Yesterday

A very enjoyable day. We went to Ames with Estel and Pat for a meeting with Alliant Energy people about our health insurance and the changes being made. I almost titled this "Don't Cry Until You Are Hurt". For some it will be more costly but for us wonder of wonder and joy of joys it will be a big annual raise. We are still in a bit of a shock about it. Other long ago retirees have been paying little or nothing for their supplemental insurance whereby Butch and I have been paying a tidy little sum per month. The pendulum  for us has swung the other way. Come January we will be getting a raise.

Taken while sitting at my computer in the early morning. I love the way the light comes through the tree. Hard to capture but that was my goal in taking this photo.

My work on the path has commenced.

The installation of the east breezeway door looks great . Still need to get some siding and paint the trim but we are very happy with the final product.

RV backing? Get on same signal "wavelength."

A Lesson for us all...Rvers that is. But could be useful for anyone who needs to guide someone into a parking space.

RV backing? Get on same signal "wavelength.": 'via Blog this'

One door down

Yesterday Butch and I were able to get the storm door on the east side of the breezeway hung in place. There is a little finishing work to be done but for the most part it is installed. Now when we get the other one installed on the west side we will be somewhat secure.
I have two more pieces of walkway done with just 24 to go. I have to do them a few at a time or suffer the consequences. It is cloudy today which would be a help but we are obliged to attend a meeting in Ames about changes in our health insurance. Alliant Energy is telling us we have to do it in different manner. We are fairly certain it will be to the companies advantage of course so we are merely going to find out what we must do to deal with it. 

Today on Facebook I saw this little ditty and copied it. Cute!
"I have been to a lot of places, but I've never been in Cahoots. Apparently you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone. I've also have never been in Cognito, either. I hear no one recognizes you there. I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips, thanks to my friends and family. I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump and I'm not much on physical activity."

Yesterday I decided to tackle the pathway from the Moho to the house. Leo planned to do it but lately he has become super busy so I thought there is only one way to get it done and that is to start. I started at the house and the finished work it is not as nifty as I would like but struggling with those 16 x 16 slabs of concrete is no easy feat for me. And speaking of struggling Butch is struggling with the doorway prep in the breezeway. We hope it was just a day for struggling and that things will go better today.

We have three couples that we met at Snow Mountain Ranch now working at Thunder Bay Resort where we were last summer. Naturally I have been thinking of them quite a bit, wondering how things are going for them, knowing what they are seeing and most likely doing and envying them just a bit. They must be busy as I am not seeing much posting from any of them. It will be fun meeting up with them this fall and getting their take on things.

Leo called us last night and told us his dog Lexi had a mishap. Leo was roughhousing with Lexi on the bed and Lexi fell off dislocating a joint in a leg. The vet came out and something clicked putting it back together and Lexi seems to be fine now. But no more roughhousing for Lexi. Leo called to warn Butch as he too likes to roughhouse with Lexi.

This afternoon I have an appointment for a "real" haircut. I have Butch cut my hair much of the time and he does a good job but every now and then I need a professional one. So today is the day. Butch needs a haircut too and if I can ever get him to sit still long enough and the sweat isn't running off his forehead I will get it done. Have you ever tried to cut someones hair when they are perspiring excessively? It isn't easy.

Sunday Ride

Sunday I went for a bike ride in the morning. Sunshiny perfect weather for a ride. I went a little further than the last time. As I am riding along with birds singing, crickets chirping, wildflowers blooming and the sunlight playing in the shadows of trees, I was wishing I could share the time, place and conditions with every one of you. That is what brought me here. 


Butch continued working on the breezeway wanting to get it closed in asap. Yesterday we made a run to Des Moines with Leo's pickup to get some storm doors for the breezeway. We were also lucky enough to find a new shower door for the moho. Ours went bad and there was no fixing it. Really...we even called the manufacturer of the motorhome and the company that made the shower door is no longer in business and we had looked in all the usual shower door buyng places. Then yesterday we stopped at Plumb Supply and they could order one that would fit and we were happy. Then by chance we stopped at Menards and wonder of wonders they had one in stock that would fit. I am saying all this with the hope that it will fit as it isn't installed just yet. The measurements are correct so we will see. I will be happy. When I shower Butch has to help me and yes I do know how that sounds. The door has to be lifted in order to settle into place and I am unable to do that so I get into the shower and he shuts the door for me. I can get out after my shower but he once again has to close the door. It is a pain for me and I am sure for him too. Grateful and happy I will be when we once again have a shower door that works. AND that was the third thing to go amiss on the motorhome so hopefully we are back in a smooth place.


So now- Do you see the howling Coyote in this cloud?

Taken yesterday while waiting for Butch at Plumb Supply.

Firemen of long ago.

Ken Pederson ( upper right) lives across the street from us and he brought this copy of a newspaper clipping over for Butch to see. We enjoyed it very much as it brought back many memories of when these fellows were the young bucks in town..

A special Day

I was busy cleaning house and Butch was busy with the east wall in the breezeway when the phone rang and it was Jason. He said, "Wanna go to an auction?'. I said that I would check with Butch and see if he was up for it. He was. So we cleaned up a bit and met Jason and Laura at the auction in Grand Junction. This was a big auction and at one time the people who lived there were among the very rich. The house was set in a wooded area at the end of main street. Three acres of land with a servants house besides the main house. The house was 4 stories tall if you counted the basement and attic. The attic held an old-fashioned pool table with three  2 inch plus thick slabs of slate. We had one very similar when we lived in Aurora Ne. We moved it from Jefferson to Aurora. It had been in the pool hall in Jefferson years ago. I bought it from Beachy Kendall whose father owned the pool hall. I am sure it is still in the house in Aurora because they are extremely hard to move. We all do things in our youth we wouldn't dream of doing in our old age. Moving a slate-topped pool table is one of them. 
This house was wonderful and so many things to see in it. Like tapestry on the walls. At first you thought it was wallpaper but closer looks said it was a fabric. The many details of this house were extraordinary.  And it had been filled from basement to roof with antiques.. The roof was tiled by the way. So was the servants house and they perhaps will take tiles from it to repair the main hose. The house was not kept up so the young folks who bought it will be many years and many dollars getting it all renovated.  They paid $75,000 for it. It will be even more remarkable when they have it all finished if it does not kill their bodies and souls.

The servants house

I remember what this chair brought-$275

Baby buggy

An old pump organ.

The electrical worms nest

Sinks in the basement

This does not give you a true size of the house.

Part of the auction crowd

Old trees have a beauty all their own.

The elves live here. I am guessing the elves wear fur coats.

After the auction we all came back to our place. Jack Lewis brought us some tomatoes and corn and stayed awhile to visit.

After Butch and crew had margaritas we went to the Mexican restaurant  Casa de Oro for supper. Butch and I had Nachos and they were very good.

Then after supper we drove by Colleens house because for a long time I had wanted Jason to see it and it seemed the time was right. We stayed for a good long time and the conversation was wonderful. It was getting dark by the time we left. It was a wonderful and surprising day all round. A serendipitous day.

Hummers in Alaska

 But Alaska isn't the only place this can happen. We did the same thing in Colorado at Snow Mountain Ranch. We didn't get the fancy photography however. It is amazing and so special to experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=EUEZkwJulBY