For Christmas this year, we gave ourselves cross country skis. We have talked about cross country skiing for a number of years. Last winter we had more snowfall, more like our childhood winters and we are supposed to again this year. We decided this was a good year for skis.

The skis are lightweight and sleek and we had neither one of us been on a pair of skis ever. Until today. Oh wait! I put mine on yesterday . . .

















We headed out to Missouri about nine this morning. In Iowa the temperatures were already climbing. Des Moines was predicting a high of 50 degrees or more. We supposed then, that Missouri would get as warm or warmer. In Iowa the snow on the ground was starting to disappear so we worried on the drive whether we'd still have snow once we got to Mo. Not to worry! We did have snow and as it turned out the temps weren't as warm today in Mo as they were in Iowa so it turned out to be a great day to practice skiing.

We were cautious and careful. The snow was melting in places and slick and then crusted over in places and more slick! We praticed our gliding and sliding and horizontal steps and talked about stopping and turning although we have not nearly perfected stopping and turning. We did get pretty good at falling. If we get better at falling we won't have to perfect the stopping and turning!

We will need to get better at one or the other tho because we will go back for more. We both enjoyed it and had a fun day. We are looking forward to trying the skis in new, powder snow. We think that might be easier.
Let it snow . . . bet you never thought you'd hear me say that!

Day after Christmas

I took a photo of Himself and Himself took one of me. Now you know why I practice SELF portraits!

Testing. Testing. one. two. Testing.

Kristy and Tony have lovely photos of themselves

on their travels and Tony takes the "self photos".

Lanny and I were so "dashing" in these orange shirts

and vests that I determined to practice the art of

"self photos" and record this bright fashion statement

were were making.

I can see I need more practice.

I can see Himself needs more patience. :)

WHAT HAVE I DONE????

I am still in shock. What i have done, i have rarely, if ever done before. I have splurged!!! We needed a new mower at II, and after a year of thought, searching, thinking, pondering, delaying, etc, i finally gave in to myself and purchased a new mower. I spent days "online" checking out ratings on Consumer Reports, I read reviews on what other people thought about this mower. Not just any mower, a "big green machine" John Deere zero turn mower. Then I sent out bids, and although John Deere is not known for any flexability in their pricing, the dealer in Leon dropped 350.00 off the list price, with no set up fees. For the price we paid for this, we could have purchased 3, yes three, regular riding lawn mowers. But, this is supposed to cut our mowing time at least in half due to the high speed this mows at(less time spent crashing into trees). So, I gave in, in spite of all my parents taught me thru the years, to be frugle, spend only when necessary, buy only what you need, never just pay for a name, and on and on. But, i did it. Even when I had the trailer hooked up and heading to Leon to pick it up, I felt guilty. I almost turned around, but I didn't. I went and picked up that big green machine, loaded it up and headed back to II. Once the transaction was completed, i felt better, and hopefully it will free up time for other projects, one of which will be hot water at II, so we can take showers, etc. Anyway, the deed is done, no turning back. I will just have to be more dilligent about turning off lights so i can save enough money to pay for this.

4 Year Anniversary

Holy roasted marshmellows, Batman!

I just checked and this December it will have been 4 years since we bought III. Where have those years gone? This photo was taken New Years Eve Day 2004, our first picnic lunch at III. These two were mere babes!

I am fascinated

by the Amish life. I think I could live it. Oh wait!

No. Nope.

Hold your horses! Guess I couldn't as I wouldn't have my computer, my e-mail nor the internet! Forget it and pretend I never said that . . . but I am still fascinated.

I want to build one of those big ol' farm houses. I want to raise pigs and have chickens running around my yard. I want to garden and cook and can and bake and get fat, wear an apron and put my hair up in a bun. Now that sounds like fun!

Dinner, in a few months

Peaceful

Doesn't this look peaceful




















I did try to buy a black Amish hat, one year for Himself after you children claimed he was an "Amish wantabee". I couldn't find one on the internet. Maybe I can find one at Jamestown this summer.

JEEP

Last trip to Mo, we stayed at III. We were into November but the weather was mild. Some of the trees were pretty and some were bare. We definitely needed heat at night but don't know that we ran it during the day.

A lot of times, on the way home (to Creston) from Missouri, Himself and I take off on the dirt, low maintenance (as they call them nowadays) roads. Usually our sure-footed Jeep gets us through. On this southern Iowa road, this old (sure-footed) Jeep turned around and drove back. It did not even TRY to get through.

I don't think we would have gotten through either . . . but Himself was sure wantin' to give it a try!

Can you smell that?

Can you smell that bacon cooking in the cool morning air? hmmm mmmmm!

We finally got to try out the new Coleman (camping fuel cannister) griddle. Just make sure you level the table and then cook away. Himself cooked the bacon, then fried up the eggs. I did resort to making the toast in the cabin but remember, there is only a little electricity in there

(thanks to Cousin Clint) so to make toast, I heat a big ol' cast iron skillet over a burner and just throw that bread right down on the frying pan. Give it a few minutes on both sides . . . and you've got toast. Nothing better than breakfast outdoors!

Missouri Gold

Our little piece of Missouri doesn't have a lot of color in the fall. We have mainly Oak Trees and these Oaks turn brown. But it is a lovely golden brown, don't you think?

But then there is the occasional red leafed Oak. One stands at the entrance to our driveway and the other down by the cabin. They do glisten when the sun kisses them.

Running a deere . . .

Himself took Friday off and headed to Too where he picked up the trailer and hightailed it back 25 miles or so to Leon. He had taken internet implement dealer bids for this little zero turn John Deere mower and Leon, IA had the lowest bid. That was great, as they are (almost) the nearest implement dealer to Too. So, by the time I got off work and drove to Mo, Himself had the mower there, unloaded, the manual read and had even had a little trial run.

It works slick -- once I get used to the steering, it will work slick, anyway. Himself is used to it already. He runs like a Deere . . .

Nancy's "ZERO TURN"

oh, leave it to me. I got a little flustered right off the bat . . . look what I did. Darn. And Himself heard me do it.

Myths, debunked, and other confessions

A year or two ago, one warm, Fall Sunday afternoon, Himself and I were at III just piddling around when we realized that we were under attack by Japanese Beetles! They were flying through the air by the hundreds. No, it must have been . . . by the thousands! We were being covered by Japanese Beetles -- and bitten! Ouch! They hurt! It was awful! There was no escaping the mean little bugs. We packed up and left. We deserted our post!

This Saturday afternoon was reminiscent of that that day. There were hundreds of the Lady Bug lookalikes starting to gather. We were being attacked and bitten, although not as bad as that other time. Since we had Audri with us and were going to stay overnight at Too anyway, we packed up and left. We vamoosed . . . and let nature run it's course.

Oh, I do NOT like it when I'm wrong. I guess those darn little things don't really bite. It is just their little legs checking us out to see if we are eatable or not. Well, just let me say, it still feels like a bite!

http://www.ipm.msu.edu/beetleFAQ.htm#4

I had one of these beetles crawling around on my arm, and I think it bit me. Do they all bite?

Some bite, most do not. Sometimes the Asian lady beetles bite skin, but often this stinging sensation is actually caused by small spurs on the beetle's legs pricking skin as they move and evaluate whether or not the skin is a food source. The beetle does not carry disease nor does it have any toxin associated with its mouthparts. In most cases, the pain is short lived. If the bite concerns you, apply antiseptic to the site.

Fall 2008

It is officially Fall. The calendar says so but the warm temperatures and sunny days make it seem more like summer. Those cool nights, tho, the nights say definitely that this is Fall.

We are starting to see some color in the trees at III.

This view from the far side of the pond and looking towards the dam is a dandy . . .

Time will tell

This little fellow (little gal?) was swimming lazily around the pond this weekend when we pulled in at III. We made him just a little anxious but he only dived and swam to the other side of the pond and then watched and waited until we would forget about him. Then he'd be back on our side of the pond again.

Wildlife is not our area of expertise and we aren't even sure if this little guy is a duck or a goose. I'm guessing "duck". Maybe he is the ugly duckling . . . which would really make him a swan (kidding. just kidding!) I'm sure he's not a loon. Well, pretty darn sure anyway!

"Guy" appears to be half grown. Was he the runt of the litter and left behind to finish growing? Was he injured and has to recouperate on our pond before heading south? Will he still be there on our next trip to III?

Swinging Bridge

Okay, so it is NOT a swinging bridge yet -- but it will be some day! The day of the Swinging Bridge is closer now that this cable is at III!

Himself traded something for this thick cable. There must be 100 feet or so of it and it is so heavy that Himself cannot lift it. It will be the support for the swinging bridge. The backbone.

It is a beginning.

Flag marks the Spot

Should you come by to visit, remember it is where 36 Hwy almost runs north to south just three miles east of Mt. Moriah. When you see Erica Jo's old 4-H project, the American Flag built of lath and plywood, you'll know you found us. Pull in the drive and immediately turn left. Take the trail where it dips into the timber . . . come on down and sit a spell.

King

Here is Himself walking the dam, surveying his Kingdom . . . he took about 30 trees down off this dam single handedly. I went over the side and pulled or chopped about 300 (3,000!) small cedar trees. Now he keeps it mowed to protect the dam's integrity. Guess he has reason to feel satisfied . . .

Happy Trails, again

It has been a wet year, at III. There was quite a bit of snow last winter. There was a whole lot of rain this spring and summer! There was another 5" of rain just last week. It has been a wet, rough year at III. We lost part of the riverbank to the summer flood. We have had trees rotting off at ground level and falling onto the trails. There was a tree blocking the Ravine Trail until last visit. I got fed up and went and pushed and chopped and pulled until that dead ol' tree was shoved aside and we could get the 4-wheeler through on the Ravine Trail.

Two trees have been down on the River Trail, all summer. We have been in on the River Trail, from both ends, but we couldn't make the loop. Those trees were too big for me to handle so today, Himself dusted off the trusty Husqbarna, jumped on his trusty steed and with me riding pillion we set out to save the day! No. Oh no. Not to save the day but to clear the trail.

It didn't take long. Himself made one cut and let the "leaner" down, above. Two cuts on the big log laying across the trail. We rolled the dead, heavy log away and the River Trail is open again!

I bought this heavy wooden piece about 15 years ago. I paid a whole $5.00 for it. $5.00 now, seems very cheap, but at the time we had four children at home and I didn’t usually spend $5.00 on some garage sale item with no apparent use or resale value. However, this one grabbed my attention and hung on. This shelf? Mantle? Altar? has set in my washroom closet since -- until I brought it here to III. Snuck it into the Jeep when Himself wasn’t looking, one trip down.

It has set in the corner here all summer but with the coming of fall, that old inborn instinct to prepare for winter, to lay by food, to chink the cracks took over. Himself and I tidied up and finished up, this trip. I replaced the screens on two windows, swept the bugs out from under the bed, washed windows and sorted out.

A shelf that Craig made and gifted me was hung above the bed to hold my glasses, at night, along with a rustic, fun picture.

'Course, it all would look better with paneling or beadboard behind it . . . and we'll get to that. Someday!

Too Step

These steps led quite the life at Too. They were the front steps. The steps with a tree branch for the hand rail. These steps saw a lot of coming and going over the years at Too. Thousands of firecrackers and fireflies. They were run up and down hundreds, probably thousands of times, by excited children. They held many an adult at the end of a long day, easing the load or enjoying cool evening air. They held folks eating hot dogs, sweet corn and best of all, watermelon. You sat out on the front steps so you could spit watermelon seeds and let the juice run down your arms.

Well, we screened the ol’ porch in at Too and Himself built a fine screen door for the porch but he only built one door, for one set of steps, and these old worn steps weren’t needed anymore at Too.

Oh, but wait! They were needed! They were needed at III!. At III we’ve always used two cement blocks and 2X6 boards for steps. The folks that built the cabin at III, didn’t take the time to build steps or didn't know how.

So rather than burn these old boards, we hauled them to III. We set the steps up against III’s porch and screwed them into place. Tho not level and not perfect, they work! They do the job.

PS: and the cement blocks and 2X6? Well, they have been recycled too. They are at the end of the porch so that when you are in a hurry to get to the outhouse, you can take a direct route.

Do you . . . Remember This?

The Place: Twin Lake

The Year: 2000

The Baby: Morghan Grace

The Supporting Cast: Tracia, Erica, Kristy and Nana

The Director

Tinkerbell

This picture of the deep canopy over the river bottom was taken in June. I have looked and studied and pondered this picture. I do not know what that white object is but finally decided that this is the land of Peter Pan and that is Tinkerbell.

The Lane

This is The Lane. It is the drive into III. "Lush" comes to mind. Thick, abundant foliage. This is what The Lane looked like last trip but each trip it has a different look, a different feel.

Himself and I will visit there this weekend. Wonder how it will have changed in three weeks time? We look forward to finding out!

Picture Frame

Sitting in the shade room at III, this is like a picture frame . . .

First trip to Too

After a day of playing in the fresh air at Too

one will have a good nap on the ride home.

August Visit

It has been a slow summer for III. So much rain, so much (muddy) lane, so few weekends. The pickens have gotten so slim that Himself up and went to III this past Sunday while Johanna, Audri and I went to the State Fair. He knew he had to mow and he knew he had to mow soon. As he'd rather mow than go to the State Fair, he was off. Like a shot.

This photo was taken right down on Sandy Creek in June when we discovered 10-12' of our land washed off and left our trail VERY close to the river bank. Himself said this visit, he mowed (and mowed . . . and mowed) then hurried up and got the 4-wheeler out to check on the trails and found tall, old trees down on the riverbottom trail. The River Trail is impassable! We will have work and exploring to do next visit!

Cool place

Morghan, Jack and Maddie Mae were not only able to sleep "out" two whole nights, they enjoyed playing on the porch during the day along with Gabby and Joey. The second day, I picked up the mattresses and put them away early and the kids were like "hey! where are the beds?" So I threw a mattress back down with a silky sleeping bag for that occasional card game or rest in the shade.

August

I am just returned from Too. I have spent the last three days with grandchildren at Too. This is what everyone should do in August. Spend time with children. Or -- spend time at the beach. Or better yet, both! I have had fun. A lot of fun. I have been grumpy too, and impatient. I need more practice. I may have to spend time like this in September, practicing at Too!

After work last Wednesday, I picked up the Small Frey and headed south.

On Thursday, Traci came (on short notice, bless her heart) with the little Hofs. We all spent most of Thursday at the beach and taking Harley Davidson rides.

JOEY

MADDIE MAE

GABBY

JACK

MORGHAN

Harley Davidson

We had fun!

Getting Started

This is the old porch. It almost sitting on the ground at the right end in the picture and right there by the tank on the grill, the porch was 3 or 4" away from the cabin. We had leveled the porch many times over the years and there were cement block, 4X4 scraps, other various boards and rocks under there trying to hold the porch up.

Still, it was kind of cute, wasn't it?

Rural renewal

The old porch supports had frozen and thawed and heaved until the old porch floor had pulled away from the cabin. There was a gap wide enough to lose a baby through! Well, a baby cat, anyway. So a week or so ago, Himself and I braced the porch roof, took out the old porch columns and floor and then put new treated lumber back. We kept the roof so that dictated the size of the porch, otherwise it might have been nice to make it another foot or two deep. I had hoped to keep the floor boards but we ended up using 2" treated lumber. This floor will never sag!

Work in Process

The new posts are in and we have started to frame the walls. This was still the first day of the job, in July.