Izaac at Camp

Trainman arrived home Tuesday 6:00am and slept through the phone repair man visit (upstairs phone didn't work) but was awake by 3pm, so I went to Webster City for a few groceries. I got a phone call that said Amanda (Izaac's mom) had a fever of 102 and the doctor tested for strep (negative) but was awaiting results for the test for MONO!!

So I finished shopping, headed home and we both headed for Des Moines to retrieve Izaac until his mother is well.
This is a picture Samantha took on Sunday on his great-grandmother's lap. He crashed about 10pm (didn't want to, but was really tired) and he's still snoozing at 8:30am.
Trainman left about 6am this morning, and when he returns plans on taking his 3 remaining vacation days (which was already planned due to my Uncle Wayne coming from Bartlesville this Friday). later now...

Ben with his chest painted last Friday evening

This is Ben, who will be 15 this month, last Friday at the varsity football game (after his), and with some of the other players on the freshman team stripped to the waist (it was 75 before the game and 55 during the second game!) and painted their chests the letters to spell H-O-O-V-E-R (Ben was E and his friend next to him was the V).

Phone man coming in the morning (upstairs phone doesn't work now). Was a really gorgeous day on the Prairie today, and I love being able to walk around the yard to enjoy it this year. later now...

Picture of the near-back yard patch

I'm looking for input ideas for this area of our back yard that used to be all weeds (basically) and a viney thing that went up the old light pole (vine gone, pole staying). That is a birdhouse on the (original?) light pole, with a bunch of rocks beside it. There is concrete covering the old well, and the old water spicket sticking up there in the middle of the picture, so they're not going to be taken out. I'm not sure what kind of tree that is, but it's pretty in late summer (mostly red/green leaves). The only thing I've decided for sure is to repair (or replace if I can't repair it) the bird house on the old pole. Maybe a bird bath??

There's a small patch of clover (I think) trying to grow back on the far side of this patch, but think I could contain that (or kill it again). ANY SUGGESTIONS?? (those are two piles of burning in the background--those brown piles that I've been cleaning out 'suckers' and sumac trees around the acreage--but it's been windy or wet so I haven't gotten a chance to rid the greenspace of them)....later now..

Trainman left for work at 6pm Sunday evening.