Let's Play Ball!

Warren's up to bat...yes...Warren!!  Warren & Ann came to the Millerville game to watch Dan's team play Urbank but Warren ended up playing instead.  They had only 8 players so he was a very good sport to suit up and be the #9 guy.  Warren played right field and got on base with a walk and the other two ups he got hits but they got him out.  So thanks again Warren for sacrificing your back for the team!  Dan had a couple good plays and hits too.   :)  It was fun to see them play together.

Warren and Dan getting ready to bat.

I think he's having a good time!

They lost but that's okay.   We hope you won't be too sore this week, Warren!

The Mercantile is a restaurant/bar in Leaf Valley.  We had dinner here with W & A after the game.  Since I've been here a couple of times, I know where the bathrooms are.   Would you have a hard time finding them?  I certainly did the first time!  Have you ever seen restroom doors like this?  I wonder if they enjoy watching first-timers search in vain for the bathrooms.  There's one just like it for the guys and yes, Dan had a hard time finding it too because of course I didn't tell him.  

Friday's Jackson Reunion

The class of 1983

The Wive's Club-Emily, Me & Amanda

Here's a good shot of Joel & Amanda.   These were about the only pictures that turned out.  Most were blurry or dark due to the lighting and my inefficient flash.  I'm lucky that one of the class photo's turned out, 6 of the 7 were very dark.  The event took place at the Horse Barn and Hunt Club which is a hunting preserve near Lakefield that also has a restaurant and caters large gatherings.  The food was very good and it was a nice space.

Saturday in Jackson

Jim and Darlene enjoy a beer and a brat at the Legion.

Darlene mentioned how much Warren enjoys the brats at the Legion so Amanda said she would eat one on Warren's behalf.  So, here's your brat, Warren.  They were very good!!
Darlene has a beautiful  Everlasting hydrangea growing in the new border in front of their house.  It looks very lovely with the hostas.  She is worried it may not survive the winter as many in the area report it is not so everlasting.   Any tips for her??  I suggested placing a garbage bag full of leaves over it to protect it in the winter.
I wish I would have snapped a photo of Darlene's garden.  It looked great!  The green beans are in full production along with the raspberries.  The tomatoes are making good progress too.  They sent us home with beans, raspberries and Jim's wonderful homemade soup.  We had beans for supper last night-delicious!!!!

Madison Memories

This is the farm where Mom lived 5 miles west of Madison until she was a 9th grader and moved to Cyrus.  Many of the buildings are still there including the barn but the original house burned.
This is the screen that you can see in the photo below that was used for school performances.  It is in excellent condition and if you click on the photo you can see all the advertising in much greater detail.
This is the Skelly gas station that was three doors down from my Great Grandparent's (Loney's) home.  We played here often and especially enjoyed the city pool that was down the street a couple of blocks.  This is where we learned to swim and had a great time playing with our cousins.  I remember that you had to be able to swim across the pool before they would let you jump off the diving board.  I also believed my cousin Patty that if you peed in the pool there was a chemical that would form a colored ring around you...a ring of shame!  I bet the lifeguards got that rumor going!  I never tested the theory.

If you enlarge the photo, you can see the corner of a brown house that belonged to my great grandparents.  It used to be white.  It looks like it's in good condition.
My great grandparent's church.  Grandpa Loney's funeral was here not that long ago.  It's a very neat old church.
This is the farmsite of our Great Grandpa Anderson's home.  It's right next to RoseMary's parent's home, west of Madison. (Burt & Alva Schuler)

Mom's Haydenville Schoolhouse

"We used to play ball right over there."

Mom and her cousin RoseMary reminisce in front of their old schoolhouse in Haydenville. Mom frequently talks about the school she attended as a child near Madison.  It is located about 5 miles west of Madison and you have to walk into a pasture to see it.  RoseMary is mom's cousin that we met in NYC last summer and when Mom found out that RoseMary was home visiting her parents this week, we decided to go see her and spend the day touring her old stomping grounds.

RoseMary and Mom pose in front of the old store that stood near the schoolhouse.
Here's the view from the porch on the school.  It was used in its later years as a home but the outside remained unchanged.  It would have been nice to be able to look inside but the doors were locked and windows blocked.  The school had a classroom, cloakroom and a library.

Here's a photo of the inside of the school on display at the La Qui Parle County museum in Madison.  On the left, mom is the 4th seat.  RoseMary is right behind her.  Our aunt Jeanette is right behind RoseMary. In the row to the right our aunt Susan is in the third seat in the striped shirt and at the very back of that row is our aunt Mary.   RoseMary's sister Margaret is in the front of the middle row.  If you click on this photo you can see them in greater detail.  

RoseMary scanned the actual photo and will be sending me a copy.  Let me know if you are interested in having it.

Their teacher was Mrs. Alicia Ewing.  Note the screen rolled up in the ceiling.  I'll post a photo later that shows the screen on display at the museum.  This was used for performances at school.  I wonder if it was a backdrop or curtain.

My Dream House

I ran across this photo from a few years ago. It's not actually a house.  If I remember correctly it's the spa from the Grand View Lodge.  Anyway,  a one level or one 1/2 story house like this is all I would need for supreme happiness, I just know it.

I have a lot of items to blog but am too lazy to download my photo's.  On Thursday, Mom and I visited her old stomping grounds in Madison.  It was a fun day.  We just returned from Jackson  and had a nice time at Dan's class reunion.  If you must know, it was his 20th. :) Just checking to see if you are paying attention.    It was a nice event and we had a pleasant day today with Jim & Darlene and Amanda too!  :)  Tomorrow, there's the Millerville game to look forward to but I may have time (enough ambition) to post some photo's before we go.  

Art Idea

If you have an Ellison machine, this would be a fun project for all grade levels.  I'm thinking you could write the students name and they could do a collage on both sides that represents their interests.  A good getting to know you project for September.  Any other ideas?

Movie Soundtrack

This is a very good soundtrack from the movie.  Thank you for burning it for me, Jen!   I love it!!  After listening to it twice my favorites are Auld Lang Syne (love the Irish accent-beautiful) and Heart of the Matter.

Birds-Slug Update

Here is a pretty little warbler or redstart perhaps that was nesting in Jan's little woodland garden.  There was one baby in the nest but Jan and I think something got it because it disappeared shortly after I took this photo-stray cats maybe.
Now for the slug update.  I checked the wood traps and it was successful, there were a couple of slugs under each one.  The wet boards worked the best.  I'm probably just getting the tip of the iceberg but it makes me feel better.

I had Hannah and Axel this morning.  They came in with their mom who's teaching summer school and we spent about 30 mn in the classroom and then went out to the cabin.  Melissa joined us at noon for lunch and the rest of the afternoon.  We spent some time in the water and on shore reading cooking magazines.  The kids were pretty happy just hunting for clams.  Hannah loves the bunks and spent some time reading up on the top bunk.  My camera batteries were dead so I missed a fun photo...next time.

My tomato plants

Aren't they lovely?

I have an olive grape tomato and roma tomato in pots.  They were doing pretty well until 3 days of hurricane force winds (I am NOT exagerating) over the weekend blew off and dried up many of the flowers and little tomatoes.  On Saturday I moved the pots to a more sheltered spot but the worst damage had already been done.  The romas are faring the best at this point and I hope to get a few measly tomatoes from them.  

Onto more gardening woes...the slugs are devouring my hostas down at the cabin.  I researched the problem and have decided to lay board traps instead of beer traps.  First of all, the little slugs don't deserve the beer even if they will die from it and mainly the boards sound easier.  You lay an old piece of wood near the hosta and during the day the slugs will congregate under the board to escape the sun.  You scrape them off and smash them with a  rock.  I will let you know if it works.  I had slugs in Morris too and let me tell you they do like beer!  

Joey's room

Hey, Joni!  Thought you might enjoy seeing Joey's room too.  Notice the neat wall words?!!

Yes, More Cabin Photo's

The bunkhouse and the new fence/gate.

View of the fence from the backyard. 

Interesting pergola shadows

These little window boxes should be on the bunkhouse but I enjoy moving them around.  The white original window box that I had put up last year didn't fare so well so we had Lyle and Bruce take it down.   They were NOT the ones who put them up in case you were wondering.

Landscaping

Nancy and David have put a LOT of work into their backyard landscaping.  They cleared the back, mulched, laid stone and planted perennials.  It makes me tired just writing about it.  The stones are from Dad.  He has a flat stone pile that we can help ourselves to.   It's a lovely view from all the windows facing the backyard.  Nice job you two!  You will be glad that you invested all the time and energy and it will just get better as the years pass.

Visiting Nancy

Joey shows off his swim trunks.

Relaxing on the deck.  I like this picture of Mom.

Mom wondered if Joey and Sophie would like this bench...I think so!!!

Nancy poses in front of her freshly painted door-love that color!!

Sophie has a fun pink room!

Mn Arboretum Photo's

Mom and I explored the gardens quickly before the storm forced us inside.  Nancy and the kids played in the children's area.
After lunch and the big storm, we took the three mile drive and I reshot my favorite barn in the cities.  What's the big water tower doing back there?!?


A very interesting wine rack!  We had a nice lunch inside while the severe storm blew over.  It was the same storm that produced a tornado hours earlier just east of Elbow so we were forewarned by Dan while we were rummaging that morning.