Lot of people getting sick in our region.  Sounds like several schools are shutting down because so many teachers and students are ill.  We have several people in our circle that our sick now with H1N1.  Really hoping we don’t get it.  Last year the flu experience was nottttttt fun.  Several months of being sick on and off. 

  We did get our flu shot.  However, the H1N1 shots are not available yet – and you have to wait 1 month between shots.  Uncertain on the actual vaccine.  Sounds like a lot of people don’t trust the shot.  Unsure what we will do.  Not sure if you can get the H1N1 more than once, either.  Guess I will google that subject.

  Well, it has been a little while since I posted some photos.  Errr few days 🙂  Dione said I should post something.  So, here goes!

  Looks like the wood floors are almost finished on the first floor of the house.  Next up with be the second floor.  Looks like it is taking around six days for each floor.  Next two floors might actually go faster.  Unsure.  We will see how it goes!

  The lights are going up on the outside of the house.  The ceiling is almost finished on the third floor – family room.  Fans are up.  Tile work is almost finished in the bathrooms – sunroom.  Moving along nicely.

  The weather has been nice.  Beautiful today.  Low temperatures this morning were in the 40s.  🙂  Not bad!

  Had a great dinner with Jason and Jess tonight.  Outback – lots of food!  Did not leave hungry.  🙂

  Dylan had a birthday on Monday.  So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DYLAN.  Hope you had a good one. 

  Tony and Deena have moved into their new house – northern Graves County.  About 20 minutes away.  They just started moving in – so it will take a little while to unpack.

  Been working on the budget today – trying to learn how to use Quicken.  Slowly getting there.  At least I have the budget written out.  That is a good start.

  Some photos from the last few days – all photos here

 
Looking out the window of the old house – looking north

Old house – windows are out – slowly stripping it

Old house

Looking out the window of the old house that I grew up in

Looking out of Dione’s old bedroom window

Lot of debris from the old house

Looking south towards the new house out of Dione’s old bedroom

The windows are up on the second floor deck – front of new house

Barn wood floors in the dining room and kitchen

Kitchen area – dining room

Kitchen area – the wood floors are almost finished on this floor

Wood floors are almost done on the first floor

Looking into the library

Guest bathroom tile is down

Master shower – tile is on the walls and floor – ceiling

Master bathroom

Weather room – fans are up. 

Master bedroom – barn wood for the floors.

Family room – ceiling is almost finished

Family room upstairs

Family room upstairs

Family room upstairs

Family room upstairs

  A long week.  To say the least.

  But, there was a nice sunset tonight 🙂  Click images for larger size

  Well daddy on the news at noon today – 6 pm – and 10 pm.  Top story!  I think he did quite well with the interview.  AND it was his birthday.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY 🙂

  Unfortunately, the news story was not about his birthday.

www.youtube.com/watch

  We made it home!  We had such a wonderful time at Drew and Kristy’s wedding in Jacksonville, Florida.  It was a quick trip, though. 

  The wedding was beautiful – on the beach!  Then after the wedding we went to one of their friends homes.  Beautiful house on the river.  The house was 101 years old. 

  Looks like a wet week ahead – on and off rain.  Then cooler towards next weekend or the beginning of the new work week.  The cold air is slower to move in than expected.  Looks like a more active pattern is trying to emerge.  These cut off lows, though, are causing a lot of flooding in some areas.

  Slideshow of the wedding

Drew – Beau – Kristy – Jacksonville, Florida

Joey and Kristy – Jacksonville, Florida

Drew and Kristy – Jacksonville, Florida

Kristy and Beau

Kristy

Their wedding cake 🙂

Drew and Kristy – CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

Joey and Mack – Kristy’s new little pug

Mack

Lucy – not sure Lucy is liking the new daddy Mack

  Well, after a few rain delays we made it to Jacksonville, Florida last night around 6 pm.  Not bad.  The airport wasn’t toooooo bad.  🙂  Could have been worse.  We made it safely, so that is all that matters.

  Had a great time last night with Drew and Kristy – his parents – Kristy’s parents – and Richard and Becky.  I have never met Kristy’s mom, but she seems just like her!

  The wedding is this afternoon.  We are going to the mall for a couple of hours this morning and then Kristy is coming here to the hotel to get ready for the wedding.

  I think we get to meet their new pug this afternoon, as well.  Mack or Mac?   That is the puppys name.  I am sure Lucy will be happy to see us, as well.  It has been awhile since we saw Lucy.

  Left my card reader at home – so can’t upload photos.  Will have to do that once I get back home.

  Happy birthday Corey and John 🙂

  We are heading south to Kristy and Drews wedding.  The wedding is tomorrow.  🙂

Click for larger image

  Well, it has been a few days since I updated the blog.  🙂  On Thursday and Friday the solar hot water tank was installed.  Solar panels were placed on the roof of the garage.  The other solar panels will have to wait a few weeks (some of the parts didn’t arrive).   The solar project was David’s idea and mine – mixture of ideas.  🙂  It is a good start – perhaps we can add to it in the future. 

  We celebrated birthdays on Sunday.  Danielle’s birthday – Dylan’s birthday – daddy’s birthday!  We had dinner at Dione’s house and then went up to the farm to show the kids the house.  After that we went to Marvin’s Marvelous Corn Maze (right down the road from our house up in Massac County).

  I think everyone had a great time.  I had to work through the maze so Deena and Joey wouldn’t get lost.  I tried to make sure they saw every dead end possible.  Maybe more than once. 🙂   Anyhoo – we survived.  Well Joey and I survived.  I am not sure if Deena ever made it out.  We may have to send out a search team for her.

  The rest of the family went in different directions – once they were in the maze.  I think they all made it out!

Solar panels arrive!

Solar panels arrive

Solar panels are going up 🙂

Solar panels

Solar hot water panels on top of the garage

Solar hot water tank

Solar hot water panels on top of the garage

Solar hot water panels

Cumulus clouds to the north of the farm

All family photos here

Shawnie and Dylan

Tyler – hurt his leg while playing football.

On top of my house up on the farm

Marvin’s marvelous corn maze

Joey in Marvin’s Marvelous Maze

Remember

Click for large image

Took this around 8 pm last night off the back deck.

  Rained this morning.  But, the afternoon was dry – at least at the farm.  Very heavy rains elsewhere around the region.  We don’t need any additional rainfall at the farm.

  Dylan, Dylan, Dione, and Mariah came up to the farm this afternoon.  Hung out on the observation deck for a little while.  Dione wanted to see the old house before the recycle it.

Dylan on top of the house

Mariah and Joey – observation deck

Mariah and Dione

In the old house.  Dione used to keep Deena and I out of her room by
blocking the door

Dione’s first day of school – back in the early 1970s

Dione today 🙂

Mariah

Click for larger images

The rooster looks happy

Looking out at the new house from within the old house that I grew up in

  Tyler played his first football game of the season yesterday!  They didn’t win, but he did play a great game.  🙂

  All the photos are here

Tyler is numbe 41

  Well, I knew it would eventually happen.  Just wasn’t sure when.  I got to experience my first thunderstorm in the new place.  I loved it!  It developed right over the farm.  Lot of heavy rain and lightning.

  I definitely enjoyed watching the show!

  Everything is moving along nicely.  Judy was painting today.  The paint colors look great.  The rest of the crew has been working hard on siding, ceilings, electricity, and everything in between.  Tony has been going back and forth checking on everything, as well.  I think the late October move in day looks good.  We will see.

  They are starting to strip the old house, as well.  It might be torn down at the end of this month or the beginning of October.  My family will want to be up there when that happens.  I am sure it will be a bitter sweet experience.

Some photos from the last few days

All of the photos can be viewed here

Hanging the last weather cameras

Rodney walking up towards the house.  Joey says this looks like we are at
the beach with the grass in front and sand.  🙂

Roxie painting the weather room

Hanging the last weather cameras

Click for larger images

Our first time being up at the new house in a thunderstorm 🙂

Thunderstorms on September 5th

September 5, 2009 Storms

Click for larger image – storms on Saturday

Looking towards the farm

Heavy rain in the distance – the old house there below.  It will be torn down
in October.

Looking out the weather window

Heavy rain – looking out the window

Off the master bedroom – heavy rain in the distance

Heavy rain – looking southwest.  Visibility was low during the peak
of the storm.

MUD

Scott moving dirt today.  MUD MUD MUD!

Looking out the weather room.

Nearing sunset at the farm

Water running through the ditches in Massac County

Dammit Robin – you will never know the impact you had on my life.  I hope you fly fly fly with the angels above.  Through the good and the bad I will always and have always loved you.  This just makes me sad.

  Wow – is it already SEPTEMBER?  That is just insane.  I have no idea where the time goes.  I just know that it keeps moving along.  I haven’t had time to post photos over the last week or so.  Been too busy trying to keep up with everything at the farm.

  Jason Darnall and I installed a bunch of tower cams last week.  The last few that we had to put up.  These will face northwest/north/northeast.  All of them will be on the weather page – online.  Just need to get the power going and so on. 

  I still think we are looking good for a move in date in October.  We shall see.  It will be close!

  Had a WONDERFUL lunch with Sue, Tracie, Geri, and Caesar yesterday.  Downtown Paducah.  We all had to catch up on the latest news from each other.  Sounds like everyone is staying busy busy busy. 

  July and August both ended up way below normal in the temperature department.  Which, was just fine with me.  I am not a fan of heat and humidity.

  Two more weeks until we leave for Kristy’s wedding in Florida. 

Top of the world 🙂

Top of the house

Ceiling – tongue and groove has arrived.

Looking north from the observation deck

Last bit of weather instruments – added to the top of the house.

Top deck of the house.  Joey 🙂  Click any image for larger size

Looking northwest towards the neighbors farm

Jason Darnall and Beau – hanging tower cams

Hanging tower cams

Looking south

Jason and Beau – hanging the 360 degree camera

Looking north

Ohio River Sunset – click for larger images

Jason and I hanging tower cams.  Nathan driving the tractor.

Jason Darnall helping me with cameras

Time to hang some cameras 🙂

Daisy’s first trip inside the new house

Daisy’s first trip to the new house

Daisy – seeing the new house for the first time 🙂

Daisy on the front porch 🙂

5 – Fifth Important Lesson – Giving When it Counts…

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare &serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, ‘Yes I’ll do it if it will save her.’ As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, ‘Will I start to die right away?.

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

– author known