Doing Not Being

For Greta's birthday, they went to Wolf Lodge.  It is an inside water park, I think.

Ingrid went to the movies with her friends.  I love to see her smiling big as I know Mom and Dad paid a lot for those teeth to sparkle.

Here is a collage Laura made of Astrid at the State meet.  The race was at Oaklawn!

She finished with a time good enough to go to overall state.

Here she is having a photo op with the medalers.

These are pictures Erin put on FB of their fun time.

 I think this is an obstacle course.

 Greta will try anything especially if she sees her brother doing it.  She has an "I can" attitude.

State Of Art Finish

 Astrid ran in the State XC meet today at Hot Springs.  All her family (immediate) went to cheer her on.  Eric said she had "stitch" in her side the entire race, but still finished 10th out of the over 100 runners from across Arkansas.  She also qualified today to compete in the Overall State XC meet.  She was the only person from Russellville out of the Boys and Girls teams that made the cut.  We are very proud of our sweet Astrid.

 Larry is organizing his clamps now.  Cora loves for him to work in the shop.  She hangs out with him and watches for mice.  She is part cat.

 Today, I went with Larry to Marcella, AR.  Marcella is in Stone County, right on the White River.  Larry traded a flat bottom boat, trolling motor, and gas motor for another Farmall Tractor.  I wasn't going to go, but the guy told him he would not have cell service there and I decided I had better go along as a co-pilot.  When pulling a trailer, if you make a wrong turn it is really hard to turn around.

Atkins, AR flies this pretty flag.  I am sure it is expensive as they have to change it when it gets ragged and it is really big.

 I did a good job as we arrived on the White River with no wrong turns.

 This is the tractor.  It would not start and Mike, Larry and I had to push it on the trailer, but we made it with ease.

 If Larry names this one, her name is Marcella.  She was once owned by Louisana State University.  She was born about 1951 or 52.  Colleges used these tractors to mow grass.  I am sure that is what Marcella did on the campus there.  Mike had the books from the school.  She will run but Mike only had a little gas.  Tomorrow, she will get down off the trailer and I will make a video of her humming.

 Here is Mike's cabin.  It is on stilts because the White River moves up and down.  Mike works all over the country.  Last week he was in England.  His wife (or maybe just girlfriend) is a surgeon at a Memphis Hospital.  They moved here from Chicago.   The cabin is a place to come and relax after cutting people up all week.  Mike had a ground line phone put in.  He said he could lay his phone in one place and sometimes have service, but we tried to call and I guess not today as we got no answer.

 Coming back I snapped a photo of Andrews Liquor Store near Cleveland, AR.  At one time it was owned by RJ and Donetta Andrews but then she took up with Clayton Powell and moved to Green Forest, AR.   I was very sad seeing the store. RJ is dead.  Donetta still lives in Green Forest Helen said.  I could picture Clayton stopping by as the old codger in the red Chevy did.  We waited for him to pass when we were pulling out at an intersection a few miles back up the highway.  Larry said, "probably and old German going to the liquor store".  Sure enough he pulled into Andrews Liquor Store!

 Here we are near Atkins, Ar coming back home.

 When I got home, I saw this hawk near our yard.  I wanted to take a picture as he looked really red.  Well, he swooped down and grabbed something and landed on my blue bird house.  He slowly tore it from his claws and snacked.  I zoomed in and see what I think is a field mouse in his talons.

 I thought "All God's creatures have to eat!"

Need Glasses

 Laura sent the above photo to my phone.  They were on FB.   Well, I thought--"why does Laura have that big bow in her hair?"  Ingrid and Laura look a lot alike and Astrid and Laura do too!

 This is at the last home football game.  The top two phots she looks really warm, but below her legs are cold..........

 Brenda wrapped my present up really pretty.

 Here are some of the things she and Barb got for Tori.  Wow, Brenda may need a truck.

 She crocheted 3 blankets and 6 hats looks like.

And a bunch of booties.  Brenda is number one Aunt for sure!

Here is a towel she made.

Sigrid Awarded

Laura sent this to me today.  Sigrid is in the orange shirt.  She is getting an award and I am sure it is for something great!

Not Stumped

 While I was off getting my hair cut and permed, Larry got the stump out of the ground.  It has a large root system.

 I think we will need a dump load of top soil as the place where the Maple was is shallow.

 Larry had to get the big tractor to get the stump out but he used the back hoe to dig all around it so he could get it out.

 I picked up a bucket load of walnuts and he hauled them over under the Sycamore tree so the squirrels could enjoy them.  We kept two big buckets to dry under the shed.

 I got the tomato fence down and Larry tilled the garden and pulled the T posts up.

 Larry cut the tree off the dog kennel fence.  He had several buckets of limbs.  The tree was really on the neighbor but fell on us.  I am glad to see it gone.  Larry will replace the top rail of the chain link fence and it will be good as new.  There is a woven wire fence behind chain link one.  Larry can put up chain link fence.  He can do all kinds of wiring.  He knows cars.  He has a heat and air license.  He can do any carpentry where his feet can be on the ground.  He can sheet rock.  He can sing.  He knows how to do all sorts of things on the computer.  He knows all about farming and gardening.  He is a first class painter.  He can do body work on a car.  He took a year and half class at Pulaski Vo Tech to learn.  Really he can do almost anything thing he wants.  Only thing I can think of that Larry can not do is..............swim.  On the other hand, I can't do much of anything.  I am thankful for all the things Larry can do. Oh, he is a plumber too!

Larry blows and cuts the leaves with the Bad Boy mower.  He shoots the leaves toward the flower beds.  It makes them really rich.

I saw this Downy Woodpecker when I was taking pictures.  I used to think this was a Sap Sucker but it is not.

Digging Up Trouble

 Larry asked if I wanted him to dig up the stump of the tree that blew over or just cut it off.  There was a flower bed around it.  I told him I would rather just have it all gone.  Well, he spent the day digging around the stump to break all the roots. It was a Maple.  If I had known how hard it was going to be, I would have let him just sawed it off.  I could have put a bird house on top of the stump.  He worked all day on it.  Finally he said to fill the hole with water and he will go at it again tomorrow.  He tilled up part of the garden.  I am taking the tomato fence down.

Here is where he built the caddy for a lot of his tools.  He did this last week.

I walked 3 and  a half miles today.  I am having trouble getting out to walk.  I am not like Fleta.  I am afraid the cooler it gets the less I will want to go.  I am planning to go to Atwoods to look for some boots.  But today I went to the library.  I requested the Patrick Kennedy book.  They will order it.  I did not find much to read.  I am reading a Phillipa Gregory book about Katherine Parr.

I did not have to pick up Ingie today.  She had Dance practice.  Tomorrow I am getting a hair cut and perm.  Hope it perks me up.

Celebrating With Greta

 Greta was shy but we loved singing to her.

 Here is her cake...

 Laura had to help blow out the one candle.

 Larry made Greta and Clayton a blue bird house.  We had several presents but Greta just wanted to get to play with Sigrid.  They love playing with her.  Here they are playing a memory game called "Arthur".  Clayton won.

 Pop is organizing his tools in the shop.  He has made hangers for the drills, etc.  This is behind his work bench.

 There is an alcove in the hall. Wasted space.  I told him for Christmas I wanted a board with several hooks.  He said go get the hooks.  Said I could have seven.  He planed and sanded this cedar board and put the hooks I picked on it.  I love it.  We can hang robes, his cartharts, etc.   I love it...but since he finished it so quick.  Don't think it can count for Christmas.

 Greta and Clayton dressed for Halloween.  Where would a nurse take her kids...you guessed it they went to TWO nursing homes.  One old lady said to Clayton--"I see your bones, get some more candy".