Tuesday, November 19, 2013

FALL PROJECTS

Fall projects are underway and many of them get put off until the weekend or in the evening.


First is the mailbox rehab.  Our heavy duty Sears rural mail box from the 60's was a victim of a late night drive by.  Minie's old mailbox took a point blank blast from a 20 gauge 6 shot which left the wad inside the box.

I just found this pic. of the mail box, post shot gun blast....it takes a licking and keeps on ticking or something like that.

After patching the hole Susie did a great job of painting it and embellishing it with beer caps.











I guess we all have to do our part.

Out on the trout stream, the Big Mill bank restoration project is just getting started.  The project will greatly improve water quality, erosion problems and fish habitat on this cold water stream.



The restoration will take place along a 1,000 toot stretch of stream.







Eliminating the cut banks and allowing better access to fishing. 
Once completed desirable trees will be planted along the stream along with native prairie grasses and flowers that would have typically occurred along Mill Creek.
Out at Rolly, I gave Jr. a hand with putting a massive door on the fallout shelter/root cellar.
Years ago Rush dropped a couple of old gas tanks into the ground at various places on the property.









This one and another one up on top of the world.
Back home I removed the old 2x4 panel windows form the chicken coop and upgraded to a double pane picture window.
  The old windows were salvaged from an old house in town 20 years ago and it was time for an upgrade.
The Girls seem to like it and everything is comfy, cozy and dry.
These days when people say; how are things in Bellevue ?  My reply is Dark!  ya leave home in the morning as the sun is rising and return home at night as the sun is setting.
   There's nothing like a good headlight on a moonlit night!

Saturday, November 2, 2013

GUYS AND GHOULS.


MAKING JACK O' LANTERNS
Just take a golden pumpkin
 Of quite the largest size,
Cut all 'round the stem, just so,
 Scrape out the inside below,
And cut two holes for eyes.
 And now fix a nose beneath,
 And such a great big mouth with teeth,
 And you've a jack-o'-lantern!




I'm not sure what is more scary, my carving or my hair.
 With halloween falling mid week it's made for plenty of time to go to parties and get in the spirit of the spirits







We carved our pumpkins before we ventured out for the night.  Susie did a lot of dental work on Jack.

We put on our finest party clothes and grabbed the baby and we were ready for a night of  ghosts, goblins and spirits

















Chappy land had a good gathering of guys and ghouls.













The Roeder brothers (Blues Brothers) and their wives Wane and Garth had a great party with a classic local rockers, "Jammer" as the house band.





Springside was built in 1850
was built by William Wynkoop, a local merchant. Members of the Wynkoop family resided here for 51 years. This home represents the only example of classic "rural" Gothic Revival architecture in its pure form and setting in the Midwest. A Springfield, IL, attorney named Abraham Lincoln was among Springside's early guests.   But, Wednesday night it was the home of the BFA Bellevue Fatman's Association.  Dave and Penny North the current owners were nice enough to allow the boys to use their impressive gym to get a little workout in before our weekly meeting at the VFW.












The action was fast and furious
and it was difficult to draw out attention away to watch the final game of the world series.