Visit with grandkids and great grandkids

 59º  with overcast skies here in Clarinda, IA at 3:00 pm Sunday.  Had .1" rain overnight and predicted for more rain today.  (I am just now finishing this up at 6:00 pm and it has been raining for some time again this afternoon)

  Yesterday, Saturday, Granddaughter Ashley with Jessica & David as well as Granddaughter Emily came in the afternoon from eastern Iowa.  They had been uptown here in Clarinda at their other grandpa's place where our daughter-in-law Patty and her sister Pam were helping their Dad clean and sort things at his house, probably preparing to sell the house.  That gave time for holding Grandson David and reading to Granddaughter Jessica.  The four of them had supper with us and stayed overnight, going to Grandpa Fred's for breakfast this morning.

They all came back to our place about 1:30 pm and had lemon pie and a short visit before heading back to Marengo and Iowa City.

I read some more books today to Jessica.

Yesterday afternoon the ladies sat on the deck while I was cleaning the maple seeds from the screening on the rain gutters.  Got some overhead shots of them.

Great Grandma with both the great grandkids.

Reading to Jessica last evening.

Saturday morning we drove to Burlington Jct., Missouri to the greenhouse.  Phyllis got some flowers to put on tombstones next week and we also picked up a couple shrubs to put in front of the house.  

The one flowered shrub and the other one on the other side of the rose bush will grow to about two feet tall and two feet across -- considerably smaller than the huge bushes we took out last summer.

I also got up on ladder and cleaned all the Maple helicopter seeds from the valleys and rain gutters.

Discovered a missing piece of screen in one corner that was really filled with seeds.  Cleaned and then added new screening over the void.

I was still working on the cleaning project when the girls came.

Jessica "helped" some.

Some views from above.

Oh, yeah--even though I had convinced myself not to mess with tomatoes this year account we will be gone with the travel trailer so much----here are the two grape tomato plants I bought at the greenhouse.  Guess will get what we get.

Have been planning a week-long trip in June and a more-than-a-month long trip in late summer.

Later, Lynn

Windy in SW Iowa

 57 degrees, heavy overcast with winds at 24 mph and gusts to 35 mph here in Clarinda, IA at 5 pm Saturday.

Just realized I hadn't posted for several days.  I had made up my mind wouldn't post unless something interesting happened.  Still hasn't, but............here it is.

This winter, while we were gone, the tail of the yard windmill broke off.  Found that the pitiful spot-welds on the piece connecting the tail to the rod coming from the base to the wheel had broken off.  Got it welded out at Andy Otte's the other day and got it back in operation.  Not producing any water, but still looks nice, especially on windy day like today.

Have about decided that
last winter did this in!

This was a picture I had been sent this winter.

This little cabinet is on the side of the drive to the Hospital parking lot.  It resembles some small "library" kiosks I have seen, but this has food stuffs.  It says "Take what you need.  Leave what you can"  The smaller print says - (Please leave only non-perishable food items or personal hygiene items.  If you have a larger donation or question, please call 542-xxx-xxxx. Thanks.)  I ride by it on my recumbent trike nearly nightly and it appears to change some, so somebody is using and/or leaving stuff.

Yesterday our next-door neighbors came over for a chat.  Hadn't really visited with them since we got back from Texas and they got back from Florida a month or so ago.

Our lawn and driveway, in fact everything, is covered with the seemingly millions of Maple Tree seedlings fluttering everywhere in this high wind today.

Thanks for this one, LaRhoda

GROANER'S CORNER:((       The Perks of Being Over 70::

Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
In a hostage situation, you are likely to be released first.
No one expects you to run into a burning building.
People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
Things you buy now won't wear out.
You can eat dinner at 4 PM.
You can live without sex but not without glasses.
You enjoy hearing arguments about pension plans.
You have a party and the neighbors don't even realize it.
You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.
You sing along with elevator music.
Your eyes won't get much worse.
Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
Your joints are a more accurate meteorologist than the national weather service.
Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either.
Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.

=================

Michigan Lawyer: "Well Barney, so you want me to defend you? Have you got any money?"
Barney: "No sir. I ain't got no money, but I do have a 1928 Ford Car!"
Lawyer: "Well you can raise money on that. Now let's see, just what do they accuse you of stealing?"
Barney: "A 1928 Ford Car."

=================

May is here

 59º here in Clarinda, IA at 2:30 pm Monday.  Was raining when we woke up and drizzled much of the morning.  Had about .25" rain in the gauge at noon.

Not much going on here -- ........................................You may not have noticed, but it is now 10:00 am Tuesday.  I got side-tracked and then forgot I had started this.

I am posting some recent photos from my great nephew Steve Miles' family.  They live in Germany and we don't often see them in person.

And, a picture of our great granddaughter from this weekend

Did get out on the trikes some this weekend.  Here are photos of construction at the hospital.

The new helicopter
service.

Last summer our next-door neighbor to the east passed away.  Her house was bought by the helicopter service and the crews make their headquarters there and, we understand they are to make an office in the building.

Till later, Lynn