Star Quilt Company

85º with 70% humidity in Clarinda, IA at 10:15 am.  A muggy 91º predicted high for the day.

Friday our friends Mary Jo and Oliver Herzberg came down from Villisca, IA and rode with us to Hamilton, MO -- east of St. Joseph, MO -- 

 This is a huge fabric/quilter store, with some 14 different buildings around town stocking fabric of all kinds.  It is also known as Missouri Star Quilt Company.  CLICK HERE for their Website

We were told JC Penny started here, but didn't realize there is a Museum in town of the man.
Will have to make another trip for that.

The girls walked all the stores while Oliver and I tried out some soft recliner chairs in the "Man Store" which is just a lounge with some magazines, two televisions and quite a few recliners.

We ate some hamburgers there in Hamilton and the girls did some more looking in stores.  Then we drove through the countryside to Jamesport, Missouri -- a popular tourist draw in an Amish community.  Walked several downtown stores and stopped at a couple of country stores run by the Amish for a few purchases.  Then on to Maryville, MO where we ate supper at Pizza Ranch.

Made a delightful day, seeing some things we hadn't seen before.

In the background of this photo taken in our back yard, you can see the barn replica bird house sitting on a pile of wood.  That wood had been in place for 8 years and we began worrying about possibility of ants or termites being in it.

These two photos were taken as I started removing the wood.  Didn't find any moving animals or insects in it, but a lot of debris from when they had been working in it and it was breaking down pretty badly.

Have cleaned under the old wood pile and discovered there is a cement pad there (Phyllis said she knew this, but new to me).  I am moving old street bricks from the pile behind the shop

building to make a decorative wall here.  That pile of brick has been there some 8 years and always thought some use would show up.  Now will be able to mow the area around that old pile that had been too narrow for the riding mower to get through.

And this should make a good backdrop for her flower garden!

More later, Lynn

7-7-16

67 degrees in Clarinda, IA -- dumped 1.8" rain from gauge this morning.  Heard on radio that Villisca, just to our north had a lot of wind damage with the storm that went through in the middle of the night.  I picked up a few small limbs from trees here, but nothing major.  More rain is forecast for here around noon.

I did mow the lawn on Tuesday.  And, it did get hot, temperatures in the mid 90's with humidity nearly the same.

Shirley Long stopped by for a visit one day.  Her husband, Charlie Long, worked for us at the grain elevator for many years -- passed away this winter.  She has retired from working as RN in the hospital after many years, but is working part-time as a Home Health Nurse.

Phyllis' flower bed to the west of the house, in bright sunshine the other day.

Took this picture about an hour ago.  The tree limbs are really heavy with the moisture on them and hanging really low.



Rode with Leland and Bonnie Brown - and Roberta Rarick - last evening to Shambaugh, IA (about 5 miles south) to Ice Cream day for Methodist Church there.  Had good turnout and got to visit with some people who hadn't seen in a long time.  Dave and Jan Engle, neighbors in our Texas RV park, from Indiana, are stopping here for lunch on their way to Yellowstone National Park.
More later, Lynn

4th of July - 2016

74º here in Clarinda, IA at 7:55 am on Tuesday, the day after the 4th.

Predicted high temperature for here today is 95º with "feel like" of 105º due to high humidity.

We sat in front yard of our granddaughter's place in Marengo, IA and watched the fireworks on Sunday evening July 3rd.  Marengo has their parade and all activities always the day before the 4th and towns in the surrounding area take place because most of them have their festivities on the 4th itself.

Our son and youngest granddaughter with her friend, watching the fireworks.

Grandson-in-law had a lot of friends and family show up for the viewing.

 At 6:30 pm on Sunday we watched the 4th Of July Parade in Marengo.  Was a good turnout of watchers and a nearly-hour-long parade.

 There were quite a few classic cars -- including this 50ish Ford.

 Cameron introduced us to this man and his Slingshot 3-wheeler by saying "Whenever he makes a sale, there is a parade".  It wasn't for a few minutes that I found out that he owned a funeral home!

 Kluster Funeral Home ----- Drive Safe...........We Can Wait

This 8-N Ford is similar to one my dad bought in the early 50's out in Custer County Nebraska.

Grand-Son-In-Law, playing the baritone, had several of his band show up for the parade.  At least one alumni helped by playing the cymbals.

 On Saturday morning we went to the grade school for pancake breakfast.  Our son and wife and youngest granddaughter and friend had gone up earlier and participated in the 5K walk/run and we all ate breakfast together and then walked through the many classic cars that were coming in for their show.

 

 Lynn & Phyllis Miles, with great-granddaughter Jessica on her Mamma's lap (Ashley Long), and our son Cameron Miles.

 

Of course, the main reason for our going to Marengo was to eye the latest family member who was 10 days old on the third.

Little Jessica Lynn was held a lot, and I even got to nap with her.

Great-Grandma gets to hold her -- Son Cameron and Aunt Emily have been taking their turns.

Grandma Patty Miles got her share of holding.

And, Great Grandma Phyllis got more time.

We left Marengo Monday morning and managed to avoid driving on the Interstate, taking county and state roads south and west to Clarinda.  Stopped in Oskaloosa, IA and then again in Chariton, IA where we ate lunch.  Later grilled some hamburgers and onions for supper.

Today a Heat Advisory has been issued here:

... Heat advisory remains in effect from 1 PM this afternoon to
8 PM CDT this evening...

* temperatures... highs will reach into the lower to mid 90s this
  afternoon with high relative humidity. The combination of heat
  and humidity will make it feel like 105 to 110 degrees.

so have shut up the house and turned the Air Conditioning on--for only the 2nd or 3rd time this summer.

Probably need to mow the yard -- looks a little ragged since hasn't been mowed since week ago yesterday.  Dumped .8" of rain out of the gauge that came while we were gone over the weekend, so the grass is growing a bit.

Later, Lynn

Last day of June - year is half-over!

87º with a "feel like" of 91º with 52% humidity at 1:30 pm this Thursday afternoon here in southwest Iowa at Clarinda..

Well these are the five tomato plants I have.  Due to a set-back when the yard-guy sprayed 2,4D nearby they have been delayed and blossoms are

now setting on above the slightly wrinkled leaves from that time.  They are growing tall and blossoms are setting on that higher part of the plants.  And, one tomato!

Aired up the recumbent trike tires and have taken couple rides this week since getting back from our 10-day trip.

 See all the cottonwood seeds on the floor of the garage?  The whole yard was white with them a day or so ago.  If they all grew we would have a huge forest!  Month ago it was all the maple tree seeds covering the yard--guess we could just let this go back to trees!

Got up and vacuumed the skiff of stuff off the screens in the gutters over the back yard deck.  Was only a thin layer, but when raining it tended to run over the gutter, so this should fix it for a while.







Well, another month is about over.  To summarize the month:  Cut some big limbs off tree in the back yard, had yard sale, watched the "Cruising Clarinda Parade, got released from the orthopedic doctor from my "cleaning the knee" surgery, made a lot of contacts with my high-school classmates and printed a 55-year book, took 85-year old friend to Omaha for some out-patient surgery, spent 4 somewhat arduous, but enjoyable days ushering all day long at the 41st Glenn Miller Birthplace Society annual festival; where we got to listen to the Tamana All-Girls High School Band and the Swing Esquire Orchestra from Tokyo, Japan, and the make-up GMBS Band from this Mid-West area, and the Tom Daugherty Orchestra from Dayton, Ohio, and the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the Shades of Blue Air Force band from Omaha, NE and Adam Swanson - Ragtime Piano (Most of these several times as we ushered the various presentations), went to visitation of good friend and square dance caller 84-year old Lowell Schaaf, pulled travel-trailer to Callaway, NE and stayed in it one night in yard of friends Sharleen and Lynn Stivers (who took us to an ideal Mexican Restaurant in the Elks Club in Broken Bow).  We drove pickup on to Sterling, CO where we visited briefly with Phyllis' cousin Les Kuhlman and his wife Jo who is in rehab following a stroke, drove through the Rocky Mountain National Park over Trail Ridge Road, arriving at Phyllis' sister Beth's place near Grand Lake, CO.  We stayed there three nights, getting to visit with Beth & Steve's daughter Kara and her husband Jason from Denver, and their two kids Megan and Tyler.  Went to Granby Ranch south of Granby, CO to ski lift that is used for hiking and biking trails in the summer.  Went on guided boat tour of Grand Lake where history and information on almost all the houses around the lake was pointed out.  Ate at Grand Lodge above Grand Lake in the evening and saw terrific sunset.  On way back to Callaway, Nebraska we stopped in Broomfield, CO where we visited with and ate lunch with a classmate, Rick Zoerb and his wife Donna.  He wasn't able to make it to the class reunion.  Getting back to our travel-trailer in Callaway, we visited with classmate Nancy Willis at her ranch, drove to the only hand-planted National Forest in the Nebraska National Forest at Halsey where we got to view some of the 1.1 million acres of the forest that is in central and northwest Nebraska and in central and southwest South Dakota Click HERE for info . We drove to Westerville, NE and then south to Don Ferguson's farm.  Ate lunch with him and his brother Lawrence in Ansley, NE, went to Don's daughter's place in Ansley where she runs a Day Care and stopped in Broken Bow at another brother Jake Ferguson and his wife Helen's place for a visit.  Stopped by classmate Phil Lord's house in Broken Bow, but he was not home.  One evening we took friends Monte Jo and Madeline McFate with us to Broken Bow where we ate at the Bow Cafe with the three Ferguson brothers, Helen and Don's daughter and her friend.  Last Saturday we helped at the Senior Center in Callaway where the 1961 Callaway High School Class had a noon lunch and visit.  13 members attended and two others had promised but didn't and another who lives a half-mile from town didn't bother to come.  The rest had a good visit and many went to the All-School Alumni banquet and program at the school that night.  On Sunday morning Phyllis & I went on the Trail Ride sponsored by the Severn Valleys Rodeo Association in Callaway some hour and a half to a great breakfast on top of one of the Sand Hills of Nebraska.  Afterwards we hooked up our trailer and went to Lincoln, NE where we visited a few hours and had supper with my brother Roger and his wife Carolyn Miles before returning to Clarinda about dark Sunday evening. This summary is made up from looking back at the 1,438 photos that remain from the over 1,600 that I took this month before editing.

We are planning to drive Saturday the 220 miles to Marengo, IA where we will get first site of our new great-granddaughter Jessica Lynn Long.  Will celebrate the 4th of July there on the 3rd and return to Clarinda on July 4th.   This is a "one-week" picture of Jessica and her mom Ashley.

On to the last-half of 2016.
Later, Lynn

More on trip from Callaway to Clarinda

84º here in Clarinda, IA at 11:45 am on Tuesday.

 On Sunday, after eating breakfast on top the sand-hill near Callaway, NE and getting done with the Trail Ride and  we headed down high 40 and stopped in Oconto to look at the sculptures by Charles Horn.  I had seen a few photos, but had no idea he had made so many.

Charles had been in a class ahead of me and had married Patsy Empfield right out of high school.  She passed away last year from Cancer and one of the large metal sculptures was an angel -- his sign he put at the bottom.................................................................

Entire angel sculpture












I have up-loaded all 114 photos to my Picasa web site HERE
Hope you enjoy, and appreciate the hours this farmer took to re-purpose all these iron "junk" items.

 We proceeded on to Kearney where we got on Interstate 80.  At left are two photos of The Archway near Kearney.  We had toured this many years ago and the couple hours in it was very enjoyable and showed history of Nebraska and the Plains Area.

 These three photos, at right, were taken at rest stop near Grand Island.  They show interesting points about the area.

Must include some more photos of Great Granddaughter Jessica.
This is poppa Heath holding her while they were still at the hospital.  She was born Thursday and finally went home on Sunday.

Understand there was some struggling figuring out how to fit the car seat in the car and how to fit Jessica into the car seat, but it was accomplished.

This is what Ashley posted on Facebook with the photo at right:      "Made it through the first night and full day at home. Fresh butt and all clean. What a life!!"





We are lined up to drive to Marengo this Saturday (4 days from now) to spend couple nights at our son's and get to see Jessica Lynn and see some 4th of July fireworks.

More later, Lynn