Twenty-six years have passed since this day. There are times when it seems like just yesterday and others when it seems a distant dream. I don't know how James felt that day, but I was scared to death! 
Another Father's Day has come and gone. We had a lovely picnic at Rachel's house and mostly spent the time relaxing and talking together. It's too bad I let these special days sneak up on me when there are so many ways I appreciate my dad. He has been a constant source of love and encouragement throughout my life, always nearby to lend a helping hand or give sound advice, consistantly setting a godly example, and never backing down from what he knows is right. On summer nights when I was a little girl he would wash my face, neck and arms in the bathroom sink, then set me up on his knee to scrub the dust from my dirty feet before tucking me into bed at night. Sometimes he read stories or drew pictures for us. There was music when he played his guitar and harmonica and plenty of songs. Sometimes he got down on the floor to play "rough stuff" or threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. We always said our prayers before going to sleep at night and good night kisses were never forgotten. I never worried that my dad wouldn't come home at night or what condition he would be in when he arrived. What we learned in Sunday school he lived in his day to day life. And though he's grown older with the years he continues to set that same example for all us today.
Visitng Uncle Joe's farm is a treasured childhood memory. The sights and smells were so different than those of home. Uncle Joe had a dairy farm in Caneadea, NY, close to the Genesee River. Sometimes we watched the milking machines pump milk as the cows stood in the stanchions. There were troughs that ran behind the cows to catch the waste (Be careful where you step!) and the smell of manure was heavy in the air. Once a cow delivered her calf during our visit. Uncle Joe had a milk house where he kept a big tank to hold the milk until a truck came to haul it away. Once they even gave me a drink. I recall kittens in the haymow and lots of hound dogs. I didn't like those dogs. On one occasion they had a dead critter and were tearing it to shreds. I was not impressed and kept my distance from those horrible canines. There must have been horses but they aren't clear in my memory. I do remember the chickens and how Sally Sue would call out "Here chick, chick! Here chick, chick!" as she spread grain in the driveway. They all came running and gobbled up the food as fast as they could. 
These are the little johnny-jump-ups I'm used to seeing.
(So did yesterday's) My boys have finished weeding around the blueberry bushes and the patch is looking so much better. Hopefully we will be able to maintain what has been done and keep those weeds from taking over again. (A robin was having a great time catching dinner down there late this afternoon.) I think the weeds have the upper hand when it comes to the flower gardens. There are just too many for me to keep up with. Maybe I should just plant grass and forget the flowers... nah, I guess I'll just have to learn to tolerate the weeds instead.
I was kinda wondering what that dress looked like after I finished the lollipop...
This is what I did tonight, cut the dead blossoms off my lilac bushes. I'm not quite finished cause some are to high to reach without a ladder. And, my allergies are killing me out there. I spent way too much time pulling weeds around my blueberry bushes this afternoon. Now not only am I sneezing, but my nose is so stuffed up I can hardly breathe! It must be nearing the end of this allergy season, and then we will be on to the next.
Yesterday I made a mental list of things to do and then set out to get them accomplished. One of those things was to clean my bedroom and another was to make that rhubarb pie. I also managed to do three loads of laundry and hang two of them out to dry (the other one I threw in the dryer). By mid afternoon I was ready to sit on the porch and relax for a bit. While I was sitting there along came "my" hummingbird. I quick sent for the camera and then waited for it to come back. Those little guys are quick so it takes a little patience to snap their photo. What I like in this picture is the reflection of the barn in the water.
When I started feeling sleepy Hannah took a walk around the yard with the camera and found an interesting bird. (He's on the tree stump.) It looks like a woodpecker. My mom does some bird watching and said it sounds like a flicker. She's right, it's a Yellow Shafted Flicker
Lori, if you're out there, here she is...
Auntie Lori tells me that Grandma's always know what the baby is going to be... ahhh... I think it's a... baby. I really haven't a clue as to if its a boy or a girl. (Never was good at that.) Wednesday is the big ultrasound but Beth wants to be surprised so she's hoping she doesn't find out whether its a boy or girl. Haven't heard any talk of names and they aren't decorating the nursery yet either.
We took one of the rhubarb pies Hannah and I baked today, and a half gallon of ice cream and stopped over at Beth and Adam's house tonight for some dessert. She's still sweet on her daddy. Can't say as I blame her, I'm kinda sweet on him too.
Teal Lake has been gone now for several weeks. It's good to see the grass growing in the back yard again and to not worry about stagnant, stinking water. The grass has even grown long enough to mow. We have yet to fix the problem with the drainage tiles but that will come in time. We aren't 
looking forward to digging up the yard but know it has to be done eventually as the town agrees that the water has always been funneled through our property and not back through the orchard as we had hoped. It just seemed strange to us that it would make a big U around the back of our property instead of a straight line toward the lake. Oh well, it was worth asking and now we know. Hopefully, the big rains will hold off until we can get the tiles cleaned or replaced. We really don't want the puddle back.
