Bright Sunshine in SW Iowa

Clarinda, IA 65 degrees with bright sunshine.  Was 35 degrees when woke up and a bit brisk, but this is better.

Lilac bush just off our back deck.  Blooms are a bit small, but really vibrant and dark colored.

This afternoon is an "outside day" and I mowed the yard and then put down fertilizer with weed killer in it.  I took this picture from the lawn mower of Phyllis washing front picture window on house.

 Last evening we had dinner guests -- Cork and Lyn Sliger from Grant, Iowa.  Cork was like a "big brother" to Phyllis when he lived with her folks to finish high school in Clarinda when his folks moved to Kansas City back in the late 1950's or maybe 1960.  He worked the farm with father-in-law Melvin Cabbage for that year and has remained friends over the years, though we had not seen them for quite some time.

 Phyllis and Cork caught up with what has been happening the last few years.  Though Cork tried retirement (from semi-truck driving) several years ago, that didn't work out.  He still works for the trucking company, in Bedford, IA, around the shop and doing some special hauling.  Said he would be hauling some display items to a Truck Trade Show in Pennsylvania in a few weeks.

View from our front door with the trailer sitting in front of my shop/storage shed.

Would say that these trees are on our property, but they aren't.  Downloaded photo from the net, think they are cherry blossoms.

Breakfast this morning.




Later, Lynn

Visit to Hiawatha, KS

Clarinda, IA  50 degrees with off-and-on rain.  Phyllis dumped .4 inch from gauge this morning.

Click any photos to enlarge.

Yesterday, Friday, we drove a little over 100 miles south (down to St. Joe, MO and then west on 36) to near Hiawatha, Kansas to Harold & LaRhoda Neher's place.  They are our next-door neighbors in Kenwood RV in La Feria, Texas and we hadn't seen them for a month or so.  -  At right are the Neher's with Rocky.

After visiting for some time, LaRhoda put on a banquet lunch.  Smoked pork chops, cheesy potatoes, creamed asparagus, salad; a true "thrasher's dinner". 

Harold admiring my camera (you taking pictures again?)

Played several games of Pegs and Jokers -- Burl and Donna Penny came over after lunch for the games.  Had to stop for home-made ice cream and apricot cobbler and then played some more.  Ended with tie of 3-3 so nobody were losers.

Had several people ask for pictures of our "new" pickup.  Was going to wait until got the topper on it in a few weeks, but here are a couple photos of it the way we bought it.  2012 Chevy Silverado 1500 LT.  This 3-year old pickup had only 2447 miles on it, had belonged to one of our neighbors here in 

Clarinda and it hardly got out of town.  Is half-ton with gas 5.3 engine.  It is the extended cab, which has the back doors that open only when the front door is open, but with just the two of us, think this will be fine.  Size will be adequate for the 5,000 GVW travel trailer we will be pulling.  Ordered the topper from outfit in Omaha and they have each one custom made in Indiana to fit this year and model/color.

Phyllis had quilted this bedspread for LaRhoda this winter while we were in Texas and had not finished the shams (Pillow cases) so delivered them and took these photos of the completed quilt on their guest bed.

These two photos were taken a week apart.  The hedge in the back yard is really filling out.

Last several days have worked on our new travel trailer - putting up shelves, towel racks, TP hanger, removing one cup-holder off end of couch that was in the way of Phyllis getting around her side of bed; the oven was smaller than in our last trailer and the stone wouldn't fit that is used to even out the heat.  Used a diamond-covered hack saw to take two inches off the side so it does fit.

Not raining outside now, but very overcast.  Puttering on computer and will putter some more with trailer.

Later, Lynn

Little cool in SW Iowa

Clarinda, IA  32 degrees earlier 51 and sunny now.  Been cool every morning, but warms to the 60's in afternoon.

 Went to Circle 8 Square Dance last night here in Clarinda - last dance for the season.  Even though Phyllis & I are not members anymore (We are gone to Texas during majority of their dancing season) we served, along with Jack and Karen Baumgarten as hosts.  Caller was Chris Wildhagen from St. Joe, MO

 Seems have spent much time on doing one of my least favorites things -- yard work.  At our Texas home the Mexican crew shows up every Monday to mow the grass - albeit not the best job - and all we do is keep clean around the flower bushes and the cactus plants.  And, of course, it is a much smaller yard.

 The first cutting was so tall in the main area right in front of the house that had trouble with bagging it, so cut with the riding mower and then came back and ran over, at least 2 times, with the bagger to get the grass and last fall's leaves picked up.

Doing the second mowing, still using the push mower with the bagging attachment, Phyllis offered to help, so I let her.  I was kept busy hauling off the grass/leaves to the compost pile right behind the hedge row in the back yard.

Birds feeding near the back deck.

Squirrel helping himself to the bird feed.

Attended  funeral service for our friend Phyllis Mayer in Shenandoah.

Put up ladder and went along both sides of this 36' long shop to clean the gutters.

Went to Villisca, IA last Thursday for fish fry supper with Oliver and Mary Jo Herzberg and then to their place for some cards. 

 Went to Omaha Monday and ordered a new truck topper for the pickup we bought last week.  Will be couple weeks before it gets in.  Will have it all set up before we pull out with the trailer on May 17th.

Later, Lynn

First week in Iowa in 2015

Clarinda, IA  50 degrees with sunshine, after rain in the night.  Think I heard something about a half-inch on the radio.  Area is dry. 

We had returned from Des Moines on Sunday and I covered the yard with a fertilizer carrying crab grass control (if it is young enough) and it needed rain, so this worked out well.

Since we hadn't seen Roberta Rarick over the winter we went to her place Saturday for a visit.  Though age seems to be creeping up on her, she seems to be doing well.

With weather finally sunshine and warm, finally got around to putting the recumbent trikes back together.  Missed riding them for about 2 weeks, but did get 3 miles in Sunday afternoon.  Definitely could feel it in the legs, and--the hills here in Clarinda compared to the flat riding we had done all winter in La Feria, TX. 

On Friday we had attended funeral for son of close friends of ours.  He was only in his early 50's.

We had gone to Clarinda Circle 8 Square Dance Wednesday night and they encouraged us to go to the Iowa State Square and Round Dance Convention in Altoona, IA (Near Des Moines).  We hadn't been to state convention since 2010 so decided to go up on Saturday, sharing motel room with friends who had registered some time ago.

Got to catch up a little with old friends.  Photo at left is with the Whiteheads from Perry, IA

Photos above are people from the Clarinda Club dancing.  At left is Bob & Joyce Cooper from Creston.

Sunday afternoon started getting things out of storage in the shop and garage to put on back deck.  Will get the Softub out today so water can be warming.

More Later, Lynn

At our Clarinda, IA home!-

Clarinda, IA 56º and rain,

Arrived at our Clarinda, IA home about 4:30 pm on Tuesday.

Had driven, on Monday morning, from Marengo, IA east to just north of Walcott, IA to Cheyenne Camping Center where we were shown our new trailer and after the paperwork began transferring our "trailer stuff" from the U-Haul trailer into it.

Was cold outside, so glad they had space inside for us to do this.  They also had one of their technicians add a "dauber cover" to the furnace exhaust and a cover to the vent near the front of the trailer.  Then one guy helped mount the Hensley Arrow Hitch that we have used the last six years and wouldn't pull a travel trailer without it being a part of the hitch.

 They let us hook up to electricity and water just outside their main building and we spent one night, testing out water pump, shower, stove and oven, TV, etc.  Dumped the grey tank next morning so pretty well went through much of the things we will use.  Due to the wheels being a little closer together on this unit had some difficulty in getting the wedge-type levelers

 under the tires - the one between the wheels.  Did manage, however, by pushing one wedge between the wheels as Phyllis backed the trailer-slowly.

Phyllis baked some muffins in the oven to give it a try.

An uneventful trip from Walcott.  Stopped at a Pizza Ranch in Altoona, IA (Near Des Moines) at noon.  Drove in mist most of the trip.


In photo at left you can see the ring and part-ring of extra high grass.  This pattern has been in our yard ever since we bought the place.  Don't know why it is like this.

Last night went to choir practice at Church at 6:00 pm and then Circle 8 Square Dance at 7:00 pm.

Raining this morning.

More later, Lynn