Can't wait

for these days, again. Warm weather. Cabin Days. Grandchildren fighting over who gets to drive next! What fun!

Too in Winter

Bleak! No other way to describe this wintery view of the lake and shoreline. Just plain bleak!

But then this snowy bridge below doesn't strike me as being so forlorn and desolate, like the picture above. The snow-dusted bridge just looks pretty!

Himself has ordered his Christmas present (he told me after it was ordered). He ordered a wall heater with a thermostat so I think I foresee some winter visits in our future!

We have gone down in the winter and stayed. We heat the cabin with the oven and electric heaters but his Christmas present heater will be more efficient, more cost effective and an investment in our future visits. We look forward to our future visits.

I've got to get my skis dusted off!

9 years ago

where has the time gone?

We were putting the houseboat in for the first time in 2000.

Look at this pretty, young crew member . . .

Weren't those fun days?

I do too have on skis!

This is what Himself and I were doing a year ago. I'm wondering if that is why we sold III, so we wouldn't have to go out and fall down again this year? However, I do mean to get the skis out and try it again. Guess this too will have to wait until after Christmas but then watch out! Walking trail, here I come! Are there any volunteers to go with me?

I do apologize for that hat on my head but I've always heard you need to weat a hat outside and this one is wool and warm. In fact it was too warm and I wore it only long enough for Himself to snap this action shot and sorry I wore it that long!

My grandbabies' cheeks . . .

Cousins. My grandchildren find a great connection with "cousins". I love it!
Next series of photos will be labeled "kissing cousins" . . . cuz I've got lots of photos!

Audri! ! !

Nana said " No Jumping on the Bed!"

At the cabin . . .

Nana is always after grandbabies for bouncing on the bed but if I were to look at statistics, we probably get more SMILES (Maddie is hiding hers!) from bouncing on the bed than we get injuries. (I just remember the injuries better, I guess!)

"went to the doctor and the doctor said "THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR JUMPING ON THE BED!"

And for eating Cheesies in bed, Jack!

Double Trouble

More fun at the cabin! I can't figure out what Gabby is doing. It looks as though she is sitting on the top of the stroller. But surely Nana wouldn't let her do that just for the sake of a picture? Well, maybe I would if PaPa was there to hold on to the stroller.

Another cutie!

Little Maddie Mae's big old eyes have always been blue but with her lovely dark hair now, I had forgotten that she had very little for a while. When I get a hold of her again, I'm going to kiss her cute cheeks for old times sake!

More cheeks!

This photo of Joey, Blue Eyes, is so cute! Don't you love his fat, little bow legs? I think this was Joey's first trip with Nana and Papa, photo dated July 2004.

Poor PaPa!

Ornery eyes!

Sweetie Pie

Pinch these cheeks! What a cutie! What fun.

Wheeling . . .

July 2002.

Youngters!

Kristy & Erica, is this the time you were driving around with the brake on?

Yes, I did have to bring that up. lol

Morghan Grace's first trip to the cabin

Look! this little girl looks suspicious! She's hanging on to that water pistol! She might need it. What is she doing here, at this little cabin, with two ol' fogeys? Picture is dated September 2000.

Isn't she adorable?

Winding Down Time

The new header photo was taken 363 days ago. Just about a year.

Last year, Autumn must have come later than this year as the trees in the photo are just beginning to turn.

Himself and I seem to spend his birthday at the cabin. That makes it easier to keep track of and he sure likes it there.

We will winterize, clean out the fridge, pack things away and enjoy some fine Fall weather. We hope!

Independence Day

This was a good time -- pontoon time on Twin Lake.

Wait! who is driving?

Why isn't Dana at the helm?

Oh, probably Craig or Himself.

Don't you wish we were just getting to spring?

Instead of Fall?

Oh, Stop Nana!

Don't wish our life away!

Some folks love Fall BEST of all.

Gramma Hof did. She loved autumn and cool nights and the smell of burning leaves.

As does Himself.

I will try to appreciate each season, more fully.

Live one day at a time!

Seize the moment!

Good Days

Audri had her turn at the cabin the beginning of August. Where has the time gone? Why haven't I written?

Audri is going to be as much of a little cabin person as all her older cousins are. She is following in their footsteps.

Audri already loves the beach, the sand and the water, even tho this day was blustery and cool.































Yep. That's a toothbrush between Audri's toes. ?????

One thing Audri Lu likes better than the beach and the cabin is her cousins!

It is cute when she calls out "cousins! Cousins!

Audri is talking and thinking. She is asking and learning.

Her's a big girl now, Nana!

She's not a baby. Audri is growing up.

West Virginia Scenes

The Appalachians are kin

to the Blue Ridge Mountains!

These look pretty blue!

The New River Bridge

Highest bridge in the U.S.

Check out the GPS -- look out for that corner!

One more photo to post from Wood County and then a few more stops on vacation.

On the agenda:

Springfield, Illinois

Hannibal, Missouri

St. Genevieve, Illinois

Fasten your seatbelt!

Put new batteries in the camera!

Enjoy the ride!

My preferred mode of transportation

Someday! someday I may travel like this.

Gramps' Tree House.

Craig, are you old enough to be on the 2nd level? I don't think so!

GETDOWNRIGHTNOW!























A future goal of ours is to build a two-level tree house at Too. In Orient, we built a single level house. I thought, for our first attempt, that we did a fine job with that tree house. I think it provided fun and entertainment and lasted quite a while. For the last several years, I have been thinking about, plotting and planning, a two level tree house and maybe, eventually, a third, higher level.

Add to that a wish for a ZIP line and we've got lots of fun ahead of us . . . Craig and Johanna, folks have taken your Orient ZIP line (PVC pipe on a rope) idea and expanded it! Look here . . .

I may have to be a tree hugger

I love this tree. It holds three swings. I have never known another tree to support two swings, let alone three! I have known higher swing trees (Gramps' at Shagbark) but never a tree that held three swings.

Himself and I have talked that when/if we build a house here, the tree may have to go . . . but after contemplating this, I think the tree can NOT go! I think I may have to hug this tree!

Gabby, this weekend, figured out why the tree has three swings. If Aunt Erica is here, there is one for Morghan, one for Jack and one for Madeline. If her folks are here, there's one for Gabby, one for Joey and one for Belles.

She didn't go on to say, but I got the gist, that if all the family is here, PaPa might have to wait his turn. Poor PaPa. There's nothing more relaxing then a good swing!

Do you believe in leprechauns?

Missouri is as good as Ireland, we have little people at Twin Lake. If you leave your sand pails unattended and full of water, the little people use them for swimming pools.

III is just a memory

Erica, asked, will we blog from III again . . . and we won't. Sad, ain't it?

Seems like I was using Nana's View for Creston things, family, children and for grandchildren's stories and photos. I had taken to writing on III when I had something to say about Missouri . . . I was using III for stories about the outdoors, nature, wildlife and most things Missouri.

Now that III, the place, is gone, I changed the name of the blog to "Too at Twin Lake". This is where you will tune in to find out what is going on in Missouri and to see if Himself has had anything to say -- which as we all have noticed, he seems to be tongue-tied since he turned 60. But check in every now and again, he might just get the urge to write. He might surprise us.

It really is a bit of a relief, to have just one place to go. Don't get me wrong, I loved III. I loved the timber, the trees, the wildlife, the cabin and I especially liked the fact that I had room to grow. I had a place where I could try new things, practice new skills, make a mess, muck about and just, basically, act like a carefree kid. With no one to make fun of me and no one to criticize (well, hardly ever). The rule at III was "Do what you want, when you want" . . . as long as no one got hurt!

It will be nice not to have to worry about getting our work done at Too so we can get to III to mow. It will be nice that we can down-size the fleet of mowers. It will be nice that we don't have possessions scattered over two states and three counties because we are finding that our memories are not what they used to be and we were starting to keep lists, and inventories. Diaries and journals -- just so we would know where something was! And it will be great when we get a little house up at Too with basement and laundry and a furnace, maybe. Shower? Okay, Okay, I'll consider a shower for all your sakes!

Meanwhile, III is not completely gone. We have left all the blog entries and photos from Shagbark III right here in this site. It will be handy for me and Himself to wander back in time, dust off the photos, browse and nudge amongst the memories and be able to relive our good ol' days at III.

Meanwhile, (clink), I propose a toast to the future good days at "Two at Twin Lake"! Cheers!

Door to the past

"beasties" . . . a Bee Story

Craig and Traci, I have a story to tell about your little ones.

I have to preface it by saying that I have absolutely no fear, dread, anxiety or revulsion of bees, wasps, hornets, et al. Don't know why, just don't. Also, I'm admitting (hesitantly to be sure) that I don't understand that in other people, even other LITTLE people. Since I don't understand, I don't have too much patience. Wish it were different and I am working on it!

At Too, the last time with Gabby and Joey, we were unloading the car or doing some chore when two little dears set up a howl, crying, and in a panic. A wasp had flown around or by them.

Nana thought to nip this in the bud because you all are aware that in rural Missouri we are going to be dealing with bees, wasps, hornets, et al about every 28 minutes. Nana stopped in her tracks. Gabby! Joey! When you see a wasp, react! Don't just stand and cry! If you are outside, go in! If you are inside, go out! Soldiers react! Move. Walk. Go. Don't just cry!


The rest of the day, off and on, we talked about "reacting", being proactive, doing something to make things better. We talked about soldiers (okay, "army men"). Moving. Doing. Changing one's position.

Don't know if it made an impression or not . . . but I heard a few good stories about Daddy and insects, anyway . . . and we didn't have any more tears over wasps.

Moral of the story, tho, if the little ones talk mean about Nanny once in awhile, I deserve it!

Last time

This big baby took little ones along this weekend . . . so I'd have to be brave for a final visit.

I stood in the clearing and cried last time

but didn't this time:


I have had fun.

I have learned a bunch!

I had a good time with Himself.

I enjoyed nature.

I discovered things!

I made muscle.

I made good memories.

I built campfires.

I built a drogue.

I split a tree!

I stood naked in the privacy of the trees and showered.

I built a bed.

I persevered.

I did what had to be done.

I come from Pioneer Stock.


PS: I wish Himself was more interested in photos.
There would have been a bunch!

SHAGBARK III- THE FINAL CHAPTER

This will be hard to explain, as fast as I am(was) and as hard as I tried, I cannot outrun the thoughts of getting old. It hit hard when I turned 60, worse at 61, and now 62 is looming. 5 years ago when we purchased III, I had no thoughts of age. We jumped in with both feet a runnin, and had a blast. But as family duties allowed for less and less time to be at III, and II also, it becamed apparent that something had to give. And, as we had more ties to II, as herself's parents built it, we, me in particular was ready to abandon III. But, we will always have the memories we made, in writings, and pictures. The greatest of times were at III, as we plowed into the unknown, and made things happen. That will never be taken away from us. Now we will concentrate on II, make it better, and the story will continue on from there.
III has been sold!!! The ads came out on the internet on Wed., August 5, 2009, and the deal was finalized on Sat, August 8. We never imagined this could happen so quickly. A young couple from K.C. and their children will take over for us. They seemed very excited and wanted to know everything about the property. They will do fine.
Boi(himself)

Chocolate Lake

I like the name Audri invented for our little ol' pond. She jumped out of the Jeep, took one look and talked to PaPa about the Chocolate Lake. All I had ever thought to call it was muddy . . . so was glad to be around when a little one imagined it as "chocolate".

The pond has been named.

Blast from the Past

This is where we first launched the Leurine Lucille. What an adventure! I loved that old houseboat and if I ever win the lottery, I think I'll buy another.

Canapy and sunlight

High summer at III. The canapy is at it's heaviest; thickest. It is cool and damp, under the leaves on the river bottom. It is shady and cool, especially if you can catch a breeze.

Where the sunlight cuts through the branches and reaches the timber floor, it washes the area with light. Looking from aways back, those highlighted areas look like pools of water, rippling.

The timber looks different at every time of the year. It changes each month and even day to day. This might be my favorite time of year.

PS: what is with that photo, third down? The day was warm and humid but it wasn't foggy!

Fairy Flowers, gone by

Himself and I stole a part of a day and went to visit the enchanted forest. We found evidence that the Fairy Flowers exist! They still bloom and (somewhat) flourish at III. There were dried blossom heads here and there. They were not everywhere as they were that one year (was it 2 years ago? or 3?) but they were more abundant than they were last year.

Maybe next Spring -- maybe Spring, 2010, they will run rampant through the timber again.

Triplets

This little critter was one of 3 siblings came to our yard last evening and "whooooo'd" around and fluttered from tree to ground to tree. The neighbor had told us about a nest of youngun's last year but I never saw them so it was a delight to spot them flitting around our back yard. At first we kept our distance but after discovering that they didn't seem too scared of us, we would slowly walk up to within 3 feet or so and just stand and watch.

We are on sentinel detail tonight; waiting for the little owlets to come back for another evening rendezvous.

The little guy below seems to be scolding me!

Bird Watchers = Old Fogeys

Maybe Himself and I are Old Timers now but we do enjoy sitting on a screened porch watching the birds at the feeder . . . and making plans for our future.

Look what I found!

I was weeding around my little Kutsura Tree when I found this. I was glad I found it -- otherwise it might have found me! I was startled.

I didn't know Missouri had spiders this big. I described it to Himself as the size of a Tartanula. It is! It is huge. Do you notice I am saying "it is huge"? I had planned to lock it up in this jar and let the sun bake it to death. Then I was going to preserve it for my grandchildren, some way or another, so they could take it to show and tell.

I was going to perserve her but Himself said, Let that spider go. So I took her across the road. I took the lid off the jar and lay it in the weeds. She could go free . . . but not in MY yard!

PS: it is a she as that white thing on her abdomen is the egg sack. She's going to hatch out about another 100 just like her! I can't quite match my photo up with "Identified" spiders in the internet but I will call her a Fishing Spider. That is as close a match as I can make without touching her. And I didn't. I won't!

Jack's Discovery

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killdeer
Killdeer nest on open ground, often on gravel. They may use a slight depression in the gravel to hold the eggs, but they do not line it at all, or line it only with a few stones. Since there is no structure to stand out from its surroundings, a killdeer nest blends marvelously into the background. Furthermore, the speckled eggs themselves look like stones.
The killdeer frequently uses a "broken wing act" to distract predators from the nest.
Jack and I first saw the startled Killdeer flopping away from her nest, acting as tho she were injured in action. We showed Morghan and Maddie and then Erica. Each subsequent trip down the road in the golf cart got Mama Killdeer less and less excited. By Monday, she wouldn't even bestir herself off the nest. She was blasé. Or should that have been . . . we are blasé?

Memorial Day Weekend

Himself and I had a nice long holiday weekend.

He left home Thursday after work and went to Too and set to mowing.

I felt I had to work Friday, as we have been so busy -- thought I should work at least half of the day, anyway. I ended up working until 12:30, to help the office through the noon hour. Then I had errands to run and places to go, before I took off for Two.

I also felt at liberty to stop at every garage sale and junk shop that I could find, between home and Too. And did! Himself doesn't like to stop, when he's driving, so I take advantage of the times when I drive down alone. We didn't come home until Tuesday and went back to work on Wednesday. So we did have a long weekend.


But we didn't spend much time here -- here at III.

Himself has sort of cut ties with this place. I think ever since the blankety *&^^%$#@%^ blank electric company went through and chewed up the "Top", Himself has sort of backed away. He has turned his back.

I think Himself thought when we purchased this acreage that this was THE PLACE. The Place where Corporate America , Big Brother and/or Government would not come calling. But, darn it, they did. They came calling, crawling, chawing and chewing. And spitting. It wasn't/isn't pretty.


They brought the big machine in and even though Himself had tended, mowed and cared for an electrical right away, it wasn't good enough (or they were just contrary enough) that they marched that huge tree eating machine down the right-away and chewed up every tree, limb, bush and shrub -- within chawing distance -- then spewed the remnants out on the ground like a honking chaw of tobaccy.

There is no way in Heaven Himself could begin to mow The Top now without one of us first taking a garden rake and spending 15 -20 hours up there raking and clearing.

I think Himself is heart sick.

We are talking about selling out.

But look!

Look at the cabin clearing! Isn't it just so pretty? Just like a park.

How can we give this up?

Blast from the Past 2004

Our very first visit after signing the "to buy" contract! January 2004.

That almost looks like a hockey stick in Joey's chubby baby hands. Gabby has a stick too -- well, okay, more like a log! Traci is sure good to let them try things, to experiment and they were (and are) curious little creatures. Fun! Makes me miss chubby little baby hands, cheeks and legs!

Oh, hey! We'll soon get to meet Miss Isabella and we'll have more chubby little baby cheeks and elbows! Can't wait!

Oriental umbrella?

They are pretty and fragile looking when the leaves first start to sprout.

They might be Hickory trees, a Shagbark Hickory.

We see these at III.
What do you think?