My fear of heights doesn’t make any sense. I’ve been up in the St. Louis Arch at least 12 times; I can walk through the viewing area with no issues and can actually look out the windows which are 630 feet above the hard hard ground. I’ve been up in a hot air balloon twice. I’ve even flown in an open air bi-plane. None of these experiences bothered me.
But last week I was faced by one of my fear-of-heights nemeses – a glass elevator. Four times I year I drop off cards for one of my charities. All the elevators in the building are glass elevators – I checked the first time I went there. I am only going to the second floor but every time I’m standing in front of those elevator doors, I’m wondering if maybe there are stairs someplace in the building to get me to the next level.
These aren’t the only glass elevators I’ve had trouble with. Once, in Singapore, the hotel had two kinds of elevators. The normal kind that went up to the 25th floor and then glass-enclosed kind that you had to take to get from the 25th to the 60th floor. It was a glorious view of the cityscape but when I discovered that the hotel had put me up on the 50th floor (this was considered an upgrade because most folks LIKE the higher floors), I asked them to move me to a different room, preferably on the 3rd or 4th floor. It did at least make me feel better when the front desk staff told me that this is not an uncommon request. Phew!
When I have no other option than to deal with glass elevators, my usual modus operandi is to stand facing the doors (which are rarely glass)… as close to the doors as I can get. If I’m alone, then basically nose-to-door; if there are other folks, I try to keep at least a foot back so they don’t have me carted away in a pretty wrap-a-round sweater. And I can guarantee that I am ALWAYS the first off that elevator. I’d rather ride the escalators at the Mall of America than do glass elevators (which they also have at MOA).
So I really don’t understand why some heights don’t bother me and some heights REALLY bother me. I’m guessing at my age I’ll probably never figure it out.
Would you rather ride in a glass elevator or hold a big snake?
The State of North Dakota gives out the Rough Rider Award annually to native North Dakotans who have been influenced by living there to achieve excellence in their respective fields or endeavors. It is the highest award the State endows.
The plaque is fairly small, with a 3-D bust of Teddy Roosevelt in the center. The recipients are given honorary rank of Colonal in the Theodore Roosevelt ND Rough Riders. They also gets their portraits painted and hung in the capitol building. Past recipients include Louise Erdrich, Bobby Vee, Peggy Lee, Louis L’ Amour, Roger Maris, and Eric Severeid.
The first recipient of the award was Lawrence Welk in 1961. I should remind Baboons that Lawrence Welk is a particular interest of mine since my paternal grandfather’s first cousin married Lawrence Welk’s daughter, Shirley.
Imagine the consternation in ND last week when it was reported that a ND couple traveling in Brittany, France went into a thrift store there and found Lawrence Welk’s Rough Rider Award Plaque. The woman in the couple stated she saw this 3-D silver image of Teddy Roosevelt on the plaque, and was astounded to see the inscription regarding Lawrence Welk below it. How on earth could this happen?
Why in France? Did Lawrence travel much in France in the 1960’s and 1970’s? Were the Welk’s so hard up after he died they sold all his memorabilia? Did the woman and her husband somehow get the plaque and bring it to France and claim they found it, thus to increase its value? It is a mystery. I hope we can find out what really happened.
What mysteries would you like solved? What award would you like to receive?What would you like your relatives to do with your things after you are gone?
The soybeans are turning yellow and dropping their leaves. Another week will make a huge difference.
We spent a week outside of Charleston SC visiting my niece and her husband and their two cute little girls, age five and two. Boy, that two year old: She never stops moving! Better them than us. And a wonderful dog, Maggie. A female Doberman. I’ve not had anything to do with Dobermans before, but she was a sweetheart.
These people love their hot weather. I was hot for the whole week we were there. They made a fire one night in their fire pit. IT WAS 80 DEGREES! I kept moving my chair back. But, it was a lovely night and It was a great, much needed vacation.
Our first night and I got to take the five year old to bed. I was pooped out.
Who doesn’t love chasing seagulls?
Daughter loved the beach.
While we were gone, our house sitters, G & E, did a fabulous job keeping our dogs occupied. They left the house cleaner than it was when we left. E does a lot of cooking, which was evident by the washed cookie sheets and bread loaf pan on the counter. We need to get them to leave some left overs. And G works at a local nursery and we always come home to fresh cut flowers and even some new plants on the front step. Great people. We’re not sure the dogs were glad to have us come back or not.
Plus our other neighbor, B, collecting eggs and taking care of the chickens. She said she loved her the dogs protected her from the raccoons.
The tree branch that fell down on the deck just before we left got cut up and hauled away. We are so lucky it missed the gutters and missed the lights hanging off the gutters. It broke a leg off one plastic deck chair, and bent one tiki torch. Driving around the farm, there are trees down all over. Lots of trees in fields, which will make harvest difficult. It’s hard to clean them up without damaging more crops. Our neighbors took their cattle out as there was so many trees down on the fence it was easier to take them out than to fix the fences. At least for now. They’ll be fixed before next spring.
And we’ve had a bunch of weird electronic issues since the power was out with that storm. Course the router needed to be rebooted a few times, and the extenders, and the security cameras… got most of them back, but it’s been a process.
The Soil and Water (SWCD) people, and contractor Clint built the new structure to stop erosion.
The front side with a tile inlet.
The back side. The tile drains down in the tree’s to the left.
Clint also built a ‘low water crossing’ at one of our waterways. It tends to be wet in the spring, (that’s why it’s a ‘water way’). He excavated down, placed geo-textile fabric, large rock placed underneath, smaller rock on top, and that way the water can still pass through but the equipment has a place to cross without creating ruts in the soft spring soil.
Bailey approved
I am very proud of the work we’ve done the last few year making the farm a better place for the future.
Including pouring concrete.
Last week Kelly and I were compacting gravel for this pad. This concrete is in the main part of the shed, right inside the main door, and is where just about everything gets parked. I’m as excited about this concrete as I have been about all the rest.
A pack of wire ties.
Wrap the wire around the rebar, hook the loops, and spin it five times to make it tight. Six twists will break the wire.
Rebar wired together and propped up with rocks, tin cans, empty bottles; Anything I found in the garbage that I thought would be useful. You can buy 2” plastic rebar chairs, but why would I wanna do that?
We had some good help leveling out the concrete. Our son came down with a couple of his buddies. I spent a little more money and ordered a conveyor truck to get the concrete in the shed, that way I could be in there helping and not in the tractor hauling concrete 1/2 a yard at a time in the loader bucket. I am supposedly, the ‘Brains’ of the outfit. I use the term loosely. Jokes on them!
I ordered 5000 psi concrete “garage mix” with fiber and air entrainment. See, sounds like I know what I’m talking about.
You want a bunch of help getting the cement truck dumped out and the concrete spread out. Then there’s a little more time to get it level and time for it to begin to harden before the finishing work begins. And that can be a one person job on a pad this small. It just takes several good people right at the start.
On top of the compacted gravel we get the rebar laid out and tied together using a homemade wire twister. I use fiberglass rebar. I buy wire ties with a loop on each end, then use a paint roller I’ve modified to twist them.
By the time we finished I was pooped out. Man, I am not 30 years old anymore.
The conveyor truck getting set up. We were all working so I didn’t get any pictures of it happening.
Kelly was in charge of the measuring stick and the laser level to get it level. 
Looks pretty good for some amateurs. Better than our first round last year.
Humphrey walk through it first. But I’m OK with that. I left his footprints.
HOW OFTEN DID YOU FALL ASLEEP YOURSELF TAKING THE KIDS TO BED?
You all know where I am, right? That’s right – the VS State Fair Fest has begun!
Tickets purchased (actually bought them in November for last year’s price).
Blue Ribbon Coupon Book purchased. Both YA and I have added our post-it notes.
Food list assembled and printed off. This includes traditional items that we like every year (corn, cookies, crepe, Hawaiian shave ice, etc.) as well as new foods.
Trial drive to parking lot done. I do this every year to make sure there isn’t any surprise road construction.
Turtle bag “packing list” updated… actually just printed out this year – we didn’t make any changes from last year.
Turtle bag packed (bandaids, Tylenol, pad/paper, address labels, collapsible container for cookies, coupon book, cash…).
Depending on what time you’re up and reading this, I’m either feeding the dog/cat before I leave, driving to St. Paul, waiting in line, on the Park & Ride bus. Once the bus gets to the transit hub and I get through the entrance, who knows what the day will bring for me!
You’ll have to talk among yourselves today. Anything planned for YOUR day?
Today Husband and I are going to the local travel agent to have her make airplane reservations for a late September trip to Denver. Husband’s siblings decided that we all needed to get together in Denver for their stepmother’s 90th birthday. It is a straight flight from Sioux Falls to Denver with no layovers. The travel agent is a high school classmate of mine.
I am the person in our family who goes on-line and makes all the reservations, books hotels, plans things, makes arrangements, etc. I look forward to the Denver gathering, but I found myself strangely reluctant to make the plane reservations, and I put it off all week. On Friday I finally forced myself to go to the United website to book the flights and found it impossible to navigate. I told Husband that we were going through the travel agent instead. I felt immediate relief. Husband agreed. He doesn’t want the stress, either.
It dawned on me that I am tired of being brave. I have been a “do it myself” sort of person all my life, and I think I am done. I don’t want the anxiety that goes with independently spending large amounts of money on difficult to navigate websites. I spent almost 40 years dealing with other people’s crises in my professional work, managing suicidal and homicidal people, testifying in court as an expert witness, managing our move here, and generally dealing with and solving problems and finding solutions. I finally convinced myself that it is ok to let other people do the work. I am embracing my inner coward and relaxing!
Is it easy or hard for you to accept help from others? When have you had to be brave?
We’ve been gone for a week. Returned to one last day of nice weather before it gets hot again.
Where were we?
Every restaurant was so loud you couldn’t have a conversation. We postulate the ambient noise level was so loud that everyone else has to get louder.
A cool ceiling at this resturant.
Decor at the same place.
There are many wonderful parks, lots of free green space, art, and statues.
It seems like we had a hard time figuring out the subway ticket system but we got around and managed to make do with the kindness of strangers and only losing money on one ticket system I still haven’t figured out what I bought that didn’t work. Que sera sera
Took a Commuter train to visit a couple attractions. First time for that for us.
Sunday after the World Cup finals, one train was packed, but everyone was very nice. We laughed about how tight we were crammed in there. Kelly and I joked a full train on Sunday is probably different than a full train on Thursday at 5:00 PM. The Wednesday 5 PM train was full, and seemed to skip one stop, and at the next stop, which was the one we wanted, only one door opened and we couldn’t get there before it closed and the train moved on. Daughter was VERY put out. A guy on the train said “I have missed so many stops…”
Traffic lights seem to only be a suggestion to some people.
A few more street signs would be really helpful.
I didn’t pack any shirts with sleeves!
We travelled there as Kelly had a work conference. We all had a few vacation days together before she had to ‘work’ work. Daughter and I made our own fun after that. Saw some movies – in 3D!- and had a good time.
Ice cream coma
My steps the last week average about 8500. Daughter, constantly moving, averages 12,000 a day.
We had lots of help on the farm to keep things in hand.
The chicken from last week still has some chicks left; I haven’t gotten a good count as they’re hiding in the tall grass. But maybe 5 out of her 13. We’ve always said, the real world is a tough place for chicks.
And now we have multiple baby guineas.
At least guineas are good at co-parenting.
We want more guineas, but didn’t want to stick a guest with baby chick care. So we’ll see. The photo was from Tuesday when the Palawan’s saw them. I haven’t found them yet on Friday. Kelly saw them briefly, and then the mom seems to hide them so she can get out and eat. That’s kind of unusual.
Padawan 1 is broke, so I left him a list of projects. Darn if those missing soft skills don’t make it harder than it had to be for both of us as I had to remind him to do a few jobs, and offer help by text when he’d ask questions. And he made a few jobs harder. Which is how we learn, right? P2 came out few times too. I’m not sure how much I’m paying them for work, or how much was goofing around. Well, QSS all over again.
Thanks to Rick and Betty for picking up the mail. Thanks to John and Tamsin for taking care of the chickens, Tamsin, and the dogs, John. Gracie and Evan house sat and watered flowers.
I’m hoping to get the oats harvested Saturday. It’s still standing good, which is great, but the grass in it is getting bad. That only means it will combine a little tougher (because a combine harvester doesn’t like green stuff) and the straw windrow will have to dry out before I can bale it.
The corn got sprayed with fungicide by helicopter. Corn fungus’ have become a big issue the last few years as they move up from the south and the hot weather acerbates the issue.
I’ll post a few more photos after the location has been determined.
EVER HOUSE SAT? OR HAD HOUSE SITTERS? TELL US ABOUT IT
I read with rather horrified amusement about a traffic problem in Fargo that occurred on July 11th. The incident took place on I-94 on the border between Fargo and West Fargo on a very busy section of the highway. The exits on that stretch of the highway lead to major retail areas and the big Sanford Hospital.
As in many communities there is a lot of construction this summer happening in Fargo. The eastbound lanes on I-94 were reduced to one lane for construction. The police and highway patrol got calls around 2:30 pm that there was a complete blockage of the one eastbound lane by debris that had fallen out of a truck.
A trucker had apparently braked suddenly for slowing traffic not realizing that the rear door to the trailer he was hauling had opened. Approximately 15 well aged bison carcasses slid out of the trailer onto the highway. The trucker seemingly didn’t know what had happened and continued driving east. He wasn’t identified until 7 hours later. It is thought he was heading to a rendering plant in Long Prairie. The available news is unclear whether he was fined for the incident.
The West Fargo Fire Department, State Troopers, and Highway Department workers all cleaned up the mess and sanitized the roadway. I can’t imagine how awful that must have been, or what they did with the debris. I just hope it wasn’t too hot out.
What is the biggest mess you have ever had to clean up?
Every summer I spend a long weekend with one of my besties, who lives in Madison. We always have a great time but I’m always amazed at how different these trips are from other trips, especially the ones I take with YA.
On Friday night we went to Susan’s favorite Mexican restaurant. I’ve been there before with her and it’s nice. On Saturday we went up to the capital building early for the Dane County Farmers Market. I got my five loaves of Chili Cheese bread, a bunch of corn, a slice of purple yam pie, squeaky cheese curds, a massive cinnamon roll and a dozen peanut coconut donut holes. Sunday night we went to her favorite pizza place – I got a tomato pie (similar to a margarita) – yummy.
That’s the most active we were. The entire remainder of weekend was reading, doing jigsaw puzzles, yakking and then more reading and yakking. I probably spent 10 hours sitting in a big comfy chair with my books. I finished two books, well actually three if you count the CD that I listened to in the car on the way there and back.
Compared to my usual travels, it was a lazy lazy trip. And I loved it. No to-do list, no normal daily stuff. Just relaxing. As I was doing some errands Tuesday morning, I was already missing that comfy chair!
About 90 miles outside of Columbus is The Wilds, a wildlife conservation center developed on reclaimed land that had been mined for coal for four decades. Starting in the late 70s, the Ohio Zoological Commission began developing a plan for using that land for a special wildlife conservation area. They began in 1984 with 9,154 acres and the first animals, the Przewalski Horse, an endangered wild species, were introduced. Two years later, The Wilds opened to the public. Today there are close to 500 animals, representing 19 species, that roam the acres of The Wilds.
YA and I learned about The Wilds through the same tv show that introduced us to the Columbus Zoo (Secrets of the Zoo) and we knew that if we visited Columbus, we had to include it in our plans.
The only way to see the animals is on a safari tour; we took the medium-tour so there were 14 of us in the back of a Ford pick-up (there were seats). The tour was a bit over 3 hours and it was amazing. We were fairly up close and personal with Persian Onagers, Pere David Deer, Grevy’s Zebras, the famous Przewalski Horses (called P Horses) and two kinds of Oryx – Fringe Eared and Scimitar-Horned.
One of the youngest Bactrian Camels had been hand-raised after his mother rejected him. Named Latte, he was more than willing to come right up to the truck to get scritches under his chin. The Sichuan Takin was not as big or golden as the takin we have at the MN Zoo but The Wilds does have the largest breeding takin herd in North America.
Latte
We fed giraffes from the truck – two of the herd really like this and one in particular, Tuffy, lets folks give him little pets on his necks. (I bought a tee-shirt w/ Tuffy on it.) At that same stop, the two female ostriches approached and one of them clearly didn’t like the look of me. Before I realized how far into the truck she could reach, she gave me a nip on the hand. For the rest of the stop, she repeatedly tried to get me. Nobody else on the truck, just me.
Sadie
In a shaded copse we found five banteng, a species of wild cow. They have 1 male and 4 females. Apparently they are working on a program to determine if they can breed the current herd – the male banteng is quite elderly and if the females are still fertile, they will bring in a new male to help with reproduction. When I asked what would happen to Elvis, the male, our tour guide said that he would relocate to a pasture where a few other elderly animals reside – a cushy banteng retirement home, as it were. For some reason I thought this was really funny.
Elvis
The highlight of the tour was when we were taken down to the winter barn area – some of the animals over-winter there since the Ohio climate isn’t that great for African animals. There, in one of the rhino barns was Bernard. He is living a cushy rhino retirement and one of the things he enjoys is getting pets and scritches. Our group was happy to oblige. Bernard is a Southern White Rhino so he is sporting some serious horn. We didn’t pet that part! This was a thrilling experience. I know I’ve said in the past that I’ve never had a Bucket List, but I’m thinking about doing one now so that I can write “petting a rhino” on it and then checking it off.
Bernard
What a fabulous day – after the safari ride, we had veggie burgers at the little café and then did some damage at the gift shop. I am seriously recommending this to anybody who gets anywhere near Columbus. Just an amazing way to spend a day. The Wilds has a few ways that you can stay on the property overnight (yurts, little lodge and a new set of rooms attached to the giraffe barn. YA and I talked about maybe going back one day and doing that.
Ever had the chance to pet a wild animal? Would you stay overnight in a giraffe barn?
One of the highlights of our Columbus weekend was a day at The Columbus Zoo. We got there right at opening and got a nice discount for being Minnesota Zoo members. We did not really have much of a plan for the day – just wanted to see everything.
Not in any particular order…
Saw the tiger feeding and met a staff member who had been part of the Secrets of the Zoo show!
Watched a training session with two gorgeous cheetahs.
Walked through Adventure Cove (glass tube with water on all sides so you can see the various sealife swim above you and below you.
Watched the lion feeding. I had the BEST spot of anyone… I kid you not.
YA walked through the Lorikeet Aviary
Lots of kangaroos in the Kangaroo WalkAbout
Extraordinarily expensive pizza lunch
Spent a LONG LONG time at Stingray Bay. YA is besotted with petting stingrays and little sharks.
Petted some goats at The Barn
Gorgeous polar bears
Visited the manatees and got to see “Stubby”, who can’t be released to a boatstrike injury but has acted as a mom to many young rescue manatees over the years. Even found a cool manatee t-shirt!
I’ve talked about Jack Hanna running the Zoo for many years, basically turning it around and creating the fabulous experience that it is today. Up near the Africa area, there is a great bench/sculpture of Jack and his wife, Suzi. I couldn’t resist the photo op!
We were at the zoo for almost 8 hours and I can truthfully say that I slept like a rock that night!
