American Gothic, 2011

We tested the leaf rake this morning. The best part was re-creating the painting by Grant Wood. We tried to be very somber, in keeping with the original. It's hard not to smile when a camera is pointed in your direction.

Cortisone twins

Bob and I have gotten cortisone shots in bad joints in the last few days. I'd finally had it with long-standing tendon inflammation in my right elbow ("tennis elbow" - no, I don't play tennis). Bob had a very painful flare-up of what the doctor said was inflammation of the left rotator cuff tendons and bursa. I went with him to Englewood for the shot - the doctor used ultrasound to determine the right place to put the needle. Boy, what a long needle. Good thing Bob couldn't see it. My needle was much shorter. Whew. We're doing better. Gotta love that cortisone!

Poor Isabella

Get this thing off.

I really mean it. Off. Now.

Our poor kitty is now fitted with a Holter monitor for the 3rd time. This time is definitely the worst. She's obviously uncomfortable. It seems tighter and more restrictive. It comes off at 10:50 a.m. today and all of us can hardly wait. And, all of us are REALLY hoping we won't do this again, at least in the near future.

Workin'

Bob insulates the garage.

 It's late summer and the temps have backed off. It's time to get some chores done. Bob donned his Tyvek suit and went out to start the insulation of the garage walls. Thank you, Johns Manville, for the lovely insulation. Dayton Power and Light (for all you Californians, DP&L = PG&E) decided the pole right next to our backyard fence was rotten and needed to be replaced (better now than during a wind storm), so I had to get a photo of one of their linemen up in his cherry picker.

DP&L lineman installs a new pole.

Late summer

Petunias and the courthouse.

The center of town.

Near the courthouse.

One of our cicada friends.

The corn is drying in the fields (can Halloween be far away?), a few trees are thinking about turning (usually a tree turning color this early is under stress), and we've had quite a bit of rain in the last two weeks. Most of the summer was dry and hot. Here are a few photos we've taken in the last few weeks.

Air Force Band concert

One of the band members.

Too bad the tuba guy's face is obscured.

Felita Rowe, Air Force vocalist.

This is Blade, mascot of the Dayton Gems (hockey, I think), who warmed up the crowd.

We went to the Air Force Band of Flight concert - they sent their Prism Brass subsection because too many of the woodwinds are unavailable. It was a great concert. Their vocalist, Felita Rowe, really ought to hang up her Air Force blues and get out there and sing for living. I have one word for you, Felita:  iTunes.