Busy Weekend

 Gary brought his RV to our backyard RV site to get it ready for the season. It is the perfect spot for doing that and having 2 RV businesses in town is another plus. You know, in case you need a replacement part. That has happened more than once through this procedure. 

So taking advantage of the situation the "guys" Butch, Rich, Gary, and Jason hit the links at The Hill golf course and played 18 holes. We followed that up with supper at Casa de Ora. Always a good choice. And then topped it off with ice cream at The Twin Shoppe. 

Oh yes, I cannot forget we had some delicious pie Made by Keri! Can't go wrong there.

The summer season has begun and the entire country and maybe the world is playing catch up! And now I will play catch up with pictures taken in the last few days.

Gary and Susan gave us their pool cue holder so now we have a home for all our cues, accumulated from various sources.

 

Gary and Susan's RV- Ours is on the site behind theirs.

   

The new sidewalk- A bit on the high side. We may be in danger of falling off, a trade-off from not being covered by water. It's always something!

 

This shot was taken from the alley. Makes it look very small, don't ya think?

Also taken from the alley, showing our two RV sites...and Butch on a ladder!

Another view...

This was taken looking out from our back door of the house. Another view of Butch on a ladder...

IN? or OUT?

 It seems no one knows if we are in the pool hall or the house or the motorhome for that matter. So I decided to devise a low-tech solution to help clarify the issue. I didn't wish to use Open or Closed for obvious reasons so I am using IN or OUT. I am hoping the sign on the door can be seen from the street. 

Now we have to remember to change it appropriately. Looking forward to seeing you!

Sidewalk-Done Deal!

 

Our House Wren--

SURPRISE'S!

 I arose this morning and watered my plants. It has been in the 90's every day. I was surprised that they were not drier than they were. 

When I came inside I was enjoying my coffee when I decided to look up how to recover Linux on a Chromebook. More than a year ago I accidentally removed it from my Chromebook and try as I might I could not get it back and my Chromebook seemed to be toast. My son Gary was here at the time and he tried too. My Chromebook is what I use for Trivia so I was perplexed and dismayed. So I bundled it up and took it to Texas thinking I might work on it last Winter. I didn't. So I was looking up info on my main PC about fixing Chromebooks. And was told that Linux had little or nothing to do with a Chromebook. I came upon some steps to take to fix it and thought they looked quite easy so I went to the motorhome to get it, brought it up to have a look and it looked very familiar. I signed in just like I used to and it all worked! I do not know how or why it would suddenly started working a year later but I am happy as a clam! And very surprised!

So then...there was a knock on our back door. It was our cement people coming early to do our back sidewalk! By day's end, we will have it done. 

So it has been a day of very pleasant surprises!

Lots going on...

 We told our cement people they could do our back sidewalk from the back of the house to the back door of the pool hall anytime. So we gave them a nudge when we first got back and he was in the field planting. So we waited...and waited. Nudged again a week or so ago and finally reached him in person yesterday. It seems the cement place charges a $500 fee if your cement order is too small so he tacks it onto a bigger job to avoid that small job fee. That's the bad news- the good news is we will see him next week!

And then a while back, Butch contacted some tree people who were working a block away and a guy named Squirrel was supposed to see us. Squirrel didn't show but his boss called and said he would come to look at the job. He came by on Monday. Butch and I had a "pool" going to see how much it would cost. I said $700 and Butch said $1200 so when Eric L. said $400 Butch was tickled pink that he lost the "pool". Butch is having the tree topped. They are coming sometime next week. Wanna bet on what day that might be? For the local folk who want to know what outfit this tree crew is out of, it's ArborPro Tree Service out of Fort Dodge.

So lots going on next week...

Butch's Birthday is today and he is the big Eight OH!. He says "So What." and I do have to agree with him. It is just a number. And he wears it very well. Miracles do happen. He is even starting to listen to me! Who knew!!

Saving the bloomers

 I was gifted with a cemetery planter box. The plants were really quite healthy. I expected them to need plenty of loving care and some time in my "nursery." I have this area in the backyard where plants seem to thrive. Yes, it is where the aforementioned sewer cleanouts are located.  

I have had a Christmas cactus for several years now that really loves that spot. Karla has a "child" from this plant at her house and it is thriving there too. Karla tells me that the plant really has the attributes of a Thanksgiving cactus. I really did not know the difference but it would coincide with when I bought it at Costco. My friend Liz also has a start from this same plant. Liz asked me to bring it home so it could be hospitalized too. The mother plant succumbed to the big freeze in South Texas this past winter. It was too cold for too long.

So all of these plants have had their surgeries and are ready to grow like crazy. They do get watered with rainwater. I swear by this magic elixir for plants.

So here are their baby pics. I will give progress reports as we go.

Pool Hall Update Photos

 Yes, my friends, it gets used every day. After Jeopardy we play till time for supper. 4:00 PM Stop by!

Still need to get the green shutters for the window. And that involves a trip to Ames. Our very conservative selves think a 80 mile round trip for one item is unnecessary.

Bird Pics

 Finch

Our very special House Wren.

Today’s thought

 “Not everything is supposed to become something beautiful and long-lasting. Sometimes people come into your life to show you what is right and what is wrong, to show you who you can be, to teach you to love yourself, to make you feel better for a little while, or to just be someone to walk with at night and spill your life to. Not everyone is going to stay forever, and we still have to keep on going and thank them for what they’ve given us.” ―Emery Allen

Dry spell

 It seems the daily rains have stopped and it has been five days without a drop. I almost forgot to water the few flowers I have that I try to keep alive! So many things in the Spring wait for good weather to take care of and then when it rains nearly all the time those things get put on the back burner. So there you have it! We are all a month behind and trying to catch up. 

Today I put some of the things that were put in disarray last year with our sewer debacle back in business. There are two sewer clean-outs in the backyard that I have configured to assist Butch with his mowing. It makes it easier to mow around the cleanouts.

I came across two pieces of drainage pipe at an auction several years ago and I thought they would make the perfect covers for the cleanouts and I could add flower pots to the tops to dress them up even further. I probably paid $2 for them and they have given me many years of service. It took me a while but I found photos I took in June of 2016 of the set-up. The cleanouts are underneath these pipes.

 And we are back at ground zero after last summer's "fun". But it is a start!

That is a wren in case you are wondering. I may buy some late-season "rescue plants" to have something suitable for the drain pipe thrones. 

On Wednesday we took care of another issue that developed from a neighbor's clogged eaves overflowing from the rain with nothing to stop it and thus covering our path stones to the MoHo with mud. The whole purpose of the path was to get to the MoHo without walking through grass and/or mud. So we repositioned and refurbished about 5 stones to return our path to something useful. There is still more to do there but it will have to wait its turn.  

It does seem that we have stacked up a vast amount of projects in the past two to three months.

So now you know I have not been ignoring you. I am peddling as fast as I can!

Edit!

I forgot to add the path repair. You may be able to see the 5 we worked on with close examination.

My Phone

 Want to know why I love my phone? When I bought my phone it was a newish thing as not many had a pixel phone. I cannot, off the top of my head, remember when I bought it but I think it was about 3 years ago. I came across this article about my phone and it said exactly what I love about my phone.

https://www.reviewgeek.com/85061/forget-the-camera-the-real-google-pixel-superpower-is-phone-calls/

I would hate to give up the screen call feature.

More Spring Lake Photos

https://www.mycountyparks.com/county/Greene/Park/Spring-Lake-Park.aspx

I recently learned that rocks with bands in them are sometimes called Wishing Rocks. This one was located in front of the Sycamore cabin

This is a photo shot into the ravine at the back of the cabin.

Here is a website about the  2 cabins: https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Greene/Park/Spring-Lake-Park/Facility/Cabin-01-Cottonwood.aspx This is the Sycamore Cabin.

Butch and Greg

😊These pics were taken at the Catholic Church playground located a block from us. The Leo and Keri Grands call it the Butch and Barb park I am told. Jorgen and Beckett

Jorgen

Playground monitor Keri

 

I caught Beckett, the bravest of the brave, in mid-flight!

 

Clara, the only girl of the bunch, is fearless and very confident of her own abilities.

 

Jorgen, Clara's big brother and another of the brave warriors of the playground.

 

Spring Lake Cabins

 Our little county park of Spring Lake has always played a part in my life, particularly the early years, before my father died. In the summer and before air conditioning we would eagerly wait for Dad to get off work at 5:00 and hurry home so we could go to the lake. We would rush to get our swimsuits on and get into the water. It seemed we were there a long time and sometimes I think we were, as the sun would be setting when we headed home. We always changed into our clothes and when we headed home we would hold our wet suits out the open window to wind dry them on the 7 miles ride back to town. 

The Leo and Keri family are staying in one of the 3 cabins that are now at Spring Lake for rentals. They were not a part of my youthful experience but they are really cool. We were wanting to see what they were like so we stopped out this afternoon.

Here are some photos I took:

Erin Westergard

Joe Davis

Clara likes fruit

Cold Spell

 Suddenly we are back to early April. Yesterday they told us that the daytime temperature for Iowa hit a record LOW. Don't remember exactly but I think it was 49.  Yuck! And it was Mickey's birthday! Not too much better today. We had Mickey over for BBQ ribs. I had posted the recipe a while back. They lived up to my memory of how good they were and Mickey agreed that they were good. I will use a larger crockpot next time. A 4 quart instead of a 3. But that is about the only thing I would change. 

Here is the recipe again in case you missed it the first time.

Memphis Pit BBQ Ribs
What You’ll Need:
1 blender ( I didn’t use a blender)
1 4-quart crockpot
1 baking sheet
aluminum foil
basting brush
5 pounds (2 full racks) of pork spare ribs
1 apple
1½ cups applesauce
1 diced onion
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
18 ounces BBQ sauce
What You’ll Need:

Okay, now let’s get down to business. First, arrange your spare ribs in a circle around the edges of your slow cooker. Continue layering the meat until it reaches the top, but has a large hole in the middle. In this center section, place your cored and sliced apple.

Now for the marinade. In a blender, combine your apple sauce, onion, sugar, and vinegar along with half of your BBQ sauce. Puree until smooth and then pour the whole thing over the top of your apple slices and meat. Cover and cook on high for about 5 hours. When you come back, try to resist sneaking a taste. Instead, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the ribs separately onto the surface.
Using your brush, baste the remaining BBQ sauce over the top and sides of your spare ribs. Broil for 5 to 10 minutes and plate as soon as possible for the best and most unique version of this classic we’ve ever tasted!

My notes:

I cut the ribs into 2 bone servings. And I blended the marinade by hand as I didn’t see the need to dirty another appliance.

Everything Takes Longer

😒 As we age things that used to take 15 minutes now take an hour. We once lived on a lake in a 3 story home and I would tackle cleaning all 3 floors in one day. Didn't think much about it at the time. It would surely be a 3-day project now...or hire it done. I did have help with the cleaning when I worked at the medical clinic. Her name was Linda and she was a story in herself.

Synopsis: She was married but getting a divorce. Her husband did not want a divorce. She wasn't sure either but her other love wanted to marry her too. Both men knew of each other. She was adamant that she loved them both and could not make up her mind. She was a puzzle to me and still is. I do not know the ending to this story so now you can stay mystified along with me. She cleaned the house very well.

Now back to the real world. I decided to paint the 3 doors, 2 in the pool hall and our home's red front door was fading to pink and needed a new coat of Simply Red (2014) paint. I thought I could whip this out in a couple of hours. It took me the rest of the day and it isn't done yet. The exteriors of the pool hall doors are still waiting for their coats.

I have another rainy day project going as well. I am putting a lifetime of photos on an external hard drive. That isn't difficult. I have done it before. But this time I am trying to label them as to the event, year, people etc. So now it becomes monumental! I might get done. It has been raining a lot but not all day.