July almost gone!

Clarinda, IA  81º and sunny.  Went for 9 mile trike ride this morning.  There is a breeze coming from the northwest that is making things cool off.  Turned off the air conditioner - had been running since last Monday - only 2nd time this summer we had run it.  Nice listening to the meter not turning!
Have put up photos on Picasa of those taken in July  click here  There is some doubling of photos, but have made a separate Colorado folder Click here

              This is view to the west from Niece Kara's house.  Almost looks like the Smokey Mountains in this photo.

This is taken at same time, but with my 20X telephoto pulling in the distant mountains.

We spent several hours in the Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs.

 The "Kissing Camels" at Garden of the Gods.

Another formation at Garden of the Gods

Planted a couple 6" tall Lodge Pole Pines that we had brought from near Beth's place at Grand Lake, CO just north of our hedge on the bank behind our house.  Don't know if they will make it or not.  Have been watering them every couple days as it has been dry lately.

Got couple pieces of Aspen logs, cut them in two and have started drilling out 5 or 6" in the top of them to make them into flowerpots.

I have been putting the paving bricks in the ground by the sidewalk beside the shop to give an edge I can run the lawnmower on.

Phyllis' garden.  One tomato and one pepper plant.  Getting close to maybe getting some harvest from them.  In the meantime have enjoyed cucumbers and tomatoes from local people as well as sweetcorn bought from vendors.  Got a few ears from LaRhoda and Harold Neher's in Kansas last week.

Baby wrens waiting for food.

Momma or Poppa reaching in with a worm or bug.

Phyllis was trying to determine how many babies were in the wren house.

Bill & Twila Oberholser, who have spent winters in Kenwood RV Park in Texas, live full-time in their 5th wheel and spend summers at her mother's place near Boone, IA - came for a week visit.  On Wednesday we drove down to Hiawatha, KS and ate lunch at Gus' Restaurant in town and then went 

 Harold and LaRhoda's place to play Pegs & Jokers games.  Burl and Donna Penny, from nearby Troy, KS (who also winter in the Rio Grande Valley) joined us for the afternoon.

We didn't spend all our time playing Pegs & Jokers; we also ate.

Before we left, LaRhoda showed Phyllis her garden.

This is shot of geese on top of dam at north edge of Neher's farm.

On Thursday we spent time at the Page County Fair where Phyllis worked the pop stand for the 4-H people and we looked around a bit.

Friday night we went to the fair account the Circle 8 Square Dance Club usually dances for an hour during the fair to show people it is still done.  However, it was over 90 degrees with humidity at least as high and they took pity on the old folks exercising outside in this and cancelled.  So we came back home and played cards - Patty Steckelberg joined us and the Oberholsers.

On Friday we drove to Council Bluffs and toured the Union Pacific Railroad Museum.

Lots of display on 3 floors of this old Library now turned into UPRR Museum.

Many displays showing how the railroad was built and comparing the older methods with current day methods.

Before going to the Railroad Museum we went to the Omaha side of the Missouri River and walked most of the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge.

Looking toward Omaha from middle of the bridge.

Looking towards Council Bluffs from center of the bridge.

Center of the river is state dividing line.

We discovered Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Headquarters and Visitor Center
near the bridge.  Click here for their website  
I have followed a lot of Lewis & Clark and we spent a very interesting time there. 

Many interesting displays.

  I also bought a couple books while there.

Oberholsers headed back to Boone, IA Saturday morning and we have just worked around the shop and house.  We did 9 miles on the recumbent trikes on Sunday morning.
Weather cooling off so now (Monday morning as I finish this - started Sunday morning :(  ) will continue working on putting bricks in beside driveway.

More later, maybe.  Lynn