The day begins...

First of all, I took these photos a bit back....and re-sized them but never got around to showing them. I don't know what the above caterpillar becomes...I first thought that maybe a Pearl Crescent, but when googling Pearl Crescent cater pillar, this is not among the images shown. So I have no idea what it is going to become.


I had tried to capture the Pearl Crescent butterfly other times and they were not very cooperative. However, they were enjoying the jewel weed so much that I had not trouble getting near....

**************************
The move went smoothly for Sarah and Jeremy....Neal and his wife came and helped unload, as well as a couple of their friends, plus Jeremy's brother and his wife. Little Lorelei definitely enjoyed the second day better than the first because her little cousin was there, plus other kids.

BUT.....she had only taken a 45 minute nap on Friday, did not get to bed till 10:30 or 11:00, and up at 7:00 Saturday morn. No nap that day, and she did not want to settle down to go to sleep, but when she did she was back up in an hour or two for a while.

We spent the night and came home Sunday evening...I think it was a rough night for Lo that night too, but yesterday she settled down for a nap easily....after Sarah got her her Elmo, her big fuzzy Bee pillow and her hard plastic cow! She wanted Otti Doddie but Sarah felt like that was little bit too much.

I don't think I mentioned that during the past week or two, one day Lorelei would try to get Otto to chase her and she would throw herself in the floor, trying to get him to get her like he did in the videos in the link above. And she was doing that Sunday...she just thinks it is so funny. I don't know if he would ever be protective of her...he just doesn't meet strangers. But a lot of the time, when Lorelei is outside, he lays not too far from her.

I don't know if I have told this or not, but Lorelei loves dirt! She likes to take her shovel and find a dusty place and cover herself and Otto with dirt...and Otto just lets her. Actually, you can do anything to him, and he just doesn't care. You cannot hurt him. That is one of the reasons they were the #1 pet in America at one time... Anyway, after an afternoon of playing in the dirt, their mommy has to hose Otto down, and take Lo inside and give her a bath....

I must say I sure enjoy him...I fell asleep on Sarah's couch Saturday night, and he came and laid right beside me up against the couch. Every now and then he would raise up, maybe lay his face on the edge of the couch and stare at me, and then lay back down and curl up right back against the couch.

I think we have to make a trip to Terre Haute here in a bit...not sure when I will catch up with everyone...I am hoping tonight I get some un-interrupted time to visit my favorite blogs..

From a year ago

Just for the sake of having a photograph, I am showing this one taken one year ago...I guess fall is arriving right on time this year. I notice a tree over on the next street starting to turn...and see splotches of color every now and then. I really am looking forward to the changing colors.

I am running on empty....we spent the day at Sarah's. The trucks are packed, the house is practically empty.....hopefully by this time tomorrow night we will all be asleep at her new house. I didn't do much other than try to keep Lorelei entertained, but had stuff to do when I got home and have just now finally finished.

Jeremy and Sarah have some really great friends....there were three there when we got there this morn and none of them were slackers. They got the house cleaned out in no time. One couple had to leave, but they waited till all the heavy stuff was loaded...which means that almost all of it was done. One guy had come home from Indy with Jeremy last night to drive one of their cars home...he left sometime in the afternoon....and he will be at their new house tomorrow to help unload. One of the guys was there still there when we left....

And they are all kids we like...the instant we meet them. Just hard working, good hearted kids. Oh, and Lorelei likes them all! That should tell you a whole lot right there.

Not sure when I will get to blog again or visit anyone...I have photos scheduled for my other blog...but nothing planned for here. So I will see you in two or three days probably.

Grasshoppers and childhood....

Does anyone else think of childhood when they see grasshoppers? I swear, I don't think there is a time when I see them that I don't think of childhood. First of all, my own childhood. I just remember everywhere I went, the grasshoppers were always jumping every which way in front of and beside me. To walk through a hayfield or tall grass was something else! They were just everywhere, and lots of them...all sizes. I am not sure, but I think we shot them with BB guns also...or maybe it was my brother and my nephew that shot at them....but if they did, then I am sure I was involved in it too but the memory is so vague I just cannot be positive.

And I remember the cats catching them and eating them.

Then I think of my own girls...I don't know of any other kids that did the things we let them do. Like I can remember them catching this one grasshopper and putting him in a quart jar and poking holes in the lid. And they would gather grass for it....I cannot remember how long they kept him, but he doubled in size! And I am pretty sure they set him free before the summer was over.

They also had the Monarch chrysalis and witnessed the butterfly emerge....

When they were young, up around 8 and 10, and along about that age, for two or three summers we kept one of those little wading pools in the back yard. You know, the hard plastic kind like this. You might ask what kids that age would want with one of those pools...well, we brought home tadpoles, Pumpkinseed bluegills, crawdads, and waterboatmen....I guess you would say it was an aquarium of sorts. We watched the bluegills grow, watched tadpoles change to frogs, we even had a crawdad that had a bunch of babies....I think that is the one and only time I witnessed that....and I think they brought the waterboatman home just because they could....that is all I remember them having, but I might be forgetting something.

But all these memories are jogged every time I see grasshoppers.

A Question Mark?

I am pretty sure this is a Question Mark butterfly...I only got to snap this single photo. He seems to be on the shy side...I have seen it or one just like it several times but it never pauses very long. And for sure not if I approach it....with or without camera.

There are more butterflies here this year than I have ever noticed before...Puss Puss has a fun time trying to catch them. I saw her come carrying a Monarch yesterday evening, but she let it get away.

Oh, last night we went out to the garage real late....to check on something about the doors Roger is making for the old garage. We spotted three little tree frogs on the side of the garage! One of them looked just the exact color of the siding, one had more green to it, and one was down so close to the ground that I didn't get down and inspect it. I am so thrilled to have seen that many.

One summer there were all kinds of toads in the yard, but I have not seen that many since. In fact, only see one occasionally. I think our 'pet' must have died...the last time we seen her she was about double the size she is in the post above. Notice the size in comparison to the hand. The last time we had it, it was almost wider than our hand!

Something for me??

I couldn't help but think that this little fellow was hoping I had something for it. I say fellow, but I have a feeling it was a little gal. We seen it up by Shipshewana...I assume they are raising it by hand.

When I was a kid I helped to raise a couple calves....we didn't use a bottle, but a bucket that had a big rubber nipple on the outside similar to this. Ours was made of metal, and it also had a way for us to hang it from a board if we wanted. But I never wanted to...feeding baby calves was a fun thing to do in my opinion. And still would be for that matter. We didn't raise very many that way, and now I cannot even remember where they came from.

Then later, when Roger and I lived in Tennessee we raised two on bottles...I don't remember why we chose bottles. Either way was fun....

We would buy the formula in what I assume was 25 lb. bags and mix a bucket/bottle of it and head for the barn. Of course we mixed a small amount to begin with and increased the amount as the calf grew. I know we had to teach a calf how to use the bucket, but it was never hard to do. Since then, I have heard so many times of calves just being taught to drink it like it is water and I wonder if that would have worked. I still would do it the way with did it or with bottles, simply cause I would enjoy it...but when you hear of something being done different to the way you have done things, you tend to wonder how well it works that way.
*************************

I did get my project made yesterday...I am so relieved to have it done. Now I can start on something fun...I have another small quilt top I want to make. Then when it is done, I want to quilt it and the other baby quilt that I just recently made.

For right now, I have to head to Sarah's....she has more packing to do.

In the wind again!

The photo above is just a sample of what we saw Sunday....click to make it bigger till you can see it better. We counted 7 butterflies in it...

Then there were these butterflies...I have just started seeing them this year. I don't ever recall seeing them before, but maybe I did and just don't remember. The width of the yellow bands almost makes me think it is two different kinds, but maybe it just signifies male and female. I am thinking they are the Giant Swallowtail, so if you know for sure one way or the other, please chime in in the comments.

Then there is the little guy below...
We saw just a few of them...not sure what kind it is. Probably a Frittillary but I am not sure which one. It was much smaller than the swallowtails and the monarchs.

*****************
I have clothes hanging on the line, Roger is working on the old garage....actually he is getting ready to make doors for it. He is going to make them to look like barn doors. He is having to do some other work first.

I went down to sew some this morn, and discovered I had cut some pieces of my project the wrong way...so I am having to 'fix' my problem before I can really get down to sewing. I was tired when I cut the pieces and I know better than to do anything that requires thinking when I have that worn out feeling. I know what I done, and it was dumb, dumb, dumb! But mom always said if you hadn't made mistakes, you hadn't ever done anything....so will try to look at this as a learning experience.

I don't mind that tired feeling if I have actually been working, but I hate that just going shopping totally wears me out. I hate shopping because of that...the only time I enjoy it is when I go Christmas shopping. And even then I still suffer that totally worn out feeling, but I still enjoy shopping for gifts.

P.S. I forgot to add that it was harder than heck to get any decent photograghs of the butterflies...the wind was blowing the entire time I was there.

Vermillion County Courthouse

We stopped in Newport today...I wanted to take a photo of our courthouse...after seeing Noble County Courthouse, this one was a little boring. In fact, of all the courthouses I have seen around here, ours is probably the most boring to look at from the outside. It has been years since I have been inside...
************
I saw red, red leaves today...as well as the other day just a house or two away from Sarah. The humidity has been down some the past few days. I am feeling fall drawing near every morn or every evening that I set outside in the swings. This year, I suppose it will be bittersweet, with both girls moving.

My older daughter has about a month of training left....she is doing well in it. Both the physical and the book learning. I wish I could remember the details of some of her physical training...I don't think I could have did it when young. The other days was this: 12 stations of calisthenics...1 min of cal then run a lap to following station....another involved an Indian run....along with all the other calisthenics. She has been pushing herself for the past 3 years and it has paid off.

Old Blue Eyes again

I spent most of the past two days down at Sarah's...she had a yard sale today to get rid of some stuff till they wouldn't have to move it to Indianapolis. I managed to snap a couple pictures of Miss Busy Britches....you just have to click on them to get the full effect of those blue eyes.
Actually I snapped more but these are the best two....it is so hard to catch her still long enough to get a good photo.

I have been sitting here almost giggling to myself...thinking of the way she runs. Sarah's sister-in-law was there today and she noticed it. She puts her arms straight and sort of back a little bit and bends forward and runs...just sort of all out for her. Her head leading the way... I wish I had a video to show. It makes us all giggle.

She has two Noah's in her life, and she loves them both. She has the Noah who is the son of one of Sarah's childhood friend, but she also has a neighbor across the street named Noah. He is either a couple weeks older or younger than Lorelei. Well, neighbor Noah had been gone on vacation last week and they got home yesterday evening sometime after I left.

I would have loved to witness the reunion...Sarah was doing something outside and heard Lorelei getting excited...and she turned around and there she was at the fence, reaching through for him. I can only imagine the excitement...I was there today and Noah's dad came walking over with him....when Lorelei saw him she just started giggling. It makes everyone laugh to see and hear her.

A little fellow.....

Roger headed out to the garage last night, but was back inside in just a second and told me to get my camera....this little tree frog is what he had spotted. Notice how his legs really blend in with the siding on the garage?
The above photo is a cropped version of another one...I was so happy with this. I was amaze it was even half in focus because it was dark outside with only the light from the corner of the garage.

At home, we had a wisteria growing at the end of the porch...and often times we would see a tree frog on the window in the living room...I think it traveled out the wisteria and got on the window from one of the vines. He was at least 10-15 times bigger than this little guy! This one would almost have fit on a quarter, and for sure on a half dollar.

For a while, every time I sat on the front porch here, I would hear one but have yet to spot it. It sounds as if it could be quite a bit bigger than this one, if you can go at all by sound.

And remember when we were kids and would go out on the playground at school, and there would be little tiny frogs everywhere? Or did that not happen any where else. We never did know where they came from...but there would be hundreds of them and they were easy to catch they were so plentiful. If I remember correctly, they would only be there a day or two and then we just didn't see them any more.

There wasn't any pond of water anywhere close, though I do think if it rained enough over in the pasture next to the school grounds there would be a big puddle. It was just strange...I cannot remember seeing that happen anywhere else...but it happened there several different years.

Rays of sunshine...

This is one of my sunflowers...I only have about 4 plants and not sure one of them is going to make it. They are the kind that have big heads...

As you know Lorelei's mom is moving a couple hours away. They had to do the closing this morning, so we went and spent the night there till they would not have to get Lorelei up to go with them. And we would be there and not have to get up super early to go in. They were leaving at 7:30.

So, we got to be there again when Miss Lorelei got up from a night sleep. It is just so special...she wakes in the best mood. And she is just so bright-eyed and fresh. It is just like having a little bit of sunshine in the room with us. I tell you we sure have a good time with her. She tries to say whatever we tell her if she thinks she has a chance at all...and she does seem to know the words she would have problems with and skips them.

She has an active imagination...we just can't decipher what she is saying most of the time. She is always putting her toys down to go night-night....as well as us by pushing us down. She loves to drag out a quilt and play in it....she wants to cover us up, then sit in it, crawl under it and out of it...just has the best time doing that.

I wish I could capture these moments and drag them out at any time to see them. I did not have my camera, but even if I did, it would not be the same. The looks are only fleeting looks...and she is never still anyway. So I try to imprint the pictures on my mind till they will last forever...
********************
So, I have got to tell these little details about Sarah and Jeremy's buying and selling houses...

The house they just sold, they bought from an Art teacher....

The house they signed the papers on today...the wife had been an Art teacher but quit teaching to take time to raise their kids.

Oh, and Sarah's college degree is in Art.

Okay, you think what's special about that...not a lot, I guess but I think it is just funny they would buy houses two times from an artist.

But it doesn't end there. Sarah and Jeremy live in Terre Haute right now...the couple they are buying the house from is from Terre Haute and they both graduated from the same high school Jeremy went to.

Now this couple happens to be personal friends with their realtor and his wife...and his wife was there today. Now, it so happened that the realtor Sarah and Jeremy used over there had went to elementary school with that realtor's wife!

What a small world we live in....

Something to make you smile...

Well, I had a little video of Lorelei to show, but when I upload it to You Tube, I lose the sound, and that is the whole point of the video. Does anyone know what could be happening to cause this?

So, I will leave you with the man in the tree....I don't have a tree big enough to put one in, but I sure have seen some of these that I like. Some that really look as if they were almost part of the tree and not something added to the tree.

I

My little sidekick

Yesterday while Roger went fishing with a buddy, I took off to run through the strip pits and maybe go for more of a drive. I seen frogs, butterflies, one pheasant and one quail....none of the things that fly cooperated at all...and only one photo of a frog.
I passed on through the strip pits coming out just over the state line in Illinois...and drove north for the most part. I came to this section of road that had fresh clover blossoms and in general was just a grassy area, with butterflies that were much more willing to pose. I had one land on me and I shooed it off without thinking. Then this one landed on my arm.

I took a few photos with it there, but I could not get my arm in a position and far enough away at the same time for it to be in focus...the auto focus on my longer lens does not work so all that was left was to move my arm to try to get it in focus. The above is one of those photos.
I took some other pictures with it staying on my arm, so I though I might as well try something...so I put my finger up there and it crawled on to that hand. It was on my left arm so, I had to use my right hand. So, since I am right handed and could not operate the camera at all with my left hand, I had to transfer the little guy back over to my left hand...so, here's a photo from that.

I tried to go on about my business and leave it alone while I took photos of other butterflies, but it insisted on staying at the ends of my fingers so I had actually shake it and make it leave.

I don't know what type of butterfly it is, and too tired to try to identify. So, if you know the name, post it in the comments.

Just a bit more about the approaching season...

I did the post last night talking about the coming of fall, and of course I went back in my blog and read This post....I remember hearing that poem read almost like it was yesterday...more the quality of the voice. So, I got to wondering if I could find it on you tube or some such place being read out loud.

Lo, and behold! Listen to what I found! I could not believe it. It is not read as I heard it read the first time...and it is quoted in a different way. But grab your cup of coffee, or your tea, or Coke or whatever you are drinking....sit back and listen....and I do enjoy watching it. He has got a sort of gravelly voice I think so have to listen carefully...

I had sort of planned on going ahead and putting the above video on, but sent it first to my BFF to get her reaction, and then had Roger listen to it...got basically the same reaction from both. It confirmed for me that it was blog-worthy....

and I took these photos just today to go along with it.
I only hope you enjoy the video half as much as we did.

Logansport mural

I took this photo of the Iron Horse as we drove through Logansport, Indiana....I thought it was a fantastic mural. Then, I got home and saw this post by Carletta....now I still like my mural but there is just something about the one she shows that is just fantastic. I am not sure what it is, unless it is maybe a slight feeling of the train really coming through that brick wall and it feels sort of futuristic.
*********
Today has been another day of killer heat here in the Midwest. I am telling you now that I don't even like to go outside in it. I picked okra yesterday and had to pick it again this evening. I cut it up, and fried one batch for supper, and threw meal and flour in the other and made sure it was coated real good, and froze another bag of it. That will be so good come winter time. I will fix soup beans, cornbread and fried okra....there is no finer meal to be had.

I have been sitting outside a little bit after the sun goes down, sometimes just by myself, sometimes when I am talking to Neal. Even though the heat is pressing in even then, there is that certain feel to the air till you know fall is approaching. There is all the singing of the insects...I am not sure what kind of insects they are, but we hear them every summer when fall is approaching.

I have also noticed leaves are beginning to drop from certain trees...my crab apple for one.
And I have even seen a few leaves that have dropped that are gold. And on our way north, and on our way home I noticed a two trees tipped with red! I cannot remember how far north we were though.

Even though our fall promises to be a busy one, I am so looking forward to it. Days that are crisp to begin with but warm up as the sun rises higher in the sky...with big puffy clouds on some of the days at least. You know the type...the ones that make you feel like you could just go on forever. At least that is they make me feel...but instead I wish I could just freeze some of the those moments in time. But since I can't, I at least look forward to capturing some in pixels.

Until then, I will keep plugging away and trying to enjoy the moments as they come.

A blast from the past.....

Showing in the above photo, is John on the Little Red Beauty and I forget who was on Old Blue....John Deere is in front of them....it is a fairly new tractor. The old one gave out just a few years before this photo was taken. The old one was taken to be worked on and the dealer lent us this one to use while they worked on the old one...

Well, it was going to cost so much to fix the old one, they decided to buy this one instead. But first they had to take it back to the shop and put on these small tires. It would not have gone through the orchard in the fall

The Red Beauty is mine...was mine...I have logged many hours and apples and miles on that picker. It has quit on me in more trees than I care to name...I always say I should have had the trees named by the time I left there. I have climbed down the tree more times than I care to count.

There was pruning in the winter, then in the spring sometimes I did thinning by hand. There is a king blossom with other blooms all around it. The king blossom makes an apple first. After those apples from the king blossom are so big, the orchard is sprayed with something to make the other apples fall off. But they don't all fall...and if an apple tree is left with too many apples clustered together, they don't get as big as they would if only an apple or two are left together. So, I ended up going through and pruning by hand.

Also, in the summer is a disease called fireblight...I would make runs through the whole orchard about twice a week cutting out all the fireblight I could find. And before you know it, it is time to start picking apples. The earliest variety we had was the Earliblaze...which is pictured below.

Anyway, I didn't do much today....but in the heat I cannot help but think what I might have been doing were I still working. The above pictures were taken August 10 in 2007....two years after I quit work. That is Earliblaze apples they are picking...so it is possible if I still worked there I would have been picking apples.

Though I sort of miss it, I don't miss the extremes of the weather. The heat of the summer, and the cold of the winter. Yet I would not have missed any of it for anything...it was the ideal job for me.

Fabric decisions....

Mary wondered what kind of fabric I got while in Shipshewana, so I thought I would take pictures to show her everyone else. The top are the Civil War Reproductions, plus the one green on the side is not a Civil War, but was from some time close to that era. Betsy said she like them...I should spread out all I have of those and take a photo or two. Mainly because I have trouble remember which ones I have...but also just to show anyone interested. I am pretty sure I have enough for a full sized quilt.


And the above are my new batiks....they are the ones I really have trouble cutting...I just like to go down and look at them....pet them if you want to know. I am almost to the point where I am going to start some serious cutting with them. Maybe. There is always that fear that I will cut it and then later discover it would have been the perfect fabric for something special.

Anyway, I may have posted the following list sometime way in the past, but I am going to post it again.

Reasons to buy fabric:

1. It insulates the closet where it is kept.

2. It helps keep the economy going. It is our patriotic duty to support cotton farmers, textile mills, and quilt shops.

3. It is less expensive and more fun than psychiatric care.

4. "Oh, it's not for me! I'm buying it for a friend!"

5. My cat/dog needs a fresh, new pile of fabric to sleep on and roll around on at least once a week.

6. Because it's on sale.

7. Okay, it wasn't on sale, but by the time it was, all the good stuff would be gone.

8. A sudden increase in the boll weevil population might wipe out the cotton crop for the next ten years.

9. I'm participating in a contest--the one who dies with the most fabric wins.

10. It keeps without refrigeration, and you don't have to cook it to enjoy it. Also, you never have to feed it, change it, wipe its nose, or walk it.

11. I need extra weight in the trunk of my car for traction on snowy, icy roads. This is important, even in Florida and Southern California, as you never know when the weather will change.

12. Because I'm worth it.

13. It's non-fattening.It has been confirmed by registered dietitians that a fat quarter has 100% fewer calories than a hot fudge sundae.

14. I am working on building a complete collection.

15. Like dust, it's good for protecting previously empty spaces in the house, like the ironing board, the laundry hamper, the dining room table....

16. It's a medical test to see if your husband is still alive. If he is, a fabric purchase will make him start fussing about more fabric in the house.

17. When the Big Earthquake comes, all the quilt shops might be swallowed into the ground and never seen again.

18. Because it's there.

19. It's prettier than salt and pepper shakers.

20. It won't break.

21. A strong interest in fabric purchases will leave you no time to spend in the pool hall or out stealing hubcaps.

22. It's much cheaper to cover the floor with fabric than new carpeting, and you can change the look more often.

23. The devil made me do it.

24. Stress from dealing with the Fabric Control Officer (my husband) made me do it.

25. It's the only remotely artistic thing I have ever done.

26. If all else fails, you can use it for cleaning rags.

27. I'm might set up my own fabric shop and I'll need a starter inventory.

28. To keep the bed from falling down--we all know that most quilters store part of their fabric under the bed.

29. To save a beautiful fabric design for posterity. They might stop making it, and it would be lost to the world forever.

30. Neighborhood children might need just the right color for a scavenger hunt.

31. I need something new for show and tell party games.

32. My friend has more variety than I do, and I have to keep up with her.

33. Because I can't live without it.

34. It fights the empty nest syndrome--my youngest child is getting married, so I have another empty room to fill with fabric.

35. Because this fabric just talks to me and calls my name.

36. It comes in whatever size or quantity you want.

37. It's important to invest in cotton futures.

38. I owe myself a reward for that half-pound I lost last month.

39. I have new shelves for fabric storage, and if I don't fill them up, they won't look right.

40. They get angry when you steal it.

41. It will go with some I bought last year.

42. It's so pretty, and I'll use it some day.

43. I want my daughter to have a proper inheritance.

44. Well-known medical fact: prevents washing machine withdrawal symptoms on light laundry days.

45. Keeps the people who make cardboard inserts in bolts of fabric employed, thus supporting the national economy in yet another way.

46. Assists the little birdies with their nests when scraps, threads, and little whispies are allowed to blow in the wind.

47. Opens up new opportunities for curators and quilt show judges to ply their skills.

48. Ophthalmologists recommend quilting to support the sagging eye glasses industry.

49. Without fabric I would have nothing to do with my rotary cutter and my mat and my sewing machine and my iron and my thread and my needles and my quilting books . . . . . (and my time).

50. I'm setting a good example for my children.

51. There's just one more piece I need, and I'll know it when I see it.

52. Buy it now, before your husband retires and goes with you on all your shopping expeditions.

53. Someone else has cornered the market on hog bellies.

54. It does not promote tooth decay.

55. Nobody told me not to.

56. It's raining (sleeting, snowing, hailing, thundering, sun's too hot?).

57. It's not immoral, illegal, or fattening.

58. It calms the nerves, gratifies the soul, and makes me feel good.

59. Buy it quick, before all the good stuff is gone.

60. Surgeon General says: "Ten yards a day keeps the blues away.

61. Step 32 of Master Plan to drive husband crazy.

62. Everybody else does it.

63. "Oh, what a feeling!"

64. A yard a day is all the quilt shops of America ask.

65. If you don't buy it now, you may never see it again.

66. If I don't buy it, my husband won't have anything to complain about.

67. It was awful! I was trapped in the quilt shop, and the only way out was to buy my way out!

68. Unless my fabric stash is reasonably impressive, people might think my family is destitute, and my children would be embarrassed.

69. A large fabric stash is the sign of a creative mind.

70. "Because I don't have it yet!"

Fresh from the garden...

I picked the okra today, and this is what I got...while I was at it I picked the bell peppers also.
There was enough okra for a nice mess....I cut it and mixed in the meal and froze it for nice treat this winter. And I had enough from day before yesterday fix a smaller mess...
The bell peppers I cleaned and cut and froze....every year I do that and then we use it in chili, and I made what I call a bell pepper casserole. I prefer fresh bell peppers when I make stir-fry, but if I don't have one, I will even use the frozen in it. To at least get the flavor.
***********************
I have shown this before, but have to show it again.

I have to tell you about this morn....

I got up and checked email, and decided to do a load of laundry and hang it out. Puss Puss was the only cat that stayed inside last night...as I passed by the door, I notice Bubbie wanting in. I went to the front door to see if Cougar and Mama Cat were out front, but neither was out there.

I intended to put the laundry in and come right back up and feed the two cats that were in. both cats came down....Bubbie even got up on the washer right in front of me wanting to be petted. I set him down till I could finish. My sewing table sits right behind my washer and he got up there and put his paws up on my back...and I turned around talking to him and he started to nip me! He really wanted my attention...he doesn't do it hard...nothing like to bring the blood or anything. Just his way of saying, "Hey, Look At Me!"

Well, I did pet him, but instead of coming up, I got busy with something else. I was down there quite a while when I heard Roger up. I came up in a few minutes, and he had fed the two cats that were in. But had not looked for the others...by then they were on the front porch and I let them in.

Anyway, Roger proceeded to tell me that Bubbie had got him up. And the video above is so similar to what he done to Roger. Bubbie got up on Roger and pedal pushed...then he would stand there and just stare Roger in the face. Then maybe he would reach under the cover and get Roger with his paw...then back to pedal-pushing with his paws. Then give him the stare. Or maybe get right in his face till his whiskers tickle Roger. No reaction from Roger....so he nips Roger in the side....and Roger really covered up then. And it was back to the pedal-pushing...then the stare till he finally persuaded Roger to get up.

Anyway, this reminded me of the Simon's cat video above...

The way I told this is not half as funny as it is in real life...Roger has me in tears by the time he finishes a tale.

Old jail museum in Albion, Indiana, Noble County.

I seen this roof and had to know what it was. The man we were talking to told us it was the Old Jail Museum....of course it was not open. It was well worth walking an extra block or two to take a few photos. I could not believe it had been a jail.

I was going to title this post something along the lines of 'A man's home is his castle' but decided against it. And I thought about spreading the posts out over a couple of days but will just post the best ones here. The above part shows the jail ....


It was constructed in 1876, to house the convicts and to house the Sheriff's office and to also serve as his home. I cannot imagine living right alongside the inmates.
Wonder what it felt like to call this home?

She's fallen down but she can get up

Just a couple little videos Sarah sent us while we were gone...in the one above Lorelei has not had a nap. She had been dancing and had fell down, but that didn't stop her. She was up and at it again in just a few seconds.



I am not sure what Jeremy was doing, but as you can tell, Lorelei loves to get in the car. If we are putting her car seat in ours, she gets in the front seat and has the best time.

Roof art

I am amazed when I see roof art such as this...the top one we seen on our way to Shipshewana on Monday...I snapped a couple of it as we passed.
Imagine my surprise when we passed this one on our way home. I cannot imagine accomplishing something like this....I would manage to shuffle a couple of them in the wrong place or something.

?????????

If you didn't see the barn I posted yesterday, scroll down and take a look at it. We were on the road heading for home when I took the first view...we did one turn to get the next view...and another turn to get the last view...but when we were getting ready to make the second turn, we were looking across the road to the view above....
We turned and drove a few yards, and you can see the back of the building in the first photo there on the left side...but on past it is the America Clubhouse. I have no information about what it is...


That looks like a soccer ball to me....


On a few feet farther, looking back, the above is the view. There was no way to get a closer view of that dome. I thought there was, so didn't use my zoom lens...so now I regret that.


Across the road from the above buildings is the powerhouse pictured above... it is on the same side of the road as the barn in the previous post. If you were approaching on that road alone, the powerhouse would be seen first.


Across the road from the barn is the building above...looks like a dorm or a school or something.

We were talking to a man at the courthouse just a few miles down the road and he said this place used to belong to the nuns, but had been sold to private owners.

I have tried to find information about it, without too much success. I have found a Convent mentioned that was in Noble county, but not finding any photos to compare. I have also found a Catholic sanatorium mentioned.... I will keep on looking in my spare time and I bet I eventually hit on the history of it. I have figured out that it this place is at Rome City...that is here in Indiana.

We are half way planning on going back up north in the fall sometime...just to poke around. There is just so much interesting stuff right under our nose if we just look.

Coming home today, we came a route different to the one we drove up....we came around curve and there in the distance was this barn. I have no idea of the history....but it is impressive.

Any side photographed, it is big and beautiful.....
it does need repairs though...maybe someday before it is too late it will get them.

I am so tired tonight...I have a lot to say but not the energy to do it. So good night for now...

The day is done....

We got up to a rainy start of the day...not a lot. Not a heavy rain, but just a fine mist for the most part. You can tell by the above photo that it was not a hard rain, but boy, was it overcast.

Everywhere one goes here, the above is a familiar scene. Shipshewana, a very small town, along with the surrounding area is home to a very large Amish and Mennonite community. It is definitely has the most concentrated area of Amish that I have ever been in...but I know that Pennsylvania and Ohio have more. I read somewhere on line that it was the 3rd most concentrated area....I assumed it meant in the total United States. I live near a couple communities and there are not near as many Amish homes in them.

After spending the first 5 or 6 hours in Shipshewana, we got down to the business of driving backroads. I am sorry to say I got no fabulous captures, but it was fun anyway. We were on roads that were one Amish farm after another. This one seemed to have a real love for birds...one has to wonder are all those birdhouses really needed. At the same time, I don't think the Amish would waste time with something that wasn't useful.

The other thing I wonder is how do they get the birdhouses up that far off the ground? If anyone knows the answer, I would appreciate the answer.
************
Just a note to tell you that I am having a real problem staying connected. I play to publish this soon as I get a chance. I was connected for about 5 minutes, then lost connection. It may be tomorrow morning before I have a chance the way it is going.

Through the windshield...

Does this sky look kind of weird to you...it sure was a strange one. The photo was taken through the front windshield, though why I am telling that I do not know...it did not change the way it looked.

I can't remember which road we were on, but it is in northern Indiana. We came up to Shipshewana for a night or two. I made it to two fabric stores today...one is Yoder's. I have been to it once before..and while it is okay, it is not especially impressive.

I did a little research before leaving and found one called Lolly's....it was too impressive. So much to choose from I had a hard time making any choices. But I did choose a few more fabrics from the Civil War reproduction fabrics. Roger loves those, and truth be told, I do, too. Actually there are very few kinds fabrics I don't like....anyway, when I get some of my current projects finished I have a lot more I want to start. One made with the Civil War fabrics is one of them.

Tomorrow we want to go to this huge yard sale that is held ever Tues and Wed through the summer months....we may not like it at all, but we won't know until we go. And we may get there and be pleasantly surprised.

There is a big community of Amish up here...hoping we can get out on some back roads before we go home. We have seen some really interesting looking roads...there is one I want to check out if we don't get any place else.

For right now, I am going to close. Probably won't get to visit many blogs till I get home.

Fence posts are for perching....

I just thought I would show another Dickcissel--again singing his heart out.
The Goldfinches have also started out at the strip pits...they are more intent on working on the thistle seeds than in singing. Not the greatest photo, but not horrible either.
*************
I am not sure how much blogging I will get done in the next few days...I have photos scheduled for Time Stand Still, but have not got anything scheduled ahead for her. I am hoping I at least get time to post but not positive that I will.

The difference a year can make

This is Lorelei last year in September....Lorelei loved to smile and laugh even then. I swear she was born just looking for a reason to laugh and wanting to make us laugh.


This was taken just a week or so ago...if you look closely at her eyes, hey look teary eyed. That is because they were. Her mom had been playing 'bee's knees' with her and she was laughing till tears were in her eyes. In case you are wondering, 'bee's knees' is just something Sarah says while gently getting Lorelei...sort of the same thing as 'bottom feeders', while pretending she is going to pinch her bottom...or 'neck nibblers' while tickling her neck.

You name it and she will love it. Sarah also does a Lorelei sandwich...which is Lorelei in the middle of a hug....normally it was Lorelei and a stuffed toy, but we tried it with the three of us the other day and that was fun. Then Grandpa joined in and she squealed with delight. I would have loved for Jeremy to be there...I cannot imagine what she would have done had he been there.

She pretends to talk on the phone and she always talks to her Da-da! And she wanted to see the baby on the computer (her), so I was showing her. She is the wall paper on both our computers...then I went to my blog and pulled up the Lorelei posts, and there was one with her dad in it, and she just Da-da....with this hint of longing in her voice. She surely loves her dad!

*****************
I have got to tell this little story Sarah told me today. Sarah has a childhood friend who is still one of her best friends. This friend has a little boy named Noah. They had lunch together the other day...along with Noah's grandma and great aunt. Noah and Lorelei are the best of friends...he is almost a year older than her and is just so good to her. For some reason they seem to click. Even at this age.

At lunch, Noah was sitting between Sarah and his mom with Lorelei in the high chair. Lorelei wanted to be beside Noah...so they got her out of the high chair and sat her beside Noah. Well, I don't know how many times he kissed her...and I don't know what all else they did. But this is not the point of this story.

Noah is going to be getting a little baby brother towards the end of the year...a name has not been chosen. Noah's mom told Sarah she had ask Noah what they should name the new baby brother he was going to get. She asked should they name him Jackson....Noah said no. She asked should they name him Abraham...Noah said no. She asked him, "Well, what should we name him?" Noah answered, "Lorelei."