Thanksgiving weekend

Thanksgiving weekend is pretty well over...and it was special.  Wednesday evening there was some nasty weather so kind of changed plans for then but then Thursday a.m. was better and company arrived.  Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures from that day....like I meant to... but do have a few from other things we did this weekend...

Friday....

canning venison....

helping make Mommy's birthday cake....

....with Mommy and the end product!

Sign of the times

need I say more...a couple birthday items!

with Zoie

 ever a paper or book with Papa!

and a little something from one of the 'granddogs', too

beauties in the garden yet as of 11/11....don't look quite so nice any more....

and a visitor who stopped by on the 12th....looks a little bedraggled...was a rather wet day

a little something from earlier this fall...

and Zoie and Cousin Morgan meeting for the first time!


This post is some catching up ... summer is past and fall well on its way out, too....harvest was good and glad to have all in the bin and field work done....now the state is settled in to the 9 day gun deer hunting season....not much work gets done....Shaun is about the only deer hunter left in our family, though...and he got a beauty with his bow.....shaunandhelen.blogspot.com....now it is time for Thanksgiving .... and we look forward to family, food and fun (plus a few chores thrown in!)!  Last weekend we enjoyed time with Theo, Sarah and Zoie.  They were up this way Friday and Saturday to help Will and Becky roof their house so was fun to see them again.  They will be going to her folks for Thanksgiving.
So far we haven't gotten any of the real nasty weather that has started to pass through although just a little bit of ice this morning on the way to meeting. Has been a rainy, gray day all day today. All the snow last weekend by-passed us.
May all who may pass by here and read this have a nice Thanksgiving.....

Fall

Was special to have all the family home this weekend...didn't do just with my camera though...it was also fun to have other company ... one of them being Helen's friend from growing up years and her family .... as well as another family from our meeting...lots of reminiscing going on!  Lots of apple juice also got made...and hmmm...is it good!  Zoie kept three of us adults pretty much at bay getting smiles out of her when we were trying to take pictures of her...I will post a some here that are kind of cute...no prejudice on my part, of course!  Sorry I didn't get much of the other 2 grandchildren.  Everyone is also remarking on how pretty the fall colors are right now...and a sunny day made them really stand out!

Serious business...this tractor driving!

some of grandma's flowers!

and my load of pumpkins!

First day of school

I don't have a picture to go with this....just pictures in my mind and special feelings in my heart....we have just had our convention....and I must say I have come home with the most peace in my heart that I ever have from a convention.....in the meeting Wednesday night it was brought out that we were at the first day of a new school year....a few natural illustrations given..(the one speaking had actually gone to a one room school her early years....and she's not that old...same age as Farmer Marv to be exact)...we don't start with the last lesson and expect to be able to understand it....we learn our ABC's and our 1-2-3 and build on them year by year....and they are then used in many thousands of different ways in life....so we learn in God's way....our ABC's, our 1-2-3's...reviewing and adding to our knowledge...and using them in experiences as we go through life.
The days together were special and again saw clearly there is not lack in our Heavenly Father's storehouse.

So this is my post for today....I do enjoy lots of other blogs and glad for all the special things other people share....fun things, funny things, happy things, sad things, serious things....seems I often learn so much from others and glad for that....

Summer night....

I thought this was kind of neat....picture probably doesn't do it justice.....the evening star, crescent moon, lighted flag at the park and our gazebo and weeping willow....click on the picture if you would like to see it better.

Sentinel....cont.

Alas and alack....our sentinel is no longer with us....

......her post is empty....

...and here she lies...a 'messy puddle on the ground'.....

I've been asked what is the 'story behind her' so I will do my best to tell it here....

Sentinel aka 'Becky' (no inference here to our nice new daughter-in-law) was the brain child of one of our employees and a former employee....one year on the eve of the gun deer hunting season for our area....(her first life was as an inflatable doll...for riding with you so it didn't seem you were alone....with time she became of less value for that purpose because of a leak....and was rescued from the scrap heap at that time for a new purpose)....she was 'inflated' with 2 x 4's, dressed in a blaze orange coverall and  some sticks were placed just right in her arms to make it look like she was carrying a rifle....then she was placed in (on) her deer stand...this 'stand' was in such a position as to be very visible from the county road that a lot of deer hunters coming in to the area would be traveling on....so if they were inclined to be drinking something other than kool-aid you can imagine what they might have had to say...and even if they weren't drinking anything special... there were lots of looks, lots of questions....so Becky stood for a number of years....fading with the weather until last week...her resistance gave way to the elements and she is no longer with us. (Not sure when the burial is to be yet). So this probably ends the story of our 'Sentinel Becky' in the pasture.  Don't think she has much chance of being rescued this time.

Sentinal

The Sentinal.....

...lies down on the job

weekend with Zoie

got milk?....sorry this is a little fuzzy!  (also it is ice cream...homemade!)

busy Zoie!

summer and the grandchildren

Just some video clips of Nolan and Hannah helping Papa feed calves....as you can see Papa doesn't understand that the kids don't know what ho,ho, ho means!

Nolan's birthday!

Z

 

Zoie reading the paper with Dad

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary August 1 to this special couple!

Pipgras Reunion

It was very special to have a lot of the Pipgras family come to our place one afternoon during their reunion and have a potluck supper with us.  They have a reunion every 5 years and this time it was in Wisconsin.  The children who were here really enjoyed the farm...not an experience they get every day!  Some of the adults probably don't either!  Here are a few pictures from the evening...

 Back row: Nancy B., Tom P, Marv S., Dave S. Terry P, Melvin P. Frankie P. and Corann P.....the cousins..
Front row: Jim B., Lyn P., Minnie S., Leona P., Rudonna P. Sue S. and Ann S......the spouses!

 this one Dave S. isn't quite so behind the tiki torch!...just the cousins this time!

Just added a few casual pictures!

More from summer 2010

Corn and beans
      The saying is this: Knee high corn by the 4th. of July should be a good crop....this is what our corn looked like on the 4th.

And the beans....not on the 4th. but looking pretty nice...

Did you ever wonder where the pretty color named 'thistle' in the Crayola box came from?...well here it is:
It is a pretty flower but a nasty weed!

and this is where 'cornflower blue' comes from

We've had a lot of rain this year....but it has produced an abundance of pretty flowers and foliage...

 Come sit a spell.....

Summer 2010

I need to be adding something to this blog....hardly seems that we should be in the last week of July....summer is slipping by quickly again!  We have had lot of things going on so I guess that is why it goes quickly.  We helped Will and Becky some getting moved and settled in to their place....glad to have them near by!

Then in June I enjoyed a trip to Washington and Montana....saw lots of special people....here are a few pictures...

Here I am with my sisters, Karen & Mabel and our friend, Gladys....our families have been special friends 70+ years....needless to say any time we have together is indeed special.

                                          With Auntie Agnes at Ronan

                        More special friends at Ronan...Julia B., Leona P., Herb B., Linda B. and Gladys M.

                                             With my special friend, Julia

                                          I'd be remiss if I didn't show some of the mountains....

Memorial Day Weekend

Spend a lot of this weekend helping Will and Becky get the remodel project going in the house they purchased....got all the 'yucky' stuff done....now it is wait while we watch the new go in and it all take shape....sorry I didn't get any before pictures...maybe I'll get some after pictures!

Speaking of pictures here are a few recent ones....enjoying more spring flower....and a moon rise....

one of course with cows in the background for Anita!

Hard to believe today is the last day of May....the month has been beautiful ...in many ways....weather has been beautiful....and we added a new 'daughter' to the family this month.  Now looking forward to June and the rest of summer!

Will & Becky's wedding....

Will & Becky

Helen, Will & Becky, Theo

Will & Becky with Carla & Brian

Becky & Will with Auntie Agnes

I didn't get a lot of snapshots at the wedding but maybe this will give you a little peek at how it was.  Hopefully I can get more later!