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Welcome to my photo journal.


Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Home Again

We came home because of rain and we come home to rain.Once you have flown, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward. For there you have been, and there you long to retun.
Leonardo da Vinci
It is on both our bucket lists to go up in a balloon!!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Madison County

We had rain here all night and til 9 am so the mornings balloon flight was canceled. The area had about 5 inches of rain and the ground was already saturated so rivers are over their banks, just water every where. We visited some of Madison County's Covered Bridges today, there were several tourists doing the same. We visited with a couple from Florida and another from Pennsyvania. This is Cutler-Donahoe Covered Bridge in Winterset, IA
I also visited the Fons & Porter's Shop downtown Winterset. I bought a couple fat quaters.

This is the Roseman Covered Bridge.




Since the ground was so wet the balloon pilots were given the choice to fly or not tonight. There were only 9 that flew. The biggest problem is getting the chase vehicles to the balloon when it lands. Tomorrow mornings flight has been canceled too. The bad news is more rain is forecasted for tomorrow afternoon.


Sunday, July 27, 2008

More from Indianola

We didn't know if the balloons would fly this morning as it was so nasty looking, but they did. Here they are coming into the field. Here's a few of them trying to hit the mark with their baggies.
After the morning flight we went exploring some area parks, this pic is from Buxton Park. I also got Ken to visit a flea market (more antique market) I found a couple of old postcards.

We then went to the induction of two ballooning pioneers into the Ballooning Hall of Fames at the Balloon Museum, that was very interesting and educational. The storm came thru Indianola around 5 pm so no balloon flights this evening, it poured. The worst of the storm missed us, but I guess there was golf ball size hail and tornado warnings north and east of us.


Saturday, July 26, 2008

More of Balloon Fest

It turned out to be a beautiful day for ballooning. The drive to Indianola was foggy but cleared by the time we got to the field. The balloons flew into the field where they were to drop a sandbag trying to hit a target. Then we made it to the parade, here is a dancer with her pet snake. The kids all had their bags ready to catch the candy and there was alot of it thrown as well as water showers from water guns. We also walked thru the arts and crafts set up around the court house.
We then took a break and rested a bit at the RV. On the drive back to Indianola, we stopped at a Arnett Nature Center, it was closed but we took photos of the wildflower garden. (It sprinkled on us there.) The sky again cleared by the time we got to Indianola.

So, we had great weather for the mass ascension.





Some of the crowd.


Speciality balloons, they did not go up.


We didn't stay for the fireworks, needless to say we were tired from getting up at 5 am for the first balloon event after getting back the evening before at 10 pm.
Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow.





Friday, July 25, 2008

Balloon Fest

We are in IA this weekend, staying at the Terrible's Casino RV Park and attending the Indianola National Balloon Classic. The weather looks like it may not be good for the fest this weekend, fog and rain. We did get to see the balloon evening glow tonight.





Will have more pics of balloons if the weather allows the balloons to fly tomorrow.



Wednesday, July 23, 2008

A few pics of cats and my wallhanging

I've been quilting my wallhanging today, trying to free stitch it (feed dogs down), but it's alittle awkward to handle (not to mention I'm alittle out of practise). Some photos from around the yard.
Admiral butterfly









Black Swallowtail Caterpillars on parsley





Monarch Caterpillers on milkweed




Cabbage looper on parsley
The wind blew over a couple of our milkweed, and Ken had to pull them up to mow, he found a small monarch cat on one which we brought in and put in a jar for the time being. The other had a larger one on and he just transfered it over to another plant. Our little caterpiller farm is doing well. We also think we have another White Sphinx cat on our primrose. Still haven't seen the moth.
Nature never hurries, atom by atom little by little she achieves her work. Ralph Emerson





Monday, July 21, 2008

New pic of Wyatt

I haven't taken many sunset photos lately, but tonight's was beautiful.


Isn't this a great photo of Emma and new baby brother!! It's hot again today so I worked on some projects. This is a layout idea for a wall hanging using Grams quilt pieces (I hand pieced the flower garden using her cut pieces).


This is a collage on canvas. (Should have taken time to get a better photo.) The family behind are my ancestors.



The quote is: Woman must not accept; she must challenge. She must not be awed by that which has been built up around her; she must reverence that woman in her which struggles for expression. Margaret Sanger




Sunday, July 20, 2008

Found the culprite

Earlier this week I was noticing some of my primrose blossoms were being eaten and some rather large frass left behind. This morning I saw my little muncher, just as I thought too, it's a White-lined Sphinx moth caterpillar. He's welcomed to munch away! The sphinx moth feeds like a hummingbird. It would be nice to see the moth and get it's photo.
I worked on the garage sale frames today, here they are. It was a good day to stay inside, the temp. was to reach 95. Ken put in a new thermostat and we both watched the British Open.

There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly. Buckminster Fuller


Saturday, July 19, 2008

Momma Mia

Isn't this a pretty visitor to our butterfly bush!! A Zebra Swallowtail. Ken has found several blackswallowtail caterpillars on our dill, fennel and parsley, good that's why we planted them. My mom sent this partially pieced quilt, sown by my grandmother, to me to play with. I went online to see how they were quilted and finished, found the grandmothers flower garden pattern which is close but didn't find this pattern. I was thinking of making it into two wall hangings or I could finish out the end and make a table runner, it's a good size for that. Hmmm, what to do? Any ideas out there?
There was a garage sale in the neighborhood today and I like to visit them when I go for my walks. This is what I got for $3. The frames I'm thinking of collageing over and putting Ken's grandkids' photos in them. The book the Bad Girl's Guide to the Open Road sounded like a fun read. I'm always picking up books at garage sales.

We saw the movie Momma Mia today, what a fun movie. I have seen the play and it is just as fun. Ken enjoyed it too. We'll be humming Abba tunes for a while now. Well, another good movie is on PBS, Lust for Life, I love the oldies so I'm off to enjoy the show.
Night is young and the music's high
With a bit of rock music
Everything is fine


Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Here he is!

Here's a pic of Ken's newest grandchild, Wyatt. On my walk today I found this little painted lady on the side of the road. She didn't look hurt so I brought her home and put her on the butterfly bush, hope she flew away and wasn't a meal for a bird.

A morning visiter to our butterfly bush.
This morning at McD's, I overheard a gentlemen talk about his war experiences and his owning a PT 19 after he left the service. I told him I had just had a ride in a PT 19 which brought up that he wished he had kept a photo of his plane, so I gave him one Ken had taken. What a coincidence that we had brought the photos to show to friends and he was sitting next to us relating his experiences to a friend. He told us we had made his day, (he had served in the Pacific in the Navy during WWII).
Babies are such a nice way to start people. Don Herrold

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Monday, July 14, 2008

My Flight

Ken took these photos of my flight Sunday. I really enjoyed it. Thanks Ken!!









Sunday, July 13, 2008

More air show and some big news

The big news first - Liz and Tyson had a baby boy today, Wyatt Taylor!!!! Ken's 8th grandchild. The size, they hadn't gotten to that when Tyson called this afternoon. Liz had the baby at home, you don't hear of that very often these days. We spent the weekend at the Air Expo, Sat. it rained most of the day.
But they had a great band the Moonlight Serenaders so we had a good time listening to them.
Today, we went back and Ken meet these two photographers, Jeffrey Billings of Kearney and Marty Williams who happens to be a neighbor. So I'm sure Ken picked up some pointers from them. Their websites: http://gallery.mac.com/jeffreybillings#gallery and http://www.elitelensworks.com/.


Here's a photo I took from the PT-19 I took a ride in. Ken was so nice to buy me a ride in the plane pictured below. He got some photos of me so maybe I'll post them latter when he sends them to me. I didn't take any photos while in the air, I just enjoyed the flight!!!





Here's a couple of famous people!



A cutie who I understand likes to fly too.







It was a beautiful day and I forgot to wear my visor so we both are red as lobsters since we spent the entire day out watching the planes.



Hope you all had a fabulous weekend too!!