Hay Haulin'

It's that time of year again. I'd love to say I sweated and toiled in the hot sun lugging bales today, but truth be told, I showed up just at the end in time to throw a few bales on the trailer and get some down my shirt and take pictures. Oh well, I've done enough in my day... (I sound old!)

 

 

Here's the gang that helped. Amazing that my Dad can still do all this six years after leukemia and a bone marrow transplant. Thanks be to God!

 

 

Iowa Plant Pictures

I do not know the names of these flowers, but they asked if I could please take their picture.

 

 

 

 

Honey Creek State Park II

Here are a couple more pics...
The whole Schelling gang...

 

Removing a tick from Ethan's ear!

 

The aftermath of laundry once home.

 

Oh, and a picture of the cabin we stayed in for a week.

 

Honey Creek State Park I

Our family spent time with John's family last week in cabins at Honey Creek State Park. Here are a few pictures from the week.
Cute cousins

 

All the beaches were flooded, so we found this great community pool to enjoy instead.

 

Our mama deer. Her two fawns didn't make the photoshoot.

 

The older cousins playing at the park

 

Found some flowers...

and added this beauty to them...;-)

 

 

 

 

Monster Hollyhocks and Bees

Well, the monster hollyhock plants have bloomed. The color was a surprise, so here is what we got. Not too shabby, I'd say.

 

 

Hi there, friend...

 

 

Distractions...

So this is what happens when you put your meat (eye of round, to be exact) on the grill and talk to Grandma D.V. for 34 minutes, answer my cell phone (its Aimee) and greet my neighbor at the door who wants to chat. The meat *burns* when the grill reaches 500 degrees for an extended period of time. Ironically, the center of the meat was frozen. Not good.

 

So, after the grill made some strange noises, I took the meat off, dumped it in a pan and threw it in the oven to finish. When it came out, I trimmed off the burned part and this is what we were left with. It wasn't half bad!

 

As if we need more to do...

...John and I put in a shade garden surrounding the two cherry trees on our grassy knoll. (John said the steep sides were getting hard to mow, and I can't turn down a another flower garden...) Some of the plants look bedraggled because we split them, but they'll look ship-shape in no time. John plans to make some Adirondack chairs to put in the circle space in the center.

 

 

 

Joel

 

 

 

 

This little guy has a new baby brother so he's spending some time at Auntie Alice's house. He's 21 months old and is cute as a button. Had to take his picture... He tried to sabotage me by chucking a ball at me, but I adeptly dodged it as all good photographers do...;-).