Tuesday

 Back home again in Indiana.  That's where we were arriving late afternoon yesterday after a wonderful time with Jared, Kimmy and the grandsons adding Kimmy's many relatives to our visit.  It was just what I needed. 

                                            Happy times but good grief.  What's with the hair, girl? 
   

We arrived late at the Jared/Kimmy Russell home Thursday afternoon again rediscovering family again along with many free-range chickens, three cats, joe, the horse, three ducks four ewes and Eli's sheep for this year's 4-H entry.  Numerous goldfish would join us later in the week. 

    This is Eli's friend Hope holding renamed Barb because her nest was found hidden in the rhubarb. 

                            This is renamed Lilly hiding her nest for a long time in the day lilies.  
           

                           Eli's fair entry bottle fed very friendly sheep that needs to gain some weight                                                                             to qualify as a fair entry candidate. 

The evening ended with the first of many 3-13 games.  

Friday was a day spent in the garden, looking at things, pulling weeds and planting a few things we brought from our garden.  They seemed to have survived the move north.

    More than a few years, Kimmy planted clematis at this spot with little proof that had happened.                                This year all four plants that were planted at various times decided to show themselves.  

Driftwood from Superior.  A fish tank with a whole lot of fish when larger will be sent to a bigger pond. Sticks hold some chicken wire fence keeping the chickens from a failed swimming test.  The ducks get to use a larger pond on the property. The photo only shows a small portion of the flower beds. 

    Getting a detailed lesson on melting metals from grandson Eli.  There's another teacher in the family.

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                                                      Pouring melted brass into the mold.

                      

  After a lot of work with the sander and Dremel tool a well-crafted piece appears.  Beautifully done, Eli.                                 Later, he used copper, making another peace neckless for Cousin Paton.                                                         

The evening ended sadly watching the Pacers loose to OKC.  Sad, sad.  

Saturday was a fun day making a trip to Clair, Michigan. 

This took us to Amish country seeing many gardens, buggies and once again visiting a wonderful Amish run grocery store featuring many packaged bulk items.  There were products labeled Walnut Creek for sale, another Amish community in Ohio, where I spent many summer Sunday afternoons visiting aunts and uncles during my childhood.  

Sunday took us to Frankenmuth to watch the annual Bavarian Parade. Kimmy has attended this parade since she was a very little girl. Jared now for at least 20 years.  Kimmy's dad grew up in Frankenmuth.  

 I imagine he has seen the most parades. There was a whole lot of watching that included a HUGE Sugar beet machine that harvests beets grown in the area. After the parade we went to Aunt Debbie's house for a wonderful afternoon of visiting with the Kimmy's parents, aunts and uncles, cousins and friends that included Adam's girlfriend Hope.  The pool was a busy place with all the kids having a great time together. I would say a wonderful way to end the day.  

                                                                    A yearly event.

Monday morning meant another walk around the garden.  There was more time to see the birds as we did for most of the weekend, meaning the Oriels, more than plural, coming and going slurping up the jelly.
                                                                        Back for more jelly.

. The number of birds was impressive included even Grose Beak male and female. I'm a believer that Indiana is a pass-through state. 

Then it was ON the road again arriving at our Carmel home around 4:30 bring free-range eggs home with us, two doz. for Eric/Kat and the rest for us.   

Although I did nothing but sit in the car, I was tired enough to think the blog will happen Tuesday.  I walked the garden finding where the deer had snacked.  The zinnias growth was noted to be positive. A single sweet pea was blooming, and would you know the bunny or perhaps deer had moved the chicken wire protecting the red beets, eating every tiny plant.  I'll try one more time.  Perhaps the third time would be a charm.  I need to do a better chicken wire job. 

Today Tuesday...I pulled out the garden cart and you can see, I filled it with what was left of deer snacking. 

                                                    I call this work. The garden looks happier.

I thinned out some plants that will be back again next year but would have covered up what I would not want covered this year. I relocated some pot marigolds and am still looking for the regular marigolds to appear.   Two chipmunks found their way into traps, with Doug relocating them to the woods.  Our new next-door neighbor borrowed our traps while we were gone, and her wood pile hotel had about 17 occupants relocated to the same woods.  She has ordered traps.  Not one, not two but she could be in the rental business with the number coming on Thursday.  She also discovered in the hotel a family of Carolina Wrens, the babies being quite small but jumping around.

Tuesday afternoon was spent on the chair and at the computer.  My cancer medicine schedule is three weeks of pills with the fourth week off.  Currently, I'm in the off week again which is seeming to always be a low energy week.  That needs to be a question for Dr. Schneider I will see next week, The chair is more desirable then usual this afternoon and evening. 

There is always a goodby picture.  Oldest grandson Jacob was at his summer job earning money for the next college year.  Because of concussion trauma, Adam will be doing a second Sr. year.  Eli will be a junior in high school. 

So now you know pretty much what I know.  The trip north was a mental health trip.  Who doesn't need one of those now and then.  One thing I shared with the Mi. family was that we feel that our annual trip to Copper Harbor for more than 40 years isn't going to happen this year.  In some respects, but not all, it is an energy drainer.  We will miss camping with the Jared/Kimmy family and our Lake Madore, Bumble Hill friends but taking care of the body I live in needs to be honored.  The memories will be my camping experience this year.  There are sooooo many.