Catch-up

I've been meaning to post some agricultural photos. Not from our garden - though our melons, tomatoes, and cucumbers are growing - but rather from local fields.

I had to give baby soybeans equal time. Note the corn stubble from last year's crop. Farmers usually alternate corn and soybeans.

Winter wheat, which was planted last fall, is really growing.

Okay, our garden does get a couple of photos. Here we are in our new gardening hats.

Bob is so proud of his climbing rose.

Concerts, dryers, and MedVet!

We've had a busy week. We took Isabella back to Worthington late last week to see Dr. Nguyenba and all the techs at MedVet. It was time for her electrocardiogram and blood pressure check (yes, they do have itty bitty blood pressure cuffs for cats). She passed with flying colors! Yay kitty. Dr. N is quite pleased with her and wants to see her in four months.

Sorry I cut off the top of your head, Dr. Nguyenba. Isabella is not pleased to be back in her travel cage.

We attended the Celebration of Freedom concert at Hobart Arena. The Air Force Band of Flight performed, accompanied by Daniel Rodriguez, America's "singing policeman" from NYC, who sang at many September 11th events. He has sung at many concerts in the last decade since 9/11. It was a stand-on-your-feet-and-wave-the-flag kind of concert. Mr. Rodriguez has an excellent voice, and the AF Band of Flight never disappoints.

A World Trade Center artifact on display at the concert. They don't know which tower it came from.

 
Besides that excitement, we had to have our dryer vent cleaned. It vents up on the roof (weird, I know). Bob tried - poor guy - to go up in the attic and undo the ducting to clean it. Wow. It's hot up there. We said, "Never mind. We're paying someone to do this." Enter Ducman (no "t"). They bring a large truck with a big compressor and a fan hooked up to something that looks like an elephant. That duct is sucked clean in no time.

Bob sweating in the attic.

Ducman's truck.

The thing that looks like an elephant. The big hose is attached to the duct in back of our dryer.

Carpet cleaning

We had the living room and stairway carpets cleaned this morning. I ducked out, with Mom in tow, to go to Deep Water Power (Mom watched from the bleachers), leaving Bob to deal with the carpet people. It's absolutely the way to have carpets done! :)

Bob speeds the drying process.

Isabella says, "Why is all this furniture in the dining room?"

Ed stays out of trouble in the bedroom.

Isabella catches some sun (photographed from outside through the patio door).

Alyssum and cukes are sprouting. Sweet peas, we have yet to hear from you.

The climbing rose is back!

Master of all he surveys.

More stuff

Irises by the US Bank we use most often.

Baby corn ... well, really toddler corn. Note the old cob from last year. The ghost of corn past.

Bob got this photo of the "super moon" a few nights ago.

Gardening for dummies

I'm the first to admit - I do not have a robust gardening gene like my uncle Lew, or my aunt Laura did when she was well. But, we have a terraced garden area and this year we vowed to plant something in it. Anyone remember "Green Acres"? Eva Gabor sang, "Darling I love you, but give me Park Avenue," when Eddie Albert tried to interest her in farming. I'm beginning to see Eva's point. But, we actually have two tomato plants in, as well as three cantaloupe plants, two cucumbers (or is it two cantaloupes and three cucumbers?) and three summer peppers (no I don't know exactly what a "summer pepper" is). I also found lemon cucumber seeds and started them in peat pots. Mom really wanted lemon cukes and I couldn't find any already started. It's a farm out there!

Tomatoes at far end, some member of the melon family up close.

On the other side of the veggies, nearly always in the shade, are shade-loving mints and Vinca.

Me in Bob's mud shoes. Now I know how Bozo feels.

Bob's dirty hands as he adds flowers to a hanging basket.

Early May

This sign is in the window of Boston Stoker, a coffee shop in Troy (it's out of Dayton, not Boston, but that's another story). I hope coffee makes us smarter. We drink enough of it!

We went to the Troy Hayner Cultural Center yesterday for the Ohio Watercolor Society exhibition. There are some talented people in the OWS. I've included a photo of a painting called "Lakeside Regatta" by Robert Bruce. Bob and I liked it.

Lakeside Regatta. Painted by Robert Bruce.

We also liked the ceilings at the Hayner Center. It used to be a private home. Very posh.

Ceiling and chandelier at Troy Hayner Cultural Center.

Another ceiling. Another chandelier.

Bob on the stairs at the cultural center.