Mustard on the prairie

The pea field across from us this summer was an experiment…they planted the peas directly into the soil…no till.   After the peas were harvested they planted mustard.

We live back in those woods.

There are a few peas mixed in with the mustard and the mustard is almost in full bloom.

Planting mustard is beneficial to the soil.  When the mustard is incorporated into the soil either this Fall or next Spring…Potato Cyst Nematodes will be diminished. 

Finally the corporate farmer is doing something that makes sense.  But is it any wonder that they have a Nematode problem with vehicles, tractors and workers travelling from one field to the next…transporting the little buggers from place to place.

Perhaps they will plant Marigolds next year.

Alpha 1: In Training

I was the trainer,  I helped train Far Guy to give his own infusions. We bought a larger mirror so he could see what he was doing.  He did really well…once he stuck himself he said “Is that needle all the way in?”  It wasn’t… I said “Push harder!”   Yeah for a blood return!  He is braver than I am, I am not certain I could access my own port IF I had one.   I THINK he could do the entire process by himself if he had to…it would be frustrating but doable. We both need to switch off doing the various steps so we don’t unlearn anything or pick up any bad habits.  The infusions still make him really tired for a few days.  No, there are no improvements either other than he has not been sick since beginning the infusions in May.  He still walks about 2 1/2  miles a day.

Our youngest daughter finally sent in her sample to the genetics lab for The Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency test…I am told she used a number of lancets and her fingers were really sore.  We know she is a carrier (either a MS or an MZ, I am a MM and Far Guy is a SZ) and we will hope that she has the same genetic outcome as her sister(MS).

I sent out letters explaining Alpha 1 to some of Far Guy’s Cousins, that way they will know about it and can make their own decisions about testing. Knowledge is power sometimes.  If they test and don’t have it…great…if they do at least when they start to have problems they will be able to save their lungs before too much damage is done.

I sent an email to our niece in Kentucky…it seems she cannot get enough blood out of her fingers for the test. I told her I didn’t care if she had to stick herself a hundred times…she needs to get er done.

I heard from one of Far Guys cousins “If you eat (a supplement she sells) then you won’t “wake” up any genetic conditions…

Well stick a fork in me…

There is no cure for stupid…

Sunset September 13, 2015

Beautiful Sunset

We had an evening out with our youngest daughter Jennifer and some of her friends.  Her friends seem to accept us just the way we are.  The food was great and we enjoyed the girl’s stories and laughter.

The sunset last night was lovely.

The days seem to be going faster and faster, I barely accomplish a few necessary things and it is time to go to bed.  I am sure the days still have 24 hours…but something seems amuck.   Some days I feel like the NON energizer bunny… time flies by and I go slower.

behind the flower scene

Wall of flowers in town.

I took this photo in July.  It was at its best then.  It is a planting of many different kinds of Petunias, Alyssum, Sweet Potato Vine, Melampodium Derby (the bits of yellow) or one of it’s cousins, Salvia Victoria Blue and one of those fancy grasses.  I am not so fond of the Sweet Potato Vine (the green plant)…aphids like it…a lot.

I told you that someday I would photograph the back of the wall of flowers in town.

Here is the back side it looks almost as good as the front side.  The garbage can must hold water that is mixed with fertilizer when they want to fertilize via the drip irrigation system.  Petunias are heavy feeders…they need lots of fertilizer to produce flowers.

They seem to have planted the flowers in some kind of a iron cage or net…I didn’t go and investigate further.

It all makes for a very pretty wall of flowers. It was really chilly last night 40 F or 4 C eh…it is only a matter of days before we get a freeze to wipe out all the flowers.

Project Updates: Glass Flowers and Ornaments

Now that the weather has turned cooler I have been working on some more glass flowers.

That basket on the bottom is chipped but it was a perfect color to go with that Forest Green sauce dish.  This creation has the basket with the handle, a bowl, a plate, the green sauce dish and a candle holder.  I am running out of stakes…I need some that are heavy duty…onward and forward to bigger PVC pipe!

This one is a blue vase, a bowl, a candle holder, a blue plate and the weirdest/cutest little square container I turned upside down.  Last weekend we hit a garage sale where glassware was 25 cents each…how could you go wrong?

The Christmas Ornament count is now at 61, I finished five this week.  12 left to go…I am getting real tired of that project.  I anticipate I will finish before Christmas.

 

Lily Pads

One by one the signs of Fall are visible.

The Lily Pads are turning yellow.

When I see a good patch of Lily Pads I think of a puppy we had once…Misty was a Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie) and we got her in the spring of the year.   One weekend we took her down by the docks at my parents and there were some ducks in the water beyond the Lily Pads.  WELL…she was used to green being lawn…so she ran right off the end of the dock.  She learned to swim real fast…and someone saved her…not sure who…that part of the memory is gone.  She never liked water very much after that….but she learned all about docks and Lily Pads. 

Hero Far Guy says “I just reached down in the water and grabbed her.”

Wistful Wednesday : First Day of School 1981 and now

Guess that makes it 34 years ago.  We were living in North Moorhead and the girls were going to George Washington Elementary School a block and a half from our home.

Trica was beginning 4th grade and Jennifer was beginning Kindergarten.

Looks like Trica had a Strawberry Shortcake Satchel…and Jennifer probably had a Strawberry Shortcake book bag.  It must have been a chilly first day of school.

Kindergarten was difficult for Jennifer. She didn’t like leaving me alone/being away from me.  She walked with her sister to school in the morning.  I was to pick her up at her classroom…over a few weeks I met her across the street from the school…then at the end of the block and finally I waited on the front step…and before it got cold I got to wait inside the house!  Kindergarten was only half days back then.

Trica is finally through with school unless she decides to take more classes.  Jennifer goes to school everyday to teach and she is taking a Graduate Class this year….not sure why…maybe she misses being a student… she has her MFA already.

The Grands went back to school yesterday, we have an 8th grader (Adam), Junior (Paige), Post-Secondary Options Program Student(Noah) and a Senior(Maddie)…and Savannah is taking classes at Northwest Technical College.

Noah should graduate with a two year degree the same time as he graduates from High School.  Paige is also taking some College Level Classes that her High School offers.

Seems like only yesterday that they were trudging off to school with their backpacks almost bigger than they were.

Winner Winner Turkey Dinner

Ack!  When we drove by Far Guy said “Are those feathers?”  I replied “I am not sure weren’t they leaves?  Let’s go back and see for sure.”

They were feathers. Right there on the scene of the crime…only feathers and lots of them. Neither of us have ever seen anything like it.

Some feathers were still whole and others were broken off at the shaft of the feather.

Possibly someone hit a turkey with a vehicle and the carcass was carried off..or a wolf got a turkey and they had a wild fight in the road.  Either way something got a turkey dinner.

I guess when you are a turkey you never know exactly when Thanksgiving is…and your time is up. Winner winner turkey dinner….or maybe there is a bald turkey out there running around in the woods….yes that might be it.

Working People

Today is Labor Day a time for some people to take the day off….around here that means maybe a picnic at the lake or just a day to catch up on projects you didn’t get to all summer or have a nap. Everyone puts their own spin on “a paid holiday.”

Some people who we rely on the most do not get the day off.

This handsome young man is my cousin Scott’s son.  His name is Dannon and he is a Sheriff’s Deputy for a neighboring county.  The other day Far Guy and I stopped at a public landing to walk Chance and Dannon pulled up to put the Sheriff’s Boat in the water. We had a nice visit. Dannon is enjoying his career in Law Enforcement.  We pray that he stays safe.  We have watched him grow from a gangly teenager into a fine young man.

I salute all the American workers who make this country a great place to live.

For me personally the day means the end of summer, although the first day of Fall is two weeks away…Fall is in the air.  Most of the far away tourists have departed, we are left with the North Dakota weekend visitors and the elderly out of State people with no children. Tomorrow is the first day children will go back to school in Minnesota.

Morning Glory Surprise

My Mother did not intend to have a whole garden of Morning Glories.  It just happened that way.  They were off on vacation on the west coast when it was time to plant some flowers.  When they got home they were busy with other things…and she never got around to planting anything in this garden.

Last year she had a couple of Morning Glory plants that climbed the windmill.

The left over seed sprouted and the vines grew and grew.

They are blooming quite nicely.

They have climbed everything they could…here they have almost choked off the rain gauge.

Sometimes a few leftover seeds and ample water are all you need for a beautiful garden.

Long Weekend and Pills

When you are retired long weekends can be any weekend.  This is the last official weekend of the summer, school starts next Tuesday.

We have no plans…one day at a time.  The weather is supposed to be very warm and humid with thunderstorms.

Chance demanded his ride last night…he looks forward to that ride and moans, groans and makes the worst throaty noises until we go for a ride…spoiled dog anyway.

Ashley’s Road  September 3 2015

It spit rain on us but we still saw two fawns sporting their spots.  It was too dark for a photo by then…it sure gets dark quickly on cloudy nights.

Doctor Visit Report:

My Doctor has decided to treat my Chronic Lymes  again…I hope it makes a difference. The Lyme attacks ebb and flow I swear it has a mind of it’s own.

My potassium was low so that helps explain why I have been more tired recently.  So I will take a potassium supplement. ( I hate taking medications…all I can see in my head is a little old lady with a Ziploc bag full of pills.)  I will go back in for follow up blood work in a month. AND my blood pressure which was the reason for the doctor visit…is just fine 130/82.

As we drove in the yard last night I said “Look at all the solar lights, they look so pretty.”  Far Guy said “You are getting to be quite an old lady with your glass flowers and solar lights!”  I reminded him that neither of us is getting any younger…and I will soon have a bag full of pills to prove it.

Monarch Caterpillar

I had a really fun time photographing a Monarch Caterpillar…I am easy to entertain!

We have some Common Milkweed along the back driveway.  

They eat Milkweed and they poop until they grow large enough to go through the pupa/chrysalis stage. This one might be a really lucky one that will migrate and live someplace warm for the winter!

I was happy to see one Caterpillar…this is the first one I have seen this year. Years ago we had many many Monarch Caterpillars.  We used to sell several varieties of Milkweed and would always ask with or without?   Some of the high heeled fancy matchy matchy ladies would say without what ? …CATARPILLARS of course…turns out they didn’t want any bugs on their Milkweed (never fear I thought to myself the “bugs” will find them! )…other ladies in gardening hats sporting sensible shoes and dirty fingernails would say “Yes could I have more than one?”  Milkweed is the only food source for the Monarch Caterpillar.

Busy Days and Appointments

Projects galore the past few days.  We got six dozen ears of corn to chop off the cob, cook and freeze. (Note to self: Self you are getting older do three dozen ears at once…not six) I have been working in my garage when the heat allows and there are many in the house projects when the heat becomes too much.

Great Blue Heron

We took a drive over to Shell Lake one evening…this guy was hanging around fishing.  I have the wood blocks all ready to carve one of these guys.  One of those UP’s…unfinished projects.

The sunset was beautiful and it was even better sharing it with my two best guys!

Besides projects we have had appointments.  I hate appointments.  Chance was to the Vet on Tuesday…nothing serious he just needed a vaccine updated.  Far Guy went to the Doctor on Wednesday…Medicare was not happy with the way the Nurse did his oxygen evaluations…go figure.  Far Guy’s vehicle goes in for back brakes…the fronts were barely done when the back ones began to squeal.  I have a Doctors appointment on Friday because I need a refill on my blood pressure medication and my Doctor wouldn’t refill it until she sees me…picky picky…I saw her 16 months ago….this time she wants blood.  I guess that is what happens when you get old…you have appointments.

Wistful Wednesday: August Birthday

Far Guy’s Dad was born in August.  August 13 to be exact.  He also died in August just 15 days after his birthday.  He was eighty years old when he died.   The funeral was the last day of August in 1994.  He would have been 101 years old this year.  The summer of 1994 was not an easy summer…two weddings and a funeral that summer.  One of those summers that you never want to do over again. 

Lets go back to August 13 1991 when Far Guy’s Dad was 77 years old.

Far Guy with his parents August 13, 1991.   I took the photograph.  The occasion was a birthday dinner out at The Y. That was his Dads thing to do.  Go out for supper to celebrate…no one had to cook or clean up and if he could order fried potatoes he would!

We have a place called “The Y” on the edge of Park Rapids, they serve great steaks.  The Y is still in business…Tim died last June, I never knew his real name was Archie…he was kinda retired and now his wife and son are in charge.  Tim’s Dad served up steaks before Tim…so it has been a multi generational business.  They will close up for the winter sometime in October…I am certain it has not been an easy year for their family.  We haven’t been there since May for a steak…usually we both order Timothy’s Special… a sirloin…Far Guy gets mushrooms and I don’t.  We probably ordered the same thing back in 1991.   I am certain I did because once I find something I like…I am a repeat customer.

Far Guys parents look real good in this photo and Far Guy has some a little hair.

Native Grass Prairies

I am getting old.  I remember what fields were what and how long they have been native prairies. 

This field hasn’t  been worked up in 65 years….for sure maybe more.  I passed this field everyday on the bus ride to school.

There used to be a school house on this piece of land…the lilac bushes are all that remain.  (I think it was a country schoolhouse that was abandoned when the Linnell School was built(1890)…as the crow flies it is about a mile to the Linnell School…by road a mile and a half.)

The old Maude Brewer place or Harry Klarer place…my friend Carol lived here.  She died tragically a few years ago when she fell off a mule in California, she graduated from High School with me.

When we go out on our nightly adventure we go this way often.  Today someone started cutting the field.  Last night is was normal…no activity.

You can barely see the Smoky Hills Tower in this photo.  The Smoky Hills are real smoky today from the fires out West and in Canada.

I grew up on the farmstead in the distance.

I have travelled these roads often.  I notice the changes. 

I hope this piece of land has not been sold to the Corporate Farmer.  I read in the paper that they are going to limit the number of irrigation wells in the Straight Lake Watershed.

The small farmer took care of the land…the large corporate farmer not so much.  Soon the overloaded potato trucks will be going up and down the road…is it any wonder that our highways are always in need of repair.

Off the soapbox now.

Harvest and Sunset

The air is still filled with a haze from the forest fires.  The particles in the air turn the sun orange.

I could complain about my itchy allergy eyes but I won’t because eye drops make them feel better…and those people closer to the fires must be struggling far worse than my itchy matter filled eyes. Just so you know Chance has eye boogers too. 

The harvest continues in our area.

We are forecast to have some 90 F + temperatures this week.   I mowed the lawn yesterday and we planned meals with salads fruit and sandwiches this week. With the forecast heat I suspect that the lawn will go dormant…Far Guy says I get to have new mulching blades for the Fall leaf work…yippee…nothing better than new mulching blades!

Bunker Hill Flags

The flags were changed yesterday at Bunker Hill.  The tradition continues, Howard said yesterday “I will go on until I cannot, I know it sure helped me so my hope it that it helps other Veterans too.”

The view from Bunker Hill looking over the prairie.  There was smoke from the wildfires in the air enough so that it blotted out the sun.

The flags were collected and fresh ones put up one by one.  Some of the Veterans are getting older and it was windy.

Uncle Archie saluting the POW MIA Flag.

My cousin Scott’s daughter Bailey read one of her original poems about a Veteran.  Bailey is involved with the BentProp Project which tries to return the remains of Missing In Action Veterans to family.

The new flags will fly on Bunker Hill until next August.

The old flags were burned properly as indicated by flag disposal rules.

There were many old people in attendance.  There was a people mover and several golf carts that moved people up and down the hill.  We took a ride up but walked back down again.  Trudy serves a picnic after the “doings” but we didn’t stay.

Although Howard is a Marine and a Vietnam Veteran, Bunker Hill honors all branches of The Armed Forces and all the Wars/Conflicts.