Rainy August!

71º in Clarinda, Iowa - high humidity - been slight rain off and on last couple days.  Local radio station in Shenandoah, IA reports nearly 10" of rain for month of August.  Don't remember ever having to mow yard every 4 or 5 days in August -- usually is brown lawn now; not this year.

Mowed our yard and neighbor Bob Brown's yard today.  He and wife, Carol, are spending a week or so at their Florida home.  They had bought a park model in the park where they had been staying in their motor home in the wintertime, but just before coming home in the spring bought a sticks-and-bricks house near the park.  They hadn't been able to move anything in or fix it up so spending a little time now.

Just got this book lately (Found a used one on Amazon much less than the $20 they wanted at the John Wayne Museum)

Full life story - just started.

This is the Autobiography of Sam Walton.  Though the book was nearly finished when he died in 1992 he did not get to see the finished book.  I am about 2/3 way through it.

This book was started before Sam worked on his own book and is basically an unauthorized biography.  I am also about 2/3 through it.  Gives similar, but different slant on many things of Sam's life.

We plan on visiting the Walmart Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas on the way to our winter home in Texas this year.

When we were at Cam & Patty's in Marengo last week I borrowed this book from her.  Couldn't put it down - read it in about 4 days.
The story is that of Louie Zamperini - a track and field star of the 1930's, who participated in the Berlin olympics, was part of the US air force in WWII, was shot down over the ocean, was adrift in the Pacific for over a month, was held as a POW by the Japanese forces and finally made it back to his life and has had the courage to live it to its fullest.

It is a worth-while read.

This book of
Baxter Black's compilation of the readings he did over the years for Public Radio is very interesting.  Have it on loan from Leland and Bonnie Brown.  Because they are all two-page items, it makes a good "bathroom book" and as so is taking a bit to get finished.  About 3/4th way through it.

Have read similar to this before -- is still interesting account our stage in life right now.

Think these are called Black-Eyed Susan's - in the back yard.

Getting several tomatoes off my tomato plants every day now.  With all the moisture we have had they are wanting to split bad, so pick them just a bit prematurely and it is working.  Probably getting 5 or so a day.

Was able to get some radish seed this weekend, so have planted couple of planters - think they will get mature before we head south.



Will write more often if anything interesting happens.  Lynn

Iowa State Fair/Granddaughter's Baptism

73º in Clarinda, IA at 10:00 am on Monday - 82º predicted high for day.
Went to Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on Saturday then on to Marengo, IA that evening to be there for Granddaughter Ashley and husband Heath's baptism of their daughter Jessica on Sunday morning.

This is during the baptism at the First United Methodist Church in Marengo, IA on Sunday morning.

 Ashley's sister Emily and Heath's brother Cory were sponsors.

At noon we enjoyed a picnic at the shelter on the town square and a cake honoring Jessica's baptism.

This is before the baptism ceremony.

And, the proud parents with Jessica Lynn.







At the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, we had a good time looking at displays of quilts, and photos and other exhibits, walking most of the exhibitor booths and making a few purchases.  Rode the tram through the campgrounds -- they were full this year, it looked like -- as well as tram all around the fair grounds when we had walked to the point that our feet hurt.  All in all, was a good day.  Under clouds most of the day and only partly cloudy in the afternoon, with very cool walking around.

This huge "straw statue area" is new this year.

Large sand art at the Industrial Arts Building

CLICK HERE for my August Photos - if you want to download any of them feel free to do that.

Got the long hedge that runs along the whole width of our lot trimmed --

Finally getting tomatoes off the 4 plants by the back deck.  Birds seem to like them, too, so have to pick them before they get to them.  

Oh, one more old photo.  Found this with Mom's things.  Am pretty sure it is her, but no idea when this would have been taken.

Date on this photo is May 1986 -- couple months before Melvin passed away.

More later, lynn

Keepin' on

77º in Clarinda, IA at 9:00 am Thursday - predicted high of 91º
Last couple posts were all old photos.  Guess none of my family are reading as not one single comment from any of them.  Oh well, guess this is just a personal diary.


Have trimmed on the long hedge in the back yard one-battery's worth each morning.  One more morning should be done until next spring.  Repaired cement in the garage yesterday, may be able to drive pickup in by tomorrow.

Planning on maps for trips this next week and also looking at various routes to go on way to Texas -- will be heading out in about 2 months.

More later, Lynn

More old photos

87º with a "feel like" of 83º at 2:30 pm this Tuesday
Found a few more old photos:

This was our place in Texas when we bought it in 2010.

This is the way it looked when we left last March.   Deck all gone, Texas room in it's place plus twice as long.

These two pictures taken in 1995 in Miami, Florida.  With Phyllis is brother Darrell Miles with his wife Lin and son Jonathan.

Same time - brother Darrell and myself with nephew JT

JT 21 years ago.

Don't suppose JT jumps on his bed now!?!?

This is also in 1995 - older brother Donald with his dogs.

Our granddaughter who just had a baby in June this year - taken several years ago.

Our youngest granddaughter with her great grandmother.  She has gone through school and now works for a TV station in Missouri

My Dad & Mom - taken in 1977.

My oldest brother Roger with his wife Carolyn and their youngest daughter, Angie, taken in 1972






Angie is now a mommy with a 1st grader that just started school in Lincoln.

These two photos taken in 1997 - some 19 years ago.  Top photo, Patty Miles and son Cameron Miles with their two girls in front - Ashley and Emily.
Center is Phyllis with Lynn Miles and daughter Michelle Miles.

And here is "just the 4 of us" - Son, Cam, Phyllis, Lynn, and daughter Michelle.

This was taken of us when we were in Denver, CO for a 3-day weekend (I worked for Union Pacific and had a pass so we could go from Omaha to Denver)  Phyllis is 7 months pregnant and insisted on standing behind me.  We were at the Denver Zoo.

Son Cameron was born in April of 1965 and he is with my parents shortly after.

I, and Cam, thought mamma was going to drown the little tyke in his bathtub.

Cameron with Phyllis' parents.

My younger brother Darrell took this picture of myself and Phyllis with the little one.   We lived in a mobile home in what was then West Omaha.  It is now hardly the center (84th street where now the numbers go up into the 200's

Here we had moved into a house in Millard, NE the fall after Cam was born.

This was taken in 1967 at our house in Salt Lake City, Utah.  We moved from Omaha to there in June of 1967, left Salt Lake in January of 1970 to Overland Park, Kansas (Suburb of Kansas City, Kansas) and moved to the Page County area in Iowa in August of 1967.

Not sure of the date on this picture, but it is at Phyllis' parents farm house south of Clarinda, Iowa and I would guess in 1966.





Well, done with memory lane for today.

Later, Lynn

Old Photos.

Middle of August here in Clarinda, IA  -- Temp shows 85 out, but does not feel that warm.  Don't know what the humidity is, but not high.

 I found some old photos and newspapers here in the basement of our place (wet and had to dry them out -- some discoloring and blotching took place).

At left is my mother Pearl Johnson in 1915 (she was born in June of 1907) with her brother Walter Johnson

This is taken in 1946 at my mom's sister's house in Callaway, Nebraska.  Mom and Dad in the back, with little brother Darrell on the left, me, brother Donald and brother Roger.

Photo at left was taken in 1951 at Mom's sister Jeanette's place in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Back row:  Roger, Mom, Dad, Donald.
Front: Darrell, Louise, and myself - Lynn.

 The only formal portrait I remember having been made of my family.

 Portrait taken in 1951 - Back: Donald, Roger, Lynn; Front: Pearl, Darrell, Kermit and Louise Miles

Picture at right was taken from an airplane sometime in the 1950's of the farmhouse and buildings in Custer County, Nebraska -- between Callaway and Oconto -- where I grew up.  Dad moved both the barn and house about 7 miles from the ranch to this location near a road in 1947 to bare ground -- all was built by himself and landlord Jim Cornish.

This is my dad, Kermit Miles, with his team Nip and Tuck, with a date of 1936 shown on the back.

My Mom - Perl Johnson - when she was 18 years old.

My mother, Pearl Miles (who passed away in 1986) had written on back of this photo: "This is the house where I was born & lived til 1928 - 1 and a 1/4 miles east of Lodi, NE"  Orpha & Delephine, Marcus & Alma, Pearl, Mother, Emma.  I would guess mother is somewhere around 7 to 8 years old in this photo.

 Dad and his best friend Ode Gourley in 1933.
The Gourley's stood with my folks at the
courthouse when they were married in June of 1934 in Kearney, NE.

Written on the back of this photo:  Kermit Miles on Rumley Tactor pulling old Titan Tractor.  Both being traded in on new Appleton Corn Shredder - around 1930 -- Chad Miles on Titan

Written on back of this photo:
Kermit Miles & 10 little pigs and mother sow.  June 7, 1936

Delphene, Pearl, Palmer, Emma, Jeneatte, and Walter --All brothers and sisters --  Unknown date taken -

Shredding Fodder at Home Place North East of Huron, SD - about 1931 or 1932.  Allis Chalmers tractor & Appleton Shredder

Cattle & Barn on Miles Home Place North East of Huron, SD - 1930 was written on back of this photo.

This wrinkled and rumpled newspaper front page story of Phyllis' folks house being moved from the farm to town about 8.5 miles down Highway 71 to Braddyville in May of 1988.

This photo was taken from an airplane sometime in the mid 1970's for the place 4 miles west of Clarinda, Iowa where we lived from 1971 to 2010.  This is looking east, toward Clarinda, with Iowa State Highway 2 the road on the right.  We had just about 12 acres, all the farm buildings taken off a 160 acre farm.

This is Lynn & Phyllis Miles, taken in Lincoln, Nebraska at my brother Don's place in 1964.  At that time we were living in Omaha, Nebraska.

And, here is Phyllis with her little sister Beth, probably taken in 1947.

This was taken in 1953 at Lower Lodi Grade School.  I am the glasses behind the girl in the front center

Photo at right:  From left, Phyllis' mom Pauline, Pauline's mom & dad Lester and Etta Runyon, and Phyllis with our son Cameron.  Four generations.  Picture probably taken in 1965.

Lynn Miles at age 

Lynn & Phyllis shortly after we met - fall of 1962

At our mobile home in Omaha, NE shortly after Cameron was born.

At our wedding in Shambaugh, Iowa March 10, 1963.






Many more pictures at CLICK HERE
Well, bored everyone enough.
Till next time, Lynn