What's in the box?

Back to last Saturday and a visit with Tex and the Grands. (I should explain. Daughter's nickname is Tex but is not related to TexWisGirl. Daughter merely grew up in Texas, so up here in middle-of-nowhere Illinois, she is often referred to as Tex) Anyway, back to my story...

Fergus was in the back yard playing with his best friend and my youngest grandson, LL.

When suddenly Fergus saw a box, slowly moving across the grass toward him. Oh my! What could it be?

Oh, it was only LL trying to confuse the Ferg. LL and Fergus were running, chasing each other, playing catch with the basketball—basically having a ton of fun—when a fierce chattering began high up a tree in the neighbor's back yard.

Seems Mr. Squirrel wasn't happy with all the noisy laughter. He climbed down from the tree and jumped onto the roof over playground equipment in another neighbor's yard. He continued his rant...

...and continued his rant. So I told him a thing or two and got out my camera.

Mr. Squirrel didn't like having his picture taken, so he took his bad self up into the leaves in a poor attempt to escape the camera lens—all the while still giving us a lecture. Ha! I got him anyway.

Linking to Saturday's Critters

Right Side Up and Upside Down

Last Saturday I woke up feeling a bit restless. I didn't feel like dancing with Mrs. Mop, so I loaded Fergus up in the car and headed north to see Daughter and those magnificent grands of mine.

About 10 minutes north of town, I saw this flooded field and the barn. Of course there was a car riding my bumper so I waited until I got to the next intersection, made a u-turn, drove back by the barn, made another u-turn, stopped in the middle of the road and took this picture...

...and this picture. As you can see the farmers have their corn planted before the rain, but the rain was a little too heavy. I suspect this farmer will need to replant part of this field. Hopefully it won't be too late by the time the ground dries.

Linking to Weekend Reflections and Skywatch Friday

A Horse Barn Needs a Good Fence and a Dog

On one of those rambles through the countryside...

...I found this horse barn.

  With a fence...

 ...up on a hill.

Or, how about a boy, a dog, and a trampoline in front of a fence or three?

Linking to Good Fences

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard

Last weekend on the Illinois River.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

Rubbish Tuesday #4

I'm having a hard time remembering the name of this once busy grocery store. I know I know it, but I've given up. I'll probably wake up in the middle of the night and go, "Oh, yeah!"

When I was in the 1st and 2nd grade, we lived just down the road from this store. There is another across the road and I do remember it was called Wampler's. I know because I went to school with their grandson in Jurior High and through High School.

Regardless of the name, it is no more. I remember going into the store with my Aunt Edna after church on Sunday evening and she bought Dinty Moore Beef Stew and RC Colas to serve for dinner or, as it is still commonly referred to up here in farm country, supper.

Sadly, all the little mom and pop stores once scattered around the countryside are no more.

the Bird D'pot

A Gull of sorts?

Linking to the Bird D'pot

Critter Question

Does anyone know what kind of bird this is? I've been through my bird book, but can't decide.

Linking to Saturday's Critters

A Reflection and A Sky

Linking to Weekend Reflections

Linking to Skywatch Friday

Hornswoggled

Saturday, Hubs had to work until closing, so I took Fergus for his first walk around Lincoln Log Cabin Historical Site. Just after we saw the Swallow in the post below, we started down a hill, rounded a curve, and saw the hog pen. He was enjoying some new scents and walked along with his nose to the ground, sniffing every blade of grass along the way. He seemed to like the delicious stench of hogs as we walked closer and closer to the pen.

Fergus looked up briefly, and then resumed sniffing as he moseyed along. His nose was within inches of the fence (Why oh why did I not have my camera on video setting?) when a massive hog snorted a thunderous snort mere inches from a Fergus' ear.  My brave little fella let out a sound that can only be described as a scream and immediately reversed until he was back on the path. All the while he was reversing at the speed of light, he was making a strange noise, something between a squeal and a bark. I've never heard anything quite like it before. He was running backward so fast I'm sure he broke the sound barrier. I don't recall hearing the boom, but then I was laughing so hard I probably wouldn't have heard it anyway. Poor baby. I bet next time we visit he will take the long way around the hog pen.

A Fergusless view of the same fence and gate.

This fence was farther down the path. Fergus didn't get to see the sheep, they were all inside the barn for the night. Fergus is a Border Collie, supposedly a sheep herder. I wonder if he would be as afraid of sheep as he was the hog.

Linking to Good Fences

Swallow

This must be my year for Swallows. First a Tree Swallow and now a Barn Swallow. He was way across the sheep lot, where he thought he was safe.

 Mr. Gorgeous tried to give me a moon shot, but I was too quick for him.

He finally turned around and allowed me to get a shot of his front side.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday


1. It's still May, right? When were you last in the middle of something that might be described as mayhem? Mardi Gras!

2. When did you last feel dismayed? When a co-worker gave notice.

3. What's a food combination you like, but other people may find strange? Peas and cottage cheese.

4. "It is never too late to be what you might have been." Do you think that's true? Why or why not? It depends on what 'you might have been'. I wanted to be a hand model back in the day. Don't think I would find much work now that my hands are aged, wrinkled. 

5. US News and World Report listed the best historic destinations in the US as follows-Washington D.C, Philadelphia PA, Williamsburg VA, Charleston SC, Boston MA, Richmnd VA, Savannah, GA, Santa Fe NM, Yellowstone, San Antonio TX, San Francisco CA, New Orleans LA, and Charlottesville VA.

Of those listed how many have you seen in person? Which two sites on the list would you most like to see in person? I've been to 9 of these locations. Of those I haven't seen, I would pick Yellowstone and Savanah, GA to visit.

6. May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. If you had to participate in a single fitness activity for the next half hour, which activity would you choose? Hiking in the woods.

7. What did you like best about the city, town, or neighborhood where you grew up? I grew up on a farm. I liked that we had a pond and woods to spend time exploring.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. Thursday marks the beginning of our Spring Festival. I got the call to schedule my time to be incarcerated in the ticket booth. I usually get an early slot, but this year I'm stuck with 7-9 pm. Two hours is a long time! But I enjoy seeing all the happy little ones looking forward to their turn on the kiddie rides.

Linking to Wednesday Hodgepodge

Rubbish Tuesday #3

It's that time again. For those of you who wonder why Rubbish Tuesday is posting on Monday, I've decided to leave the link open for 3 days so everyone who wants can participate.

The idea is to post a photograph of anything old and/or deteriorating, i.e. house, barn, outbuilding, something rusty, antiques, interesting junk, or something in pristine condition, but just plain old.

 I saw this old house during last weekend's ramble through the country. It is old, abandoned—one of those houses that makes you want to know its story. As I drove by, I thought the house looked familiar, but couldn't figure out why. About a quarter mile farther down the road, on the opposite side, I recognized the yard where my Aunt Edna's house used to be. Aunt Edna was my dad's sister. Then I remembered.

We affectionately called the resident of this house, Old Man Pruitt. He was a very nice man and he may not have been as old as I thought he was when I was 10, but he looked older than Methuselah to me. My aunt was a widow and Mr. Pruitt was a widower. The neighbors met, fell in love, and married.

The one thing I remember most was their wedding reception which was held at their house. The couple planned to leave the next day for a honeymoon and my cousin had some mischief planned. She found Aunt Edna's packed suitcase, pulled out her shoes, and filled them with the contents of an entire box of salt. I was blameless although I did watch her do it and thought it was a nifty idea.

Saturday I took Fergus for a walk around Lincoln Log Cabin Historical Site. As we were walking past the recently planted garden, I saw this old broomcorn knife stuck in a post. Odd, but old.

Bird Bird Bird Bird Dog?

Some people have exotic birds flitting to and fro in their back yard. Me? I have sparrows. Hubs built this birdhouse originally for blue birds. Sadly, they moved in to a posh penthouse next door. After the sparrows moved in, Hubs gave up and added a perch.

Looks like Mama found something good.

Num num num num num.....

"Hey! What 'cha lookin' at?"

"Can't you take a hint? Go! Get out of here!"

Okay, so this isn't a bird, but he's so cute I couldn't resist.

Linking to the Bird D'pot

Mom and me...

Happy Mother's Day!

Small Town Critters and a Flower or Two

I've always heard of a town named Trowbridge and knew it was west of Neoga, so on our ramble last weekend, Fergus and I checked it out.

I thought we might be lost, but this sign pointed us in the right direction.

What we found wasn't necessarily what you would call a town, more like a few houses on both sides of the road...

 ...an old barn with a rusty roof...

...and this barn. Sadly a drive-by shooting only gained me an obscured view. There were people staring at me so didn't want to hang around too long. :)

On the edge of town Fergus alerted me to this donkey critter. He was happily munching on that fresh spring grass...

...until he tired of Fergus barking and showed his disdain by turning his back.

Mr. Donkey had a horse friend who didn't seem to mind Fergus hanging his head out the window.

Linking to Saturday's Critters

Hubs has planted and hung our window boxes, which actually are hanging just below our screened in porch and not a window at all.

This is a pink clematis, which is really lavender and pink, but it's hard to tell in these shots. Our house is on a major street, so Hubs added a trellis for them to climb on, which will keep passerbys from staring at us when we are sitting on the porch.

He added some pink petunias...

...and Snapdragons. 

Linking to Today's Flowers

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend. We are supposed to have a nice day today, but rain the next 3 or 4 days. I hope the farmers are all finished planting.

W is for...

The Whitling Whimsy Cafe!
Last weekend, daughter and granddaughter came down to take me out to dinner for my birthday. They wanted to know where I wanted to go. "This isn't Dallas," I said. "The choices are extremely limited." Here in town we have a Subway and The Fillin' Station. Subway is open reasonable hours, but The Fillin' Station is only open during the evening on Wednesday and Friday and this was Saturday.

Then I remembered the Whitling Whimsy Cafe from my post about Casey, Illinois. If you have an interest this is the LINK. So, even though it was a bit of a drive, I suggested we give it a try.

 This isn't a sit down and the waitress takes your order kind of restaurant, this is an order at the counter and then choose your seat while you wait for your food to arrive at the table. The employees were congenial and gave excellent suggestions as to what to try. I ordered the chicken salad sandwich which came with chips and a drink. The iced tea was tasty. Daughter and Granddaughter chose 1/2 a chicken salad sandwich and soup. Daughter ordered tomato basil and Granddaughter ordered cheesey rice (I think). It was my birthday dinner and I am getting up there in years. So, it's alright if I forget that one tiny detail, right?

Anyway, the food was delectable!

As we were waiting on our food, we looked around. Granddaughter pointed out a sign. Hmm...the game was on. What items could we find beginning with the letter W.

Believe me, there were lots, beginning with the 2 huge Ws hanging from the ceiling. I probably could have gotten both of them in had I sprawled out in the middle of the floor on my back. Didn't!

And there were tons of items decorating the ledge around the room, beginning with W, starting with the wheel on the far side. and ending with...

 ...the Guinness World Records Certificate. What is the world record for?

Well, it's the massive wind chime outside. Daughter is admiring the view. Granddaughter is taking pictures like her Grandma. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

So, if you are ever in Casey, Illinois stop in for a bite at the Whitling Whimsy Cafe and enjoy listening to the wind chime.

And while you are in Casey, don't forget to see the world's largest crochet hook, the world's largest knitting needles, the world's largest golf tee, and coming soon! the world's largest rocking chair.

Linking to Skywatch Friday

Linking to Weekend Reflections

Happy Friday!!!