Good week in the Hawkeye State

one of my cone flowers. I love the different ways 

they grow and the way the petals fall down or

outward.
I am thinking this is a Cubbie Bear who greets me on

my daily bike ride. He has been replaced, photo to come.

This is fun, a telephone on the tree so you can order lunch, sit 

down and enjoy the small lake area, watch the flowers bloom

on command.

This week the Ankeny Hawks won their homecoming

football game. Iowa Hawks beat  up iowa state.

Zambrano threw a no hitter and the Cubbies lucky 

number is TWO!  The ATM machine ate my new

card, but I came out ahead with a fine 564 at bowling

tonight. I have some pictures to post from one of

our August storms, but I can't find them in my

library.......The upgrade of Safari messed up my

photo library!   IKE ruined the wedding of my

friends cousin, they are trying again this week 

end. One month until I leave for the south, what

has to be done? Found that wonderful bakery in

Des Moines today, they make chocolate bread and

it is wonderful! Won't have any until next week,

maybe there will be some at the farmers market

on Saturday!  New TV shows start next week, can't

wait for Grey's Anatomy, a two hour show, bowling

night, I will have to watch it online on Friday. 

have a good week.......

HAWKS WIN

my neighborhood

HAWK. Great photo

for today's victory.

click to enlarge...

ON IOWA........17-5!

Not Boring any more

Home town boy just ran 82 yards on
a punt return for a TOUCHDOWN....
Iowa 17-3......still a long way to go......
#80 Andy Brodell is his name.....
Ankeny boy .......ON IOWA.........

Daily News from IOWA

Today is the big IOWA vs. isu

football game. Pretty boring,

3-0, field wet, players slipping

and sliding. This week's Polk

County news 1)BIG RIG PIG

EVENT. A trucker cut the

curve a little short, overturned

with a load of 150 pigs. some

were content to lie on the wet

cement of the interstate. Great

photos on the news. 2) the lady

rear ended a vehicle, five cars

involved, she flipped and ended

on the side road of the interstate.

she died that night, autopsy said

she had been shot! This will take

a long time to figure out. 3) this

week's school voting gave the

local school officials the go ahead

to get our new high schools built.

They will be huge, they will each

hold 1,000 students, open in

2012. they have to be green and

state of art, only Ankeny!

4) Nancy Pelosi was here to

check on flood damage and speed

up federal money to Iowa. She

couldn't go to the flood areas, it

was raining. I say, "put on a rain

coat and boots and get your butt

out there !" Wimpy! Never

worked outside, like me, 30 yrs!

Carry on my friends.........

Jan's Dream Car

This is my dear sweet

Z 28, from 1987, long

gone to another 

family. Jan loved this

car and said this was

what she would have

"someday" Now she is

driving a mini van! Or

maybe she traded it 

for a small sedan. Right,

traded with her son to

haul his son around!

Good Hair Day

Another photo

saved from a box 

of junque! You 

ladies look ravishing!

More from the Farm

Matt wasn't drinking, but ma and I were....Janice was driving us

to deliver a load of corn. Little Matt is about 30  years old now.....
SOOOOO, these are the kids from the last posting, as high school kids.

I am  having a great time cleaning out the junque in the dark room...

I have some other photos to share.....this is FUN FUN FUN......

till Gramma deletes the photos.......she won't she loves it.........

Oh MY!!!

Matt third grade, Megan 1st grade
Matt 2nd grade and Megan a Kindergartner...
So Gramma and Grandpa are you laughing? I am
cleaning out the dark room and guess who I found?
The mother of Kayley...When did her hair start to
curl? And Matt has Hair!!!

State Champs I hope

This is my team, my home, Ankeny Hawkettes. The best in the
state of Iowa for Girls sports. 9 state basketball titles, about 15
softball titles, more in volleyball, track and nearly a champ in
swimming....
Big Kill by Chelsey. Nebraska better grab her, a lefty to replace Sarah Pavin.
See that block? Ball is down!
Hard to get the serve on the hand, but this is close.
Chelsey and Hannah blocking, off the side and out of bounds! Point Ankeny!
Spike during warm ups.....Randy asleep on the far left....my work out
buddy....
More practice spikes.
Retired teachers Nancy and mother Julie, Tom in the back ground.
Go Hawkettes!!!
Another block by Hannah and Chelsey. This one back over the net
and down.....POINT Ankeny....
Hawkettes have a powerfull front line this year with these two seniors
and two strong back ups, a junior and soph. I wish I would be here for
the championships in November, but alas alak, I will be back home in
Texas. Chelsey was a baby when I met her, mom and dad were just
married when I met them.....long time friends, great athletes....GO
Chelsey, keep up the Ankeny tradition......STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!!

How Sweet It Is.......

Drew, Dad Andy, Mom Megan and baby Kayley and doggie SOX aka Cubbie?
Drew, Grampa Mark and Kayley. First day home from intensive care.
Kayley was born at about 25 weeks gestation, on June 9,2008. She is
a tough one, spirited, fiesty, onery already.....She is a person with her
own mind and she has shown this to the family.....she was bound and
determined to "go home where I belong" and she is finally home.
I am so excited for my dear friends aka extended family....too bad little
Drew isn't in Cubbie BLUE.... best of luck to anyone else in
cyberworld with short term pregnancies.....our medical society is
fantastic! Carry on...........

Sights Along the Bike Trail

New cement for a new trail. Half done, they have not done any work

in over two weeks.
This section is done, but they don't want anyone on the trail since the

next 20 miles has spots that need guard rails and signs when crossing

the creeks. Now they are threatening everyone with  $100 fines!
A nice little side path in Ankeny, a short ride to a small park/pond

area for a rest stop.
I have ridden by this cross all summer and finally stopped. Someone

just carved the cross from a downed tree. It is located by a local church

and I noticed the other day another tree is down with a four foot stump,

ready for the carving.

Golf Courses Corn and Cannas

Field of Dreams (Cannas)...who is that in hiding? Wow, cannas almost six feet tall!
Mark's beautiful zinnias are really growing and the butterflies are visiting.

No sign of any hummers.Labor Day week end maybe....
Don Williams golf course sure is pretty....post rain and flooding in Boone County.
Mark plants crooked corn on the cob. Another good haul this week.

Corn still delicious, but I am afraid that this year's crop is finished. 

I put up another half dozen bags of corn for the freezer and have four

ears saved for dinner, soon. Thanks again Mark for your INCREDIBLE

Sweet Corn......

Welcome Home Shawn

Polk County supervisor awarded Shawn a plaque for accomplishments and named September 

as "Shawn Johnson Month" which will also be done for Lolo Jones....
Here's the hardware, a little too far away for a great close up photo.
Tee shirt for Keith, "Sorry Costas.maybe 2012" No committment yet, parents will be there,

but were clearly exhausted by it all, especially media "paparazzi" in China.
Tee shirt gun helped Shawn disperse a couple dozen autographed tee shirts to the crowd.
Hello Des Moines and Polk County. Backstage she saw the monitor and wondered  why they

were watching the Democrat Convention, she was told this is Wells Fargo and Shawn was

shocked so many people were on hand to greet her.
Pilot of plane in Chicago to NYC and Letterman was so excited, he cracked his head on something and had to be taken to the hospital for stitches and a concussion!
Questions from Keith about Olympic trip. She met Vince Vaughn and was shocked

that he knew who she was, she was "freaked out".
After the interview, resting on stage.
Shawn's coaches, Chow Head Olympic team coach and wife Li, Shawn's beam coach.

Chow is an IOWA grad, not as they said on TV, from ISU......
The opened the top two floors for the fans, only expected 2,000, which is the number that

showed up for Nastia's event in Texas.Local NBC affiliate was one of the sponsors, they 

broadcast the entire event live for one hour. Home folks missed the last half hour. Shawn is

ready to get back to school, around a 40 city tour with USA Olympic team, starting in

mid September. They will be in DSM, Nov 14, I'll be back home in Texas then. Chow is ready 

for more Olympics, he was quoted in today's paper. Shawn's web site  www.shawnjohnson.net.
Shawn on stage, greeted by coach Li.
The Stage at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, attended by 7,000.
the Nadas performed, free of charge. Local band.
Shawn's parents with NBC local sports broadcaster, Keith Miller.

A Really SAD Day in Ankeny

Bad news on the home front. 

Four AHS teens were out fishing and

swimming at Saylorville Reservoir on

Sunday. One boy, a senior, jumped in to

swim  across the inlet, he was not a 

good swimmer. He had some trouble and his 

friend, a junior, went to help. She caught

him, but they both went down. The friends

on land were screaming for help, it took a

family about ten minutes to get to the scene and

help with the rescue. Too late, they both

passed, were down 10-20 minutes in the

water.  So many people in the area and

no one wanted to be involved...A Sad Day!

America's Sweetheart is GOLDEN

Home town girl won finally. Of course, Polk County and all of

Iowa thought she should have won all around event and the 

floor exercise. The toughest sport in the Olympics, when the

outcome depends on judges and not stop watches or feet and

inches or accuracy. How did Shawn win the World title in June

and then get dissed at the Olympics? Some photos from TV 

viewing. I plan to go to the reception when she comes home.

Corn on/off the Cob

Fresh picked and cleaned corn, ready to bag, but I had

to eat some. I ended up with 11 bags of corn, 2 cups per

bag, that's two meals. Boy will I enjoy the corn this

winter. On the right, not every ear of corn comes with

blood! Can you see the red line on my bird finger? The

corn sliced my hand in three places. I didn't know corn

was that dangerous! Little plum tomato was delicious

also, not many were red yet Marla.....