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!!!

Good Fences

On the way to Neoga, I decided to take a side trip down a road where my family lived for a summer. We had sold the house we were living in and Dad was building another, so we needed a temporary home. My dad's sister had a rental house that was vacant, so we moved in. This was the summer between 2nd and 3rd grade.

I was a little disappointed in what I found. The road was blocked and the house appears to be vacant. The barn wasn't there back in the day. I learned to ride my bicycle on this lane. It was a fun summer. I was happy to find a fence to post, though. There are cows and horses inside the fence, but they were back between the barn and the house so I couldn't get a good shot.

 This isn't really a fence, it is a grape arbor, but it looks like a fence.

On the way back home, I found this freshly painted fence down an old country road.

It was a beautiful day for a ramble. I hope next weekend is as nice so I can take another drive.

Linking to Good Fences

A Bird, a Barn, a Grain Bin, and Hodge Podge

Yay, it's Wednesday. The worst part of my week is over. From here on out it is merely finishing up what Monday and Tuesday left undone. Life is good.

This European Starling was enjoying leftovers on the ground.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

This is one of the most unique barns around here, but the picture turned otu blurry so I had to tweak it. Looks better in black and white. I'll have to drive by and take another picture next time I'm in the area.

Linking to Black and White Wednesday

The farmers are out in force, trying to get the fields planted while the weather holds out. This is a familiar site in my neck-of-the-woods. 

Linking to Rurality


1. Share something you appreciate (or something you appreciated as you were growing up) about your mother.

My mother was one of the gentlest, kindest persons I have ever known. I don't remember her ever saying a bad word about anyone.

2.  A quote most commonly ascribed to Plato reads "Necessity is the mother of invention." When did this last play out in your own experience?

When my children were young, trying to entertain them on a shoestring budget. I was always on a quest to find free or cheap things to do. 

3. Share one of the earliest memories you have from childhood.

I remember running down the lane with my brother from our house to the main road, where the train tracks were. We waved to the engineer on the train and he would wave back and blow the whistle.

4. When did you last 'hit the mother lode'? What was it?

Mother lode makes me think of gold or money. I haven't won the lottery yet, but I occasionally buy a ticket.  My mother lode isn't monetary, it's my grandchildren. I have 5 and they are the joy in my life.

5. What is/was your favorite dish mom made? Do you make that dish for your family/friends now that you're all grown up?

My mom made the absolute best cobbler ever. Her cobblers were reallly a pie made in a 9 X 13 baking dish with both a bottom and top crust. Apple was my favorite, but she also made blackberry cobbler from berries we picked on our land. I occasionally make both, but haven't in a long time. Note to self, make one for the next holiday meal.

6. Mother May I? was at one time a popular children's game. It required no equipment or parts to play. What was your favorite childhood game where you could just turn up and play-no gear needed?

I remember playing Simon Says and Hide-and-Seek with my brother. My favorite game was pretend. We were always pretending to be or do something. Once my dad brought home a blackboard out of a school that was being torn down. My brother drew an airplane cockpit with chalk. We would sit in front of that blackboard for hours pretending we were flying an airplane. We travelled the world. 

7. Which TV mom (past or present) is your favorite, and why?

Beaver's mom, June Cleaver. Not sure why. She was the first TV mom that popped into my head. She was always in the kitchen cooking and was nice yet firm with her boys.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

My random thought stems from this past weekend and really has nothing to do with a mom unless you would consider my actions mom-like. Last Saturday I drove down to The Rez to check on the geese family. When I drove up there were some people fishing in different spots on both sides of The Rez. The geese usually hang out on the west side on the dam that separates The Rez from some murky water on the other side. And as usual, they were there. But, there was also a boy of about 12 years of age, with a stick, running toward the geese. The gander took off after the boy and he ran away. I thought Mr. Gander scared him away, but the boy ran toward them again. The gander again chased him away. The boy then picked up some rocks and started throwing them. Although I'm sure the boys mom and dad were the couple fishing nearby, they didn't say or do anything, so I decided it was my responsibility. I drove my car down near where th boy was, rolled down my window and yelled in my meanest mom voice, " Hey! You! Leave the geese alone!" The boy wouldn't look at me, he hid behind a tree. I pulled the car where I could see him from the rear view mirror and watched until he left. I feel a little guilty about yelling at him. Perhaps I could have handled it better, but my instinct was to protect the wildlife.


Linking to Wednesday Hodgepodge

Our World - Neoga

Sunday Fergus and I went for a ramble through the countryside and decided to stop in Neoga for a cold drink

My mother was born out in the country near here and lived in town as a child.

The population as of the 2000 census was 1,854. Neoga was incorporated in 1856. The name Neoga means "deer" in the Indian language Kickapoo.

The first thing I noticed when I drove into town was the huge grain bins. Upon closer inspection I saw one of my favorite things—a train.

So, of course, I had to take another picture or 10.

The vacant building to the left was once Kern's Manufacturing. My mother worked there as a young woman and went back to work when I was a preschooler. They made bras or what was then known as brassieres. I applied and was actually hired when I still lived in Illinois. I made it 2 1/2 days. Sewing all day was not my cup of tea. The factory is still in Neoga, but it is housed in a brand new building on the western edge of town. 

This mural is on the north side of the old Kerns building. Since it included a train, I had to take a picture.

I saw these brightly colored posts along the edge of a parking lot. They were uneven, seemingly placed willy-nilly between the sidewalk and parking area. 

I was sad to see Short Furniture had gone out of business. My mom and dad always bought furniture there and when I bought my house here in Illinois, Most of my furniture came from there also. My dining room table and hutch were being unloaded when I was there looking for dining room furniture. I bought it without ever even seeing it set up. The hutch was exactly what I had been looking for and the color was perfect. 

There are 3 restaurants on the main street. I've never tried any of them, but would be interested in trying them sometime when Hubs has a weekend off.

Sorry to end on a sad note. The doctor's office on the left, with the green roof, is hard for me to look at or talk about. My mother's doctor was there. She had an appointment and was in her car in the parking lot when she passed away. I always feel sad when I see that building. Yet there is some comfort in knowing she passed away in the same town where she was born. Her life had come full circle.

Linking to Our World Tuesday

Rubbish Tuesday

Love it when I find an old windmill. Like this one at Douglas Hart Nature Center. I remember seeing them everywhere when I was but a mere child. Now they are getting hard to find.  I wasn't sure what they were used for, but I always thought to pump water. So, to be sure before I posted incorrect information, I pulled up Wiki.

Wiki tells me these are actually called windpumps, but are known as windmills, and were used to pump water. They were used on farms and ranches in the USA, Canada, Southern Africa, and Australia. They have a large number of blades so they turn slowly in low winds and self-regulate in high winds. The farm windpump was invented by Daniel Halladay in 1854. Originally, they had wooden blades. In the late 19th century steel blades and steel towers replaced the wooden construction. At their peak in 1930, an estimated 600,000 units were in use.

Above is one of the newfangled variety. This one isn't for pumping water, it generates electricity.

The plan was to have name only on the link, but obviously I messsed that up. Will I ever get this linkey thing right?  Probably not, but it is an adventure every time I click 'publish'.

An InLinkz Link-up

American Coot

As usual, I went for a drive around The Rez and found this guy swimming all alone along the shore. He wasn't as skittish as most. He allowed me a fairly close shot before moving to the far side.

Linking to the Bird D'pot

Young 'uns

As I often do on my way in to work, I drove by The Rez to check on the Geese living there and this is what I found...

 Goslings! The babies have arrived. I didn't think it would be long since I have only been seeing one hanging out on the water. Still I was a little surprised.

 They were all intersted in finding snacks in the grass...

...not paying any attention to me...

...but someone was.

 When I got to work, I found this little guy singing me a song. Or not. More than likely he was singing to one of those cute little ladies he was trying to woo.

Mr. Sparrow was sitting on a ledge to the right of the rounded part of the window on the far right. My desk is inside the 2nd window from the right, on the ground floor, just behind the air conditioning unit. The old unit was a lot shorter. When we got this new one, I discovered I was sitting in the obstructed view section!

Do you know what the obstructed view section is? A several years ago, my fella at the time and I went on a baseball vacation, seeing games in St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. We didn't have advance tickets, we merely hoped there would be seats available and there were. This was before the demise of all the old stadiums in these cities. In Detroit the scalpers were out in force offering obstructed views. We decided not to try them even though they were really cheap. What we discovered was, basically you watch the game on a TV bolted to the huge support beams that blocked your view of the field. We made a wise choice in avoiding them even though that scalper was pushing them hard.

Linking to Saturday's Critters

Reflections and Clouds

These are more shots from Douglas Hart Nature Center. 

The wind was blowing causing ripples in the water. Makes the trees look crooked.

Linking to Weekend Reflections

Wednesday night we were expecting rain. The clouds came, but no rain fell.

Linking to Skywatch Friday

Happy Friday!

A Fence, A Fence, and a Railing

Now that we have Good Fences, I'm always on the lookout for something out of the ordinary, as fences go. I'm not finding any unusual fences, but I did find these.

This one is along the road leading to The Rez. There were lots of dandelions and tiny purple flowers along this fence.

 I found this fence bordering the pond at the Douglas Hart Nature Center. ..

...along with this walkway which leads to a view of the wetlands. We saw a lot of geese and ducks enjoying their wetland experience, so we were on our way to a closer view. That's Hubs up ahead. I'm always way behind. That darn camera of mine is always stopping to take pictures.

Linking to  Good Fences

Swallow and the Hodge Podge

Sunday, since it was a gorgeous day outside,  Hubs and I went for a walk through Douglas-Hart Nature Center. One trail led up to an area preserved to look like the prairie did when settlers first moved here.

 I took this picture and then saw a bird land on the bird house. 

The swallow perched there, looking around, waiting long enough for me to take a couple of shots.

He wasquite a distance away, but you get the idea.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday


Moving on to today's Hodge Podge questions...

1. April showers bring May flowers or so the saying goes. Are you blooming where you're planted as we begin the month of May?

The most prolific blooms here are from the dandelions. I drove past a field Sunday that was about 50% yellow. I don't have any flowers blooming in the yard yet, but there are blossoms on the flowering trees. 

2. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being no big deal, and 10 being full scale panic, rank your fear of spiders.

10! I once saw a spider about as large as my fist (or so it seemed at the time) crawling across the floor toward my son's bedroom. It was late at night and I was home alone. I was afraid to stomp on it or hit it with something for fear it would jump on me. I ran into the kitchen and searched through a cabinet for some kind of bug or spider killer...nothing! I grabbed a can of oven cleaner and ran back to the spider. I sprayed most of the can on him. He was covered in foam and still crawling. As I watched I saw he was slowing down... slower...slower...and then came to a full stop. His legs gradually curled up under him, signaling his demise. I went outside to get the shovel, scooped him up and deposited him outside in the edge of the woods. I now know it was a harmless Wolf Spider, but at the time I had no idea. In my mind he was a tarantulla and I was afraid it was going to eat my prescious little boy. 

3. May is National Salad Month (who knew???)...besides lettuce, what are two must-have ingredients in your favorite salad?

In the winter - cucumbers and celery. In the summer - fresh garden tomatoes and cucumbers.

4. I mentioned on my blog last week that my Daughter1 will be moving to Washington State after she is married. Of the following sites in the Northwest, which would you most like to see in person-Crater Lake (Oregon), Seattle (Washington), Vancouver (British Columbia), San Juan Islands (Washington),  Mt. Rainer (Washington) Oregon Coast (Oregon), Mt. St. Helens (Washington), or Olympic National Park (Washington)

This is one of the areas I've never visited. I once flew in to Seattle for a job interview, but only saw the area from the ariport to downtown. I didn't take the job. I decided it was too far away from my family. So, I would pick Seattle to explore first and then head out to each of the other areas mentioned. Because if I go that far and spend that much money on air fare, may as well get my money's worth.

5. This coming weekend marks the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby...when did you last race (literally or figuratively) to cross a finish line?

High school track. I like to catch trains when driving down a road beside a railroad track, but there isn't a finish line.

6. What is something little you love?

I have a pocket watch that belonged to my paternal grandmother. My grandfather gave it to her as a wedding gift. It doesn't work, but it is beautiful and the sentimental value is way up in the millions.

7. Would you say you are more of a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner? Elaborate.

Kinesthetic. I can watch someone else do something or be told how to do it, but it will not stay with me unless I do it myself and then practice. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about retirement lately. Some of my friends are retiring or have retired.  I've pretty much decided I'm against it. It sounds nice in theory, but I think I would miss the daily routine. It isn't a decision I have to make today. Perhaps by the time I arrive at that magical age I will be ready.


Linking to Wednesday Hodgepodge

Rubbish Tuesday

I found this old barn on the River Road last spring, I think. I went back to find it last weekend, but didn't see it. Not sure if I was distracted by a bird or something on the opposite side of the road or if it has been torn down. I plan to go look for it again when the leaves are out.

I like that it is nearly  hidden in the trees and saplings growing up around it.

Okay, so I messed up the linkey again. I was using TexWisGirls example from her fence meme and didn't correct the language. It should say post old stuff, not fences and gates. lol  One day I will get this thing right!

Link it up

Monday, Monday

Why is it two days at home are a flash and two days at work drag by? Monday is here again!

I spent a large part of the weekend playing frisbee with our pup.

Have you heard that Border Collies are one of the smartest dog breeds? Actually, not one of, THE smartest breed according to Animal Planet. Poodles and German Shepards are next in line.

Below is our much loved Fergus, yes, you got it, a Border Collie. He is extremely intelligent in every aspect except one. When tossing a ball or a frsibee, he is great at catching them, but it's the release he has trouble with. He refuses to give up the ball or the frisbee. Instead of bringing it back, he lays down to have a chew.

I don't know how to solve this problem. Perhaps I need more frisbees to get him to let go of one and catch the other.

Any suggestions?

Hope you have a wonderful Monday!

Linking to Mosaic Monday

Tomorrow is Rubbish Tuesday. I hope you will join in and post your old and/or deteriorating i.e. house, barn, outbuilding, something rusty, antiques, interesting junk, or something in pristine condition which just happens to be old. 

Grackle and Geese

Thunderstorms and a high of 76 degrees. Can't complain about the temperature, but Hubs has the day off from his part time gig at Home Depot and we were hoping to actually do some things outside.

 Like mow the lawn and then take a walk through the nature center looking for birds other than sparrows and grackles.

Yesterday Fergus went with me to The Rez to check on Mr. and Mrs. Goose. They were sunning themselves on the bank until we got a little too close.

Then they went for a swim out into the middle where they were safe.

Linking to the Bird D'pot