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Summer in Wisconsin

Wednesday, July 9, 2009
(click on photos to enlarge)

The weeks are flying by...soon we will be in winter coats! I had started this blog in June and have had to change the date several times because I have been so busy. So, once again, I will try and update my blog. Since I have not updated in a month the blog is lengthly.

From Jennifer and Chris
...on Father's Day Chris, Jennifer and children always visit Chris' Dad in Cumberland...they have a home on the lake. So, all went fishing...Meggie caught the first fish. What a fun experience for the children!


The children went to the Zoo.

Champps...Jill and I were in the Cities on Tuesday and met my children for lunch. Aren't we a cute bunch...especially the litte ones!


Update on Topsy Turvy...IT'S GROWING!!! We are in week #7 and the plants are full of tomatoes...I will be sharing tomatoes with people at work and am sure with the neighborhood. First...week #6 (when you look at week #7 you will see the change even in one week).

Week #6

Week #6

Week #6

Week #7

Week #7

Week #7

This summer I have had the pleasure of having two of my former students visit me.

Mid June...Kelly and her daughter, Sophia, surprised me with a visit. Kelly worked with me several years during the 90's. She and her husband live in a burb by Kansas City. I was so surprised...a few days earlier I had spoken to someone about Kelly and mentioned how I should contact Kelly...and...it is like she appeared out of nowhere.

Mid June...our neighbors Jim and Kay were in Eau Claire for an overnight and stopped in to see us. Jim and Kay lived across the street from us and in May moved to Racine. We miss them!

End of June...Rebecca, a former student, stopped in Eau Claire on her way to the Cities...Rebecca is originally from Duluth and now lives in Washington. Rebecca was in high school in Duluth when Julie taught in Duluth...such a small world. Rebecca worked for me, as a student, for several years. We had such fun!

Jill and Rebecca



June 30 was Leslie's last day in our office. Due to budget cuts her position was eliminated with last working day of June 30. It was a sad day for all.

This is a picture of Terry (replaced MaryEdna who retired in April), Jill and Leslie. Someone got the smart idea to put the lilies in their mouth. Lillies are from my mother's garden.

Terry, Jill, Leslie


In my last blog I showed a picture of Jill and Andrea's pontoon...dead pontoon. They purchased a new pontoon and asked me to experience with them the delivery of the new pontoon...Blue Lady. I hate being on the water. My feeling is...if I were meant to be on the water I would either have webbed feet or gills. I told them I would "ride along" if I had a life jacket. They accommodated me. Sooooo...I bit the bullet and went along.


My life jacket.

Once we got the life jacket situation taken care of.. Jill and Andrea
proceeded to take the cover off the old/dead pontoon.


The new pontoon is arriving.

Here comes Blue Lady.

Blue Lady has arrived.

Andrea was waiting to be towed in the old pontoon.


The big tow.


Note the cable in his left hand.

Off we went....this is the front of Jill and Andrea's cabin.

The algae on Lake Menonin in Menomonie.

There is a railroad bridge and next to the railroad bridge is I-94 bridge...
with all the trucks and
cars passing over the bridge
while we are under the bridge.



As we got closer to the bridge...with all the trucks and cars passing over...
I noticed all these birds flying around.

I looked up and saw swallow nests.
If you look closely you can see the swallows in their nest.




We are now past the bridges... "in the open water" and...

we saw carp jumping out of the water.

We are headed towards this building so they can load the "dead pontoon".

We have arrived.


The dead pontoon is loaded...off they go and off we go, again.


What can I say...oars and life jacket...all I would need to survive????


Checking out the fuel tank...I guess.

A little celebration!

Andrea relaxing.

We have arrived safely back to the cabin!

Now that I have my boating experience over...phew... it was time to start painting my house. I started painting on a Sunday morning and finished painting the following Thursday. I would come home from work and begin painting a 4:30pm and paint until dark (8:30-9:00pm)...then fall into bed.

Before

After

Before

After

Before
(I started to take the white strips off the garage door
before we decided to purchase a new door.)

After

After




Critter

My mother has a lily in the back yard that has, we believe,
fused two stems together.

It has a big, what appears to be, bud on the top of the stem.

This is what the plant looks like. I will update after it blooms.

I do hope everyone is enjoying their great summer. I will try to update more often.