Colorful Birds and a Missouri Death

Yesterday the first of the Baltimore Orioles showed up.  I am not sure if he found the feeder…he sang a song…very loudly. Perhaps he was announcing his find!

Isn’t he a beauty!

 

The male Indigo Bunting strutted around on the patio so I took his photo through the window.

It rained really hard last evening…thundered and lightening…Chance headed for the safety of the bathroom.

We got some sad news yesterday afternoon.  Far Guy’s cousin Nickie’s husband Jim died  in Missouri.  He had Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma and has been in treatment since last August, since Christmas the cancer has been out of control, the Doctors gave him two weeks to eight weeks to live three weeks ago.  Jim sought out the best specialists at the University of Nebraska and The Kansas Cancer Treatment Center.  Sometimes it just doesn’t matter when your time is up…it is up.  Thankfully through Facebook we were able to send him words of encouragement during his illness.

Colorful Visitors

It stopped raining and we got some visitors!

Scarlet Tanagers and Indigo Buntings

I wonder if they migrate together since they showed up on the same day.

We decided that the Baltimore Orioles cannot be far behind so we put up the renovated feeder.  It is a tad bright!

We put out grape jelly and just one orange for now.

Here is a great photo of a male and female Scarlet Tanager. She got the short end of the stick in the color department.  They like suet…and I have seen them suck down some grape jelly.

If they are true to form they will be here just a few days before they move on.  My bird book says they like Oak forests…I wish they would stay.  As you can see the oaks are just beginning to pop out.

Chance and I can be entertained for hours just watching the birds.

Spring Snow

My cousin Chuckie was telling us yesterday that his Tuesday morning fishing  time was interrupted by two hours of snow…it melted as it hit the ground.

It turned cold enough to snow.  One morning on the way into town there were chunks of snow on the roadway.  Far Guy and I looked at each other to confirm that we weren’t both crazy seeing things.  It was SNOW. Dropped off by trucks or cars passing through from North Dakota or South Dakota.

Then we had this…

Don’t get too excited.  These are flower petals.

Malus X ‘Spring Snow’  A sterile flowering Crabapple.  It only has flowers no fruit.  It has a real strong fragrance…Far Guy noticed it right away.

Then there is this kinda fluff.

Aspen/Populus species/ Piss Popple/Cottonwood fluff.  The fluff carries the tiny seeds all over.  Chance carts them all over and into the house.  The fluff lays in snow drifts over the lawn…and we only have a few trees.  When the wind comes from the North it looks like it is snowing.

Our grass is turning green…finally!  It rained all day yesterday…not enough but it is a start to help out with the drought.

“To me an ancient Cottonwood is the greatest of trees because in his youth he shaded the buffalo and wore a halo of pigeons, and I like a young cottonwood because he may some day become ancient. But the farmer’s wife (and hence the farmer) despises all cottonwoods because in June the female tree clogs the screens with cotton. The modern dogma is comfort at any cost” Aldo Leopold

How did the duck get to the other side of the road?

Well they found a crosswalk and a couple of very duck friendly people from Burger King to act as crossing guards. I stopped for them and grabbed my camera on the front seat. I took these photos through the windshield with my small camera.

There was another duck friendly fellow off to the right that stayed at the edge of the road.

It looks like there were twelve ducklings.

All in all it was a nice moment in a rather hectic day.

Traffic in town is getting bad.  I think all the snow birds have returned. We have entered the season of left turns only at the stoplights…any other left turn in town and you will wait forever or get yourself in an accident. 

Wistful Wednesday: Sucker Spearing

This is an old photo that was marked by Far Guy’s Grandma Tracie, she most likely took the photo also.

The year is 1923 and it looks like it is in the spring of the year.  As far as I can tell it was taken at the farm.

Grandpa looks like he might have been in the river out back.  The fish are most likely Suckers and we think maybe there is a Northern Pike in the front.

The boys are little in 1923.  Far Guy’s Dad Marvin is 8 1/2 according to Gram. That would make Uncle Ronald on the left 5 years old and Uncle Jimmy near the fish not yet 2 years old.

It used to be a big deal to go sucker spearing, the season didn’t open until May 1st…but in a warm spring the suckers ran earlier…and what are you supposed to do?  

Some  fishermen might have taken a gunny sack or two and a spear and visited the river late at night.  Maybe…

I might have been with them a time or two…maybe.

Dreaming

Not sure what is happening but I am dreaming some weird $#!&.

I discovered a really long hair coming out of my chin.  I pulled it out and discovered it had a whole bunch of dark horse hair at one end.  I measured it and it was 40 inches long… I wondered how I missed it when I washed my face…and how I managed to get it all tucked into my bun without noticing.   I checked out my face AND neck really good the next morning.

I was stranded in town in my jammies.  I was supposed to pick up Far Guy and when I told him I was wearing my jammies he said “Sweetheart I will go into Wally World and buy you something to wear.”  Did I listen…no I kept him waiting whilst I waltzed into Wally World barefoot in my prettiest blue and white nightgown.  I couldn’t find any pants, finally I found a pair but they were white with a pink stripe going down the leg and they were $40.  Well forget that.

Hairs and jammies seem to be on my mind…and the number 40.

 

Oh well it could be worse.  I could be walking around with paper stuck to my butt.

Phlox at the Cemetery

The Phlox is in full bloom at Riverside Cemetery.  It usually blooms for Memorial Day and that is still two weeks away.

There are a few kinds of Phlox this is Phlox subulata.

It comes in white, pink and all shades of purple some with darker or lighter colored eyes.

It is short and is technically a ground cover.

I have always wondered who was buried or will be buried here amongst all the beautiful spring blooming Phlox subulata. 

I took a walk around and discovered it will be the final resting place of some old friends.  Their son died in 2006 and they(the parents) are still alive and kicking but their headstone is in place.  They lived directly across from us when we lived at the resort…on the pretty side of the lake.  I called it that because it would catch the late evening sunset and in the Fall the trees would glow.  You practically had to be a Mountain Goat to live on that side of the lake the hill is so steep.

The Cemetery looks pretty good, although it has not been mowed yet…they may be planning to make hay there before Memorial Day.

Many of the graves have fresh bouquets of silk flowers already.  I need to purchase some more silk flowers and update some bouquets…we usually pick most of our bouquets up after Memorial Day to make it easier for the mowers.  Silk flowers are easier…we used to take pots of geraniums but they have to be watered often especially if it turns warm.

What kind of flowers do you take to the cemeteries?

Happy Mother’s Day!

Far Guy and I took my Mom and Dad to lunch one day this last week.  I made my Mom a card.

My Mom and me on May 2, 1953. 

Since I was a very stubborn, head strong slow to yield to authority child I am certain she should get some kind of a reward. Oh yes my perfect siblings must have been her reward!

For now my new yard art in my favorite turquoise/aqua color sits out in one of the wild gardens. Thank you to my talented and she must have been covered in glitter youngest daughter Jen!  I will think of you every time I open my trunk because I think that bowling ball rolled out of it’s box at least once on the trip home.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Spring Sales

We spent the day yesterday looking for treasures.  Never can tell when you will find something that you cannot live without.  The little town of Menahga had city wide sales.  It was a cool day so Chance went along to supervise from the car.

I have some lawn art designs running around in my head.  Not sure if any will pan out or not. Going from my brain to a finished project is an adventure.

Some people collect the darndest “stuff.”

Anchors ??  I guess. 

My husband bought a wood carving and a fan. He is the last of the big spenders.

Of course I bought junk supplies for the projects in my brain and several Corning Ware pans and some pretty boxes…who can resist boxes…not me.

Double Flowering Plum

The Double Flowering Plum or Prunus triloba ‘Multiplex’ burst into bloom.  Some people call this shrub a Double Flowering Almond.

It rained a bit and the blooms popped open.  We didn’t get much rain…we could use more.

I love the delicate double blossoms that look like little roses.

I have seen better form…but this one survives next to the woods without extra water or care.

It always blooms between the time of the Pin Cherries and the Chokecherries.

Prairie Rose Carousel

One of the reasons we went to the Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton North Dakota was to see the Prairie Rose Carousel.

We always enjoy seeing these old works of art restored and working.

The scenery features South Dakota and North Dakota Towns.

The Chariots were quite detailed.

Adam is enjoying his ride.  Here you can see how the top supports have been painted with Prairie Roses. Every bit of this carousel was clean and painted perfectly.

The horses were beautifully done but they lacked reins.  Far Guy asked why they had been removed…and the fellow said he had no idea.

 

All the horses were named this one is Pat.

This is the home of the Prairie Rose Carousel.  It is nicely protected from the weather inside.  Park benches line the walls so old people can sit and let memories of other Carousels/Merry Go Rounds wander around in their brains.

Wistful Wednesday: Glenn L. Martin Plant

I found these old photos a while ago.  They are from the 1940’s during World War II. They were in an envelope marked “The Martin Plant”  and they belonged to Far Guy’s Dad.

Area SW Of Plant At  NW End Looking East Showing Location of South Dock.  The photo is dated 6-23-44

These photos we taken at the Fort Crook Military Reservation at the Glenn L. Martin Plant.

Far Guys Dad (Marvin) and his Uncle Willard ( His Mother’s brother) did “mods” there during the war.

This is what Uncle Willard shared with me a few years before his death.

He moved to Omaha.  He moved in with his sister and her husband ( Far Guy’s parents) They lived near Spring Lake Park Golf Course. He and Far Guy’s Dad worked at Fort Crook Military Reservation for the duration of the war.

He worked on the B-26 Marauder in the Martin Plant. The “A” model B 26 all went to Russia.  Hitler was pounding the hell out of Russia.  The “B” model all went to the Army Air Corps.  The modification center moved more planes through than the factory. The first big modification job was a B 25 they were missile bombers made in Burbank California.  The planes were stacked up outside sometimes there would be 40 acres of planes just setting there ready to run through modifications.  We put more guns on them..50 caliber and a 75 mm cannon out the nose of the airplane.  These were used in the Pacific and Western Europe..they would wreck a railroad..they blew up Hitler’s trains.  They would fly right down a track and hit a locomotive.  They would take the 50 caliber and shoot right into the railroad cars..they blew up!

Nagelle Storage Modification North End Building “A” Photo is dated 2-12-45

Removing Dorsal Fin To Accomplish Modification Change No.A 21  Photo dated 5-1-44

Barnes Multiple Spindle Drills For Engine Mount Production  Looking South in Welding Dept.  Photo dated 9 -30-44

These awards were found with the photographs.

Far Guy’s Dad (Marvin) was a Machinist and Uncle Willard was an Electrician for the Glenn L. Martin Company in Nebraska.

One story about Uncle Willard…one day he was too busy to go to lunch.  An Airplane in the air sounded “funny”  he  looked over and the plane a B 25 whose left engine failed landed on the roof of the cafeteria…that happened September 22 1943.  Three out of four air crew were killed…no one inside the cafeteria died.

April 6 1942 to September 5 1945 was the time Marvin spent in War Production. Possibly longer…I can only document what the certificate says.  

Far Guy said “Dad got a draft notice and he contacted someone at the Martin Plant.  The Plant then contacted someone in the Armed Forces. In 1942 or 1943 he received a Presidential Waiver because he was a very skilled machinist and could best serve the war effort while working at the Glenn L. Martin Plant.  FDR was President back then.  The Presidential Letter was not saved. He worked on a special bomb release mechanism for a B 29.   He was never told exactly what the release mechanism was for.”

 

Spring Blooms

A few things are finally blooming! 

Flowering Crabapple at the Zoo.

Marsh Marigolds or Cowslips on May 3 2015.  These are on Ashley’s road down at the creek.  They are always first to bloom there…or maybe we go that way often. May 1st they were not in bloom …but here they are on May 3rd.

Pin Cherry blooms just popping out.

We are supposed to have a few rainy days later this week.  It is very dry we need the rain desperately.  I am not sure how far behind we are with moisture.  I will guess we are 12 inches or more behind this year maybe more.   Our average yearly rainfall/moisture in snow is 26 inches. I suppose now that I have complained we will get dumped on.