Bon Fire and Fireworks

I have been so busy making Smile Boxes that I have forgotten to post 

some of my fun shots of fireworks and the bon fire.  You never know

what you will get shooting fireworks, with a beer in hand. 

Sweet Old Cars

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Who's Who in the Smilebox

Summerfest in Ankeny was invented to celebrate my birthday....ain't the city fathers 

just great? The four day week end celebration has all of the usual events, parades,

carnival, beer tent, queen contest, karaoke, and a big fireworks finale. Our high school

alumni association has their annual reunion during the week end. We have a golf 

outing, banquet, individual class reunions, brunch. The class of 68 celebrated #40 with

their party at this  golf course and car museum. The owner is a classmate and is on the

Forbes List. A very generous man that invited us to his company's headquarters.

We saw all  of Chevrolet's finest: Corvettes, Camaros, to the first and only big green party bus, 1932 I think. All convertibles and all beautiful. Some of my fireworks photos 

were really funny, you NEVER know what

you will get on film when shooting this event. Finally today I went to the official send off

for our two local OLYMPIANS. Shawn Johnson with her great smile will bring home up to

five gold medals in gymnastics. At 16 years of age, what an athlete. LOLO Jones is 26 and

ran a world record last week to qualify for Bejing in the 60 meter hurdles. LOLO donated

her winners check to Iowa flood relief. Her sponsors matched her donation and that 

$12,000 check went to a single mother to help her back on her feet after losing her  home

in the June floods. Shawn gave the same amount to Coach Chow, her gymnastics coach. His

facility was flooded also and Shawn had to spend time training in Ames prior to the

qualifying event. What a great week, we shot a 66 in the alumni golf event, no prizes! The

best part is visiting with long time friends that I don't get to see very often, local folks as

well as out of state friends. Time to relax....last night I had a steak on the grill and a 

martini, first one in a week.......sweet.....enjoy the slide show I put together from a newly

found web site, Smile Box. Free for two weeks. All photos from my "on a LARK photography

company.....

They do it Right in Ankeny for my birthday

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Some fun from Texas

http://smilebox.com/play/

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Last Week End Highlights

Stan fixed Brats for us on Sunday
night, they were wonderful, jalapeno,
mush/swiss, and regular. He fixed
two for each of us. The next night
we were wondering what our problem
was last night? We didn't clean up
and left some brats on the grill....
This pond is NOT supposed to be
in this corn/bean field in Dayton. No
crops there this season. Finally, on the
way home.....COOKIES on the road...

Mini Reunion on the Farm

My friend Marla was home this week from Arizona. My friend Jan was home from Minnesota, along with two of her children and their children. After golf on Sunday, I arrived in time to say hello, get a bunch of hugs, and say good bye to five leaving for home in Minnesota and three going back to Rockwell City. The regular family reunions are on hold since the farmer's wife is being
nanny to grandson Drew down in Phoenix. I was able to meet Micah, he will be two in December. A busy little guy. He will have
a sibling sometime in September. Great brats on the grill cooked by Stanley Steamer, but on Monday night we were wondering
why we didn't clean up afterwards? Mark found three brats still on the grill when getting ready to fix us some delicious Iowa
Rib Eyes. We had a beautiful bon fire that night also, after 18 holes of golf. I have had one round of 18 this summer, on Sunday,so we were all a little tired about hole 15. I really scrambled all day on the course.
Bad tee shot, then a great recovery, sweet
chip shot and even made a few long putts to save par. Dayton is a fun and tough course, very small greens compared to
Briarwood. Lots of places to find lost balls and to also contribute. Great cold beer though!

May in Wisconsin

In all of the mess of water in the basement, garage sale,
golf tournaments....I forgot to post some photos of the
family. Black dress is the college grad,Dano. Dad and
cousin Mark, tall boyfriend and Greg in the kitchen as
well as Mary working in the kitchen, Aidan and sister
Reese playing in the yard, Greg and Lindsey playing
bean bags, father Brice and daughter in the chair. Will have
to look for Jeanne, Lisa and Paula......OK, Paula and Reese,
Aidan with the head gear I brought from Mexico for
Reese, Jeanne and Lisa and Reese after my heart, shooting
pictures. It is a real camera and pretty cool. Jeanne said
they had not downloaded any of the photos yet, I am
anxious to see the results.Too bad all of the photos are
not posted in the order I downloaded.

Aloha to Pupule

Aloha means many things, hello, good-bye, take good care, I love you. In this case it is good-bye to Pupule......Pupule means "Crazy"
in the Hawaiian language. We found this out back in the late 70's
on our first trip to the islands. There is a Crazy Shirt company, we tried to get them to make a Pupule tee shirt, it hasn't happened.
anyway, I had the Iowa Pupule, Aunt Jean had the Illinois Pupule,
as in license plates, AJ's was a 67 mustang convertible, mine is a
66 Corvair Monza. I bought it from my mom, her only inheritance when my father died. Tonight, at 707 PM, the buyer left the house.
There was a tear in my beer. Fortunately, Pupule will be three doors
away, so I can see her often. If only I had kept her in running order, low mileage for one reason. It's too late baby.......

A Really Wet Week In Iowa

The garage sale is over, didn't do as well as I had hoped, but St
Vince will be here in a few days to collect all of the stuff we
don't want anymore. The clothing will be given to anyone who has the need, the rest of the stuff will either be sold or tossed out.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is shut down, at least eight feet of water in
their downtown area. I know it well, from volleyball and bowling
tournament trips over there. Iowa City, home to my Hawkeyes is also
in bad shape. At least a dozen of the U's buildings are in bad
shape or lost already. The bldg that houses the computers has about
a 10 foot high sand bag wall around it. Over 100 volunteers passed
books from the basement of the library up three floors to safety.
The rare books are stored in the basement, they had to quit when
the tornado sirens went off Sat afternoon.

My back yard is dry, but it stinks. Sat was the first time we could mow in a week.

Baby
Kayley, born at 27 weeks is making great progress. with each day there are more tests, but this AZ children's hospital is a great
one and the parents have access to everything. If they need to know
about something the doctor's discussed with them, they send a
message to the Emily Information center and the next day they
receive a big package of answers....

The roses are blooming, in the
midst of the high water. The golf course I play at had major flooding on the back nine and it is now open. Two big tournaments out there this week, I am playing in the Komen event and the local
chamber of commerce has their big yearly event also. Whew....we
are lucky compared to the people in Cedar Rapids, Chelsea, Iowa
City, New Hartford........a long list of battered towns and cities.
Carry on my friends.......

Another weary day

1993 was the flood of the century. On a Sunday morning, July 11, I awoke to the phone ringing. Brother Jeff
answered it. Brother Greg was at work. We were taking care of our invalid Mother, due to a stroke. Jeff said
the levee broke about 2-3 AM....he has to get the truck back to DSM, he was a volunteer for the road race
through downtown DSM that day. water pressure down, maybe NO drinking water....he didn't know when he
would be back home. I told him to stop and try to find some water on the way home...On his way out the door,
he said.....by the way..HAPPY BIRTHDAY.....well, we are one month from that date and it looks like the levees
might break again, probably this week. A friend has a birthday today . Water still available. New Hartford, Iowa
was totally evacuated again. Mother Naure is strong willed.....baby Kayley was born at three pounds and is in intensive care
for the rest of the summer....a fiesty little girl.....I think she is that way because she is a blonde....just like
MOM....but a smart blonde.....take care of me you ##$$&*@#!.......it is wonderful knowing the ability of our
medical society today. Take good care ya'll. stock up on veggies in the can, might not be any on the
shelves this winter....Are Victory gardens returning? New name,victory was because of the war.......Aloha.......

Where has the time gone?

Busy girl here in Iowa. One week of heading up tours for the 7th graders at the Historical Society Museum..one week
end in Waterloo for state bowling, a week end in Madison Wisc for graduation, cleaned the graves on Memorial Day,
then a month of getting ready for a garage sale next week end....Whew...In the mean time, lots of rain. water in the
basement, not too much, but I lost a 10 by 20 piece of carpet and padding.
Lammert Lake was out of her boundary TWO days last week.....let's see if I have a photo.........

First photo shows most of the back yard, 2nd one my tomato/green pepper/ionion garden with my nearly 60
year old peonies on their own island and the last photo....24 hours later.....Both days, Thurs and Sunday rain took
24 hours to evaporate into the earth., I assume harvest will be late August or early Sept, if at all. The onions look
good at this stage. Can't put in my flowers, zinnias, for the butterflies and hummers.....

Garage is full and I still have a ton of stuff to add. That won't get done this time, might have to hold another
sale in July......I just hope the rain holds off this week end......

Water levels in Polk County and Iowa are near the levels of 1993 when we had the 100 year flood.......the levee
broke on my birhday.....

Some Beach/Ankeny/Andy

Big ship was being towed in for repairs. Just lucky to see
it come through the Laguna Madre on the way to repairs
in Brownsville. They learn to surf in many ways, this man
goes out with a paddle, then uses it to come back to
shore. My magnolia tree was shedding last week, looked
like snow. Andy Williams in concert in Branson. He is 80
and still belts out a tune. I have been busy since making
the trip back to Iowa for the summer, tours with the 7th
graders, state bowling, league golf, try to unpack and
get started on a garage sale...too much junk in storage.
Will find some more pix from home in Texas to get some
of you retirees interested in joining me next winter.....
Carry on.........

Temporary Move Back North

I am wondering if I made a mistake, driving north to visit my
brothers for golf season. I am losing my tan, I am cold, I have a
sore throat, I am cold, 31 degree drop in the temp in 24 hours,
I am cold...
I feel a garage sale is in the near future, hopefully by the
middle of June. Trying to decide what you have to unload from
the past is tough. The last garage sale was to dispense of my
mom's things. I am wondering if we need to move the vehicles
out of the garage and park them in the double driveway, then we
can clean the garage and set up tables and get going. It is a
problem when you are a pack rat, don't throw anything away, even
if it is broken, the last vacuum cleaner is the object.
Tomorrow, I need to dig out some long pants or long socks. I have
not worn long pants since last Sept in the mountains of Colorado.
Sunday I will pick up the convertible, hopefully it will start
up and I will be able to take the top down SOON..
Stay warm and enjoy the green grass, you won't have to mow for
a few weeks..tulips are in bloom, mom's tulip tree is opening,
(magnolia) and the winter onions look great.Peonies are up about
10 inches, they are almost 60 years old!

Carry on........I am cold.........

Honey, I'm Home

Wow, what a year on the beach. Some great times, some expensive times, but the
good always out weighs the bad. It was a high priced winter, hopefully next
year will be better. I will be working next winter, in Texas, to save some
money, which will cover the car payments. Yes, the new car, an Aviator. It is
a used vehicle, sweet, very comfortable and it runs on GAS not on diesel fuel.
Branson had diesel for $4.17....outrageous.....it is all a crime. Our leaders
better get something done about this problem.There weren't too many neighbors left
when I left the island on the 15th. I guess the summer months are just as
hectic for the workers as the winter. They fill up the park most of the year,
with April and October being the down months.I just wish they would use the
rental money to improve some of the park, the lots need cement or black top
and some are sinking......Next year my spot is all cement. Garage sale is
up coming. I hope we can do it by the first of June. No sale yet on the mobile
home, maybe that will come through soon also, home repairs are a necessity. Big bro is not good at upkeep indoors........Moving right along...........

Some Questions

Clayton thinks that women have had hundreds of years trying to make it right
and get into the White House. He thinks there are some problems and hopes it
can be worked out now or it might not ever happen.
I wonder why the TV networks can't give the women the same headlines that
they give the men? Why are there many bracket contests for the men's
NCAA event? Old school people love the women's game. No show off slam
dunks to get into the pro game. The women play defense and run plays.
Can we make a decision about border fences? Last week a coyote stole a
truck, filled it with 20 people wanting to come to the USA. The driver
drove across the median of an interstate highway to get to a short cut,
plowed into an SUV, three killed, the driver and several passengers
made a run for it......the driver made his escape. This is another
tragedy. We need to do something to avoid these accidents.
The people of Mexico and Central and South America
want a good way of life. How can we help them?
Carry on

Great Photo Opportunities?

So my first tomato plant this year is
NOT going to make it, the second batch of
a half dozen are INDOORS. a man and his
dog on the beach at 7 AM a few hours
before sunset. The neighborhood buns
gathered to watch the work to lift up
the 5th wheel knocked over by a bad foot
on the gas not the brake. Old man on the
beach in his speedo. The jail bait guys
wear baggies, the old men that think they
are HOT, wear the skimpy shorts.My
neighbors were fishing, the lighthouse at
Port Isabel in a great angle, more good
use for John Deere equipment under spring
break advertisements in the air. Anyone
need a ghost shrimp for fishing????
YES, my daily job, try to get up early
enough to go to the beach for sunrise. Have
to fix a pot of coffee first. The morning is
filled with chores getting ready to leave for
home on April 15. Lunch is back to the beach
for at least three hours. Back to the nearly
empty park for a shower, cocktail hour and
dinner..........then the fun begins.........
NCAA basketball........after tomorrow night
we will be down to eight teams. The men have
all of their #1 seeds advancing, two of the
ladies teams have been sent to the final 8.
AND.....MONDAY AFTERNOON I hope I can yell

"CUBS WIN"!!! That's right, baseball season
began tonight in the new DC field. Cubs start
at 1 PM on Monday......GO CUBS........that
means lunch at home tomorrow......go figure.....

Carry on......Cyndy......sand in my toes........

More fun in the Neighborhood

what's going on????

Time is advancing

I can't believe that it has been two weeks since my last entry. OH MY!
Echoes from Osakis.....OH MY!
Buyers still stalling, but it seems like the commitment
is valid and maybe we will close soon, or April 12.
Photo opportunities have been great lately. I am not
adapting to daylight savings time. sunrise is about 737 am.
Wow, that's the time I was born! anyway, this morning was
inspiring. Up too early to get in the groove, but caught
sunrise and a wonderful photo with one of the beach
birds in part of the sun. Did my regular afternoon activity,
lunch on the beach. Probably a few hundred folks in the
water and three jet skis. Where is Blanton Meyercord when you
need him? No dolphins spotted in the bay this entire week.
I still need to walk to the end of the jetty one day, if it
isn't too surfy......as in water over the jetty. Will try again
to post the video......carry on spring is here, it will
warm up in the upper midwest and melt the snow..........
the video didn't take, so you have to see good sights on
the beach, a new lilly and an accident, foot missed the
brake, a neighbor from Michigan..........carry on........

Last Rent Paid Today

WOW, where has the winter gone?
You folks up north are saying YEA! I can't
believe it is time to start packing to go home.
I was hoping to head out earlier but with the
buyers of the mobile home STALLING.....it looks
like we will NOT close on March 26. With some
strong words, I might have to put up the For Sale
sign again. The neighbor came home this
afternoon and backed into their spot. Her foot
slipped off of the brake, BAM! she hit their
5th wheel, knocked it off the hitch, broke all
four stabilizers, punctured the water tank,
dented up fenders on the truck and 5th wheel.
She was distraught and he was home, tossed out
of his chair, but OK. Great way to have a party
in the neighborhood and meet new people!
My new neighbors are a lot of fun, they are
socialable, drink, have cocktails, sit outside
and help me.

a sad note.......BIG RED IS DEAD.............

Twice as nice

Double dose of the long legged
birds that hang out on the beach.
Great landing!

Out For A Walk

The other night I went for a walk, rather
a bike ride around sunset.I was a little
early, had to wait almost an hour before
the sun went down. Now with daylight
savings time, when will the sun set? Enjoy.

It Is March and Spring Breakers are Here

I have tried to post news and photos in Feb to no luck. I have
four bars, but no luck. Feb was full of an abundance of trips to
Alamo city offices, Hidalgo county offices, Mercedes to visit
friends, a couple runs to Mexico, brother Greg was here for a
week and we golfed and went on a boat ride. All of this kept me
busy and when I tried to load photos, no luck...........March 2,
2008 and the start of Spring Break. Yesterday was Saturday.
I went to Wally world for stuff and saw about a hundred college
kids shopping......they each had a case of beer and a bag of ice
under their arms. Today as I drove to the convention center for
the car show, the kids were walking along the boulevard......
a foursome, two had food, one had ice and one carried the beer.
When I was in college, I went home for the spring break. First
year at JFK, we were in Gallup, New Mexico, playing BB in the
national tournament. finshed #7......long before the NCAA we
know today.......I had to move over the week end. someone had
reserved my original spot for March and April. 2nd day in this
spot and NO ONE has moved into my old spot. Oh well, I have
been able to meet the new men in the neighborhood. Don't know
where the women are at, they don't come out to visit.......
Hopefully at the end of March we will have a closing on the
mobile home and in the middle of April I will be heading
north.....to Alaska.......NO.....north to the Ozarks and maybe
a stop in Vinita, Ok., to fight with the dealership that sold
me the "truck from hell".........New family members since last
posting...Liam is making his home in the Indianaplis area instead
of in the womb. Big sister Kallie loves little pickle......
Drew is walking now and just told us that he will have a brother
or sister come next September. We will never see Gramma Marla
in Iowa again. Oh, same as me, no living in Iowa November
thru April during snow season. I love to brag about the home
state Hawkeye Women's BB team. They won out and tied for first
place in the Big Ten. They will go into the tournament as the
#2 seed. Should they win their first two games, they will probably
meet up with Ohio State in the finals and we all know that the
third time is the charm......Hawkeyes will win that game #3.....

So, I am rambling, but since I can't post photos...........I even
tried to post a video, no luck........

Take good care ya'll........from the beach...........sand in my toes!