Almost 9 months without a post! Here's a quick "alphabetical recap" of a few of the momentous and mundane things that have happened during the months of this great silence. Astronomy: Pete got a new camera for his telescope and is setting up an astronomy shed.
Books: Lots of reading this year for both of us. I was keeping a record of everything I read this year but fizzled out after 75 sometime in August.
Camping trip to Wisconsin: A return to Brunet Island State Park. Heavenly days of rest.
Canning: The shelves are groaning. You name it, I canned it!
Before...
During...
After!
Deerhaven Drive: Stephen and Becca's new house in Minooka!
Escape to Door County: Road trip over Labor Day weekend with Anne. Memories made. Sunset cruise was a highlight.
Flowers: Anne and Becca went crazy planting flowers this year. I think every seed sprouted. And bloomed. And bloomed.
Goldens living with us: During their transition from California to Illinois, through the job hunt and house hunt. Lots of memories made.
Gardening: Experimented with gardening on plastic. It was a success. No weeds. Loved it!
Those tiny plants in the boxes (previous photo) grew to THIS!
Haircut: I took Joshua for his first haircut right before they moved from California.
Illinois skies, sunrises and sunsets: One of the best things about wide open spaces is seeing the sky.
Joshua: Life with a toddler in the house was lively and fun, fun, fun.
On the go....on the farm
Cheery breakfast face waiting for us every morning
Kale: Bumper crop this year in the garden. It's still going strong!
Leaves: Autumn is our favorite season. Color, color, everywhere.
Moving kids across the country and then into their new home.
Good-bye little apartment in California!
Hello, new house in Minooka!
Owls: Another brood of great horned owls was raised on the farm this spring and summer. They are more heard than seen but are definitely a presence.
Plant-based diet: We switched to plant-based in late February and haven't regretted it for a minute!
Quality time with the grandsons. I don't know if they'll have memories of the good times but we sure will!
Rug hooking: Just a couple projects this year - one major repair of an antique rug. Some wool dying. A pillow or two.
Silverado: Our "new" pickup. A REAL truck!
Tomatoes: Bushels and bushels of them this year.
Upholstery projects: Just a few but enough to keep my hand in at it. One BIG upholstery project for church, done with a friend.
Recovered camper cushions.
Recovering Hannah's ottoman and teaching her the ropes
14 cushions recovered for the church!
Visitors: Not much room with 7 of us in the house but we squeezed a few more in.
Wood-splitting: It was time to get serious about keeping warm this winter.
Workouts: Three times a week we're at the gym, whether we feel like it or not. Motion is life! Anne and Kenji keep us moving.
Xtra grace for communal life here on the farm!
Yellowstone National Park - the planned trip that DIDN'T happen! There's always next year... Zinnias: The girls picked dozens of bouquets of zinnias that they grew.
Well. As the old saying goes, "from the sublime to the ridiculous". Last week we had that amazingly beautiful snow and frost. This week, all that moisture has turned liquid and we're sailing above flood waters. These are the days when we are so thankful that we had the house raised six feet and the new watertight foundation put in. The sump pump hasn't even kicked in. In the past, we'd have had a river running through the basement and the aftermath of mold. So glad we saved this old house!
Fortunately the water didn't come over the garden and wash away the organic fertilizer (aka chicken manure!).
Sailing high and dry like a frigate!
Normally all dry land.
Running through the middle there towards the top of the photo is the creek which has overflowed its banks to give us the lakes.
This is nowhere near the creek so it's not overflow, just rain plus 10 inches of melted snow.
There is a big log blocking one of the three whistles where the creek runs under the road. I cleverly thought I could use a rake to clear the corn stubble that has accumulated at the log. This was not my clearest thinking or my finest moment. I was doing okay until I slid on the slippery concrete, went down hard on my bottom and almost went completely into the drink. Women my age should have more sense than this but as always, I have to learn the hard way! I managed to butt-scooch back up to the top and limp home, more wounded in pride than body.
The hens are happy to be out and about after weeks of winter confinement. The duck is having a good bathe and paddle.
