Rotary Ann

This is Larry and his Momma.  Picture was taken at the Rotary Ann on Highway 7.  It has since been remodeled.  It is a nice place to stop going up 7 as it has a bathroom.   Larry's Mother had the lamp below.   Granny gave it to Ethel.  I recall that it came from the Humphrey relatives who live near Niagara, New York.  I will  have to call Uncle Walter and get the complete story.  Ethel gave it to her son, Gary.  Gary's wife died a April 19.  Well, this week he brought the lamp to give to Laura.  It is really pretty.   My girls cherish all the family keepsakes.  I never worry when I "give" them some old thing that they might just throw it away.  Gary said he had a Bible of his Mom's and he was giving it to Erin.  I know if he does she will cherish it.

Hallelujah

Job 5:10
"He gives rain on the earth And sends water on the fields,
So thankful for the good shower on our garden today.  It really was in need of a good drink.

 Thankful for Astrid's success in the Conference Track Meet last night--
First in the mile run
First in the 800 relay
Second in the two mile run
Fourth in the 800 meter run
By her lonesome she captured 33 points for the Cyclones.  Her Coaches nominated her for "Athlete of the Night"...I say she deserved the nod!

 The Cyclones won Conference!   Astrid has lots of friends in this group.  I know she was ecstatic.  She almost did not get to go.  Her soccer coach scheduled a make up game and wanted her to go with them.  So glad she was able to "Roll with the Cylcones" as Jerry Thompson always said.

 I don't know how long between photos but look how Greta has grown.  I hope it works out for her and Clayton to go to Aunt Helen's some.  I am keeping my fingers crossed.  I want them to know my Sisters.  I think Clayton and Robert will love playing with all that stuff Clayton carries around in tubs.  I know Greta will have Hannah doing cartwheels and round offs.  But Helen better get a switch is all I can advise.

Garden Sass

 Larry brought the Cub over with the hillers on it.  He had me put pulversized lime in the furrow and then he hilled it.  I will put tomatoes here.  I should have added the cow manure before he hilled the row but it was in the bucket of the Kubota and we did not bring it up from the shed.  I will put it in as I plant them.  The tomatoes are in the cold frame.  They are about 2 inches tall.  It will be a while before they can be set out in the big garden.

Larry hilled the red potatoes too.  The cabbage are starting to head.  I planted red potatoes because that is what Daddy always planted.  Richard told me to plant white as they keep better.  I did once but I decided to plant what I like and not what will keep best.

 Here are the two rows of the Pintos Laura and Sigrid planted for me.

 Erin sent me a picture of Clayton by phone.  I think they call this "spring" pictures and take them at school.  Clayton's is really good.  He wore those boots here once and I put my foot in them.  Perfect fit.  Clayton is really a tall, slim boy.  His Uncle Clayton would be proud.

 Ingrid's dance group sell these shirts to earn money and she is sporting hers in the photo below.

Where Is The Rain?

 Took Ingrid to her orthodontist appointment this morning.  The pictures are of the Drill team banquet.  

All that talk about rain and all be got was a sprinkle.  I hope we do get a shower soon as it is very dry.  I want all the seeds I planted to come up!

Beans Are Up

Helen sent me a picture of her Hummingbird.  He is so beautiful.  I am too slow to get a picture of mine.

 I planted two rows of Contender Bush Green beans and Laura planted two rows of Improved Pintos for me.  All four rows were up this morning and nothing was there last evening.  Warm nights are what make the garden grow.

 Here is one of Sigrid's peppers.  I did not let my chickens out yesterday because they were nibbling on the leaves.  Sig and I put pots on top of them when the chickens started doing it.  You can see the little bites out of the leaf.  They were only interested because we had just set them out.  In a few days I can let them out and they will have forgotten about them.

 In the back garden, we planted Black Diamond watermelons, Hale's Best Cantaloupe and Tendersweet Orange watermelon.  Larry bought bags of cow manure to put under the melons.  I do hope they make.  Below is a melon from the past.

 Above you can see my tamatoes have a ways to go before I can set them out.  I will have cow manure to put in the hills and Larry is going to till in a bag of lime to help keep the rot disease out of them.

Below --Patsy-Amy--am I cultivating a weed.  Surely it is a flower!

 My new Patsy has started her own Blog.  She will have to tell me where it is so I can go see and add a link.  Above is a bronze Iris and below a yellow.  Remember, Sisters, Momma called them Flags!

My little Greta before school today.  Erin sent it by phone.  Phones are neat to keep in touch.  Greta wants to play outside every afternoon.  One day it was drizzling rain and she still cried to go out.  She told her Mom that she had to work on her muscles!

 My OLD Patsy told me to kill the King as he WOULD eat my hen eggs but I just could not do it yesterday.  He lived near the hen house last year and I don't think he ate any eggs.  I know he will catch the mice that go after my chicken feed.  I keep it in a barrel but there is still lots of food in the pen and it does attract mice.  Patsy-Amy should I have chopped his head off?

Another Snaker

 I have three of the hens left that Sister Patsy gave me.  This one is true to her old owner.  She is a snake killer

 It was hard to get a good picture because she thought I was going to take her prize away.

 The snake came from one of my flower beds so I must watch out there.

 We had distinguished guests Sunday.  They played outside and Pop and I sat on the porch and enjoyed them.

 I have to remind Clayton he can't go digging around in my flower beds because they are lush green and a snake could be there.  He did spy this toad and wanted it.  Siggie caught it for him and when he held it...a little too tight...it got him a little wet.  Clayton loves nature.  He is really a smart boy.

 Little Greta Ann can do cartwheels, round offs, splits, and she can ride this little bike like the wind.  She always gets a determined look and there she goes....

Erin, show Clayton the snake that came from the flower bed.  So he knows that there could be a snake in there.  Cora is in jail for 3 weeks.  I will be glad when she can lay on the back porch again.

Siggie came over to plant peppers she bought.  As we planted, I showed her Johnson grass and explained out you had to get the root.  I looked back and she had pulled a entire hill of squash.  No, no...  Well, that is how you learn.  She will always know what squash looks like now, I bet.

My tomatoes are growing in the cold frame.  Larry and I want to plant watermelons and cantaloup today if we have enough stamina.

Sunday

 Astrid's friend invited her to go kayaking for her birthday.  Alyssa's mom took them over to Lake Dardanelle where they were told "no kayaking today" because of rough water.  Alyssa was so upset.  Astrid said--"hey, you ever been to Falling Water?"  Alyssa's Mom is from Texas.  Astrid took them to Falling Water, Six Fingers and Fuzzy Butt Falls!  She saved the day.  I bet they were amazed at the beauty of Arkansas!

 Here is Laura running her 13 miles.  She does not look like she is about to pass out!

 Greta got hit in the face with a swing.  Poor little one.  They know the sound of the ice cream truck now.  Special treat for special children.

13.1

Yelp, Laura ran the half marathon again this year.  Her time was much better than last year because she "ran easy"....no training.  She just did her usual each week.  Her time was 2 hours and 36 minutes.  Astrid did not run this.  Her coaches said the long, hard runs were not good for her.  The most I think they said was 5 or 6 miles.  So Laura ran solo.  Ingrid's dance group goes and cheers so I will share some of those pictures with her.  I love the one where Ingrid is wolfing down the donut!

 Saw this photo...don't know if  it is real or put on, but I think put on.  Glad Laura did not conk out.

I AM Not Very Modern

 Well, Greta, Clayton and Sophia were all sleeping soundly the other night and Erin sent me a photo of them.  They may come tomorrow.  I notice when someone dies Erin thinks about coming to see us.  I am going to tell her about all the deaths so she will come more often.  Erin, my friend and co worker of about 35 years--Pam Mathis--passed away.  She was a year older than me.  It was hard to wrap my mind around.  Then Gary's wife was only 60.   I know the funeral is the easy part for the one left behind...the hard part starts the next day when all that stuff is over.

 Erin and Laura each sent me a photo of the snake they saw last week.  Erin's was a black snake and she let it go on.  Laura's was a Copperhead.  She jumped over it and kept running at the trail.  One snake has ventured into our yard and Opal made fast work of it.  I am not sure what it was as she destroyed most of it.

Amy-Patsy~ sent banana bread to Larry and me yesterday.  Her mother made it ...oh, it was so good.  Thanks you so much for remembering us, Amy.  We had coffee with it in the afternoon which is rare. Larry decided that coffee in the morning was enough for us and we don't usually have it again, but the banana bread was so delicious looking that he said a cup of coffee would be great and we enjoyed both the coffee and the gift from my new Patsy.

I like old things.  Well, my computer died yesterday and Fleta scares me to death telling me how I am too small minded to use Windows 10!  Well, it was only the mouse so I am back into my old business and i am going to get a new good lap top with Windows 10 and try to figure it all out.  Also, I am going to save all my photos that I have not saved.  I hope the external drive I already have will hold them.

Thankful today for all my old things---my old husband, my OLD two daughters, my old feel-good clothes, and my OLD computer that is still working.

I love my two OLD sisters so much and I am thankful for each.  Helen who will tell me what I want to hear and Fleta who will tell me everything I don't want to hear!

Bird Visitors

Astrid flew like a bird last night in the track meet at The McDonald Relays Ft. Smith.  She took 4th in the 4 x 800 relay and 5th in the mile.   There were a bunch of schools there.  Astrid does not get to run unless she has no soccer game.  I am really proud of her mile time--5:42!  Can you imagine the speed.  I went to the jogging trail this morning and walked really fast I thought.  Well, it took me 20 minutes to make a mile.   I am dreadful! That is her Cross Country Coach in the background--Coach Frazier.  The CC coach before Frazier was my old friend-- Coach Jerry Thompson.  Astrid loves her XC coach so he must be a nice guy.

Ingrid ran in the JR High meet last night at Hot Springs.  I don't know how she did but it was after midnight before they got home.  So she was allowed to skip first period (athletics),  I took her to school a little after 9.  She is thrilled track is over, I  think.  She was really good at it but it is hard, hard, work and none of her friends run.   I should have taken Ingie's picture when I picked her up for school as she was gorgeous in her t-shirt and jeans.  She looks like a model.

 This bird came by last night.  After Larry mowed and I planted Kandy Korn and okra, we sat on the back porch looked at the beautiful Meadow.  Well, this Grosbeak? came by to reward us for all our hard work.  We saw him several times but could not get a picture.  He was shy.  I took this one from the net.  I think I have him identified correctly...have I Patsy?

 The last several days, I have seen a Hummingbird stop by for a sip.  But again I could not capture his visit for you.  And I wish I could claim the pretty iris bed but it is Erin's.  She really likes them.  Mema loved the yellow ones Erin so you need to find a place to set out yellow.

Below is a spider web in the manure spreader--I love the way it looks.  I have crocheted  several afghans so I can imagine how much work the spider put in on this beautiful work of art!

Oh, I almost forgot, what kind of egg shell is this.  It is a little move vivid blue than it shows here.  Patsy, do you think it hatched or one of those EVIL Starlings pecked it out of the nest?  I sure hope this is not a Martin egg!