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?

'bout time

We have been to Too several times in the last couple of months but it has been awhile since we've gotten to III. For one thing, we are busy. Just busy and it is hard to find a good weekend to go. For two, it has been a very wet spring. That lane does not get any better, week after week. It stays wet. The Missouri clay stays slick and the ruts remain because how could we even attempt to grade the lane (if we were so inclined) until it drys out a little.


Finally, Thursday, I said let's go. Let's take Friday off and we'll go mow Too. Take Friday and get a head start. We'll need to be home Sunday morning. We have a dinner date at the Freys.


'bout time, we got there.

We did head out Friday and got to Too where there had just been a soaker of a rain. The lawn was saturated and the ditch was running. I dumped Himself out and went to town on the assumption that he would not be able to mow until afternoon or possibly, even the next morning. In fact, I went more than to town, I went to Jamesport. I had been needing some Amish herbs and spices and other things. I need a day to bebop. A day to stop at garage sales if I found one, to turn around and go back the way I came, to take back roads and byways. Himself was content to stay at Too and putter, he said.


I went, guiltless. Carefree. Joyful in the knowledge that Himself wasn't working his fingers to the bones while I galivanted. Himself wasn't out there slaving away doing all the mowing by Himself while I was out spending money.


I would be back in time to help mow and I would have adventure and enjoy sights and do a little shopping.

Sometime shortly afternoon, I called Himself to let him know I was okay, still in Jamesport and after one more country store, I would head home. "I'm almost done mowing" he said. What? you weren't going to start until after Noon? Well, there went some of my lightheartedness but I was 50 miles away and had one more stop at Jamesport and several stops yet between Jamesport and Too so what could I do?

I made my way back home although it took me about three hours as I was an hour a way, I had to stop at the Mercer grocery store as I had a grocery list, needed to fill the Jeep up with gas as Himself had requested and had another errand or two.

I dragged in to find the lot half mowed. I thought you were "about" done mowing 3 hours ago? Well, he just told me that, he said. He had saved half the mowing so I could practice on the new zero turn mower. Okay. I got at it, got on the new mower, refreshed my memory and mowed the rest of it. I WILL get used to the new mower. Sometime.

Jamesport

life is complex, especially at my age. Time flies! I can't keep up. I work 5 days and am off two days and there are not enough "off" days to keep up with all I want to do. This weekend, I want to:



Have dinner for all my children and grandchildren

Borrow grandchildren
Have "sleepovers" with grandchildren

Go to Too
Go to Three

Go to the Austin cousin reunion at St. Charles
Plant flowers and work in the gardens
Clean house
Write blogs

Search my family tree

Build a windmill (small or large, doesn't matter)
Make scrapbooks

Order photos

Make cream puffs
Bake bread

Sleep 'til noon


No wonder some people, after they retire from working, say "I don't know how I had time to work!"



Friend Vi and her son tried to Mushroom hunt at III last weekend. They were hampered. They were hamstrung. They were tormented by Himself's defense and Mother nature.



The lane was muddy and slick. Himself has a "head chopper" strung across the lane. The neighbor's have an annoying barking dog. Vi and son did not find a single, solitary mushroom. I think the neighbor, south, gets them. Vi has vibes that the neighbor, north, gets them. It is probably whoever finds them first! Some year, one year, it will be me that finds them. It will be me that finds them first. Read 2007's mushroom search by clicking Here

Techies

When we go to Mo (which isn't often yet, this spring) we go. We go straight to Mo.

We do not pass GO.

We do not look back.

We get there and we get there ASAP.

When we come home, we wander.

We take the back roads. We take the side roads.

We take the dirt roads and the ridge roads.

The river bottom roads and the by ways.

We do.

But we are never alone. Not when we have the trusty old highway map. Not when the GPS is mounted firmly to the dash.

We are secure in our technicolor. Oh no. Not that. Technology!

We are techies . . . is that a real word?

Low profile bridge

This bridge is between Too and the Ioway line. Somewhere. May never find it again and I knew that, so I took a picture. This is Missouri's way of maintaining low usage roads. Lay a few 2" planks down over the original trusses. Bet you can't guess that when you cross these bridges, you do want to stay on the planks!

One year I was out trying to find a garage sale so with that goal in mind, you know I was by myself. Himself wasn't there for moral support. I came to one of these bridges with only one wide plank for each tire and as it was drizzling I imagined those planks as being slick. Very slick! I was going to back up that little winding road and find a turn around and hightail it out of there. When I checked my rear view mirror, there was a car behind me! I couldn't believe it!

I couldn't go back. I had to go forward and I did. With my heart pounding out of my chest and the adrenaline flooding my head and closing off my vision. But I did it, by golly, I gotherdone!

Unfortunately as I couldn't find the garage sale or another way out, I had to turn around and cross over that bridge again! But at least I didn't have another car on my bumper!

Apartment Complex

Well it could be a house for many birds but I think what it really is is a practice field for young woodpeckers. The tree is hollow. It was probably full of bugs or worms. A goldmine for woodpeckers of all ages.

III, Three, Trinity

Land of Goshen. Halfway betwen Too and III. This little country church is Goshen Church and there used to be a little community here.
Three church windows.
Three historical signs.
Threes.
It put me in mind of The Trinity.


The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.


Amen

The mice will play

okay, not Mice . . . but the deer will play while we are away. And man. Man will play and wreck havoc and do damage.

Last visit to III, Himself and I took a salt block down to encourage the deer to pose in front of the game cam. And it worked. This time we had 60+ pictures and a good 12 or so, had evidence of deer -- a better percentage than normal. However, our salt block has disappeared. We both know from our youth that a salt block will not be all used up in a month or two. Even with several cows and my cousin Bill getting down to lick the block, a salt block would stay in the pasture next to our house all summer. Our salt block is gone. We might have given it up and assumed animals dumped it in the pond or dragged it off except for the fact that the 2X4s that Himself sat the salt block on had been picked up and set on top of a pile of cement blocks about 3’ off the ground and 20 yards away. We know no critters did that. Someone was on our property and someone took our salt block. And I don't like that.

See, see that salt block? Now you see it, now we don't!

PS: seems like we just have female deer at III.
(Doe, a deer, a female deer, ra, a pocket full of sun!)
No bucks.

Blast from the Past

A new feature, perhaps.

A Blast from the Past!

Look! Traci and Kyna and Ty

Kristy, Morghan Grace and Erica

Sweet memories.

PS: a barefoot Erica!

Morghan, I still have that jacket!

Answer to the riddle: "The ceiling at Too"

The question, of course, is where can you see praire grass, a big mouth bass and an airplane all in one small space?

Himself so bravely climbed the ladder and strung fishing line and tied it with one hand and so suspended the little whirlygig airplane in the air space at the top of the cabin. (I would have tried it, if Himself did not, but I am quite sure I could not have "gotherdone". That is way too high!)

The big mouth bass is the one and the same that Gramps caught one summer from the pontoon boat. Little girl, Sheila, watching the commotion and seeing the creature that Gramps reeled in said of the Big Mouth Bass -- "that is not a fish!". She thought it was a crocodile or some other monster because of the size of the mouth.

The grass is prairie grass. There are still small patches here and there.

And the "Twin Lake"

"Private Road"

sign is one that Gramps made. We have 3 or 4 of his signs that used to Grace the park. And they are hanging on the walls at Too.

Next riddle please . . .

Remains

This archeologist went on a dig, last weekend down. Brother Gary had given me a probe to use in my new career.

I knew the general vicinity. I had the energy and the motivation and the time and now I had the means. So I hiked down and I probed. I dug. I found. Yes! I found . . . well, I found rocks! Rocks! I found rocks! Are you all amazed?

I probed all around the area but until I checked between these two scrawny, trees, I didn't find one rock. After I found the first rock, I found a pile of rocks.

I was looking for the remains of a log cabin. I have the limestone well. Now I just need to know where the cabin was. If someone took the time to build this fine turn of the century well, someone built a little cabin. And I want to know more about that.

















Now, are the rocks just left over from building this fine well? Or are they the foundation or chimney from our little ol' log cabin? Hopefully I'll be able to answer that question some day.

Missouri Weekend

Driving one of these is a new experience. We are used to round steering wheels where you turn the wheel in the direction you want to go. On this and mowers like this, you push a joy stick forward or pull it towards you to tell it where to go. It does take some practice; some getting used to. And here, Himself, is getting experienced.

headin' out

We'll be heading to Mo, soon. Come Friday after work. It has been so long, maybe we should get off work early and head out.

Last visit down, I turned rocks. Turning rocks is a spring cleaning chore, one I have to do every spring -- and the earlier the better. Things just aren't right in my Missouri world until I turn rocks . . .

Can you tell the difference? After they are turned, the rocks present a much neater, crisper appearance! You can see that, can't you? Can't you?

The Trees are Alive with the Sounds of Discord

Every evening all week long about dusk, the blackbirds start looking for a a roosting place. They settle in the tall trees of the neighborhood to debate it. They dart here and there and back again as the discussion continues.

It is loud and strident -- and they vote raucously on where this night's lodging will be . . .

Himself and I just hope they are in migration mode -- that they end up far, far away.
This isn't even in the timber; not in Missouri. This is small town Iowa! And this town ain't big enough for the likes of them!