Little Wall Lake, Jewell, IA 8/28/2010

It was a hot, blustery Saturday afternoon in Iowa. The lake was choppy, but there were still lots of people on jet skis, boats, and at the beach. I doubt there was a camping spot to be had, either, from the looks of the campground.

This is one of the largest boats (picture below) I've seen on this lake. (hint, hint--maybe it would be worth playing the lottery to win enough for this one~~~)

There was hardly a parking spot near the lake in the park (unusual) but the view was worth looking for one!

I even took a short video of the sounds of the lake to be replayed about the end of January, 2011, if we have as bad a winter as last year! (Maybe I'll post that video another day.)

A blast from my sister's past!! Shirl's softball debut team!

I had played on the "Asters" the previous year, but moved to the next age-level group, so some of these people I had played with, but not the younger girls. (all teams had names of flowers in our league in North Des Moines, Iowa)

I'll just identify with first names--at least the ones I know!! From front left to right: Carol, Diane, Suzie, Robin, Melinda and Becky. Back row: Peggy (?), Debbie, Debbie, Barb, Patty and Shirl!! Found this picture at my mom's yesterday and couldn't wait to share this.

Pickles Restaurant in Kamrar and a tractor in water...

My friend, Kim, and her hubby, Ron, were going to a great local restaurant in Kamrar (IA), with Kim's folks, (Mike & Faye Ann) and they invited me to go along and eat this neighborhood's best taco pizza!

Kamrar is basically as small as Stanhope, so this is the main street.

I've been cleaning out closets and re-organizing the back porch, so it was a great treat to go out for supper! Thanks Kim (and Ron, and Mike, and Faye Ann!)


This tractor lives in a ditch around the corner from our house. Not sure why it's there, and it doesn't look like it's coming out too soon!

The week in review--go Ben!!!

I won't reprint the pictures the Des Moines Register took of my nephew in his first outing (of the season) as quarterback of his Hoover H.S. football team Friday evening, but I can show this link to click on.

He's in pictures #6, *14 & #18. Hang in there, Ben. According to the preview article in the same paper (two days before that) YOU are "Player to WATCH"!!! Click on this link to see that article.

The mower that Samantha 'broke' last weekend is now working again--it was just over-abuse of the belt in high, damp grass!

It didn't actually storm this week, but sometimes it looks like this (above) out our window. This picture was taken on 8/10/2010. (Clicking on the picture will make it bigger.)


Six months ago on 2/10/2010, it looked like THIS on our road!

So, today I was babysitting....

Sometimes people ask me how I fill some of my days (since the weddings are over now), and today was an interesting one.

I spent the morning at our church printing the newsletter for the remainder of August and September (which had about 8 inches of water in the basement area AGAIN yesterday morning).

Then I was gone running errands for a couple of hours. When I drove into the garage and tried to get out of the truck, there was a medium-sized dog who tried to get IN the truck. I didn't recognize the dog, and then the goat made his presence known, also.

I made some phone calls and left some REALLY interesting messages on the message machines I got, and then phoned the neighbor around the corner, who knew instantly who the 'wandering duo' belonged to (their neighbors across the road from them!).

This is an 18-second video of the goat making big noises because he'd lost his buddy (Sam, the dog, who had wandered into our back yard). The goat was silent as long as the dog was in sight. Thanks to the neighbors who came and retrieved them!

Last weekend wasn't that much fun....

I now have a new designation besides "mother-in-law". I am now part of the 'family' of a deployed, active duty, National Guardsman! Marty's send-off ceremony was Sunday in Carroll.



Aunt Mary and Grandma Jean came to Carroll, also to see the ceremony. That's John on the right in this picture (with Marty and Samantha, of course).


We miss your smiling face already, Marty. Be safe!

More Rain???? NO!!!

Sunday afternoon (after the 'grand-dog' Oliver had gone home) Grace got silly and jumped to the top of the main house (I didn't get the camera out in time to catch that picture).

Then she jumped down to the top of the kitchen roof, then paraded over to the Prairie Room side and jumped to the ground.



This video is from about 1:30am this morning. Wait for the lightning at 11 seconds, and the big boom at 13 seconds. I think the total video is 20 seconds long, but the thunder seemed like it boomed ALL night! (It did actually thunder MOST of the night--again...)