, our only remaining relative who can still recall information, but she was unable to shed much light on the person other than to say that she and Mom had the same conversation at one time with Mom saying she thought he was some distant relative. But Carole and Mom would have known all the cousins etc so this still remains a mystery. Hmmmmm.
We returned home around 4PM and crashed on the front porch swing with iced tea in our hands. Later, we picked strawberries and asparagus and even got in some mowing. Deke is at the Delphi airport "kiting" his paraglider, preparing for his solo flight with his instructor who will come next week to check him out. It's a lazy, hot, somewhat humid Indiana Memorial Day.
Aah, perfection!
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Our great-grandmother was Quaker, thus the "Friends" cemetery
Mystery relative
It was a beautiful day with perfect weather and we all had a great time reconnecting with our ancestors via headstone information. At the oldest plots, we were unable to glean much information as the markers were carved from marble, making much of the names and dates unreadable. If there was any intrigue from the day's adventure, it was found on a stone adjacent to my great grandparents' monument. We encountered a name none of us recognized even though the last name was Dimmitt. I called Carole Siler, our only remaining relative who can still recall information, but she was unable to shed much light on the person other than to say that she and Mom had the same conversation at one time with Mom saying she thought he was some distant relative. But Carole and Mom would have known all the cousins etc so this still remains a mystery. Hmmmmm.
We returned home around 4PM and crashed on the front porch swing with iced tea in our hands. Later, we picked strawberries and asparagus and even got in some mowing. Deke is at the Delphi airport "kiting" his paraglider, preparing for his solo flight with his instructor who will come next week to check him out. It's a lazy, hot, somewhat humid Indiana Memorial Day.
Aah, perfection!
<
Our great-grandmother was Quaker, thus the "Friends" cemetery
Mystery relative
Dimmitt farmstead established in 1864
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
North Carolina Visit
Right after Easter services, we left for North Carolina to spend a week with Erin and family. We stopped in Charleston, WV for the night and woke up the next morning to fog and slight drizzle. In spite of the weather condition, we decided to alter our itinerary to divert to Hawk's Nest, a state park that holds a fond significance for us. By the time we got there, the fog had lifted quite a bit so that it produced a spectacular backdrop to the gorge.
Our time in NC was spent doing Erin's honey-do list. And believe me when I say there were many honey-dos to do! Deke rebuilt the banister railings on each side of the entrance to their front porch, rebuilt and replaced all but one screen in the house windows and doors, repaired the tub plumbing, made 44 million trips to Home Depot etc. Erin and I painted the upstairs hall and the living room/playroom . Erin did most of the trim work. In between times, we celebrated Sugar's 2nd birthday, shopped, ate frozen yogurt, ate at a fabulous Chinese restaurant, went train watching, and one of us learned to ride a two-wheeler! It was a jam-packed week of frenetic activity. What bliss!
Our time in NC was spent doing Erin's honey-do list. And believe me when I say there were many honey-dos to do! Deke rebuilt the banister railings on each side of the entrance to their front porch, rebuilt and replaced all but one screen in the house windows and doors, repaired the tub plumbing, made 44 million trips to Home Depot etc. Erin and I painted the upstairs hall and the living room/playroom . Erin did most of the trim work. In between times, we celebrated Sugar's 2nd birthday, shopped, ate frozen yogurt, ate at a fabulous Chinese restaurant, went train watching, and one of us learned to ride a two-wheeler! It was a jam-packed week of frenetic activity. What bliss!
Hawk's Nest
A sweet little Sugar's 2nd birthday
Opening gifts
Watching G-Pa at work
Help me, G-Pa!
Where is he?
Whee! I can do it!
Not another picture!
Well, OK! How's this?
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