Archive for the ‘Bric-a-Brac’ Category
February 7, 2010 – Winter Driving
It’s amazing that mechanical devices work as well as they do in weather like this.
Today it was snowing and about 28 degrees, so most of the snow was melting on the highways as though driving in the rain – only difference being when the spray hits the sides of the car, or anything else, it ...Read more.
January 31, 2010 – Cedar Rapids Post Flood
I had a chance to attend a meeting (actually I presented about wind energy) near Cedar Rapids. I arrived about a half-hour early and was curious about the recovery after the 500 year flood in 2008. I was struck at the lack of progress in recovery – still blocks of abandoned homes.
You can still see ...Read more.
January 17, 2010 – Sausage or Sprinkles?
The following Christmas card offered a great point of discussion in our family.
I looked at it, thought of who it was from, and said, “What great humor to put little smokie sausages in a cookie cutter for a Christmas card!” However, more conventional eyes saw red sprinkles, not sausages in the cookie cutter, which makes ...Read more.
January 15, 2010 – Winter Wonderland
The overnight delivered the perfect conditions for sharp, needle-like frost, known as hoarfrost. The delicacy of this phenomena is in its fragility and inability or survive wind or sunshine – two common elements of winter.
The house looked like a Christmas card.
It added more barbs to a piece of barbed wire…
and added needles to this pump ...Read more.
January 8, 2010 – Practical Farmers of Iowa Annual Conference
This weekend is the Practical Farmers of Iowa Annual Conference, held again this year in Marshalltown at the Community College.
Here’s the sign point the way to parking. It was a very cold evening/day, as it has been the last week or so, struggling to get above zero.
The snowbanks and drifts make it look like, well, ...Read more.
January 5, 2010 – Winter Color
A pair of cardinals, among other birds have discovered the bird feeder.
Her mate is also around, adding a brilliant contrast to the monochromatic landscape.
one year ago…”More Perplexing Instructions”
December 30, 2009 – ISU Women’s Basketball
One of the best things to do on a cold winter night is to go to a college basketball game. The girls have season tickets that have been passed down to us through two other families for second row seats behind the scorer’s bench at about mid-court.
Here, current star Allison Lacey puts up a three ...Read more.
December 21, 2009 – Winter Solstice
I had great concerns about getting the bonfire lit. To start with, it was buried in a four foot snowdrift with lots of wind-blown snow inside.
I had a few old pallets lying around the farm, so I stuffed those with newsprint and piled them on top of the fire.
We had youth from the church come ...Read more.
December 12, 2009 – Thanks to Mr. Squirrel
For the first decade or so we lived on the farm, there were not many squirrels. There are now some – I’m not sure if they found the farm again after a long absensce, or if all the trees we planted have now encouraged them to come and stay.
I’m thankful for this squirrel as ...Read more.
December 5, 2009 – Gift Box Assembly
Today is gift box assembly day. Tomorrow we’ll post photos of this year’s offerings.
Martin brings up the jam from the basement.
The products get labeled, wrapped, and boxed on the dining room table – Emma is wrapping the goat milk soap.
one year ago…”2009 High Hopes Gift Boxes”
November 27, 2009 – Thanksgiving Meal
So, I’m a bad boy and didn’t even take any pictures of the baked turkey.
Here cousin Erin displays the vintage server holding the stuffing.
Julie looks forward to the mashed potatoes year-round.
one year ago…”Thingamajig Thursday #143″
November 24, 2009 – Lemons at High Hopes
Who says you can’t grow tropical fruit in Iowa?
This is Panda, the lemon tree offering her first blossoms ever. The tree lives outside in the humid summers and inside in the winters. Panda was hand pollinated and will be culled back to a few fruit.
one year ago…”Loading Turkeys”
November 20, 2009 – Bobcats Reach State Championship
After having never made the state football playoffs – ever – and coming off a 3-6 season, this year’s 13-0 record and berth in the state championship game was a big treat for Marshalltown.
Twenty minutes before game time, this is what the Marshalltown side of the UNI-Dome looked like.
This is what the Iowa City side ...Read more.
November 1, 2009 – BBall and Music
Today was a day in Ames. We went to see the first exhibition game of the year for last year’s Elite Eight Iowa State women’s basketball team. The girls now have season tickets in the 2nd from the floor a few feet from center court thanks to a good friend. After the game, it was ...Read more.
