Old Barn

 I believe the barn was built in the late 1930's or early 1940s by the Lemon family ( a brother to Far Guys maternal Grandmother (Clara Almeada) lived there his name was Loren Lemon and his wife was Florence Graham Lemon.

My parents purchased the farm in the spring of 1952 when my Dad returned from Korea. 

Me and the barn in about 1953 or 1954.

Ten years later in 1964.

Me, my other baby brother and my baby brother in 1964.

I have taken a number of photos of the barn over the years. 

November 2021...I wondered if the barn would make the winter if there was heavy snow so I took a photo. 

May 14, 2022  It made the winter but began to sag. 

Last week the wind storm that we had finally got the better of the barn.

June 25th 2022. 

Yesterday we watched as the barn came completely down.  The barn held lots of memories for me growing up on the farm. Mostly good memories of hard work.  My earliest memory is loose hay stacked on a wagon ready to go into the hay mow, and of course the Banty Roosters chasing me. 

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Busy Days

 

Jen called and wanted to meet with me so I could get a key to the new gathering place.  She wanted to meet at Hobby Lobby an hour North. I quickly called my baby brothers bride as she likes Hobby Lobby also...poor gal only had about five minutes to get ready! I spent the morning in Hobby Lobby (yes yarn may have been purchased) and the afternoon sitting with my Dad...we watched TV ( Heartland on Netflix) and had a number of naps.  Mom was shopping in Fargo North Dakota with cousin Geraldine for a new sewing machine.  

I got home about 7:30 luckily I had put steak in the crock pot for steak enchiladas...and I should have taken a photo as they were really good. 

I think this might be a 1955 Chevy.

Far Guy joined the local car club...they have cruise nights every Tuesday...so we may give that a whirl next week. 

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Whats new

 The area West of us that was clear cut had huge piles of brush so that very windy day they decided to burn it.

We could smell the smoke outside for a couple of days.  Then it rained...

Our oldest Grandson Noah has pneumonia in one lung, they gave him IV antibiotics in the Emergency Room and we hear he was feeling much better on Monday. 

Our second oldest Granddaughter Maddie got a job in Grand Forks North Dakota, she and her husband and the little ones are moving late this week from Michigan.   It will be good to have them closer! 

Jen and Andy and another couple that they have known for a long time formed a partnership and bought a building ( previously a Town Hall converted into a residence) in a small lake town.  It is really a cute place, I helped do some cleaning and painting there.  Right now it sleeps 13 plus people and has three bathrooms.  It has room for expansion in the loft and in the basement.  The part they are using now is 5,000 plus square feet. They will use it for a craft retreat and a gathering place.   Jen's annual Craft Retreat will be held there this Fall.   It is an hour drive from our home.  Far Guy went along one day and he and oldest Grand Savannah put together some craft carts.  Fun to see Jen and Andy tackle a project. 

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Blooms

 The Minnesota State Flower the Showy Lady's Slipper is in full bloom. 

Such a beautiful flower.

We enjoy seeing them in the wild.  In this area you could see them way far back into the woods. 

I mowed the yard again, Far Guy picked up twigs and did some trimming around trees.  It was a chilly, windy day.  It didn't make 70 F all day. 

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Stormy NIght and Moths

 We had a very stormy Friday night, the phones went off with Tornado warnings.  It blew and rained really hard, we got about 1 1/2 inches of rain, actually my rain gauge said 2 inches of rain but my brothers say we didn't get that much and my gauge is faulty ( It probably comes off the roof somewhat) 

We have leaves and twigs in the yard, my brothers both had trees that blew down.  

Most of the twigs will get chopped up by the lawn mower.  I picked up some of the larger branches. 

We had some interesting moths. 

A female Automeris IO Moth...she probably laid all her eggs and came to the wreath outside our door to die.  They only live a couple of weeks.

We had a bunch of these white moths...I killed most of them...this is the only one that escaped ...then I found out that white moths are a sign of good luck. 

I think it may be a Virginia Tiger Moth but I am not certain. 

After the storms our weather turned cool again.   It may have gotten up to 70 F yesterday...it was delightfully cool and windy. 

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Peony

 My Peonies had a good Spring and early Summer with adequate rain! 

I have three plants, all from neighbor Jo years ago.  Ruby, Pink and White.   The white one has not bloomed yet. 

Ants are always present. 

Years ago I recall this time of year the ladies would bring bouquets of peonies to church on Sunday mornings and the church smelled so good!   I suppose they don't "do" that anymore...too bad.   

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Tomatoes

 The tomato plants are really growing! 

This is the Roma tomato plant and it is flowering and has small tomatoes! 

Yellow Pear tomato on the left Roma on the right.   The Yellow Pear is also flowering and has tomatoes forming. 

The sheep watering tank works great, the South side of my garage is the perfect spot against the steel building the tomatoes stay toasty warm!   The dog fence keeps out the deer...so far anyway. 

We should have tomatoes mid July!  

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Last of the Lilacs

 My Late Lilac had some very nice blooms this year.  Sadly the heat did them in a few days ago. 

I had a good day. I sprayed some Thistle and some Poison Ivy.  Saw just one deer standing on a dirt pile reaching for branches.  The Poison Ivy is growing really fast and tall this year...I need it out of the edge of the woods where I mow. 

Far Guy and I went on a parts run for my other baby brother to Fargo ND.  Talk about traffic...I am not sure I could ever live there again.  We lived in Moorhead MN just across the river from Fargo from 1970-1972, 1974 - 1986 and then in Harwood ND ( North of Fargo) from 1996-1998. 

Have you heard the old joke?  One guy said to the other "Where are you going?"  Second guy replies "Far go"  First guy says "Moor head."

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Happy Summer

 The other night we took out Ranger Blue and sat in our old driveway and watched the storm roll in. 

Rain and some wind.   It was entertaining. 

When it was so hot I worked on putting together some cards.  I have many of the watercolor/stamps all colored. (last winter I colored many while keeping an eye on Sadie)  I just need to trim them to size and audition mat colors and envelopes and assemble them.   I finished about 25 cards and there are still more that I could do.  

Far Guy has all the blanks cut out for the woodcarved Christmas Ornaments.  He has begun carving. 

It was cooler and windy yesterday after the storms...temperatures were only 77 F or 25 C for a high, but we are headed back up to hot again soon. 

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Hot

 Yesterday the warmest it got was 97 F or 36 C eh.  Sunday it was 100 F  or 37 C. 

I took a photo of the temperature and the time. 

Yesterday we ran errands in the morning when it was cooler; Post Office, Eye Doctor, Budget Auto and Wally World. 

Far Guy worked on Christmas woodcarvings and I worked on some greeting cards....then we had a nap.  Ever thankful for Air Conditioning!

Storms will be coming in and the weather should cool off some by Tuesday.  

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Dementia

Memory loss, difficulty finding words, getting lost, unable to problem solve, unable to do two tasks at once. 

My Dad has dementia, he has been struggling for a few years.   Sometimes his inability to find the right words has him revert back to the Finnish language.  

Yesterday we visited Mom and Dad in their assisted living apartment.  Mom is not real happy being there she misses the house that they sold.  Dad is okay there...his recliner and  TV are in virtually the same spot as in their house.  The food is good since Mom still cooks.  Dad watches basically one program on Netflix  Heartland.   I like that show too and I can understand him liking it.   Dad used to listen to baseball games on the radio and on TV...but he can no longer follow the game.  

Yesterday Dad knew that I was "the oldest kid" and he was happy to see me.  He asked me again "How old are you?"  I finally told him 70 and he said "That is really old"  He knew that he was 95.   Most of the time he does not know what year it is or the month. 

He thanked me in Finn for the card and a bit of money for his billfold.  Kiitos. 

My Dad is the last of his family...all of his brothers and sisters have died.  He is the lone survivor.  He is also a Bladder Cancer survivor since 1986.  It is hard for him being the only one left, he misses his sister Anna very much.

I  miss parts of my Dad;  the memories and remember whens, the one with advice and an opinion, the one who would take the opposite side of a discussion just to be on the other side. ( If he didn't take the opposite side I would) 

My Dad who smiles when he sees me and always welcomes a hug is still there for that I am grateful. 

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Happy Father's Day!

 I was out mowing and it rained on me, of course I am not sweet enough to melt.  My mower got a good wash as did my hat!   So we went to recycle instead. 

The storm clouds that rained on me.  There was a huge temperature difference between where it rained and where it did not. 

Veronica and Salvia are blooming in the wild gardens. 

Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers out there, I hope your day is special!  

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Lilacs and a barn

 We are headed into a heatwave, high temperatures and high humidity for a few days.  We are thankful for central air conditioning.

A barn nearby, new people live here, we have not met them.   I heard a rumor that they have homes all over the world.  Who really knows for sure.   They have an asphalt drive now, it used to be dirt....before driveways it was a pasture.   Times change.   I wonder what Henry would say...he used to be the caretaker of this property...he and his coon hounds and cages of rabbits that lived near the barn. 

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Change

 A section of land just west of us has been Native Prairie and a wooded area with many Oak trees as long as I can recall ( that would be about 70 years).  

The land is being cleared.  What a change.

From our home we could hear the high pitched whine of the huge saw machine as the old Oaks fell one by one.  The Oaks were thick as hair on a dogs back. 

So it will be a field  and grow something...potatoes, corn or a small grain of some kind.   I suppose some of the deer will return to have a salad...we often saw deer in this field...belly deep in Native Prairie grasses and flowers.  Most likely the pair of Fox we saw one evening have been displaced as have the coyotes. 

Is it progress?  I suppose eventually it will feed a few more people. 

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Half over

 June is half over...boy that sure went fast! 

Soon it will be time to change the flag again. 

Not much happening here, yesterday I cleaned the bathroom and put a few things away.   

Started on a baby blanket.  Watched a true story on Netflix called  Molly's Game.   It was interesting and I give it an 8 out of 10.  My shoulder is doing pretty good!  A bit of pain if I do too much but Aleve helps.  My Doctor checked on me yesterday as she is going out of town. 

We had a simple supper...breakfast...scrambled eggs and bacon.

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Yellow Blooms

 Found the first of the smallest  yellow Lady Slippers in our area.  This very nice clump is on one of the roads we take in the evenings. 

Yesterday I had an Eye Doctor appointment.  He loves to dilate my eyes, so much so that it takes the rest of the day to get back to normal.  My eyesight has changed a bit but not much, 20 20 and 20 15.   I have to go back for some more tests....field of vision and another one that I cannot recall the name of.  My "night driving glasses" need to be updated.  I do not use them often but when I do I want to be able to see through them! 

I will take the reading glasses script to Wally World and get some new reading glasses.   It has been several years since they have been updated. 

Cross something off my list and add a few more appointments...

My shoulder is still sore, but I was able to mow the lawn again and help with supper.   I partially watched Dark Shadows on Netflix , I give the music a 10 and what I saw of the show a 2.  I slept through most of it. 

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Cut and pack

 I had a horrid abscess on my shoulder.  I have been fighting it for quite some time.  Uffda it was a smelly oozing mess.  I apologize to anyone who may have hugged me and thought I was rotting away or had not bathed in days.  We finally covered it with a Clearasil pad and sealed it up with tape because I was so over being a stinky mess...every time I used my shoulder it would ooze....nasty...nasty. 

Long story short the Doctor made a number of incisions and packed it.  She gave Far Guy instructions and a tutorial on how to pack it again in 24 hours and I am on antibiotics. 

My shoulder is sore but I will live to see another day or maybe two. 

That was enough for a Monday. 

The Lilacs are pretty much past bloom.

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Flowers

 I finally decided to plant a few flowers, we were in town anyway.

24 plants: 12 Impatiens ( red and white), 6 Salvia Victoria Blue and 6 Salvia that are red. 

Good enough...the deer will probably come in and snack anyways...

The Solar Lights are on my list...some need repair and I have some lawn ornaments that need to be placed here and there.

We had a quiet day yesterday, had a visit with my other baby brother and she who sees robins first.  Went for a Ranger Blue ride in the evening. 

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Next

My yarn for the next project.  

 Baby Bee yarn.  Have not decided on a pattern yet.  I am still thinking about it.

I still have partially done Winter Wonderland waiting in the crochet project line up.  I have scrubbies in process and a shawl partially done and some really cute mosaic bags in the works. 

I have many other non crochet projects....cards...watercolors... woodcarvings. I also have a very large old photo scanning project to work on.

I have not begun to make the list of things outside that need to be done. 

I am never bored.

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59 Weeks

Ha! 59 weeks... that is over a year that this project has been in the works.  

This is my Patchwork Mosaic Crochet that I began on April 23, 2021. 

 I put it on the couch to take a photo. it is a very large afghan.   It will fit on a queen size bed.  Right now I am very tired of these colors so I will put the whole thing away. 

It is totally reversible as the back is pretty also. 

Nice to have a WIP ...Work In Progress completed. 

Now I can begin the next project that is waiting in the work basket! 

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Home work

 I got the lawn mowed, it was a sad sight with the dandys shooting up their seed heads.  It is better now for a few days. 

Still have not decided on flowers.  Procrastination.

 My Late Lilac is just about to bloom.  

Today I will tackle weeds and thistle....and maybe some ants.  Yes it will be mass destruction and I will enjoy it! 

We are hoping for a good rain shower to settle the pollen.  Far Guy has been held hostage in the house most of the past couple of weeks.  He goes outside for very short periods of time.  Another week and we should be over most of the pollen.  Far Guy is feeling short of breath and wheezing which irritates him.  He wants to get out and do "stuff."

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Car Show

 We attended one of the first car shows for the summer.    I got back from Up North, had a nap and we took off. 

Far Guys shirt says " Nobody is perfect but if you drive a Desoto you're pretty damn close"    It was a nice night for an outing.  The temperature might have hit 70 F and it was breezy so the skeeters were not a problem.

Far Guy hung the old drive in theater speaker in the window...he has a Bose speaker inside that plays 50's tunes from his phone. 

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Bleeding Hearts

 Jen has some beautiful Bleeding Hearts right next to the front walk. 

I am surprised that they didn’t winter kill right next to the sidewalk.  The Hosta nearby will take over once the Bleeding Heart dies back and disappears…it is always good to have a plant in the same area so if you are watering the roots of the Bleeding Heart get some water. 

I had another busy day with Sadie and Little Elvis. One day I left them to nap and went to Hobby Lobby, I have several projects in the works that I needed supplies for…and now I have a few more projects!  I wandered down almost every aisle. Yarn may have been purchased.

The big excitement was Phoebes escape…she scooted out the front door…I figured she was lost forever…she came home a few hours later. 

Phoebe is Adam’s cat…he was at work when she went missing.  I told Phoebe she is on my you know what list.

I intended to read a book while I was here BUT some dog does not like me reading.

The Grandboys are in charge of the critters now as I am headed back home to Far Guy.

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Gone to the dogs

 I am taking care of the Grand dogs for a couple of days.  Little Elvis is an easy keeper.  Sadie likes lots of attention.  We play ball many times a day. 

The grass in the back yard must be tasty as both dogs are snacking from time to time.

There is no napping here as Sadie brings me every toy she has, dropping it on my head or sticking it right in my face.  She is quite the character.  I (we) helped to spoil her so I should not complain.

Sadie is a happy well loved dog.

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Escape

 We can now escape the skeeters....they are vicious. 

Now that I know what I am doing, I can take it down if the weather is bad.  I have stakes on the inside and stakes and ropes on the outside.   It was a learning experience for me. 

We set it up in front of the house...that was so not working...picture two stooges trying to roll it to the East side of the house.  It is devoid of chairs...you have to take one from the patio and return it when you are done.

It is a Clam Quick Set Escape outdoor tent.  I have not compensated in any way. 

In their video one man sets it up and takes it down...it is important to have no wind and feel really strong!  Two old fart stooges can do it as long as they communicate. 

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Green grass and tomatoes

 The front yard looks pretty good as it should with the rain that we got last week. 

Freshly mowed with no dandies raising their ugly heads...but give them a couple of days.   No regular flowers like Impatiens or Salvia have been purchased or planted...yet.   I haven't decided what to do....maybe next week.  

We planted two tomato plants this year...a Yellow Pear and a Roma.   The Yellow Pear already had blooms and now has tiny starts of tomatoes.   Our sheep watering tank works well for tomatoes and the dog fence keeps the critters out.   It ain't fancy smancy but it works for us. 

White Blooms

 The Hawthorns are blooming.  We have always called them Thornapples...the wood is good for flower stems if you are a woodcarver. 

Can you see the thorn?  The tree/shrub will get red tiny itsy bitsy apples come Fall and the birds will eat them.

It should be a good year for Chokecherries.    Last summer we cleared out many branches that had fire blight (poop on a stick) and that really helped with the growth.  My baby brother, his bride and I worked really hard at clearing out the infected branches.   If we just take care of new areas we should have a handle on it.   If pollination goes well we will be busy picking and steaming chokecherries come the first week in August. 

Each tiny flower will be a berry!  The clusters will hang heavily from the branches first green then turning pink, red and a very deep red almost black and they are ready to pick.

Yesterday I mowed the entire yard, previously I mowed just the front yard.  It was a busy day.

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Sadie!

 Sadie came to visit...well truthfully our youngest daughter Jen brought her for a visit.  

She was very excited to see us....her body wags all over. 

She had to check out the seeds and suet under the bird feeders.  This photo gives you some idea of how big she is.

Her fur has turned a very nice reddish brown.

Jen and I did some garage sale shopping.  Sadie wanted to sit on my lap...finally I just gave her the front seat! 

Far Guy had a nap while we were gone.   The wind was so bad yesterday that the air was full of dirt.  As I unloaded groceries in the Walmart parking lot the sand hitting my feet actually hurt. 

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