Ready or not--here I come

Just a couple more of the Great Blue Heron. Stalking something. He crept along so carefully.


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It is supposed to still be another hot one here today. Right now the sun is behind clouds and not horribly hot yet. It clouded up late yesterday and there was a strong breeze. We were hoping for rain, but nothing came of it.

Our yard is almost completely brown...we don't try to water it. Just too much to do on city water. Our city used to give summer discounts, but they stopped that a few years ago. We still water our tomatoes, bell peppers, and flowers. I do not think any of them would survive without it.

I am not sure what we are doing today...may just stay home. We were thinking of going to get Lorelei but she has a summer cold and does not feel good at all. I talked to Sarah last night and she ask Lorelei if she wanted to talk to Mamaw and the first words out of her mouth were, "I want to come to your house, Mamaw!" I promised her that as soon as she got to feeling better that we would come get her.

A road in Illinois..

We went for a little drive today. We have had two or three people mention a barn near West Union, Illinois. One day a few months ago, we drove around down there looking for it...almost exclusively on the east side of Route 1. Well, today we took a road going west, and just rambled around. Almost all the way down to Robinson.

I never did see any barn that was special...yet I don't even know what I am looking for. Just from the way it is mentioned to me, I would instantly recognize it as what they are talking about.

Either way, we were not out at a good time...so many of my photos were NOT GOOD. I have not taken the time to see what I could do in photoshop. I am not getting my hopes up. But I sure would like to go back down that way on a better day, preferably one of those crisp, clear fall days....or one after a rain. Either early in the day or late in the evening.

Someone mentioned fall at a blog I was visiting...saying that even though they liked fall, they weren't ready for it. I am always ready for fall....it is my favorite season. Don't get me wrong, I am always so glad to see spring, and I love somethings about summer...and I love to get out in the snow with camera in hand....but oh, I would love it if fall always lasted a little bit longer...with warm days right up into November. And the leaves aglow with color.

And windswept skies...and hearing the crickets start...and apples getting ripe...seeing the farmers out in the fields. Hearing the corn rustle if the wind blows...that is just a wonderful sound.

I will leave with the following video...even if the music sounds too--oh, I don't know the word...listen to the words. I am pretty sure it is where I got the term windswept sky; I know I have heard it used other places but this song almost always comes to mind when I use the term...so listen and see what you think.

Yesterday's activities....

I have looked and looked and looked for a picture of Big Raccoon Creek that is taken on up the way from here....instead, all it has done is make me really late in posting. So just going to post this of the creek taken at the Bridgeton Mill.

I did make the binding for my small quilt yesterday....wish now I had made the binding for Roger's quilt but instead I got my machine cleaned and oiled, and the quilting foot on.

Then we got started talking about going fishing and headed out to Mansfield...a family was there swimming. So went to the tail waters of the dam on up the way. We fished a little bit and then someone came and got right on top of us. So, we left and went back by Mansfield to see if the family was there...they weren't but new people had come.

So we headed to the iron bridge on up the creek from Bridgeton....not sure what time it was by the time we got there, but probably 5:30 or 6:00. My first cast a nice small-mouthed bass hit, and I caught two or three more, each one smaller than the last...then I caught a creek chub...I absolutely cannot stand to handle those things. I am embarrassed to admit this, but had Roger get it off the hook. And I would have if he hadn't been there and always have in the past. I will do any other fish and not mind, but those things are just creepy to me.

Anyway, we waded and fished. We have spent so many hours in that creek when the kids were young. We would fish and they would play and catch anything that moved. We could almost hear them last night, their memory lingers there. And Roger was recalling them having a water snake cornered...I don't know if he made them leave it alone or if he let them go on...but either one of the girls would have caught it and not thought much about it. Although, they are sort of aggressive, so not sure if it was very big if they would have.

It has been a long time since I waded and fished...for a while it made me dizzy to look at the flowing water...then discovered if I put my bifocals on top of my head that it didn't bother me. But I have to have them with me to change lures.

Anyway, it was 9:00 when we got back to the bridge...at least a half hour to get home, then had to warm up supper. And both of us were so tired we just didn't want to move.
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We did get just a sprinkle of rain...here it didn't even get the sidewalks good and wet.