Winter on the plains

Winter has come to the plains of Nebraska, and to the rest of the country as well. We haven't had the snow that Chip and Chelly have had, but we have had wind and sub zero temperatures. I don't venture outside any more than I have to. I also don't stay out any longer than I need to. A lot has happened since I last wrote any news. Another granddaughter was added to our family last year and there will be at least 2 more grandchildren this year. My garden supplied us with lots of tomatoes, potatoes,sweet potatoes and a few green beans. Marsha supplied us with enough sweetcorn so that we were able to put some in the freezer. There is nothing quite so satisfying as setting down to a table and eating food that you have grown. We were looking at the seed catalogs yesterday to decide what we will be growing this year. During the cold winter days we spend a lot of time reading. Central City has a good library and we take advantage of it. I visit it about every 2 weeks and we uaually manage to read 5 or 6 books in that length of time. I hope that you have Rebecca's blog on your computer. Her stories about her time in Africa and the time that the choir was here in Nebraska are really good. She has a way with words that is truly a gift from God. I just read her latest entry and am truly amazed at what she has to say. Lane is in Toronto this week and will be going to Shanghi. The client that he is worling for has plants in Totonto, Shanghi and Luxembourg. He will be viaitig all 3 plants during the next 2 weeks. He is hoping that he will be able to be home the weekend of the 24th. I suppose that everyone is healthy and busy. Robin calls almost everyday and Lani usually calls on a weekly basis. Mark, Amy and kids visited after Christmas. David was home over the holidays and wanted to visit. He is considering going back to collage and getting an engieering degree, which we encouraged him to do. We are always happy to hear from our children and grandchildren. It is time to close this letter, so I will say goodnight and May god's richest blessings be yours. Dad/Gramps

More ramblings

It has been almost 1 year since I last wrote in my blog. It isn't because I don't have the time, but it is mostly due to the fact that I haven't taken the time to write. I enjoy reading my son Chip's blog as well as those of some of my grand daughter's. last week when I was talking to Chip he wanted to know when I was going to write some more. So Chip this is for you. We are glad that winter is over and that spring is putting its new face upon the earth. we enjoy seeing the birds flock to our feeders, especially the finches. It is fun to see the male goldfinches chang from their dull winter coat to the shiny golden spring feathers. They don't loose all of their winter feathers at the same time, but every week we have noticed the change in their color. The trees are getting their new leaves and I noticed today that the lawn is starting to show some green. I think that the inch of rain that we had last night had something to do with that. I have my tomato plants ordered and am planning to plant potatoes this week, weather permitting. Our German shepard puppy is growing by leaps and bounds. She is 4 months old now and loves to be outdoors. I guess that I am about rambled out for tonight. so will sign off by wishing all read this the very best of times and may God and his angels watch over everyone. Gramps

Deer in the yard

We had just finished eating and were cleaning up. I had just turned my computer on when my wife said "honey there is a deer in our front yard". Now this may not seem like a big thing to some of you, but for someone who has lived in Lincoln & the vicinity for the last 30 years, it was exciting. I ran to the window and looked out to see this big doe eating out of the bird feeder that I put out for the blackbirds & starlings. Now I know what happened 2 nights ago. We had a storm & it rained most of the night. The wind had been blowing all day and we had some gusts of 30 mph. I didn't think much about when I looked out the next morning & the tray for the feeder was on the ground, actualy it was leaning up against the base just like someone had put it there. We thought that it may have been a deer but I couldn't find any tracks. I dismissed it as a freak of nature. Now I have changed my mind. We have a deer in the area that likes bird seed. I have my tomato plants in & thet are doing great, Potatoes & beans are growing & the rain came at just the right time. I will have to rethink my fencing of the garden though. Chicken wire will not keep the deer out. With those long legs she can just step over my fence. I will have to do some research on keeping deer out of the garden. My workshop is coming along. I moved all of my power tools in last week & have started the process of deciding where the tools will be located. I purchased 4 flourescent shop lights & have 2 of them up. I think that I will have to put in some more outlets. I am considering putting in another circuit just for the saws. We put up finch feeders & have been enjoying watching the finches vying for positions on the perches. We have seen as many as 6 at one time at the 2 feeders. We also have orioles coming to our feeders as well as sparrows & blackbirds. Chelly told us how to really attract the orioles, cut an orange in half & put it on the feeder support. The orioles drink the juice & eat the pulp. The other birds don't bother the oranges. We are constanly amazed at God's goodness. We are so blest. I think that I have about rambled down, it is time for this old man to fold up his computer & think about hitting the hay. Goodnight & God bless each of you. Gramps

April 19 2007 Well April is more than 1/2 over & I still haven't planted my potatoes. I did get the garden spot tilled, but I need to go over it again after I finish spreading the compost on it. I hauled 5 wheelbarrow loads yesterday & am not finished yet. I mowed the lawn & discovered the site where the previous resident deposited the grass clippings. I now have plenty of mulch for my tomato plants(when I get them planted). I did put out my onion sets & rhubarb. There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day and enough energy in this old body to accomplish all that I want to get done. I usually run out of steam about 2 in the pm & have to take a break. That usually mans a short nap & reading a couple of chapters in my current book. Then it is time to think about what we are going to have for supper. Maybe you call it dinner, but it has always been supper to me and i am too old to change now. The friendly neighborhood gophers are still around. I have eliminated 3 of them so far, but I don't believe that is all of them. There are too many tunnels for just 3 gophers. I went on line yesterday just to see what other people are doing about the problem. After reading several suggested methods of disposing of the varmits I have come to the conclusion that whatever works for you is the best method. The farmers are out in full force now that the fields are dry and the weather is a little warmer. Huge tractors pulling even bigger tilling equipment and planters are either in the fields or going from one field to the next. If you are unlucky enough to get stuck behind one, just slow down and wait for it to go into the field. It is too big to go around it. Another windy day. I guess that I shouldn't be surprised, after all this is the plains of Nebraska and the wind is a constant source of conversation around here. God must have decided that we needed something to complain about so He sends the wind. I just wish that it didn't blow so hard sometime. Speaking of God seems like we need to be constantly praying for His help. Between the politicians and someone taking out his hate on fellow students and teachers, there just is no end of things to pray about. I think that it was Paul who said we are to pray without ceasing and that sure is true in these troubled times. But Praise God one of these days He will say it is enough and will set in motion the events that will finally complete His plan for His people. I look forward to the day when there will be a complete and perfect peace and there will be no more war or sorrow or suffering. God will take it all away. I will get off of my soap box now and stop my Rambling from Nebraska for this time. Until next time remember that God loves you He really does. Gramps

Spring on the Plains of Nebraska

4/9/2007 Spring on the plains is so much different than in Lincoln. One would not think that 100 miles could make so much difference. In March we enjoyed above normal temperatures and sunny days. We had a couple of good rain storms, which was good for the ground. So far this month we have had below normal temperatures and killing frost and the North wind has been blowing 8 of the first days of April. Today we have a cool south wind with rain. The blackbirds, starlings & robins were out after it stopped raining. I watched them from the kitchen window, drinking & bathing in the standing water in the driveway. There must have been several insects brought to the surface by the rain, for the birds seemed to be having a feast. We have a pair of rabbits living in a brush pile that we inherited & haven't had time to remove. Now we will probably have more than 2 rabbits in the near future. I also have what my wife calls my nemisis. It is a gopher in our yard, more than likely there is more than one. So far I have found & plugged 5 holes, but he just keeps making new ones. My wife says that he is in his underground home laughing at my efforts to eradicate him from my lawn. I am hoping for some nice days before my grass gets too much af a head start. I will have a lot more lawn to mow here than I had in Lincoln. I am retired so that means that I will be able to work at it on a daily basis instead of saving it for the weekend. I have been looking at riding mowers, but haven't decided yet to give up my walk behind push mower for a rider. Maybe I will change my mind later in the season. We have been planning what to put in our garden. So far I have seed potatoes, rhubarb & onions. we will be planting green beans, tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, eggplant & maybe some sweet corn. If the weather doesn't cooperate the garden could just be a figment of my imagination for this year. All of this talk about work has made me tired so I think that I will stop my ramblings & go take a nap. Romans 3:23 for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Gramps

Shades of the Wild Wild West

You know that you are living in central Nebraska when you hear cattle lowing and calves bawling. My wife said, honey look out the window. There were 5 or 6 cowboys on horses and swinging lariats, shouting and whisting at the cows nd calves that they were moving to a new area. There must have been close to 300 head altogether. We watched them until they were far enough down the road that we could not see them from the kitchen window. That was a first for us, but I am sure that living where we do, surrounded by large ranches that this will not be the last of this sort of thing that we will witness. Ethan (3) our great grandson would have loved it. He would have wanted to be right out there with them. The cowboys had their hands full trying to keep all of the herd on the road. The calves were running all over, and the cowboys would have to break away from the drive and chase the calves back into the road. We are still working on getting our house in order. Sometimes it seems as if we will never get it done. Marsha and I moved the range and the refrigerator to oppsite sides of the kitchen. The power cable for the range was not long enough, so I had to put in a new cable. We also turned the counter 90 degrees and then installed the dishwasher from our old house in Lincoln. I certainly was glad to see Sunday come. A day of rest and relaxation. I still need to hang the pot rack in the kitchen. there is not enough cabinet space for all of our pots and pans so we are going to hang some on a rack. Started work on a ramp for the back entrance to make it easier to get into the house. I thank God every day for His blessings of strength and energy, so that I am able to do all that needs to be done. Marsha helps when she can, but she has a full day most of the time. I have been reading an article on Spiritual Growth by Don Hooser. I find that i am prone to putting of things that would help me to grow spiritualy. I don't read my Bible as much as I used too, and I don't pray as much as I should. I find myself coming up short in several areas and realize that I need to be doing things differently than I have in the past. The times that we are living in are troublesome times And God could say at any moment that Time Shall Be No More, and when that time comes I want to be certain of where I will spend eternity. Goodnight and say aprayer for me before you go to sleep. Gramps

Update on the move to Central City

March 4 2007; February is now history & what a month it was. For the most part the first half of the month wsn't too bad, But then old man winter raised his ugly head during the last half, we had snow , wind & cold all at the same time. Some areas had ice storms that left them without power for days. We made our initial move to Central City on the 17th & what a long day that was. We are thanful for all of the good help that we had, both loading & unloading. We are slowly getting things put away & making this house suit us. God has been so good to us through all of this,blessing us with helpful children & grandchildren. We are constantly amazed at how everyone is so willing to help in ay way that they can. We are now able to be online. The satelitte dish was installed on the 26th & our email addresses are still the same. We have a new phone number which I believe most of our family has received. If not, send us an email & we will see that you are updated. I have not worked on the Dear Family email for a couple of weeks. Not enough time & then I came down with the flu last week. I am much bettr now & hope to get back to the letter soon. Goodnight from 2595 15th Rd and may the good lord take a liken to you. Gramps