Hopefully I will have some pics of the turkey fry to put on Sunday. We usually have a great time. Hope that this year is the same.
To me this is what Iowa is about..can't tell that I am an ole farm girl now can you!
Friday, September 29, 2006
Julie Day
The nice thing about working somewhere for 20 years is you have vacation to use so every once in awhile I take what I call a Julie day. I try not to do any house work etc. Today was alittle different tomorrow is the turkey fry so Bill was also home and his friend Dan is here. So we did some cleaning. This afternoon i took off in my car with the bike in the back and went to the Baxter Trail. It was just to windy to fight the roads so that is why I didnt ride to the trail. I really enjoy riding I just feel so free. Today I saw. A baby garder snake, I about ran over him. A wild turkey, Some canadian Geese, two cats and about 4 goats that got on the trail. The squirrels were very busy today, makes me wonder if we are in for a hard winter. This trail goes through alot of farm land. So there were a couple of combines hard at work. The trees have turned more since the last time I was on the trail and everything seems to be getting ready for winter.
Hopefully I will have some pics of the turkey fry to put on Sunday. We usually have a great time. Hope that this year is the same.
To me this is what Iowa is about..can't tell that I am an ole farm girl now can you!
Hopefully I will have some pics of the turkey fry to put on Sunday. We usually have a great time. Hope that this year is the same.
To me this is what Iowa is about..can't tell that I am an ole farm girl now can you!
Sunday, September 24, 2006
1st 2006 Fall bike ride
I finally got outside on the bike again. I have been riding inside on a trainer because it just gets dark to fast to ride after work. It was a beautiful day to ride especially if you were riding south very nice tail wind. The folage is starting to change colors, farmers are starting to harvest and it is nice and cool out. My kind of weather. I even had a passanger for a while..a little sweat bee needed a lift.
My bike now has 1746 miles on it. I was/am hoping for 2000 miles this year. I do not know if I will make it or not. I need to get in some long distance days, however the next few weeks i am busy on the weekend and then we are off on a nice cruise but you never know I might get a burst of enery and do 250 miles in a couple of weeks. I doubt it but you never know.
My biking partner for a little bit.
My bike now has 1746 miles on it. I was/am hoping for 2000 miles this year. I do not know if I will make it or not. I need to get in some long distance days, however the next few weeks i am busy on the weekend and then we are off on a nice cruise but you never know I might get a burst of enery and do 250 miles in a couple of weeks. I doubt it but you never know.
My biking partner for a little bit.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Summer Projects For 2006
We got this years summer projects done for the house. Alittle background. We bought our home about 11 years ago. It is an older house with alot of charactor but it needed a lot of work. We also got a very nice, big back yard. Since we have bought the house we have repainted it, put in a sliding glass door and reroofed. Build two decks, a fire pit, a new garage and various other thing. We are getting very close to having it all done.
This is what the house looked like from the backyard when we first bought it. You will notice the lovely pea green color and that there is not a nice big garage like we have now.
We built a 2.5 car garage but instead of tearing the old garage down we unhooked it one saturday put it on a flat wagon and moved it to the backyard. It was not quite as easy as that sounds. To get the garage to the backyard we had to drive it up the street two houses and across our neighbors backyards. We call this the traveling garage because it originally came from the house across the street from us and when they built a new garage it was moved to the house that we bought. They made things to last back in the 30's.
When we bought the house there was a lot of shrubs and old trees between us and our neighbor. When the new neighbors moved in the cleaned out all of the old tree and shrubs and just planted grass. I enjoy decorative grasses so I planted some in front of the house well they did a little to well. So last year I dug them all up and Bill and I took 7 grasses split or cut them into thirds and transplanted them between the houses. I actually gave away two big clumps because I didnt have room for them. This spring I was out talking to them willing the to grow. And grow they did. I am very proud of my transplanted grasses.
For the past 5 years we have held a annual Crappy Turkey fry. The past three years during the summer we have had a project to get finished for the festivities. First was the staircase into the back yard, then the actual deck was built off of the garage and this year we put in the new fire pit, peagraveled about the house, outdoor speakers and Bill put in the patio garden for me. If you have never been to our house and are invited to the Turkey fry..come on over we usually have a great time. Most of the time more fun then we can handle...
We have done all of the renovations ourself except for framing the garage, roofing the house and putting in the sliding glass door. We did all of the drywalling for the garage and sliding glass door. We could not have gotten all of this done without the help of great friends..thanks goes to Dan M...my second hubby, Fred a true friend, Reggie a great ex Neighbor, Roy and Little Roy great ex neighbors, Jim a pain in the butt but a great guy... T.J, Britney, Dillon, Jacy, and Jasmine the neighborhood kids that for some reason loved being gophers for Bill and Dan. Also to Gerard, Leanne, Hannah, Bobbette and Bernie, Fred and Lea, Reggie and Lorie, and I know I have missed some, our great friends who have helped us break in our decks and firepits.... Peace....
This is what the house looked like from the backyard when we first bought it. You will notice the lovely pea green color and that there is not a nice big garage like we have now.
We built a 2.5 car garage but instead of tearing the old garage down we unhooked it one saturday put it on a flat wagon and moved it to the backyard. It was not quite as easy as that sounds. To get the garage to the backyard we had to drive it up the street two houses and across our neighbors backyards. We call this the traveling garage because it originally came from the house across the street from us and when they built a new garage it was moved to the house that we bought. They made things to last back in the 30's.
When we bought the house there was a lot of shrubs and old trees between us and our neighbor. When the new neighbors moved in the cleaned out all of the old tree and shrubs and just planted grass. I enjoy decorative grasses so I planted some in front of the house well they did a little to well. So last year I dug them all up and Bill and I took 7 grasses split or cut them into thirds and transplanted them between the houses. I actually gave away two big clumps because I didnt have room for them. This spring I was out talking to them willing the to grow. And grow they did. I am very proud of my transplanted grasses.
For the past 5 years we have held a annual Crappy Turkey fry. The past three years during the summer we have had a project to get finished for the festivities. First was the staircase into the back yard, then the actual deck was built off of the garage and this year we put in the new fire pit, peagraveled about the house, outdoor speakers and Bill put in the patio garden for me. If you have never been to our house and are invited to the Turkey fry..come on over we usually have a great time. Most of the time more fun then we can handle...
We have done all of the renovations ourself except for framing the garage, roofing the house and putting in the sliding glass door. We did all of the drywalling for the garage and sliding glass door. We could not have gotten all of this done without the help of great friends..thanks goes to Dan M...my second hubby, Fred a true friend, Reggie a great ex Neighbor, Roy and Little Roy great ex neighbors, Jim a pain in the butt but a great guy... T.J, Britney, Dillon, Jacy, and Jasmine the neighborhood kids that for some reason loved being gophers for Bill and Dan. Also to Gerard, Leanne, Hannah, Bobbette and Bernie, Fred and Lea, Reggie and Lorie, and I know I have missed some, our great friends who have helped us break in our decks and firepits.... Peace....
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Iowa Speedway
Last night Bill had the pleasure of going to the first race at the new Iowa Speedway. He also was lucky enough to enjoy the race from a Suite. Spoiled Kid...below are some pictures that he took. Hope you enjoy them.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Labor Day 24 Hour Race Pics
OOPs....
Mary and Kyle at the scorers table
Shelby and Friend
Kyle R. mixing his secret brew
Not sure who this is I was messing around with camera features...
Kyle R. and Kyle S. checking things out.
Kyle R showing us his best end.....
Mary and Kyle at the scorers table
Shelby and Friend
Kyle R. mixing his secret brew
Not sure who this is I was messing around with camera features...
Kyle R. and Kyle S. checking things out.
Kyle R showing us his best end.....
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Monday, September 04, 2006
What a Beautiful Day
It was an absolutely beautiful day today so I took off on another bike ride, Bill was suppose to go but he found that couch and I could not move him. This time i went West towards Ira. Ira is this little town that if you blink you will miss it. It is a 12 mile ride to Ira from where I live. Once there I hopped on the Baxter Trail otherwise known as the Chichaqua Trail which runs from Bondurant to Baxter. I have to take old paved roads to get there..
The Chichaqua Trail is an old railroad bed. Railroads fasinate me, I think they do because they are from a simplier time and are almost a thing of the past. Maybe in another life I was a hobo. :)
I road as far as Mingo then turned around. I knew that I had the 12 miles of wind and hills to ride back home.
Now this sign can be a bikers best friend or worse enemy, it just depends on if you are going down or up. Unfortunately I had to do both.
I took the following riding up the hill, I wouldnt recommend It, I about ran off the road.
The wind and the hills were tough today but If I had not gone I would have missed this beautiful day. I will say I bonked on the way home. Once again I didnt eat right. I need to stop doing that. For those of you who do not know what Bonked is, it is when you totally run out of energy and the best you can hope for is to limp your way home.
I cannot wait until the leaves start to change. Then there will be more rides and pictures. Hopefully my friend Julie will join me for a few of those...Well that's all for now.
The Chichaqua Trail is an old railroad bed. Railroads fasinate me, I think they do because they are from a simplier time and are almost a thing of the past. Maybe in another life I was a hobo. :)
I road as far as Mingo then turned around. I knew that I had the 12 miles of wind and hills to ride back home.
Now this sign can be a bikers best friend or worse enemy, it just depends on if you are going down or up. Unfortunately I had to do both.
I took the following riding up the hill, I wouldnt recommend It, I about ran off the road.
The wind and the hills were tough today but If I had not gone I would have missed this beautiful day. I will say I bonked on the way home. Once again I didnt eat right. I need to stop doing that. For those of you who do not know what Bonked is, it is when you totally run out of energy and the best you can hope for is to limp your way home.
I cannot wait until the leaves start to change. Then there will be more rides and pictures. Hopefully my friend Julie will join me for a few of those...Well that's all for now.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Saturday Bike Ride
I figured that since I shampooed carpets all day yesterday today was my day. ok after breaking up a cat fight, picking up the table and starting laundry, it was my day so I decided to go for a bike ride and I brought my camera along.
Can you find the turkey vulture in this pic?
People often ask me why I prefer riding on the roads compared to the trails. Most trails are made from old railroad tracks so you don't encounter the hills. Hills and wind are natures trainer. Give me hills over wind anyday. I also feel on the road I have more room to manuver. It is just my preference.
Both of the hills below are headed out of the river bottom. One East and One West. I judge how I am feeling that day by the one that goes East. Nice little hill. But the fun part is you get to go down them. I have reached over 30 MPH on both of them.. Wooo Hooo!
East:
West:
Breakfast of Champions...pop tarts...brown sugar and cinnamon my favorite.
This Picture is for Julie S...look at all of that corn in those beans...*gasp*
This is the Skunk River look for the waving photographer.
At one point in the ride there were 7 vultures hovering over head, I didnt think I looked or smelled that bad but I could have been wrong.
My least favorite hill. I think it is my least favorite because it comes after a mile long incline.
Farmland:
I finally made it home and saw that I had a few problems with the bike chain and crank, what is the old saying cobblers kids have no shoes well it is the same for Bike mechanics wives. Bike mechanics wives have dirty chains, cranks and gears...shame shame Bill!!
Can you find the turkey vulture in this pic?
People often ask me why I prefer riding on the roads compared to the trails. Most trails are made from old railroad tracks so you don't encounter the hills. Hills and wind are natures trainer. Give me hills over wind anyday. I also feel on the road I have more room to manuver. It is just my preference.
Both of the hills below are headed out of the river bottom. One East and One West. I judge how I am feeling that day by the one that goes East. Nice little hill. But the fun part is you get to go down them. I have reached over 30 MPH on both of them.. Wooo Hooo!
East:
West:
Breakfast of Champions...pop tarts...brown sugar and cinnamon my favorite.
This Picture is for Julie S...look at all of that corn in those beans...*gasp*
This is the Skunk River look for the waving photographer.
At one point in the ride there were 7 vultures hovering over head, I didnt think I looked or smelled that bad but I could have been wrong.
My least favorite hill. I think it is my least favorite because it comes after a mile long incline.
Farmland:
I finally made it home and saw that I had a few problems with the bike chain and crank, what is the old saying cobblers kids have no shoes well it is the same for Bike mechanics wives. Bike mechanics wives have dirty chains, cranks and gears...shame shame Bill!!
Monday, August 28, 2006
August is almost over
Can you believe it that August is almost over. Wow time does fly. On Thursday will be my 15th wedding anniversary and Bill is still alive that is amazing. It actually has gone fast, we both say this, I think he says it to just keep the peace.
Last week I was in Wisconsin for work, I said I have my 20th anniversary with the company and they give me a trip to Wisconsin. I guess it could be worse. Wisconsin is actually a very nice state. It would be one that I could live in.
I finally got back on the bike tonight for the first time in a week and a half, my legs do not like me at the moment but they will just have to get use to it again. I love this cooler weather, fall is my favorite time of year, the colors are beautiful and it is the best time to bike.
As my fortune said the other night "The fastest way to lose a friend is to lend them money" oh so true.
Last week I was in Wisconsin for work, I said I have my 20th anniversary with the company and they give me a trip to Wisconsin. I guess it could be worse. Wisconsin is actually a very nice state. It would be one that I could live in.
I finally got back on the bike tonight for the first time in a week and a half, my legs do not like me at the moment but they will just have to get use to it again. I love this cooler weather, fall is my favorite time of year, the colors are beautiful and it is the best time to bike.
As my fortune said the other night "The fastest way to lose a friend is to lend them money" oh so true.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Bill's summer project
Bill's project for the summer was to build a new fire pit. Last year we put a new deck on the back of the garage. This year Bill said that it was a necessity to move the fire pit it was to close to the deck. Bill likes to build fires that they can see from outer space. I was against moving the pit because I had put some hard work into making it about 5 years ago. But oh well I lost and We now have a new firepit and I must say that it is very nice. If you look close you will see the Patio garden he built for me. I like to garden but didnt want a big garden. The garden also serves as a rail when people get to the deck landing so they dont fall off.
Bill and his friend Dan have had people ask them to build decks for them next summer. Who knows maybe there is a new business adventure for them.
There is a little bit to finish but we are very close.
Before:
after:
Bill and his friend Dan have had people ask them to build decks for them next summer. Who knows maybe there is a new business adventure for them.
There is a little bit to finish but we are very close.
Before:
after:
My 4 legged babies
Charlie:
Charlie is my oldest 4 legged baby. He is 16 this year. He and I have been through alot together we have had our moments but he is there when I need him.
Sophie:
Sophie or Toto as we call her just showed up one Halloween. I think that she has got to be about 13-14. She has arthritis but she still rules the roost. She use to sleep right on my face and Bill said that I wouldnt even wake up. He would have to move her so that I could breath. Told you I sleep well.
Blackers:
I know real original name but Bill said that I couldnt name him because he would run away. It has been over 10 years since he showed up and he is still here. Blackers was a kitty that i saw in the distance. It took about 4 years before he would let me pet him. I think that he is about 11-12. He has taken over Sophie's sleep spot he sleeps with his back to me and his head on my pillow. One of the sweetest cats you would ever find.
Posom or as we call her Sweet P:
Have you ever had the feeling that you needed to be someplace? That is how I felt one Saturday. I just knew that I had to go and watch this triathelon. Well I pulled into the parking lot and saw this kitten run in front of me. Within this parking lot there was only one parking spot left and it got it. I got out of the car and there she was. So another baby added to my clan. Posom is three and a treat to have around but she is very picky about clean kitty litter...I guess with long hair I would be to.
Oliver:
What can you say about Ollie, he is actually the neighbors cat but he likes us better which does not sit real well with the neighbor. Ollie got his tail caught in the garage door so now we call him Oliver Stump. Ollie is just like the big doofie kid in the neighborhood. You just have to love him.
see what i mean a big doof...
Spaz:
Spaz is a neighbors cat but she is down at our house alot. She will sit on the air conditioner and wait for me to get up in the morning to feed her. She is probably the tiniest full grown cat I have ever seen.
Charlie is my oldest 4 legged baby. He is 16 this year. He and I have been through alot together we have had our moments but he is there when I need him.
Sophie:
Sophie or Toto as we call her just showed up one Halloween. I think that she has got to be about 13-14. She has arthritis but she still rules the roost. She use to sleep right on my face and Bill said that I wouldnt even wake up. He would have to move her so that I could breath. Told you I sleep well.
Blackers:
I know real original name but Bill said that I couldnt name him because he would run away. It has been over 10 years since he showed up and he is still here. Blackers was a kitty that i saw in the distance. It took about 4 years before he would let me pet him. I think that he is about 11-12. He has taken over Sophie's sleep spot he sleeps with his back to me and his head on my pillow. One of the sweetest cats you would ever find.
Posom or as we call her Sweet P:
Have you ever had the feeling that you needed to be someplace? That is how I felt one Saturday. I just knew that I had to go and watch this triathelon. Well I pulled into the parking lot and saw this kitten run in front of me. Within this parking lot there was only one parking spot left and it got it. I got out of the car and there she was. So another baby added to my clan. Posom is three and a treat to have around but she is very picky about clean kitty litter...I guess with long hair I would be to.
Oliver:
What can you say about Ollie, he is actually the neighbors cat but he likes us better which does not sit real well with the neighbor. Ollie got his tail caught in the garage door so now we call him Oliver Stump. Ollie is just like the big doofie kid in the neighborhood. You just have to love him.
see what i mean a big doof...
Spaz:
Spaz is a neighbors cat but she is down at our house alot. She will sit on the air conditioner and wait for me to get up in the morning to feed her. She is probably the tiniest full grown cat I have ever seen.
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