Saturday drive and relaxing...

So we went on a Saturday drive mostly to go to the Missouri Archeological Society's Arrowhead show...www.artifactnews.com - that's the website for those interested.



While out and about we ran into some interesting photo opportunities...this old Plymouth was along the way.



The Leeton Opera House.



And we got home to Echo and Flint relaxing after working hard at supervising all the construction work!

Pa's Woodworking...and mystery flowers

This mystery flower is not in any of our Audubon Guides...the neighbor down the road whose lived here all his life says its a Missouri Primrose, but according to our book, the primrose's leaves are quite different. Anyone know?




My Pa is a fabulous carpenter and is known for his lovely tote boxes. As the grandkids come of age, if they ask, he gives them one of his wooden totes filled with the tools they will need when they are out on their own. He's also made some for other people as gifts.

My tote box is made of a lovely cherry wood and I asked that it be smaller for my sewing stuff. I carry my scissors, pin cushion, safety pins, threads, needles and other bits and pieces about in it when I am sewing or quilting.

These two are gifts made of walnut. He says now he wishes he saved the wood for gunstocks, the "wood tears" and "fiddeleback grain" buffed out to a beautiful natural wood pattern.

Truman Lake Dam Visitor's Center

In between getting estimates for roofing shingles I finally took Richard to see the Truman Lake Dam Visitor's Center. The center is cantilevered over the water on a cliff so the view is spectacular. Usually there are turkey buzzards and other birds riding the thermals around the Center. The US Park Service has preserved several old buildings from the surrounding areas on the acreage around the Center. There is a log cabin, The Hooper House (prominent family), The Quincy School dated before the Civil War and a few other smaller buildings and items of historical note.



The view. This was taken with the smaller digital camera from inside the Center. The view is really lovely and I'm not sure this photo does it justice.



The log cabin. The inside was simple - a single room downstairs and a single room upstairs. By our modern standards it was small, but Richard and I both found it cozy and took pictures in the event that we will someday have a guest house and can emulate some of the cozier aspects we liked.



This lantern was in the school house. I'm not sure if the wrought iron holder is authentic or not. I've never seen an oil lantern displayed this way. But it sure is pretty!

Richard takes photos...

After indentured servitude in Saudi Arabia, Richard deserved a special treat. He bought a super-duper, deluxe, all-the-bells-and-whistles, extra-special expensive digital camera. We've been so busy he's not really had time to take pictures. However, yesterday during a lull in the construction we wandered down to the bridge with the dogs. Echo and I ran ahead (I'm trying to lose weight) and Richard and Flint meandered. Richard found some lovely flowers and Flint...well, Flint found deer droppings to roll in...sigh.



A butterfly on what is called butterfly bush around here. I'm not sure what kind of butterfly it is, I suppose I should look it up in Pa's book.



And Flint looking like the great white hunter. That look of satisfaction is because he successfully rolled in deer shit and I wasn't there to stop him like last time.

A rose by any other name...

This is a rose on Mom's property - Pa took the picture! Mom has 4 rose bushes - a white, a red, a dark pink and a light pink. All are doing quite well between the rain, the fertilizer and the generous application of deer repellent!

I'm glad, because I would like to have a rose garden like the one I had in Pennsylvania. We had over 20 varieties and they were a source of enjoyment for everyone around us. The lovely blooms which I gave to everyone and my own house....scented with bowls and vases of roses in every room. I liked it.

Talking To God...

When I was a little girl of about 7 years old, my mother bought me a Bible. The Bible had six classical art pictures in it. Each one was painted by someone famous in the Renaissance style. Each one was an image of a famous event where God spoke to people. In each one, to represent God, there were rays of sunlight coming from the clouds in heaven.

Being a small child I thought whenever I saw those rays of sunlight coming from the clouds that God was talking to someone.

The whole family now refers to this natural effect after rainstorms as "God is talking to someone."

Yesterday, God spoke to us as we stood in the doorway of the Airstream...(grin).



Since the light is so intense, I'm taking it that he approves of our homemaking abilities.

Echo's Packin'...

I'm working with Echo to teach her to pack things around. I'd like to take her with us on some camping trips. I think she'd enjoy the outdoors. So I figured she needs to learn to pack her own food and water. She was afraid to move when I put the pack on and I couldn't figure out why because she wears her orange vest during hunting season with no problem at all...turns out I didn't have the pack tightened enough and it was sliding as she walked. Fixed that and she was off and running.

I'll work with Flint later to teach the same skills.